"Welp, this is it—my last coin." Doug Feng flipped the one-yuan piece into the air and caught it with a grin. "But after tonight, I'll be a millionaire. Easy!"
With the lottery ticket safely tucked into his pocket and the plastic bag rustling faintly as he walked, Doug picked up his pace. His mind, however, was nowhere near the money—it was back on Ms. Qing Fang. She had already left school, and if he calculated right, she'd be at the Golden Sun Hotel very soon.
Zhicheng, a modest county-level city in Fujian Province, wasn't particularly large. In 2006, urban expansion hadn't yet kicked in, and the entire downtown area could practically be crossed on foot in under an hour. There were fewer than ten public bus routes, and the tallest buildings barely scraped the sky.
Golden Sun Hotel, perched right in the heart of the bustling city center, was widely considered the most luxurious hotel in town. From afar, Doug spotted its iconic golden sun sculpture gleaming atop the building's roof—how it got its name.
"There it is," he muttered, jogging across the street.
Just as Doug reached the main entrance, a sleek black Audi pulled up with a whisper. The door swung open, and out stepped none other than Mr. Qiu, the sleazy director of discipline. Doug's eyes narrowed. The driver's door opened next, and out came a young man in a white tailored suit—slick hair, smug expression, and the air of someone used to getting his way.
Then, the passenger door opened. Ms. Qing Fang stepped out.
She looked stunning as always, dressed conservatively but with a grace that couldn't be hidden. She smiled politely, clearly forcing it, as the trio exchanged pleasantries and entered the hotel.
Doug's fists clenched at his sides. He was about to rush forward and call out to her—but a hotel staff member blocked his path.
"Hey, kid. Where are your parents? This isn't a playground."
Doug glared at the doorman. "Tch. Look at this clown. Judging people by their clothes."
It wasn't hard to see why—Doug was still in his school uniform, looking like your average broke high schooler. There was no way he'd be allowed into a place like this, not without a cover.
"What now?" Doug circled around the block, muttering to himself. "If I can't get inside, how can I stop Qiu's plan? What if… what if it's already too late?"
He spotted a lower-level window around the back of the hotel—less guarded, maybe even forgotten. It was a good seven or eight meters off the ground. No ladder. Nothing to climb.
Doug squatted down, spat into his palms, rubbed them together, and took a deep breath.
"Here goes nothing."
He jumped.
To a regular person, it might've been impossible. But with the [Beginner Physical Enhancement] buff he'd received, Doug's body was now a machine. He soared nearly four meters, catching hold of a rusty water pipe. Then another leap—bam—he grabbed the edge of the window ledge, hoisted himself up, and cracked open the window quietly before slipping inside.
Ten seconds. That's all it took. All thanks to the system.
"If this is what beginner level feels like," Doug whispered, catching his breath, "then intermediate and advanced enhancements must turn me into a freakin' superhero."
Inside was pitch dark. A faint shaft of light from the window allowed him to make out shelves and dusty boxes. A storage room. Figures.
He crept toward the door, grasped the handle—and cursed under his breath.
"Locked. From the outside. Are you kidding me?"
After all that effort, he was now stuck.
"I'll kick it down if I have to," he muttered. With his current strength, it would be easy. But if he made too much noise, hotel staff would swarm him.
Time was ticking. Ms. Qing Fang was in danger.
He drew his leg back, ready to strike—when the doorknob clicked.
Footsteps. Someone unlocking the door.
"Shit! Someone's coming."
Doug ducked behind a cabinet, holding his breath. The door creaked open, and two men in black suits stepped inside, dragging a woman between them.
One was bald and built like a thug. The other had a beer belly and a nervous look in his eyes.
The woman—beautiful, maybe in her early thirties—was dressed in a rose-colored blouse and a tight leather skirt, her legs sheathed in black stockings and high heels. Her cheeks were flushed, clearly drugged or drunk.
"Old Four… are we really doing this?" the pudgy one asked nervously. "If we get caught, we're dead meat."
"Old Eight, shut up." The bald one, Old Four, barked back. "She's messing with the boss's business. We get rid of her, and no one dies—except her."
He dropped the woman onto the floor with a grunt.
"The boss already gave the order. She stays here for now. Once night falls, we move her to the outskirts. What happens after that depends on whether she cooperates."
Doug's heart sank. What the hell was this hotel? Snake pit?
He had only come here to save Ms. Qing Fang, and now he had stumbled onto an entirely different crime.
Old Four glanced at the door. "Lock her in. Drug won't wear off for hours. Let's go deal with the others first."
Doug's instincts screamed. Once they locked that door again, he'd be trapped for good.
No time to think.
The moment Old Eight turned his back, Doug darted out from behind the cabinet. With one fluid motion, he raised his arm and chopped down hard on the back of Old Eight's neck.
The man let out a startled grunt—and crumpled to the floor. Unconscious.
Old Four spun around. "Who the hell—"
Doug didn't give him time to finish. He lunged, fist swinging forward, fueled by a mix of panic and rage.
But Old Four wasn't so easy.
He blocked the punch, growling. "Little brat! You wanna die—?!"
"Let's see who dies!"
Doug dodged left, then swept the man's leg. Old Four staggered, stumbled—but didn't fall. He came back with a vicious right hook. Doug ducked, twisted, and landed a punch to his gut.
The man wheezed, bent over slightly. That was the opening Doug needed.
BAM.
A flying knee to the face. Old Four collapsed.
Panting, Doug shook his knuckles. "Damn… this 'Beginner Physical Enhancement' thing really paid off."
He quickly checked the woman's pulse. Still alive. Breathing steady. Whatever they gave her hadn't done permanent damage—yet.
"I can't leave her here. But I also can't carry her around."
Doug dragged the two unconscious men to the corner and tied them up with some cords he found on the shelves. Then, after gently propping the woman against the wall, he locked the door from the inside.
"Alright… now I've got to find Ms. Qing Fang. This place is crawling with creeps."
He peeked out through the crack in the door, listening for footsteps. Nothing. Coast seemed clear.
Doug slipped out into the hallway.
Two mysteries, one night.
And the clock was still ticking.