Chapter 6: It's Not a Tip, It's Respect!

“I see.”

Yang Ning let out a sigh of relief and quickly raised his hand to flag down an oncoming taxi.

With a screech, the taxi pulled over. Yang Ning opened the door, got in, and the driver, with practiced ease, punched the meter before asking, “Where to?”

“Nanhu Grand Hotel.”

Yang Ning had been staying at his second uncle’s place. The house was crowded and noisy—comfortable enough, sure, but peace and quiet? Forget about it.

Nanhu Grand Hotel boasted five-star standards, being the largest hotel in Nanhu City. It combined accommodation, dining, entertainment, sauna and massage, beauty services, and fitness facilities all under one roof.

Since it wasn’t far, they arrived at the hotel in no time. Yang Ning stepped out of the car and glanced at the imposing hotel entrance, with the glittering golden words ‘Nanhu Grand Hotel’ emblazoned above.

Walking into Nanhu Grand Hotel, even from a dozen meters away, he could see two rows of greeters dressed in qipao standing inside the entrance.

These eight greeters had figures that left nothing to be desired—curves in all the right places, standing tall and elegant. The only downside was their heavy makeup, which somewhat diminished their natural charm.

Whenever a successful-looking person in a suit stepped out of a car, these greeters would bow and, in sweet, delicate voices, chime, ‘Welcome.’

“Welcome.”

That sugary voice rang out again, sending a shiver down one’s spine. Unfortunately, it wasn’t directed at Yang Ning but at a middle-aged man walking ahead of him.

When it was Yang Ning’s turn to enter, the doorman pretended not to notice him, chatting and laughing with the greeters beside him. The other greeters either stared at the ceiling with their chins up, fiddled with their nails with their heads down, or whispered to each other. In short, they completely ignored Yang Ning!

In truth, their sharp eyes had already noticed that Yang Ning had arrived in a taxi, dressed in casual clothes that looked cheap. What made them sneer the most was his shoes, caked with black mud along the edges, utterly repulsive to look at.

To put it bluntly, they looked down on Yang Ning, assuming he was here to apply for a waiter position. Someone like him should slink through the back entrance—why was he even at the front door?

In another hotel, such snobbery might not be so blatant, but this was Nanhu City’s only five-star hotel. The guests who came and went were either rich or powerful, and even the staff here felt superior by association.

Yang Ning’s expression darkened, but he didn’t lose his temper. He merely coughed lightly.

The doorman still ignored him, though it was clear he’d heard.

Yang Ning’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the doorman, who was animatedly flirting with the greeters, and let out a cold smirk.

Just as he was about to push open the glass door himself, a girl mopping the floor hurried over. She wiped the dirty water from her hands onto her clothes as she ran, then grabbed the door handle and opened it for Yang Ning, seemingly worried about getting the handle dirty with her hands.

“Welcome.”

This was a very ordinary-looking girl, thin and frail, with wheat-colored skin and rough, slightly darkened hands. She was clearly a rural girl who had come to the city to work.

“Do you have business here?” Yang Ning had barely stepped inside when the doorman stopped him with a mocking sneer.

“From your tone, I can’t come here without a reason?” Yang Ning shot back with a faint smile.

Before the doorman could respond—

“I just acquired a few hundred acres of land in the countryside. Didn’t have time to change or drive my Ferrari over. Next time, keep your eyes peeled—dressing fancy doesn’t make someone superior!”

As he spoke, Yang Ning pulled a thick stack of cash from his backpack, smirked, drew out three bills, and slapped them across the doorman’s face. “Take this and get lost. It’s a tip, damn it!”

The guests in the lobby were stunned. The eight greeters froze. The doorman was utterly dumbfounded.

Faced with Yang Ning’s harsh words, the doorman didn’t dare make a sound, let alone lose his temper and pick a fight. He just shrank back.

“Here, a tip for you.” Yang Ning stuffed the entire stack of cash into the hands of the rural girl who had opened the door for him.

This action left everyone in the lobby gobsmacked. Even the lobby manager, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and a few security guards stood rooted to the spot, staring like statues.

Holy shit!

A tip of ten thousand yuan!

Fuck, did they just run into a tycoon today?

The rural girl stared at the thick stack of cash in her hands, flustered. “Sir, this is too much money. I can’t accept it. I just opened the door for you.”

Seeing the girl try to return the money, Yang Ning waved his hand with a smile. “Does the hotel have a rule that staff can’t accept tips, or that guests can’t give them?”

“No.” The girl shook her head.

“Then that’s settled. I’m a guest, and I want to give a tip. Why wouldn’t you accept it?” Yang Ning asked.

“It’s just too much money. I didn’t really do anything…”

Before she could finish, Yang Ning deliberately put on a stern face. “If someone poor gives a tip of a hundred or so, that’s fine, but if I, with money, give a few thousand or ten thousand, that’s not allowed? Are you looking down on me?”

“Sir, that’s not what I meant!” The girl waved her hands in a panic.

“Then just take the money.” Yang Ning’s expression softened.

The girl hesitated for a moment, glancing at the lobby manager. Seeing the manager signal her to accept it, she nervously said, “Thank you, sir.”

“To you, this might seem like an outrageous tip, but to me, it’s a token of gratitude,” Yang Ning said with a smile. “You didn’t look down on me for arriving in a taxi with muddy shoes. Instead, you gave me the basic respect a guest deserves. I’m grateful for that. In this materialistic society, hold on to the kindness in your heart and pass it on to others. Don’t let it be tainted by ugliness.”

After saying this, Yang Ning cast a disdainful glance around. The greeters’ faces alternated between pale and flushed, their heads lowered, not daring to meet his gaze—a stark contrast to their earlier arrogance.

These greeters were green with regret. Opening a door and saying ‘welcome’ could earn ten thousand yuan? If they’d known, forget opening the door—they’d have thrown themselves at him!

Looking at the thick stack of cash in the rural girl’s hands, the greeters felt envy and jealousy. At the same time, they inwardly cursed Yang Ning. Why would a tycoon pretend to be a broke nobody just to mess with them? Was he deliberately here to slap their faces?

“Sir, I’m truly sorry about what happened today. I will report this matter to management as it happened,” the lobby manager said, having likely figured out the whole story. He jogged over. “Sir, if there’s anything you need, just say the word, and we’ll take care of it!”

“Book me a presidential suite, then.”

Yang Ning’s cheeky, mischievous grin echoed through the lobby, causing several people to stumble. They thought to themselves, what a tycoon—staying in a presidential suite? Doesn’t he know it costs twenty thousand a night?

Soon, Yang Ning did something that nearly brought people to their knees. He casually tossed three thick stacks of cash to the lobby manager.

“If it’s not enough, just ask me for more. Whatever’s left over is your tip.”

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Proofreader & Editor: Fat Goose 🪶