Another Traveler

Neither the male attendant nor the old man had expected this. A dollar for a room was not expensive, of course, though considering the filthy, oppressive surroundings, even half that price might not have attracted anyone. But the town's only means of contact with the outside world had stopped running for the night. If Zhang Heng did not stay here, he had nowhere else to go. From that standpoint, he had no choice but to pay the dollar. Yet no one had expected that he did not have a single coin in his pockets.

After a moment of silence, the old man said, "Forget it, I'll pay for his room. Since it's a celebration, we can't be the only ones enjoying ourselves. It's rare for visitors to come here, so we ought to show some hospitality." He had gone to great lengths to bring Zhang Heng here. He could not let a single dollar ruin everything.

"Since you're willing to pay for him, I have no objections," said the male attendant. He completed Zhang Heng's check-in while Zhang Heng signed his name in the guestbook.

At some point, the old man had slipped away. It was as if he had appeared solely to lead Zhang Heng into the hostel.

Zhang Heng was about to follow the other attendant upstairs when another figure entered from outside. The man looked anxious, irritated, and flustered. He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but swallowed the words at the last moment and merely said, "Give me a room."

"One dollar." The male attendant repeated the price expressionlessly.

Zhang Heng knew this was the other guest at Gilman Hostel the attendant had mentioned earlier. It was fairly obvious—not only because the man looked normal, but also because he lacked the damp,