Chapter 29: Zhang Heng's Text Message (3)

Upon hearing these words from the front desk clerk, a young woman named Lingling, the middle-aged proprietress quickly walked down and approached the reception desk.

After arriving, she looked at Zhang Heng, who wore a peaceful and gentle expression, then turned to Lingling and said, "Lingling, how about this? Open up one of our 198-yuan rooms for this gentleman, but only charge him 100 yuan."

"Alright, alright, boss."

Hearing the proprietress, Zhang Heng found himself in a dilemma. Lingling then turned to him and asked, "Sir, please show me your ID card."

Zhang Heng looked at the proprietress and said, "Proprietress, thank you, but I really don't need to. I have a rule that I only stay in rooms I can afford with the money I have. I’ve always stuck to this while traveling. We are all down-to-earth people, so really, there is no need. Thank you."

"Oh, it’s fine, sir. I’m giving you a special discount on that room today. I hope you’ll have the chance to stay with us again in the future," the proprietress said to Zhang Heng, then turned to Lingling and asked, "Lingling, we still have one 198-yuan standard room left, right?"

"Yes, proprietress."

"Good, then give it to this gentleman."

"Understood."

Seeing he could not reverse the situation, Zhang Heng attempted a tactic to decline the offer. He looked at the proprietress and said, "Proprietress, you see, this is just my habit. I only like to pay for what I can afford. I don't want to break my own rules. If it’s not convenient for your establishment, I’ll go check somewhere else. Thank you."

Hearing this, the proprietress looked stunned.

Just then, three people entered the hotel: a man, a woman, and a child, appearing to be a family of three. Following closely behind were an elderly man and woman who seemed to be a couple. They headed straight for the reception desk.

Seeing this, Zhang Heng hurried to the side. He felt this might be a good opportunity to secure Room 204.

Lingling and the proprietress turned their attention to the five newcomers. The middle-aged man, who appeared to be the father, spoke up: "Hello, do you still have any special rate rooms or standard rooms?"

"Sir, we do. Please wait a moment while I check. We only have three rooms left: one at 898 yuan, which comes with a washing machine, a bathtub, and an office computer; one at 598 yuan, which has a washing machine but no computer; and one at 198 yuan, which has no amenities other than a bathroom where you can shower. Which would you like?"

"May I ask, are both the 598 and 198 rooms big-bed rooms? Is it a problem for two people to sleep in them?"

"Sir, rest assured, all our beds are large. Sleeping two, or even three people, is no problem at all."

"Fine, we’ll take the 598 and the 198 rooms."

"Proprietress, wasn't that 198-yuan room supposed to be for that gentleman?" Lingling asked, looking at her boss.

The proprietress nodded. "Yes."

"Very well."

"Please show your ID cards," Lingling said to the family of five. They complied, and after the registration was completed and the room keys handed over, the group walked inside.

Watching them leave, Zhang Heng returned to the front desk and said, "See? Now can you open a room for me that a guest just checked out of and hasn't been cleaned yet?"

Lingling remained silent, but the proprietress said, "Fine, give him one of the rooms that was vacated today." She then turned and headed back up the stairs.

"Hello, please show your ID," Lingling said. Zhang Heng handed over his document. As she took it, Lingling suddenly remembered something and called out to the staircase where the proprietress had just gone, "Proprietress!"

The proprietress stopped and walked back down. "What is it?"

"Which room should I assign to this gentleman? We have several that were just vacated today—two at 898, three at 598, and one at 198."

"Just give him that 198-yuan room," the proprietress said calmly.

"Wait, hold on!" Zhang Heng said, feeling anxious. He didn't know the price of Room 204, and since the hotel didn't display prices, he couldn't afford to make a mistake once he chose. His rational mind urged him to ask.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask, what are the room numbers for the ones just vacated? Could you tell me?"

"Are you staying or not?" The proprietress looked at him with annoyance, sensing that Zhang Heng did not seem like a genuine guest.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just wanted to know for my own information. It doesn't matter if it’s inconvenient for you to tell me. I’m very grateful that you’re selling me this discounted room," Zhang Heng said hurriedly, fearing he had revealed a flaw.

"Lingling, check the room numbers and tell him," the proprietress said.

"Hello, sir, the room number for the 198-yuan room is 204..."

Upon hearing that the only 198-yuan room was indeed 204, Zhang Heng felt a surge of joy.

"The three 598-yuan rooms are 306..." Lingling continued.

Zhang Heng interrupted, "That’s enough, thank you. Just give me 204. Can I pay via WeChat?"

"Sure, open your QR code and I'll scan you."

Zhang Heng completed the check-in for Room 204. Holding the key card, he felt a sense of relief; his wits had successfully secured the room.

After getting the card and retrieving his ID, he followed the staff's directions to Room 204. He swiped the card, entered, and immediately locked the door behind him.

The room smelled strange. Looking toward the bed, he saw it was filthy: discarded burger wrappers, an empty cola cup, and half-eaten fries and chicken bones were strewn across the sheets. The floor was also a mess, covered in sunflower seed shells and used tissues, with puddles of yellow liquid in places. Most disgusting of all was a used condom on the desk facing the bed.

He sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a mix of amusement and revulsion. He checked his phone; it was 7:58 PM, and his battery was at 1%. He pulled his charger from his coat pocket and plugged it into the outlet by the bed.

He decided to quickly tidy up the room to stay the night, then check his messages and follow the instructions tomorrow. He was exhausted from traveling between two cities. He went to the front desk to ask for cleaning supplies, then returned to clean the room.

After discarding the most offensive waste, he returned the tools and asked for some laundry detergent and disposable toiletries. He took a shower, setting his dirty clothes aside to wash later, then climbed onto the bed.

His phone was now fully charged, and two new text messages had arrived. He unplugged the phone, got onto the bed, and checked the messages. Both were sent within the last five minutes. He opened the first one:

(Zhang Heng, we have seen you. You have checked into Room 204. Please take the letter from under the mattress and read it. Reply within ten minutes.)

He felt confused. No one knew he had checked in except the clerk and the proprietress. How did they know? If they knew he was there, they must be nearby. Why didn't they just come to him?

Regardless, he followed their instructions and lifted the mattress. Sure enough, there was a sealed letter. He retrieved it, then checked the second message:

(Comrade Zhang Heng, we hope for a pleasant cooperation. We await your reply.)

He set his phone aside and tore open the letter. It read:

(Zhang Heng, first, I salute you. You are the only police officer we admire. After graduating from the police academy, you single-handedly cracked the organ trafficking case at the capital’s Public Security Bureau, which is impressive. That is why your superiors handed this case to you. Since you are here, we will not hide the truth: the detectives who came before you, including renowned criminal experts, were all scared off by us. To save their reputations, they claimed the case was too complex. In reality, we forced them away through temptation, coercion, and intimidation.

Since you have arrived, we will offer you a final courtesy: this letter. If you retreat now, we guarantee that we will add another 50,000 to the 50,000 we already gave you—100,000 in total as a reward for your "lost lamb" return. If you do not turn back, we need not describe how serious the consequences will be. First, that 50,000 in dirty money in your account is enough to get you in trouble. Second, we have all the information on your family. Finally, if you do not turn back, whether you can leave this city—or even this province—is uncertain. Reply now. End.)

Zhang Heng felt a chill run down his spine, but he remembered he had come to the provincial capital of Taiyuan to meet his brother, Liang Song. He typed a reply:

(Hello, I want to clarify that I came to Taiyuan to meet my brother, Liang Song. I have read your letter, but you must ensure his safety and health so I can see him. Only then will I give you my answer, which will be beneficial to both parties.)

He sent the message and waited. Two or three minutes later, a reply arrived:

(Ha, we expected this. To show our sincerity, here is a gift: an item belonging to Liang Song is in the left drawer of the nightstand. However, to see him in person, you must follow our previous demand: no contact with the police or anyone else. We are monitoring your communications. Reply if you agree.)

He opened the drawer and found Liang Song’s phone. He tried to turn it on, but it wouldn't boot. He set it aside and replied:

(Fine, I promise not to contact anyone until I see Liang Song. I request that you let me see him as soon as possible.)

A few minutes later, the reply came:

(Agreed. You will see him by noon tomorrow. Get some sleep. Set an alarm for 7:00 AM; we will send instructions then. Remember your promise: no contact with anyone. Reply if received.)

He felt a mix of joy and anxiety. He replied:

(Received. Thank you. I will be waiting by my phone before 7:00 AM.)

Two minutes later, the final message arrived:

(Good. You can use the 50,000 we sent to treat yourself to a nice dinner. We advise you not to order delivery or change rooms, as that would violate your promise of no contact. Sleep well. No need to reply.)

He felt a strange warmth, then realized he was hungry. He put on his clothes and headed out, planning to find a restaurant, get a foot massage, and then return to wait for tomorrow.

He found a restaurant that served local specialties like knife-cut noodles. Inside, he ordered stir-fried peppers and eggs, Kung Pao chicken, fish-flavored shredded pork, and a deluxe bowl of knife-cut noodles.

While eating, a group of construction workers sat nearby. One of them, nicknamed "Xiao Qiang," was arguing over the disposable bowls. The older worker, Liu, told him to calm down. Xiao Qiang complained that he hadn't eaten all day. When the older man noted that Xiao Qiang usually wasn't this desperate, Xiao Qiang replied, "I was just acting before; today I'm truly starving."

"Acting?" The word struck Zhang Heng. Could the video of Liang Song devouring food have been a performance? He had never seen Liang Song eat like that, even when starving. And he hadn't seen Liang Song's face in the video.

He pulled out his phone to re-watch the video, but the message had been recalled.

A chill gripped his heart.