Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 68 The Golden Birdcage
The next morning.

A black sedan without any special markings, like one of countless blood cells flowing into the city's main artery, drove smoothly on the wide road leading to the city center's financial district.

Inside the car, Bai Yu leaned back quietly in the leather seat in the back, closing her eyes to rest.

He was no longer wearing his intimidating Investigation Bureau combat uniform, but instead donned a finely crafted dark gray bespoke suit. The top two buttons of his pure black silk shirt were undone, revealing a small patch of pale yet well-defined collarbone. On his wrist was a Patek Philippe classic watch that appeared to be quite expensive, but a closer look would reveal a miniature mental fluctuation monitor hidden beneath the watch face.

His attire made him look less like an investigator who had just narrowly escaped death and more like a young elite about to participate in an important business negotiation.

This was precisely his disguised identity for this mission—a business representative from overseas, representing a mysterious conglomerate, who came to investigate the investment environment.

His destination was the Elysium Hotel, a landmark building that set a new record for the city's skyline, located in the heart of the city's most bustling financial district.

"...According to all public and private information gathered by our intelligence department within the past 24 hours," Lan Ce's voice clearly reached Bai Yu's ears through a miniature communicator disguised as a Bluetooth headset, "the Elysium Hotel was built and put into operation three years ago. The 'Elysium' Group behind it is an offshore company registered in the Cayman Islands with an extremely complex shareholding structure, making it impossible to trace the ultimate controlling shareholder. Since its opening, the hotel has hosted top billionaires, politicians, and social elites from all over the world. Its security system is touted as the best in the world, with no negative news leaked, not even a single paparazzi photo. It's like a secluded castle floating above the city."

"Are there any records of supernatural events?" Bai Yu asked softly with her eyes closed.

“No. Zero records.” Lance’s answer was crisp and clean. “Neither the police’s missing persons files nor our department’s own abnormal energy fluctuation monitoring network have any records related to this hotel. From all data perspectives, it’s as clean as a blank sheet of paper. And that’s precisely its biggest suspicious point.”

Bai Yu didn't speak again. Sometimes, being completely normal is the biggest abnormality.

The car finally came to a slow stop in front of the magnificent, gilded gates of the Elysium Hotel.

Bai Yu opened her eyes and looked out the car window.

The hotel's design is the epitome of luxury. The enormous glass dome reflects the morning light with a dazzling brilliance, like diamonds. Two rows of doormen at the entrance, dressed in impeccably white uniforms and gloves, each look like a model straight out of a fashion magazine. Their faces bear smiles measured with a ruler, and they open the car doors for each arriving guest with an almost ballerina-like elegance.

Everything seemed so perfect, as perfect as a play that had been rehearsed countless times.

Bai Yu pushed open the car door and got out. The moment he stepped onto the pure white marble steps, a faint tremor came from the "whirlpool eye" mark on the back of his right hand, which was hidden by the cuff of his suit sleeve.

“Heh…it seems we’ve come to the right place.” Hei Yan’s lazy and playful voice echoed deep within his consciousness. “The scent of this place…though masked by perfumes that reek of money, at its core it exudes a decaying odor remarkably similar to that of ‘The Tower.’ What an interesting ‘Venus Flytrap.’”

Bai Yu walked calmly into the huge revolving door that was opened by a special person.

The hotel lobby is breathtakingly luxurious. A massive crystal chandelier, like a galaxy, hangs from the dome dozens of meters high, illuminating the entire lobby as if it were daytime. The floor is paved with a single piece of obsidian, so shiny that it clearly reflects the enormous ceiling painting by a famous artist. The air is filled with a unique fragrance, a blend of some unknown expensive incense and fresh lilies. The scent is not strong, but it gently envelops the senses of everyone who enters like an invisible veil, unconsciously lowering their guard.

Scattered throughout the lobby were a few guests who appeared to be wealthy and influential. Some were conversing in hushed tones, while others quietly sipped their coffee, each displaying a perfectly measured air of composure and elegance. The entire lobby resembled a meticulously crafted, grand stage, where everyone was playing their own perfect role.

Bai Yu walked slowly to the front desk, which was carved from white marble.

"Hello, sir. Welcome to Paradise." Behind the reception desk stood a beautiful receptionist. She wore a perfectly professional smile, and her voice was as sweet and approachable as a professionally trained announcer.

"My surname is Bai, and I have an appointment." Bai Yu handed over a black card.

"Okay, Mr. Bai, please wait a moment." The receptionist took the card with both hands and swiped it lightly on the terminal in front of her. Her movements were fluid and elegant, every detail was perfect.

“It’s confirmed for you.” A brighter smile spread across her face. “You’ve booked our Sky Suite on the top floor. However, our hotel is currently running a special appreciation program for our VIPs. We’ve upgraded you to our only… ‘Eden’ Presidential Suite,’ which you can stay in for free. We hope you have a wonderful vacation here.”

Garden of Eden.

When those three words came from the receptionist's perfectly glossed lips, a barely perceptible ripple flickered in Bai Yu's deep eyes. This was no coincidence.

"Thank you." He calmly accepted the room key from the other party, his face expressionless.

"Here is your room key. Your personal butler, Anderson, will be waiting at your room door shortly. Please feel free to call him if you need anything. Have a pleasant stay."

Bai Yu nodded and turned to walk towards the elevator.

In the instant he turned away, he glanced at the receptionist out of the corner of his eye. He saw that beneath her perfectly professional smile, her beautiful eyes held an emptiness and numbness like that of a doll.

The elevator was a sightseeing elevator, running so smoothly that you couldn't feel the slightest vibration. As it ascended the floors, the bustling cityscape unfolded beneath his feet like a scroll painting.

"Ding--"

With a soft click, the elevator stopped at the presidential suite's private floor on the top floor. The elevator doors slid open slowly. A thick, dark red wool carpet covered the outside. Several antique-looking oil paintings hung on the walls of the corridor. The unique aromatherapy scent in the air was even stronger than in the lobby downstairs.

An elderly man, dressed in a sharp English butler's tailcoat and with his hair neatly combed, stood quietly at the door of the suite, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bai. I am your personal butler, Anderson." The old butler had a reserved smile full of British aristocratic flair on his face. He bowed slightly to Bai Yu, the movement as standard as a textbook.

"Your luggage has been delivered to your room. Please allow me to open the door for you."

He took the room card from Bai Yu, swiped it lightly on the door lock, and then pushed open the huge door made of heavy teak.

"Please come in."

Bai Yu walked in slowly.

Before him lay an extravagantly luxurious space. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows occupied an entire wall, offering panoramic views of the city. The room was decorated in a classic European palatial style, with intricate plaster carvings and crystal chandeliers on the ceiling, soft Persian carpets on the floor, and original Renaissance paintings on the walls. The room was furnished with a set of antique furniture that looked incredibly valuable, and in the center of the living room was even a fireplace burning real wood.

Everything was luxurious to the extreme. But Bai Yu sensed a disturbing "falseness" in this ultimate perfection.

This room was too clean. So clean that it didn't seem like a place for living people to live. The table was spotless, there wasn't a single footprint on the carpet, and there wasn't even a trace of human presence in the air. It was like a showroom displayed in a museum, meant to be admired from afar, not to be touched.

“Mr. Bai, if you have any dissatisfaction with the room, or any other requests, such as tasting our hotel’s 82 Lafite or enjoying a privately commissioned opera performance, please feel free to let me know.” The old butler Anderson’s voice remained respectful and full of professionalism.

“Not for now. I’d like to rest for a bit,” Bai Yu said calmly. “Okay, sir. Then I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll be waiting for your instructions outside the door.” Anderson bowed to him again, then quietly withdrew and gently closed the door behind him.

Only Bai Yu remained in the huge suite, accompanied by the soft crackling of the burning firewood in the fireplace.

Instead of immediately checking the room, he slowly walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the steel forest below, which looked like it was built from countless building blocks.

Looking down from this height, the endless stream of cars and the tiny, ant-like crowds on the ground seemed so unreal. He felt as if he were in a secluded "divine kingdom," detached from the world, scrutinizing the noisy and desire-filled mortal realm below with indifferent eyes.

This feeling is dangerous.

This is perhaps the feeling that this hotel, or rather, that unknown "thing" entrenched here, wants to give to every guest—a sense of "superiority" akin to that of a god. It uses this ultimate luxury and enjoyment to gradually numb your senses, erode your will, and make you lose yourself in this "paradise" built with money and desire, ultimately becoming a part of it.

Bai Yu slowly withdrew her gaze and began to carefully examine the room.

He turned on his communicator, attempting to contact Lanze. However, all he heard in the earpiece was a series of static-filled crackling sounds. All signals here were being completely blocked by a much stronger force.

He walked to the minibar in the room, which was stocked with a variety of expensive liquors and beverages. He casually picked up a glass bottle that looked like mineral water and examined it closely. There were no brand logos on the bottle, only the hotel's gilded "E" logo.

He unscrewed the cap and took a sniff. It was the pure scent of water, without any impurities. But he could sense a faint energy fluctuation within that scent, similar to that of a mental tranquilizer.

Everything here has been "added to something".

He put down the water bottle and walked to the classical oil painting hanging on the wall. The painting depicted a medieval noblewoman, dressed in a magnificent court dress, with a demure smile on her face and her elegant gaze fixed on the distance.

Bai Yu stared at it quietly for a few seconds, then turned away, pretending to check something else. But his peripheral vision remained fixed on the painting.

The instant he turned around, he clearly "saw" the noblewoman's eyes in the painting shift almost imperceptibly. Her gaze was no longer fixed on the distance, but... fell upon his back.

Bai Yu felt a chill.

It seems that from the moment he stepped into the hotel, he had become prey being "monitored".

"Dong dong dong."

Just then, a polite knock on the door suddenly sounded.

Bai Yu's eyes sharpened instantly. He remembered clearly that the butler named Anderson had said he would wait outside the door for instructions. He wouldn't knock on the door without being summoned by him.

He walked slowly to the door and looked out through the peephole.

The person standing outside wasn't the old butler. A young man in a hotel waiter's uniform was pushing a cart covered with a pristine white tablecloth, with a large silver lid obscuring the contents.

The waiter also wore that same perfect smile, almost a perfect replica.

Bai Yu did not open the door.

“Sir,” the waiter outside the door said in the same sweet, almost artificial voice, “your dinner is ready. It’s a ‘Dream Night’ set menu specially made for you by our hotel’s head chef.”

"I didn't order anything," Bai Yu said coldly through the door.

"This is a complimentary gift from our hotel, Mr. Bai," the waiter said, his voice still full of enthusiasm. "It's a small token of our appreciation for every guest who stays in the 'Eden' Suite."

Bai Yu's brows furrowed even more.

He opened the door.

"Push it in," he said calmly.

"Okay, sir."

The waiter pushed the food cart in. He placed the cart in front of the large dining table in the center of the living room and then gave Bai Yu an elegant bow.

"Please allow me to reveal tonight's surprise."

As he spoke, he stretched out his white-gloved hands and slowly lifted the huge silver lid.

An alluring aroma instantly filled the entire room.

The aroma seemed to possess a magical power, directly arousing one's most primal appetite.

When Bai Yu saw the "food" on the plate, an uncontrollable shock appeared in his usually calm eyes.

The huge silver platter did not contain any top-grade steak or rare seafood.

Inside was a heart that was slowly beating.

And a pair of eyeballs held in an exquisite glass.

Beside that heart, in some kind of scarlet sauce, was an elegant line of cursive English: "Enjoy your memory."

The waiter still wore a perfect smile, and said softly to Bai Yu, who was standing there in a daze, in an expectant tone, "Mr. Bai, please enjoy your meal."

"This is our hotel's most popular signature dish."

(End of this chapter)