Chapter 11: That Didn't Count Just Now?

On the eve of the apocalypse, Cao Bin returned to the familiar city of Heyue. In his previous life, this was also the place where he started from scratch.

Heyue was an ordinary first-tier city, lying along the largest river of Yan Country. When the second great calamity descended upon the world, seawater began to surge crazily into the coastal cities; almost all of them were flooded. But Heyue was relatively fortunate. Though half the city was submerged, the other half, built on higher ground, remained untouched by the water.

Cao Bin came back with a plan. Relying on the memories of his past life in this city, he was determined to make all the necessary preparations so that when disaster struck, he could weather it comfortably. Upon returning to his rented apartment, he began to pack the things he wanted to take with him.

His parents had passed away long ago. Without them, the so-called relatives had gradually ceased to visit. Those uncles and aunts never once came to help him out of sentiment; after all, he was only seventeen or eighteen at the time, right when college expenses were at their steepest. The relatives had advised him to sell the house, saying that the proceeds would last him until graduation. Everyone knew, of course, that once a house was sold, it would be nearly impossible to buy back another, but none of them would tell him that.

To support himself, Cao Bin did end up selling the house, scraping by on the money he got for it. That’s why he was now living in a rented place. He didn’t have much to pack—only the few keepsakes his parents had left him, mementos and family photos that kept their memory alive.

Once everything was packed, he left the apartment with his belongings and headed toward Dashu Mountain on the western edge of Heyue. It was the highest point in the city, and there stood its most famous hotel: the Peace Grand Hotel, one of Heyue's five-star establishments.

In his previous life, when the catastrophe first struck, the world descended into chaos within just two or three days. The speed of the collapse was astonishing, as if humanity had long been repressed and had suddenly found a vent for its madness. The world went insane. The result was that many people suffered indignity, injury, or even death.

Under such turmoil, the city’s police force was virtually powerless; there were hardly any truly safe places left—except for the Peace Grand Hotel. Cao Bin recalled that no matter how wild things got outside, this hotel, perched halfway up Dashu Mountain, remained unscathed, standing as a landmark of the city. Even at the very end, when the final calamity brought a world-shrouding cold and everything froze, Cao Bin, leading a group of survivors, glanced back at the city from afar as they left, and saw that the building was still perfectly intact, as if nothing had ever happened to it.

It seemed that fortune always favored that place. No matter how the world collapsed outside—floods, beasts, whatever—the hotel and its surroundings were untouched. Thus, for Cao Bin, the Peace Grand Hotel was the best place to settle down.

As night fell, around 7:00 p.m., Cao Bin arrived at the hotel by taxi and went straight to the front desk to book a room. The receptionists at such a high-end hotel were indeed a cut above the rest—tall, with long black hair, dressed smartly in fitted suits, and all very easy on the eyes.

"Good evening, sir. How can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"I'd like a standard room," Cao Bin replied.

"Certainly. Do you have any special requests?" the young woman inquired.

"Put me on the top floor. Any room will do, as long as it’s on your highest level," Cao Bin said.

She answered with a professional smile, "Sir, we do have rooms on the top floor, but they are all suites, not standard rooms. The price is considerably higher—per night, it’s..."

"That’s fine. Give me the largest suite in the center of the top floor," Cao Bin cut her off, pulling two thick bundles of cash from his backpack.

The receptionist’s eyes lit up at the sight, and she beamed, "Of course, sir. Let me arrange that for you. May I have your ID? And how long will you be staying?"

"Three days," Cao Bin replied.

"Very well, sir. But this amount..." It was clear that twenty thousand yuan wouldn’t cover three nights, and she reminded him kindly.

"If it’s not enough, I’ll pay more later. This is all the cash I have—my phone was lost. I’ll get a replacement tomorrow," he said.

"Understood, sir."

The receptionist quickly checked the money. Though cash was rarely used, she remained professional and ran it through the counting machine. The two bundles—twenty thousand yuan—were enough as a deposit, but the most luxurious suite on the top floor cost 8,888 per night. So, the cash would last for two nights, and he’d need to pay again on the third day.

The check-in process was completed quickly. The receptionist handed him the room key, parking pass, and breakfast voucher, smiling as she said, "You lost your phone, but you can get a new one tomorrow morning at the business center across the street. Good thing you carry cash—otherwise, losing your phone these days would be a real hassle. Not many people carry this much cash anymore, but it’s always good to be prepared."

Cao Bin replied offhandedly, "It's just a coincidence—I happened to rob a bank recently, so I’m flush with cash."

The receptionist thought he was joking and raised an eyebrow at him, teasing, "So, is your bag full of cash?"

"Absolutely. Nothing but cash. Want to take a look?" Cao Bin could tell she was a seasoned professional; in a place like this, she’d seen all kinds of people and could judge their worth at a glance, so he played along.

"Why not? If your bag is full of cash, how about I warm your bed tonight?" she said, half-joking, her bright eyes full of playful challenge.

Cao Bin stepped forward and gave her a quick once-over—an easy 85 out of 100, with a solid 80 for looks and a fantastic figure. She was nearly 1.7 meters tall, with curves in all the right places, a flat stomach, and the fitted skirt accentuating her shape.

She was just his type. He’d been so busy lately that he hadn’t had time to think about romance or desire. With the end of the world coming tomorrow, why not indulge one last time, fill both his belly and his spirits before facing the apocalypse?

He placed his backpack in front of her and slowly unzipped it. "A promise is a promise," he said.

When the bag opened, the receptionist was stunned. The pack was indeed stuffed with bundles of red banknotes.

Wow! This man was truly loaded. Who carried that much cash around these days?

"See for yourself," Cao Bin said, zipping the bag closed and slinging it back over his shoulder.

She blushed and leaned in, whispering, "Boss, did you book something special for tonight? An escort or a celebrity?"

With everything paid by QR code or bank transfer these days, any mishap could expose someone. So, in hotels now, neither escorts nor celebrities would accept transfers—only cash. The receptionist had seen it all before, so she figured Cao Bin’s cash was meant for that sort of arrangement.

"No, nothing like that," Cao Bin shook his head.

"So you haven’t booked anyone, or just haven’t gotten around to it?"

"Haven’t had the chance. But didn’t you just offer to warm my bed? What, does that not count?" Cao Bin teased, raising an eyebrow at her.