Fantasy Novel: Paradise Hotel   5

【IV】Huang Lihua’s Warning

10

Lin Xiaoyang walked into a modest hotel, where the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and old wooden floors. He approached the front desk, checked in, and gently set down his leather briefcase. His fingers were somewhat stiff, and when he picked up the key, he instinctively concealed the fatigue within him. The receptionist smiled and said goodbye to him. Xiaoyang returned a simple smile without saying much and turned to go upstairs.

As he climbed the stairs, the sound of his footsteps on the wooden boards echoed through the quiet hallway, like a shadow following each step he took. He arrived at the room he had reserved and pushed open the old wooden door. The paint on the door had already faded, making it look somewhat worn. The room was dimly lit, with only the table lamp in the corner casting a faint glow. After entering, Xiaoyang casually placed his luggage on the table, then took off his coat and tossed his shoes aside. His exhausted body seemed to completely relax at that moment, while a trace of deep contemplation flickered in his eyes.

He walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. The sound of running water echoed loudly, while patches of water stains could be seen on the white walls. His reflection appeared in the mirror, a hint of confusion in his eyes. As he brushed his teeth, his gaze remained fixed on his own reflection, as though he were carrying on a conversation with himself, or perhaps questioning himself. His thoughts began to drift away, recalling everything that had happened over the past three days, and his mind gradually became more and more unsettled.

“Huang Lihua was in such a hurry to make me leave the Paradise Hotel. There must be something going on that I don’t know about.” He gently bit down on his toothbrush, an ironic smile unconsciously appearing at the corners of his mouth. Huang Lihua’s anxious expression surfaced in his mind, as though some major event had been forcing him to leave that place. Yet no matter how much he thought about it, he still felt that the reason did not quite make sense.

“I’ll go back tomorrow and find out what’s really going on.” He looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes becoming resolute. The water he used to rinse his mouth flowed into the drain with a gurgling sound, washing away the confusion he had felt moments earlier, along with some of his uneasiness. Yet the doubt in his heart had not completely disappeared. Instead, it had become even clearer.

He dried his face, gently touched his cheek, and said to himself, “Tomorrow, I’ll have an answer.”

At that moment, he knew that all his doubts and uneasiness would find their answers when everything was revealed the next day, and he also had to be prepared to face the truths he could not foresee.

11

In the basement of the Paradise Hotel, dim lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating several cold, hard iron pillars. Huang Lihua’s hands and feet were tightly chained between two of the pillars, his body hanging rigidly between them. The air was filled with the smell of dampness and decay, and patches of mold could be seen all over the walls. Hotel manager Robert stood before him with a cold smile on his face. Several ghost soldiers stood rigidly beside him, holding restraints in their hands, their sinister expressions making them look ready to attack at any moment.

Robert straightened up, his low voice filled with menace. “Huang Lihua, do you know what you did wrong?”

Huang Lihua remained calm. He slowly raised his head, a trace of provocation in his eyes, and pretended not to understand as he asked, “What exactly did I do wrong?”

Robert gave a cold laugh and pointed at him, his tone growing increasingly icy. “Don’t pretend you don’t know! First, you should never have brought that Chinese young man into the Dark World. Second, you should never have warned him to leave this place.”

Huang Lihua gave a faint smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. “Old hotel manager, you’re certainly asking me a lot of questions. Do you have some kind of prejudice against me?”

Robert’s expression darkened. He moved closer to Huang Lihua, his gaze as sharp as a blade. “Maybe! You’ve wormed your way into the hotel chief’s trust and favor, and you’ve lived here for years as a freeloader without doing anything. I’ve disliked you for a long time. Enough of that. Tell me, what is your relationship with that Chinese young man?”

Huang Lihua understood the prejudice in Robert’s heart. This time, his weakness had finally been caught, and he had already prepared himself for the worst. He raised his head slightly and calmly replied, “All right. That young man is my granddaughter’s husband.”

Robert nodded slightly after hearing this, then continued asking, “I accept that answer. But why did you bring him into the Dark World when doing so clearly violates the rules?”

Huang Lihua shrugged lightly, his tone revealing a trace of indifference. “It’s nothing special. I simply wanted to satisfy his curiosity.”

Robert’s expression became even more severe. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze cutting into him like a steel blade. “Is that so? That answer doesn’t convince me.”

Huang Lihua shrugged and gave an ironic smile, helplessness in his eyes. “Believe it or not. It’s up to you.”

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

A ghost soldier nearby obeyed the order and quickly brought over a black ebony box. The lid slowly opened, releasing a chilling aura. Robert coldly grabbed Huang Lihua by the hair and violently pressed the black stone seal against his forehead.

As a strange force began to flow through him, the expression gradually disappeared from Huang Lihua’s face. His entire face became rigid, and little by little, from head to toe, his body became as cold and emotionless as a stone sculpture. Robert coldly ordered, “Dress this guy up so he won’t attract the tourists’ attention. Send him to the sculpture garden and wait for his punishment.”

Several ghost soldiers immediately responded. They lifted Huang Lihua’s body, his limbs moving rigidly as they dragged him toward the underground passage. His figure gradually disappeared into a dark corner.

12

Lin Xiaoyang stopped his RV again and stared at the mysterious and solemn entrance to the Paradise Hotel. His heartbeat grew increasingly rapid in his chest, while the curiosity in his eyes burned like a blazing fire, driving him deeper into the unknown. The morning air outside was fresh, and white mist drifted between the earth and the sky like a thin veil. The sunlight had just begun to emerge from behind the clouds, gently spreading across the sculpture garden, its light shimmering on the statues as though whispering some kind of secret. Dense green grass surrounded the area, the dew not yet evaporated, while the fresh scent of soil and grass filled the air. Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath, tightened his coat, and lightly stepped along the damp path toward the depths of the grounds.

He passed through a patch of tangled flowers and weeds when his eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure—Huang Lihua’s statue stood in a dark corner. The flowers around it had already turned yellow and withered, and no one appeared to be tending them, giving the place a somewhat desolate appearance. The statue was life-sized, but its delicate carving was full of vitality, as though a real painter were about to emerge from the stone and begin creating. Strangely, the statue seemed to bear no trace of age. Its surface radiated a peculiar freshness, as though it had only just been placed there.

Lin Xiaoyang crouched down and reached out to lightly touch the base of the statue. A subtle warmth passed through the cold stone surface and into his fingertip. His finger unconsciously paused, as though he had touched some hidden force. “This statue must have been erected here only recently, perhaps even last night,” he murmured, his gaze becoming increasingly focused.

He stood up and carefully examined every detail of the statue, especially Huang Lihua’s clothing—the slightly worn long robe, with a little dust on it, was exactly the same outfit he had seen Huang Lihua wearing with his own eyes the previous evening. The statue seemed to be holding a palette in one hand, a paintbrush between its lips, while the other hand rested casually behind its back, as though it were ready at any moment to release its creative inspiration. Lin Xiaoyang’s heartbeat quickened, and a voice inside him told him that all of this was about to uncover a tremendous secret.

Following the instructions from the previous day, he walked around to the back of the statue. The moment he lowered his head, the sight before him left his entire body frozen—the hand that had originally been clenched into a fist was now slowly opening, and three lines of writing were clearly visible in its palm. Beneath them was also a roll of miniature film.

“This... is incredible!” Lin Xiaoyang whispered in astonishment, almost crouching down as he examined the three lines of writing. He murmured, “Lin Xiaoyang, April 13, 2002.” He froze, his heart jolting. “Isn’t this the date and name I wrote in his palm yesterday?” His breathing became rapid, and his eyes quickly scanned the words that followed. His heart seemed to be torn apart by something. The line read: “Leave this dangerous place immediately. The hotel’s servants are all vampires.” A chill passed through Lin Xiaoyang’s heart. He took a deep breath and whispered, “I knew it... It really is true.”

Then the third line in the palm caught his attention: “Take the film and make my works known to the world.” Lin Xiaoyang’s hand trembled slightly. At that moment, he understood that Huang Lihua’s final request was for him to take his works away and reveal the truth to the world. He lowered his head and murmured, “I understand. Huang Lihua wanted me to come back so that I could take his works away and let more people see them.”

The moment he picked up the roll of microfilm from Huang Lihua’s palm, a warm sensation passed through his own palm. Lin Xiaoyang clearly felt that the warmth was almost identical to the sensation he had felt when shaking hands with him the previous day. When his fingers touched the film, he suddenly felt a surge of emotion, as though some invisible connection between him and Huang Lihua had grown stronger at that very moment.

Just as he was about to turn and leave the statue, he could not help looking back at it once more. Something strange happened—the corners of the statue’s mouth lifted slightly, and the paintbrush held between its lips slipped away with a light breeze and gently fell to the ground. At that moment, Lin Xiaoyang seemed to see Huang Lihua’s soul, silently expressing his unfinished wish through that brief change of expression.

Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath and whispered, “Senior, I will bring your works back into the light of day! Thank you for sacrificing yourself to save me.” Before his words had even faded, determination had already lit up his eyes. He turned and began walking back. Every step paved the way for the adventure that was about to come, and he knew that all of this was only the beginning.

13

Lin Xiaoyang stepped into the photo studio. A small bell rang softly, while the room carried a faint fragrance mixed with the smell of photographic chemicals. The lighting was dim and yellowish, and a small amount of dust floated in the air. He walked to the counter and looked at the shopkeeper with a polite smile, holding the roll of microfilm in his hand.

He spoke softly, his eyes focused and carrying a hint of anticipation. “Sir, here is a roll of film. Could you develop the photos and turn them into slides?” His tone was calm, yet it carried a firm resolve.

The shopkeeper looked down at the film, then raised his eyes and nodded. “Okay. When would you like to pick up the photos and slides?”

Lin Xiaoyang smiled slightly, reached into his pocket, took out a business card, and handed it over. “Call me when they’re ready. Here is my phone number.”

The shopkeeper took the business card, curiosity in his eyes. He then picked up a claim ticket from beside him, placed it on the counter, and said, “All right, please sign here.”

Lin Xiaoyang quickly wrote down his English name and handed the claim ticket back to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper tore off the receipt portion, handed it to him, and smiled. “Thank you. We’ll contact you as soon as everything is ready.”

Lin Xiaoyang took the receipt, nodded lightly, and turned to leave the photo studio. The glass door behind him gave a soft ding as he stepped outside. His pace was light and rhythmic. With a camera case slung diagonally across his body and a digital camera hanging around his neck, he rode his bicycle toward the shore of Lake Lucerne. The air was filled with the feeling of spring, and flowers of every kind were blooming in brilliant profusion. Two families were quietly enjoying a peaceful moment together on the grass.

Several children were playing on the lawn. A girl waved a colorful little pinwheel in her hand, while a boy happily played with a bamboo dragonfly. Lin Xiaoyang stopped his bicycle, gently placing the tip of his foot on the ground to steady himself. He quickly raised his camera and took several pictures of the innocent children. The sound of the shutter echoed through the quiet afternoon air. He then smiled and waved lightly to the two families in farewell.

“Have a nice day!” he called out.

As the bicycle started moving again, Lin Xiaoyang continued happily along the path beside Lake Lucerne. In the distance, the Reuss River divided the city into the new town and the old town, with buildings unfolding along both banks like a beautiful painting. He arrived at the famous Kapellbrücke, whose ancient wooden structure was filled with a sense of history. The water beneath the bridge was calm, while waterbirds and swans drifted leisurely across its surface.

From time to time, Lin Xiaoyang stopped and pointed his camera toward those graceful figures on the lake, pressing the shutter to capture each moment. The interplay of light and shadow across the lake changed constantly, while the birds’ wings shimmered in the sunlight. The beauty of this moment would remain forever captured through his lens.

“This is incredible...” Lin Xiaoyang murmured, his eyes shining with an immeasurable love for this city.