Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

After seeing the Zhou siblings off, the atmosphere in the living room became somewhat awkward.

Xiaoya sidled up to Yang Fan and whispered:

"Brother, are you... are you really sure? Is Zhou Jin... reliable?"

Yang Fan ruffled his sister's hair: "I know what I'm doing."

Yang Hao also came over, and this introverted cousin rarely took the initiative to speak:

"Brother, I believe in you. Whatever decision you make, I think it's the right one."

Yang Fan felt a warmth in his heart and patted Yang Hao on the shoulder: "Don't worry."

Although my parents and my third uncle and aunt didn't say anything, the worry on their faces was unmistakable.

Yang Fan didn't explain much. Some things will become clear once you achieve results.

……

Around 10 p.m., Yang Fan had just finished showering and lay down when his phone rang.

It was Zhou Yao calling.

"Big brother," Zhou Yao's voice came through the receiver, filled with deep worry and incomprehension:

"Are you really sure? You really want to invest in my brother? That guy... I'm really afraid he'll squander all your money!"

Yang Fan leaned against the headboard, his tone calm:

"Zhou Yao, I understand your concerns."

"But Zhou Jin isn't as bad as you think; he has his strengths. I think he can handle this project."

"But……"

"Trust me this once, okay?" Yang Fan interrupted her, "Just like you trusted me back then and took me to see the venue."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Zhou Yao let out a soft sigh:

"Alright... since you've made up your mind, then... I can only support you."

"Anyway, if you lose money, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand!"

"I won't blame you," Yang Fan smiled.

Not long after I hung up on Zhou Yao, my phone rang again.

This time it was an unfamiliar number.

Yang Fan answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Xiao Yang?" A gentle but hesitant voice came from the other end of the phone. "I'm Zhou Yao and Zhou Jin's mother."

Yang Fan immediately sat up straight and said respectfully, "Hello, Auntie! I'm Yang Fan."

"Oh, hello, hello." Zhou's mother's voice was very polite. "I heard it from Yao Yao, and I also heard Zhou Jin excitedly babbling incoherently for a long time... saying you wanted to invest in his hotel?"

"Yes, Auntie," Yang Fan readily admitted.

"Xiao Yang," Zhou's mother said, her tone becoming even more hesitant.

"I appreciate your kindness. But... we, as parents, know our Zhou Jin best."

"He's good at technical stuff, but when it comes to business and managing hotels... he really doesn't have the talent."

"Auntie is afraid... afraid that he will betray your trust and waste your money."

Zhou's mother spoke tactfully, but her meaning was clear—she was not optimistic about the project and was not at ease with it.

Yang Fan listened patiently, his tone sincere yet firm:

"Auntie, I understand your concerns."

"But after getting to know Zhou Jin, I felt that he was a person with great potential. What he lacked was not ability, but opportunity and confidence."

"I think this project is a perfect fit for him. He has the technical skills, understands students, and has resources—these are all his strengths. As for management experience, he can learn it gradually, and I will help him with that as well."

"Auntie, please trust my judgment and give Zhou Jin a chance to prove himself."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time.

After a long silence, Zhou's mother finally sighed softly:

"You child... really... Since you insist, then... then Auntie won't say anything more."

"I just hope... that kid Zhou Jin can really prove himself and not let you down."

"Thank you, Auntie," Yang Fan said sincerely.

……

At this very moment, at the Zhou family home.

Zhou Jin's room was brightly lit.

This usually slovenly tech geek was like a completely different person at that moment.

His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot; he had clearly been working for a long time.

But he was unusually excited, with more than a dozen web pages and documents open on his computer screen.

Latest Esports Hotel Interior Design Trends

2026 Mainstream Gaming PC Configuration List and Price Curve

Analysis Report on Pedestrian Flow Around the University Town

Case Studies of Esports-Themed Hotel Marketing Campaigns

……

Zhou Jin's fingers flew across the keyboard as he muttered to himself:

"The hotel's positioning is... mid-to-high-end, while also considering cost-effectiveness... themed rooms are needed, including sci-fi, anime, and horror game themes... the amenities will be tiered, with basic, flagship, and couple's options..."

"Events...weekly esports competitions, monthly grand prizes...collaborations with school clubs, special offers for booking entire venues..."

"Traffic generation... Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili UP masters' store reviews... student part-time promotion..."

He had never done anything so seriously or with such dedication.

Fan Ge's trust burned like a fire in his heart.

He cannot let him down!

Absolutely not!

That night, Zhou Jin's room light stayed on until four in the morning.

……

The next morning at seven o'clock, Yang Fan had just gotten up and finished washing up when he heard a rapid knocking on the door downstairs.

He went downstairs and opened the door. Standing outside was Zhou Jin, who had huge dark circles under his eyes, hair like a bird's nest, but eyes that were frighteningly bright.

"Brother Fan!" Zhou Jin's voice was hoarse from staying up all night, but it was full of excitement:

"I've...I've made a plan for you! Take a look!"

He was gripping a USB drive tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Yang Fan looked at his appearance—his eye bags were almost drooping to his chin, his beard was unshaven, and he was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but his whole spirit was like he had been injected with chicken blood—he felt both amused and touched.

"Come in and tell me, have you had breakfast?"

"I haven't eaten! I'm not hungry!" Zhou Jin squeezed through the door and rushed straight to the computer in the living room. "Fan-ge, you watch first! We'll talk after you're done!"

Yang Fan's parents and Xiao Ya were also drawn by the commotion and were startled when they saw Zhou Jin's appearance.

"Xiao Jin, you... didn't sleep all night?" Wang Xiuying asked with concern.

"Auntie, I'm fine! I'm in great spirits!" Zhou Jin said without turning his head, already plugging the USB drive into the computer and opening a PPT with more than fifty pages.

"Brother Fan, look!"

Yang Fan walked to the computer, and when his gaze fell on the large words on the PPT cover, a slight thought struck him.

"Xinghai Esports Hotel Overall Operation Plan V1.0 - Zhou Jin"

He sat down and began to turn the pages one by one.

The more he looked, the wider his eyes widened!

This proposal completely exceeded his expectations!

From market analysis, target customer groups, and hotel positioning, to specific zoning plans, equipment configuration lists, decoration style suggestions, staff structure, compensation system, marketing activity calendar, financial budget model, and risk response plans...

No detail is too small, the logic is clear, and the data is detailed!

Especially regarding equipment configuration, Zhou Jin not only listed three different levels of configuration options, but also attached an upgrade roadmap for the next two years, as well as a preliminary price comparison with several wholesalers. His cost control was extremely impressive!

The marketing campaigns further leveraged his role as president of the e-sports club, designing a series of interactive activities in collaboration with school clubs, demonstrating a very clear strategy for attracting users!

This doesn't look like something that was rushed out overnight!

This is a business plan that you could use to directly seek financing!

Yang Fan raised his head and looked at Zhou Jin, who was standing next to him nervously rubbing his hands. His expression changed completely.

No wonder the system gave him an A- rating!

This kid is a real gem!

"Zhou Jin," Yang Fan's voice was a little hoarse, "this...this is all something you did in one night?"

"Hmm!" Zhou Jin nodded vigorously, looking expectantly at Yang Fan. "Brother Fan, what do you think...? If it's not good, I... I'll revise it again!"

Yang Fan took a deep breath and closed his laptop.

He stood up, walked up to Zhou Jin, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"No need to change it." Yang Fan's voice was firm and decisive. "It's perfect! We'll go with your plan!"

Zhou Jin's eyes instantly shone with an unprecedented brilliance, and his whole body trembled slightly with excitement.

"Really...really, Fan-ge?!"

"Really!" Yang Fan said confidently. "What you need to do now is to implement your plan step by step."

"First, set up the company shell, register a business license, and open a corporate bank account. If you don't understand what materials you need, ask me, or ask Zhou Yao for help."

"The company's start-up capital," Yang Fan said, looking at him and enunciating each word clearly, "I'll transfer three million to you first."

"Three...three million?!" Zhou Jin gasped, his legs going weak.

Everyone else in the living room was stunned.

Yang Fan remained unfazed:

"Yes, three million. This is the first phase of investment, used for company registration, preliminary preparations, and a deposit for the first batch of equipment. Further investments will be made as progress progresses."

He patted Zhou Jin on the shoulder, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"When I said I would invest in you, I meant I would invest real money."

"I will transfer the money to the company account. How you use it is up to you; follow the plan and report to me regularly."

"Zhou Jin, I've set up the stage for you. Now, it's up to you."

Zhou Jin felt a rush of heat to his head. He straightened up abruptly, his voice trembling with emotion, almost crying:

"Brother Fan! Don't worry! If I... if I, Zhou Jin, don't do a good job, I... I'll offer my head to you!"