My 1978 Hotel

Early in the morning, Li Feng was busy checking reservations. There were more than ten tables of health-preserving banquet and the best delicacies from Jiangnan at noon. Even with the help of others, Sister Wu was still a bit overwhelmed, so Li Feng had to call the Gao brothers over to help as well.

Just as he finished his work and took a short break, someone tagged him in the reservation group saying that Douyin (TikTok) had exploded. Li Feng was a little confused. What happened to Douyin? Did he accidentally make it to the trending topics list yesterday because he had criticized someone? That couldn't be.

He wasn't exactly a magnet for trending topics, but with a bit of doubt, he opened Douyin and refreshed the trending list. Sure enough, he saw himself there, ranked forty-fifth. "A weight loss bet... what the hell is this?"

When he clicked on it, wow, a bunch of fat guys popped up, all of them specifically asking to bet with him, and each one even posted Li Feng's reply.

"Depend on."

I opened my Douyin account and wow, the number of private messages was exploding. They were all asking for 200,000 yuan in compensation. Seriously? They must be joking with me.

Please reply.

Li Feng filmed a video and said a few words, which were nothing more than that he had accepted the challenge, but the homestay could only accommodate ten people at a time. The ten people with the most likes and comments in the comment section were selected for the first batch.

After filming the video, Li Feng posted it immediately and responded quickly. Sure enough, it was trending on the hot search list. When Li Feng finished his reception at noon and checked his phone again, he was surprised to find that his reply had also made it onto the hot search list, albeit at the very bottom.

It was still a trending topic, bringing Li Feng a lot of traffic. Of course, it also brought a lot of haters, but surprisingly, it also gained quite a few fans. Some of the more normal people thought that Li Dong's criticisms were justified. In addition, the title of "Number One Freshness in Jiangnan" has recently spread on Douyin, and he seems to be trying to prove himself.

The food was exceptionally delicious, and a table costing over a thousand yuan didn't seem too expensive, especially considering that the average wage on Douyin is relatively high. Some people even mocked it, saying that poor people couldn't afford such a meal. Li Feng thought this was definitely not a good thing and was probably just a troll pretending to be a hater.

Li Feng didn't pay much attention. The number of fans increased by tens of thousands, which was an unexpected bonus. As for whether they were haters or real fans, he didn't care. He opened the comments section and found that many of his haters said they couldn't afford to play the game and that ten spots were too few.

"Damn, you didn't even finish watching the video, did you?" Li Feng couldn't help but retort. "You're blind and deaf. For the first batch, as long as someone challenges me, I'll handle a hundred rounds, even ten thousand. I'm not afraid to tell you, that's how powerful I am."

Nima's words really ignited the trolls, but Li Feng ignored them, glanced at the posts with the most likes, and clicked on them. "Goodness, that physique, probably weighs 300 pounds, good material for a river worker."

"If we go into the mountains, people will probably cut off our fat and extract oil from us."

Li Feng muttered to himself, "These guys are really something, using their weight to attract so many likes in the comments section. The haters are really something else. The people they chose all weigh at least 250 pounds. That's great, it's really hard to burn off that much fat."

Li Feng had already thought it through. He would hand it over to Han Anbing to train using the militia training methods. As long as they didn't die during the training, he could bring them back alive. At most, it would just cost him manpower for healing. He wanted to earn 200,000 from him? Heh.

"Boss, aren't you in a hurry?"

When Sister Chen and the others saw Li Feng drinking tea and humming a tune, seemingly unaffected, they realized that he had just watched Douyin (TikTok) and was in complete chaos, with it already trending as the number one hot topic in their city.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Li Feng said with a smile, "We'll book it tomorrow. We'll just do what we need to do. Thanks for your hard work, everyone. I'll give you all bonuses at the end of the month."

"Boss, you've misunderstood. It's not about the reservation. There are reports on Douyin that you made a bet with a lot of fat people to lose weight, and many people are saying you're going to lose a lot of money this time." Only after Sister Chen said this did Li Feng realize what they meant.

"Hahaha, you believe everything they say? I'm confident I can make a bet. Don't worry, they'll all be proven wrong." Li Feng was full of confidence, and upon arrival, he signed a betting contract plus a confidentiality agreement.

When the time comes, just pull him over and hand him over to Han Anbing to use as an ox or horse. These fat guys can slowly build up their strength and become even more useful than oxen or horses. They can pull carts, push carts, carry soil uphill, and eat some grass—they're like human oxen.

"Really?"

Sister Chen and the others were a little skeptical. "Boss, you don't have some kind of secret recipe, do you?"

"This secret must not be revealed."

Li Feng clapped his hands and stood up with a smile. "I'll go check on the stargazing hut. Everyone can take a break while we're at it; there are several tables of health-preserving banquet tonight."

Seeing that Li Feng was unwilling to say more, the group had no choice but to discuss it amongst themselves as they went to the lounge. As for Li Feng, he took a stroll to the stargazing house, where the final touches were being put on, and he wanted to keep an eye on things.

After walking around for a while, he turned and went to the reservoir, intending to fish for a bit, when Li Muchen came looking for him.

"Mr. Li."

It turns out that a few of Li Muchen's friends were coming over. They were rich kids, so it was fine with them. "It's just now. I was planning to invite them over there for a stroll and maybe go hunting."

"It's not easy to hunt prey now."

"It's nothing, just playing with guns."

Li Muchen said with a smile, "When the time comes, Mr. Li, you can charge more for tickets. Ten thousand or two hundred thousand won't be a big deal for them."

"Okay, I'll help you get some guns and ammunition when the time comes."

Li Feng said with a smile.

"And then there's the health-preserving banquet."

This time it wasn't Li Muchen who asked, but Li Muxiao.

"How about this, I'll reserve thirty tables for you next time."

As soon as Li Feng finished speaking, Li Muchen immediately started transferring money; 200,000 yuan arrived in his account instantly. "Brother, there's no need."

"And you've also turned it on a few more times."

"Leave it alone."

Goodness, this morning they said to leave it, and now they're saying to leave it again. This money is accumulating more and more! "Alright then."

"Mr. Li, is this health-preserving banquet for you?"

"They are some business partners and some leaders."

Li Muchen said in a low voice, "I'm counting on you this time, Mr. Li. These leaders have been quite supportive of the group."

"You're too kind. Besides, you're doing me a favor by giving my business a boost."

Li Feng thought to himself, "No wonder. But the health banquet market has been opened up. Once Li Muxiao introduces this group of people and they see the effects, I'm afraid all the wealthy people and leaders in East China will know that there's a homestay in a small mountain village in southern Anhui with a health banquet that has miraculous effects."

"By the way, is Aunt Li feeling any better?"

"much better."

Li Muchen said softly, "Mr. Li, I'm planning to take my grandparents over there. When would be a good time?"

"If the next attempt fails, I need to learn a skill."

Li Feng thought for a moment. "Let's do it next month, we can organize a tour group, then we won't have to learn any skills, it'll be much easier."

"Okay, you can arrange it."

After chatting for a while, Wu Tong and Qin Yue came over and started talking about yesterday's wine. "The wine tastes really good, Mr. Li. If you don't make more, and the price is even higher, this wine would definitely impress some elders and friends."

"Yes, Mr. Li, make more."

Li Feng laughed and said, "Okay, after we get back and finish the seminar, I should be able to make some connections in this field. With a little effort, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them. I'll bring back a lot of them then."

"That's great."

Li Muchen, Wu Tong, and Qin Yue became increasingly excited as they talked. Yesterday's Moutai was truly excellent. Compared to others, wow, even Moutai 80 is inferior. It seems to transcend time and space, making the aroma more intense, the body of the liquor purer, and the optimized taste is simply amazing.

This 8-point Moutai has been artificially inflated to 9.9 points. Even the best brewers at the Moutai factory couldn't mix this kind of liquor. If a Moutai bartender tasted it, they'd be astonished and would buy it at a high price to study it carefully. "I'll buy a few bottles too."

Qin Yue said, "I'll give some to my dad to try."

"Row."

The conversation inevitably turned to alcohol, and of course, the bet came up. "Mr. Li, are you planning to take them there to lose weight?"

"Yes, that means we don't need to go to the river construction site."

Li Feng said with a smile, "But the furniture factory is so busy and short-handed. This group of people is just right to fill the gap. Ten big fat men, if they work hard, are equivalent to a dozen or twenty normal young men."

"Mr. Li, you're ruthless."

Wu Tong laughed and said, "I checked out the profiles with the most likes, and they're all about people who're as fat as pigs. These fat guys are probably gluttonous and don't like to exercise. Do you really think they can do any work?"

"No, there's still a whip."

Li Feng joked, "I plan to let Han Anbing train them. They can train them however the militia does. As long as they don't lose an arm or a leg, they'll just need some treatment later."

"Hahaha, they're really pathetic. Why did they have to mess with anyone?"

Wu Tong laughed heartily. "This time, I'm afraid I'll never dare to say a bad word about you again."

"Just say it."

Li Feng said with a smile, "After all, the guesthouse brings in a lot of traffic, and it also helps with the river construction, so I forgive them."

"Forgive them?"

Wutong, Qin Yue, and Li Muchen exchanged a glance. Boss Li was really petty. Last month's river work was worse than murder. He probably lost more than fifty pounds, maybe even a hundred pounds.

That's too ruthless. The three of them shuddered. Sigh, they should avoid messing with Boss Li in the future. He's too petty and holds grudges. The haters have talked about his past with him a lot. They've probably wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time. Now look what's happened.

They're practically begging to be tortured. Oh well, let's just watch the show. Just imagine a bunch of fat guys pulling a cart, it's actually quite comical.

"Yes, but they should be very grateful. There aren't many people who are this magnanimous. They even made a weight loss plan for them and only asked for their travel expenses. Sigh, I feel so great when I think about it."

"saint."

"That's right, Mr. Li, you are this one."

Wu Tong and Qin Yue almost made Li Muchen retort, "They're so shameless!" But he held back in the end. Otherwise, if Boss Li ever organized a hellish skill learning group, those guys would probably be crying their eyes out.

Now, the fat people are suffering. They can only wish them well. They genuinely want to lose weight, and they have no doubt that it will be effective. They just think that fifty pounds might not be enough to lose. Fortunately, they are all quite chubby, so losing a hundred pounds won't be a problem. They won't die.

But then I think about losing too much weight and not getting enough nutrition, and ending up with a sallow complexion. That's scary. Sigh, never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore. Thinking too much makes me feel cruel. I can't bear to think about it.

"You're all here?"

Dong Qing and Wu Yu found Li Feng. "Mr. Li, we've bought everything we wanted. Would you like to take a look?"

"Wow, you bought everything in just one day?"

Li Feng was quite surprised; he thought it would take several days.

“They’re all in the city. Actually, what we need isn’t anything rare. I showed the list to the owner of a hardware store, and he happened to have some friends who had them in the store. He got everything ready in one morning.”

Dong Qing said with a hint of pride, "This will save us a lot of time." As he spoke, the group went to the carpenter's shop, where there was a pile of parts, motors, solar panels, and so on.

How many days will it take to get it done?

"About two days."

Dong Qing was referring to working overtime.

"Thank you for your hard work. Let's try it out first."

After testing it here, I'll disassemble it and take it over to assemble it. This is considered exploiting a loophole, but I don't know if the Time Travel Society will allow it. Let's try it first.

"But there's no need to rush."

This time I'm bringing ten fat guys with me. I don't know when they'll arrive, but the ten lucky ones with the most likes tonight will probably be confirmed.

"Oh."

Dong Qing and Wu Yu were a little confused. Why weren't they in a hurry anymore? Li Muchen saw their puzzled expressions and smiled as he explained what had happened on Douyin.

"These people are going to be in trouble."

After saying that, Dong Qing glanced at Li Feng and thought to himself that Boss Li was not very magnanimous. Although he had never experienced the river construction, he knew that this job was not something that ordinary people could do; it was simply deadly.

"Cough cough cough."

"They're lucky. They've struck gold by meeting me. What other weight loss summer camp can be as effective as mine?" Li Feng was very confident about this. "No matter what kind of fat person you send here, I can make them lose weight."

That's true. Who could work day and night on the river, not having enough to eat or drink, not being warm enough to wear or sleep well, and not losing dozens of pounds after a month? Probably only people born in the 1950s and 1960s could withstand the baptism of river work last month. Even people born in the 1970s might not be able to withstand the baptism of river work last month.

The group nodded in agreement. The poor lucky ones probably had no idea what a grueling month awaited them. As for the others, they had signed a confidentiality agreement, meaning they couldn't reveal anything that happened. Just imagine the suffering they would endure, only to swallow their tears in the end. How pitiful.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I'm wrong?"

"Yes, that's absolutely right, Mr. Li. You're absolutely right. They're incredibly lucky."

"It's like my ancestors' graves were emitting smoke to encounter such good fortune and such a kind person as Mr. Li."

Li Feng nodded. That's more like it. "Okay, you guys get ready."

"Ah."

Dong Qing and Wu Yu were busy, so Li Feng and the others didn't linger and returned to the guesthouse lobby. After chatting for a while, Li Feng went to organize the bookings for tomorrow.

"Meeting?"

Just as he was about to eat, the town called to say that the city was holding a rural revitalization conference, and he had been invited to attend as one of the representatives of the homestay.

"Okay, I see."

The Municipal Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Entrepreneurs Association, and other organizations invited Li Feng to join them. His investment in homestays increased from several million to tens of millions, or even more. Furthermore, his homestay business, "Riding the Waves," caused quite a stir online.

With his fame soaring, Li Feng became a well-known internet celebrity in the area. That's right, an internet celebrity. Not only did he trend on the top of the hot search list several times, but even a casual video he posted could trend on the hot search list. He wasn't just from the same city; he was trending across the entire internet.

The guesthouse has attracted many tourists from other places, and that's what the city thinks; Li Feng has become a prime example. "Sigh, who knows, maybe he'll even become a member of the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference someday."

"I don't want to think about it anymore."

Let's focus on making a good living at the guesthouse first, then we'll worry about the rest. (End of Chapter)