Alai and his companions returned to the inn and explained their situation to the welcoming innkeeper.
Upon hearing that they had missed the last bus, the innkeeper quickly served them tea and sunflower seeds, asking them to wait in the lobby while he arranged their rooms.
Fangfang noticed two men sitting at a table in the corner, behaving suspiciously. They were smoking and drinking tea, occasionally glancing over at their group. She quickly whispered to Alai, "I saw those two at the bus station. They brushed past me and even tried to take advantage of me. I didn't expect them to follow us here."
Alai dismissed her concern with a chuckle, "With the Thunder God by your side, what are you afraid of?"
A short while later, the innkeeper led them upstairs and opened two adjacent rooms—Room 007 and Room 008. After settling them in, he went back downstairs to tend to his other tasks.
Downstairs, the innkeeper politely approached the two men in the corner and said, "It's getting late, and the weather's turning bad. It's about to rain. You should head home soon; we're closing up for the night." He started placing chairs on the tables, preparing to clean up.
One of the men sneered, "What, you trying to kick us out?"
The other man coldly added, "Give us a room next to those monks, the one in Room 007."
The innkeeper's heart sank. He replied calmly, "I'm sorry, but all the rooms are taken."
The first man's eyes flashed with anger as he stood up. "I'll smash your place up if you don't find us a room!"
The innkeeper, realizing he had no choice, quickly tried to appease them. "Let me check again."
The second man grabbed the innkeeper's hand, slipping a ten-yuan note into his palm. "No need to check. We want Room 007. I like the number, and the location is perfect. It's an excellent room, so make it happen."
Seeing the innkeeper hesitate, the man handed him another ten-yuan note.
With no other option, the innkeeper quietly went back upstairs and knocked on Alai's door, explaining the situation.
He told them that these two men were local troublemakers, known for being idle and causing problems. The innkeeper didn't want to provoke them.
Alai, though irritated, didn't want to cause trouble for the innkeeper either. He sensed that these two men were up to no good and, for safety, decided to let Fangfang take his room while he and the monks shared the other room.
Since Alai, Miyuki, and Mirei would be meditating through the night, he suggested that Fangfang stay in his room for the night.
The innkeeper, relieved that the issue was resolved, happily went downstairs and signaled the two men to follow him. He then settled them into Room 007.
After finishing the cleaning, the innkeeper noticed the wind picking up outside and quickly closed the door.
As he was locking up, he spotted several shadowy figures lingering near the entrance. They vanished as soon as he shut the door.
Suddenly alert, the innkeeper quietly went to the back courtyard and locked the small iron gate.
Just then, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, revealing several men crouching nearby. Startled, the innkeeper quickly closed the gate and rushed back to the lobby, gulping down some tea to calm his nerves.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Alai had gotten himself into trouble again and was now being targeted. He feared that something terrible was going to happen tonight.
But what could he do? With the wind and rain outside, where could he send Alai and his friends?
The inn was surrounded. Even if they tried to leave now, it would be too late!
"Sigh," the innkeeper sighed deeply, blaming himself for not noticing sooner that they had been followed.
He quickly prepared some tea, fruit, and snacks, then carried the tray upstairs to Alai's room. He noticed the two men from Room 007 peering out suspiciously.
One of the men stepped out and blocked the innkeeper's path, speaking in a low voice, "Those folks in Room 008 are your old friends, aren't they?"
"People come and go, and only the regulars know the owner. I'm just a worker. Who remembers me, and who do I remember?" the innkeeper replied, feigning ignorance.
"You're sucking up to them with all this food and drink, and you think you can fool me?"
"This was ordered and paid for by the guest. You can't say that's unfair, can you?" the innkeeper explained helplessly.
The second man took out another twenty yuan and tossed it onto the tray. "My brother here was just joking. We're hungry too. Bring us the same."
"Sure thing!" the innkeeper replied, slinging his towel over his shoulder and knocking on Room 008.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Seeing this, the two men retreated to their room.
The innkeeper entered Alai's room, locked the door behind him, and quickly told them everything he had seen and heard. He urged them to think of a plan quickly before leaving to deliver the snacks to Room 007.
Alai grabbed his hand before he left and said, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. You're close to Brother Wu, so you're like family to me."
Alai handed him two hundred yuan and said, "Uncle Zhao, when you come back, just bring a pack of Nine-Five Supreme cigarettes."
"Sure thing!" The innkeeper nodded knowingly and left the room without another word.
Miyuki and Mirei looked to Alai for direction, unsure of what to do.
Fangfang, pale with fear, suggested, "Alai, shouldn't we call the police?"
Alai calmly replied, "They haven't made a move yet. What good would it do to call the police now?"
"Then we'll call the police as soon as they do."
"And when they make their move, will we still have a chance to fight back? By the time the police arrive, we might already be down, and they'll be long gone."
"Even so, it's better to call the police than not, right?"
"Call the police this time, but what about the next time? They'll find another place to ambush me. You can't guard against every attack. Do you understand what I mean?"
Fangfang fell silent, unable to argue.
Alai smiled slightly. "At a critical moment, your IQ drops to zero, doesn't it?"
"You… you can still joke?" Fangfang exclaimed, frustrated.
"Let's just focus on the task at hand. Don't overthink it, or you'll just make things worse!"
Mirei said, "With the two of us here, we'll protect you with our lives if necessary!"
Miyuki added, "Alai, just give the order."
Alai calmly said, "Strike first."
Fangfang, alarmed, said, "If you do that, you'll be in serious trouble."
"Quiet!" Alai snapped. "One more word, and you're out of here!"
Fangfang felt that Alai had changed since leaving the hospital—he had become more assertive, even domineering. She couldn't put her finger on it but felt a mix of emotions. Unable to respond, she remained silent.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Hearing the urgent knock on the door, Alai quickly opened it just a crack.
The innkeeper slipped in with the tray, handed the pack of cigarettes to Alai, and asked anxiously, "Have you thought of a plan?"
Alai asked him about the layout of the inn, the location of the electrical panel, and the activities of the guests that night.
The innkeeper answered all his questions.
"Good, Uncle Zhao. No matter what happens, just act like you didn't see or hear anything, okay?"
"Of course, you can count on that," the innkeeper assured.
Alai whispered something in the innkeeper's ear, and the man nodded before quietly leaving the room.
Alai then pulled out a notebook from Fangfang's purse and scribbled a few words, signing it with "Thunder God." He then took a utility knife from his bag, made a small cut on his finger, and pressed a drop of blood onto the note.
He tore the note from the notebook and slipped it into his pocket.
Turning to Fangfang, he said, "I'm sorry, but I need you to stay here and watch the room. I'll need your phone."
Fangfang was confused but realized he was confiscating her phone to prevent her from calling the police. Seeing the cold determination in his eyes, she reluctantly handed it over.
Alai took the phone, told Miyuki to grab his bag, and signaled Mirei, "Let's move."
They opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.