“Sorry, but due to the holiday, we’re overbooked. Your reservation has been canceled. Here’s a fifty-dollar voucher as compensation.”

The hotel front desk clerk handed me a voucher with a perfunctory tone.

I looked at her coldly. Then, I looked at the man next to her, who had just arrived. He had not even shown his ID, yet the clerk respectfully handed him a presidential suite key card.

“Why can he check in without even showing an ID? Meanwhile, my room, which I booked a full week in advance, was canceled without explanation. And all I get is a lousy fifty-dollar voucher?”

The front desk clerk let out a scornful laugh as she walked up to me.

“Because he’s Mr. Ludwig, the heir of Grandview Group! His family owns the entire hotel. Do you think it’s just a matter of one room? If he wanted the whole hotel emptied out tonight, we’d do it. Who do you think you are?

“If you keep standing here causing trouble and getting in his way, I’ll have security drag you outside and beat some sense into you. Now, get out!”

Two security guards stepped forward. They grabbed me by the hair and roughly pulled me toward the door.

My scalp hurt badly from the pulling, and my clothes were wrinkled.

The front desk clerk’s shouts trailed behind me.

“Next time, stay in a motel. People like you can’t afford to travel on a holiday.”

I looked at the hotel’s grand entrance. Instead of shouting, I let out a quiet, exasperated laugh.

The heir to Grandview Group, huh?

They probably did not know that their lofty heir was right in front of them, and that he was being humiliated by their staff.

Since they refused to serve guests decently, only catered to people with status, and did not think twice about hurting and humiliating their other customers, this hotel might as well shut down.

The two security guards dragged me to the door like I was a sack of trash.

They shoved me hard in the back.

I went flying onto the marble floor outside the hotel. Dust covered my face.

The guards put their hands on their hips and spat down at me.

“You’re a broke piece of trash. Did you really think you could come here and trash the Grandview Hotel?

“Take a good look around. This place isn’t for the likes of you.

“You’ve got some nerve trying to grab a holiday room, then throwing a fit when you don’t get one.”

The front desk clerk also walked out slowly in her high heels.

She looked at me contemptuously and said, “Let me make this clear. Mr. Ludwig is meeting a major client here today. Stop being an eyesore and getting in the way.

“If you upset Mr. Ludwig, he won’t just take away your job, but he could also make sure you never work another day in your life.”

After saying that, she looked at my dust-covered body and waved her hand in disgust.

“Now get lost. Don’t dirty up our hotel entrance.”

Nearby tourists were drawn to the scene. They gathered in small groups.

“Some broke loser was trying to scam a free hotel room. and got himself thrown out. How embarrassing.”

“Oh wow. I’ve seen so many of these people. They’re just lowlifes.”

A wave of chatter went through the crowd.

But after hearing the words “important client,” I immediately took out my phone and looked at the photo my subordinate had sent me.

In the picture was the man who had taken my place earlier.

He was Albert Zorn, the CEO of GreenSource Tech Group. His company would go bankrupt today if he had not signed a partnership deal with me

His company had been drowning in scandals for the past six months.

Tests had found strong cancer-causing toxins in their flagship product.

Public outrage exploded. The entire internet called for a boycott. Factories shut down. Distributors were returning products and demanding refunds.

It was also his last day to repay a one-billion-dollar bank loan. If no solution was announced by tomorrow morning, the bank would freeze all of GreenSource Tech Group’s accounts and force the company into liquidation.

The only thing that could save his company was a new, non-toxic, eco-friendly base material. It had just been developed by Ludwig Environmental Materials LLC, a subsidiary of my Grandview Group.

This material was one of its kind on the market. We had the sole patent rights. It could completely solve the problem of harmful substances exceeding safety limits.

I never wanted to give them a chance in the first place.

Our material had a very high production cost. They would not be able to afford it.

But Albert’s elderly father had shown up at my father’s door more than a dozen times, begging on his knees.

I eventually gave in and offered them a seat at the negotiation table. We agreed to meet on that day and close the deal.

Albert had also called for a media conference at seven in the evening. He planned to publicly announce our partnership and unveil a sample of the new material.

I could not figure out why he would impersonate me.

When I looked at my subordinate’s name on the phone screen, I understood instantly.

The person originally coming to negotiate with him was my project manager, Victor Perle.

Victor had a sudden acute appendicitis attack right before departure. He was taken to the hospital.

I had just returned early from a one-year overseas business trip. I intended to inspect the hotels under Grandview Group.

I instantly decided to step in for Victor.

Also, at our hotel, all presidential suites could only be booked by VIP clients or by my direct order.

If Albert had met Victor instead, he would have used his presidential suite as proof that he was a close friend of mine. After that, he would have pressured Victor into lowering the partnership price.

After all, as far as anyone knew publicly, I was still overseas. It would have been the middle of the night over there. I would have been asleep.

By the time Victor signed that contract in black and white, it would not have mattered if I denied it later. The deal would already be done.

Honestly, you had to hand it to him. It was a pretty clever play.

But the truth was different. Albert was not a VIP at our hotel. He was also not my friend.

Who exactly was bold enough to give him a presidential suite?

I ignored the crowd’s chatter and looked at the hotel front desk clerk. “Who is your front desk manager? I want to see them.”

“Pah!”

The front desk clerk gave me a contemptuous look.

“Do you want to see our front desk manager? Look at you. You’re a total mess. Who are you to see her?”

I could not be bothered to argue with her. I took out my phone and called Grandview Group’s corporate customer service number.

Within three minutes, a woman in a tight skirt suit and heavy makeup hurried out of the lobby, swaying her hips.

I looked at her name badge.

It said, [Front desk manager, Megan Lund.]

Before I could even speak, she pointed at me and started yelling, “What’s wrong with you? You actually called corporate to file a complaint?

“Do you even know who I am? I’m Mr. Ludwig’s fiancee, the future owner of Grandview Group. You’re a broke nobody. You can’t afford to mess with me.”

The front desk clerk chimed in as well.

“That’s right. Get a good look, you idiot. Watch out, or Megan will call that man back down here to deal with you.”

I frowned and sized up Megan.

I remembered that one year ago, before I went abroad, the general hotel manager had mentioned a change regarding the Riviera hotel‘s front desk manager.

It seemed like she was the one who had helped Albert jump the line.

Judging by the front desk clerk’s attitude, the two of them had been throwing their weight around the area under my name for quite some time.

I pulled out my phone to call someone and look into what she had done at the hotel.

By the next second, she swung her hand hard and slapped my phone to the floor.

She shrieked, “How dare you sneak a picture of me? You shameless creep.

“What, you’ve never seen a beautiful woman before? Are you here just to get your eyeful?

“Trash like you is just disgusting.”

The tourists nearby had no clue what was actually happening. They just joined in on the harassment.

“Oh wow. Look at this creep. Someone call the cops and arrest him!”

“He looks decent enough on the outside, but his mind is totally filthy. What a lowlife.”

With the crowd backing her up, Megan grew even more arrogant.

“I seriously think you just stole something valuable from our hotel lobby.

“Security! Search his suitcase. Now!”

Just as I was about to object, two security guards rushed forward.

“You don’t have the right to—”

They tore my suitcase roughly. The zipper broke apart.

Megan took over herself. She dug through the suitcase wildly with both hands.

Soon, my clothes, documents, and materials were scattered everywhere.

Malice flashed across her eyes. She picked up a black square box from the suitcase.

She smashed it hard onto the floor.

The box shattered.

The core sample of the new environmentally friendly material inside broke into several pieces. It was completely ruined.

Still not satisfied, she grabbed a stack of contracts from the floor.

She tore them into shreds in a few quick motions. Pieces of paper floated all over the floor.

After she was done, she dusted off her hands and looked at me arrogantly.

“Consider this a little lesson. Maybe it’ll teach you to remember your place.”

I stood there without stopping her.

I simply spoke coldly with an indifferent expression, “Do you have any idea how much the things you just destroyed are worth?

“Those things could have saved a company on the verge of going under.

“You’re in serious trouble this time.”

Megan acted as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. She bent over laughing.

“Save a company? You’re just some broke nobody working a dead-end job. You really know how to talk yourself up.

“Now get lost. Just looking at you makes me sick.”

I lowered my gaze and looked at the shattered pieces and torn paper shreds on the floor.

I felt nothing. I just let out a cold laugh.

I picked up my phone. Just then, Victor messaged me.

[Mr. Ludwig, Mr. Zorn is losing his patience because he can’t find the person in charge. I gave him your number.]

Before I could reply, an unknown number started calling me frantically.

I took the call.

The line erupted with an enraged shout.

“So you’re the person replacing Victor? Don’t you know what time we agreed on?! Where are you right now?

“Do you have any idea how important this deal is? If you mess it up, you couldn’t pay for it even with your life.

“Mr. Ludwig and I go way back. He’s my good friend. How dare you show up late? I’ll have him fire you!”

I looked down at the broken samples and torn contract on the floor.

Then, I replied calmly, “I’m sorry, Mr. Zorn.

“It looks like this deal isn’t going to happen.”

Albert went completely silent.

After a couple of seconds, he screamed again.

“What did you just say?! You’re looking for a fight. Tell me where you are right now. I’m coming to find you

“I’m not letting this go today.”

I said plainly, “I’m right at the entrance of the Grandview Hotel.”

Albert hung up harshly.

I put away my phone and waited quietly.

Within a minute, he pushed the door open and stormed out furiously.

He immediately spotted Megan standing at the entrance. He frowned and asked, “Did you see the representative from Grandview Group? A guy. He said he’s at the entrance.”

Megan’s eyes lit up right away. She threw herself into his arms, crying.

She pointed at me and said, “Honey! This broke loser called corporate to complain about me. I told him to get lost, but he won’t leave. You need to teach him a good lesson for me.”

Albert instantly lost his temper. He glared at me hatefully.