Monster Paradise

Getting to the 81st floor using the elevator, Lin Huang walked along the corridor on his right. He stopped when he arrived at Room 023. Then, he knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened. It was a familiar person at the door — Hong Zhuang.

Hong Zhuang had a short, chin-length bob while her fringe grazed above her brows. There was not much makeup on her face and she looked 20 years old at the most. She was at least five years younger compared to the time when Lin Huang saw her for the first time.

She dressed very casually in a white t-shirt and a pair of blue and white jeans. The bottom of her jeans was rolled up, showing her fair ankles. She wore a pair of blue and white sneakers.

Even Lin Huang was doubting whether this lady was Hong Zhuang at a first glance. However, she clearly did not recognize him.

“You’re the client Yang Ling mentioned, aren’t you? I’m Yang Ling’s friend. Please come in,” Hong Zhuang greeted him in a friendly manner.

Lin Huang had just snapped back to his senses and quickly spoke to cover his looking lost earlier, “I can’t believe that guy managed to find such a beautiful girlfriend.”

All Hong Zhuang did was smile, and she did not respond to what he said. “Yang Ling’s working on something in the reading room. Please take a seat. Can I get you a drink?”

“Tea will do. Thanks.” Lin Huang sat on the couch on his own.

Soon, Hong Zhuang came back with a cup of tea. Lin Huang put it on the coffee table after accepting it from her.

He dared not drink the tea Hong Zhuang made. Who knew what that lady would do to him?

“Do you mind if I look around?”

“That’s fine. Please go ahead.” Hong Zhuang nodded and flashed a kind smile.

‘This lady has acting skills that can win her an Oscar,’ Lin Huang thought to himself. He stood up and walked towards the balcony outside the living room.

The al-fresco balcony was vast. It was at least 15 meters long and three meters wide. There were two sun beds and a small coffee table on the left. There were also a huge sun umbrella and a swing on the right.

Lin Huang stood on the balcony and peered around. The sceneries within tens of kilometers filled his eyes; there were all tall buildings farther away.

He recalled that the hotel was not in the center of the foothold but was more than 100 kilometers to the west of the center.

As he was staring far away while standing on the balcony, Yang Ling was finished with his thing and returned to the living room. He walked out and noticed Lin Huang on the balcony. “What are you looking at?”

“The sceneries aren’t too shabby. It’s just that the hotel’s a little far away,” Lin Huang turned around and commented to Yang Ling with a smile.

Yang Ling was dressed neatly like the last time Lin Huang saw him in the video call. He wore a white t-shirt with dark blue slacks. On his feet, he wore a pair of shiny, black leather shoes. His hair was much shorter now. It reached his earlobes and he even donned a cool hairstyle.

If Lin Huang had not seen how he used to look like, it was hard for him to imagine how messy and lazy this guy’s old life was.

“Hong Zhuang doesn’t like crowded places.” Yang Ling walked next to Lin Huang and looked into the distance.

“How’s the progress now?” Lin Huang asked while smiling.

“She rejected my proposal.” Yang Ling shook his head while forcing a wry smile. “Now, we’re just friends. That’s the farthest we can go.”

“How did she reject you?” Although Lin Huang expected that, he wanted to know how Hong Zhuang rejected Yang Ling.

“She said she’s someone horrible and that she’s no match for me. She told me that she only approached me so that I could help her to look for someone.”

“Who is she looking for? Can you tell me?” Lin Huang proceeded to ask.

Yang Ling glanced at Lin Huang and took out a packet of cigarettes. He shoved one into his mouth. “She’s looking for her brother.”

Lin Huang perked a brow. He recalled Hong Zhuang mentioning her brother, but he thought it was just something that she made up. However, now it seemed like it might really be the truth.

“So… Did you find him?”

“No. If I had, we wouldn’t have come to Bronze Crow City.” Yang Ling shook his head.

“Is there a clue that her brother is here?”

“No clue, but there’s something here that could possibly help us look for her brother,” Yang Ling said before adding “I can’t tell you what it is exactly.”

“Alright then.” Lin Huang did not proceed to ask.

“Did you bring the stuff?” Yang Ling changed the subject directly.

“Yep.” Lin Huang took the temporary storage ring that he had prepared earlier out. He had been putting the storage equipment that required unlocking which he had collected over the course of time in the temporary storage ring. There were various coded storage equipment from the great world and the mini-worlds as well as Emperor’s Heart Rings from the gravel world.

“They’re all inside?” Yang Ling took the temporary storage ring.

“They’re all in there,” Lin Huang confirmed.

Yang Ling could not help but raise his brow after taking a quick look. “That looks like more than plenty.”

“There are a total of 413,628 storage rings and a total of 827 different types of storage equipment,” Lin Huang reported the data. Naturally, it was not him who calculated that, but it was Bloody that did.

“You’re so detailed in calculating.” Yang Ling grinned but become serious later on. “There’s something that I must clarify with you. At least half of these storage equipment you brought are old. There are even some antiques that have existed for millions of years. Even if I manage to unlock them, I think there is nothing useful in them. However, I’ll definitely charge the unlocking fee according to the number and types of items. The most I can do is to waive the commission if the unlocked items are useless. Of course, I can give you a 20% discount for all the items. You’re my old client, after all.”

“No problem.” Lin Huang nodded to show that he understood, but subsequently voiced his doubt, “However, I have a question. How do you tell that these storage equipment coming from the great world and other mini-worlds are old? How do you manage to distinguish that some models are over millions of years?”

“Well…” Yang Ling rolled his eyes around in a cheeky way and said while smirking, “Of course, I have my ways.”

Yang Ling beating around the bush made Lin Huang think that he might have been to other mini worlds and even to the great world. However, since he was unwilling to share more, it was meaningless for him to proceed with the question.

“Roughly when can you get it done?”

“I’ll try my best to finish them within a few days.”

“Alright then. I’ll only leave when you’re done.”

Initially, Lin Huang thought of returning to Wanbao City first if Yang Ling needed a long time to unlock the storage equipment. He thought of finding a cultivation room to visualize the True Spirits. He would go back to Yang Ling when he was done visualizing the last three God Figurines’ Combat Souls. However, since Yang Ling said he could get it done in a few days, Lin Huang thought he would just stay for a few days and leave when Yang Ling was done with the unlocking.

“Just treat this as a vacation and travel around for a few days,” Yang Ling said with a grin, “I’ll inform you as soon as I’m done with them.”

“Sure.” Lin Huang nodded in a straightforward manner. “I shan’t disturb you guys then.”

He patted Yang Ling’s shoulder and turned around to head to the living room. Suddenly, Yang Ling’s voice came from behind when he was arriving at the door. “Bronze Crow City might be a little chaotic lately. Please be careful.”

Lin Huang stopped walking when he heard that warning. He thought of Hong Zhuang and the Purple Crow.

Hong Zhuang happened to walk out of the bedroom at that very moment. Seeing that Lin Huang was leaving, she said with a smile, “You’re leaving already? Be careful on your journey.”

Her tone was so gentle that she sounded like someone else.

Lin Huang turned around to take a glance at her. Since he could not see any flaws on her face, he nodded while smiling. “I will.”

He then opened the door and left.