Chapter 108: The Small Hotel Murder Incident (1)

With that said, Chen Ran stepped in front of the "Death" door.

He gave it a gentle push.

The door opened.

He walked straight out. The exterior looked exactly like the Secret Room they had been in prior to the Escape Room Game.

However, the space seemed to have grown larger.

Two chairs sat squarely in the center of the room.

Lin Jiabei, who had followed closely behind him, turned ashen at the sight. "How did you know to exit through the "Death" door?"

Chen Ran remained silent. He simply watched her quietly until she could no longer maintain her feigned, livid expression.

"It's human nature to slip up when success is just within reach," he remarked. "Did you really think I was the type to pop the champagne at halftime?"

Chen Ran grabbed his foot, grimacing in sheer agony. Upon closer inspection, the chair he had just kicked over was actually forged from solid metal.

'Shameless!'

A smile spread across Lin Jiabei's face. "Even though my skill didn't fool you, watching you make a fool of yourself is still highly entertaining."

She drew her Liar-Slayer and aimed it straight ahead.

"Ghost Whisperer: Floating Life Nightmare."

"Withdraw."

This Secret Room, along with the previous ones, rapidly shrank and were absorbed directly into the muzzle of her gun.

The Secret Room reverted to its original state.

The surroundings were completely empty, save for the two chairs sitting in the middle.

This heart-killing psychological battle ended in a draw, with both Chen Ran and Lin Jiabei scoring partial victories.

In Journey to the West, the story of Fengxian County is a familiar tale to many.

However, on a fundamental level, Fengxian County was located near Spirit Vulture Peak, the Buddha's domain. When the Jade Emperor decreed there would be no rain, there was no rain. In the realm of political warfare, this tactic was known as asserting dominance.

For every day it did not rain in Fengxian County, the entirety of Buddhism was forced to bow its head.

The same logic applied here.

If Chen Ran had not been overly arrogant and actually noticed the iron chair, he would have secured a flawless victory, firmly asserting dominance over Lin Jiabei in their psychological duel.

That advantage would have provided Chen Ran with a significant boost in their upcoming struggles within the Escape Room Game.

However, Lin Jiabei had also realized that if anyone ever saw through her Deceptive Language skill, she would be put at a severe disadvantage in any psychological warfare.

Therefore, she had deliberately placed those two iron chairs to shatter her opponent's composure, forcefully clawing back a partial victory.

...

'What a painful realization!'

'Are personality flaws truly this difficult to correct?'

'Still, with this lesson learned, I suppose it's impossible for me to ever make the same mistake again...'

Chen Ran clutched his foot, comforting himself with these thoughts, before hobbling to the center of the Secret Room.

Since their heart-killing mind games had concluded, neither of them wasted any more breath. The moment they sat down in the chairs, a sudden wave of severe dizziness washed over them.

...

A torrential downpour raged in the desolate wilderness outside a dilapidated two-story motel.

On the first floor, there was a reception desk. To the left of the register sat a beverage cooler, while the more spacious area to the right featured a large, circular sofa.

Four people sat on the sofa: a Little Girl, a smoking Old Man, a muscular Youth, and a chubby otaku Youth.

The Little Girl hugged a teddy bear Player tightly, her innocent eyes watching the three adults with deep curiosity.

The smoking Old Man had slightly yellowed teeth and thinning hair. His sharp, piercing gaze swept back and forth across the other three, as if he were constantly calculating something.

The muscular Youth wore a tank top that showed off his tall, heavily built frame. His eyes were brimming with hostility, and whenever he made eye contact, it felt as though he were scrutinizing prey.

The chubby otaku Youth was half-sprawled across the sofa, listening to the others chat. Although he didn't participate, he provided plenty of emotional support, maintaining a constant, cheerful smile on his face that made him look like a harmless pushover.

At that moment, the front doors of the motel were pushed open, and a completely drenched Chen Ran jogged inside.

As he straightened out his clothes, Chen Ran cast a haughty, dismissive glance at the four people sitting on the sofa.

Smack!

He fished a few crumpled bills from his pocket and slammed them heavily onto the reception desk. "Boss!"

The smoking Old Man on the sofa rose with a welcoming smile and stepped behind the counter.

"I need a room. Make sure it has hot water, and make it snappy," Chen Ran demanded impatiently.

The Old Man cast a brief glance at the plain-colored gun barely concealed at Chen Ran's waist before plucking a key from a large cluster.

"Room 202. It's best to let the water heater run for thirty minutes before you try to use it."

"You don't need me to register?"

"Out here in the middle of nowhere, our motel doesn't bother with so many rules."

"What a dump," Chen Ran muttered as he snatched the key. He headed for the stairs, and as he walked past the others, he noticed them all scrutinizing him.

Chen Ran simply flipped the three of them the middle finger.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the short-tempered muscular Youth demanded, glaring fiercely.

"Exactly what you think it means," Chen Ran retorted, resting his hands on his hips. Beneath his open jacket, the pistol tucked into his waistband was clearly visible.

The muscular Youth promptly drew his own pistol and aimed it squarely at Chen Ran. "I've got one of those toys too," he sneered coldly. "You'd best watch your step."

"Tch. As if you'd actually dare to pull the trigger," Chen Ran scoffed. Ignoring the muscular Youth completely, he strutted up to the second floor.

Crash!

Seemingly unable to actually fire the weapon, the muscular Youth vented his raging fury on a nearby vase. He kicked it over, sending it shattering into pieces against the floor.

"Ah, was that thunder?" the half-asleep otaku Youth mumbled as he was startled awake.

The Old Man walked over and offered the muscular Youth a cigarette. "Calm down, young man," he consoled. "It's a terrible storm out there, and it's not easy for any of us being stuck here. Let's try to keep the peace."

The muscular Youth accepted the cigarette, though his cold gaze remained fixed on the second floor.

Creak!

The motel doors were pushed open just a crack, and Lin Jiabei peeked her head inside. Looking somewhat embarrassed, she asked timidly, "Um, excuse me... do you... do you have any rooms left?"

The three people on the sofa looked her up and down with curiosity. Lin Jiabei stood with her feet tightly together, her hands clasped nervously in front of her, looking the picture of a well-behaved student.

All three of them frowned in unison.

After receiving her key.

Lin Jiabei tensed up as she scurried past the sofa, practically fleeing up the stairs in a panic.

"Get me a pack of spicy strips!"

It was the otaku Youth who spoke. He had been eyeing the spicy strips on the reception desk for quite some time, but for some reason, he had been too afraid to grab anything from the counter.

"Grab me a pack of cigarettes."

"And a bottle of cola."

With the otaku taking the lead, it was as if an invisible shackle had been lifted from the other two, prompting them to voice their own requests.

The Old Man placed the items on the coffee table. The otaku didn't immediately tear into his spicy strips.

Instead, he first poured himself a cup of boiling water. Only then did he tear open the packaging, taking a bite of the spicy snacks followed immediately by a sip of the scalding hot water.

He looked incredibly satisfied!

'Bumpkins!'

Noticing the disdainful looks from the other three, the otaku wagged his chili-oil-covered index finger at them.

"You guys just don't get it," he lectured. "For me, this is the essential ritual for eating spicy strips. The boiling water heightens the fiery pain of the spice. Eating a bite of the strips and following it up with a sip of scalding water magnifies the flavor in your mouth tenfold."

The three of them were speechless. "..."

Unable to stand the pungent smell of the spicy snacks, they all shuffled further down the sofa, distancing themselves from the otaku.

A short while later.

Chen Ran and Lin Jiabei finished their showers. Dressed in pajamas, they walked down the stairs one after the other.

All six of them were now gathered around the sofa.

Chen Ran looked in utter contempt at the grease staining the otaku's mouth. Pinching his nose in disgust, he snapped,

"Go eat that trash in your own room. Shoving your face with that garbage in a public space isn't just an eyesore, it stinks to high heaven!"

"Mind your own business. Why aren't you complaining about them smoking in public?" As he spoke, the otaku shamelessly snatched the plush bear right out of the Little Girl's arms. He wiped his greasy mouth on it, then wiped his hands, acting like a complete thug.

The Little Girl's eyes instantly turned red, tears welling up and threatening to spill. This sight made the other four frown. They glanced at the otaku's waist, and then at the Little Girl's waist.

They both had plain-colored guns tucked into their waistbands.