Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 21

At the entrance of the Lu family home.

As soon as Lu Tang stepped out, she was greeted with a chorus of voices, “Brother Tang,” “Brother Tang,” “Brother Tang!”

It felt like she was a mafia boss meeting her underlings.

Only Liang Cheng rushed over and grabbed her. “Little Tang, look at what we found!”

Lu Tang kicked him away. “Get lost! Speak up and stop touching me. I’m not into that!”

Liang Cheng, grinning, dodged and shoved a piece of thin rice paper into Lu Tang’s hand.

She unfolded it and exclaimed, “What is this?”

Chubby Zhou Shu, looking serious, said, “Can’t you see, Brother Tang? This is the map I drew meticulously!”

Lu Tang: Speechless.

An ink-stained bug could do better!

Guo Dawei pointed to a crude drawing of a small turtle on the paper. “This is Lu Yuchen.”

Xu Shen pointed to a small square at the end of a line. “And this is Sihe Town.”

Lu Tang squinted at her silly friends. “You could’ve just said Lu Yuchen is in Sihe Town.”

Zhou Shu twisted his body proudly. “That wouldn’t be formal enough! Brother Tang, this is our first big job!”

Guo Dawei chimed in, “Yeah, Brother Tang. I even plan to stay up all night and write down today’s thrilling events, calling it ‘The Adventures of the Five Young Heroes’!”

Xu Shen rolled his eyes. “Forget it. A chicken walking on ink could write a better story than you!”

Guo Dawei turned to punch Xu Shen. “Xu, I’m going to fight you!”

The two of them immediately started wrestling.

Lu Tang sighed and turned away, “I’m going to Sihe Town.”

Liang Cheng immediately said, “I’ll go with you. When do we leave? Now? Are we riding horses or taking a carriage?”

Lu Tang laughed. “Why are you more eager than me?”

Zhou Shu joined in, “Brother Tang, I’ll go too!”

The two still wrestling also shouted, “We’ll go too!”

All five going would make too much of a scene!

“It’ll just be Liang Cheng and me. His family has businesses in Sihe Town, so we can pretend we’re there to check on them without arousing suspicion.”

From Qingshui County to Sihe Town, it was about an hour’s ride on fast horses. When Lu Tang and Liang Cheng arrived, it was already evening.

The main street of Sihe Town was adorned with red lanterns, bustling with people.

Despite the lively atmosphere, Lu Tang’s inn was losing money, and the thought of it made her furious.

Liang Cheng, walking beside her, asked, “Brother Tang, should we eat first, look for that bastard, or go to your inn?”

“Let’s go to the inn. The food there is good. We can get a room and eat there.”

Liang Cheng leaned in with a grin, “Brother Tang, this is our first night together. Should we get two rooms or one? Share a bed…”

Lu Tang kicked him. “One room. I’ll sleep on the bed, and you on the floor!”

Liang Cheng howled, “Why? Aren’t I my dad’s precious too?”

Lu Tang growled, “Shut up, precious!”

Liang Cheng paused, then snapped back, “Get lost! Who’s your son!”

Laughing, they arrived at the Qiao Family Inn.

Contrary to expectations, the inn was deserted, in stark contrast to the bustling street.

Even the usually flamboyant Liang Cheng was stunned, looking up to confirm they hadn’t come to the wrong place, then nudged Lu Tang.

“Brother Tang?”

Lu Tang nodded, “I’ll explain later.”

Liang Cheng didn’t ask further.

No one came out to greet them or help with the horses. Leaving a servant outside, Lu Tang and Liang Cheng stepped inside.

A sleepy attendant at the counter woke up at the noise and lazily asked, “Customer, staying at the inn?”

Lu Tang frowned, quickly scanning the empty dining hall. Though clean, it was dinner time, and there were no diners.

“Are there any rooms available?”

The attendant sized up Lu Tang and Liang Cheng. These two hadn’t been to Sihe Town before. Liang Cheng had hoped to stay in a luxurious suite with Lu Tang, but it seemed better not to reveal their identities now.

After assessing them, the attendant smiled at Lu Tang, “We have rooms, but it seems you’re new to Sihe Town.”

Lu Tang asked, puzzled, “Why?”

The attendant glanced outside, then whispered, “You might not know, but this Qiao Family Inn charges high prices for low-quality rooms. The food here is also not fresh.

Even though I’m an employee of the Qiao Family Inn, I can’t follow the boss in making dishonest money!

For your stay, I’d recommend the Chunxi Inn across the street. It’s cheaper and cleaner.”

Liang Cheng stared at Lu Tang, wide-eyed!

Chunxi Inn!

Lu Yuchen’s house was behind Chunxi Inn!

No wonder the inn was losing money. How could it not?

The two exchanged a glance. Lu Tang asked the attendant, “How much higher are your prices compared to Chunxi Inn?”

The attendant sneered, “A lot higher!”

He held up three fingers. “Three times as much! Chunxi Inn is clean, hygienic, and has great food, charging only eighty wen per night for a regular room. Here, the prices are so high, even I can’t stand it. That’s why, as an employee, I’m directing you to the competition!”

Something was wrong!

The Qiao Family Inn had three types of rooms: cheap, regular, and deluxe. Regular rooms cost sixty-five wen per night nationwide, including a breakfast of equal value.

“Is this the price set by your boss?” Liang Cheng, fearing Lu Tang might act rashly, blocked her view and asked.

The attendant nodded, “Of course. You see, our boss is a woman. What can a woman do? The Qiao Family Inn used to be good when old Master Qiao ran it. But after he passed away, his daughter took over, and look what happened!”

Liang Cheng knew Lu Tang’s temper well. She was ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

Fearing she’d lash out, Liang Cheng quickly pulled her away. “Thanks for the tip, brother. We’ll stay at Chunxi Inn then.”

The attendant laughed, “Take care.”

Once outside, Lu Tang punched the air in frustration.

Liang Cheng whispered, “Lu Yuchen’s house is just behind Chunxi Inn.”

Lu Tang’s heart skipped a beat.