Chapter 3469: The Unique Worries of Top-Tier Billionaires

That night on White Horse Island, all the staff stayed awake all night.

They had set up a huge welcome banner and flower wall at the dock where they landed, taken out the red carpet, and given it a thorough cleaning, only waiting until the next morning to lay the red carpet from the dock all the way to the hotel lobby.

Bernard Arnault, who had enjoyed a spa massage underwater with his wife, was still complaining to his wife as he rode the elevator up: "Why did that American singer choose this time to come to the Maldives? By then, the whole island will probably be filled with noisy shouts, annoying to death."

His wife casually said: "What's there to be annoyed about? Opening the door for business, as long as guests can pay, we must welcome them well."

Bernard Arnault complained: "I don't want my carefully crafted luxury holiday resort to turn into a noisy vegetable market-like celebrity-chasing scene, but unfortunately, this woman's influence is too great, we can't refuse her landing on the island, and we still have to put on a welcoming front, really annoying."

His wife shrugged: "I told you earlier, if you plan to come here for a vacation yourself, it's best to have the hotel cancel all bookings, so our family can enjoy this island alone, not only quiet but also safe, but you wouldn't listen."

Bernard Arnault pouted: "You say it's so simple, do you know how much we'd have to pay if we canceled the hotel because of us? That would be 3 to 5 times the order compensation, and even have to compensate their airfare and mental distress fees. If we encounter those who like to sue at the drop of a hat, future troubles will only increase."

His wife, somewhat dissatisfied, crossed her shoulders and muttered: "You're already this rich, can't you have a bit more vision? Even if we pay the top compensation as you said for these guests, how much could we possibly lose? Just a few million, at most a few tens of millions of dollars. Our family has assets of over a hundred billion dollars, annual profits also in the tens of billions, returns from various investments are incalculable, what's this bit of money?"

Bernard Arnault waved his hand: "You don't understand, money is something that looks good but isn't spent easily. The Chinese have a saying: save where you can. We must try to avoid unnecessary waste. How do you know there won't be any major expenses later?"

In fact, Bernard Arnault had never told his wife that he had spent 1,080 billion US dollars to buy a pill from China.

At that Rejuvenation Pill auction, he followed An Chongqiu, who was driven out of the venue, and Fei Jianzhong's son, who seized power and lost payment ability, and he luckily won one Rejuvenation Pill for 72 billion US dollars.

At that time, the group's and his own personal liquid funds were only over 80 billion US dollars.

What he didn't expect was that he had already prepared over 300 million US dollars worth of goods, but the owner of the Rejuvenation Pill still wouldn't let him go, and made him prepare another 50% of goods, that 36 billion US dollars worth of preparation, a large part of which was installment payments.

For one Rejuvenation Pill, Bernard Arnault's assets had already shrunk significantly, and his personal and the group's cash flow had become very tight, with many installment payments still needing to be repaid from the group's future profits. At this point, let alone tens of millions of dollars in income, even if it were 100,000 US dollars, he wouldn't let it go.

Besides, there is another very important reason: he still hopes to save more money over these years, so that when the effects of the Rejuvenation Pill are about to wear off, he can quickly go and bid for a second one.

This also means that he must at least save enough one to two trillion US dollars in the next ten or so years, in order to possibly continue living another twenty years.

But he dare not tell his wife these things, because theoretically, the company group's income is marital property, he took this money to seek longevity for himself, but completely disregarded his wife's life or death. Once his wife finds out, she will surely kick up a fuss.

For this, he didn't hesitate to let the group's finance department falsify revenue and profit data, in order to numb his wife, so that she remains completely unaware.

Moreover, he had never told his wife about his previous cancer, because at his level of wealth, he is wary of everyone around him. He worries that if his wife finds out he has cancer and doesn't have long to live, she will immediately start making preparations related to inheritance and taking over corporate control.

Although it's normal for spouses to both prepare when one encounters problems, Bernard Arnault understands human nature well. He knows that once his wife thinks he doesn't have long to live and starts preparing for his afterlife, her feelings for him will only grow thinner.

If he dies within her expectations, without disrupting her plans, perhaps he could still maintain normal marital feelings before death. But if he lives longer than she expected, making her preparations long ready become just a backup option, he doesn't know if she will then resent him.

People fear most a change in mindset.

The same thing, before the mindset changes, might be pain and torment, but after the mindset changes, it might become anticipation and longing.

To prevent this from happening, regarding cancer and the Rejuvenation Pill—this change from hell to heaven—he has never mentioned half a word to his wife.

This, too, is the unique worry of top-tier billionaires.

His wife was still complaining at this moment: "Bernard, do you know why you've become more and more stingy lately? I'll say a heartfelt word: you and I are this old, why bother caring about these external things like money and wealth? Even if our lives have no accidents, we at most have another ten or twenty years left. Letting ourselves live happily in the remaining years is what's most important!"

Bernard Arnault muttered in his heart: "To you, life at most has another ten or twenty years, but to me, as long as I have enough money, as long as the Rejuvenation Pill auction continues, I might just live another forty years!"

Of course, he naturally dare not say these words out loud, so he merely smiled slightly and comforted: "This island is so big, our family only needs two houses, there's no need to empty the whole island. Sometimes we also need to touch a bit of human warmth. Fortunately, Tavana Sweet is coming, so the island will surely be lively then. Thinking this way, it's actually a good thing—more contact with young people, and our mindset can also become younger."

His wife looked at him in surprise: "Your face-changing speed is also too fast, just now you were complaining about Tavana Sweet coming, how come now you think it's a good thing?"

Bernard Arnault awkwardly gave a sheepish laugh: "Hey, things have two sides. Looking at the problem from one side might seem bad, from the other side it suddenly becomes clear."

Saying that, he deliberately changed the topic: "By the way, wife, since Tavana is an international superstar and also beloved by White Horse Island's guests, why don't we hold a party tomorrow, invite Tavana and all the island's guests to join, let everyone have fun together, and also let us really feel that youthful feeling, what do you think?"

His wife helplessly shook her head and smiled: "Originally I was advising you, how did it become you advising me? But since you want to liven things up, I have no objection."

Bernard Arnault quickly seized the moment: "Then it's settled. After Tavana lands on the island tomorrow, I'll talk to her about this. As long as she agrees, we'll get the party going tonight!"