After getting off the plane, Zhou Ziwei, as usual, planned to find a hotel to stay in first. Given his current status as a conman, he naturally couldn't find a nice hotel to stay in, or even a slightly decent one.
However, because Zhou Ziwei has too many secrets, no matter how bad the hotel he stays in is, he would never squeeze into a four-person or three-person room with others.
However, Zhou Ziwei searched for three hotels and guesthouses in a row, only to find to his dismay that almost all of them, regardless of their level, were already fully booked.
Occasionally, there might be one or two beds left in a multi-person room, but if you want to stay in a single room, that's wishful thinking.
Later, after asking around, he learned that a star concert was being held here the next day, featuring several popular singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This concert was the only one of its kind in the entire Central and Southern Province, so fans from all over the province had flocked to Tonghai City in the past few days. As a result, all the hotels were fully booked. Zhou Ziwei hadn't booked a room in advance, and now finding a place to stay was a real headache.
When Zhou Ziwei looked for several more hotels, they were all fully booked. He even disregarded the possibility of revealing the serious discrepancy between his status and financial situation and decided to simply book a presidential suite at a grand hotel for two nights. However, he was saddened to discover that even the presidential suites in the five-star hotels, which are usually vacant for 360 out of 365 days a year, were all booked up long ago.
Thinking about it, it's not surprising, after all, Central South Province is a well-known wealthy province in China, with plenty of rich people.
And if someone were to travel all the way from another city just to see a concert, how many of them would be poor? There are people who go bankrupt because they're chasing after celebrities, but those who are just bored and have nothing better to do are far too few.
So there were quite a few wealthy people or sons of wealthy families coming from other cities this time, and it's not surprising that someone booked the presidential suite.
Zhou Ziwei sat speechlessly on the steps outside the hotel, pondering whether he should just spend the night at a bathhouse, when a simply dressed young woman in her early twenties approached him. Looking uneasy and shy, she lowered her head and whispered, "Sir... are you having trouble finding a place to stay? Or... can I help you find one..."
"Help me find a place." Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziwei immediately thought of those people who specialize in soliciting customers for small hotels in remote locations, which are found all over major train stations.
Moreover, if these people are simply trying to attract customers for the hotel, that's not so bad. Some of them are actually a group of scammers who set up honey traps.
Zhou Ziwei used to hate these touts the most. Whenever he arrived in a new city, he would usually find a hotel to stay in on his own and would never listen to the nonsense of those touts. Otherwise, if you actually got into their car, they might take you 50 or 60 kilometers away.
However, Zhou Ziwei really had nowhere to stay right now, so he naturally had no reason to object to this. As long as he could have a place to stay, he would accept it even if it meant traveling dozens of miles.
He had already driven around Tonghai city countless times in his search for a hotel, which was probably equivalent to driving dozens of miles. As for whether the other party had ulterior motives and wanted to set him up... in Zhou Ziwei's current state, did he have any reason to be afraid of such a small matter? If the other party was really just soliciting customers for the hotel, that would be fine, but if someone really wanted to scam Zhou Ziwei, then... he could only blame his bad luck.
"Oh...where are you talking about...it's very far, right? But it doesn't matter if it's far, as long as there's a place to stay." Zhou Ziwei really didn't want to go through any more trouble. Seeing that the girl seemed quite inexperienced, clearly it was her first time soliciting customers, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
However, Zhou Ziwei couldn't understand why the other party's hotel would go to the entrance of a five-star hotel to solicit customers if they really had spare rooms. How many customers could they possibly attract? They might even get caught by the security guards and get a good scolding.
With accommodation so scarce in Tonghai City these days, she could probably just find a piece of cardboard, write "Accommodation" on it, stand somewhere near the train station, and she'd be surrounded by countless people who couldn't find a hotel.
Is this really a honey trap?
Zhou Ziwei was puzzled and couldn't help but look up and examine the girl closely. Although she was dressed simply, she was quite beautiful, especially her big, bright eyes, which were almost as big as those of the character Huanzhugege. Her nose and mouth were delicate and small to the extreme. At first glance, it seemed as if the girl had stepped out of a comic book.
Is it possible that such a beautiful and innocent girl is doing that kind of work?
After seeing the girl's appearance clearly, Zhou Ziwei began to doubt his judgment.
"Ah...no no no...I don't have...I don't have a room for you."
Who knew that if Zhou Ziwei hadn't looked up to examine the girl, things would have been fine. But as soon as he raised his head and glanced at her, the girl immediately turned and ran away like a frightened rabbit.
Zhou Ziwei was slightly taken aback, then realized that he might have scared the other person by looking too sleazy.
Wow, is that a bit much?
Seeing that even his only hope had been scared away, Zhou Ziwei was truly on the verge of tears... This made him even more curious about how that guy named Zhao Guoqiang had managed to get by. If people were scared away as soon as they saw his appearance, how could he possibly fool them? According to the records Wu Di sent him about Zhao Guoqiang, Zhao Guoqiang had been working as a wandering feng shui master for more than ten years.
More than ten years... Even if Zhao Guoqiang didn't save a single penny in those years, it's still a miracle that he survived for so long with his current appearance.
Zhou Ziwei sat down on the steps again, feeling quite helpless. Since the other party was unwilling to let him live in the house, Zhou Ziwei was not going to shamelessly insist on staying with them.
"Let's go then!" Zhou Ziwei had already made up his mind. If all else failed, he would just book a private room at a nearby upscale bathhouse.
If all else fails... he could spend the night at an internet cafe... Damn singer, what are you doing in Tonghai? Their commotion isn't the problem, but it's likely to throw the whole city of Tonghai into chaos!
But just then, the girl who had run a short distance away slowly walked back and stopped a little over a meter in front of Zhou Ziwei. She lowered her head tightly, seemingly afraid to look at him, and said in a shy and timid voice, "Sir... I'm sorry, just now I... um... sir... you could consider it, I'd like... I'd like to invite you to stay at my house, but... you'll have to pay more, is that alright?"
"What? Aren't you a hotel owner? You...you want me to stay at your place?"
Zhou Ziwei almost thought he had misheard, but he never expected the girl to say such a thing... Could it be that the girl was indeed soliciting customers here, but not the guests, but the clients for prostitution? Damn... Could such an innocent-looking girl really do such a disgusting thing?
Volume 1, Rebirth of a Prodigy, Chapter 202: The Fortune Teller
The girl paused slightly, surprised by the sound in Zhou Ziwei's voice, then realized he had misunderstood her. She quickly explained, "Ah... sir, what I meant was... I could offer you a room at my home, but... actually, my family doesn't run a hotel. I urgently need some money, so... I heard that all the hotels and guesthouses in the city are full, and many people can't find a place to stay. I thought... I know this isn't good, but... I really need the money urgently, sir..."
"Oh... I see, I understand."
After hearing the girl's explanation, Zhou Ziwei suddenly realized that she wasn't a streetwalker, but someone who wanted to make a quick buck by taking advantage of the city's hotels being fully booked.
Zhou Ziwei was also a little curious. If this girl really wanted to make money, wouldn't she have found a customer who seemed safer to take home? With Zhou Ziwei's current behavior, wouldn't it be easy for people to become wary? Why did this girl, who had just been scared away by him, come back to continue talking to him?
Although he had some questions in his mind, Zhou Ziwei didn't voice them. He had spent most of the day flying to Tonghai City and then driving around the city several times looking for a hotel. He was really tired and just wanted to find a bed to lie down and rest. So he asked, "How much would it cost to stay at your house for one night?"
The girl seemed somewhat tempted by Zhou Ziwei's words, and quickly stretched out a small hand to measure in front of him.
"Five hundred yuan?" Zhou Ziwei frowned inwardly. Five hundred yuan was not much for him, but it was still much more expensive than a regular single room in a hotel. It wouldn't be a problem if it were a nicely decorated and spacious room.
But just by looking at the girl's clothes, anyone could guess that even if her house wasn't very dilapidated, it definitely wasn't spacious.
But for this girl to ask for such a high price right off the bat is really outrageous.
The girl's heart sank when she saw Zhou Ziwei's expression, but after hesitating for a moment, she finally gritted her teeth, shook her head, and said, "It's not five hundred, it's...it's five thousand yuan!"
"What? Did I hear that right?! Five thousand yuan for one night at your place!"
Zhou Ziwei was speechless. He had only ever seen black things, never anything this black. Did this girl's house look like a five-star hotel? Was the room she wanted to give him a presidential suite? Otherwise, why would she dare to ask for so much money? This was practically robbery!
Zhou Ziwei's reaction was exactly what the girl expected. In fact, she had already asked more than twenty people from out of town who hadn't found a place to stay, but as soon as they heard the price the girl quoted, they all rolled their eyes at her without exception, and some even cursed her out. As a result, no one was willing to spend the money.
Of course... there were also a few lecherous older men who, seeing how pretty and delicate the girl was, couldn't help but have some wicked thoughts. Although if they really wanted to find a woman, they could find one at a bathhouse for a few hundred yuan, but those women were not clean after all, and it was impossible to find a girl as pretty and delicate as the one in front of them. So, if they could really succeed, it would be worth spending three to five thousand yuan.
However, the girl wasn't stupid. She had already anticipated that someone wasn't genuinely looking for a place to stay, but was just after her. So she specially found someone to pick her up.
And as soon as those with ulterior motives saw the person who was supposed to meet her... they would immediately find an excuse to slip away.
So after all that trouble in the middle of the night, the girl had found quite a few targets, but none of them were successful. If she had any other choice... Zhou Ziwei looked so sleazy now, why would she choose to go after him?
Although she knew the deal was probably off again, the girl still made a last-ditch effort, saying, "Sir, I... I know asking for so much money is a bit much, but... I really need this money, and... this 5,000 yuan isn't just for one day, you can stay for as many days as you want... a week... How about 5,000 yuan for a week at my place? That averages out to only 700 yuan a day. Also... I can include your breakfast, I cook very well."
“It’s about 700 yuan a day on average.” Zhou Ziwei touched his crooked nose and said with a wry smile, “But the problem is… if there’s no hotel to stay in, 700 yuan a day is fine. But you know… at most, after the concert ends tomorrow, hotels in Tonghai won’t be so scarce anymore. In that case… I can stay in a very comfortable and spacious room for only 200 yuan… and they also include breakfast, a buffet with both Chinese and Western options, dozens of kinds of food to choose from. How many kinds of food can you make for breakfast?”
The girl's expression darkened, and she gently shook her head, saying with a face full of despair, "No... My family's breakfast is at most rice porridge, pickled vegetables, and steamed buns... I know my family's conditions can't compare to a big hotel, but I really..."
"You really need money, right?" Zhou Ziwei smiled and said, "Okay! Actually, five thousand yuan for accommodation is a bit outrageous, but... I really have nowhere to stay right now, so... take me to see a place first! As long as your family's conditions aren't too bad, I won't hold it against you."
Seeing the hint of despair in the girl's eyes, Zhou Ziwei believed her. He believed that she really needed money, which was why she came here to solicit customers and why she would ask for such an outrageous accommodation fee.
In that case, Zhou Ziwei wouldn't mind helping this girl while solving his own problem of having nowhere to stay.
Although there are many people in this world who desperately need money, and Zhou Ziwei is not a savior and cannot help everyone in need, since he has encountered this situation and the girl doesn't need a lot of money, he might as well help her if he can.
"Really...that's great, thank you sir." The girl was almost giving up, thinking that Zhou Ziwei would treat her like the other people she had encountered before, as a shameful swindler or a money-grubbing idiot.
But just when she was about to give up, Zhou Ziwei suddenly agreed.
"Please come with me, sir? My home is a bit far from here, so... we'll have to take a car there... My friend's car is waiting over there..." The girl knew that although Zhou Ziwei had temporarily agreed to go and see, he might change his mind soon, so although she was happy, she didn't show it too much.
"A car is coming to pick you up." Zhou Ziwei found this even more interesting. Judging from the girl's clothes, he could tell that she definitely didn't live nearby.
Unexpectedly, the girl had arranged for a car to come with her to pick up customers.
Following the girl out of the hotel entrance, and turning past the building next door, we immediately saw a dilapidated van without license plates parked there.
Seeing the two men approaching, the door of the pickup truck opened, and a tall, strong young man who looked like Schwarzenegger jumped out of the driver's seat.
The burly man must have weighed at least 200 pounds. When he jumped off the car, it made a loud "thump" sound, as if the ground shook. The strong visual impact would definitely make anyone with ill intentions feel a serious sense of crisis immediately.
What is this all about?
Zhou Ziwei once again habitually touched his crooked nose, looking at the burly man who was staring at him menacingly, wondering if this was really a honey trap, or just a warning from the girl to those with ill intentions in order to protect herself.
Regardless of the reason, Zhou Ziwei had nothing to fear. He immediately pointed to the dilapidated truck in front and asked if it was the one that was there to pick them up. After receiving an affirmative answer from the girl, he immediately opened the back door without hesitation and got in, seemingly ignoring the muscular man standing next to the truck.
The girl and the burly man exchanged a glance, then different expressions flickered in their eyes...
The old truck drove for more than half an hour before finally stopping in a dilapidated residential area near the city's outskirts. The buildings in the area were mostly five to six stories high, and judging from the peeling paint on the walls, they must have been built at least twenty or thirty years ago.
Twenty or thirty years ago, when these buildings were first built, they were inhabited by prominent people. But today, only those struggling at the bottom of society live in these dilapidated buildings.
On the way, Zhou Ziwei already learned the names of the two people. The pretty girl was named Su Yan, and the muscular man driving the truck was Su Yan's neighbor. Because his surname was Niu and he had grown as strong as an ox since he was a child, everyone called him Da Niu (Big Ox).
Although Da Niu looks fierce, he is actually very honest and doesn't talk much. He just chuckles foolishly. But from the occasional glances he casts over Su Yan, Zhou Ziwei could tell that Da Niu had probably been secretly in love with Su Yan for a long time. However, he felt that he was not good enough for Su Yan's beauty, so his gaze was both intense and tinged with a hint of shame as he looked away.
Seeing this, Zhou Ziwei smiled slightly and pretended not to notice.
When Zhou Ziwei finally arrived at Su Yan's house after climbing the stairs for half a day, and saw that she was going to rent him a room for an average of seven hundred yuan a day... Zhou Ziwei was speechless again.
It was a tiny room of less than five square meters. Apart from a bed and two cabinets, there was almost no empty space in the room. You had to get on the bed as soon as you entered the room, and you had to leave the room to get off.
This shabby room costs five thousand!
Su Yan is really bold... If it were someone with a bad temper, even if they had agreed before, they would definitely turn their back now. You know, this shabby room is not worth 5,000 yuan for seven days, and even if you could stay for three years, probably no one would be willing to rent it. However, Zhou Ziwei was prepared. Although the room was smaller than he expected, he could still barely accept it.
After Su Yan opened the door with his key, Da Niu said goodbye and went home. He and Su Yan lived next door, their doors were right next to each other, very close.
Moreover, the sound insulation of these old-style buildings is much worse. If someone coughs loudly here, the neighbors can hear it clearly. So Da Niu isn't worried that Zhou Ziwei will have any evil thoughts about Su Yan in the middle of the night. He guesses that Su Yan has already discussed the summoning signal with him. And judging from Da Niu's crush on Su Yan, if something really happens here, that bull might just break through the wall and rush over in a fit of anger.
As Zhou Ziwei entered the living room, he habitually released his soul power to scan the area, observing everyone living in the house. He then sighed softly, and without saying a word, opened the leather bag he was carrying, took out a whole stack of hundred-yuan bills, and threw them all to Su Yan.
Because Zhou Ziwei was going to change his identity to commit murder this time, it was inconvenient for him to use a bank card outside, otherwise it would be easy to leave clues for the police. Therefore, before leaving home, Zhou Ziwei carried a lot of cash with him. In his bag, apart from a change of clothes, there were basically bundles of banknotes, totaling more than 300,000 yuan.
If nothing unexpected happens, this money should be enough for him to spend for a month outside.
It was precisely because Zhou Ziwei had enough cash on him that he appeared so generous. Ten or twenty thousand yuan was really nothing to Zhou Ziwei now. If it could save someone, then Zhou Ziwei would naturally not be stingy with this amount of money.
Ever since Su Yan brought Zhou Ziwei to her home, her heart had been pounding like fifteen buckets drawing water from a well, fearing that Zhou Ziwei would turn around and leave in a fit of anger when he saw the tiny room she had arranged for him.
Although Su Yan called Da Niu to help her, she was only worried that she might be inviting trouble and bringing back a bad person with malicious intentions.
But he never thought of having a strong and powerful ox help him extort money from outsiders.
So if someone is unwilling to help her and doesn't want to spend five thousand yuan to stay in her cramped, doghouse-like room, she can only watch them leave.
When she saw that Zhou Ziwei remained calm, showing no annoyance at the clutter in the hallway or the stench in the corridor, nor any disappointment at the tiny size of the room, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, her heart remained uneasy until he paid her.
Although she was really looking forward to it, she didn't expect Zhou Ziwei to give her the money so readily, and so much at once...
"Ah...why so much...oh...I understand, thank you Mr. Zhao, I will count out five thousand myself..." Su Yan was slightly taken aback, then guessed that Zhou Ziwei was probably too lazy to count the money himself, so he threw the bundle of money to her, most likely so that she would count out five thousand herself.
But just as she opened the bundle of money, intending to count it carefully, Zhou Ziwei waved his hand and said, "Take all this money! Didn't you say that five thousand yuan would let me stay for a week? Well... I might stay for two weeks before leaving, so... you should keep all this money! It's not much, but I hope it can help you."
"Ah...this...how can this be?"
Su Yan was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then quickly shook his head and said, "That won't do... We agreed on five thousand, and that's five thousand. If you really need to stay in Tonghai for two weeks... or even a month, you don't need to pay extra. I urgently need the money, but... five thousand is enough, really... I don't need any more money right now, five thousand is enough. Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Zhao..."
Seeing that Su Yan wasn't greedy for other people's money at all and insisted on only five thousand yuan, Zhou Ziwei couldn't help but say with some bewilderment, "Five thousand yuan is enough... Your brother's illness must be very serious! How could five thousand yuan be enough?"
"Ah...you...how did you know?"