Chapter 346: Late-Night Hotel Chat (Part 1)

After getting into the car, Link checked his watch. It was past 9 PM, his usual bedtime. He asked the two girls where they were staying and offered to have the driver take them back, promising to chat more tomorrow.

Chris Liu mentioned staying at the Four Seasons Hotel on Fuhua 3rd Road, not far from their current location, and inquired about Link's hotel.

Link replied that he was staying at the Sheraton Hotel in the central district, also a five-star hotel.

Chris Liu, feeling they hadn't talked enough, invited him to their hotel for snacks, drinks, and more conversation.

Link agreed and asked Shu Chang if it was convenient for her.

Shu Chang was momentarily stunned, then nodded in agreement.

Link instructed the driver to head to the Four Seasons, and Chris Liu reminded him to buy snacks and beer, which Link acknowledged.

Shu Chang glanced at Chris Liu, feeling speechless. Link had already offered to send them back, but Yifei insisted on extending the night by inviting a man to their hotel room for drinks. Did she not understand the implications of such an invitation at night?

Well, Yifei was naive and might not be aware of it. But the thought of spending the night with Link, a man, in the same room made Shu Chang's heart race.

"Chang Chang, what do you want to eat? Oh, your face is so red, are you hot?" Chris Liu touched her friend's smooth, fair cheek.

"A little."

Shu Chang pulled her hand away and said she'd have anything. As Link instructed his assistant to buy snacks, Shu Chang typed a message on her phone for Chris Liu to see.

"What are you doing? How can you invite Link to the hotel at night?"

Chris Liu blinked and typed back: "I haven't seen Link in two years. What's wrong with inviting him to the hotel for a chat?"

"He's a strong guy, and we're two girls. Do you think it's normal to be alone with him at night?"

"Why not? Are you worried Link will bully us? You're overthinking. Link is not that kind of person."

"How do you know? I heard foreigners are very open in this regard, let alone Link, a playboy. What if he makes a move on us?"

"Chang Chang, are you thinking too negatively of people? I don't know about others, but I can guarantee Link is not that kind of person."

Shu Chang pondered this. Yifei and Link were old friends, so she must know him well. If Yifei was confident, Shu Chang decided to trust her. She typed on her phone, "No drinking."

"Okay!"

Chris Liu replied, hugging her waist and kissing her cheek.

Shu Chang pushed her away in mock disgust as the car continued on.

Link and Chris Liu resumed their conversation about movies and music, with Link inviting Chris Liu to develop her career in the US.

Shu Chang listened for a bit, then took out her phone to search for Link. She had heard him mention his investment in the movie "Easy A" earning him millions and wondered if he was bragging.

Her search confirmed he wasn't. "Easy A" was in its fourth week in North America, with a cumulative box office of $57.22 million, hailed as the biggest dark horse of the summer.

Palm Beach Pictures, one of the production companies, was indeed Link's investment. Based on the numbers, he could indeed earn millions from a single movie.

Shu Chang also searched for news about Link's boxing matches and found those claims to be true as well.

His first match against Roy Jones Jr. earned him $48 million, and the subsequent four world championship defenses brought in nearly $120 million. Five matches in less than half an hour, earning him $170 million, dubbed the "money-printing machine" of boxing.

Shu Chang covered her mouth in astonishment.

BusinessWeek also reported Link's various investments in new energy vehicles, the internet, music, and film. His net worth, estimated at $3.2 billion at the beginning of the year, had doubled to over $8 billion, equivalent to 50-60 billion yuan.

Shu Chang blinked in disbelief. Link was only 21 years old, yet his wealth rivaled that of top Chinese billionaires.

Moreover, Link was different from the wealthy people she had met. Many domestic millionaires acted like emperors, putting on airs.

Link, with tens of billions, was strolling the streets with them, carrying their drinks and snacks, without any pretense.

Shu Chang felt embarrassed for casually taking snacks from him earlier without even thanking him.

She sneaked a glance at Link and saw his handsome face under the lights, his deep blue eyes, and his high nose. When talking to Yifei, he always wore a sunny, genuine smile. He didn't seem like a bad person at all.

Noticing her gaze, Link looked back, and Shu Chang blushed, quickly lowering her head to fiddle with her phone.

"Is Jennifer an actress too?" Link asked in his clear, magnetic voice.

Before she could answer, Chris Liu put an arm around her shoulder and said, "Yes, we're the same age. Jennifer has acted in over ten TV dramas and is also a big star in China."

"I can see that. You're both very beautiful."

Link looked at the two girls, one elegant and the other sweet, each with her own unique beauty.

"Link, do you really think we're pretty? I heard Westerners like Asian women with high cheekbones and upturned eyes. Our eyes aren't upturned at all."

Chris Liu pointed at her beautiful phoenix eyes.

"I don't know about them, but I think you're both beautiful."

"Haha, Link, Jennifer doesn't have a boyfriend. Do you want to date her? I can help you."

Chris Liu joked, hugging Shu Chang.

Shu Chang blushed and lowered her head, pinching Chris Liu's waist, telling her not to talk nonsense.

"Chang Chang, don't be shy. Link is a foreigner. Just chat with him casually, don't feel any pressure. He doesn't mind these things."

Chris Liu encouraged her.

Shu Chang still felt her face burning. The thought of dating a foreign heartthrob like Link had never crossed her mind.

Besides, Yifei was right. Compared to Western women, she wasn't as attractive in looks or figure. Someone like Link, who had dated many foreign women, might not be interested in her. This made her lack confidence in front of him, even a little envious of Yifei's carefree attitude.

"Chris, you said Jennifer doesn't have a boyfriend. What about you?"

Link looked at the blushing girl, then at the fairy-like Chris Liu.

"No, I want to date, but my mom won't let me. In her eyes, there are no good men in the entertainment industry, and I don't know many guys outside the industry. How can I date them? I feel like with my mom controlling me like this, I'll end up an old maid."

Chris Liu pouted cutely.

"Then what kind of boyfriend are you looking for?"

Chris Liu glanced at his face, a smile creeping onto her lips.

"Like me?"

"No, you're too outstanding. Being your girlfriend would be stressful, always worrying about other women stealing you away. That would be too hard. I want someone a little less than you, as good-looking as you, but not as successful."

Chris Liu pointed at his face and laughed.

"Is that so? I didn't expect being too successful would make me less attractive."

Link chuckled, reminded of Taylor by Chris Liu's words.

Taylor had left him, saying the pressure of being with him was too much, that he was like a towering tree, hindering her growth.

After leaving him, Taylor had become a tree herself, competing with him. From Taylor's perspective, leaving decisively and cutting her losses was indeed a good choice.

But compared to a strong woman like Taylor, Chris Liu and Jennifer Shu were like delicate flowers, better off growing beside a big tree.

The car arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel on Fuhua Avenue. Link asked for Chris Liu's room number and instructed Wallace and the other bodyguards to book two rooms on the same floor, telling them to notify him if they needed to leave. Then he got out of the car with the snacks and beer.

Shu Chang reached out to take one of the bags, carefully following Link.

Their rooms were on the 16th floor, a middle floor.

The Four Seasons Hotel had a luxurious interior, similar to the Hilton. It was a global luxury hotel chain headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Alwaleed as major shareholders. Currently, there were eight Four Seasons hotels in China.

As they waited for the elevator, Chris Liu's phone rang. It was her mother, asking where she was and if she was asleep.

Chris Liu reluctantly said she was in bed, about to fall asleep when the phone woke her up.

Ding!

The elevator arrived.

Liu's mother immediately recognized the elevator sound and scoffed, asking how there could be an elevator sound in bed. She demanded to know where Chris Liu was going at this hour.

Chris Liu sighed and explained that after the concert, she and Shu Chang had been out for a walk and snacks and had just returned to the hotel.

Liu's mother asked if Shu Chang was there and wanted to speak to her.

Chris Liu rolled her eyes and handed the phone to Shu Chang, taking the bag from her and bumping Link's shoulder playfully. "Don't you think my mom is annoying?"

Link shook his head, saying, "Your mom must love you very much."

Chris Liu made a face.

Shu Chang answered the phone, and Liu's mother asked if Yifei had gone to see Link after the concert.

Shu Chang said yes.

Liu's mother then asked what they did and if they were alone.

Shu Chang glanced at Chris Liu and said no, she had been with them the whole time.

Liu's mother wanted to ask more, but Chris Liu snatched the phone back and said, "Mom, aren't you being annoying? I just met with Link for a while and came back. Why are you asking so much? If you're worried, then fly over here. Chang Chang isn't your supervisor."

Liu's mother scolded her, calling her a "damn girl" and telling her to come back tomorrow, or she'd break her legs.

Chris Liu said she understood and hung up, then turned off her phone and told Shu Chang to do the same, so they wouldn't be disturbed while drinking.

While waiting for the elevator, a young man with a carefree attitude approached them with a woman. He glanced at Link in his cap, then at the two masked girls with good figures and temperament.

He quietly gave Link a thumbs-up and said, "Dude, you're awesome!"

Link looked at him, and the young man was momentarily taken aback. As Link and the girls entered the elevator, they heard the young man curse, "Damn, he's a foreigner!"

(End of Chapter)