Chapter 504 - 347: West Ninth District, Black Tile Inn (2)

The burly man closest to Wu Liangchen didn't even dare to breathe. He felt as if his heart had been seized in a vicious grip, and his blood ran cold.

"I... I understand. We promise we won't say a word," the burly man stammered.

"Go on," Wu Liangchen said, lifting his foot.

As if a great weight had been lifted, the group scrambled to help the man up and fled in terror.

Wu Liangchen wasn't worried about them snitching. People like them were the last ones who would ever want to deal with the authorities.

Especially not the notoriously strict Alliance government.

And after teaching them a lesson, while he couldn't be sure they were completely loyal, having more eyes and ears on the street was always a good thing.

This was especially true now, having just arrived in Zhongjing with no connections whatsoever.

Wu Liangchen and Song Ling'Er crossed several filthy, chaotic streets before finally finding the Black Tile Inn.

It was a five-story apartment building. Its exterior walls and roof tiles were painted solid black, as if doused in ink, giving it a grim and oppressive look that stood out starkly amidst the surrounding cluster of gray, decrepit structures.

There were no garish neon lights at the entrance, just a small, equally black sign. The two words "Black Tile" were painted on it in white, the lettering now badly faded by the wind and rain.

But the most striking sight was the man sitting out front.

He was an immensely fat man, sitting in a custom-made, oversized alloy chair like a mountain of flesh.

He wore an equally large linen shirt, and his belly was so big it looked like he was ten months pregnant. His neck had all but vanished into layers of fat, and his eyes were narrowed to slits, but when they flickered open, they flashed with a shrewd light.

Although he looked harmless, even a bit comical, any passing gang members or vagrants looked at him with obvious reverence, giving him a wide berth.

He was currently using a greasy towel to polish an old brass bauble. When he saw Wu Liangchen approach, he stopped, squinted at the two of them for a moment, and then chuckled softly.

"Looking for a room?"

His voice was surprisingly gentle, not coarse as one might expect.

"Yes." Wu Liangchen nodded.

"New around here?" the fat man asked, his gaze sweeping over them as if appraising them.

"We are."

"I've got two kinds of rooms. The first is a standard room. Price is fair, about the same as anywhere else, but it's just a place to sleep. Everything else is on you."

He paused, then pointed to the top floor. "The other is called a 'Safety Room.' It's pricier, but once you're in, I, Liangzi, will handle any of the usual trouble you might find in the West Ninth District."

'This fat man really is something else.'

Wu Liangchen understood immediately. The so-called "Safety Room" was just selling protection.

"How much for a Safety Room per night?" Wu Liangchen asked.

"Five hundred Alliance Points a day." Liangzi held up five thick fingers.

In the slums, that was an astronomical price—enough for an ordinary person to live on for a month.

Song Ling'Er was stunned and glanced at Wu Liangchen instinctively.

Wu Liangchen, however, didn't bat an eye. He pulled out a green currency card. "We'll start with three days."

When Liangzi saw the green card, which represented a substantial sum, a sharp glint flashed in his narrowed eyes. His smile became a little more genuine. "A man who knows what he wants! Honored guests, please, come in. I'll take you up myself."

He heaved himself out of the chair, his enormous body nearly blocking the entire doorway.

He led Wu Liangchen and Song Ling'Er inside. The inn's interior was much cleaner and tidier than its exterior suggested. Though sparsely furnished, everything was neat and orderly.

The staircase was an old wooden structure that creaked underfoot. With Liangzi leading the way, every one of his steps made the stairs groan as if on the verge of collapse.

"Boss," Wu Liangchen asked casually, as if recalling something. "Do you know of a man called Old K, the Know-it-all?"

Liangzi paused. A playful smile spread across his fleshy face. "Old K? Of course I know him! That guy is the number one legend in the West Ninth District. As long as you can pay the price, there's no information he can't get. He's an absolute wizard with networks. I've heard..."

He lowered his voice and added conspiratorially, "Even those arrogant government researchers from 'uptown' have to secretly ask him for help with their tech problems!"

"But," Liangzi's tone shifted, "the old coot has a strange temper. He likes money, sure, but he cares more about the job itself. Sometimes you can offer him a mountain of cash and he won't give you the time of day. Other times, you have to do a favor for him—something that piques his interest—before he'll even consider helping. A lot of people look for him, but even more end up getting stonewalled."

That matched what the bald man had said. Wu Liangchen nodded and didn't press further.

Soon, Liangzi led them to a room at the end of the third-floor hallway. He swiped an electronic key card to open the door. "Here's the Safety Room. Everything inside is brand new. It's spotless."

Wu Liangchen stepped into the room and saw that it was, indeed, quite nice.

The space wasn't large, but it had all the essentials: a reasonably soft bed, a private bathroom, and even a small window, though the view was just of cramped buildings and an overcast sky. Compared to the filth and chaos of the slums outside, this was practically a luxury suite.

"So? Not bad, eh?" Liangzi asked with a grin, the fat on his face bunching up. "By the way, I don't have many hobbies, but I do love to cook. If you trust my skills, you can pay a little extra and I'll cover your three meals a day. I guarantee it's way better than that synthetic crap they sell outside."

"Alright." Wu Liangchen nodded and transferred another sum of points.

He wasn't short on money. He had the anonymous card from the Tian family, not to mention his substantial spoils from Black Stone Town, so he didn't mind the small expense.

"You got it! You two rest up. I'll bring you dinner in a bit!" Liangzi said, pocketing the payment with a satisfied smile before heading back downstairs.

As the sound of footsteps faded, Wu Liangchen didn't rest. Instead, he began meticulously checking every corner of the room.

He channeled his Qi and Blood, pushing his Perception Power to its absolute limit. Walls, ceiling, under the bed, light fixtures, air vents... he didn't miss a single spot where a camera or listening device could be hidden.

A moment later, he stopped, his brow relaxing slightly.

'It's clean.'

No surveillance equipment whatsoever.

It seemed Liangzi either genuinely played by the rules or was confident enough that he didn't need to resort to such dirty tricks. Either way, it meant their room, at least, was relatively safe.

Before long, there was a knock on the door. Liangzi entered carrying a tray with two steaming-hot meals.

"Try my specialty! Meat-stuffed flatbreads!"

Liangzi set the tray on the table, and the rich aroma of meat and savory sauce immediately filled the air.

The dish consisted of some kind of synthetic meat mixed with vegetables, all wrapped in a large flatbread. It glistened with oil and looked quite appetizing.

"This here is my own creation. It's famous throughout the West Ninth District," Liangzi said proudly, setting down a few cloves of garlic.

"You gotta eat this with garlic. There's an old saying: meat without garlic loses half its charm. Heh heh, it's an old one, but it's true!"

Wu Liangchen picked up a flatbread and took a bite. It was fresh and soft, and combined with the savory filling, the flavor was rich and surprisingly delicious.

Compared to the energy bars and compressed biscuits they had been eating on the road, this was a feast fit for a king.

"It's actually very good," Wu Liangchen complimented.

"But of course!" Liangzi slapped his enormous gut proudly. "Alright, you two take your time. Call me if you need anything."

With that, he departed with another happy chuckle.

Wu Liangchen and Song Ling'Er ate their dinner in silence.

Under the dim yellow light, the young woman watched the steady man beside her. The exhaustion from their long journey and constant fighting seemed to wash away in this brief moment of peace with a hot meal.

After they finished eating, Wu Liangchen stood up.

"Stay in the room and lock the door. Don't come out unless I signal you," he told Song Ling'Er.

"Okay." Song Ling'Er didn't ask where he was going. She just nodded obediently.

Wu Liangchen turned and left the inn.

At night, the West Ninth District became even more bizarre and dangerous. Flashing neon signs cast the narrow streets in a dreamlike, multicolored glow.

Following the directions on his map, Wu Liangchen headed for the Hive Apartment.

But as he passed through an even more dilapidated area, one that was practically in ruins, Wu Liangchen suddenly stopped.

He had faintly heard a peculiar sound, almost like chanting.