How to Choose

Once again arriving at the Continental Hotel, Charon, the bald Black man at the front desk, was still standing there ramrod straight, wearing a professionally polite fake smile.

When Wang Yan approached, he greeted him. "Mr. Wang, it's a pleasure to see you again. How may I help you?"

Wang Yan took out a gold coin, placed it on the counter, and slid it over. "One night."

"Certainly, sir. Do you have any other requirements for the room?" Charon picked up the gold coin and neatly placed it into a box.

"South-facing. The higher, the better."

"As you wish, sir." Charon tapped at the computer a few times, then handed Wang Yan a keycard. "Room 1901. All food and drinks are complimentary. Enjoy your stay, sir."

"Thank you."

The price was quite good. One gold coin covered a night's stay, including all food and drink. Just like when he ate and drank here last night, a single meal had cost three thousand dollars. Based on a gold coin's actual value of one thousand dollars, it was clearly an exceptional deal. If he did not have business to handle that forced him into conflict with the High Table, staking out the Continental Hotel and specifically ambushing these criminal types for their gold coins would actually have been a fine option. Of course, if he truly did that, he would still be wanted, and he would still end up on the opposing side.

Still, while paying for lodging with gold coins looked cheap and worthwhile, behind every coin lay one life, or even several. Once a job was completed, the Continental Hotel also took a cut of the bounty. Yet what they gave the person completing the job was only one coin, or perhaps a few. From that perspective, the value of