[Chapter Four] Huang Lihua’s Warning

Lin Xiaoyang entered a simple, modest hotel. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and old wooden floors. He walked to the front desk to check in, gently placing his leather bag down. His fingers were slightly stiff, and when he picked up the key, he unconsciously tried to conceal the fatigue in his heart. The receptionist smiled at him as she bid farewell, and Xiaoyang returned a simple smile, saying nothing more, and turned to go upstairs.

Ascending the stairs, the sound of his footsteps on the wooden boards echoed in the quiet corridor, as if his shadow followed each step. He reached the room he had reserved, pushed open the old wooden door, whose paint had faded and looked somewhat worn. The room was dimly lit, with only a desk lamp in the corner casting a weak light. After entering, Xiaoyang casually placed his luggage on the desk, then took off his coat and left his shoes carelessly aside. His exhausted body seemed to relax completely at that moment, a trace of deep thought flickering briefly in his eyes.

He entered the washroom and turned on the faucet; the water splashed loudly. The white walls had some water stains, and his reflection appeared in the mirror, his eyes showing a hint of confusion. While brushing his teeth, his gaze remained fixed on himself in the mirror, as if in dialogue, yet also as if doubting himself. His thoughts began to drift, recalling the events of the past three days, and his mind gradually became disordered.

“Huang Lihua was so eager for me to leave the Paradise Hotel; there must be things I don’t know about.” He lightly bit the toothbrush, a faint bitter smile appearing unconsciously at the corner of his mouth. The image of Huang Lihua’s anxious expression surfaced in his mind, as if some great matter was forcing him to leave that place. Yet no matter how he thought about it, the reason never seemed quite right.

“Tomorrow, I will go back and figure everything out.” He looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes growing firm. The water he spat into the sink carried away the confusion, along with a bit of unease. Yet the doubt in his heart did not completely vanish; it became even clearer.

He dried his face, lightly touched his cheeks, and said to himself: “Tomorrow, there will be answers.” At this moment, he knew that all the questions and uncertainties would find resolution in tomorrow’s revelation, and he must prepare himself to face truths he could not yet foresee.

11
In the basement of the Paradise Hotel, dim lights hung from above, illuminating a few cold, rigid iron pillars. Huang Lihua’s hands and feet were tightly bound between two pillars by chains, his body stiffly suspended. The air was filled with dampness and decay, and mold spots covered the walls. The hotel manager, Robert, stood before him, a cruel smile on his face. A few ghost guards stood upright beside him, holding restraints, their eyes ferocious, as if ready to attack at any moment.

Robert straightened his posture, his low voice filled with threat: “Huang Lihua, do you know what you did wrong?”

Huang Lihua appeared calm. He slowly raised his head, his eyes carrying a hint of provocation, feigning ignorance as he asked: “What wrong have I done?”

Robert sneered, pointing at him, his tone increasingly icy: “You act as if you do not know! First, you should not have introduced this Chinese boy into the dark world. Second, you should not have told him to leave this place.”

Huang Lihua smiled lightly, the corners of his mouth curling slightly, his tone tinged with disdain: “Old hotel manager, you ask me quite a few questions. Do you perhaps have some prejudice against me?”

Robert’s expression darkened. He stepped closer to Huang Lihua, his gaze sharp as a blade: “Perhaps! You have ingratiated yourself with the hotel chief’s trust and live here idly without doing anything. I have disliked you for a long time. But enough of that—tell me, what is your relationship with this boy?”

Huang Lihua understood the prejudice in Robert’s heart. This time, he had finally been caught, and he had already prepared for the worst outcome. He slightly lifted his head and calmly replied: “Alright, the boy is my grandson-in-law.”

Robert nodded slightly upon hearing this, then continued questioning: “I accept that answer. But why did you introduce him into the dark world, even though it violates the rules?”

Huang Lihua shrugged lightly, a trace of nonchalance in his tone: “It is nothing special. I just wanted to satisfy his curiosity.”

Robert’s expression grew harsher, his hands crossed over his chest, eyes piercing him like steel: “Is that so? That answer does not convince me.”

Huang Lihua shrugged and smiled sarcastically, eyes filled with helplessness: “Believe it or not. It’s up to you.”

Robert stared at him coldly: “You have violated the rules. I must act according to regulations and restrict your freedom of movement. I will report this to headquarters and await the chief’s instructions. Bring the curse seal.”

The ghost guards obeyed swiftly, carrying a black ebony box. The lid slowly opened, releasing a chilling aura. Robert coldly grabbed Huang Lihua by the hair and forcefully pressed the black stone seal onto his forehead.

With a strange flow of energy, Huang Lihua’s face gradually lost expression, his entire face stiffening, and his body from head to toe became as cold and unfeeling as a stone sculpture. Robert commanded coldly: “Transform him, so he does not attract attention. Send him to the stone park to await his punishment.”

Several ghost guards immediately obeyed, lifting Huang Lihua’s body. His limbs were rigid as they dragged him toward the underground passage, his figure gradually disappearing into the dark corner.

12
Lin Xiaoyang stopped his car again, staring at the mysterious and solemn gate of the Paradise Hotel. His heartbeat accelerated in his chest, and his curiosity blazed like a roaring fire, urging him deeper into the unknown. The morning air outside was fresh, and white mist floated like light gauze between the earth and the sky. The sun had just peeked out from the clouds, gently illuminating the statue garden, the light shimmering across the statues, whispering some secret. Around him was thick green grass, with dew yet to evaporate, and the air was filled with the fragrance of soil and grass. Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath, tightened his coat, and stepped lightly along the damp path, heading deeper into the garden.

He passed through a messy patch of flowers and grass, and his eyes suddenly caught a familiar figure—the statue of Huang Lihua standing in a shadowy corner. The surrounding plants were yellowed and uncared-for, giving a desolate appearance. The statue was life-sized, but the delicate carving was full of vitality, as if a real artist was emerging from the stone, ready to begin creating. Strangely, the statue seemed to show no trace of age, its surface radiating an odd freshness, as if it had just been placed there.

Lin Xiaoyang crouched down, reaching out to touch the statue’s base. The cold stone surface transmitted a subtle warmth. His fingertips paused unconsciously, as if he had touched some hidden force. “This statue must have been erected here recently, perhaps even last night,” he murmured, his gaze becoming more focused.

He stood up, carefully inspecting every detail of the statue, especially Huang Lihua’s attire—the slightly worn long robe, dusted with some dirt, the exact set he had seen in the evening yesterday. The statue appeared to hold a palette in one hand, a paintbrush in its mouth, the other hand casually behind, as if ready to unleash creative inspiration at any moment. Lin Xiaoyang’s heartbeat quickened, a voice inside him telling him that all of this was about to reveal a great secret.
He followed yesterday’s instructions and went around to the back of the statue. The moment he looked down, the scene before his eyes froze him in place—what had originally been a tightly clenched fist was now slowly opening, and on the palm, three lines of text appeared clearly, with a tiny roll of film placed beneath them.

“This… is amazing!” Lin Xiaoyang whispered in astonishment, almost squatting to look closely at the three lines of text, murmuring to himself: “Lin Xiaoyang, April 13, 2002.” He was stunned, a jolt running through his heart. “Isn’t this the exact date and name I wrote in his palm yesterday?” His breathing became rapid, and his eyes quickly scanned the following words. His heart felt as if it had been torn apart. The line read: “Leave this dangerous place immediately; the waitstaff in the hotel are all vampires.” A chill ran through Lin Xiaoyang’s mind. He drew a deep breath and said quietly, “I knew it… it really is like this.”

Then, the third line in the palm caught his attention: “Take the film and make my work public.” Lin Xiaoyang’s hand trembled slightly. At that moment, he understood Huang Lihua’s final request: he was to take the works and reveal the truth to the world. He lowered his head and murmured to himself: “I understand now. Huang Lihua wants me to return and take his work, so more people can see it.”

The moment he picked up the tiny roll of film from Huang Lihua’s palm, a warm sensation flowed from the palm into his hand. Lin Xiaoyang clearly felt that the warmth was almost identical to the feeling when they shook hands yesterday. As his fingers touched the film, he suddenly felt a pulse of excitement; some invisible connection between him and Huang Lihua was strengthened at that moment.

As he prepared to turn and leave the statue, he could not help but glance back at it once more. Something strange happened—the corners of the statue’s mouth curled slightly upward, and the paintbrush clutched between its lips slipped with a light breeze, falling gently to the ground. In that moment, Lin Xiaoyang seemed to see Huang Lihua’s soul, silently expressing unfulfilled wishes through this brief gesture.

Lin Xiaoyang drew a deep breath and whispered: “Senior, I will let your works see the light of day again! Thank you for risking yourself to save me.” Before his words even fell, his eyes were already lit with determination. He turned and began the journey back. Every step paved the way for the adventure ahead, and he knew that this was only the beginning.

13
Lin Xiaoyang stepped into the photography studio. The clock chimed softly. The room carried a faint scent of fragrance and chemicals, the light was dim yellow, and the air held a slight trace of dust. He walked to the counter and looked at the manager, who had a polite smile on his face, holding the tiny roll of film in his hand.

He spoke softly, his eyes focused and carrying a hint of expectation: “Sir, here is a roll of film. Could you develop the photos and convert them into slides?” His tone was calm but firm.

The manager lowered his head to inspect the film, then raised his eyes and nodded, responding: “Alright. When would you like to collect the photos and slides?”

Lin Xiaoyang smiled slightly, took a business card from his pocket, and handed it over: “Call me when it is ready. Here is my phone number.”

The manager took the card, curiosity flickering in his eyes, then picked up the receipt form beside him, placed it on the counter, and said: “Very well, please sign here.”

Lin Xiaoyang quickly filled in his English name and handed the form back to the manager. The manager tore off the receipt portion and gave it to him, smiling: “Thank you. We will call you as soon as everything is ready.”

Lin Xiaoyang took the receipt, nodded lightly, and turned to leave the studio. The glass door behind him emitted a faint ding as it closed, and his steps were light and rhythmic. He slung the camera case diagonally over his shoulder, a digital camera hanging from his neck, and rode his bicycle toward Lake Lucerne. The air carried the scent of spring. Flowers competed in brilliant colors, and two households on the lawn quietly enjoyed this moment of peace.

Several children played on the grass. A girl waved a colorful pinwheel in her hand, while a boy happily maneuvered a bamboo helicopter. Lin Xiaoyang stopped his bicycle, lightly touching the ground with his toe to stabilize himself. He quickly picked up the camera and captured several photos of the innocent children, the shutter echoing in the quiet afternoon air. Afterwards, he smiled and waved gently to the two families, bidding farewell.

“Have a nice day!” he called.

As he resumed cycling, Lin Xiaoyang moved briskly along the lakeside path. In the distance, the Reuss River divided the city into the new town and the old town. The buildings on both sides spread like a painted scroll. He arrived at the famous Chapel Bridge. The wooden structure of the bridge was ancient and full of historical atmosphere. The water below was calm, and waterfowl and swans floated leisurely.

Lin Xiaoyang occasionally stopped, aiming his camera at the elegant figures on the lake and pressing the shutter to capture each moment. The light on the water changed and shimmered, the birds’ wings glinting in the sunlight. This moment of beauty would remain forever in his lens.

“This is incredible…” Lin Xiaoyang murmured softly, his eyes shining with boundless love for this city.