Chapter 215 Royal Hotel
Even with the naked eye, it was clear that the bright yellow bullets sparked countless brilliant flashes around the terrifying boy and girl, like fireworks on a summer night, dazzling the eye. It was as if an invisible barrier had been erected around the two of them; the bullets stopped automatically a meter away from them, falling to the beach as if frozen in ice.
Monster! A powerless and despairing word rose in everyone's heart. Just after wanting to vent their desire to kill and commit debauchery, they immediately fell into an endless abyss. This dramatic rise and fall in life almost drove everyone to a nervous breakdown. Their hands, which were gripping the triggers, were numb and swollen, but they still pressed them down tightly. Many people even forgot that the red-hot muzzles had no bullets left to fire, and they continued to scream hysterically.
The very few who remained sober, such as Brother Hao, Sixth Master, and a few of their subordinates, ran back the way they came without looking back. Since even guns couldn't stop the enemy, any attack, no matter how powerful, would be a waste of effort. They could just treat their subordinates as cannon fodder. The two of them didn't care about anything else; they just wanted to get as far away as possible.
Even if Ling Yun and Gu Xiaorou are monsters instead of humans, they still need to risk their lives to investigate them. Hao Ge and Liu Ye even had a strange thought: it was as if what they were experiencing was just a dream or an illusion, rather than the real world.
Even while fleeing for their lives, Sixth Master and Brother Hao did not forget to grab each other's suitcases and run. These suitcases were related to their lives and fortunes; if they were lost, they would die a terrible death.
After a rapid sprint, the two had already run several hundred meters, but they heard no sound of pursuit behind them. Sixth Master was getting on in years, and although he was well-maintained and physically fit, this strenuous exercise had left him dizzy, his chest pounding, and he stopped, panting heavily. He patted his heaving chest and said heavily, "I'm old, I can't run anymore. Ah Hao, if you can run, run as fast as you can..."
Hao Ge was actually too exhausted to run anymore. Although he was younger than Sixth Master, his fat body restricted his mobility. His usual drinking and womanizing had made his physique extremely poor. At this moment, he was even worse off than Sixth Master. He just wanted to lie down on the beach and die rather than move again. If he continued to run, he would probably be chased and killed by Ling Yun and the other two, or he would be exhausted to death.
He gasped for breath and said with a bitter smile, "Sixth Master, I'm not going to make it either... Don't panic, maybe those two have already been taken care of by our men..."
The two suddenly froze, simultaneously sensing the eeriness behind them. They didn't know when, but the gunfire had stopped, and apart from the sound of the tides lapping against the shore, there was no other sign of life on the beach.
Just as Hao was about to turn around to look, Sixth Master suddenly took two steps back, pointing at his face in extreme horror: "Hao, what's wrong with you? What's wrong with you? Your nose and eyes are bleeding?"
Hao stared blankly at Sixth Master, and involuntarily touched the tip of his nose with his finger. Warm, moist liquid was dripping out. He trembled and stretched out his palm. The tips of his five fingers had turned completely purplish-black, and thick black blood was dripping out little by little.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead vomited out a sound of pain. Black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs sprayed all over Sixth Master's head and face, who was unable to dodge in time. Sixth Master trembled all over and wanted to turn around and run away, but his legs felt as if they were filled with vinegar, sore and weak, and he couldn't move his feet no matter how hard he tried. Just as Hao Ge, who was vomiting blood, slowly pounced on him, a pair of cold hands completely stained with blood suddenly grabbed his neck and squeezed it tightly, then pressed Sixth Master down hard onto the beach.
Sixth Master rolled his eyes, feeling as if someone had approached him, but he could no longer see. A feeling of suffocation came over him, and Sixth Master's consciousness entered a permanent slumber.
Ling Yun gently picked up the suitcase, opened the lid, and couldn't help but whistle: "Wow, quite a generous gesture, Xiao Rou. It seems we've struck gold this time. We've just arrived in Hong Kong and already stumbled upon this good fortune. Not bad at all, fifty million US dollars, and all of it is old currency, not new money."
"Is this all there is?" Xiaorou said indifferently. She picked up another suitcase, looked at the white powder inside, and was about to throw it away when Ling Yun quickly stopped her. "Don't throw it away, keep it, I still need it." With that, a flash of silver light appeared, and both suitcases were placed inside the barrier. Ever since the barrier could store physical objects, Ling Yun had been using it as a warehouse, putting all sorts of things inside. Anyway, the barrier space was very large; it could even hold a truckload of stuff. Moreover, whenever Ling Yun wanted to use something, he could take it out at any time, as if creating something out of thin air with magic.
Xiao Rou looked at him with a hint of helplessness: "You want to traffic drugs too? That's a good idea, at least there won't be any problems at the security checkpoint."
Ling Yun gently waved his hand, and all the corpses seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, sliding from the beach into the sea. A roaring wave crashed onto the beach, swallowing all the bloodstains and gunshots in the blink of an eye.
"Huh? What's this?" Ling Yun suddenly noticed something glittering on the beach in the sunlight. After bending down to pick it up, he discovered it was a nameplate made of crystal jade, about half a finger long and an inch wide. The crystal jade was made from high-quality blood-red jade, with smooth and rounded edges. The snow-white base, like mutton fat, was covered with countless fine, hair-like blood-red lines. Two small seal characters, "Yang Hao," were engraved on it in emerald green lacquer.
At first glance, it is clear that this brand name is no ordinary item. The blood-red jade used as the material alone is quite valuable. In addition, the craftsmanship and the seal script, which is as small as a fly's head but exudes a magnificent atmosphere, are obviously the work of a master. It already has extremely high artistic value and also subtly reveals the exquisite atmosphere of a classical Chinese noble family.
This name tag was obviously left behind by that fat guy, Brother Hao. It's unexpected that a crude and vulgar gangster involved in underground transactions would have such an elegant symbol of status. The name tag was left here, obviously left behind when the corpse was dragged into the sea by telekinesis. Ling Yun suddenly remembered the power behind Yang Yuqi's family, and his heart stirred. He quietly put the name tag into the barrier.
"Should we go straight to the bar or contact your girlfriend, the beautiful Yang?" Gu Xiaorou asked, deliberately emphasizing the word "girlfriend" to let him hear the implication. At least it was a reminder, to prevent this guy from getting too arrogant because he was always being secretly admired by beautiful women. He needed to be put down from time to time.
Xiao Rou has recently gained some insights. In the past month or so, besides cultivating, she hasn't been idle. Instead, she has read a lot of books about love and even searched online. She has read a lot of books such as "How to Tie Your Man Down?" and "108 Ways to Make Him Surrender to You". Then the girl seemed to have an epiphany. Apart from the fact that it seems a bit inappropriate to offer herself, she might as well try more of the other methods. Otherwise, this guy might be too flirtatious and fall in love with one girl after another and forget about her. Xiao Rou is still very worried.
Ling Yun wisely chose to ignore the question: "Let's find a place to stay first. After we're settled, we'll split into two groups. I'll go find Yang Yuqi to find out what's going on. You go to the west side and see if there are any bars with clues. But before you go, you need to put on the thin film mask."
"Why didn't you take me to find Yang Yuqi?" Xiaorou said with a half-smile. "Do you not want me to see you meeting with Yang Yuqi?"
Ling Yun said awkwardly, "I didn't mean that, Xiao Rou. I just want to finish things as soon as possible so I can return to the mainland. If you're worried, come with me. I really only have friends with Yu Qi. It was wrong of me to agree to pretend to be her boyfriend beforehand. I apologize to you, okay?"
When he spoke so honestly and aggrievedly, Xiao Rou felt a little embarrassed to tease him anymore. Instead, she felt a little sorry for him. Her slender, jade-like hands gently stroked Ling Yun's face, and her beautiful eyes gazed at him tenderly: "Yun, as long as you have me in your heart, whatever you do is good... By the way, why did you make me wear a mask? Don't you like seeing me like this now?"
Ling Yun thought to herself, "Why do you have to ask when you already know the answer?" So she said unhappily, "You are my girlfriend. I only want your beauty to be appreciated by me alone. Bars are places where all sorts of people mingle, and I'm not by your side. I would feel uncomfortable if other people looked at you."
Although it was still a cold winter in the northern hemisphere, with strong winds blowing across most areas, even Hong Kong, known as the Pearl of the Xiang River, was feeling a chill, the girl's heart suddenly felt like a spring filled with flowers. Countless flowers bloomed all at once, painting Xiao Rou's heart with vibrant colors, a kaleidoscope of joy and happiness.
"Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll put on the mask and go to the bar." Xiao Rou skipped away, as light and graceful as a swallow, leaving Ling Yun somewhat bewildered. He really couldn't understand what was going on in this girl's mind…
Ling Yun suddenly felt a sense of unease. He couldn't help but glance at the sea behind him. Where the sea and sky met in the far distance, there was originally just a black line, but in Ling Yun's eyes, the horizon seemed to have disappeared. A gray line was extending from the infinite distance, then forked into two, one connecting to himself and the other connecting to Gu Xiaorou.
Under the gray trajectory, everything in the world turned black and white. The water was white, the sky was black, and the trees were light gray. Everything was filled with a sense of death and lifeless decay. Only Gu Xiaorou and Ling Yun walked by, which was filled with a trace of colorful vitality, but in the blink of an eye, they were merged into the gray world.
A gigantic rainbow suddenly stretched across the horizon, its seven colors distinctly layered, like a seven-stringed lyre playing a beautiful melody. Before Ling Yun's eyes lay a dreamlike world. The boy's thoughts drifted away, instantly returning to the strange dream he had experienced when he first gained his powers. He slowly opened his arms, and countless glittering stars flew towards him from the distant darkness…
……………
Ling Yun suddenly awoke, all illusions vanished. He shook his head and quickly followed the girl's retreating figure. He wondered why he'd been having these strange hallucinations lately, as if they were foreshadowing something. Ling Yun pondered silently, his copying ability starting to work automatically, analyzing the possible causes and main sources of the hallucinations. Everything happens for a reason, and Ling Yun desperately wanted to find the source affecting him.
As the two gradually moved away from the beach, a sudden splashing sound came from the calm sea, and a slender, graceful figure emerged from the water, silently watching the direction the two had gone.
Thirty minutes later, the two arrived in the city. Xiao Rou had already put on a mask, so she didn't attract much attention. However, her stunning figure and model-like height still drew the attention of many people.
Hong Kong is a pearl in southeastern China. Although it is a small place, even smaller than a provincial capital city in mainland China, it has attracted the attention of the whole world. Whether it is economy, population, culture and film and television, Hong Kong ranks among the top in Asia. The average cost of living is similar to that of developed countries. It is a place where Chinese people gather, with extremely high popularity and a style that inherits Chinese classical culture. Many entertainment stars and even international stars come from Hong Kong. Jin Yong, who is known as the father of Chinese martial arts novels, was also born in Hong Kong.
Experiencing the city's vibrancy and rich cultural atmosphere, both Ling Yun and Gu Xiaorou were filled with longing. Although Xiaorou had seen the sights of countless developed cities around the world, she had never been to Hong Kong before. Here, most people spoke Cantonese, but this was no challenge for Ling Yun and Gu Xiaorou. As ability users, language was the easiest problem to solve. Because their mental energy fields could transmit the same information, every ability user could master another language in a very short time, provided they had suitable teaching materials and recordings. Unless, of course, the language was incompatible with most other languages.
Therefore, Lingyun and Xiaorou had intensively studied Cantonese, a language with local characteristics, before coming to Hong Kong. Of course, speaking English directly in Hong Kong is also possible, but it is still not as convenient as Cantonese. In fact, Cantonese, as an obscure and difficult dialect, has been superseded by Mandarin. However, due to Hong Kong's great influence, learning Cantonese has become fashionable. This is a symbol of culture and economy. Just as the United States promotes its free market system, English, and Hollywood culture around the world, countless people today are actually enveloped in this Western culture. KFC, Metersbonwe, Buick, Coca-Cola—confronting these familiar names every day is actually a kind of forgetting of our national industrial culture.
The taxi stopped in front of the Royal Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. The middle-aged driver, with typical features of a southerner—high nose and deep-set eyes—looked at the boy and girl in the back seat with some surprise. Based on his years of experience driving a taxi and judging people, the driver guessed that the two were probably a couple. Judging from their age, they were still students, but their behavior and speech didn't seem like it.
Moreover, judging from the way the boy asked for directions, the two people did not seem to be locals from Hong Kong, but rather from outside. Strangely, the boy spoke fluent Cantonese, and even when he spoke the most obscure and awkward dialect with an old local accent, the boy and girl seemed to understand him, but just smiled and remained silent.
All guests staying at the Royal Hotel are either celebrities or extremely wealthy individuals. The Presidential Suite costs nearly HK$10,000 per day, making it unaffordable for most middle-class people. Only the rich and powerful can afford to stay there. Even the cheapest standard room costs around HK$2,000 per day. Without exception, all guests who choose to stay there own their own luxury cars. It is extremely rare for someone like Ling Yun and Gu Xiaorou to arrive at the hotel by taxi.
The driver, taking the hundred-dollar bill from Ling Yun, was taken aback, wondering how to get change. Ling Yun generously waved his hand, saying in Cantonese, "Consider the rest your tip," and then turned and walked into the hotel's revolving door with Gu Xiaorou. The driver was completely bewildered, utterly unable to fathom the origins of these two mysterious young men and women.
The two quickly checked in at the front desk. The Star Hotel's service was very efficient. Although the several beautiful and slender front desk staff, who looked like models, found it strange that Ling Yun had pulled out his Hong Kong and Macau travel permit and other identification documents from who-knows-where, they still served him very enthusiastically. When he saw the hotel room prices, Ling Yun did not hesitate to choose a mid-range business suite. Although he really wanted to experience what it was like to stay in a presidential suite, he was only in Hong Kong on business, so it was better not to be too high-profile.
Just as the pretty waitress asked in a sweet voice, "Sir, would you like to book a room with this lady?" Ling Yun couldn't help but glance at Xiao Rou. He hesitated. Although Xiao Rou was his girlfriend, their contact had only been limited to kissing. They had taken the physical step, but hadn't progressed to the next level. Ling Yun was still somewhat traditional at heart and felt that the two of them should meet each other's parents and register their marriage before crossing the final line. Therefore, he was somewhat undecided.
He remained silent, and the young woman, too embarrassed to suggest they share a room—it would save money and...—could only remain silent, her face slightly flushed. The young waitress, though young, was quite worldly and immediately guessed the young couple's thoughts. She couldn't help but smile and say, "Sir, I suggest you book two business suites. That way you can visit each other and also have some privacy for yourself and this young lady."
"Okay, then let's book two rooms!" Ling Yun couldn't help but glance at the young lady and blurted out.
The waitress was quite pretty, with two big, bright eyes, a small, pink mouth, and a sweet, charming voice. Ling Yun couldn't help but take another look.
Xiao Rou snorted heavily, took the room key from the waitress, and walked towards the elevator. Ling Yun awkwardly paid the deposit and quickly followed. He tried to please his girlfriend as the elevator went up, but she didn't change her expression. Xiao Rou walked to her room door, ignored Ling Yun, went straight in, and closed the door, leaving Ling Yun alone outside.