Chapter 78 - 77: Playing Dumb
The Kui Family Inn was a two-story, Western-style house. By the aesthetic standards of its time, it was undoubtedly one of the most luxurious buildings in the village.
"Liang Kun, you and Zheng Peng stay in the car and monitor the radar. If it shows any signs of resentful energy, alert us immediately," Lei Yang instructed the two men behind him.
He Xiaotian shot a curious glance at the silent man, who hadn’t spoken a single word since they’d all met.
’Jingkun? And I’m Crow, I suppose!’
CREAK!
After watching the two get into the SUV, Lei Yang and the others pushed open the old wooden door.
A strong, musty smell immediately billowed out from inside, a testament to how long the place had gone without a cleaning.
"COUGH, COUGH..."
The few men at the front were clearly choked by it.
"RING, RING, RING..."
A string attached to the door led directly to the front counter.
On the wall behind the counter, illuminated by the moonlight filtering in, a small bell could be seen tied to the end of the string.
A decade or so ago, this was a very common way to announce a customer’s arrival.
There was no telling how long it had been since this inn last had a customer.
The reception area was pitch-black; not a single light was on.
"Who’s there in the middle of the night?"
An old, somewhat frail voice called out from the darkness.
CLICK!
The sound of the light switch was piercing in the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
A harsh white light flared to life, and everyone squinted.
"And you are?"
The old man’s voice came from the counter, and the group all turned to look.
Behind a counter thick with dust stood an old man with a full head of white hair, cloudy eyes, and a face covered in liver spots.
"Sir, we’re from out of town. Our car broke down on the road, and we just managed to coast into Zhou Family Village. We were worried we wouldn’t find a place to stay and were about to just spend the night in the car. But as luck would have it, we ended up parked right in front of your inn."
Lei Yang casually came up with a flimsy excuse to placate the owner.
"How long has it been since I had guests? Ten years? Five? Never mind. There are empty rooms upstairs. Pick whichever you like. If you want hot water, you’ll have to boil it yourselves. Now, if there’s nothing you need, don’t come running over and bothering this old man."
After he finished speaking, the old man pulled a ring of keys from under the counter and handed it to them.
"If you haven’t had a guest in ten years, why do you still keep the inn open?" Captain Su asked with a grin as he took the keys.
"I’m waiting for my son and grandson." The old man’s voice was quiet, as if he were murmuring to himself or talking in his sleep.
Sensing a story, Captain Su pressed on, "Pardon my asking, but what happened to your son and grandson?"
"If you know it’s rude, why ask?"
To their surprise, the old man glared, pursed his lips, and snapped back at him in annoyance.
"That’s enough. Stop asking questions. You always talk too much," Lei Yang said, also shooting Captain Su a glare. As the temporary leader of this squad, he held the most authority during the mission.
The group of five headed up to the second floor.
Before heading up, He Xiaotian took a long, hard look at the solitary old man standing behind the counter.
As soon as they were upstairs, they opened the first door they came to and filed inside.
"Zhou Yun, look up the innkeeper in the database. Get me info on his son and grandson, too."
A moment later, the family’s information appeared on the screen.
[Name: Li Wencai
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Home Address: Zhou Family Village
Education: Elementary School
Profile: Participated in the 1979 self-defensive war against Moon Country. Later honorably discharged and returned to his hometown.]
[Name: Li Long
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Home Address: Zhou Family Village
Education: Junior High
Profile: Died accidentally following a dispute with his partner, Jinwang, over the spoils from a group gambling operation.]
[Name: Li Cheng
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Home Address: Zhou Family Village
Education: None
Profile: Accidental death.]
He Xiaotian looked at the files on the tablet, the corner of his mouth twitching. ’Isn’t this a bit too crude?’
Captain Su, standing beside him, seemed to read his mind and explained with a smile, "Do you have any idea how many people live in Shanghai? Over twenty-four million. We can’t possibly keep a detailed file on every single person, right down to how many times they wet the bed as a kid."
"Only the files on high-priority targets are that detailed. For regular people, we just pull their records from the public security system. We just need to know the major events in their lives, that’s all."
"That’s strange. His son and grandson both died accidentally. So why did he tell us he’s waiting for them to return?" Zhou Yun asked, surprised.
"He’s an old man with one foot in the grave; it’s perfectly normal for him to be a little confused. Besides, isn’t it good for him to have something to hold on to? At least it gives him a reason to live," Zhao Lei offered, his tendency to jump to conclusions as strong as ever.
He simply blurted out the first explanation that came to his mind.
It was, however, a convincing explanation.
However, He Xiaotian, along with Lei Yang and Captain Su, didn’t see it that way.
’In a place crawling with Mirror Spirits, you’re telling me he’s just a normal old man? Not a chance.’
"The four of us will take turns on watch. It’s seven hours until dawn, so the first three will take two-hour shifts. Any objections?" Lei Yang automatically excluded He Xiaotian. For one, he wasn’t a member of the Cleaners; for another, he was a specialist hired by Liu Rui.
"The rest of you get some sleep and conserve your energy. I’m going downstairs to feel out the owner. If the Mirror Spirits don’t make a move tonight, we’ll have to start interviewing the villagers tomorrow to see if they’ve noticed anything strange. That’s going to be draining work."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lei Yang left the room.
It looked like he was planning to go a few ’rounds’ with the owner to see if he could dig up more information—or clues.
He Xiaotian didn’t follow. Verbal sparring wasn’t his forte.
His philosophy was simple: when faced with danger, whip out his three-hundred-plus-pound sledgehammer and beat the problem into submission.
If he killed it, he’d feast. If he couldn’t, he’d book it.
The others glanced at He Xiaotian, who was already lying on the bed with his eyes closed, and thought he was really one of a kind.
’How can he sleep in a situation like this?’
’It’s hard to tell if he’s just got nerves of steel or if his confidence comes from his skill.’
’Something is definitely off with that innkeeper. A normal person wouldn’t be bone-dry, especially not in this heat. He might look like an old man with one foot in the grave, but his breathing was steady and powerful, and the slow way he handed over the keys was obviously an act.
Sigh. It’s a shame I came here with Lei Yang’s crew. Otherwise, I could just pull out my hammer and test the old man myself. Oh, and speaking of Lei Yang, that guy’s a piece of work. Using Zheng Peng and that "Jingkun" as bait.
Damn. Good thing I never joined their organization. They’d sell me out, and I’d still be counting the cash for them. I wonder if that show-off Zheng Peng even realizes his predicament. Though even if he does, he’d probably have to pretend he doesn’t.
That’s bureaucracy for you. You’re ordered to do the dangerous work, and even if you know what’s up, you have to play dumb. Rank hath its privileges, and the lower ranks get crushed. I’ve really seen it all today.’