The Ultimate Revenge System

7. Encounter

"Let her handle your luggage, Mr. Rupert," Mr. Rocky instructed Anne to take my belongings, but I declined.

"I'm sorry, I prefer to carry it myself," I politely refused, as the documents I carried were very valuable.

"Very well then, we welcome you, and we're pleased you've chosen our inn. We'll provide the best service possible. Allow me to assist you with the check-in process," Anne gestured gracefully, inviting me to the counter displaying “information and receptionist” inside.

Anne sat in front of her computer, her fingers agilely pressing the keyboard. The summer season had made the air warmer; I noticed the fan at the counter was broken, with screws and bolts scattered to the side. Sweat trickled down Anne's forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. Perhaps unable to bear the heat, she then gathered her long wavy hair atop her head, revealing her slender and graceful neck.

The image of my fingers slipping down that neck, pulling her into a passionate kiss, invaded my mind. Her lips, in the midst of softly murmuring while typing, turned a delicate shade of pink, tempting beyond belief!

I was lost in this wild daydream when her cheerful and friendly voice shattered it. She smiled as she caught my gaze, and I cursed my intrusive mind, yet her smile warmed my heart again.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Mr. Rupert. Will you be paying in cash or by credit?"

"Ahem. Cash."

"There's no mention of your length of stay here. Could you please indicate how long you plan to stay?"

"True, this is the amount I can provide as a down payment. How long would it cover? Oh, and I've also booked the breakfast and dinner package."

Anne's face brightened; she received the $900 I had obtained from my earlier reward. On my way here, I had withdrawn cash from an ATM.

"The accommodation package with breakfast and dinner amounts to $50/night, Sir, and I've reserved it for 18 days."

"Perfect."

"Lastly, we'll need your ID."

"Is there an option for us to make things comfortable for each other? Feel free to fill in anything you like in that field, and I promise to be an unobtrusive tenant." I said it with a serious tone.

Anne's smile suddenly disappeared; she exhaled heavily and, without protest, entered a random name and ID number.

"Alright, done, Sir."

"Thank you," this time I gave her a wide smile, but Anne avoided my gaze.

"Pops! Mr. Rupert is ready to head to his room." she yelled to her grandfather.

With slow steps, Mr. Rocky approached Anne, who handed him the room key and gestured for me to follow him. I grimaced, imagining how long it would take to get to my room.

"Hihihi..." Anne chuckled, seeing my awkward steps trailing behind her grandfather. She was definitely having fun at my expense!

Judging from the old-fashioned wooden furniture, faded yet clean fabric, and porcelain that seemed decades old, the inn was struggling to keep running.

The long corridor was dimly lit; I winced at the sight of the long staircase leading upwards, then breathed a sigh of relief as Mr. Rocky passed it. Only God knows how long it would take us to climb if my room was on the upper floor. We passed several closed doors; my ears caught some activity from one of the rooms – the sound of a chair scraping. Mr. Rocky halted beside that room and bent down to peer through the keyhole.

My patience was truly being tested; my back was eager to be stretched out. After what felt like an eternity, I heard a melodious sound.

Click.

Yes! Finally!

"Please, Sir. May your rest be comfortable... Oh, and the hot water might take a while to run, as we use an older heating system."

"Thank you for the information, Sir. In this summer season, I prefer cold water. Good night."

Mr. Rocky nodded briefly, then turned around. I closed the door and immediately locked it. The room had the aroma of old wood, but at least it wasn't damp. The air circulation seemed to be functioning well. My assumption was confirmed when I pulled back the heavy curtains, revealing a wide window facing the backyard garden with its fish pond and vegetable patch. The scent of grass and soil mingled with the lively chorus of crickets – it was perfect.

The room was spacious, stretching about 6x8 meters. The bathroom was near the entrance; a queen-sized bed with a wooden frame occupied the center of the room, flanked by nightstands and bedside lamps on either side. A sturdy wooden wardrobe with Z-shaped carvings – Z for Zane – stood in one corner, a name I symbol scattered everywhere. Interestingly, the inn was named Turin.

I turned off the air conditioner and let the warm night air of summer flow into my room. The sound of a chair scraping in the next room still resonated, its rhythm constant as if the person next door was lost in thought, for I didn't hear the sound of a television.

Without wasting much time, I concentrated on studying the documents from Mr. Burrow on the corner table. I let the papers spread out before me.

'What can I do to retaliate against them?' I asked the system.

[Well, you might be interested in the plan I've come up with for you]

'Explain.'

A slideshow presentation from the system appeared in front of me, and I watched it while reclining on the wrinkled bed, which struggled to support my weight.

I'm not sure when exactly, but suddenly my consciousness faded away, drawn into the realm of dreams.

It felt like I had just closed my eyes, yet my instincts sent a signal of alertness, telling me that the room where I had fallen asleep was no longer empty. A thief, perhaps?! I remembered the documents from Mr. Burrow that were still exposed on the table and immediately sat up straight.

"Woah! You startled me," snapped a man with a terrifying face, marred by burn scars. He had been examining the scattered documents.

"Who are you!" I immediately grabbed his collar and cornered him against the wall.

"Wait, sorry if I'm bold, I was just curious about my neighbor's room," both of the man's hands went up.

"Give me a good reason before I make you taste my fist and knock your teeth out."

"I was just investigating whether you're a friend or foe,"

"Why should I care?!"

"Because... This is where we gather. The victims of Merrick Corp." The man nodded towards the stack of documents on the table with his eyes.

"Bullshit."

"My name is Dr. Bertha, well, Berthold. I know everyone listed in the documents you brought, did Burrow send you here?"

Okay, now all these intertwined events seemed too odd to be coincidences.

'Is what he's saying true?' I asked the system.

[True]

'Is that why the search results for motels you provided earlier placed this one at the very bottom of the list, with slightly larger font size than the others?'

[You're quite observant, I'll give you points for that]

[Ding! Congratulations, a reward of $2,000 has been deposited into your account]

'Why didn't you just tell me directly?'

[Where's the fun in that]

I rolled my eyes mentally at it.

[Apologies, the emoji you sent cannot be read by the system]

'Are you categorized as female?' I asked, as his way of answering made me think of my sister Helen.

[... I am a gender-neutral system]

I then released my grip on Dr. Bertha, who turned out to be a man. Who would have thought?

"What happened to your face?" I asked Dr. Bertha.