After inspecting the rooms and finalizing the remaining contract details, the manager and I went downstairs. Chen Ke transferred the remaining payment to the agent, and the manager handed me a large stack of magnetic key cards, one for each person. These cards could unlock the main building door, the rooftop access, and individual rooms. There were no metal keyholes in the entire building; the thin magnetic cards, which came with adhesive backing, could be carried or attached to a phone.
Since I frequently lost my phone, I attached my magnetic card to my “Soul Capturing Token,” something I wouldn't easily misplace.
I told everyone to go upstairs and rest. I then took Zheng Bingbing and Chen Ke to the mall to buy bedding, duvets, and basic toiletries. Personal items like cosmetics could be purchased later when they were awake.
The mall recognized us as a major client and sent a delivery truck with two staff members to help us set up the bedding. By the time everything was done, it was almost midnight. I was sharing a room with Yaoyao again. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed. Yaoyao beside me was already fast asleep, oblivious to the bedding.
Looking at her delicate, slightly parted lips, I felt a strong urge to dive in and discover what secrets she held within.
But I resisted, not forcing anything, not even my thoughts. I would wait until she sobered up to ask for a clear explanation.
Smelling of alcohol, I checked the water temperature in the bathroom; it was only 50°. However, the manager had mentioned that the water heaters on our floor were exclusively solar-powered, located beneath the rooftop, and had a large tank. Hot water would not run out unless there was continuous heavy snow, blocking the sun, in which case a backup electric heater would kick in.
50° solar-heated water, continuously available, was no different from Ao Smith's 74° in terms of usability.
After a shower, I emerged wrapped in a towel. Without the air conditioning on, the room was a bit chilly. After drying myself, I quickly put on thermal underwear and a down jacket, then sat on the sofa, idly watching television, waiting for Yaoyao to wake up.
She remained asleep until one o'clock. Yawning incessantly, I decided I couldn't wait any longer and went to bed.
Just as I was about to get up and take off my down jacket, a knock came from the hallway. Activating my Qi sensing ability, I detected a blue-hued great demon. Not knowing who it was, I walked over and opened the door. It was the fox demon, her eyes narrowed, leaning against the doorframe.
"Kun'er, what's up?" I asked.
The fox demon looked up, her gaze hazy, and said, "Boss... I haven't eaten enough... I'm so hungry, what should I do?"
"...Then go out and eat. Oh, you eat living things. Go out and hunt then. No, you're like a drunkard, don't get hunted yourself," I scratched my head, watching her tail sway behind her. An idea struck me. "How about I take you out for some chicken?"
I thought to myself, it's best not to mention "chicken" explicitly in such a context.
The fox demon's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands. "Yes, yes! Take me!"
I called out in a moderate volume into the hallway, "Is anyone else want to go out for a late-night snack?"
I called out three times with no response. I activated my Qi sensing ability again. Everyone was in bed, lying flat. They were all asleep.
I had no choice but to take the fox demon out alone. I figured that at this late hour, the enemies would be asleep too, so there shouldn't be any danger.
I helped the fox demon downstairs. As the elevator door opened, we encountered a delivery rider from Ele.me. As he passed us, he muttered, "You city folk really know how to have fun."
I ignored him, but I knew what he meant – her fox tail was showing. Let it show, I thought, humans could "play" like this too, especially in the middle of the night.
We got into the car, and I drove the fox demon towards the suburbs, simultaneously using my Qi sensing ability to scan for any concentrated groups of small animals nearby – a chicken farm.
Fucheng city was not large. After driving only two kilometers, I found one. I used a method similar to Han Xin's troop deployment to estimate that this "Liuhe Animal Husbandry" farm housed at least forty thousand chickens. There were no human guards, only two dogs. I opened the car door and pointed at the fence. "Kun'er, go ahead. Eat to your heart's content, but don't eat the dogs."
Dogs were man's best friend, so it was best not to eat them. More importantly, with over forty thousand chickens, eating a few wouldn't be noticed, but with only two dogs, they would be discovered by the farmhands the next morning.
The fox demon reluctantly let go of my arm. "I wanted to eat you..."
"Go and eat your fill first, okay?" I lit a cigarette and pushed her out...