Chapter 39: Opening the Door

From the outside, this hotel did not appear to be anything fancy; in fact, it looked rather ordinary.
How should I get inside?
This was the dilemma that flashed through Jiang Zheng’s mind.
He was not a guest here, so if he simply walked in, it was likely someone would question him. And if he couldn't come up with a convincing answer, all his efforts would be wasted.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He quickly caught up with two people ahead.
Originally, he had been following them at a distance, but now he deliberately closed the gap, walking very close behind.
The two men took no notice of Jiang Zheng’s presence, assuming he was a guest as well.
At the front desk, seeing the three of them together—especially since the other two were carrying large bags—the clerk assumed they were a group, and had no suspicions.
Thus, in a swirl of small misunderstandings, Jiang Zheng boldly walked into the hotel with the other two.
Inside the elevator, Jiang Zheng watched as they pressed the button for the third floor and said, “What a coincidence, you’re on the third floor too?”
One of them turned and smiled, “You as well?”
“Yes,” Jiang Zheng nodded.
“Small world,” the man replied.
The conversation didn’t go further. Between strangers, a few words were enough—no need to say more.
Jiang Zheng wiped the sweat from his palms; he had been a little nervous just now.
Fortunately, they hadn’t asked him which room he was staying in, or he would have been exposed—he had no idea which rooms this hotel had.
When they exited the elevator, neither man suspected Jiang Zheng of following them.
After all, what kind of stalker would approach those he was tailing, walk ahead of them, and even greet them?
Jiang Zheng watched as they entered room 306. After a while, he approached the door, pressing his ear to it.
He had no idea if he’d be able to hear anything; if the hotel had good soundproofing, he’d have no choice but to knock.
In any case, he decided to try.
To his surprise, not only could Jiang Zheng hear, he could hear quite clearly.
This was partly due to the hotel’s poor soundproofing, but also because the people inside were speaking loudly.
“Is everything you said true?”
Jiang Zheng immediately recognized the voice as Tao Luna’s.
So Tao Luna was really here?
Jiang Zheng felt a surge of joy, followed by suspicion—how had she been duped into coming here?
He had considered knocking, but now paused, choosing to listen a little longer.

Then a man’s voice sounded: “Miss, I just showed you all those photos—me with so many celebrities and big shots. How could it be a lie? I truly believe in your potential to become a star. That’s why I’ve told you so much. If you think I’m deceiving you, you can get up and leave right now.”
“No... no, I don’t think you’re lying to me,” Tao Luna’s voice trembled with anxiety.
Outside, Jiang Zheng frowned deeply. This girl didn’t seem too bright, though she never struck him as a fool before.
“If you trust us, I don’t need to say more. The choice is yours to make,” came the man’s voice again.
This time, Tao Luna was silent for a long while.
“I have one more question—could the one hundred thousand yuan be reduced a little?”
At this, Jiang Zheng’s heart lurched. These swindlers had no shame, demanding a hundred thousand up front.
For most ordinary students, a hundred thousand was an astronomical sum.
Right now, Jiang Zheng himself couldn’t come up with that much money.
The man inside replied,
“One hundred thousand is the lowest price. If you know anything about this business, you should realize that packaging alone costs more than that, not to mention all the other resources. If I didn’t believe in you, I wouldn’t accept you for even a million, let alone one hundred thousand.”
Jiang Zheng rolled his eyes; the man spoke as if he was suffering a huge loss by accepting only a hundred thousand.
But Tao Luna actually bought it. Her voice was anxious, “But a hundred thousand is so much. I really can’t come up with it.”
Silence fell inside. After a while, the man spoke again.
“How much can you pay right now?”
“Five thousand,” Tao Luna replied.
“What! Only five thousand? That’s impossible—absolutely impossible!”
Tao Luna pleaded, “But I really can’t get more. Five thousand is the most I can manage.”
A sigh sounded. “Fine, five thousand will do. I truly believe in your potential to be a star, and I can’t bear to see you go undiscovered.
I’ll accept five thousand, but there’s one condition.”
“What condition?” Tao Luna asked.
“Since your payment is insufficient, you’ll need to put in extra effort in certain key areas.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
“Do you know what a beautiful girl’s greatest asset is?”
The implication was crystal clear. Tao Luna wasn’t stupid—she understood.
She didn’t reject him outright, but fell silent.

Outside, Jiang Zheng couldn’t take it any longer. He refused to wait another moment.
He knocked on the door. A voice inside immediately called, “Who is it?”
“Food delivery,” Jiang Zheng replied.
“Did any of you order food?” the man asked, then said, “We didn’t order anything.”
“But the address says here. Why don’t you have a look?” Jiang Zheng insisted.
After a moment, the door opened a crack and a sleazy-looking middle-aged man poked his head out.
“Show me the order—maybe you’ve got the wrong room,” the man said.
Without warning, Jiang Zheng shoved him hard, pushing the door open and forcing his way inside.
The middle-aged man, caught off guard, fell to the floor but wasn’t hurt.
Seeing Jiang Zheng enter, he cursed, “Who the hell are you? Are you looking for trouble?”
Jiang Zheng sneered coldly, “I’d advise you to stay put.”
The man turned and shouted, “What are you all standing there for? Get him!”
Tao Luna covered her mouth in shock, unable to believe her eyes.
Jiang Zheng cracked his neck and said, “Two of you—just right for a warm-up.”
He was no longer the easily distracted man he once was. Against two not-so-strong men, Jiang Zheng was confident.
The two men rushed at him, but Jiang Zheng dispatched them in a matter of seconds. The sleazy middle-aged man tried to get up and attack from behind, but a glare from Jiang Zheng sent him cowering to the floor.
Jiang Zheng curled his lip, “Pathetic weaklings.”
“Who are you? What do you want?” the middle-aged man demanded.
“Who I am isn’t your concern. Just stay here and wait,” Jiang Zheng replied.
He kept the three of them trapped in the room, waiting for the police to arrive.
He had already called the police—swindlers like these were best left to the authorities.
If Tao Luna hadn’t hesitated just now, Jiang Zheng wouldn’t even have revealed himself.
But she’d wavered, and Jiang Zheng didn’t want her to make that choice. She was, after all, someone Zhou Quanyi cared about—he couldn’t stand by and watch her walk down a dark path.
Sometimes, so long as you haven’t made that choice, your inner line hasn’t truly been crossed, and you can still turn back.
But once you break that boundary, making that choice, it’s hard ever to return.