Act.4 Paradise City · City of Heaven

[Part 1: The Dressing Room]

We crossed winding, rugged hills and passed through steep caves.

The escort vehicles entered the area under the jurisdiction of the Blackland Royal Hotel. Beyond the towering iron fences in the countryside, the labor camp teams wandered among the farmland. The living quarters were filled with water towers and power towers, as well as hot water boilers and cooking barracks for sustenance.

Xue Ming leaned against the car window, looking at everything outside, thinking of her lover.

She wondered if 9527 had also worked in a similar labor camp.

"Hey, Glory, what are you worried about?" Jielina, handcuffed, deliberately moved closer to Xue Ming, squeezing next to the elegantly dressed sister. "Don't look, we're not convicts, we're hardened criminals. We don't even have the right to touch farm tools!"

Xue Ming did not answer.

Jielina raised her eyebrows, her face full of curiosity.

"Aha! You being in the armored vehicle must be the work of that old dog Morian. Anyway, I'll protect you both."

Xue Ming didn't understand; the robber's sudden act of kindness made her wary.

"Mrs. Jielina, why do you say that? I've only met you once. You don't need to help me with anything, and you don't owe me anything."

"Because I'm rich now!" Jielina said triumphantly, a philanthropic and wealthy woman, her face beaming with pride. "My dear Jello! What did you tell me again?"

Jello Pix was kept in the back compartment of the transport vehicle; male and female prisoners were managed separately.

Through the thick sheet metal, Jello's hearty laughter rang out. "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue."

Jielina clapped her hands, and the handcuffs jingled. "When you are successful, you should help others!"

For a while, the escort vehicle was filled with laughter and chatter. The two armed guards who were watching the criminals were captured by A Xing and were being interrogated and tortured like prisoners, constantly talking about their family affairs and zodiac signs.

They were all farmers, and seeing a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl like A Xing, they really couldn't refuse her abundant vitality and curiosity. Once they started talking, they couldn't stop.

Jielina stayed close to Xue Ming, trying to explain the pros and cons clearly.

"Glory, I can tell you're from a scholarly family—though I don't know what Morian was thinking, sending you two sisters to Hedland, I'm sure you're very cultured, unlike a nouveau riche like me."

Xue Ming: "Are you telling me these things because you need something from me?"

Jielina blinked, revealing a chilling smile, "Yes, my husband and I have just joined the Hedland family. To integrate into that circle, we need to know a lot about the etiquette of [Old Money/Nobles]. Your makeup, speech, and every gesture exude elegance and grace; you'll definitely be able to blend into that aristocratic circle."

Xue Ming: "How do you know?"

Jielina: "Your hair looks like that of a vampire. Or a blood-breeding monster."

Xue Ming shrugged, neither answering directly nor denying it.

Unable to get an answer, Jielina quickly changed the subject, talking about gratitude and how to repay it.

"No matter where you come from, where you're going, or what you're doing at the Blackland Royal Hotel, we share a bond. It's in that shopping list that you taught me how to buy clothes—to repay that kindness, I'll tell you the Blackland Royal Hotel's rules for survival and how we can smoothly check into this hotel."

Xue Ming crossed his arms. "I'd like to hear the details."

Jielina immediately said, "In this prison, everything costs money."

Xue Ming: "I've heard a little about it."

Jielina: "Just like I said before, how and where you spend your money is the difference between a nouveau riche and an old aristocrat."

Xue Ming asked with a hint of doubt, "What you just said is quite cryptic."

Right now, at this very moment.

The escort vehicle drove into the pick-up ramp and rushed into a Lava Lake.

The bridge, stretching for several kilometers, is the only entrance and exit for the Blackland Royal Hotel.

The entire sky and earth lit up, just as described in the passenger log's new page and mission briefing: a fiery red artificial sun, where a Lord of Cinder often refueled. He seized the essence of firewood from the prison, set off from the top floor of the Blackland Royal Hotel, and went to illuminate all living beings in this land.

The towering buildings in the distance are even more luxurious than the City Hall of Yellow Bull Town, with a 30-story main building and several church towers. The flying buttresses on the side stretch for more than 400 meters, like a demon king's palace in the underground world.

The mission briefing described the Blackland Royal Hotel as a palace built atop an ancient city of giants, Dadu of extravagance, Tender Paradise, and decadence, also known as the "City of Heaven."

Xue Ming was very curious about what kind of extraordinary person could manage such a prison that held super criminals.

What Magic Power does its warden possess that allows so many blood-granting units, even morpho units, to obediently serve their sentences here until the end?

According to the information mentioned on the new log page, this prison is still providing a stable and powerful source of energy for the King of Cinder, and many inmates are volunteering to become fuel for him, which can also reduce their sentences.

The transport vehicle gradually stopped and turned off the engine in front of the parking attendant at Blackland Prison. Following the attendant's instructions, it proceeded as if checking into a hotel. There were no armed guards, no surveillance cameras, and no tight security; everything seemed so peaceful.

As soon as Jielina and Jello wife got out of the car, the armed men accompanying them breathed a sigh of relief. They immediately unlocked A Xing's handcuffs and sent the noisy girl to Xue Ming's side, afraid that A Xing would grab them again and keep sucking on the Yellow Bull Town Rural Love Story.

The valet was a middle-aged man in his fifties with graying temples, a Latino man with dark hair, dressed in a suit and tie and very polite.

He and his four assistants handed hot towels to the prisoners one by one, greeting them warmly.

"Hello, Mrs. Jielina, hello, Mr. Jello."

"It's been a long time, Mrs. Jielina and Mr. Jello."

"Wishing you good health, Mrs. Jielina. Mr. Jello, we have prepared the Jacuzzi and are just waiting for you to choose your room. It will be installed within three hours."

"Your housing number in the labor camp is 107, Mrs. Jielina. You like the strong winds between the buildings, would you like a room on a higher floor? Mr. Jello, the frozen shrimp you ordered in advance has been prepared, but you haven't specified how it should be cooked. I've already arranged for the chef to research Chinese cooking methods, but there are many ways to cook shrimp in Chinese cuisine. If you have time, I hope you can try it out in person, otherwise the chef won't be able to recreate the 'non-existent' flavor."

Walking forward, beneath the twelve-tiered brass platform lies a ceramic-insulated earthen base, and looking up, you see the gates of Hedland, the City of Heaven.

These welcoming remarks left Xue Ming bewildered, as if Jielina and Jello weren't bank robbers, but rather special guests invited by the embassy.

The armed men waved to the A Xing, giving a perfunctory farewell.

A Xing, with tears in her eyes, said goodbye to her two older brothers.

Xue Ming Liuxing toward the gate, but was immediately stopped by the parking attendant.

"Two lovely ladies!" The valet exclaimed in surprise. "Your arrival is a great honor for the Blackland Royal Hotel! You are two new guests! Tell the manager—we have two new ladies joining our family."

Such an enthusiastic welcome made Xue Ming feel uncomfortable.

A Xing's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "Uncle! What's your name? What's your zodiac sign? Do you usually help people park their cars?"

The valet shook his head and said with a smile, "I'm Link Man of this hotel. I'm not a doorman, nor do I park cars for people. Parking is only a small part of my job. I'd prefer you to call me Link. My job is to connect guests with the hotel. I really enjoy this job. My zodiac sign is Aries."

"Yay!" A Xing exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, Link!"

[Part ②: The God of Agriculture Eats His Son]

Guided by Link, Jielina and Jello shared a goodbye kiss at the front desk before heading to the separate dressing rooms for men and women.

The Big Sister and A Xing had to register as guests, just like checking into a hotel, which was done in a very formal and natural way.

Link shook hands and hugged his manager, and then Uncle Link and the young man Mana talked about the two female guests.

"Mana, these two ladies are from Yellow Bull Town. Their shoe sizes are 41 and 36. They took a 40-minute drive, and the Lava Lake on the way probably turned these two pretty girls into smoked meat. You must take good care of them."

Mana greeted Link with a beaming smile, saying, "No problem. Leave it to me."

Link then waved his hand, showing the A Xing beside him, without pointing or making any physical contact, explaining with the most polite gesture, "This young lady looks only thirteen or fourteen years old. She must have suffered a lot of grievances and injustices coming to Hedland. Let's arrange a housekeeper for them. I'll cover the cost—she reminds me of my little daughter; I mustn't let her suffer any further harm."

Mana: "No problem! Leave it to me."

Then Uncle Link bent down and earnestly gave A Xing some instructions.

"Sister Jielina and Mr. Mana have instructed you to change your clothes in the dressing room. Please don't cause trouble in the guest rooms or public areas, okay?"

A Xing was suddenly enveloped by a terrifying spiritual pressure. Feeling a little guilty, she looked at the Big Sister beside her.

Uncle Link finally realized this. He had used this procedure on every criminal, but the little girl in front of him didn't seem like a vicious person. So he immediately withdrew his intimidating aura and became kind and friendly again.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just an occupational hazard, hahaha. Just kidding."

With that, Link roused himself, like a knight going into battle, raised his arm and walked towards the door, ready to greet the next escort vehicle.

The job of taking care of guests naturally transitioned from LinkMan to [Manager].

Mana is an American, and his accent of American English slang and phrases betrays his homeland.

He looked to be in his late twenties, and he was full of energy and spirit when facing guests. Upon hearing the names of the two female guests, he scribbled on the registration book.

He was talking to Xue Ming.

"Glory, from Yellow Bull Town, your name begins with the letter G—to protect your privacy, you cannot use your real name in City of Heaven. Your number is 117. So please use G117 as your name, is that alright?"

Xue Ming thought to herself, "Perhaps this is the prisoner's number."

"Can."

Mana continued, "Apart from the hotel staff, I assure you, no one else will call you by your real name in public."

Xue Ming: "Okay."

Mana then said to A Xing, "Miss [Stars], I don't know if this is a name you made up, but the City of Heaven will not refuse such a lovely guest as you. Your number is 272. I'm very sorry, but there are just too many names that start with S, like Smith, Scarlett, and so on. In your hometown, such names are as common as Little Red, Xiao Ming, Zhang San, and Li Si. So please use S272 as your name, is that alright?"

A Xing nodded vigorously. "Okay! Hey, hey, hey! Brother Mana! What's your zodiac sign? Why are you called Mana?"

"Managers are all magicians," Mana said with a smile. "Mana means Magic Power. If you remove the 'G' from 'Manager,' you're free from the constraints of 'Gravity.' To satisfy all sorts of demanding customers, a manager must be full of Magic Power. I'm a Taurus."

A Xing's eyes lit up. "Anything?!"

Mana: "Of course, but you have to pay the corresponding fees and clearly explain your needs. Otherwise, even the most skilled magician can't conjure something that doesn't exist."

Countless strange ideas immediately popped into A Xing's mind, and even the Big Sister next to her felt as if she had been hit by a spiritual pressure stick out of nowhere.

"Yay! Thank you, Magic Power Man!"

After registration, Mana escorted the two distinguished guests to the path leading to the cloakroom, and then walked no further.

"Mrs. Jielina has been very hospitable. Since this is a mentorship program, I won't be assigning any shopping assistants for you two. Please proceed to the dressing room to collect your vacation outfits."

A Xing had countless questions along the way, which she whispered to her Big Sister.

"This prison really looks like a hotel, Ming Ge?"

Xue Ming: "Big Sister"

A Xing: "Big, big, big!"

Xue Ming ignored A Xing's erratic behavior. She put her arm around A Xing's shoulder and led her to the showroom of the wardrobe. The side hall had an exhibition hall of sewing machines and various design drafts, as well as a workshop for fabric materials.

"They're helping us choose prison uniforms."

Jielina sat at a small table in the tea room, waiting for the two sisters for a very long time.

"Prisoner G117! S272!"

When this mischievous bride saw her best friend's number, she suddenly had the urge to use it as an excuse to cause trouble for her new friend!

"Take off all your clothes! I'm going to conduct an inmate search! Don't even leave your underwear on! Come here and get your prison uniforms!"

She did a good job, but no one responded to her, and it started to get awkward after a while.

After Lina held her breath for a while, Xue Ming and Liuxing finally came to their senses.

A Xing: "Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

Jielina clutched her stomach, her smile twisted and maniacal, "Hahahaha!"

Just as Xue Ming was puzzled by all these strange events...

A young woman, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, rushed over from the service desk. She was Chinese.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

She wore glasses, an occupational hazard from long hours of desk work drawing and garment making. Two braids hung down her shoulders, and her face had some acne; the dust from going in and out of the warehouse often caused her skin to become allergic. When she saw someone from her hometown, she greeted them in Chinese.

"Miss Ge, Miss Xingxing. I'm the leatherworker here. The head tailor is on holiday today. If you want to order clothes, please come to the dressing room tomorrow. Today, we can only choose from ready-made items."

The leatherworker girl's Mandarin still had a slight Sichuan accent.

Jielina couldn't understand Chinese and started to urge them on anxiously.

"Show them the list!"

Before he finished speaking, the leatherworker girl ran back to the service desk and brought back a booklet wrapped in red cotton.

Xue Ming and A Xing watched and listened to what the leatherworker girl had to say.

"If you don't like the style of these clothes, we can alter them."

"You can't wear your own clothes inside—it's a rule, to prevent you from using your spirit form to hide weapons. Many vampires like to weave clothes from their own fur. Vampires, for example, are naked; they're exhibitionists."

"So, we have several set meals here, as well as casual wear sold individually. See whichever you prefer."

The list was five centimeters thick, with each page containing pattern designs and sources for the garments, design Inspiration, and model and mannequin photos of the finished products.

Prices range from the cheapest standard prison uniforms to the most expensive diamond-encrusted silk.

The designer went from an unknown apprentice to the legendary pirate John Galliano.

This list can meet the clothing needs of prisoners in almost any region and country.

Xue Ming finally understood why Jielina and Jello were so eager to enter Hedland. Just as Manager Mana had said, it was a City of Heaven for criminals.

When all the devils are locked up in Heaven, they will never again think of escaping to wreak havoc on earth.

The dressing room is decorated like an expensive museum. On the background wall of the service desk is a decorative painting, the myth "Saturn Devours His Son" by the Spanish Romantic painter Francisco Goya, with a cautionary saying from the Blackland Royal Hotel for its guests.

Saturn, the god of agriculture, believed he would be killed by his children, so he swallowed his six offspring, attempting to eat them to escape his fate. He was ultimately killed by his youngest son, Jupiter.

Evil deeds will inevitably lead to evil consequences, and wicked people will surely be punished.