Chapter 156 How Did You Know?

"The Grand Lisboa has two three-Michelin-starred restaurants, Robuchon au Dôme and The Eight. The food is absolutely incredible!"

"There's also the heated pool and spa center on the fifth floor."

"If you get tired from playing, you can go there to relax."

"There are luxury shops downstairs too, so it's very convenient for shopping."

"That sounds really nice," Lin Chen said with a smile, "Thank you, driver. You explained it so thoroughly; otherwise, I wouldn't have known where to start once I arrived."

The driver waved his hand: "Don't mention it, young man. It's fine to go and have some fun, but you must be rational."

"Small bets are for amusement, but heavy gambling hurts the body."

"We're almost at the Grand Lisboa."

"Look, that's it, the one shaped like a golden lotus."

Lin Chen looked in the direction the driver was pointing.

Under the sunlight, the Grand Lisboa looked magnificent and dazzling.

He paid the fare, and as he opened the car door, the driver urged him again: "Remember, just play a little at the casino. The artwork and restaurants inside are worth checking out!"

Lin Chen turned back and smiled: "I know, driver. Thank you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the car drove toward the iconic building.

It only took about ten minutes from the pier to get here.

As soon as he got out of the car, a hotel attendant came over to take his luggage and then guided him to check in.

"It really is a famous spot here."

"The service attitude is just different."

As Lin Chen followed the attendant through the gilded gates, which were grand enough to rival a palace entrance, his breath hitched for a moment.

Outside the door was the bustling, neon-lit, mundane world of the Macau Peninsula, but stepping inside felt like crossing a dimensional barrier, plunging into a dream world that only existed in myths and the imaginations of the ultra-wealthy.

He subconsciously stopped, his pupils slightly constricted, and his heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest.

Looking up, the entire Grand Lisboa lobby was nearly thirty meters high.

The ceiling was shaped like layers of lotus petals, with every petal inlaid with intricate gold leaf.

Under the top-tier warm lighting, it exuded a low-key yet mesmerizing air of nobility.

Several giant Austrian crystal chandeliers hung from the center of the dome.

Thousands of perfectly cut crystals refracted thousands of streams of light, like a galaxy fallen to earth, illuminating the entire space until it was immaculate and so dreamlike that one dared not look directly at it.

Underfoot was a floor made of imported black and white marble, with patterns resembling carefully drawn palace totems.

It was as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting the magnificence of the dome and the brilliant light of the crystal lamps.

Walking on it felt like stepping on a flowing river of light; even his footsteps became exceptionally light, as if afraid to disturb this ultimate luxury.

On both sides stood several Roman columns, each wide enough for two people to embrace.

The columns were inlaid with gradient mosaics and gilded reliefs; from the base to the top, every detail was meticulously crafted, without a hint of negligence.

The corridor walls were hung with original masterpieces, paired with understated wall lamps; art and wealth blended perfectly here.

The air was filled with a subtle, high-end fragrance, elegant and stylish, completely isolating the noise and restlessness of the outside world.

Not far away, in front of the central display case, many guests had stopped to gaze, and Lin Chen's eyes were also firmly drawn to it.

That was the world-famous 'Star of Stanley Ho' diamond.

The 218.08-carat, D-color, flawless giant diamond lay quietly on a velvet base, blooming with incomparable brilliance under the spotlight.

It was so pure that it lacked a single impurity, as if all the brilliance in the world had condensed here; just one glance made one understand what it meant to be priceless.

Attendants dressed in tailored black uniforms stood straight, walking softly and silently with just-right smiles on their faces; every movement was well-trained, yet carried an appropriate sense of respect.

The guests coming and going were all impeccably dressed and extraordinary in manner; the men in suits and the women adorned with jewels.

Their whispered conversations were full of topics from a social circle unreachable by ordinary people.

Lin Chen stood there, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

He had once thought that having seen five-star hotels in Star City, he was worldly.

The magnificence of Star City's top luxury clubs, the classical weight of European castles, and the quiet luxury of island estates—compared to the Grand Lisboa before him, those places lacked a certain soul-stirring grandeur and extreme sense of fantasy.

There was no deliberate flaunting of wealth here, yet every inch spoke of the collision between top-tier wealth and art; there was no exaggerated ostentation, yet it carried an aura that made one involuntarily hold their breath and look up in awe.

The iridescent dome, the dazzling crystal lamps, the mirror-like floor, the priceless giant diamond, and the surrounding low-key yet extremely luxurious decor wove together a picture that far exceeded his imagination.

Lin Chen felt as if he were in another lifetime, as if he had truly stepped into another world.

A golden world that did not belong to ordinary people, but only to top tycoons and the powerful elite.

He clenched his palms, his heart surging with stormy waves.

The ordinariness of his past life formed a strong contrast with the shock of this moment, and an indescribable excitement and ambition quietly rose in his heart.

"This is what capital built by the rich looks like."

"My one hundred million is practically just a drop in the bucket here!"

Just as he was immersed in this extreme shock, a harsh sneer suddenly came from behind, breaking the silence.

"Hey, kid, you're blocking the way, you know that?"

"Dressed so shabbily, yet you dare to wander around the Grand Lisboa. You aren't a cleaner who snuck in, are you?"

Lin Chen turned around slowly to see a middle-aged man wearing a floral shirt with a thick gold chain around his neck, looking him up and down with a look of disdain.

Beside him were two gaudily dressed female companions, their eyes full of contempt and mockery.

The man was a somewhat well-known nouveau riche local in Macau.

Relying on a little money, he was usually arrogant and domineering.

Seeing Lin Chen dressed in ordinary clothes and standing alone in front of the display case in a daze, he wanted to step forward to bully him a bit to show off his sense of superiority.

"What are you looking at? Get lost, now!"

"Is this a place for someone poor and shabby like you to come?"

"Don't dirty their marble floor!"

The man folded his arms, his tone sharp, drawing the attention of many surrounding guests, whose gazes toward Lin Chen became a bit more playful.

The attendant wanted to step forward to dissuade him, but was glared back by the man.

A flash of coldness crossed Lin Chen's eyes.

In his past life, he had endured cold looks, but now that he had been reborn and had the system by his side, why would he tolerate the provocation of such a petty person again?

He did not get angry, just raised his eyes faintly.

As his gaze swept over the man, the system instantly popped up detailed information:

【Character: Huang Sanwei, small local developer in Macau, assets of about 30 million, liabilities of 18 million, nearing bankruptcy due to recent investment failure, strong on the outside but weak on the inside】

Lin Chen hooked the corners of his mouth into an icy arc.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread all around:

"30 million in assets, nearly 20 million in debt, a person about to go bankrupt—do you even have the qualifications to clamor in front of me?"

As his words fell, Huang Sanwei's expression changed drastically.

His pupils dilated sharply, his face full of shock:

"You... how do you know?"