Chapter 10 Magical Thailand Tour 3 Ghost Fire
There are quite a lot of tourists who participated in the massage trip. According to my estimation, except for Chen Shanjun and a few people, almost all of them participated.
After taking a shower, it is basic courtesy to welcome a comfortable massage service with a clean body.
The camel tour guide held a microphone and stood in the front seat explaining the precautions for later; I didn't listen very carefully, although my eyes would still turn to the tour guide ahead from time to time, but my mind was all on the strange scene I had just seen.
My head was in a mess.That look deeply aroused my curiosity... In fact, it is very simple to solve my doubts. I just need to go to the hotel counter and ask the boy directly, and there is no need to think about breaking my head here.But... the camel tour guide turned around and talked to the driver. There was white writing on the back of the black jacket he was wearing, with strange symbols written on it, which must be in Thai.
That's right, that's the problem.I don't understand Thai, how can I talk to that boy?Although he should be able to speak simple English, can simple English clearly express what he sees and thinks?
This doubt accompanied me on the road through Pattaya, attached to the depths of my thoughts, and became more and more solid.
Unconsciously, the scene of arriving in Pattaya earlier appeared in my mind... Pattaya is a pool of broken blue, wrapped in white clothes wrapped in golden light.The street composition of this eastern Hawaii is basically close to a checkerboard shape, consisting of several horizontal roads and countless vertical streets, forming a dense network structure, especially near the beach.The straight road near the beach in the south is called "Beach Road" (Beach Road), and the horizontal road parallel to Beach Road in the north is called "Second Road". These two roads are connected by many vertical streets. The hotel Royal Land is located on one of the vertical streets, "Soi Post Office", which is set at the corner of the second road to the beach road. It is a majestic building with a height of fifteen floors; In terms of the geographical location of the concentrated area, it is more inclined to the southeast direction.
Post Office Lane, as the name suggests, there is a post office in the alleyway, which is located diagonally opposite to the hotel; after passing the post office and going south, you will reach Beach Road, where you can see the endless beach and sea as far as the eye can see; yachts shuttle on the sea, tourists are everywhere Everywhere, very lively.
Royal Land is an L-shaped building located at the corner of Post Office Lane and Second Street. Its exterior is gray and white. Each room has an elegant small balcony, which is very spectacular from a distance.To make the hotel look L-shaped, people must face the hotel gate. At this time, the two ends of the L point to the south and the east respectively, and the right angle between the two straight lines points to the northwest. According to the standing position, the bird's-eye view from the air is indeed present. L-shaped.
Along the way, there are many food stalls similar to the night market in my hometown, and there are many gathered near the hotel; if I don’t know that I am traveling at this time, I will really mistakenly think that I am in my hometown.
There is a flat grassy area at the entrance of the hotel, lined with parking lots; the grassy area is connected to an arcade, which is connected to the building body and leads to the lobby.
A group of people who got off the tour bus stroked their belly full of wine and food, and looked around with satisfaction. The camel guide asked everyone to gather in the lobby and wait for him to distribute the room key.
The structure and furnishings of the lobby are no different from typical high-end hotels.On the right hand side of the entrance is the counter service office, and a row of clocks hangs on the wall behind, marking the time of Beijing, London, Bangkok, New York, and Sydney respectively; there are many sofa seats on the left hand side of the entrance, which are divided into non-smoking areas As well as the smoking area, there are several tourists dressed in beach clothes and chatting on the sofa; go back along the counter, which is the back section of the hall, where there are elevators, stairs, public telephones, toilets and the entrance to the restaurant.
I looked at everything in the lobby and recalled the hotel where I stayed last time.
The hotel I stayed at that time seemed to be nearby, but it was not the Royal Land, but a four-star hotel called Pattaya Paradise; comparing the luxury of the two hotels, the Royal Land seemed to be slightly better; but I don’t know why, the huge In the hotel, there are no traces of many tourists, only sparse staff scattered everywhere, and it feels like there are more tourists than tourists.The empty hall emanated a sense of loneliness, and a feeling of loneliness suddenly hit my heart quietly.
The camel tour guide and the team leader came back with a bunch of keys. He looked at the accommodation list and began to allocate rooms; this time the accommodation floors were mostly concentrated on the ninth and tenth floors, especially the ninth floor, which accounted for almost four quarters of the tour group. three thirds.
"The room numbers here are the same on every floor," the camel tour guide explained. "If you have any questions, you can contact me. I live in Room 7 on the ninth floor. Almost all of our group live in the row on the north side of the ninth or tenth floor." Housing. Let’s distribute the keys now...Mr. Chen Shanjun, Room 7 on the tenth floor.”
As soon as he heard the call of the camel tour guide, the gloomy company employee immediately cut out from the crowd and reached out to take the key.I remember that he didn't seem to participate in the herbal massage tonight, maybe he was too tired, and there was an uneasy and nervous look in his eyes.
At the moment when Chen Shanjun took the key, my eyes casually glanced at the counter, and I froze for a moment.
Sitting behind the counter is a young man who doesn't look to be twenty years old; he is wearing a white uniform, his eyes are bright and friendly at first glance, but after piercing the surface, you will find that the shiny appearance seems to be The routines shown by the service staff after training; in the depths of the eyes, there is unspeakable fatigue and worry, and there is a touch of fear.
The boy stared straight at Chen Shanjun with an indescribable horror, as if seeing a ghost but being overwhelmed by fear; that kind of expression that was engrossed in the thing he was staring at, exuding an uneasy atmosphere made me instantly Lost his mind, he concentrated on observing the boy behind the counter.
After the camel guide distributed the keys, he began to explain the itinerary for the evening; I didn't listen at all, and my eyes drifted between the boy and Chen Shanjun.
It wasn't until the crowd disbanded and filed towards the elevator that the boy withdrew his eyes and lowered his head to focus on other things.
Due to too many people, the passengers boarded the elevator in batches. I stared at the back of Chen Shanjun who boarded the elevator ahead of me, thinking desperately.
I couldn't find anything intimidating or compelling about it, other than the impressive slender frame.
After finishing the massage trip and returning to the hotel, it was past ten o'clock. After entering the guest room on the ninth floor, I closed the door and threw my body into the soft sofa. The feeling of the hot compress of the herb pack on my body is still there, hot but comfortable, and I am still indulging in the pleasure of the whole body; the muscles and bones of the whole body seem to have been re-dressed, which is completely different from the old stagnation before, and I feel brand new and full of vitality This is the greatest happiness after experiencing Thai massage. After thinking for a while, I found that my thoughts drifted back to the boy earlier, and Chen Shanjun's face came to my mind again at this time, and I couldn't get rid of it. I shook my head, got up from the sofa, and walked across the room to the French windows, peering out.Outside, the lights are shining brightly in the distance, and Pattaya's nightlife is burning vigorously. I pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows, stepped into the small balcony outside the window, and closed the window. There was still a heat in the night air, but not as strong as it was during the day; I felt a little tingle when I touched my bare arms, and I forgot to bring sunscreen. Looking down, there is a transparent water surface below the height of the ninth floor, which is the swimming pool attached to the hotel, just sandwiched in the L-shaped space.My room is in the north building of the hotel, which means I am facing south at the moment. There are currently no swimmers in the swimming pool. On the south side of the pool is a stand with a canopy, and on the east side there are changing rooms. Occasionally, there are a few figures passing by the pool, which are not very clear. The south side of the swimming pool is close to the rectangular one-story building, and the entrance is on the west side, which is an all-night bar; the side of the bar facing the swimming pool is a continuous piece of glass, which can give an overview of the hotel's buildings, and the view is quite wide. I looked into the distance, and the dark sea was in front of me, crouching under the deep night; the blue and clear sea surface in the daytime seemed to be wrapped in a layer of black veil, mysterious and charming.Early tomorrow morning, we will take a yacht on the sea to visit those beautiful islands in the sea. Only after the exhaustion of the day is over, when I meditate alone, will my mind have space to ruminate all the things I have seen, heard, and emotions accumulated. I sort out the thoughts in my heart while feeling the breath of the night. Unsolved things still linger in my mind after all; once they enter my mind, I can never get rid of them... Why am I so obsessed with that earlier incident?Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't just the boy's strange expression that attracted me, it should be said that Chen Shanjun himself had a weird and provocative quality.There is an indescribable charm and mystery about him, like a stage covered with a dark curtain, performing a pantomime that cannot be seen at a glance. But... I leaned on the wall of the balcony, and suddenly felt my heart beat faster.Looking deeper, it seems that Chen Shanjun's strangeness does not come from himself, but rather some kind of external object added to him. It would be more appropriate to describe it in this way.That's right, the strange curtains from outside, the thin shirt fluttering, shrouded him, it was disturbed by the external atmosphere, like an invisible wave, it made people feel uneasy. Is that really the case... I thought for a while, turned and left the balcony, and closed the French windows.He took the room key, locked the door, and stepped into the corridor.The boy at the counter should still be there. No matter whether I want to ask him or not, I can't control my feet and keep moving to the floor below.In front of the elevator, a familiar figure flashed out, it was the photographer Shen Zhaopeng. He is wearing light clothing, with a silver camera hanging on his chest. His thin face and body look extremely thin, but the ingenious insistence in his eyes is in line with the camera on his chest, which suddenly makes his image bigger and bigger, constructing a Intense solidity and firmness.He has goals to pursue, and goals make a man's soul firm and secure. "Aren't you going to rest?" Shen Zhaopeng greeted with a smile. "Well, let's go downstairs. How about you?" I pressed the elevator button. "It's also a walk, and I'm not tired." "The physical strength of young people is indeed better." "It's okay, it's getting worse." "By the way, how did you come here? Don't you live on the ninth floor?" Shen Zhaopeng appeared from the corridor leading to the west building, and I asked this question. "I still live on the ninth floor, but the bathroom equipment in the originally assigned room was broken. The lady in charge just happened to pass by and contacted the counter for us. Only then did my girlfriend and I get changed to the room on the west side of the building." "I see." "Have you collected any photos?" I tried to find a topic. "Not yet, but..." He suddenly showed a mysterious expression, "I have a hunch that there will be gains." "how to say?" "This...let's keep it a secret for now." He still smiled mysteriously, and didn't speak again. Knowing that the other party had no intention of revealing the secret, I could only shrug my shoulders and keep my mouth shut.The elevator quickly came to the first floor, and we walked into the lobby. I subconsciously glanced at the counter. The boy with gloomy eyes was still there. I don't know when he will change shifts, so I have to seize the opportunity.But at this time, how to ask, but there is no spectrum in my head. "Ah, the camel guide is there." Shen Zhaopeng pointed to the rest area in front of him with his chin. I looked in his direction, and sure enough, I saw the tour guide half-sinked in the sofa, his shiny head protruding from the edge of the back of the chair.He held a cigarette in his right hand, puffing out the clouds as if he was thinking about something. "I'm going to have a chat with him." Shen Zhaopeng said flatly, and glanced at me. He probably wanted to ask me if I wanted to go there together, or, as soon as I came downstairs, I didn’t know why I started to avoid what I planned to do; the closer my body was to the goal, the farther my mind was. Deficiency in action. "Well, I'll go with you." Only then did I realize that we were heading towards the no-smoking area in the corner. On the way to where the tour guide was, Shen Zhaopeng didn't say a word. I glanced at his side face, and my heart filled with indescribable surprise. It was a face full of perseverance, full of thoughtful calculations, and full of fighting spirit, just like a general who was fully prepared and made an expression of fighting hard before going out.What's disturbing is the cruelty that comes from under his eyes, that he doesn't care what the means are. At least it seems to me so.Is this... a lonely person who lives in his own world and lives for his own interests?Once the goal is grasped, he will not let it go, and the pursuit of the means that is beneficial to the goal is the highest principle of obedience, while ignoring the typical character of universal moral values? The camera in front of Shen Zhaopeng's chest seems to be the embodiment of his soul, and his actions and thoughts are all based on the shutter.From this point of view, he has found his own soul, which is more meaningful than those who have nothing to do all day long and lose their goals. The potential of world value. While Shen Zhaopeng and I were sitting in front of the camel tour guide, I reflected on whether I had a goal worth pursuing in my life. When I left footprints in various countries, what was the pursuit behind it?Sadly, I couldn't find it. "Mr. Camel, haven't you rested so late?" the photographer started with a smile, leaning back comfortably on the back of the chair. The camel tour guide looked at us in astonishment, and then slowly replied: "Smoke a cigarette, we will go up later. But you, why did you suddenly appear here together?" "I just came down for a walk, and I happened to meet Mr. Shen, so we came together." Because I didn't want to be misunderstood, I answered first. "What's the matter?" The camel guide flicked a cigarette, and the ash fell into the ashtray. "I have something to ask." Shen Zhaopeng changed his sitting position, leaned forward, and said in a relaxed tone, "Since Mr. Qiu is here, I don't mind letting him know. I believe Mr. Qiu will not spread rumors casually." people." "What?" The camel tour guide looked puzzled, rubbed away the cigarette, took another one from the cigarette case on the table, and stared at Shen Zhaopeng suspiciously. I was suddenly dragged into it, and I was also stunned. What does it matter if I follow the rumors? "Mr. Tuo, the travel expenses for our trip to Thailand this time seem to be much more expensive than other travel agencies, right?" Shen Zhaopeng said something that surprised me again in a very relaxed tone with a calm expression on his face. The cost of this trip is much cheaper than the travel agency I chose last time, especially this time the travel agency was decided after I did a lot of shopping around beforehand. Otherwise, the price to Thailand is usually more than 10,000. But this time it only costs 8,000; it is said that it is a preferential project launched by the travel agency. Just as he was about to interrupt, Shen Zhaopeng signaled me to be quiet with his eyes, so I had no choice but to shut my mouth for no reason. "How is it possible!" The camel tour guide frowned and burst out these words in an instant. "It's true. I read another travel agency's advertisement, which is cheaper than ours..." He scratched his head, showing a thoughtful look, "How much is ours? Suddenly forgot." "Isn't it 8,000 yuan?" Before the words came out, the hunchback tour guide's hand that was about to light a cigarette suddenly stopped, and he stared at the photographer suspiciously, "Are you joking? This price is cheap enough, it is impossible to find It's cheaper." "So, do you know the price of this trip?" "Didn't I say that?" "Why is it so cheap?" "Isn't it a discount program for travel agencies?" "Oh, that's right," Shen Zhaopeng leaned back in his chair, and continued to maintain a relaxed tone, "Mr. Tuo often brings groups to this hotel, right?" "Pretty normal." Tuo Zhen's expression began to feel a little uneasy. "You should know all the employees here, right?" "It's not as much as you imagined, and the employee turnover rate is very high," the tour guide spit out white mist, as if trying to calm himself, "What exactly do you want to ask?" Shen Zhaopeng ignored the other party's rhetorical question, but asked a new question: "Are you here on the 7th of last month?" "Number seven? How can I remember when you suddenly said that?" "It was the morning when the swimming pool incident happened." These words were zipped into the mouth of the camel guide; he remained silent and continued to puff.After a brief silence, Shen Zhaopeng broke the silence, "There are employees who can prove your presence, so you cannot deny it." The camel guide sat up straight, his eyes behind the glasses became sharper, and his face became more serious, "I seem to have begun to understand your intentions." "yes?" "You don't have to be so devious." "I'm just afraid you won't tell." "That depends." "But at dinner last night, you said the hotel was fine, and I figured you wouldn't confess, so I had to do it." Tuo Zhen shook his head, "It's impossible for me to confess this in front of many passengers, you should know that." "Of course I understand." "I know what you want to know, I can tell you everything, but I hope you understand," he suddenly leaned forward, and strengthened his tone, "I don't like being stereotyped, and I don't like being designed, you don't have to waste Time to play games with me." Shen Zhaopeng seemed a little overwhelmed by the overly stern expression of the camel tour guide. He shrank his neck, nodded, and replied, "I'm sorry, I just want to know about that." The camel tour guide stared at Shen Zhaopeng for a long time, then suddenly laughed a few times and patted him on the shoulder, "It's okay, it doesn't matter, it seems that your courage and wit to achieve your goal are really amazing. In this regard, I appreciate you." Shen Zhaopeng looked up in surprise, but before he could speak, the camel tour guide went on to say, "How do you know I was here on the 7th of last month?" "I made sure that you often come to this hotel before taking the risk to assume." "I see." "In order to make sure that you were here when that incident happened, I deliberately pointed out the key word 'pool incident'. Seeing that you were silent, I knew that this bold speculation was successful. Because I was afraid that you would deny it. Tell a lie with employee witnesses." "So you didn't ask any employees at all? But in order to set up this situation, you first asked me if I knew the employees here?" "Exactly." "It's very high, but I still don't like the feeling of being tricked," the camel tour guide took out a cigarette and handed it to Shen Zhaopeng, "Have one?" "No, thanks, I don't smoke, this is not what I want." "Where's Mr. Qiu?" "Thank you, I don't smoke either." I wouldn't touch cigarettes as a poison, but now I have no clue about the conversation between the two people in front of me, and I seem to need a cigarette to refresh myself. The camel tour guide put the cigarette back into the box and exhaled again, "So, how much do you know about this matter?" The photographer spread his hands, "Not much, very little, and the newspaper lacks detailed descriptions." "What do you wish to know?" "Everything you know." The camel tour guide rubbed off the cigarette butt, leaned back in the chair, clasped his hands in front of his stomach, and meditated. I looked up at the clock on the wall marked Bangkok, eleven o'clock in the evening.For me, a person who has never worn a watch, I have cultivated a keen sense of calculating time invisibly, but at this moment, I am shrouded in a wonderful sense of oppression, and I suddenly lose the ability to think rationally. Sitting behind the counter in the lobby was still the boy with the weird eyes, and from my seat I could only see the top of his low, curly-haired head.He seemed to freeze into the stagnant air of the hall, motionless. The number of tourists dwindled, and some emerged from the elevators toward the corridor leading to the all-night bar. For some reason, although the weather is sultry, there is an indescribable coldness flowing.I looked back and forth between the camel tour guide and Shen Zhaopeng, trying to figure out a clue. "Our team leader is new here, she doesn't seem to know about this matter... On the 6th of last month, the tour group I led came to Pattaya, it was already evening, and it was the same time as we arrived today Almost," the camel tour guide made the opening remarks as above after sorting out his thoughts, "After leading the self-funded group members to finish the herbal massage trip in the evening, they returned to the hotel, and then the group members went back to their rooms to rest. It was about ten o'clock at that time. I returned to After taking a shower in the room and resting for a while, I felt tired but couldn't fall asleep, so I took the elevator downstairs and went to the bar by the pool to drink. There were not many people in the bar, except for the staff, plus There were only three of me. The bartender was named Peng, a well-built, energetic man. Since I used to come over for drinks at midnight, the two of them were acquainted. I was about to talk to him when it happened." "Things?" I said. "Well, but before I talk about 'that incident', I want to mention another incident. This incident was told to me by Peng after the strange incident broke out, because he thought that the two incidents might be related. He Said that this incident was told to him by the night shift counter staff who had to get off work earlier on the day of the incident—Sha Lang Yu. About eleven o’clock that night, a passenger came to stay, Sha Lang Yu He was remembered because the passenger was wearing a brown hat with a deep brim and dark glasses, with shaggy hair protruding from under the hat, his face was not visible clearly, and his voice was rather low. The man explained that he had I have reserved a room and plan to stay for two days, after Sha Langyu confirmed that he did make a reservation first, he handed over the room key to him." "Wait, is he Thai?" Shen Zhaopeng interrupted. "That person can speak Thai fluently, he can't hear any foreign accent, and he also showed his Thai national ID card when he checked in for accommodation. Just before twelve o'clock, when Sha Langyu was about to change shifts and leave, he received a call from this person. The phone in the passenger's room. His voice is still deep, but slightly urgent, and he says: 'My room is on fire, I don't know how to use a fire extinguisher, come on!' "Sha Langyu rushed up immediately after hearing this, and when he arrived at the destination, he saw the male passenger standing in the corridor, dressed exactly the same as before, at first glance he seemed calm, but after careful observation, his body seemed to be shaking. "Sha Langyu entered the room, the light inside was on, and the bed near the door caught fire, and what made him feel strange was that the flame was blue!" "Blue?" I asked back, confused. "Yes. Although Sha Langyu felt weird, he didn't think much about it. He hurriedly took the fire extinguisher in the closet and put out the fire as quickly as possible. "After the fire was extinguished, the man walked into the room. Sha Langyu wiped his head profusely with sweat and asked him why the room was on fire. The man replied that he didn't know. He said that he just walked around the corridor and came back and found the bed. It burned, so I notified the counter. Afterwards, I murmured that the feeling in the room was strange.” "It feels strange?" Shen Zhaopeng asked with interest. "He couldn't tell. Anyway, he just felt that the atmosphere in the room was not right. Sha Langyu asked him if he wanted to change the room, but he insisted that he didn't." "Didn't the bed burn down? Can you still sleep?" "It was a room with two single beds, so I could sleep in another bed. In short, this tenant is really weird. Even though there was a fire, he also thought there was a problem with the room, but he still insisted on not changing the room. So after Sha Langyu cleaned up the burnt beds, he could only go downstairs, and he couldn't do anything more." The camel tour guide stopped to take a breath, and smoked another cigarette. "Sorry, let me interrupt," I couldn't help but said, "When he found the room was on fire, why didn't the tenant ask for help from the person next door? And the room phone is placed on the bedside table between the two beds, right? He didn't ask It’s really strange to ask for help from outside, but go to the phone next to the flames and call the counter far below the tenth floor, looking far away.” "Well... I realized it was really incredible after you said it, but I heard from Sha Langyu that there is no one living next to and opposite the room. Maybe because of this, there is no one to help." "No one lives in the nearby rooms?" Shen Zhaopeng asked this time. "Well, they were all booked, but the person who made the reservation didn't come to stay... No, it seems that the room opposite was not booked, but the two rooms next to the room where the fire started were reserved." "Who made the appointment?" I asked. "That male tenant." The camel tour guide held a cigarette in his right hand, and the expression on his face suddenly stopped. Neither Shen Zhaopeng nor I answered immediately, we chewed on this sentence over and over again, as if it was some kind of profound code. "When he registered at the counter, he mentioned that a friend would come later." Seeing that we didn't respond, the camel tour guide continued, "Sha Langyu didn't suspect anything, but the friend he mentioned later didn't show up. In short, the whole thing It's like a mystery." After thinking for a long time, the photographer finally spoke: "...I don't know the details of what you just said. The newspapers in Taiwan have explained too little. It turns out that there were these episodes before the main event." main event?It should be the "that thing" that the camel tour guide said just now!I hadn't had TV or newspapers in a while, so I was out of touch with social news.However, from the conversation between the camel tour guide and Shen Zhaopeng so far, I can roughly deduce the context. A look of exhaustion flashed across the camel tour guide's face, but he cheered up and said, "Well, what just happened can be said to be a prelude. I don't know whether it has a causal connection with the next thing." "What I want to know is the later details. You were in this hotel when the incident happened, weren't you?" Shen Zhaopeng became anxious. "Okay," the camel tour guide sighed, "I'll tell you everything I want to know, but I doubt I can tell you any new information..." He glanced at me, "Mr. Qiu, you don't seem to know the last What happened in this hotel on the seventh of the month?" I shook my head and spread my hands, "I will know in the next moment." "Do you remember that I mentioned three ghost encounters yesterday? The third time was on the 7th of last month, at this hotel."
After finishing the massage trip and returning to the hotel, it was past ten o'clock. After entering the guest room on the ninth floor, I closed the door and threw my body into the soft sofa. The feeling of the hot compress of the herb pack on my body is still there, hot but comfortable, and I am still indulging in the pleasure of the whole body; the muscles and bones of the whole body seem to have been re-dressed, which is completely different from the old stagnation before, and I feel brand new and full of vitality This is the greatest happiness after experiencing Thai massage. After thinking for a while, I found that my thoughts drifted back to the boy earlier, and Chen Shanjun's face came to my mind again at this time, and I couldn't get rid of it. I shook my head, got up from the sofa, and walked across the room to the French windows, peering out.Outside, the lights are shining brightly in the distance, and Pattaya's nightlife is burning vigorously. I pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows, stepped into the small balcony outside the window, and closed the window. There was still a heat in the night air, but not as strong as it was during the day; I felt a little tingle when I touched my bare arms, and I forgot to bring sunscreen. Looking down, there is a transparent water surface below the height of the ninth floor, which is the swimming pool attached to the hotel, just sandwiched in the L-shaped space.My room is in the north building of the hotel, which means I am facing south at the moment. There are currently no swimmers in the swimming pool. On the south side of the pool is a stand with a canopy, and on the east side there are changing rooms. Occasionally, there are a few figures passing by the pool, which are not very clear. The south side of the swimming pool is close to the rectangular one-story building, and the entrance is on the west side, which is an all-night bar; the side of the bar facing the swimming pool is a continuous piece of glass, which can give an overview of the hotel's buildings, and the view is quite wide. I looked into the distance, and the dark sea was in front of me, crouching under the deep night; the blue and clear sea surface in the daytime seemed to be wrapped in a layer of black veil, mysterious and charming.Early tomorrow morning, we will take a yacht on the sea to visit those beautiful islands in the sea. Only after the exhaustion of the day is over, when I meditate alone, will my mind have space to ruminate all the things I have seen, heard, and emotions accumulated. I sort out the thoughts in my heart while feeling the breath of the night. Unsolved things still linger in my mind after all; once they enter my mind, I can never get rid of them... Why am I so obsessed with that earlier incident?Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't just the boy's strange expression that attracted me, it should be said that Chen Shanjun himself had a weird and provocative quality.There is an indescribable charm and mystery about him, like a stage covered with a dark curtain, performing a pantomime that cannot be seen at a glance. But... I leaned on the wall of the balcony, and suddenly felt my heart beat faster.Looking deeper, it seems that Chen Shanjun's strangeness does not come from himself, but rather some kind of external object added to him. It would be more appropriate to describe it in this way.That's right, the strange curtains from outside, the thin shirt fluttering, shrouded him, it was disturbed by the external atmosphere, like an invisible wave, it made people feel uneasy. Is that really the case... I thought for a while, turned and left the balcony, and closed the French windows.He took the room key, locked the door, and stepped into the corridor.The boy at the counter should still be there. No matter whether I want to ask him or not, I can't control my feet and keep moving to the floor below.In front of the elevator, a familiar figure flashed out, it was the photographer Shen Zhaopeng. He is wearing light clothing, with a silver camera hanging on his chest. His thin face and body look extremely thin, but the ingenious insistence in his eyes is in line with the camera on his chest, which suddenly makes his image bigger and bigger, constructing a Intense solidity and firmness.He has goals to pursue, and goals make a man's soul firm and secure. "Aren't you going to rest?" Shen Zhaopeng greeted with a smile. "Well, let's go downstairs. How about you?" I pressed the elevator button. "It's also a walk, and I'm not tired." "The physical strength of young people is indeed better." "It's okay, it's getting worse." "By the way, how did you come here? Don't you live on the ninth floor?" Shen Zhaopeng appeared from the corridor leading to the west building, and I asked this question. "I still live on the ninth floor, but the bathroom equipment in the originally assigned room was broken. The lady in charge just happened to pass by and contacted the counter for us. Only then did my girlfriend and I get changed to the room on the west side of the building." "I see." "Have you collected any photos?" I tried to find a topic. "Not yet, but..." He suddenly showed a mysterious expression, "I have a hunch that there will be gains." "how to say?" "This...let's keep it a secret for now." He still smiled mysteriously, and didn't speak again. Knowing that the other party had no intention of revealing the secret, I could only shrug my shoulders and keep my mouth shut.The elevator quickly came to the first floor, and we walked into the lobby. I subconsciously glanced at the counter. The boy with gloomy eyes was still there. I don't know when he will change shifts, so I have to seize the opportunity.But at this time, how to ask, but there is no spectrum in my head. "Ah, the camel guide is there." Shen Zhaopeng pointed to the rest area in front of him with his chin. I looked in his direction, and sure enough, I saw the tour guide half-sinked in the sofa, his shiny head protruding from the edge of the back of the chair.He held a cigarette in his right hand, puffing out the clouds as if he was thinking about something. "I'm going to have a chat with him." Shen Zhaopeng said flatly, and glanced at me. He probably wanted to ask me if I wanted to go there together, or, as soon as I came downstairs, I didn’t know why I started to avoid what I planned to do; the closer my body was to the goal, the farther my mind was. Deficiency in action. "Well, I'll go with you." Only then did I realize that we were heading towards the no-smoking area in the corner. On the way to where the tour guide was, Shen Zhaopeng didn't say a word. I glanced at his side face, and my heart filled with indescribable surprise. It was a face full of perseverance, full of thoughtful calculations, and full of fighting spirit, just like a general who was fully prepared and made an expression of fighting hard before going out.What's disturbing is the cruelty that comes from under his eyes, that he doesn't care what the means are. At least it seems to me so.Is this... a lonely person who lives in his own world and lives for his own interests?Once the goal is grasped, he will not let it go, and the pursuit of the means that is beneficial to the goal is the highest principle of obedience, while ignoring the typical character of universal moral values? The camera in front of Shen Zhaopeng's chest seems to be the embodiment of his soul, and his actions and thoughts are all based on the shutter.From this point of view, he has found his own soul, which is more meaningful than those who have nothing to do all day long and lose their goals. The potential of world value. While Shen Zhaopeng and I were sitting in front of the camel tour guide, I reflected on whether I had a goal worth pursuing in my life. When I left footprints in various countries, what was the pursuit behind it?Sadly, I couldn't find it. "Mr. Camel, haven't you rested so late?" the photographer started with a smile, leaning back comfortably on the back of the chair. The camel tour guide looked at us in astonishment, and then slowly replied: "Smoke a cigarette, we will go up later. But you, why did you suddenly appear here together?" "I just came down for a walk, and I happened to meet Mr. Shen, so we came together." Because I didn't want to be misunderstood, I answered first. "What's the matter?" The camel guide flicked a cigarette, and the ash fell into the ashtray. "I have something to ask." Shen Zhaopeng changed his sitting position, leaned forward, and said in a relaxed tone, "Since Mr. Qiu is here, I don't mind letting him know. I believe Mr. Qiu will not spread rumors casually." people." "What?" The camel tour guide looked puzzled, rubbed away the cigarette, took another one from the cigarette case on the table, and stared at Shen Zhaopeng suspiciously. I was suddenly dragged into it, and I was also stunned. What does it matter if I follow the rumors? "Mr. Tuo, the travel expenses for our trip to Thailand this time seem to be much more expensive than other travel agencies, right?" Shen Zhaopeng said something that surprised me again in a very relaxed tone with a calm expression on his face. The cost of this trip is much cheaper than the travel agency I chose last time, especially this time the travel agency was decided after I did a lot of shopping around beforehand. Otherwise, the price to Thailand is usually more than 10,000. But this time it only costs 8,000; it is said that it is a preferential project launched by the travel agency. Just as he was about to interrupt, Shen Zhaopeng signaled me to be quiet with his eyes, so I had no choice but to shut my mouth for no reason. "How is it possible!" The camel tour guide frowned and burst out these words in an instant. "It's true. I read another travel agency's advertisement, which is cheaper than ours..." He scratched his head, showing a thoughtful look, "How much is ours? Suddenly forgot." "Isn't it 8,000 yuan?" Before the words came out, the hunchback tour guide's hand that was about to light a cigarette suddenly stopped, and he stared at the photographer suspiciously, "Are you joking? This price is cheap enough, it is impossible to find It's cheaper." "So, do you know the price of this trip?" "Didn't I say that?" "Why is it so cheap?" "Isn't it a discount program for travel agencies?" "Oh, that's right," Shen Zhaopeng leaned back in his chair, and continued to maintain a relaxed tone, "Mr. Tuo often brings groups to this hotel, right?" "Pretty normal." Tuo Zhen's expression began to feel a little uneasy. "You should know all the employees here, right?" "It's not as much as you imagined, and the employee turnover rate is very high," the tour guide spit out white mist, as if trying to calm himself, "What exactly do you want to ask?" Shen Zhaopeng ignored the other party's rhetorical question, but asked a new question: "Are you here on the 7th of last month?" "Number seven? How can I remember when you suddenly said that?" "It was the morning when the swimming pool incident happened." These words were zipped into the mouth of the camel guide; he remained silent and continued to puff.After a brief silence, Shen Zhaopeng broke the silence, "There are employees who can prove your presence, so you cannot deny it." The camel guide sat up straight, his eyes behind the glasses became sharper, and his face became more serious, "I seem to have begun to understand your intentions." "yes?" "You don't have to be so devious." "I'm just afraid you won't tell." "That depends." "But at dinner last night, you said the hotel was fine, and I figured you wouldn't confess, so I had to do it." Tuo Zhen shook his head, "It's impossible for me to confess this in front of many passengers, you should know that." "Of course I understand." "I know what you want to know, I can tell you everything, but I hope you understand," he suddenly leaned forward, and strengthened his tone, "I don't like being stereotyped, and I don't like being designed, you don't have to waste Time to play games with me." Shen Zhaopeng seemed a little overwhelmed by the overly stern expression of the camel tour guide. He shrank his neck, nodded, and replied, "I'm sorry, I just want to know about that." The camel tour guide stared at Shen Zhaopeng for a long time, then suddenly laughed a few times and patted him on the shoulder, "It's okay, it doesn't matter, it seems that your courage and wit to achieve your goal are really amazing. In this regard, I appreciate you." Shen Zhaopeng looked up in surprise, but before he could speak, the camel tour guide went on to say, "How do you know I was here on the 7th of last month?" "I made sure that you often come to this hotel before taking the risk to assume." "I see." "In order to make sure that you were here when that incident happened, I deliberately pointed out the key word 'pool incident'. Seeing that you were silent, I knew that this bold speculation was successful. Because I was afraid that you would deny it. Tell a lie with employee witnesses." "So you didn't ask any employees at all? But in order to set up this situation, you first asked me if I knew the employees here?" "Exactly." "It's very high, but I still don't like the feeling of being tricked," the camel tour guide took out a cigarette and handed it to Shen Zhaopeng, "Have one?" "No, thanks, I don't smoke, this is not what I want." "Where's Mr. Qiu?" "Thank you, I don't smoke either." I wouldn't touch cigarettes as a poison, but now I have no clue about the conversation between the two people in front of me, and I seem to need a cigarette to refresh myself. The camel tour guide put the cigarette back into the box and exhaled again, "So, how much do you know about this matter?" The photographer spread his hands, "Not much, very little, and the newspaper lacks detailed descriptions." "What do you wish to know?" "Everything you know." The camel tour guide rubbed off the cigarette butt, leaned back in the chair, clasped his hands in front of his stomach, and meditated. I looked up at the clock on the wall marked Bangkok, eleven o'clock in the evening.For me, a person who has never worn a watch, I have cultivated a keen sense of calculating time invisibly, but at this moment, I am shrouded in a wonderful sense of oppression, and I suddenly lose the ability to think rationally. Sitting behind the counter in the lobby was still the boy with the weird eyes, and from my seat I could only see the top of his low, curly-haired head.He seemed to freeze into the stagnant air of the hall, motionless. The number of tourists dwindled, and some emerged from the elevators toward the corridor leading to the all-night bar. For some reason, although the weather is sultry, there is an indescribable coldness flowing.I looked back and forth between the camel tour guide and Shen Zhaopeng, trying to figure out a clue. "Our team leader is new here, she doesn't seem to know about this matter... On the 6th of last month, the tour group I led came to Pattaya, it was already evening, and it was the same time as we arrived today Almost," the camel tour guide made the opening remarks as above after sorting out his thoughts, "After leading the self-funded group members to finish the herbal massage trip in the evening, they returned to the hotel, and then the group members went back to their rooms to rest. It was about ten o'clock at that time. I returned to After taking a shower in the room and resting for a while, I felt tired but couldn't fall asleep, so I took the elevator downstairs and went to the bar by the pool to drink. There were not many people in the bar, except for the staff, plus There were only three of me. The bartender was named Peng, a well-built, energetic man. Since I used to come over for drinks at midnight, the two of them were acquainted. I was about to talk to him when it happened." "Things?" I said. "Well, but before I talk about 'that incident', I want to mention another incident. This incident was told to me by Peng after the strange incident broke out, because he thought that the two incidents might be related. He Said that this incident was told to him by the night shift counter staff who had to get off work earlier on the day of the incident—Sha Lang Yu. About eleven o’clock that night, a passenger came to stay, Sha Lang Yu He was remembered because the passenger was wearing a brown hat with a deep brim and dark glasses, with shaggy hair protruding from under the hat, his face was not visible clearly, and his voice was rather low. The man explained that he had I have reserved a room and plan to stay for two days, after Sha Langyu confirmed that he did make a reservation first, he handed over the room key to him." "Wait, is he Thai?" Shen Zhaopeng interrupted. "That person can speak Thai fluently, he can't hear any foreign accent, and he also showed his Thai national ID card when he checked in for accommodation. Just before twelve o'clock, when Sha Langyu was about to change shifts and leave, he received a call from this person. The phone in the passenger's room. His voice is still deep, but slightly urgent, and he says: 'My room is on fire, I don't know how to use a fire extinguisher, come on!' "Sha Langyu rushed up immediately after hearing this, and when he arrived at the destination, he saw the male passenger standing in the corridor, dressed exactly the same as before, at first glance he seemed calm, but after careful observation, his body seemed to be shaking. "Sha Langyu entered the room, the light inside was on, and the bed near the door caught fire, and what made him feel strange was that the flame was blue!" "Blue?" I asked back, confused. "Yes. Although Sha Langyu felt weird, he didn't think much about it. He hurriedly took the fire extinguisher in the closet and put out the fire as quickly as possible. "After the fire was extinguished, the man walked into the room. Sha Langyu wiped his head profusely with sweat and asked him why the room was on fire. The man replied that he didn't know. He said that he just walked around the corridor and came back and found the bed. It burned, so I notified the counter. Afterwards, I murmured that the feeling in the room was strange.” "It feels strange?" Shen Zhaopeng asked with interest. "He couldn't tell. Anyway, he just felt that the atmosphere in the room was not right. Sha Langyu asked him if he wanted to change the room, but he insisted that he didn't." "Didn't the bed burn down? Can you still sleep?" "It was a room with two single beds, so I could sleep in another bed. In short, this tenant is really weird. Even though there was a fire, he also thought there was a problem with the room, but he still insisted on not changing the room. So after Sha Langyu cleaned up the burnt beds, he could only go downstairs, and he couldn't do anything more." The camel tour guide stopped to take a breath, and smoked another cigarette. "Sorry, let me interrupt," I couldn't help but said, "When he found the room was on fire, why didn't the tenant ask for help from the person next door? And the room phone is placed on the bedside table between the two beds, right? He didn't ask It’s really strange to ask for help from outside, but go to the phone next to the flames and call the counter far below the tenth floor, looking far away.” "Well... I realized it was really incredible after you said it, but I heard from Sha Langyu that there is no one living next to and opposite the room. Maybe because of this, there is no one to help." "No one lives in the nearby rooms?" Shen Zhaopeng asked this time. "Well, they were all booked, but the person who made the reservation didn't come to stay... No, it seems that the room opposite was not booked, but the two rooms next to the room where the fire started were reserved." "Who made the appointment?" I asked. "That male tenant." The camel tour guide held a cigarette in his right hand, and the expression on his face suddenly stopped. Neither Shen Zhaopeng nor I answered immediately, we chewed on this sentence over and over again, as if it was some kind of profound code. "When he registered at the counter, he mentioned that a friend would come later." Seeing that we didn't respond, the camel tour guide continued, "Sha Langyu didn't suspect anything, but the friend he mentioned later didn't show up. In short, the whole thing It's like a mystery." After thinking for a long time, the photographer finally spoke: "...I don't know the details of what you just said. The newspapers in Taiwan have explained too little. It turns out that there were these episodes before the main event." main event?It should be the "that thing" that the camel tour guide said just now!I hadn't had TV or newspapers in a while, so I was out of touch with social news.However, from the conversation between the camel tour guide and Shen Zhaopeng so far, I can roughly deduce the context. A look of exhaustion flashed across the camel tour guide's face, but he cheered up and said, "Well, what just happened can be said to be a prelude. I don't know whether it has a causal connection with the next thing." "What I want to know is the later details. You were in this hotel when the incident happened, weren't you?" Shen Zhaopeng became anxious. "Okay," the camel tour guide sighed, "I'll tell you everything I want to know, but I doubt I can tell you any new information..." He glanced at me, "Mr. Qiu, you don't seem to know the last What happened in this hotel on the seventh of the month?" I shook my head and spread my hands, "I will know in the next moment." "Do you remember that I mentioned three ghost encounters yesterday? The third time was on the 7th of last month, at this hotel."