Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Jiang Li pulled her thoughts back to the present.
After the man from Room 404 closed his door, Jiang Li didn’t leave immediately.
Instead, she bent down to rummage through the pile of bones at the doorstep.
She had noticed something earlier: an Elevator Card.
The Elevator Card for going down had been spat out along with those bones.
Enduring the fishy stench, Jiang Li picked up the card and took it to the sink next to the Hot Spring Pool to wash it.
A sign titled “Hot Spring Benefits” was posted on the mirror above the sink.
“Clear Spring Hotel utilizes ‘Natural Mineral Spring’ water from Tianling Mountain, offering numerous therapeutic effects.
First: Relaxes muscles and stimulates blood flow. Prevents the hardening of bodily bones and the ‘Woodification’ of body structures.
Second: Healthy weight loss. Prevents excessive accumulation of body fat; a blessing for those looking to lose weight.
…”
When she saw the second point, Jiang Li’s pupils dilated sharply.
There couldn’t be a dead end.
Therefore, “soaking in the hot spring” was very likely the “solution” for this floor.
Furthermore, Jiang Li had seen that the biggest difference between the hot springs in this Aberration World and the real world was the time it took for the effects to manifest.
Soaking in a hot spring in the Aberration World produced almost “instant” results.
Jiang Li suppressed the joy in her heart.
She intended to tell the guest and put the plan into practice.
However, something felt faintly wrong.
Could this floor really be cleared so easily?
Jiang Li suddenly remembered the third rule of the 4th floor:
[The Guest of Room 404 does not like bathing; please do not force him.]
Why didn’t he like bathing?
Was it due to laziness?
Or was it… a fear of water?
A chill rose in Jiang Li’s heart.
Beyond that, when combined with the fact that the “Guest of Room 404 hates eating seafood,” her sense of unease became increasingly obvious.
The Guest of Room 404… very likely had some kind of psychological trauma related to the sea or water.
The key to solving the puzzle wasn’t just finding the method of “soaking in the hot spring.”
It was making a person with “aquaphobia” take the initiative to soak in the hot spring.
That was no easy task.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Jiang Li finished cleaning the Elevator Card.
She grabbed a paper towel, wiped away the moisture, and left the sink.
After she left…
The “Jiang Li” inside the mirror in front of the sink remained where she was.
The Mirror Person, wearing Jiang Li’s face, adjusted a stray lock of hair.
It grinned.
It seemed very satisfied with its current appearance.
A moment later, the Mirror Person used its hands and feet to climb onto the sink inside the mirror.
Then, crawling on its belly, it quietly slithered out from within the mirror…
Jiang Li had just finished washing the card and stepped out from the Hot Spring Pool area when she happened to run into the New Cook.
The New Cook was coming out of the Men’s Hot Spring Pool, leaving Jiang Li with only a view of his back.
Jiang Li looked at his back in surprise.
No matter how she looked at it, he seemed familiar.
As if sensing Jiang Li’s gaze, the New Cook stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his neck.
The entire process was extremely slow.
So slow that it didn’t seem like a normal person.
Jiang Li’s spine instinctively tingled, and she subconsciously stopped walking.
“Are you… staring at me?” the New Cook asked, turning his head to look at Jiang Li.
When Jiang Li saw the New Cook’s face clearly, her breath hitched for a moment.
Because this New Cook looked exactly like the deceased Cook.
It wasn’t just that they looked alike; even their eyes were the same.
He even had the same habit of walking with his “hands behind his back.”
Jiang Li’s expression was one of shock.
She didn’t answer him directly, but instead spoke with a hint of testing:
“Brother, you look very familiar. I think I’ve seen you before.”
The Cook in front of Jiang Li fell silent for two seconds upon hearing her words.
Two seconds later.
The New Cook couldn’t hold it in anymore. He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh.
“Pfft… hahaha!” The New Cook’s shoulders shook with laughter.
“What a cliché pick-up line. Sister, that move went out of style ages ago.”
After speaking, the New Cook reached out and smoothed back his greasy, shiny black hair.
Then, with his hands behind his back, he walked away with an air of smug confidence.
As he walked, he deliberately slowed his pace, as if waiting for Jiang Li to catch up and walk beside him.
Jiang Li was now certain that this person was not the same as the Cook who had died.
However, their personalities were cut from the same cloth.
Equally narcissistic.
And in all likelihood, equally petty.
It was best not to provoke him.
Just as Jiang Li thought this, she saw the Cook ahead of her come to a sudden halt.
If it hadn’t been for her quick reflexes, she would have crashed right into his back.
“My surname is Yang. You can call me Brother Yang.
I don’t usually smoke, I enjoy a little drink now and then, I have no bad habits, and no hereditary family illnesses.
Furthermore… I’m currently single. What about you?”
The Cook turned back to look at Jiang Li.
Jiang Li was stunned. “…Huh?”
The Cook stared at Jiang Li with a half-smile. “Just getting to know the basic situation. Don’t worry.”
Jiang Li felt that if she didn’t say something, she would definitely end up on this Cook’s bad side again.
However, whatever she said needed to get rid of this man without offending him.
Jiang Li thought for a second before saying:
“My name is Jiang Li. I’m single, have no bad habits, and no history of hereditary family illnesses. It’s just… it’s just…”
Jiang Li paused mid-sentence.
Then, she smiled as if nothing were wrong. “Oh, never mind… some things are better left unsaid.”
Seeing Jiang Li hesitate, the Cook became even more curious.
He pressed further, “It’s just what? Tell me. Your Brother here has a wide network; maybe I can find a way to help you.”
Hearing him say this, Jiang Li let out a heavy sigh, her face full of sorrow.
“Sigh… look for yourself.” Jiang Li pointed to Red Infant on her shoulder.
“I’m a single divorcee with a kid. My ex-husband was a gambling addict. As his guarantor, I’ve ended up with a debt of twenty million.”
The Cook’s expression changed instantly upon hearing this.
Jiang Li struck while the iron was hot, grabbing his arm.
“Brother Yang, didn’t you say you have a wide network? Look, could I trouble you to help me raise the twenty million for the debt? In the future, I will definitely-”
Jiang Li was only halfway through her sentence.
The Cook hurriedly brushed Jiang Li’s hand away and ran off in a panic.
“Uh, that… I just remembered! I think I left something burning on the stove in the Kitchen! I’ll head out first, little sister!”
The Cook waved his hand as he fled, running as fast as if he’d seen a ghost.
Once he was far away, Jiang Li couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Mommy, nice one! When you meet someone like that, forcing them away is the best way to escape!”
Red Infant also joined in, giggling along with Jiang Li.
But hearing Red Infant’s words, Jiang Li’s heart suddenly jolted.
Force him away…
Yes!
That’s it! Force him away!
According to conventional methods of rejection, the Cook would certainly have been unhappy and might have continued to pester her.
But forcing the Cook away was different.
He was the one who chose to leave!
Applying the same logic to the Room 404 Guest…
The guest in Room 404 had to soak in the hot spring, but he was terrified of water.
Was there a way to force him to enter the Hot Spring Pool of his own accord?
That way, she could avoid a conflict while still achieving the goal of getting him into the water.
Jiang Li’s eyes flickered as an idea took shape in her mind.