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| Descend from the Stars (STARS) |
The scene was too bizarre. Xu Rongchuan held his breath while staring at the waiter for a few seconds, unsure whether time was flowing backward in this room or if life could cycle here.
The waiter seemed to have no memory of being killed. When he saw Xu Dan and Xu Rongchuan by the window, his steps faltered slightly before reacting exactly as before—hiding the Serpent tail behind his back with his expression twisted, and once again raising the knife to slash at them!
"Grab him!" Xu Rongchuan shouted.
Xu Dan's Serpent tail swiftly coiled around the waiter's body. Xu Rongchuan seized his knife-wielding right arm, twisted both hands behind his back, and pressed him to the ground with a knee.
The waiter let out guttural noises but still fixated on the dark Serpent tail lying on the carpet and struggling madly as if possessed.
Xu Rongchuan disarmed him and demanded, "What are you? Where is 01 Muse being held?"
The waiter's strength far exceeded that of a normal human. Even with Xu Dan's help, Xu Rongchuan couldn't fully restrain him. Bones snapped inside his body, yet he showed no sign of pain as he still continuing to struggle wildly, desperate to reach the severed Serpent tail.
After a brief hesitation, Xu Rongchuan dragged the tail closer and released the waiter's hands. Immediately, the man shielded the tail beneath him.
Xu Rongchuan drew his gun, pressing it against the back of the waiter's head. "Where is 01 Muse being held?"
The waiter tilted his head slightly, his black-and-white eyes devoid of emotion as they locked onto Xu Rongchuan. Then, slowly, he turned to look at Xu Dan to the left, offering no response—as if the only thing that mattered was the tail beneath him.
Xu Dan said, "There's a stronger residual presence on him."
"What kind of presence?" Xu Rongchuan asked.
Xu Dan shook his head, confusion in his eyes. What kind of presence? He couldn't remember...
A thought struck him, and he suddenly said, "Kill him."
Xu Rongchuan glanced at Xu Dan but asked no questions. He pulled the trigger as instructed.
Bang!
...
Five minutes later.
A third waiter emerged from the bathroom, dragging a Serpent tail. His steps faltered as he spotted Xu Rongchuan and Xu Dan. Immediately, he hid the tail behind his back and charged at them with the knife—
Xu Dan wrapped his tail around the waiter's legs while Xu Rongchuan twisted his arms behind his back. The whole thing took less than ten seconds.
Some things just got easier with practice.
"Who are you? Where is Muse being held?" Xu Rongchuan demanded again.
A flicker of hesitation—an emotion that shouldn't exist—passed through the waiter's robotic eyes before vanishing. Still, he didn't answer, instead staring down at the severed tail in his arms as if deep in thought, his breathing ragged.
Xu Dan said, "Kill him."
Xu Rongchuan pulled the trigger. The waiter didn't resist. As the bullet pierced his brain, they clearly saw the corners of his lips curl into a strange, faint smile.
Xu Dan watched him intently. "The presence is weakening..."
...
A fourth waiter dragged a Serpent tail out of the bathroom. Before he could even raise the knife, Xu Dan and Xu Rongchuan had already subdued him. Xu Rongchuan expertly shoved the precious tail into the waiter's arms, and sure enough, the man stopped struggling as it just cradle it as if it were a long-lost lover.
"Do you want me to kill you?" Xu Rongchuan pressed the gun to his forehead for the third time.
The fourth waiter's confusion deepened. He clutched the tail and remained silent.
"Who are you?" Xu Rongchuan pressed.
...Who... am... I...?
The waiter looked at the Serpent tail. Near the tip of the tail, there was a beautiful pattern that somewhat resembled a heart.
His mind exploded with a flood of unfamiliar emotions—pain, Desire, regret, fear, love...
"Kill him."
Bang!
......
Waiter No. 5 dragged the Serpent tail out of the bathroom but did not attack again. Instead, he stood at the doorway holding the tail and staring blankly at them.
"Who are you?" Xu Rongchuan asked.
Who am I?
Ignoring Xu Rongchuan, he began wandering through the room like a lost soul. Who am I? Where is this place? Why am I in so much pain? Have I forgotten something important? I...
His gaze drifted downward, landing once more on the heart-shaped pattern on the Serpent tail. His steps faltered, then his entire body began to tremble. Overcome with agony, he collapsed to the ground.
Xu Rongchuan frowned and took two steps forward. "Hey, are you okay?"
But the waiter suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream, raised the cleaver he had used to chop the tail, and without hesitation slit his own carotid artery.
Blood sprayed out, staining half of the Serpent tail red.
Xu Rongchuan lowered his gun in shock.
......
Waiter No. 6 emerged from the bathroom, quietly holding the Serpent tail. For the first time, a glimmer of light appeared in his robotic eyes. Xu Rongchuan swiftly snatched the cleaver from his hand to prevent another suicidal outburst.
"Who are you? Do you... need help?" Xu Rongchuan asked.
The waiter still didn't answer. He studied Xu Dan and Xu Rongchuan, assessing them for a moment before slowly walking to the other side of the room. He stopped by the window and looked up at the dazzling sunlight outside.
He squinted fearfully, as if the light pained his eyes, yet he couldn't resist taking a few steps forward, letting the sunlight bathe his entire body. The Darkness began to recede. He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he last saw the sun—it was so warm...
The human part of him was awakening. He looked down at the Serpent tail in his arms.
"I am... the hotel's... heir."
He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and halting, as if he were learning to talk for the first time. Xu Rongchuan didn't interrupt, waiting for him to remember more.
Under the sunlight, this strange heir of the hotel seemed to gradually regain his senses. His expression twisted with anguish as he clutched the Serpent tail tightly, his breathing ragged. He took another step toward the shattered window.
"During the day... It sleeps, weak... Be careful at night... the Darkness..."
"Desire... Curse..."
"Leave... this place..."
"Save... him... them... 5409..."
The waiter turned to face them, his expression full of pain, yet a faint smile tugged at his lips. Xu Rongchuan's heart lurched. "No good!"
He rushed toward the waiter, but the man had already leaned backward out of the window. On the 54th floor, the wind howled around him, rustling his clothes. He still held onto that half of the Serpent tail, but the pain on his face had vanished, replaced by peace and serenity.
Before he fell, Xu Rongchuan clearly saw the waiter's lips move, silently mouthing the words "Thank you."
Xu Rongchuan: "......"
They waited for a long time, but no new waiter revived. This death was real.
A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.
Xu Dan said, "He chose to jump out the window because dying outside the hotel would free him from 'that thing's' influence. Brother, don't be sad. He was happy just now."
Xu Rongchuan remained silent.
The two stood silently by the window for a moment. Xu Rongchuan checked the time and said, "Let's split up and search the room for any useful information."
Xu Dan nodded and began quickly rummaging through the room together.
The place was filled with traces of long-expired daily life. The casual clothes in the wardrobe had already moldered, the food stored in the fridge had spoiled beyond recognition, the toiletries were expired, and the dust on the bedding was inches thick.
Yet Xu Rongchuan could still discern that the room's former occupant had been a highly disciplined, almost obsessive-compulsive person.
Shoes had to be neatly arranged in pairs, the vases by the TV were perfectly symmetrical, the angles of the hanging paintings were identical, and the bedding was folded with meticulous precision.
What kind of information would such a person leave behind?
Xu Rongchuan walked to the desk and tried to pull open a drawer, but it wouldn't budge—it was locked.
He picked up the knife the waiter had used to chop the Serpent tail and hacked the lock open with one strike, then pulled out the drawer.
Inside were a black notebook, a cufflink, and a yellowed old photograph.
In the photo, a younger, more genuine version of the waiter stood at the entrance of a well-known university and smiling confidently at the camera. Beside him stood a young man of similar age, handsome and composed, with a faint smile in his eyes.
The bottom right corner of the photo read: 2198.09.15 Zhao Zheng & Shen Shancang
Xu Rongchuan pocketed the photo and opened the black notebook. The first page bore Zhao Zheng's name—it was a diary.
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