Chapter 265: The End

With the mysterious grand prize revealed, Sun Tao became the biggest winner of the night.

Next came the time to eat.

With a single command from Shen Qian, hotel staff began bustling in, bringing an array of delicious food to the tables and transporting crates of fine wine.

No one knew how Li Dong felt, but there were plenty of people who were feeling the pinch.

Not just those from afar, even the manager of Tianhu Hotel felt the sting.

With over 500 people, they set up sixty tables.

Each table was initially paired with a crate of white wine and a crate of red wine, making the value of these two crates alone exceed three thousand.

Adding in the cost of the food, each table cost at least five thousand yuan.

Sixty tables meant a total of three hundred thousand!

For the bosses, spending ten or eighty thousand on a meal was nothing unusual; such things happened frequently.

But being so generous to the staff was rare in Jiangbei.

The name "Yuanfang" became memorable to all Tianhu employees in an instant.

Listening to the whispers and envious looks from the staff, the manager of Tianhu felt helpless.

Originally, Tianhu Hotel, being the first five-star hotel in Pingchuan, offered benefits that were definitely not bad compared to other service industries.

They used to be the ones envied by others. Now, they were the ones envying others.

Even the manager, who used to be on the other side of envy, found it hard to watch Li Dong's lavish display tonight.

...

As the banquet began, Li Dong was undoubtedly the brightest star of the evening.

Li Dong knew that there was no escaping tonight's revelry, so he completely let go. He welcomed anyone who came to offer a toast and drank until the cups were dry, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The female staff of Yuanfang were bolder than most men. Initially, those coming to toast were mostly store managers. Later, someone must have encouraged them, as young women who felt they looked good began to come up and toast.

Surrounded by these beautifully dressed young women, Li Dong found himself both amused and helpless.

After drinking several glasses with everyone, Li Dong exerted considerable effort to break free from the circle.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Li Dong found an excuse to go to the restroom.

He washed his face and felt much more refreshed.

Soon after, Sun Tao staggered in.

Tonight, apart from Li Dong, Sun Tao was undoubtedly the focal point of the evening.

Whether out of envy, jealousy, or flattery, the number of people toasting Sun Tao was no less than those toasting Li Dong. Once Li Dong left, Sun Tao was nearly overwhelmed by the enthusiastic toasts from the female staff.

Li Dong was relatively safe as the senior management team dared not make jokes about the big boss.

But Sun Tao was different. Usually easygoing, Sun Tao had become the life of the party and even the management team seemed to have shifted allegiances. Sun Tao almost had to be carried out.

After splashing some cold water on his face and catching his breath, Sun Tao said, "Mr. Li, you really caught me off guard today."

Li Dong smiled, handed him a cigarette, and lit one for himself before replying, "What's the matter, not happy?"

"Not happy? That would be a lie. Who would turn down money in this world?"

Having had a bit too much to drink, Sun Tao was straightforward. He chuckled and continued, "But it still feels too sudden. To be honest, I still feel like I'm dreaming, it doesn't seem real."

Lighting his cigarette and taking a deep drag, Sun Tao coughed and reflected, "I still remember the first time we met as if it were yesterday. I never imagined it would happen so quickly…"

Sun Tao stumbled over his words, shook his head, and sighed, "I won't repeat old sayings, but still, the Baidu shares—I won't accept them. Mr. Li, don't try to persuade me. This money feels too hot to handle."

Li Dong chuckled lightly, "What's so hot about it? That money was originally from Yuanfang. Back then, we almost had to sell everything just to buy Baidu stock. If you hadn't held the fort in Pingchuan, I wouldn't have had the courage to go through with it."

This was the truth.

Li Dong had emptied Yuanfang's coffers back then, and Sun Tao, despite being injured, stayed behind in Pingchuan to manage things.

If it weren't for Sun Tao, Li Dong wouldn't have acquired the Baidu shares so smoothly.

Now, one-tenth of the shares, which amounted to just fifty thousand stocks, was nothing compared to the value. Giving them to Sun Tao was no big deal.

Li Dong liked money but wasn't a miser. Besides, this was part of the original agreement with Sun Tao.

From the start, Li Dong never intended to breach the contract.

Maybe initially, when he first got the Baidu shares, Li Dong had some hesitation, but as Sun Tao continued to perform well, Li Dong had become more understanding.

Li Dong was very satisfied with Sun Tao. Whether it was about sharing power or reducing his presence, Sun Tao had never complained.

Whether sincere or not, Sun Tao hadn't done anything to betray him, and that was enough.

Money doesn't come or go with you, and tonight's show had won over most of the crowd's hearts. The money spent was worth it.

Seeing that Sun Tao wanted to say more, Li Dong waved his hand and said, "Let's skip the formalities. You know how I am. I made the announcement in front of so many people today, and if I were to go back on my word, wouldn't that make me look bad?"

Sun Tao smiled wryly and nodded, "Then I won't say anything more."

"That's the right attitude. You should head back now. It wouldn't be good if both of us stayed away."

"Aren't you going back?"

"You go ahead. I'll be there soon."

Sun Tao nodded, extinguished his cigarette, and left the restroom.

Li Dong lingered for a moment before following suit.

Just as he stepped into the corridor, Qi Yunna approached.

Li Dong could tell she had come specifically to find him. He raised a hand to interrupt her, "If it's about the car, there's no need to discuss it."

Qi Yunna opened her mouth, paused, and then, with slightly reddened eyes, said, "Mr. Li, I don't deserve this."

The car, worth over two hundred thousand yuan, was too generous a gift.

Qi Yunna felt uneasy and had wanted to talk to Li Dong, but he hadn't given her the chance.

Li Dong replied calmly, "There's nothing to feel undeserving about. It's what you've earned. Your performance in Fucheng was always excellent, and since the company didn't reward you, consider this car as a reward."

Qi Yunna's mouth twitched, but she ultimately said nothing.

At this point, saying anything would be too late. The grand prize of the annual meeting was something she couldn't return.

Otherwise, people might think the car had been lost or something.

She had no other option but to accept it. Offering to pay for it herself would be too contrived and unnecessary.

Qi Yunna stopped arguing and softly said, "Mr. Li, thank you."

Li Dong nodded slightly and added, "I've always had high hopes for you. Don't let me down."

Qi Yunna's eyes were red. She wanted to express her gratitude but couldn't find the words.

Li Dong smiled and said, "Don't act like a little girl. You're not that young anymore. Crying is embarrassing."

Qi Yunna's face flushed red. She mumbled, "Mr. Li, I… I'll leave now."

Li Dong nodded.

Qi Yunna hurriedly turned and fled. It was too embarrassing. It was better when Li Dong didn't mention it. Now, facing her tearful eyes, Qi Yunna felt quite ashamed.

As Qi Yunna made a hasty exit, Li Dong chuckled and returned to the banquet hall.

The rest of the evening was filled with eating, drinking, and Li Dong reciprocating toasts.

By nine o'clock, the food was almost finished.

After taking a few group photos with everyone, Li Dong, along with Zhou Haidong, took their leave.

Just outside the hotel, Li Dong encountered Meng Qiping and his group, who had been waiting.

Meng Qiping and his group had also done well tonight. Besides Li Wan winning a computer, Cheng Nan won a dual-person travel prize.

Others had also fared well. Li Dong saw Xu Chen and Zhang Hao carrying a color TV and noted that they looked a bit embarrassed.

Li Dong smiled and said, "Not bad. Do you want me to have someone help you get the TV home?"

Xu Chen quickly shook his head, looking embarrassed, "Dong Ge, look at us. We're eating and taking…"

"It's fine. It's just for fun."

Li Dong chuckled and said dismissively. The TV and computer were no big deal.

The car and the two ten-thousand-yuan prizes were enough. As for the rest, it didn't matter who took them.

After Xu Chen, Li Dong turned to the fat guy and said, "Good luck. Three bags of laundry powder. You won't need to buy any for a few months."

Meng Qiping looked dejected and said with a wry smile, "Boss Li, don't make fun of me."

Li Dong laughed and asked, "Are you planning to travel yourself or have other arrangements?"

Cheng Nan responded, "Li Dong, we don't need the travel tickets.

 The fat guy and I won't use them. Besides, with the New Year approaching, my family wouldn't agree. Just let your company's people go."

Li Dong asked Meng Qiping, "What about you?"

Meng Qiping nodded, "Nannan's right. We don't need them either."

Then the fat guy jokingly said, "Dong Ge, why don't you convert it into money for me?"

"Get lost!"

Li Dong cursed and Cheng Nan added, "Stop thinking about money. I won this. It's not for you!"

The fat guy laughed awkwardly, "I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

Li Dong ignored him and said to Cheng Nan, "Since you're not going, I'll make arrangements later. As for compensation, we'll talk about it then."

Cheng Nan quickly said, "No need to talk about compensation. We're just lucky to be here tonight. We shouldn't have won these things…"

Cheng Nan stopped abruptly, realizing there were others present. Her comment about not deserving it might offend Li Wan and Xu Chen.

Li Dong didn't press further and chatted a bit with everyone before they went their separate ways.

In the end, only Fang Qingfei remained.

Li Dong noticed and asked, "Is there something else?"

Fang Qingfei cleared her throat, looked around, and Li Dong, seeing her awkwardness, said, "Don't make it like a secret meeting. Just say what you need."

Fang Qingfei, looking embarrassed, said, "Li Dong, are you free in a couple of days?"

Li Dong raised an eyebrow, "What's up?"

"Well, it's about my mother…"

Before she could finish, Li Dong interrupted, "Sorry, the company is busy with year-end affairs, and with the New Year's Eve coming up, I need to return to Dongping. I won't have time in the next few days."

Fang Qingfei's expression changed slightly, and she finally said with a hint of disappointment, "If you don't have time, then never mind. I won't trouble you."

With that, Fang Qingfei turned and left.

Li Dong shook his head slightly. If it were something else, he would have helped.

But with everything he had on his plate, including issues with Yuan Xue and Qin Yuhan, he had no energy left to deal with Fang Qingfei's family matters.