Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

The plane landed at Los Angeles Airport at 7: 05 AM.

Considering the time difference, the current time in China was almost 15 hours ahead. That meant that it was actually 10 PM in Jingzhou.

Pan Ying already had a good sleep on the plane. He went to the washroom in advance to change out of his pajamas and then washed up.

The ten-odd hours on the plane were still very wonderful for him. First, he ate like crazy. He ate all sorts of meals, drinks, ice cream, and desserts. After he ate his fill, he put on his earphones and watched two movies. Then, he slept comfortably for eight hours.

He felt refreshed after waking up.

He had already filled out the application form on the plane previously, and Wu Yue had also given everyone their local cell phone SIM cards.

Pan Ying changed into his SIM card and switched on his cell phone.

"Eh? Today is still the 22nd?"

Pan Ying instinctively felt that something was strange. When they left Shanghai, it was noon on the 22nd. However, when they arrived in Los Angeles, it was morning on the 22nd. It was as if they had wasted an entire day for nothing.

Wu Yue smiled. "You'll have to return all the time when you return."

"Alright, everyone, quickly grab your hand luggage. We're getting off the plane."

Pan Ying and the other team members were afraid that they would be lost at the thought that they were already in a foreign land. It would be difficult for them to even ask for directions since they did not know much english. They quickly followed behind.

This plane might have two floors, but there were only dozens of seats in the business class. There were more than four hundred seats in the economy class, so there were economy class seats on both floors.

However, there was a special channel for business class. First, they had to get off the plane. What's more, there was a commercial express service. Thus, they could save a lot of time both on and off the plane.

Wu Yue did not know where Zhao Xuming and the others were at the moment, but since they were not going to the same place, there was no need to meet again.

The interpreter had already contacted the bodyguards and minibus that were hired in advance. They could go directly from the airport to the competition venue.

Under the guidance of Wu Yue, Ding Gan, and the interpreter, everyone quickly met up with the local guides and bodyguards.

These four bodyguards were all dressed in suits and leather shoes. They were even wearing sunglasses. They would not look out of place even if they were pulled over and placed next to the president.

Pan Ying sighed from the bottom of his heart. "This is too f*cking impressive…"

"It's like a dream."

The other team members were also filled with excitement. All of them were full of energy. The ten-odd hours on the plane did not make them feel tired. Instead, they had rested well and were now full of energy.

The three photographers were filming the entire process as well. They recorded everything that happened on the way from Shanghai to Los Angeles. After all, they were given enough money and were very responsible.

In the minibus, Pan Ying asked, "Which hotel did we book?"

Wu Yue smiled. "It's near the venue, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel."

Ding Gan could not help but feel emotional as he said, "The standard that Boss Pei set for all of you is ridiculously high. I can pay for my own accommodation at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, but to give 30 people a month's stay there… that's ridiculous."

Wu Yue nodded. "Actually, I didn't think too much about it at the time. Boss Pei gave too high a standard for food and accommodation. I saw that there was a Ritz-Carlton hotel nearby. It was quite suitable in all aspects, so I decided on it."

Ding Gan could not help but feel speechless.

What the f*ck!

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel was a high-class hotel with a resort brand. Even among five-star hotels, it was considered one of the more luxurious ones. What's more, it was only a street away from the competition venue. The location was very good.

Of course, Ding Gan would be willing to move in on his own. However, Boss Pei had arranged for all 30 members of the team to stay here. This highlighted the inhumanity of a trench.

Wu Yue looked around at everyone and said, "The hotel can only be checked-in in the afternoon. We can deposit our luggage and eat something when we arrive. There's a special chef here to provide Chinese food. In order to prevent us from not being able to acclimatize, we'll mainly eat Chinese food."

"Of course, before the international competition officially begins, you can eat local delicacies from time to time to regulate your diet."

"Do you all still need to take a break at the hotel?"

The players shook their heads.

What was there to rest for? They had already eaten their fill on the plane and slept for eight hours. Now, they could now start training after a light snack!

Wu Yue nodded. "Alright, let's deposit our luggage first. Once we settle down, we'll go to the training area to take a look. We'll check in when we return in the afternoon."

"There aren't many internet cafes here. After all, internet cafes are not particularly popular overseas."

"Considering the distance, environment, and computer configurations, there is only one suitable option.

"We have already booked all the machines on the second floor of this internet cafe in advance. From now on, we will train here. However, everyone should be mentally prepared. It might not be as good as Fish-Catching Internet Cafe even though it is the best internet cafe nearby."

Pan Ying was a little surprised. "Huh? Book the entire floor? Wouldn't that be too wasteful?"

Wu Yue shook his head. "It's not a waste, it's more worth it."

"The internet fees here are different from in China. They are very expensive. They cost 10 US dollars per hour, and 18 US dollars every three hours. However, they only cost 20 US dollars per day. Most players here only play for one to three hours. That's why they set such a price."

"We'll train here other than resting in the hotel. I've already asked the boss in advance. There are a lot of machines in the hall on the first floor. There are more than a hundred of them, but there are less than thirty on the second floor. The environment on the second floor is better. It cost about 600 US dollars a day to book the entire place for the day. It's not expensive."

"That way, we wouldn't have to worry about being disturbed by strangers, nor do we have to worry about the possibility of tactical leakage."

Pan Ying nodded excitedly. "Sure, perfect! Let's hurry up and start training then. I can't wait!"

…

Two hours later, Zhao Xuming and the members of the two clubs finally arrived at the entrance of Courtyard by Marriott with sleepy eyes.

The airport might not be far from here, but it took a lot of time to get their luggage and other operations out of the airport.

The team members were all a little listless. They felt like they were relying on a breath of immortal air to survive.

They did not sleep well in the seats of economic class even though they had slept for a few hours. They would often wake up once every two or three hours. When they woke up, it was difficult for them to continue sleeping because of their soreness. They could only watch movies out of boredom.

In short, no one had a good rest. They were exhausted from the long journey. Their clothes were full of wrinkles, and their hair was very messy. They could not wait to go to the hotel to take a shower and have a good sleep.

Zhao Xuming thought to himself that it was a good thing that the people in the business class could leave first. Otherwise, it would be so awkward if they met again at the airport!

He could picture Wu Yue and the others leaving the business class cabin in such a perfect state. He looked at his own condition… He really did not want to think too much about it.

They had finally arrived at the hotel!

The team members looked at the imposing Courtyard by Marriott building in front of them. Their fatigue from the long journey was finally relieved, and their eyes were filled with excitement.

This time, the official hotel that Finger Games had arranged for the various clubs was this Courtyard by Marriott. They would be able to continue seamlessly after the international competition began.

Courtyard by Marriott was equivalent to a four-star hotel. It was a mid-tier hotel, and it was already considered quite popular. No one could complain that the accommodations were poor.

The main entrance of the hotel was a circular arc-shaped lobby, which was recessed inward. Moreover, they had a huge billboard in it, which was very magnificent.

Just as everyone was about to drag their luggage in, they heard a team member say, "Hey, what is this tall building across the road?"

The others turned around and saw a sea-blue skyscraper across the street.

Courtyard by Marriott was quite tall but it was on a completely different level from the building across the road. The latter could already be regarded as a landmark and was about two hundred meters tall.

Zhao Xuming said, "Oh, that's the Ritz Carlton Hotel. It's about three times the price here."

The team members could not help but click their tongues, tacitly stop discussing about this topic.

Three times more expensive?

A double room here would cost about 1,000 yuan, while the other one would cost about 2,500 yuan. The difference in price was huge.

However, these two hotels were separated by a road, and they were facing each other. They were only about 200 meters away from the venue, so they had the same convenience.

What's more, the accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott was not bad. What kind of family would stay in the opposite building? They would be content and happy.

The team members could only comfort themselves with such thoughts.

However, just as these people were about to enter the hotel lobby and forget about this matter, they saw a group of people walking out of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel opposite them, talking and laughing. All of them were full of energy as they boarded the minibus parked not far away.

The three photographers were still filming behind them.

They might be a distance away but Zhao Xuming and the others still recognized them at a glance. After all, when one was in a foreign country, all of their compatriots would naturally have a halo effect.

The minibus started moving quickly, carrying a group of players.

Zhao Xuming and the others fell into awkward silence.

In fact, the members of these two clubs did not have any special feelings before. They felt that while the hotel opposite was good, it had nothing to do with them. Most of them were celebrities or rich ballers.

Since Finger Games had arranged for all the clubs to have the same accommodation and food, there was no need to ask for more.

However, everyone's mentality changed subtly after seeing FV Club and SUG Club walk out of the Ritz-Carlton hotel opposite.

That was unacceptable!

It was one thing for this group of people to take business class cabins, but the hotel they were staying in was twice as expensive and several levels higher than the official hotel!

Their mentality became a little shaky.

Zhao Xuming only had one feeling now: Ridiculous!

What kind of relationship did FV Club have with Boss Pei? He treated them like his own son. Did Boss Pei have so much spare money to spend?

Weren't the veteran clubs overseas and celebrities with high net worth staying at the Courtyard by Marriott obediently?

Those who did not know better would think that these people from FV Club were big shots!

Zhao Xuming silently felt sour. After a moment of silence, he quickly changed the topic. "Hurry up with the check in then we'll find a place to eat."

The others also responded and stopped talking about FV Club.

Since they could only check in in the afternoon, everyone decided to deposit their luggage first. They would eat in the hotel and settle in after settling the training ground.

There was a buffet in the hotel that cost 15 US dollars per person. They were all standard American food and snacks. They were not particularly used to eating them, but they were not bad overall.

Zhao Xuming, the interpreter, and the two club leaders ate as they thought about the problem with the training ground.

Even though Finger Games' official platform would arrange for training rooms, that would definitely happen only after the international competition began. What's more, the so-called training rooms would probably be renting a few conference rooms in the hotel and be distributed to the team members, They would probably have a few computers and a few E-Sports chairs. They could not ask too much for the overall conditions and environment.

They had to find a place of their own to train if they wanted to start early.

The interpreter said, "Boss Zhao, I just checked. There are not many internet cafes around here, but there is one that is relatively good. We can consider it."

"We can go and take a look after dinner. Coincidentally, Finger Games has also given us high rank super accounts. We can let our players play RANK here. We can also arrange the training competition with the other European and American teams in advance."

Zhao Xuming nodded distractedly.

He did not care about the training of the two teams at all. After all, he was in charge of IOI in Long Yu Corporation and not the mother of the team.

Zhao Xuming felt that it was one thing for him to pay for these two teams, but he could not possibly care about the training grounds too, right?

He only had one thought now. He wanted to move in quickly, take a shower, and have a good sleep. Then, he would go to the headquarters of Finger Games with the other employees of Longyu Corporation.

At that moment, a leader suddenly said, "Wow, the hotel that FV Club is staying in… isn't the environment too good?"

The team members at the side leaned over to take a look.

The official Weibo of FV Club had updated the details of the trip to Los Angeles in real time, including the photo they took at the airport and some daily videos.

The latest Weibo post was a photo of everyone having a meal at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Obviously, the group from FV Club had arrived half an hour earlier than them.

The photo did not focus on the food, mainly on the players. However, it could still be seen that the dining environment was obviously not on the same level as this place. There were all sorts of dishes: sushi, sashimi, cake, roasted meat, and even Chinese food.

The food looked amazing and exquisite. All the food was carefully arranged. After being shot by professional photographers, it looked very appetizing.

Unsurprisingly, there were all sorts of 'posting poison in the middle of the night' and 'envious, jealous, and hateful' comments under Weibo. After all, it was late at night in China.

The members of the two clubs looked at the buffet they were eating. The knives and forks in their hands slowed down unconsciously.

Zhao Xuming, on the other hand, was fuming.

These people from FV Club are too much!

Was there a need to be like a country bumpkin, walking and filming, constantly showing off?

Everyone knew that that hotel was better. In the end, not only did you casually take photos outside, you even wanted to take photos of food?

How was that not slapping their faces?

Too much, simply too much!

Zhao Xuming had thought that the buffet was not bad, but now, he only felt that it was tasteless.

Unbearable!