Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 188 Mythical Chessboard·Copy of Hangzhou City!

Mr. Zhang’s second uncle is the general manager of Wuyou Media, the person in charge of the Zhang Group in the MCN industry, and a big shot whose words are as important as gold in the Internet celebrity circle in Hangzhou.

Zhou Wang also heard a few words from the drunken Mr. Zhang about their Zhang Group.

The old man of the Zhang family laid the foundation of the family by mining in the Northeast. The six brothers and sisters of his father's generation were responsible for expanding the family and expanding the business across the country, mostly focusing on the entertainment industry. In addition to the Internet, their family also has a large company in the legitimate entertainment industry, which is managed by Mr. Zhang's third uncle.

As for Zhang Zhiyuan himself, he is the son of the eldest sister. His father married into the family, so he took his mother's surname.

Because of some disputes within the family, Young Master Zhang chose to go to Yunnan Province, intending to start a new business in a border area and build a career.

There is a bit of helplessness in this...

"Of course, when we're not talking about business, our family is still very close. When my second uncle was young, period movies were popular. He wanted to go to Hong Kong to hang out with Brother Haonan, but he was almost beaten by my grandfather..."

"So he might have a little bit of a gangster complex. Don't mind it when you really get along with him. My second uncle is a good person..."

Since coming to Hangzhou would inevitably involve dealing with Young Master Zhang's second uncle, Zhou Wang still took note of what Zhang Zhiyuan had said before.

Judging from this unique airport reception ceremony, Zhang Zhiyuan's judgment of his uncle was very accurate...

"Hello, Mr. Zhou. My name is Xiao Biao, and I'm Mr. Zhang's assistant. Mr. Zhang wanted to pick you up in person, but because the day after tomorrow is Wuyou Night, there are too many things that need to be coordinated by Mr. Zhang in person. He asked me to convey his apologies to you. He will be waiting for you at the company headquarters tomorrow..."

Among the group of men in suits, the leader was a sturdy man, but he spoke in a very detailed and organized manner.

At this time, a group of people surrounded Zhou Wang and walked towards the parking lot. There were beauties on both sides, and a group of black-clad bodyguards behind him. They were so cool that they attracted a lot of attention...

After the initial embarrassment, Zhou Wang's mentality became much calmer. He put on his sunglasses, walked with a shake of his steps, and walked out with an attitude that showed he didn't love anyone.

"It doesn't matter. He is my elder and the head of the company. I can't afford for him to pick me up at the airport in person. Please convey my gratitude to him. There's really no need for such a grand ceremony..."

Zhou Wang nodded and responded to what Xiao Biao said.

Soon, the group arrived at the parking lot. A row of black Mercedes-Benz were parked in a nearby location. The front one was a Mercedes-Benz S500L, and the others were Mercedes-Benz E-Class, a total of five cars.

The price is not that expensive, but it looks pretty good.

Xiao Biao and another guy in a suit personally opened the car door for the three of them. Xu Wenxi sat on the passenger seat and left the back seat to Zhou Wang and Jiang Qingkui.

A row of Mercedes-Benz cars started up slowly, drove out of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport, and drove along the airport highway towards the urban area of ​​Hangzhou.

What surprised Zhou Wang was that on the folded down middle headrest in the back row, there was not only an ashtray placed in advance, but also a pack of Liqun and a metal lighter.

"Thank you."

Zhou Wang smiled. This detail was incredible. After all, the first thing a smoker would do after leaving the airport would be to light up a cigarette...

"Mr. Zhou, as long as you are satisfied...but this is actually what Miss Jiang reminded me of."

Xiao Biao smiled embarrassedly and did not take any credit for it.

Zhou Wang looked at Jiang Qingkui, who was smiling and silent, in surprise. He really wanted to kiss her as a reward...

As if she sensed that Zhou Wang's eyes were a little dangerous, Jiang Qingkui didn't dare to sit still any longer. She quickly picked up the lighter, took a cigarette from the cigarette box and lit it for Zhou Wang.

Zhou Wang glanced at the cigarette box. It was something called "Cloud Leisure" from Liqun. He didn't really understand it, but it was nice to change the taste occasionally...

After lighting a cigarette, Zhou Wang did not look at Jiang Qingkui again. He just turned around and rolled down the car window. He looked at the very nice greenery on both sides under the scorching sun, and the shadows of the high-rise buildings in the distance. He could not help but sigh:

"Hangzhou..."

Although in a previous list, Mingcheng, like Hangzhou, was selected into the list of new first-tier cities in China.

But even though Mingcheng is his hometown, Zhou Wang has to admit that the gap between Mingcheng and Hangzhou is still huge. Taking GDP as an example, in 23 years, Hangzhou's GDP has exceeded 2 trillion, while Mingcheng's is only 7000 billion.

This is the blatant gap.

Looking at the prosperity that was about to swallow him up, Zhou Wang felt a sudden thrill for no reason.

……

On the way, Zhou Wangxian had a phone call with Zhang Zhiyuan and was personally entertained by the man's second uncle, which was only natural.

When he put down his phone, he glanced at the dozen or so unread WeChat messages and couldn't help but frown. He clicked them and saw that they were all sent by Cheng Yiyi.

"Zhou Wang, are you free tonight? I'll be off work at 5:30 after the meeting..."

"Spying in the dark.jpg"

"I'm going to stay overnight in Hangzhou. Do you want to have dinner together?"

"Zhou Wang, I've asked you out so many times, how could you be so excessive!"

"Fairy's Fury.gif"

"You did that to me today..."

"I'm going to tell Liu Zixi and Xie Yuying that you...you are irresponsible!"

"..."

Looking at the series of messages sent by Cheng Yiyi, Zhou Wang couldn't help but frown.

However, the more angry the other party became, the more Zhou Wang didn't want to pay attention to her... He felt that no matter what he replied, there was a risk of it being taken out of context and posted online.

"Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhang has arranged for you to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou West Lake. Do you think we need to change it?"

At this time, seeing that Zhou Wang finally put down his phone, Xiao Biao, who had been driving quietly, started to ask.

"Four Seasons Hotel West Lake?"

Zhou Wang was slightly surprised.

“Among the many luxury hotels in Hangzhou, this is the only established hotel that is listed as a Forbes Five-Star hotel.”

Jiang Qingkui, who had already known about it in advance, explained softly at this time.

"Have heard a little bit."

Zhou Wang smiled and said.

Forbes has more than just a rich list. It is authoritative in many aspects of selection, such as the star-rated hotels in the Forbes Travel Guide.

As of 2023, there are a total of 128 hotels in China listed by Forbes. If the three special administrative regions are excluded, there are less than 20 Forbes five-star hotels in the mainland.

The Four Seasons Hotel at West Lake Hangzhou, which was built more than ten years ago, is the only hotel in Hangzhou to receive this honor.

(Xizi Lake refers to "West Lake" to distinguish it from the other 35 lakes named after it in China, so people also call it "West Lake")
This high-end hotel, which belongs to the Four Seasons Group, is located right at the center of the inner lake of West Lake. Its awesomeness can be seen from this unparalleled location.

Unlike Mingcheng, which is located in the southwest corner, Hangzhou, as a truly developed city, has too many high-end hotels. The first time Zhou Wang stayed in a five-star hotel in Hangzhou, it was directly next to the West Lake, which was naturally the best choice.

After all, this was his first time in Hangzhou...

Now that the local dog has come to the city, of course he has to see the world as much as possible.

"No need to change, I am very satisfied with this arrangement, let's go to West Lake Four Seasons."

Zhou Wang said with a smile.

Xiao Biao responded and slightly increased the speed of the car. The Mercedes-Benz S500L continued to move forward along the Airport City Avenue and passed through the most prosperous urban area of ​​Hangzhou.

When he was about to enter the Xixing Bridge, Zhou Wang stuck his head out to look at the Qiantang River not far away, and was somewhat amazed.

The Qiantang River, which seems inconspicuous on the map, is actually so wide when viewed with the naked eye!

"Mr. Zhou, this bridge will be demolished and rebuilt this year. You may never see it again next time you come."

Jiang Qingkui explained to Zhou Wang with a smile.

Zhou Wang nodded when he heard this and was about to respond when the excitement in his heart that had arisen since he entered the city suddenly reached its peak at this moment.

"parking!"

Zhou Wang, feeling dizzy, spoke quickly.

Although Xiao Biao was surprised, he still turned on the hazard lights as he was told and pulled the Mercedes-Benz S500L to the side of the road.

"Mr. Zhou, what's wrong?"

The moment the car stopped, Zhou Wang didn't bother to say anything to Jiang Qingkui and Xu Wenxi. He quickly opened the car door and got out, then stepped onto the flower bed by the roadside in a few steps.

hum!
A huge roar sounded in his ears, accompanied by countless laughter and mutterings. At the same time, the system's prompt sounded in Zhou Wang's mind.

Ding!
[Detecting that the host has entered a developed city with an annual GDP of more than one trillion for the first time, triggering a hidden reward]

[Host receives "Random Chessboard" reward]

[“Mythical Chessboard·Crouching Dragon Realm” has been loaded, and the Hangzhou map is being changed...]

Ding!
[Hangzhou map has been copied]

[Crouching Dragon Realm·Hangzhou: When the host is in Hangzhou, he will gain invisible luck blessing, which can trigger events and characters to be visualized, and grant at least three hidden rounds on the map]

Ding!
[The secret shop has been updated, and the "chessboard map" mechanism has been activated]

[The host can purchase chessboards of different levels in the mysterious shop. The existence of the chessboard will provide various conveniences for the host's actions in the corresponding city, and the degree of blessing varies depending on the level.]

[Note: Each chessboard can only be bound to one city]

[If life is a game of chess, then every important place that can affect your life is the chessboard. Try to become the best chess player.]

……

As the system prompts ended, all strange feelings disappeared.

But the surprise on Zhou Wang's face increased instead of diminishing. He pushed away Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui who came to support him, looked around, and then, in the confused eyes of the two women, he suddenly ran towards an observation deck by the river.

"boss……"

"Mr. Zhou?"

Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui couldn't keep up at all and could only watch Zhou Wang run at an extremely fast speed for dozens of meters and then climb up to the observation deck.

When you stand at a higher place, across the Qiantang River, you can see all kinds of magnificent colors reflected in your vision. Standing on the observation deck, you will be shocked by what you see.

Bustling traffic, tall buildings...

This city landscape seemed no different in the eyes of others, but at this moment it underwent a drastic change in Zhou Wang's eyes.

In the sky, an illusion of a golden dragon was rising slowly. Its body was hovering on the edge of the entire city. It raised its head and roared silently, plunging the entire city into darkness.

At the same time, the buildings and streets were all lit up with colorful illusory lights, and all kinds of symbols and illusions kept flashing above the city.

What the hell is this?

Do those symbols and illusions represent events and characters that can be triggered?
Combined with the system's previous explanation, Zhou Wang roughly understood...

This is what a chessboard-like map means.

When he is in Hangzhou, it is like walking into a game. He can actively trigger various events or tasks in this city to get rewards.

Or to put it another way, the original system's reward mechanism in these places was invisible, and could only be seen when Zhou Wang encountered it or triggered it accidentally.

But now, through the chessboard of "Crouching Dragon's Realm", everything becomes traceable.

The difficulty of triggering the reward again becomes much smaller. The chessboards in the mysterious shop also have different levels, and the "myth chessboard" is undoubtedly the highest level. This is the benefit brought by the first trigger.

Zhou Wang took a look and found that the exchange price of the "Mythical Chessboard" was as high as one million reputation points, which was a top-quality item that he could not even dream of.

As for the meaning of at least three initial hidden rounds, it means that there must be more than three hidden rounds that can be unlocked in this map...

For the hidden round, you can refer to the earliest "Angels and Demons", which was also the starting point of Zhou Wang's mentality change.

As Zhou Wang gradually calmed down, the magnificent illusion that enveloped the entire city gradually disappeared, and the city in his field of vision gradually returned to its ordinary scenery under the clear sky and broad daylight.

However, there is an additional "Chessboard-On/Off" button in the system interface. As long as Zhou Wang wants, he can change the scene in his sight at any time.

interesting……

Being in it, Zhou Wang seemed so small compared to the prosperous and huge city of Hangzhou.

But Zhou Wang was quite agitated.

With the help of the chessboard, he seemed to have the capital to truly conquer the city.

Given the nature of the system, who knows, there might be some surprises when Zhou Wang clears the Hangzhou dungeon...

"Boss Zhou, what happened?"

At this time, the breathless Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui finally caught up to the bottom of the observation deck. In the distance, Xiao Biao and a group of people also caught up.

"It's okay. I just felt like vomiting, so I came here to get some fresh air... Let's go."

Zhou Wang smiled at the two girls. Before turning around and leaving the observation deck, he took out his cell phone and took a photo of the Qiantang River as a check-in.

Looking at the vast river and towering buildings, he couldn't help but want to say loudly:
"Hangzhou, your emperor is back!"

Oh, no, I have never been to Hangzhou...

That should mean, your king has come!

……

After getting back on the road, the Mercedes-Benz S500L stopped near the West Lake in Hangzhou soon.

After getting off the car, Zhou Wang walked around several trees that blocked his view with some expectations. Soon, the legendary West Lake in Hangzhou appeared in his sight.

Emmm...

how to say?

At first glance, it's not very impressive.

However, Zhou Wang reflected on himself and thought that it was mainly because there were too many labels in his memory, which brought about high expectations.

After all, the song "The Water of West Lake is My Tears" that was sung on TV back then was popular all over the country. I guess many people were as excited as I was before coming here.

To be fair, the scenery here is definitely not bad, it just doesn’t reach the level of being stunning.

The unique tenderness of the Jiangnan region seems to be reflected in the water, presenting a completely different style from the plateau lakes like Yangzonghai.

After Zhou Wang stopped for a while, Xiao Biao waved his hand to let the other men leave, and he led the three people to a pier on the West Lake.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake offers many special services, one of which is that you can take the hotel's boat to cross the West Lake and then enter the hotel's private dock to check in.

We got on the boat sent by the hotel to pick us up. There were snacks and tea on the boat. As the boatman gently rowed, the boat paddled through the water and drifted towards the inner lake of West Lake.

The most interesting thing is that there was also an expert on the boat who claimed to be from the Zhejiang Wild Bird Association. He explained the ecological characteristics of West Lake to the group and acted as a tour guide.
"This secret lake cruise service can also be purchased separately from the hotel, 3600 per hour, or 450 per person on a shared boat..."

Xiao Biao said something to Zhou Wang with a smile.

Zhou Wang was stunned for a moment, then he understood what he meant.

The lake cruise service that Zhou Wang experienced was obviously free, or it was included in the room rate.

Even if it was a five-star hotel, it was impossible for all the rooms to be priced higher than this service. This could only mean that the room that Zhang Dashao's second uncle had booked for him was not ordinary. This made Zhou Wang even more excited...

Although the service could last for an hour, Zhou Wang was obviously not interested in touring for that long. After a quick look, about half an hour later, the boat had docked at the private pier of the West Lake Hotel.

At the dock, there was a woman in her thirties, well-dressed and with excellent temperament, waiting for a few people with two waiters.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou. I am your personal butler for you and your friends staying at Four Seasons Hotel West Lake. You can call me Xiao An or Ann~"

The woman took two quick steps forward, came forward, bowed and greeted Zhou Wang.

"Your English name is convenient and easy to remember."

Zhou Wang smiled and shook hands with the woman.

After Xiao An, Xu Wenxi and others said hello, the waiter took the luggage from everyone and put it on the cart, while Xiao An led everyone into the hotel.

"Mr. Zhou, do you need me to explain our hotel to you and your relatives and friends?"

Xiao An asked with a smile.

Zhou Wang was looking around curiously. He nodded immediately after hearing this. "That couldn't be better."

"Our Four Seasons Hotel West Lake officially opened in 2010, and it has been 14 years now..."

"The hotel covers a total area of ​​37000 square meters, but so far we only have 81 guest rooms, the smallest of which is 76 square meters. The greening rate of the entire hotel has reached more than 55%..."

"In short, the hotel's style is that of a Jiangnan garden, allowing you and your friends and family to experience the most authentic Jiangnan style without leaving your home..."

(Hotel exterior)
After walking and stopping along the way, feeling the coolness and breeze, the group arrived at the hotel lobby to check in.

The hotel lobby is designed in the style of a Song Dynasty hall. It is spacious and bright, which makes Zhou Wang feel something special.

Sitting down in the VIP lounge, Xiao An served them tea and snacks while helping them check in.

"Mr. Zhou, please confirm that you are about to stay in the Ambassador Three-Bedroom Residence of our Four Seasons Hotel West Lake. The room area is 920 square meters, including a master bedroom and two secondary bedrooms, and can accommodate up to 9 people..."

"The Ambassador's three-bedroom residence?"

Zhou Wang felt that the name sounded very cool, and he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Is this your best room?"

"Yes, we only have two three-bedroom mansions in our hotel. The other one is the Governor's Three-Bedroom Mansion, which is the same size as the Ambassador's Three-Bedroom Mansion."

Xiao An replied with a smile.

"How much is it per night?" Zhou Wang asked again.

Faced with Zhou Wang's question, Xiao An did not answer, but looked at Xiao Biao beside him.

Xiao Biao smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou, the three-bedroom residence at West Lake Four Seasons is difficult to book, so the price is floating. The general quotation is around 90000, but the price reserved by Mr. Zhang will be lower than this..."

"Please help me express my gratitude to Mr. Zhang again. Thank you."

Zhou Wang understood and said something with a smile.

"Mr. Zhou, you're welcome."

Xiao Biao bowed quickly.

Since this three-bedroom mansion has three rooms, there is no need to ask Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui. There is just one for each of them, which is very convenient...

After completing the check-in formalities, Xiao An led the three people to the courtyard. On the way, Xiao Biao shared an interesting story with Zhou Wang.

The other governor's three-bedroom mansion has long been occupied by a big shot. Even this ambassador's three-bedroom mansion took Mr. Zhang a lot of effort to successfully book.

Zhou Wang felt somewhat emotional after hearing this.

The room rate is close to six figures a night, and there are still people who can stay here for a long time...

He is still not rich enough, or there are just too many rich people in Hangzhou.

Anyway, with his current daily salary of 100,000 yuan, he certainly can't afford such squandering.

Soon, the group arrived at the ambassador's three-bedroom residence.

At this time, Xiao Biao also said goodbye at the right time.

"Mr. Zhou, I won't disturb you guys, but I'm nearby. Please feel free to call me if you need anything. I'm available 24 hours a day... Mr. Zhang said that I will be your guide and assistant during your stay in Hangzhou. Please don't be polite to me."

"Okay, thank you."

Zhou Wang smiled and shook hands with him. After Xiao Biao left, the group entered the gate of the mansion.

"Wow, it's so big!"

Xu Wenxi, who had been seeing stars all the way, finally couldn't help but exclaimed at this moment.

920 sqm...

Only the rooms in courtyard-style hotels can reach this size. The presidential suites in most five-star hotels cannot even compare to this in terms of area.

The ambassador's three-bedroom residence has six courtyards in front and back, and the main body of the villa has three floors in total, two above ground and one underground.

Not to mention Xu Wenxi, Jiang Qingkui's eyes also flickered at this time, and he was obviously very interested in this Jiangnan garden-style mansion.

"You can go and do whatever you want. You don't have to follow me. You can pick a room... Whoever wants to stay in the master bedroom is welcome."

Zhou Wang said to the two women with a smile.

Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui were both quite excited, and immediately walked into the courtyard arm in arm.

"Then Mr. Zhou, shall I take you to visit your new home?" Xiao An, who was still standing there, suggested at this time.

"Ok."

Zhou Wang smiled and nodded.

What made Xiao An a little uneasy was that Zhou Wang looked at her in a rather strange way, and she always felt that Zhou Wang had deliberately sent the two women away...

This made her start to think wildly.

That shouldn't be the case, right?

Whether it's Jiang Qingkui or Xu Wenxi, their looks and figures are much better than hers. Mr. Zhou, who is young, handsome and obviously rich, shouldn't have any weird thoughts about her, right?
Or maybe Mr. Zhou has a stronger taste and prefers mature women like her...

Assuming Mr. Zhou really made some excessive demands, what should I do… half-heartedly? Hesitantly accepting?

While Xiao An was struggling with all kinds of inner struggles, Zhou Wang was also quite uneasy.

He did deliberately send Xu Wenxi and Jiang Qingkui away, because just now, Zhou Wang discovered that an illusory "gray question mark" appeared above Xiao An's head.

This means that she has a reward that can be triggered!

Zhou Wang was surprised to meet an NPC-like character so soon, but he certainly would not miss this opportunity.

However, he was not sure what the mechanism was to trigger the reward, so in order to avoid unnecessary complications, he deliberately created an opportunity to be alone with his personal butler Xiao An...

　There may be many readers who have never been to Hangzhou, so I will try to add more pictures in the recent chapters to facilitate your intuitive experience...

　　Daniels, just for your dedication, could you please reserve a monthly ticket for the beginning of the month?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)