Chapter 174: A Hard-to-Get Room

"The Running Years" was an art film that Kou Cen made under immense pressure, knowing it would be a failure. The plot, costumes, and props were all a complete mess. When it was released, it became a laughing stock in the entire circle. The film reviews at the time were overwhelmingly negative, with the few praises only complimenting the actors and sound effects, without anyone seeing the "defiance" in it.

As his fame grew and his status in the industry rose, the film was naturally forgotten and never mentioned. After all, every great director has made at least one bad film for various reasons.

However, today, in Nanjing City, in this hotel, a young hotel owner said he liked this film and even saw the "defiance" in it! Instantly, Kou Cen felt like he had met a kindred spirit.

Catching the momentary touch of emotion in Kou Cen's eyes, Chen Jianhai felt a sense of lucky success. The film's latter half was just a woman pulling a man through a rice field, with the camera following them for 45 minutes straight until the end credits rolled. Completing the film in such a manner was nothing short of stubborn!

If Chen Jianhai had simply copied and pasted reviews from the internet, everyone present, being veterans, would have noticed. But what he expressed was his genuine opinion, and coupled with his sincere, shy look, it struck the right chord.

Seeing the softened expression on Kou Cen's face, Chen Jianhai quickly and warmly invited, "Director Kou, the restaurant has prepared a meal. Let's go upstairs."

Due to the large number of people in the crew, the first meal was arranged at the Crystal Revolving Music Restaurant on the top floor.

Entering the hotel lobby, Kou Cen glanced around, his eyelids drooping, looking unimpressed. He wasn't exactly dissatisfied, but not particularly impressed either. For a newly-rated five-star hotel, the carpets and decorations were nothing special to a well-traveled director like him. However, he was pleased that the hotel staff were professional, neither rushing for autographs nor sneaking around to catch a glimpse of the excitement, making him feel comfortable.

"This way, please," Chen Jianhai led the way to the aquarium observation elevator. As soon as they entered, Kou Cen's eyes lifted. The acrylic glass wall was filled with deep blue water, with hundreds of beautiful fish swimming inside. Before anyone could settle, a batfish darted past, startling some timid crew members into gasps. Soon after, a school of yellowfish swam by leisurely, pushing aside two playful red-tailed blue-fin fish arrogantly.

As the elevator ascended, the yellowfish swam upwards, seemingly escorting the guests. "Boss Chen, this elevator is quite nice," Kou Cen remarked, knocking on the high-strength acrylic glass wall, showing a hint of interest.

Chen Jianhai nodded modestly with a slight smile, letting the setup speak for itself.

The lobby's two observation elevators led directly to the Crystal Revolving Music Restaurant on the top floor. One moment, everyone was immersed in the underwater mystery, and the next, bright light pierced through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating every inch. The vast, rippling sea with waves crashing towards the shore, the changing shades of blue, distant fishing boats, and nearby seagulls created a striking visual contrast, leaving the crew in awe.

After a long pause, Kou Cen finally spoke, half-affirming and half-praising, "The layout is indeed impressive."

...

After the meal, the crew began busily setting up scenes and studying shooting angles, quickly getting into their roles. Unfortunately, most hotel guests were crew members, and stars like the male and female leads and actor Wu Kai didn't stay there. Chen Jianhai later learned that such stars typically had their own houses in Nanjing and only came to the hotel during filming.

Despite this, many fans, eager to see their idols, booked rooms, almost filling the hotel to capacity. Being a holiday season, the number of vacationers was already high, coupled with numerous tour groups and enthusiasts of Nanjing's historical routes, significantly reducing the available rooms. All major travel apps displayed "sold out," making other hotels envious.

...

In Yan'an City, 2,293.4 kilometers from Nanjing City, Xing Yusen stared at his computer screen showing "All rooms booked" in disbelief. "What kind of hotel is this?! Can't even book a room!"

Just then, a message popped up: "Old Xing, booked the room yet? Waiting to book the flight."

"No, no rooms available[frown][sigh]."

"No rooms?!!" Xing Yusen rubbed his forehead in frustration. The association had tasked them with staying at Lang Ai Hotel for a star rating evaluation by the end of November. Despite refreshing the hotel's website and major apps for four days, all he saw were messages of sold-out rooms.

Even calling the front desk yielded the same response, "Sorry, no rooms available." Meanwhile, the association staff kept following up on the work progress, adding to his headache.

"Damn it, it really is hard to get a room!" Xing Yusen slammed his laptop shut, cursing under his breath.