’A thousand a night?’

Melody Summers could hardly believe it.

The Oceanus Hotel wasn’t as prestigious as the Nimbus Hotel, but it was still a five-star luxury hotel. A price like that would have been impossible even before the disaster, so how could it be so cheap now?

There was no such thing as a free lunch. Melody Summers sensed a hint of danger in the man’s smile. She shook her head warily and said, "That won’t be necessary. We’ve already booked a hotel, and we’ve already paid."

The rest of the Summers family then began to get out of the car with their luggage. Seeing so many people emerge, the man said nothing more, turned, and left.

Colin Summers had vaguely overheard their conversation. He glanced at the man’s hastily retreating back and asked Melody, "Melody, did he say that hotel across the street, the Oceanus, is only a thousand a night? So how much is this place we booked? Is it a lot more expensive?"

Melody didn’t dare tell him the real price. Five hundred thousand a night was terrifying, and she was afraid of scaring her family. Steeling herself, she came up with a lie. "Sophie Thorne pulled some strings for us. We got a discount, so it’s just ten thousand a day."

Even so, the Summers family was stunned by the price. ’Ten thousand a day? That’s two or three months’ salary for a normal person! A few days here and a whole year’s wages would be gone!’

Seeing their shocked expressions, Melody instantly regretted quoting such a high price. She quickly tried to reassure them, "It’s fine, I’ve still got some money. Let’s go check in first."

Though the family was internally shocked, Melody was the one making all the decisions now, so they didn’t say anything more. They simply followed her upstairs to check in.

The receptionist saw Melody Summers’s reservation and enthusiastically arranged for a bellhop to help with their luggage before personally leading them to the luxury suite.

The elevator rode all the way up to the 36th floor. The bellhop led them to suite 36-02, bowing as he explained to Melody and her family:

"The Nimbus Hotel welcomes our distinguished guests. This is a deluxe presidential three-bedroom suite. The hotel has a buffet restaurant offering a complimentary three-meal buffet daily, plus afternoon tea. If you’d rather not go to the restaurant, you can also order à la carte, and we will deliver it directly to your room."

The suite was originally a two-bedroom, but since the disaster began, many people had come seeking shelter with their whole families in tow. The hotel had responded by modifying some rooms, partitioning the living rooms of many suites to add an extra bedroom.

"Alright, thank you," Melody replied.

The bellhop smiled and bowed again. "You’re very welcome. If any of you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call the front desk. I will leave you to rest now."

After the bellhop left, the Summers family began to look around the luxurious suite.

It was every bit the luxury suite of a five-star hotel. The decor was obviously professionally designed—spacious, bright, and elegantly furnished. Every detail radiated quality and class. Even the wall sconces were as beautiful as works of art, casting a warm, soft glow.

Grace Sutton was clicking her tongue in amazement at the suite. She walked to the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows, pulled back the gray, floral-patterned curtains, and looked down. The river below had run dry, its bed completely exposed.

A wave of sadness washed over Grace. ’I wonder when this extreme heat and drought will ever end,’ she thought. With a sigh, she slowly drew the curtains closed again.

The family quickly divided up the rooms. Their grandmother and Miss Lowell took one room, Winnie and Melody Summers took another, while Colin and Grace chose the one closest to the main door so they could be the first to react if anything happened.

Once the rooms were chosen, the family began to unpack. Melody placed Albus and its cat bed on the soft carpet. The white cat stretched lazily before curling up inside and closing its eyes to rest.

After he finished unpacking, Colin Summers sat on the soft bed, his mind racing. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret over the ten-thousand-a-night fee.

’Ten thousand a day... that’s 150,000 for half a month. Even if he and Grace worked hard for a whole year without spending a dime, they might not be able to save that much.’

The more Colin thought about it, the worse he felt. Then, he suddenly remembered the man from the underground garage.

’If that guy was telling the truth... if a room at the Oceanus Hotel is really only a thousand a night... we could save over a hundred thousand in one fell swoop!’

The temptation was too great for Colin Summers to resist. He told Grace Sutton he was going downstairs to look around, then quietly slipped out, crossed the street, and headed for the Oceanus Hotel.

Melody was in her room helping Winnie unpack when her phone suddenly buzzed. She picked it up and saw it was a message from Zane Simmons.

Zane said the wildfire on the back mountain was threatening to spread and that it would be best to evacuate. He asked if Melody needed any help.

Melody replied that she had already booked a hotel and checked in with her family.

After sending her reply, Melody stepped out of the room and noticed Colin was gone. She paused, then asked Grace Sutton, "Aunt Grace, where’s Uncle Colin?"

Grace Sutton answered while still unpacking, "Oh, him. He just can’t sit still, insisted on going out for a walk. Just let him be. You worry about yourself, don’t mind him."

Melody still felt uneasy. It wasn’t safe outside; there were reports of looting and rioting everywhere. She worried that Colin might find trouble.

*

Meanwhile, Colin Summers had reached the Oceanus Hotel, just across the street from the Nimbus.

The Oceanus Hotel’s decor was just as grand as the Nimbus Hotel’s, but unlike the Nimbus, several young, beautiful hostesses stood at its entrance.

They wore short, white, lace-trimmed cheongsams, their hair was elegantly pinned up, and their makeup was exquisite.

When they saw Colin Summers approaching, they looked up to size him up. Upon seeing his plain attire, they turned their heads away and paid him no mind.

Colin didn’t mind. He walked up to the front desk alone and asked the receptionist tentatively, "Are you accepting check-ins right now? How much for your cheapest single room?"

The receptionist glanced up at Colin and replied with a smile, "Hello, sir. Yes, we are. The cheapest single room is two hundred thousand a night."

Colin was stunned. ’Two hundred thousand a night?! I couldn’t make that much in two years!’

He thought he must have misheard, so he asked the receptionist to confirm the price several times. When he realized it really was two hundred thousand a night, his jaw dropped in astonishment. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Once the shock subsided, Colin asked hesitantly, "But... I thought it was a thousand a night? I just ran into one of your people in the Nimbus Hotel’s garage. We’d already checked in over there, but he told me it was really cheap here, so I came to ask."

The receptionist had initially pegged Colin as someone who couldn’t afford a room and was about to dismiss him. But when he mentioned he had already checked into the Nimbus Hotel, her opinion shifted. Perhaps he was one of those discreetly wealthy types.

So, the receptionist put on another polite, practiced smile and explained, "Here at the Oceanus Hotel, we have different price points for different clientele. For you, sir, the rate is indeed two hundred thousand a night."

Colin was completely baffled. "It’s the same check-in process," he asked, confused. "Why do you treat people differently?"

The receptionist giggled, covering her mouth. She looked up at Colin, giving him a slow blink. Her smile was loaded with implication, and her tone turned sultry. "Different services come at different prices, of course. Rest assured, sir, we can provide... *special* services you won’t find at the Nimbus Hotel. I guarantee you’ll find it well worth the price!"

Seeing the receptionist’s sultry, suggestive gaze, a chill ran down Colin’s spine. A sudden, inexplicable fear washed over him, and he shivered violently.

Just then, a pot-bellied middle-aged man who was clearly rich and influential approached, flanked by two hostesses in white lace cheongsams, ready to check in.

The receptionist immediately turned to attend to the new arrival, ignoring Colin completely.

Seeing this, Colin didn’t dare ask any more questions. He turned and hurried out of the Oceanus Hotel.

*

The intense heat outside quickly dispelled the chill in Colin’s heart. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves before heading back to suite 36-02 at the Nimbus Hotel.

Seeing Colin return safely, Melody and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Melody asked, "Uncle, where were you? It’s not safe outside. You really shouldn’t be leaving the hotel."

"I just went to the Oceanus Hotel," Colin replied, a look of confusion on his face. "That guy in the garage said a room at the Oceanus was only a thousand a night, right? I figured if it was that cheap, we could save a lot of money, so I went over to ask."

"But when I got there, the receptionist told me their cheapest room was two hundred thousand a night. She also said they have different prices for different people."

Melody frowned. The same hotel had quoted two vastly different prices to her and her uncle, and the gap was enormous. Something was definitely fishy about that place.

’If someone is offered a product for only one percent of its actual price, then who is the real product?’

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially not in a place run by capitalists.

A chill crept into Melody’s heart. She couldn’t help but think of the criminal organization that had killed her in her past life. She figured there was a good chance the Oceanus Hotel was just as shady.

Melody made a mental note. Her whole family was staying here now; she couldn’t drag them into trouble. But she quietly filed the incident away, planning to pass the information on to the police once they left.

*

After unpacking, the Summers family rested for a while. When lunchtime approached, they all went down to the buffet restaurant together.

"Excuse me, are pets allowed inside?" Melody asked the restaurant manager, holding Albus.

The manager looked at the well-behaved little white cat in Melody’s arms and nodded. "Just please keep a close watch on it. Don’t let it run around or disturb the other guests."

Melody nodded.

The Nimbus Hotel’s buffet had an incredible spread of both Chinese and Western dishes. Outside, a single vegetable was a rare find, but here, the ingredients were so plentiful it was as if the disaster had never happened.

Guests were scattered about in small groups, dining and conversing in low voices. The restaurant wasn’t crowded; it seemed many had chosen to dine in their rooms.

As Colin Summers picked up a plate, he muttered, "Ten thousand a day. At this price, we need to eat our fill. We have to get our money’s worth."

Grace Sutton laughed. "Vegetables are astronomically expensive these days. For our whole family to have a feast like this... this one meal alone probably makes up for the cost."

The whole family eagerly grabbed plates and started picking out their favorite foods. Melody also got a plate, intending to get some fruit for everyone.

She had just reached the dessert and fruit section when she overheard a customer complaining to the restaurant manager.

"Manager, the fruit selection has been terrible these last few days. It’s just the same few things, either apples or melons. I’m spending tens of millions to stay at your hotel, and this is the kind of stuff you fob me off with?"