Silent Reading by Priest - Book 1

Chapter 18: Julien XVII

"Wu...Wu Xuechun?" The front desk attendant's smile suddenly stiffened.

Luo Wenzhou looked at her, the feigned suggestiveness in his keen gaze developing a crack. He said heavily, "What's wrong?"

The front desk attendant seemed to have been frozen by his gaze; she involuntarily averted her eyes, then forced herself to calm down and give Luo Wenzhou a sugary smile. "Nothing, it's like this: our services workers here all use English names. Hearing you suddenly say her original name, I didn't quite follow... Wu Xuechun, I think Wu Xuechun must be Linda?"

Though Luo Wenzhou was currently in the tiger's den, hearing this, he still couldn't resist running off at the mouth. "Your corporate culture here is pretty Westernized."

The front desk attendant's eyes flashed, and she pushed the picture book into Luo Wenzhou's hands again. "Sir, Linda isn't feeling well today. Would you like to see the others again? Or have you met her before?"

Luo Wenzhou leaned back and didn't answer. He looked loftily down at the girl at the front desk and asked in turn, "What, you need to get a background check to order a service worker?"

The front desk attendant hurriedly apologized in a low voice, then quickly arranged a private room for him and had someone lead him there. It may have been Luo Wenzhou's mistaken impression, but there seemed to be more eyes watching him now.

When he'd gone, the front desk attendant let out a long breath, picked up a commercial walkie-talkie beside her and quietly said, "He's here, like you said. In the Hibiscus City room."

Static came over the walkie-talkie, then a male voice: "How many with him?"

"Just...just him." The front desk attendant pursed her lips, her palms sweating, nearly unable to hold onto the big black implement. "Next time, don't...don't make me do this, all right? I..."

She hadn't finished speaking when an obscenity-filled voice came faintly over the walkie-talkie: "Motherfucker! Just him. He must must think he's pretty lucky! If I'd known, I'd have had someone lying in wait at the door with a sack to kill him, what the fuck's the point of going to all this trouble!"

Amidst the profanity, the wireless link was cut off from the other end.

Just then, a girl wearing a white dress was shoved and prodded in by two people. There was a name tag reading "Linda" on her chest; this was Wu Xuechun.

Wu Xuechun passed the front desk, looking helplessly at the girl sitting at it; the two of them exchanged a look, then each quickly glanced away.

A few minutes after Luo Wenzhou had gone, Fei Du didn't feel like eating anymore and walked out of the City Bureau's dining hall; on walking out he saw that Mother He had woken up, and an officer on duty was drying out his mouth trying to talk her into going to a hotel. Mother He's eyes were bulging, her face waxen; she clutched at her own clothing, neither speaking nor nodding.

She understood nothing of what went on outside, so she always suspected that others wanted to trick her, always felt helpless.

Living year-round in sealed-off surroundings and lacking contact with the outside world will often produce this kind of ignorant cowardice and stupidity. For this woman, who had been sick for many years, her son had been her only support, her only link to and shield from the whole bustling world.

Fei Du considered her through the glass for a while, thinking she seemed like a snail that had lost its shell.

He didn't disturb Mother He. He quickly left the City Bureau, heading for the West Flower Market District.