It's late at night.

My head is splitting with pain.

Xia Yao woke up from a deep, deep dream.

Looking around, he saw the room he was staying in, not the terrifying Tingsen Hotel from his nightmares, where he would die inexplicably.

He lay on the soft, large bed, and everything seemed so comfortable.

The computer on the desk was still on, and the recording software was still running.

Xia Yao sat up straight and carefully examined the calf that had been pierced by the crossbow bolt.

It was clean and dry there, with no pain or itching, and no signs of injury whatsoever.

Or was it just a nightmare?

In "Nightmare," his surveillance target, Lan Yuanshan, died on the flower wall of the Rose Maze.

His head exploded, and the blood was more vibrant than the flowers blooming on the branch.

Surely I can't die here too, right?

Thinking about it, Xia Yao couldn't wait to check the listening recording.

The recording waveform is flat, as if it has been quiet all the time.

The same applies when you listen with headphones on.

Just as I was wondering whether I should go deliver another takeout, the doorbell rang.

"Ding-dong~"

"Room service not needed!"

Xia Yao called out in response.

"Hello, I need to answer some questions here. Please open the door and cooperate."

A serious male voice sounded from outside, and the overly businesslike tone gave Xia Yao a bad feeling.

He rushed to the door and looked out through the peephole.

Goodness, the people outside are wearing sky-blue uniforms, exuding an air of authority.

police!

Xia Yao had a bad feeling.

Why did the police contact him?

Could it be that the listening device hidden in the paper cup has been discovered?

Don't worry, the fact that you've hidden it so well doesn't necessarily mean it's about this.

"Wait a minute, I just woke up."

Xia Yao responded lazily, then quickly took off her bright yellow uniform and stuffed it back into her suitcase.

Exit the computer interface, shut down the computer, and close the door.

He tugged at his T-shirt and ruffled his hair before opening the door to his room.

When he saw the two people at the door, he feigned surprise and bewilderment.

"Officer, what can I do for you?"

His eyes darted around in a panicked manner, but he actually glanced at the person diagonally opposite him with a specific purpose in mind.

At this moment, the door to Lan Yuanshan's room was open, and people in uniforms were going in and out.

"Just a routine question. Don't be afraid. Are you staying in a hotel alone? Please show me your ID."

The young police officer was holding a small notebook, asking questions and taking notes.

"Please wait a moment, I'll get it for you."

While getting his ID card, Xia Yao continued to observe. He was certain that it wasn't about the listening device, but it was definitely related to Lan Yuanshan across the street.

"This is my ID card, it belongs to me alone."

Xia Yao handed over her ID card, answered the other person's question, and then asked a gossipy question.

"Officers, you're not here to raid prostitution, are you? This is the first time I've seen this. Shouldn't they be here at night?"

"I can't disclose that," the officer said evasively, then continued, "Did you hear any strange noises in your room last night?"

Xia Yao pretended to think for a moment before answering, "I don't think I heard you. Sorry, I was sleeping a little too soundly."

They asked a few more casual questions, all revolving around whether I had seen any suspicious people or heard any strange noises, and it ended with "Thank you for your cooperation."

After closing the door and seeing the person off, Xia Yao's heart sank.

Something must have happened. Something must have happened across the street, which is why the police are checking the surrounding area and asking these kinds of questions.

He just doesn't know anything right now, and he's panicking.

If the police review the surveillance footage and find that they delivered takeout to the apartment across the street, they will definitely come after them.

He dialed Ms. Liu's number to find out what was going on, but the phone was switched off.

Helpless, Xia Yao decided to check out like an ordinary person first, and then go to the front desk to inquire about it.

Xia Yao washed her face and quickly packed her things.

As she left, Xia Yao glanced at room 804.

No body was found; it must have been moved.

The suspected testing personnel were taking samples from the takeout food he delivered.

"This is unopened, the food is intact, so it probably hasn't been eaten. A simple sample test will suffice."

Delivery services are operating normally, so there's no fear of testing.

The interlayer is well-hidden and should go undetected.

If you approach him, he will tell you the truth and help the wife find out if she has a mistress. He will firmly deny it if he doesn't mention the listening device.

When I checked out of the hotel lobby, the two receptionists were whispering to each other.

Xia Yao knew at a glance that something was going to happen; these staff members knew far more than she had imagined.

"Hey beautiful, I live in 801. What's going on in 804? Why are there so many police officers?"

When the person arrived, the young lady had already shut up and stopped discussing it, but Xia Yao couldn't resist taking out four red bills.

The young woman's eyes lit up, and she quickly took two bills from each side and stuffed them into her pockets. Then she lowered her voice and said...

"Then I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone, or it will affect our business and we'll be fined."

"Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut."

Once assured, the young woman lowered her voice and chirped softly.

"It's room 804, and there's a guy staying there. We had booked a wake-up call service. We called in the morning, but no one answered."

"That won't do. If we don't wake them up and it delays the guests' schedule, we'll be fined. So we asked the cleaning lady to knock on the door to remind them, but she still didn't open the door."

"There was no other way but to call the manager. The manager opened the door with the room key, and the guy in room 804 was already dead, completely cold!"

Lan Yuanshan is dead!

A chill seemed to creep up from the soles of my feet and spread throughout my body.

He initially thought he was just too tired and had a nightmare, but it turned out that the person who died in the nightmare had actually died in reality.

"How did he die?" Xia Yao murmured, finally managing to ask.

If the cause of death is a smashed head, then it's all too absurd and terrifying.

"The police looked at it and said it seemed to be a sudden death, then the body was taken away, and they'll probably have to do an autopsy or something."

The receptionist answered.

"It's strange, though. Our hotel facilities have always been fine, but last night the surveillance cameras on the eighth-floor corridor malfunctioned, and a resident on the eighth floor died suddenly. I wonder if there's some kind of superstition about it, or if it's haunted or something."

"If it malfunctions, won't we be unable to capture anything? What if he was murdered and the killer escaped?"

Xia Yao was terrified.

The receptionist quickly tried to cover it up, "There's no murderer. There were no signs of a struggle in the room, and the door was locked. It's probably just that the man had some kind of heart condition."

However, this also indirectly confirmed the lack of surveillance. This unintentional remark made Xia Yao feel as if she had been granted a pardon.

The security cameras in the eighth-floor corridor were broken, so they definitely didn't capture the part where he disguised himself as a food deliveryman.

Since the food was unopened, only a simple test would be conducted, and the listening device would not be detected. There was no way this case would implicate him.

After chatting idly with the receptionist for a few more minutes, Xia Yao checked out and left.