Su Yan guessed correctly.
Dong Xuebing indeed had this in mind.
What a ruthless and underhanded move. Dong Xuebing had been working for so many years, and when had he ever not used such tactics? When had he not employed such underhanded methods? This was his way of doing things.
He reserved all the hotel rooms, forcing the foreign guests out.
Most people wouldn't even think of such a move; even if they did, they wouldn't dare do it. Even if they dared, they wouldn't have the ability. But Dong Xuebing could think of it. He dared to do it and had the ability and financial power to do it. The remaining rooms in several decent hotels wouldn't be too many, so booking them all would cost a few hundred thousand. To Dong Xuebing, this amount of money was nothing. What mattered to him was never the money but the face and prestige. He didn’t order the hotels to refuse Deputy Director Niu and the others because he didn’t want to cause trouble for local businesses. Secondly, he didn’t want to leave a trace of abusing power, so he funded it and booked the rooms in his name. If anyone brought it up in the future, Dong Xuebing could confidently say that as the county party secretary, he had every right to book hotels. He used legitimate money, and no one could say anything about it.
As for the county’s guesthouse, it was obvious. After all that had happened, Deputy Director Niu wouldn’t lower himself to go there for arrangements. As for other motels, Dong Xuebing had observed them when he arrived. He noticed that the county’s motels were quite shabby, and the rooms were limited. Whether the foreign guests could stay in one place was questionable, and the environment would not suit them even if they could. Looking at the way the foreigners were picky and fickle, it was clear that they were used to being treated like royalty. Expecting them to endure discomfort was out of the question. In the end, if everything went as planned, the foreigners and the city officials would be driven out. They would either have to return to the city or be sent to another county where arrangements could be made. This was Dong Xuebing’s goal. He wanted to humiliate them. If they would cause trouble in his territory, they’d better be prepared for a slap in the face.
This was something that few people would dare to do.
But Dong Xuebing dared, and why? Because he was that kind of person. He was a passionate, rebellious young man, and his name was Dong Xuebing.
"Secretary Su, where to?" Xiao Wang had been called in at the last minute.
"Wang Ge," Su Yan said as he rushed downstairs, taking a deep breath. "To the nearest hotel, the one at the east entrance. Let’s go there first."
Xiao Wang blinked. "What’s the rush?"
"Something the Secretary told me to do," Su Yan replied.
Xiao Wang immediately understood, and his expression turned serious. He stepped on the gas and drove off.
On the road, Su Yan quickly called a relevant official. "Hello, Director Wang. You need to contact the managers of the following hotels I mentioned." Su Yan gave the instructions. Now that he was the secretary to the county head, he didn’t need to handle everything personally. With the limited time available, he had to use his authority as a secretary.
Director Wang, on the other end, was stunned. "Secretary Su, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Su Yan quickly responded, "There's nothing inappropriate. I’m going to settle the bill right now. Not a penny will be missed, and I’m not asking them to stop business, to book all the rooms."
Director Wang hesitated, "Oh... okay, I’ll notify them."
"Make it quick, as fast as possible," Su Yan said.
"Don't worry, I've dealt with them enough. I still have some influence. I’ll handle it in ten minutes, no problem," Director Wang said.
Although grassroots conditions were poor—economically, environmentally, and in many other ways—there was one advantage: grassroots officials held more power, and things could be done very easily with the right connections.
Su Yan was now busy handling the calls.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director Niu and the foreign guests' vehicles were heading towards a hotel.
The car stopped, and Deputy Director Niu and the staff from the City government office immediately greeted everyone warmly and ushered them inside.
In the lobby, the two staff members from the City government office who had gone to book the hotel earlier came forward. "Deputy Director Niu, there are still rooms available."
Deputy Director Niu replied, "I’ve made the reservations."
The staff member said, "Not yet. They said they needed ID and paperwork because we’d booked too many rooms. I showed them my ID, but they still wouldn’t accept it. We’ll need you to handle it."
Deputy Director Niu nodded, "I’ll go." He approached the counter and said, "Please call your manager down. We need ten suites, the best ones."
The receptionist replied, "Our manager is not here."
Suddenly, the front desk phone rang. After a few moments, the receptionist’s expression changed to one of surprise. She hung up and then turned to Deputy Director Niu, saying, "Sorry, but all the rooms are already taken."
Deputy Director Niu was stunned. "Taken?"
The receptionist nodded, "Yes, they were just booked."
A staff member from the City government office became upset. "But when we came in earlier, there were ten suites available! How could they be gone so soon?"
The receptionist smiled awkwardly. "There were rooms earlier, but they’re all gone now."
"These are foreign guests! What do you mean by this? You promised us rooms, and now you tell us they’re gone?" the staff member snapped angrily.
The helpless receptionist replied, "You didn’t pay or complete the paperwork earlier, and now all the rooms have been taken. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to try another hotel."
Deputy Director Niu wasn’t a particularly influential figure in the city, just a marginal figure with limited connections. So, when they reached the hotel, he found himself in a powerless situation. Ultimately, he showed his work ID, and the receptionist’s attitude became more respectful. However, there were still no rooms available. No matter what was said, it was futile.
Deputy Director Niu grew furious. "Let’s go. We’ll try another one."
The translator scowled. "Deputy Director Niu, this is outrageous!"
The British guests were unhappy, with some muttering in English and pointing at Deputy Director Niu. They hadn’t seen any entrepreneurs yet, no rooms were arranged for them, and now they had to change hotels again after traveling such a long distance. They’d been in the Republic for seven or eight days already and had never been treated .
Deputy Director Niu hurried over, trying to placate them, and spent a long time explaining. Finally, the British guests reluctantly left and went to the next hotel.
But the result was the same.
Each one had no rooms available.
Not just suites—there weren’t even any standard rooms left.
The foreigners’ expressions darkened, and Deputy Director Niu and the City office staff were getting increasingly frustrated. With nowhere to vent their anger, their minds were nearly overwhelmed with frustration.