Chapter 737: Chapter 326 Venetians_3
The two enjoyed another cup of warm tea, chatting and laughing. As the sky outside gradually darkened, it was almost time to leave. The General Sect Leader changed into a suit and was ready to depart for Las Vegas.
Allen Zhang called over Old Jack and Bailey, instructing them to pilot the Cirrus Fathead Shark back to Los Angeles. He was also contemplating what kind of gift to present to the princess.
Given his identity and line of work, there was no need to gift collectible coins like Madison or anything of the sort. It was the thought that counted.
So he casually picked a gift from the collection on the island—a gold-plated Desert Eagle from Priyan’s arsenal.
It wasn’t very valuable, but it certainly looked impressive.
After all, it was a gift for the camel-loving folks; they like big-caliber stuff. It was apt for showcasing the nature of his business and conveying his sentiments.
Packaged in a gift box, he took a car to the airport, boarded the private jet with Madison, and settled into the seats in the VIP lounge.
With the pilots firing up the engines and sprinting down the runway, the aircraft soared into the sky, departing the waters of Jehovah Island.
Two hours later, they arrived in Las Vegas, landing smoothly on the independent VIP runway near the Venetian Hotel.
Descending from the aircraft, Allen Zhang looked at the Venetian Hotel. The entrance was adorned with a red carpet, and the place was festooned with lights. Many distinguished guests had already arrived.
Indeed, it was an international hotel.
The building stood 144.8 meters tall, with a Y-shaped plan. Its architectural design presented 16th-century Venetian Renaissance style with modern flair, featuring terracotta eaves, circular arch windows, and columns, with the facade primarily comprised of terracotta bricks and glass curtain walls.
"Why would the princess celebrate her birthday not in Saudi but Las Vegas? Must’ve cost a pretty penny to rent out this hotel," Allen Zhang remarked inquiringly.
"Five hundred million US dollars for a three-day lease. Additionally, with some contracted projects and programs, the total spending amounted to eight hundred million US dollars," Madison replied.
Before Allen Zhang could comment on the exorbitant lavishness, Madison continued, "However, this is just the mainstream media narrative. The actual amount wasn’t as high. After all, the Saudi Royal Family is rich but not foolish. Why would they just give away money every day?"
"The Royal Family seems to have business collaborations with the Venetian’s owner, so this eight hundred million dollars isn’t purely for the birthday celebration. It’s more about celebrating the success of business cooperation. They took on the deal specifically on the princess’s birthday to send a message to the media," Madison explained.
"That’s somewhat more palatable," Allen Zhang nodded, grudgingly accepting this reason.
Otherwise, casually spending seven to eight hundred million dollars on a birthday would undoubtedly be a tremendous blow to others, even if everyone knew they were wealthy.
Following Madison with the gift in hand, they arrived at the entrance of the Venetian Hotel, where they encountered a few familiar faces along the way—guests previously entertained at the General Sect Leader’s villa—like the director of Tyson Foods, the elite investor families of Wall Street; in short, good friends from the same camp.
After exchanging pleasantries, they decided to enter together.
The Venetian manager in charge of welcoming distinguished guests came over diligently. Taking the gift, he asked if they had invitations.
"We were invited by Prince Simba to attend the princess’s birthday banquet. I am Madison, this is Juan Jin from the Hanberger Foundation, this gentleman is a director from the Li Insurance Group, and the owner of Mond Cold Storage..." Madison explained.
On hearing this, the manager immediately contacted the staff backstage via walkie-talkie. Once the guest list was confirmed, he warmly invited them into the hotel and ushered them onto the elevator heading to the twelfth floor for the dinner banquet.
After all, the Venetian Hotel is a casino hotel – the lower floors are mostly gambling and VIP rooms, with higher levels reserved for VIP lodging and floors off-limits to the general public.
The manager used a special elevator key card for access, and soon they reached the 12th floor.
Entering the hall, they beheld the opulent and glittering decor; many guests were already seated. It was the General Sect Leader’s first visit here, but Madison and the others seemed quite at ease, as if it wasn’t their first time here, familiar with the setting.