The manager's office is at the end of the corridor on the sixth floor of the Hang City Four Seasons Hotel.
Manager Liu stared at the computer screen, his face ashen.
The screen showed a video; the image quality wasn't very clear, but the scene in the corridor was still visible.
The girl in the bathrobe stood in front of a door, raised her hand to knock, and was then escorted away by security guards.
The video was taken from the other end of the corridor, and it was clearly recorded by a resident on the same floor through their peephole.
The video has gone viral.
Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu —it's everywhere.
The captions varied, but the core message was the same: Cheng Che was harassed by obsessive fans at the Hang City Four Seasons Hotel, and the hotel's security was practically non-existent.
Manager Liu slammed the mouse on the table.
Who let her up here?
There were three people standing in the office.
Front desk supervisor, security supervisor, duty manager.
The three people looked at each other, and no one spoke.
Manager Liu looked up and glanced over.
"The sixth floor is the executive floor; you need a special room card to get on the elevator. She was wearing a bathrobe, had no luggage, and no room card. How did she get into the elevator?"
The front desk manager hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:
"Mr. Liu... that girl, she used the room key for room 1208."
Who is 1208?
"A female guest surnamed Zhou checked in yesterday afternoon. We checked the security footage, and the young woman went into the elevator with Ms. Zhou."
Manager Liu narrowed his eyes. "So a guest from the same floor brought her up?"
"Yes."
Manager Liu leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.
The subordinate cautiously asked, "Mr. Liu, that video... was it recorded by that guest?"
Manager Liu shook his head.
"No. Mr. Cheng's people didn't send anything. The video was taken through the peephole of the opposite room; it was done by other guests on the same floor."
He sat up straight and looked at the front desk supervisor.
"Go and investigate the relationship between Ms. Zhou and that obsessive fan. Are they friends, acquaintances from a fan group, or something else? Once you've found out, refund Ms. Zhou's room fee in full and ask her to leave. From now on, no hotel under the Four Seasons Group will accept her reservations."
The front desk supervisor nodded. "Understood."
Manager Liu then looked at the security supervisor.
"You're in charge of liaising with the local police station and following up on the outcome of the case involving that stalker fan. We need written documentation regarding the detention period and the punishment."
The security supervisor responded.
Finally, Manager Liu looked at the manager on duty.
"Go find Mr. Cheng's assistant and tell her our decision. Also, send a new apology letter to the presidential suite; I'll review the wording."
The three people went out one after another.
Manager Liu sat in his chair, staring at the trending search terms on the screen, then glanced out the window towards West Lake.
He sighed.
Having worked in the hotel industry for twelve years, I've seen all kinds of guests.
But he really doesn't want to encounter sasaeng fans again.
Four hours later, Qin Lie arrived.
Cheng Che opened the door while wearing his pajamas.
Qin Lie looked him up and down to make sure he was alright before walking in.
He looked travel-worn, hadn't even taken off his coat, and was carrying his laptop bag.
"Go ahead and say it." He sat down on the sofa.
Cheng Che briefly recounted what had happened.
After listening, Qin Lie remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
"The person is already at the police station, detained for five days," he said. "At the hotel, the front desk gave the room key to a guest on the same floor, and that guest brought up the stalker fans. The manager just messaged me saying that the front desk staff member has been fired and the guest has been cleared out."
"Um."
Qin Lie looked at him and suddenly said, "From now on, call me immediately if something like this happens."
" Chen Wei made the call."
"I meant for me." Qin Lie emphasized, "You call Chen Wei, and she transfers it to me, which adds an extra step. What if Chen Wei doesn't answer? What if her phone is dead?"
Cheng Che thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay."
Qin Lie didn't say anything more.
He turned on his computer, sat down at his desk, and began typing.
Cheng Che sat beside him, watching him write the statement.
At 8:00 AM, the studio's official Weibo account issued a statement.
The wording was restrained, but the attitude was clear:
The incident involving obsessive fans has been confirmed and handed over to the police. We condemn the acts of stalking, secretly filming, and trespassing on private spaces. Thank you for your concern; Cheng Che is safe and sound, and his schedule remains unchanged.
The comment section quickly filled with people.
The fans' emotions shifted from anger to heartache, and then from heartache to "It's good that my brother is alright."
Several major fan groups spearheaded the control of online comments, creating a unified narrative.
Then Cheng Che posted a message using his own account.
Thank you everyone for your concern, I'm fine. I hope everyone can live peacefully and freely.
The accompanying photo shows the West Lake outside the window of the presidential suite; the morning mist has not yet dissipated, and the water surface is hazy.
A very quiet photograph.
The comment section quickly garnered over 100,000 views.
[I'm so glad my brother is okay. I cried all night.]
This photo is so peaceful; I hope you are truly safe and sound.
The surface of West Lake is so calm, just like the tone of your voice, gentle and restrained.
[I didn't sleep all night, but seeing this finally puts my mind at ease.]
[ Cheng Che, you must protect yourself, please!]
[Could the studio please increase security? This time it was sasaeng fans, what about next time?]
At 10 a. m., the three flew back to Capital City.
On the plane, Qin Lie said, "The show's director saw the trending topic and asked if we wanted to postpone filming for a few days. I said no."
"No need to postpone," Cheng Che said. "November in South Korea, as usual."
Qin Lie nodded, closed his laptop, and suddenly said, " Xiao Zhou contacted me about Yan Ruanning. The house has been booked; we'll move in next week."
Cheng Che was taken aback. "So fast?"
"You got yourself into this mess." Qin Lie pulled down his blindfold. "Deal with it yourself."
Cheng Che shut up.
Back in his apartment on the East Fourth Ring Road, Cheng Che pushed his suitcase into the corner and collapsed onto the sofa.
No matter how nice the presidential suite is, it's never as comfortable as your own place.
After a while, he sat up, went to the study, and opened his laptop.
A new email was lying in my inbox; Professor Liu's name was at the very top of the inbox.
He clicked on it.
" Cheng Che, your report, 'Limit Homomorphisms and Continuity: On the Idea of Structure Preservation Common to Three Branches of Mathematics,' offers a novel perspective, insightful cross-branch analysis, and a well-developed literature review. At seventeen pages, the length is appropriate. I have recommended it to the editorial department of * Advances in Mathematics * as a review article, listing you as the corresponding author. The editors may ask you to add a few more references later; I will forward them to you then."
Cheng Che stared at the screen, a slow smile spreading across his face.
That feeling was strange.
The frustration caused by the obsessive fans weighed heavily on his heart like a layer of gray fog.
But at that moment, the email acted like a gust of wind, dispelling the fog.
Although Advances in Mathematics is not a top international journal, it is a core journal recognized by the Chinese mathematics community.
The fact that he, an undergraduate student, was able to get his work listed in the review section, and that Professor Liu personally recommended him and listed him as the corresponding author, speaks volumes.
Moreover, Professor Liu's willingness to mentor him is more important than publishing an article.
He opened the reply box, his fingers hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds, and then typed a line:
" Professor Liu, thank you. I will carefully prepare the subsequent revisions. It is my honor to be able to learn from you."
After sending it, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
Then my phone rang.
Qin Lie.
"We'll be shooting the pilot episode the day after tomorrow," Qin Lie said. "The directing team for ' Walking the Flower Road Together ' has been finalized. We'll start filming at your house. The cinematographer and director will arrive at your house at eight in the morning."
Cheng Che was taken aback. "My home?"
"Yes, because you've become so popular lately."
Qin Lie smiled helplessly, "The pilot episode will film the guests' daily lives, and you'll be the first one. It'll film you getting up, washing up, eating breakfast, and leaving the house. It'll take about two or three hours."
"However, the official gathering won't be until three days later. I'll send you the information on the other guests."
"OK."