novelraw Chapter 4: The First Hotel?
Chapter 4: The First Hotel?
A simple photo can increase the purification value by one percent?
As Ding Heng was pondering this, Zhao Yanxi let out a frustrated exclamation beside him.
"It's all over!"
"What's wrong?"
Ding Heng gathered his thoughts and inquired with concern.
Zhao Yanxi, with a long face, showed everyone her phone screen: "I'm such an idiot! I misread the date when I booked the room! I booked for tomorrow, July 13th, not today. I just tried to change it to today, but it says we're fully booked!"
"Can I get a refund?"
"We can retreat, but..."
Zhao Yanxi's fingers flew across the screen as she searched for other hotels, her face growing increasingly somber with each search.
With summer vacation, weekends, and anime conventions, hotels in this area are almost fully booked! The remaining options are either incredibly expensive or extremely remote, requiring an hour or two of driving time each way, which would definitely take up too much time for afternoon sessions…
Seeing this, Wenjing suggested, "Yanxi, why don't we just go back to Zhuzhou? It might be too late to find a suitable ride..."
"Take it back if you want!"
Zhao Yanxi, stubborn as ever, pouted and said, "I've already bought the tickets, and I've also made plans to meet up with a few friends I met online."
Wenjing was in a dilemma and was about to say a few more words of persuasion when Ding Heng stepped forward and spoke up.
"I have a room at the Chujiang Hotel nearby. I was supposed to share it with a friend, but she stood me up. The room's just sitting there empty anyway, so why don't you go and rest for a bit and we can talk later?"
Hua Yue said apologetically, "This...isn't it too much trouble for you?"
Ding Heng said frankly, "It's not a hassle. The money's already spent, so leaving it empty would be a waste. It's a good opportunity to make the most of it."
"It's better not to..."
Wenjing's lips moved, and she subconsciously wanted to refuse.
After all, going back to a hotel room with a stranger just doesn't seem like a safe bet...
But Zhao Yanxi beat her to it, cheering excitedly, "Really? That's great! Thank you, Brother Ding Heng!"
Seeing her best friend's excited and expectant look, Wenjing swallowed back the words she was about to say.
The group of four arrived at the Chujiang Hotel.
Chujiang Hotel is a five-star hotel built in Changsha in its early years. It occupies a prime location. Although it is old, it is well maintained and updated, and its style is not diminished in the slightest.
Because of its proximity to the convention center, the hotel lobby has seen many young people dressed in cosplay costumes these past two days, so Wenjing and her two companions weren't particularly conspicuous.
However, a closer look reveals that most of the cosplayers are accompanied by male partners or photographers with long lenses.
After all, the price of spending a night here is not something that ordinary cosplayers can easily afford.
Ding Heng naturally took the three girls' ID cards and walked to the front desk.
He seemed quite familiar with the receptionist on duty; after nodding in greeting, he said directly, "Could you please give me a room key for an executive suite?"
Zhao Yanxi nudged Wenjing with her elbow and whispered, "Xiaojing, look, Ding Heng must be rich."
Wenjing asked in confusion, "Oh, how did you figure that out?"
Zhao Yanxi analyzed logically: "Are you stupid... He's so familiar with the receptionist, he must be a regular customer. Maybe his family even owns shares in this hotel!"
"No...no way?"
"Of course it is! I've heard that photography can be very expensive..."
Hearing the suppressed speculations from the girls behind him, Ding Heng didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He's not actually a rich man; his photography skills are simply due to his father's profession, which he picked up from a young age.
Coincidentally, Ding Heng was working a summer job at the Chujiang Hotel on the day he awakened the "Holy Light Cultivation System".
The moment the system activated, it somehow determined that the entire hotel and its surrounding land would be directly designated as his "territory" as a paladin.
After that, Ding Heng discovered that although the hotel was still operating normally and all the procedures seemed to be the same, he was like an "administrator" with the highest authority.
You can freely enjoy all the services and facilities within the hotel without paying any fees.
Moreover, from the staff to the system records, everyone accepted this setting as a matter of course, as if he were the owner of this place.
With a slight thought, the system interface appeared in his mind, displaying some information about "territory":
Territory Status: First Light - Resonance 5%
Beneath the foundation, the first undying sacred flame has been buried, awaiting your awakening and construction. When the sacred flame's resonance reaches 10%, the Holy Light will bestow upon your territory the first "Gift of Enlightenment".
Look ahead, guides! When light gathers here, this place will surely be elevated—the white clock tower will stretch towards the sky, spreading the peaceful sound of its bells.
And the deep dungeon below will be the final resting place for the enemies, echoing with the lamentations of the demon daughter, the sobs of the pagan princess, and the unwilling roars of the evil dragon maiden…
[Territory: Main building and attached garden area, totaling approximately 8.5 square meters. Includes 412 standard guest rooms, 38 executive suites, 2 presidential suites, 15 banquet halls and meeting rooms of various sizes, an indoor heated swimming pool, a fitness center, a spa, 3 rooftop restaurants with panoramic views, and two levels of underground parking.]
[Rights and Responsibilities: Conduct "Ruling Inspections" over your territory at least once a week, in the name of the Holy Light, to solidify your authority.]
After completing the registration procedures, Ding Heng took the room key and walked into the elevator with the three girls.
The elevator car was spacious, and inside stood a long-haired man wearing a Givenchy T-shirt, with a tall, well-dressed female companion in his arm.
The female companion was dressed in the classic cosplay outfit of 2B from "NieR: Automata," with a black dress, white hair, and a drooping eye mask, exuding a cool and sexy aura.
The long-haired man's gaze swept over Ding Heng, then lingered on the three girls dressed in cosplay outfits: Wen Jing, Zhao Yanxi, and Hua Yue, before his eyes suddenly turned playful.
Sensing the other person's ill-intentioned gaze, Wenjing subconsciously shrank behind Ding Heng, trying to avoid the long-haired man's eyes.
Zhao Yanxi glared back defiantly, showing no sign of backing down.
The long-haired man seemed to find it amusing and was about to say something to Ding Heng, teasing him a bit, but Ding Heng spoke first, sternly rebuking him.
"roll!"
Within the "territory," the system bestowed upon Ding Heng an extraordinary authority.
The long-haired man was taken aback by the shout and wisely shut his mouth.
Although he didn't know why he was afraid, he did live on the 7th floor while Ding Heng lived on the 22nd floor, and the prices of their suites differed by nearly ten times, which meant that the other party was not someone he could afford to mess with.
The elevator reached the seventh floor, and the long-haired man and his female companion stepped out. The doors then closed again and the elevator continued to ascend. The atmosphere inside the car was somewhat tense due to the brief incident earlier.
Wenjing seemed to have made up her mind, and brought up the old topic again: "Yan hope... how about we think of a way to go back?"
"My dear aunt, what's wrong now?"
Zhao Yanxi looked slightly displeased.
She finally finished her exams and was able to relax. Luckily, she even got to stay in a five-star hotel. She wished she could stay a few more days.
"I...I just feel like it's not good..."
Wenjing didn't dare to refute her best friend, and was too embarrassed to speak clearly, so she continued to stammer and speak vaguely.
She could sense that, in the long-haired man's eyes, they were no different from that silly girl.
This feeling of being objectified and frivolously scrutinized made Wenjing feel extremely uncomfortable.
Zhao Yanxi didn't want to argue with Wen Jing until they were red in the face, so she turned to Ding Heng with a pleading and inquiring look.
Ding Heng smoothed things over, saying, "Don't rush back. Even if we really want to go back, it's noon and the sun is blazing outside. Let's at least go back to our rooms to rest for a bit, cool off, and have lunch first, right?"
Wenjing still wanted to insist: "But..."
Ding Heng added, "At the very least, you guys should find a place to shower, remove your makeup, and change out of these outfits, right? Are you planning to swagger back to Zhuzhou in your cosplay costumes?"
The man's reason was very practical, and Wenjing couldn't refute it at all.
The thought of traveling a long distance in such an eye-catching outfit made her scalp tingle.
With a "ding," the elevator arrived at the executive floor.
The door opened, and soft hallway lighting came into view.
Zhao Yanxi and Hua Yue went out first, while Wen Jing hesitated for a moment before following them out.
However, Ding Heng remained standing in the elevator without moving, only handing the room card to Wen Jing.
Wenjing lowered her head and did not take it.
Ding Heng wasn't annoyed and handed the room key to Zhao Yanxi.
"The room number is up here. You can go there yourselves. I won't go in, so you won't feel uncomfortable."
The three girls were all stunned for a moment.
"Get some rest. You can order room service for lunch, or go to the rooftop buffet—it's free. I'll send you the photos after I've edited them. Well then... see you again sometime."
As Wenjing stared in disbelief, the elevator doors slowly closed, and the numbers on the display screen began to jump downwards.
The unease and stubbornness she felt caused by the gaze of strangers were suddenly replaced by a strange and stronger emotion.
That heavy sense of guilt made it hard for her to breathe.