Chapter 2238 - 2439: Lost Both the Lady and the Soldiers

The innkeeper was someone who understood the times. Initially, he wanted to charge Hao Jian's group of students a hefty fee; it wasn't a small amount, and he could earn quite a bit from it. Money is everything—who cares if it's tainted, as long as it's profitable, that's the rule. However, now Liu Qiangdong had shown up, taking action without hesitation; he wasn't an idiot. Listening to Liu Qiangdong made it clear that he was being targeted.

If he insisted on collecting this fee today, it wasn't just about losing face; his shop would surely be trashed today, and even if it was repaired later, judging by Liu Qiangdong's words, future business would likely not resume as usual.

Upon careful thought, he felt extremely terrified. He wasn't stupid and understood the pros and cons involved. So, he backed down and spoke these words.

To his surprise, Liu Qiangdong was still unsatisfied, looking at him and said, "Is that all?"

Since he was here for Hao Jian, it wasn't just about ensuring Hao Jian got in. If not, why would he need to be here? If it came to handling people, he had seen Hao Jian's skills in the afternoon; all those people were no match for him, so how could the innkeeper and his two to three men be a challenge? Plus, there were so many witnesses here.

Thus, he wasn't stupid. Since Hao Jian had called him over, he surely intended to seek more benefits. He smiled at the innkeeper, hoping he understood so that he wouldn't have to speak further, avoiding trouble.

However, the innkeeper, upon hearing this, immediately got a bit twitchy. It wasn't enough that they could stay for free? What more could they possibly want? But what else could he give them? Refund the room fees? Shaking his head, he thought that was impossible—even a room only earned so much per day. If he refunded the room fees, what would he earn? Wouldn't he suffer a huge loss?

He already considered it a loss. If he continued losing, wouldn't it be a massive blow?

However, Liu Qiangdong's words were out there. If he followed through, this wouldn't be resolved so easily. He was anxious and, in desperation, said, "How about I vacate the remaining king-sized rooms, around four to five, and upgrade your single rooms to king-sized ones for free? What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qiangdong finally nodded. He thought for a moment: after all, it was a business, and going too far might not be good. Although he had little future interaction with the innkeeper, it was wise not to act excessively.

Moreover, offering a free upgrade to king-sized rooms wasn't bad since a king-sized room usually costs over two hundred. Considering this, he nodded and turned to Hao Jian.

After all, he came to handle this for Hao Jian, and the final decision was up to him.

At this moment, everyone turned their attention to Hao Jian, waiting for his response. However, the first thing he said after standing up was, "No way!"

This immediately shocked the innkeeper. Not enough? Then how could this be resolved?

The others were also puzzled. If the problem could be solved this way, staying there with free room upgrades seemed decent, so why did Hao Jian refuse?

Liu Qiangdong was also confused. Not enough? He too wasn't sure how to satisfy Hao Jian.

Hao Jian didn't even want to stay there anymore. However, considering finding another place wasn't a big deal with Liu Qiangdong, it would involve moving luggage and could drag on late into the night. Everyone was tired, and staying out late would be problematic for tomorrow.

Thinking practically about not moving made sense, but merely upgrading to king-sized rooms was far too easy on these unscrupulous owners, so he couldn't agree.

He hadn't acted or spoken yet, just sat with his legs crossed. Now that Liu Qiangdong had basically settled things, it was his turn to speak.

The innkeeper's expression changed when he heard Hao Jian's words. Looking at Hao Jian, he was speechless for quite a while. If he heard these words earlier, he'd have cursed, but with Liu Qiangdong there, how could he retort?

He didn't know that Hao Jian was more terrifying than Liu Qiangdong. Liu Qiangdong might just smash up the place, but if Hao Jian got involved, the consequences would extend beyond losing the shop; he might face a miserable future.

He looked at Hao Jian, struggling to say: "Bro... Big brother, what should I do if this won't work?"

Feeling helpless, if he'd known things would develop this way, he wouldn't have acted like this. Now it was a case of "gaining nothing but losing", suffering a double loss. It was a bitter situation he couldn't articulate.

Hao Jian remained calm and stepped closer to him, smiling, "If it were that simple, wouldn't you be getting off too easy?"

The innkeeper and his wife tensed up at those words. Too easy? Did it need to be more complex? Unhappy inside, but they dared not speak.

Then, Hao Jian continued, "Initially, you tried to charge us double the rate, threatening to kick us out and throw out our luggage. Just upgrading some rooms doesn't count as retribution. I want more than just this…"

Pausing, Hao Jian suddenly said, "What I want is… a full refund of our room fees!"

"What?!" The innkeeper and his wife's eyes widened immediately.

He didn't expect Hao Jian to boldly demand a full refund. How was that possible? Refunding the fees would mean more than just a little loss; it would be a huge blow. The group had booked over thirty rooms, both singles and doubles. Refunding those fees would result in a loss of several thousand yuan.

Moreover, considering the broken majority clock and other damages like computers, the total loss would be incalculable, potentially taking months to recover. He seemed visibly pained.

What he proposed wasn't acceptable at all. Who would willingly let go of the money in their hands?

Hao Jian looked at him and asked, "What? Unwilling?"

The innkeeper was silent, unsure what to say.

Liu Qiangdong cooperatively clenched his fists and glared at the innkeeper, "My hands are still itching; maybe smashing things earlier wasn't enough to enjoy it."

"No…" The innkeeper immediately stopped Liu Qiangdong from going further.

The loss was already substantial. Smashing more would mean months of losing sleep, especially as low tourist season was approaching, which would hurt their earnings significantly. Their hard work over the past months might be wiped out.

At this, he quickly changed his tone, saying, "OK, OK, OK… I'll refund, alright?!"

He spoke as if he was about to cry. Understandably, anyone else in his situation might cry, coming in with hopes of profit, only to end up with a huge loss instead.

This was truly a case of "crying without tears".

On hearing this, Hao Jian smiled, saying: "Not bad at all."

The innkeeper's wife looked like she was about to cry as she was unwilling to fetch the money. The innkeeper shot her a glance, saying, "What are you waiting for? Want to see the place trashed?"

Finally, she went to get the money. Hao Jian gestured to Zhang Danlin to follow her and retrieve the prepaid room fees.

He was straightforward. As long as people got along with him, everything was negotiable. He was easygoing. But if someone tried to cheat him or make a profit at his expense, making him unhappy… well, he was tough, perhaps even tougher than them.

Despite his heart bleeding as he spoke, the innkeeper had to remain composed, watching his wife hand over the money he had thought he'd pocketed.

Shortly, the innkeeper's wife returned Zhang Danlin's previously paid fees intact. Zhang Danlin tucked the money into her bag, determined to keep it safe since it belonged to her classmates.

At that moment, Hao Jian stepped up to the innkeeper and patted his shoulder, saying "Keep up the good work!"

Screw that; his heart was aching. That's what the innkeeper thought to himself.

Then, Hao Jian approached Liu Qiangdong, saying, "Thanks a lot this time."