Chapter 88: Can I Report Him? (Revision)

He rubbed his hands while shrinking back a bit, looking as if to say "I'm just a humble worker, please be lenient," clearly unwilling to continue, as if fearing to stir up trouble he shouldn't.

In the Slum, one of the secrets to a long life is: know less, get involved less.

Su Jingchuan looked at his evasive demeanor and was not surprised at all.

The last trace of politeness on his face vanished completely, replaced by a cold sense of oppression.

He didn't raise his voice, just stepped forward slowly, and that alone made the man flinch.

"Can't remember? It seems you recall the room's disaster perfectly, down to the cleaning fee of two hundred and the deposit of one hundred fifty, to the exact cent."

The receptionist's spine prickled under his stare, forcing a strained smile.

"Well, that's not because we lost a lot, we're just heart‑broken! The impression is too deep! As for when he dyed his hair… that's a trivial matter…"

Su Jingchuan's voice was low, yet each word reached the man's ears clearly.

"The hotel owner Wang Fugui, the registration records show that in the past three years you failed fire inspections seventeen times, had eight health‑permit rejections, and were anonymously reported at least three times for harboring unregistered mutants."

"Coincidentally I have a contact at the Supervision Bureau—should I have them come over right now? They're sure to be especially eager to help you 'recall'."

The receptionist's face went pale in an instant, sweat beading on his glossy forehead.

He knew his shabby shop couldn't survive a thorough inspection; a real raid would let him simply pack up and leave.

Usually he just slips some cash, smooths over connections, and asks for stability.

"No, no, no! Sir! We can negotiate!" Wang Fugui's voice trembled, "I—I'm just running a small‑scale business…"

"Small enterprises must be even more diligent about legality; cooperating with officials' investigations is every citizen's duty."

Su Jingchuan's tone stayed the same, but his line shifted, applying pressure while offering a hint of a sweetener.

"Of course, we're not unreasonable; if you can provide valuable leads to help us investigate this matter thoroughly…"

He paused deliberately, watched the sudden spark in the receptionist's eyes, then leisurely pulled a small stack of sizable bills from his jacket pocket.

"Consider these compensation for the cleaning fee you mentioned, as well as the loss from delaying your business."

Su Jingchuan placed the money on the counter and nudged it forward.

"And I can guarantee no one will trouble you over 'such a trivial matter.'"

This mix of carrot and stick works quite well in the Slum.

Wang Fugui's expression flickered rapidly between fear and greed.

Under pressure and incentive, his stance made a full 180‑degree turn, his back bent almost to the breaking point.

"Sir, you truly have keen insight and empathy for the people! Ask! Ask away! I guarantee I can even recall what color underwear he wore that night!"

Su Jingchuan: "……That's unnecessary."

"Exactly! I remember that kid scared me half to death that day, so the memory is especially vivid!"

He strained to recall, speaking much faster, but was suddenly cut off.

Ying Duo, who had been quietly standing nearby, naturally caught the NPC's words and at that moment posed a soul‑piercing question:

"Teacher, does this count as bribery?"

Got it, the player learned another trick.

But more importantly…

"Can I report this boss for invading my privacy? Otherwise how does he know the color of my underwear?"

Clearly even the player himself doesn't know!

"......"

The solemn atmosphere Su Jingchuan had painstakingly built deflated like a punctured balloon, bursting cleanly at that sentence.

The receptionist opened his mouth to glance at Ying Duo, then turned to look at Su Jingchuan, whose face had turned black as a pot bottom, and felt cold sweat pouring down his back.

"Sir! I was just describing, just describing! This… this, you should handle him!"

Su Jingchuan closed his eyes, suppressing the urge to fling Ying Duo out of the inn.

He took a deep breath and, to the panic‑stricken receptionist, squeezed out a few words between his teeth.

"Ignore him; I won't let him report."

"Continue."

"Recall that night's specifics: the direction he left and returned, any unusual noises, or if he saw anyone else?"

The receptionist suddenly clutched at a lifeline, his head nodding like a chick pecking grain.

"Understood! Sir, rest assured, I'll extract every scrap of memory, cleanly!"

He immediately furrowed his brows, rubbing his temples hard as if to squeeze the memory out of his brain, and began describing the situation in excruciating detail.

"It was the early morning of the Mitra Academy entrance test! I didn't notice when he went out, and only when business arrived did I half‑wake and open my eyes."

"At that time he still had black hair, but I only saw his silhouette and fell back asleep."

"Six ten in the morning! I'm absolutely sure of that time, because I woke up from a full bladder and checked the clock! Then I opened the door and saw him… uh, Mr. Ying Duo."

He even used honorifics.

"When he returned, his hair had already turned a glowing green, his face expressionless, his gaze fixed straight ahead… I almost wet my pants in fright!"

The receptionist spat out his words, still trembling at the memory of that night.

At first he was still half‑asleep, and suddenly saw a green, faintly glowing thing silently float up the stairs.

He was so scared his soul left his body, almost thinking it was a new type of glowing Aberrant Species invading the Slum.

When he focused, he recognized it was just Ying Duo.

The kid sported a head of green fur that could serve as neon lighting at midnight, providing free illumination for the Slum, his stare fixed on him, especially terrifying.

Su Jingchuan's gaze hardened.

Going out at one or two a. m. with black hair, and returning at six a. m. turned into glowing green?

In just a few hours, not only did his hair change, but to such a striking color.

Ying Duo certainly didn't take a train to elsewhere; if they had taken a train, the Heresy Tribunal's intelligence should have mentioned it.

Considering the time needed for hair dyeing and the time Ying Duo finished the test at the Church branch in Zone One, the place where Ying Duo changed hair color should be within the travel distance from Zone One to Zone Three.

The number of stylists here in the Slum is comparable to that in Tianmian City, and they are all "artists".

As for Zones One to Three, shops that choose to open at night are even rarer there.

If there is no other intelligence for now, you might as well follow this road and conduct an initial sweep.