How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

Every shower of autumn rain brings a new chill...

After the onset of autumn, Jiangzhe began to turn cold...

The continuous drizzle beat upon the blue bricks and green tiles of the Jiangnan Water Town, splashing water in all directions and creating a thin mist that enveloped the entirety of Wuzhen, making it seem like a realm of the immortals, dreamy and illusory.

A license plate-less Bentley SUV cruised through the veil of rain, with Gu Heng nestled in the driver's seat, gazing at the roadside scenery while steering the wheel towards the heart of Wuzhen, not far ahead...

Originally, Gu Heng had thought about driving a sports car over, but considering how conspicuous it would be in the scenic area, he discarded the idea.

Apart from sports cars, all the vehicles he had in Shanghai were sports cars, or business cars like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, which required designated drivers...

He immediately ruled out using a business car.

His trip to Wuzhen was meant to be secretive; if he were to hire a driver, then bodyguards and the like would inevitably be required...

That would be far too ostentatious, and before long, the whole world would know...

Currently, his popularity was extremely high, and on any given day, countless reporters were watching him. Once he was spotted in Wuzhen, it wouldn't even take a full day—perhaps just half—for an overwhelming number of journalists from all across the country to converge on his location...

After all, as the youngest-ever Chinese billionaire officially recognized, he hadn't yet made a single public appearance since the announcement. Which national media outlet wouldn't want to snag that exclusive interview?

Since neither a business car nor a sports car were an option, Gu Heng spontaneously went to a 4S shop and bought a car for short-term use....

But Gu Heng's idea of a stopgap vehicle was certainly different from the average person's...

It took him over half an hour at the Bentley 4S shop to purchase the 2024 Bentley SUV model. Costing just shy of three million, it would have to suffice as a means of getting around.

"You have reached your destination, this navigation session has now ended."

As the navigation system announced his arrival, the car had barely come to a stop when a doorman from the Alila Hotel was already greeting him at the entrance...

Holding an umbrella, the doorman hurriedly reached out one hand to open the car door for Gu Heng upon hearing the locks disengage, his face breaking into a respectful smile as he said, "Good day, sir. Welcome to the Wuzhen Alila Hotel."

As soon as the doorman saw Gu Heng's left foot step out of the car, he quickly extended the huge black umbrella towards Gu Heng.

The umbrella was quite large, easily covering two people from the rain, but the doorman seemed utterly unconcerned about getting wet himself, stretching the umbrella far to ensure not a single drop of rain would fall on Gu Heng. However, this left half of his own body exposed to the rain, and within a matter of seconds, raindrops had peppered the red doorman's uniform...

If this had been Gu Heng of the past, he might have felt a pang of reluctance for the doorman.

After all, they belonged to the same social class then, and he was naturally empathetic, the doorman's lowliness reminding him of his own.

But things were different now...

The gap between their social classes was vast, and Gu Heng no longer approached every issue with a propensity for empathy...

Everyone in this society was just trying to live their lives as best they could...

The difference was, some lived like nobility, while others lived in squalor...

It was indeed unfair, but there was no helping it. Unless one had the ability to change their situation, they had to accept everything if they wanted to live, do their job well, and hope for that slim chance of luck to improve their circumstances just a little bit.

And so, Gu Heng naturally accepted the doorman's subservient gesture and, under the shelter of his umbrella, stepped through the doors of the Alila Hotel.

...

As the first five-star hotel he had ever stayed in, Gu Heng held some affection for the Alila Hotel.

Looking around at the familiar setting, identical to how it was a year ago, even the front desk clerk was the same as before, prompting a subconscious smile from Gu Heng.

"Good day, sir. Welcome to the Wuzhen Alila Hotel."

His reverie was interrupted by the soft voice of the front desk clerk.

"May I ask if you have a reservation, sir?"

Gu Heng shook his head, "No."

Upon hearing that Gu Heng didn't have a reservation, the front desk clerk's face showed a hint of apologetic smile as she said, "Without a reservation, you may have to wait a bit, sir. The hotel currently has no vacancies. According to our records, there are 16 guests due to check out today, but since it's still morning, we may need to wait until noon to see if any rooms become available.

You are welcome to register here at the front desk, and we will notify you as soon as a room is available. Is that alright?"

Gu Heng chuckled, resting half his hand on the front desk and revealing a teasing smile, "I neither have a reservation nor wish to wait for others to check out. Is that not possible?"

"This..."

The front desk clerk paused momentarily...

She guessed she had encountered another troublesome guest...

Working at the front desk of a hotel in a tourist area, she was used to dealing with difficult guests almost daily and had become accustomed to them. Once she collected herself, her apologetic demeanor deepened as she first apologized, "I'm terribly sorry, sir. Without a reservation, we truly have no way of accommodating you. We hope you understand.

You are welcome to wait in our lounge area. We will provide complimentary tea and snacks to ensure you won't be bored while you wait."

Listening to the front desk clerk's standardized solution, a hint of disinterest flickered behind Gu Heng's sunglasses...