On that night, every staff member was wide awake, working tirelessly throughout the night.
They constructed massive welcome signs and floral displays at the pier where they would welcome guests to the island, and they meticulously cleaned the red carpet, preparing to roll it out from the pier to the hotel lobby the following morning.
Bernard Arnault, while taking the elevator with his wife after a relaxing spa treatment under the sea, grumbled, “Why did that American singer choose to come to the Maldives at this time? The whole island will probably be in chaos, and it’ll be quite annoying.” His wife nonchalantly replied, “What’s the issue with that? It’s about business. As long as the guests are able to pay, we have to treat them well.” Bernard responded with irritation, “I don’t want the luxurious resort I’ve meticulously created to turn into a chaotic scene akin to a bustling market just because of a celebrity. Unfortunately, this woman wields too much influence, and we can’t refuse her access to the island. We have to put on a welcoming front, which is incredibly frustrating.” His wife shrugged, saying, “I mentioned long ago that if you planned to vacation alone, it would be better to have the hotel refund all reservations so that our family could enjoy the island in peace. Not only would it be quieter, but it would also be safer, yet you didn’t listen.” Bernard Arnault raised his eyebrows and exclaimed, “What you suggest sounds easy. Do you realize how much compensation we would owe if the hotel issued refunds for our sake? It would be three to five times the amount, plus we’d have to cover their airfare and any emotional distress claims. If we end up with a customer who enjoys suing, it would lead to even more trouble down the line.” His wife crossed her arms in dissatisfaction and murmured, “You’re already incredibly wealthy. Can’t you be a little more flexible? Even if you compensate these guests generously, how much could we possibly lose? Just a few million or tens of millions at most. Our family’s assets are in the hundreds of billions, and we make over ten billion annually. The returns from our various investments are incalculable. What does this money even mean?” Bernard Arnault waved his hand dismissively and replied, “You don’t understand; money is something to hoard, not squander. As the saying goes, ‘Save as much as you can.’ We need to avoid unnecessary waste. How can you be sure we won’t face significant expenses in the future?” What he never revealed to his wife was that he had spent 100 billion dollars on a rejuvenation pill from China.
During the Rejuvenation Pill auction, he had been ousted by Desmond Evans and Ferdie Joules’s son and lost his ability to pay, yet he had managed to buy a rejuvenation pill for 72 billion dollars.
At that time, his entire group and his personal cash reserves were barely over 80 billion dollars.
Little did he expect that he had already allocated over 300 million dollars worth of products beforehand, but the owner of the rejuvenation pill insisted that he provide 50% of the goods.
Most of the 36 billion had to be paid in installments.
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