The Nanhai Hotel renovation project would be a sweet deal for any renovation company, as long as Dongfeng Holdings gained the upper hand.
All four shareholders were influential. Hong Kong’s Meihua, HSBC, and China Merchants – none of them lacked money. Then there was Dongfeng Holdings, a state-owned enterprise; Liu Yong wasn’t worried about getting paid.
He certainly couldn’t raise two million yuan himself. For such a profitable project, he needed his niece’s support.
Xia Xiaolan felt that Huo Chenzhou seemed to be giving money away.
Dongfeng Holdings was a state-owned enterprise, unlike the Cheng Rong Group. Du Chengrong could happily support whichever son he wanted to rise to power. Du Zhaohui could manage investments worth hundreds of millions at a young age because he was Du Chengrong’s son.
So whose son was Huo Chenzhou?
Xia Xiaolan had one foot in Beijing’s social circles, and Guan Hui’e occasionally told her about certain families but had never mentioned anyone surnamed Huo.
Dongfeng Holdings had strong capital, and Huo Chenzhou looked only in his twenties. Even if he was just the head of the Beijing branch, that was still impressive… This wasn’t something that could be achieved just through a good family background; personal capability must be exceptional!
“Manager Huo, Yuanhui appreciates Dongfeng’s sincerity, and we’re also very hopeful about cooperating with Dongfeng, as this is an excellent learning opportunity. However, everything depends on successfully modifying the design and gaining approval from Nanhai Hotel’s other shareholders… Could we first see the original renovation plan?”
Dongfeng was practically forcing Yuanhui aboard.
Xia Xiaolan suspected that Huo Chenzhou wanted Mayor Tang’s support – without the Pengcheng municipal government’s backing, Dongfeng Holdings probably couldn’t overcome Hong Kong’s Meihua.
The fact that Tang Hongen had suggested Liu Yong and Xia Xiaolan accept Dongfeng Holdings’ olive branch indicated that Dongfeng Holdings and Tang Hongen had already reached an agreement privately – Xia Xiaolan believed Tang Hongen had his considerations.
So this cooperation between Yuanhui and Dongfeng, besides Dongfeng supporting Yuanhui, had another possibility – did Tang Hongen need Yuanhui to check or monitor Dongfeng?
Regardless of whether the previous design was good or bad, Xia Xiaolan needed to at least take a look.
Huo Chenzhou nodded, “Of course.”
He gestured to the middle-aged man beside him to open the large box at his feet, which contained a thick stack of design drawings. Looking quickly through the renderings and construction drawings, Xia Xiaolan and Gong Yang had to admit that Dongfeng’s original renovation plan was very sophisticated.
Even if it wasn’t ahead of its time in design, at least domestically, the aesthetics were leading.
Presenting this design in ’85, while it might not surpass international five-star hotels, it would certainly earn a thumbs up domestically.
Yet such a design was rejected simultaneously by the three Hong Kong shareholders.
Xia Xiaolan wanted to laugh – this wasn’t about the design plan at all, but rather that Dongfeng Holdings hadn’t gained the upper hand in the struggle for hotel management rights!
If Dongfeng didn’t have the advantage of being state-owned capital, wouldn’t they have already been defeated in this struggle?
Xia Xiaolan didn’t care about these matters; she only focused on Yuan hui’s part:
“Manager Huo, the plan can be modified, but I need time and your support… Honestly, this plan is already perfect. If Nanhai Hotel aims to be a five-star hotel, following this renovation plan would meet five-star hotel standards! If Yuanhui modifies it, we’d only shift the style; the initial functional layout doesn’t need changes. May I ask who created this plan?”
Huo Chenzhou smiled, “Miss Xia has good taste. This plan originally didn’t need modification; it’s a complete set with Nanhai Hotel’s main building. Miss Xia studies architecture, so you might have heard of Teacher Ning Yanfan – this is Old Master Ning’s work.”
Ning Yanfan’s work?
So Nanhai Hotel was designed by Ning Yanfan?
Suddenly learning this information, Xia Xiaolan was quite surprised:
“It’s Old Master Ning’s work… Manager Huo, if Yuanhui modifies it, our reputation in architectural circles won’t be very good!”
A building designed by Ning Yanfan.
The renovation specified by Ning Yanfan-Nanhai Hotel was a complete, integrated design. Now the main building was constructed according to Ning Yanfan’s design, yet they wanted to change the initial renovation plan – while the paying client was king, if changes were needed, shouldn’t Ning Yanfan make them himself?
For Yuanhui, or rather Xia Xiaolan, to roll up her sleeves and completely change it.
If word reached Ning Yanfan’s ears, how could she continue to work in China’s architectural circles?
Because of Ning Xue’s mother’s words, Xia Xiaolan had actively given up the chance to become Ning Yanfan’s apprentice, which she didn’t regret… but actively challenging Ning Yanfan’s authority seemed too much.
Ning Yanfan wasn’t her enemy.
He had even wanted to teach her.
If she took this job, regardless of what Ning Yanfan might think, walls have ears – how would her future domestic colleagues view her?
Arrogant and ignorant would probably become the label attached to Xia Xiaolan.
She was only a sophomore, not even an architect yet, and to touch this lightning rod – Xia Xiaolan wasn’t that foolish.
“Manager Huo, I once had the honor of being taught by Old Master Ning for two days. This matter shows great disrespect to Old Master Ning, so I refuse.”
Xia Xiaolan looked apologetically at her uncle. Liu Yong naturally understood her meaning and smiled: “Manager Huo, I’m not very educated, but my niece is a cultured person. I’m willing to listen to her, so Yuanhui can’t cooperate in this project.”
Even Gong Yang, with his limited knowledge, had heard of Ning Yanfan.
The architectural layout textbook he had studied independently was edited by Ning Yanfan.
If he were to modify Ning Yanfan’s design, Gong Yang also feared being drowned in criticism. Moreover, there was nothing wrong with this plan; as Xia Xiaolan said, Yuanhui could only shift the decoration style, and the fundamentals couldn’t be changed.
This Huo Chenzhou had truly dug a pit for Yuanhui to fall into.
Huo Chenzhou seemed to read Gong Yang’s thoughts but remained calm. Even though both Xia Xiaolan and Liu Yong had refused, Huo Chenzhou wasn’t anxious:
“Boss Liu, Miss Xia, you may have misunderstood. For this modification, Dongfeng Holdings has already sought Old Master Ning Yanfan’s consent. The old master is very understanding, knows Dongfeng Holdings’ predicament, and can accept modifications to the renovation plan.”
Huo Chenzhou wasn’t trying to set a trap for Yuanhui.
For a small company like Yuanhui to offend a national architectural master, the consequences would naturally be severe.
Though Yuanhui did renovations while Ning Yanfan was an architect, with seemingly different focuses, at Ning Yanfan’s position in China’s architectural field, how many people were connected to him? In major companies like China Construction Group, who dared say they didn’t have Ning Yanfan’s students!
If China Construction couldn’t control Yuanhui, what about the Ministry of Construction?
Seeing Liu Yong and Xia Xiaolan’s expressions normalize, Huo Chenzhou continued: “Miss Xia, we’ve investigated your background. Though you’re only a sophomore, you indeed have talent in renovation design. Among Yuanhui’s completed projects, the most outstanding ones are your work. You’ve also received guidance from Old Master Ning Yanfan, so I’m even more looking forward to your modified new plan!”