Ye Tiancheng had been careful when writing the promissory note.
Although the hotel owner should have firmly believed he was human, one couldn't entirely disregard reality.
Ye Tiancheng figured that for the hotel owner to survive in Xiaojing City and even run a black market hotel, scamming others, he must have been here for quite some time. Regardless, it couldn't have been a short period.
And the hotel owner was just an ordinary human.
This made one consider many things.
If he could survive here, and even thrive, it was questionable whether he could still be considered truly human. If surviving here was truly that easy, why would they be so desperate to leave?
When Ye Tiancheng refused him and blocked the doorway, realizing he couldn't force his way in, the hotel owner plastered on a smile and said, "It's alright. If you find anything, we can all exchange ideas. Perhaps clues we overlooked might then be discovered?"
As if his words lacked conviction, he added, "...I'm just trying to do my part. I hope you can find some clues so I can leave this wretched place too."
However, Ye Tiancheng's attitude was exceptionally firm.
He stood his ground at the doorway, replying to the hotel owner, "I've told you, there are no new discoveries. What benefit would there be in deceiving you? We've only just started our investigation today; we haven't found any new information. The clues we've gathered are merely leftovers."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's unyielding stance, the hotel owner realized there was no room for negotiation. He reluctantly withdrew the half of his body that had pushed through the doorway.
He was also afraid that if Ye Tiancheng lost his temper, he might just slam the door on him.
The hotel owner suddenly felt a pang of regret.
When writing the promissory note, he shouldn't have only stipulated that Ye Tiancheng and the others would take him out. After all, the note didn't specify whether Ye Tiancheng would bring him out alive and well, or just bring him out dead.
The hotel owner was unaware of the special identities of Ye Tiancheng and Nie Chongyang, and that they were fundamentally incapable of such inhumane acts.
He himself was not a good person, so he naturally judged others by his own standards.
The moment the hotel owner backed out, Ye Tiancheng didn't immediately shut the door. Instead, he said to him, "You can rest assured, we will fulfill our promise. We will never go back on our word."
"You should also do what you promised. We will tell you when we need your help. If we don't, please try not to disturb us."
The hotel owner could only meekly agree.
Afterward, Ye Tiancheng firmly closed the door, no longer wanting to waste time talking to the hotel owner.
The hotel owner, having been rebuffed, had no choice but to leave.
After Ye Tiancheng closed the door on the hotel owner, the little fox wrinkled its nose and complained to Ye Tiancheng, "I wonder what his intentions are, being so solicitous?"
"I have a hunch that I'm not entirely comfortable with this black hotel owner. Perhaps we should be more cautious and take some precautions."
Ye Tiancheng asked the little fox, "Do you think he has ill intentions?"
The little fox nodded in agreement.
"A little."
Ye Tiancheng then said, "In that case, it's fine to be cautious. It's not a big deal."
With that, he casually cast a barrier with his spiritual energy.
The little fox recognized Ye Tiancheng's actions and knew what he was doing. Seeing this, it thought for a moment and then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, saying to Ye Tiancheng, "Brother, I think, couldn't we make this barrier one that allows us to hear sounds from outside?"
"If we just block it like this, won't we be unaware of any commotion outside?"
"Besides, there's also the matter of Lin Yanqin. Although this is just a repetition of past memories, things that are supposed to happen will still happen. What if we stay cooped up in here and miss some important movement?"
Nie Chongyang chimed in, "The little fox has a point. If it's possible, it would be good to have one."
Ye Tiancheng thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll try."
Setting up a barrier wasn't difficult, at least not for Ye Tiancheng. It was merely a matter of making some modifications to a basic barrier he already knew. The problem wasn't significant.
Ye Tiancheng quickly modified the new barrier according to the little fox's request.
The few of them listened to the sounds outside. It felt like they had moved into a room with poor soundproofing. Although there was still some obstruction for sounds to travel into the room, they sounded much clearer than through a normal wall.
The other three immediately expressed that the barrier would need to be adjusted at night. Otherwise, if the non-humans came knocking again, they would be deafened.
Ye Tiancheng was also helpless.
Such things couldn't always have the best of both worlds.
After resolving this issue, everyone's attention returned to the large food carrier that Ye Tiancheng had brought back, the one from the hotel owner.
Nie Chongyang said with some curiosity, "I wonder what the hotel owner sent us?"
Not only was he curious verbally, but he also took the initiative to open the large food carrier.
Ye Tiancheng said, "No matter what he sent, whether it's goodwill or malice, we absolutely cannot eat it."
Nie Chongyang replied, "I'm just curious to see. I know we can't eat it... Wow! It's quite a spread."
As they spoke, the food in the carrier was revealed to all four of them.
The large food carrier from the hotel owner contained abundant meat and fish, with everything imaginable. White rice was piled high, and there was a lot of it. There was only one dish of green vegetables.
Liang Ping offered his opinion.
"It looks like a farewell feast."
The sight of so much meat and so few vegetables, coupled with their unknown origin, inevitably triggered a strong reaction in Ye Tiancheng. He had significant psychological trauma from past experiences.
However, only he and the little fox among those present had experienced this. But now, only he himself remembered it, and the little fox had forgotten. He didn't want to recount such unpleasant memories, so he didn't mention it, merely appearing displeased.
The little fox said to Nie Chongyang, "You really have to look. The food looks so good, aren't you afraid you'll get tempted, eat a few bites, and then poison yourself?"
Nie Chongyang retorted, "How could that happen? Who would be so foolish?"
"Besides, even if I'm tempted, it's not a problem. The supplies we brought are no worse than this. At worst, we can just eat our own. Don't you know? It's rare for you..."
The little fox immediately glared at him and said, "Pah, pah, pah! Of course, I have some too, and I know it!"
Nie Chongyang was merely joking with the little fox and wasn't serious. The little fox knew this and wasn't genuinely angry.
However, after retorting, the little fox realized that Ye Tiancheng seemed to have been silent for a while. It looked at Ye Tiancheng curiously and asked, "Hey? Brother, why haven't you said anything for so long? What's wrong?"
Hearing the little fox speak to him, Ye Tiancheng shook his head.
He said, "Nothing much. Anyway, we can't eat this food. But in their eyes, it would be strange if we didn't eat. Later, we should dispose of this food and return the empty carrier to them."
This was just normal procedure.
The few of them agreed to dispose of the food later. Estimating the time, they would place the food carrier by the door and not worry about anything else for the moment.
However, the food did smell very good. If not for the fear of something being wrong, ordinary people would have been reluctant to waste it.
The few of them disposed of the food together, pouring it into the bathroom drain. Coincidentally, the aroma made them hungry, so they took out more of their own provisions and filled their stomachs.
To satisfy their appetites, the food they brought out was also quite substantial.
After eating their fill, the time was just about right. Ye Tiancheng carried the food carrier to the room door, placed it by the entrance, and then returned to the room.
Afterward, Ye Tiancheng and the others naturally proceeded with their usual discussions of important matters.
During their conversation, they heard someone retrieving the food carrier from the door. However, they also heard the person quickly leave the door, so they didn't pay it much mind.
Until a while later, they suddenly heard some unusual commotion outside the room.