Chapter 1274: Double Standards
"The district government can compensate for the damaged items afterward," said the player from Fresh Flower City.
But the front desk staff did not relent, insisting that they must check in before being allowed inside.
Xu Huo watched the commotion from the lobby.
Quite a few others were watching as well. A chubby man standing next to him turned around and said, "Anyway, someone has to pay for the damages. Whoever pays, it's still paying. Why won't Yongxing Hotel let them in?"
"And these Fresh Flower City folks are being stubborn too. Since someone's footing the bill, why not just check in first and talk later!"
Actually, the reason was simple. The former was Yongxing Hotel's rule. Although Yongxing Hotel appeared to show some respect to the district government, it was on a completely different level—just like Stellar Group and the base government. It wasn't on the same tier as any single district government. The hotel catered to players, and its main clientele were players. The district government? It didn't have that much face.
Besides, Yongxing Hotel wasn't responsible for debt collection.
As for why the Fresh Flower City people didn't check in, there were two possible reasons. One was that the government wouldn't foot the bill for them. Once they checked in, the debt would fall on each player's head. By then, forget about catching people—they'd have to think twice before taking a big step, worried about bumping into the decorations in the hallway.
The other reason could be personal considerations.
Of course, the Fresh Flower City players didn't look like they were short on money. Not to mention the government, even the assets of those young nobles in the club were not to be underestimated. But the cost of achieving a goal and the cost of failing to achieve it were different. These people's main purpose in requesting a hotel search was actually to force the target out of the hotel, not to start a fight inside.
"In short, they just can't go all out," the chubby player snickered, drawing sidelong glances from the Fresh Flower City players.
"What are you looking at?" the chubby player said without flinching. "If you've got the money, just check in and fight!"
The Fresh Flower City players retreated in defeat once again. The chubby player asked the front desk, "They won't sneak in in the middle of the night, will they?"
The front desk staff smiled and replied, "Please trust the hotel's security."
"Then I'm relieved." The chubby player waved cheerfully at the crowd. "Even if those guys stare their eyes out, they can't get into the hotel. Come on, let's go back to sleep."
Because of that sudden sword-wielding player and the ground collapse, quite a few players had run out from the city center. Some of them were staying at Yongxing Hotel and hadn't left.
"Once I become an A-level player, I'm definitely coming back to turn Fresh Flower City upside down!"
The players who had narrowly escaped danger were somewhat agitated. After a few rounds of trash talk, they each returned to their rooms.
As soon as Xu Huo pushed open the door, he saw someone sitting on the sofa. A strong smell of blood suddenly rushed into his nostrils. He stood at the door, staring at the other person. "How did you get in?"
The haggard middle-aged man raised a small shadow fragment he was holding and said apologetically, "Sorry, I followed you to get to the hotel."
Although the man was sitting, in the brief moment he spoke, the wounds on his body split open again, almost instantly soaking his clothes. The skin visible through the damaged protective suit was covered in the same thin, long scars, though those were old injuries. The wounds that kept healing and splitting were still fresh.
This man was the A-level player who had attacked Carol Field earlier.
"I'm seriously injured and can't move for now. You don't have to worry about me harming you," the man said.
Xu Huo had already closed the door. He picked up a water glass but glanced at him and put it down. "How long will these wounds keep splitting?"
The man drank a bottle of self-healing agent. Under the dual effects of the potion and an A-level player's inherent super healing ability, the bleeding slowed, and the wounds visibly began to close from the center. But soon, without any external force, they split open again, blood gushing out once more.
"A delayed damage effect from a prop," Xu Huo said, his gaze darkening.
"The A-level player from the Field Clan is no ordinary opponent." The man leaned against the sofa and let out a long sigh. "All A-level players, but some can rival super players, while others can't even match B-level players. It's a matter of strength—who can say for sure? I've been severely injured by him five times now."
"I can see that," Xu Huo said. The scars on his body were all similar. "Five times without success. Haven't thought of another way?"
"Most of those who shared my goal are dead." The man said with a hint of sadness. "One day, I'll die on this path too."
Xu Huo ignored his sentimentality and remained leaning against the bar counter at a distance. "He didn't kill you several times. Isn't that showing mercy?"
The man lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "You young people really don't know how to talk."
Xu Huo smiled. "Just based on tonight's events, Carol Field does deserve to die."
But the man shook his head. "Carol just stood by and watched. Those beasts from Fresh Flower City did inhuman things. What does that have to do with him?"
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "You have a deep personal grudge?"
"He caused my wife's death," the man said.
"My condolences," Xu Huo said flatly.
But the severely injured man seemed lost in his own emotions, speaking with recollection. "I can't deny that he's a very charismatic man. Even as a fellow man, I have to admit that. So I could understand her falling for someone else. But Carol shouldn't have been so cold—watching her commit suicide without stopping her..."
"May I ask how old your wife was?" Xu Huo interrupted.
"A woman three years older brings gold bricks. I'm forty-six." The man said with deep nostalgia. "We were so happy when we first got married. Carol destroyed everything."
"If my eyesight isn't failing me, Carol Field is only in his twenties," Xu Huo said again.
"So what?" The man was shamelessly double-standard. "Her taking a liking to him was his blessing!"
Xu Huo was speechless. He casually opened his communicator.
"What are you doing?" The man's voice suddenly turned cold.
"Booking another room." Xu Huo looked him straight in the eye. "You said it yourself—some A-level players can rival super players, and maybe there are C-level players who can fight A-level players, especially when the latter is severely injured."
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere froze for a moment. Soon, the man relaxed. "When you tampered with the underground passage, you avoided Fresh Flower City's eyes, but you left traces when you took that girl away. Someone will find you."
"A passerby who acted out of justice. I doubt Fresh Flower City will bother with me." Xu Huo paused, then added, "Unless someone is like you."
The sword-wielding man definitely wouldn't follow him forever, and with such severe injuries, it was indeed inconvenient to move. So the figure he had released earlier was probably a replacement-type prop that allowed him to teleport instantly to the hotel—before opening the door, Xu Huo was certain the room was empty.
(Chapter End)