Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 1224 - 24: We Don’t Serve Your Kind Here (Part 2)
"What do you mean you can’t find my name?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen took off his glasses and furrowed his brows, scrutinizing the blonde, blue-eyed receptionist.
She had just boasted to the students, claiming to know many people in Xiangjiang, that she could eat anywhere for free, and if she stayed in a hotel, it had to be the most luxurious. She insisted she wouldn’t compromise on this trip.
But here she was, being told they didn’t recognize her and her name wasn’t on the VIP list. Heavenly Monarch Chen felt a bit embarrassed.
"I’m sorry, ma’am, we updated our VIP list three years ago, and perhaps you weren’t notified at the time."
The receptionist spoke politely, but it was clear to everyone that she was a bit indifferent and impatient.
"Maybe we should try the one at the bottom of the hill."
Zhou Tianjun, who had been silent all along, couldn’t help but whisper.
Zhou Tianjun was quite plain-looking, the kind of man you couldn’t pick out in a crowd. He wasn’t talkative or sociable and seemed a bit like he had autism.
He practiced minimalism, speaking only when necessary and avoiding unnecessary actions wherever possible.
Traveling from Penglai here, he hadn’t even bothered to ask for Li Mumu’s name.
"No way! Since we’re here, how can I leave with a bruised ego?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen felt quite embarrassed, tilted his head as he pondered, and asked the receptionist, "Isn’t your hotel’s owner named Alexander?"
The receptionist smiled and shook her head, "No, you must be mistaken."
"Me, mistaken?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen said irritably, "You must be new here. Has the owner changed?"
The receptionist shook her head and said, "If you don’t wish to check-in, please step aside and don’t hold up the line for other guests."
There wasn’t any guest at all behind.
Heavenly Monarch Chen glanced behind him; there was no one else there, and the hotel was large, not just your single reception desk.
Li Mumu, holding Xiao Die’s hand, stood aside and couldn’t help saying, "Professor Chen, I have cash with me. Why don’t we settle in first and then consider other matters?"
She realized that Heavenly Monarch Chen hadn’t brought any money on this trip.
But now wasn’t the time to get bogged down by such things, considering their status, why waste time over this?
Li Mumu always believed that problems solvable with money weren’t really problems.
She opened her wallet, took out a stack of banknotes, and placed them in front of the receptionist, "We’d like six rooms, please."
The receptionist glanced at the banknotes and smiled, "I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t accept this currency."
Li Mumu: "?"
She took out the new bills issued by the Government of the Ming Country, officially released only this year, and it was understandable if the people from the South didn’t recognize it.
She then switched to the old colorful banknotes and handed them over.
"We don’t accept any currency from the Ming Country."
Li Mumu: "???"
Issued by Xingguo Bank, circulated throughout the Oceanic region, and you don’t accept it?
"You wouldn’t also refuse checks redeemable at Pacific Bank, would you?"
When the receptionist saw Li Mumu genuinely pull out the checkbook, a tinge of nervousness involuntarily crossed her face.
Earlier, she might have used various reasons to discriminate against these northern yokels, but the moment the checkbook came out, it was beyond what she could handle.
"Please hold for a moment while I contact the supervisor."
"Junior Sister Chu."
As the receptionist turned to find the supervisor, Ji Yan couldn’t help but say, "There’s no need to wrangle with them, their attitude shows they don’t want us to check-in. Everything else is just an excuse."
"Things change, indeed!"
Heavenly Monarch Chen sighed repeatedly, "Back then, when I was researching vaccines here, staying at their hotel was a favor to them. Their owner couldn’t even dream of fetching me my shoes. Barely a few years have passed, and my old face isn’t recognized anymore. It’s truly disgraceful, utterly humiliating."
At this time, the receptionist returned with the lobby manager—a foreigner as well—who gracefully took a glance at Li Mumu’s check and shook his head, "Apologies, ma’am, your check isn’t issued by the local Pacific Bank, so I can’t verify its authenticity or provide service."
"Let’s go."
Heavenly Monarch Chen turned and left.
Anyone could see that the hilltop hotel simply didn’t want to entertain them.
Li Mumu’s previous remark had made her hold back for a while, but now she didn’t want to tolerate it any longer.
Why endure such indignity?
The group exited the hotel lobby, and Heavenly Monarch Chen looked back at the hotel with a cold laugh, without saying a word.
Li Mumu clearly heard something inside shattering with a snap.
The sound wasn’t physical, so the ordinary folks present were completely unaware of it.
At this juncture, a young man wearing a gown, with a warm smile, approached and greeted Heavenly Monarch Chen with a clasped fist, "Esteemed guests, having traveled from afar, you mustn’t have found accommodations yet?"
"Who are you?"
"My surname is Yang, and I’m the manager of Xiangjiang Hotel at the bottom of the hill. If you haven’t found a place yet, why not come check out our place? We have a shuttle right at the entrance to take you down the hill."
Heavenly Monarch Chen laughed, "Bringing your business right to someone’s door, aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?"
The young man shook his head, "It’s not that we’re aggressively drumming up business. You must have experienced firsthand that the hilltop hotel isn’t accepting guests recently. If they themselves are unwilling to entertain guests, how can it be said we’re taking their business?"
"That’s new indeed."
Yin Nan couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Yang, running a hotel business but not accepting guests, is there a special VIP visiting or something?"
"Not exactly, they must have their reasons for what they’re doing."
The young man smiled, "Judging by your accents, you’re not locals, so you might not be familiar with the local situation. The hilltop hotel was built with investment from Western merchants and used to exclusively serve foreign business guests while showing contempt for us Chinese. Also, with the local epidemic spreading recently, the hilltop hotel is even more reluctant to entertain Chinese guests. Although they don’t state it upfront, they’ll always find excuses to decline."
"Darn it, this is Xiangjiang! I’d think it was Europe if you didn’t say otherwise. How do they have such gall?"
Being young and impulsive, Yin Nan was instantly infuriated upon hearing this.
Li Mumu just wanted to tell him; foreigners are like that.
Discrimination is something you find everywhere, but our people’s humility often provides some cover, whereas foreigners don’t even bother pretending.
"Indeed, there are some explanations for that."
The young man nodded, "It’s said that during the Xiangjiang plague outbreak, the owner hired spiritual monks from India at great expense to arrange three layers of Heavenly Mother’s plague-deterring scriptures throughout the hotel, so guests had no fear of contagion. Naturally, many high officials and nobles treated the hotel as a sanctuary, deeming it unnecessary to cater to ordinary guests."
"An Indian monk? They’ve found just the right person, haven’t they?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen laughed loudly, "Alright, young Yang, take us and show us what your Xiangjiang Hotel has to offer. I remember it used to be called Hongyan Building, didn’t it?"
The young man’s expression subtly changed, but he quickly covered it with a laugh, "Yes, indeed. I didn’t expect you to be an old friend. I’ve only heard of Hongyan Building from the older generation. Few from the current generation know about it. Just for those three words, I’ll personally host a banquet for you as you arrive and clear away the dust. Please do not decline."
"You’re hosting a banquet?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen sneered, "Who is Yang Songxian to you?"
The young man’s face changed again, immediately bowing his head, "That would be my father. May I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?"
Heavenly Monarch Chen waved his hand, "No need to make relations; I’m not that close to your family. Go prepare the best rooms for me, and your payment won’t be short."
