Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Motel

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Communication link established.
"Tongtong, is there any way for me to get through? Everything is blocked off!"
As Yang Jie spoke, he tossed a small drone into the air.
After it hovered for a long time, Zhao Baitong replied helplessly, "The entire area you're in has been completely locked down!"
"Damn it, I should have just pulled out the helicopter and flown back!"
"Absolutely not!"
Zhao Baitong adjusted his glasses and warned, "Si Yao just said there are police helicopters in the sky, and many reporters are rushing to the scene. There's a risk of exposure. If we’re exposed by accident, our situation will become very precarious."
"Alright, understood. Any suggestions?"
After checking, Zhao Baitong said, "This protest was incited by someone, so it’s hard to say when it will end. Head out of the city; the roads that way aren't blocked. You won't be able to come back, but there’s a decent motel on the way out."
"Fuck!!!"
Yang Jie was fuming. A simple task had become so complicated. Still, he had to admit that "Beautiful Country" was becoming increasingly chaotic.
It was already a mess when he arrived five years ago, and he had thought it had hit rock bottom. God knows there was always a lower depth to sink to. He heard that they were planning to introduce a $1,500 "zero-dollar shopping" threshold soon—things would likely get even crazier then.
Yang Jie drove for an hour and, upon exiting the city, spotted a motel with flickering neon lights.
In the passenger seat, Yang Rongrong kept her head bowed, rubbing the blood off her hands, looking somewhat somber.
Upon arriving at the motel, Yang Rongrong got out at Yang Jie’s urging. They approached the front desk, and Yang Jie began inquiring about the current situation.
After asking the staff, Yang Jie’s mouth twitched violently. It turned out several different incidents had converged to trigger the protests.
"I need a good room."
The staff member shrugged. "Come on, buddy, that’s the last one we’ve got!"
Yang Jie shook his head helplessly, paid the room fee, and then pulled two hundred dollars in cash from his jacket, slipping it into the staff member's pocket while gesturing toward the outside.
"While I’m staying here, I don’t want to see anyone bothering my car. Also, if you can’t stop them, you can call the room phone."
"Sure thing, sir, thanks for your generosity!" The staff member’s eyes lit up. He reached into a cabinet, pulled out a box of contraceptives, handed it to Yang Jie, and gave him a look that any man would understand.
Yang Jie shoved it into his pocket nonchalantly. They headed outside and looked up at the two-story building.
"This... this is what a motel is like in the 'Beautiful Country'?" Seeing the two-story structure, which looked like a steel-frame construction shed, Yang Rongrong couldn't help but feel curious.
Yang Jie asked in surprise, "A domestic celebrity like you actually knows what a motel is?"
Perhaps because the topic touched on her knowledge base, Yang Rongrong seemed to perk up slightly.

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"I love watching American dramas. Motels are divided into budget, mid-range, and high-end."
"Budget ones are about $50 to $100 a night."
"Mid-range are about $100 to $200 a night."
"High-end ones are over $200 a night!"
After a pause, Yang Rongrong asked Yang Jie, "How much is it for a night here?"
Yang Jie shrugged. "150 dollars a night, and it's the last room. I don't know much about motels."
Hearing the price was decent, Yang Rongrong looked around as they walked.
"It really has that feel from the American dramas!"
Yang Jie mocked, "The guests in cheap motels are all 'old blacks.' Only at this price point does the number of them decrease."
"And there’s no security. Anyone can come upstairs and knock on your door, or kick it in from the bottom. Many shootings and robberies happen in these kinds of motels."
Yang Rongrong froze and immediately tightened her thin clothing. Even in the sweltering heat, she felt a chill run through her body.
"How long have you lived here?"
"Five years, I guess!"
"And you don't know about motels?"
Yang Jie rolled his eyes and didn't bother explaining. Did a billionaire like him need to worry about motels?
Swiping the card and opening the door, he let Yang Rongrong in before returning to the car to retrieve a bag, then headed back to the room.
Yang Rongrong looked around the room.
The light switches were the toggle type—something she hadn't seen back home. There was an old window-unit air conditioner, a TV, a microwave, and a refrigerator.
The furniture wasn't high-end, but it had everything one needed.
After closing the door and peering through the curtains for a few minutes, Yang Jie dumped the contents of his backpack onto the table.
There were two bulletproof vests, a tactical belt, four handguns, and several magazines.
Yang Jie did have a storage space, but he was extremely cautious about using it.
The "Beautiful Country" didn't have many surveillance cameras compared to the Dragon Kingdom, but compared to other countries, there were actually quite a lot.

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Moreover, with technological advancements, there were many new energy sources and dashcams everywhere.
If Yang Jie were to show off even a little and get caught, it would be trouble.
Even the desktop and laptop in Yang Jie’s home were custom-made. Never underestimate the FBI’s monitoring capabilities, especially for someone like Yang Jie who was already on their radar.
Therefore, unless it was for bulk items, Yang Jie generally wouldn't use his storage space.
When Yang Rongrong saw the arsenal, cold sweat beaded on her forehead again.
"You... what are you doing?"
Yang Jie chewed his gum and chuckled.
"It’s gotten this chaotic outside. Don't count on the police; they definitely won't be able to get here. If—and I mean if—this place gets attacked, you can only rely on yourself!"
"Do you know how to shoot?"
Yang Rongrong hesitated, then nodded.
"I've been to the 'Beautiful Country' a few times and fired guns at the shooting range!"
Yang Jie nodded and pointed to the guns on the table.
"Take the tactical belt, grab two guns and four or five magazines. Handle yourself if things get dangerous. I’m going to take a shower."
Despite being busy for so long, Yang Jie didn't feel tired, but he was sweating quite a bit. His powerful physique meant his body temperature was naturally higher than average, and his metabolism was much faster.
When Yang Rongrong saw Yang Jie strip off his clothes, she covered her mouth, her face filled with disbelief.
Yang Jie’s body was covered in scars, and he had a blood-stained skull tattooed on his left arm—he didn't look like a "good guy" at all.
What made Yang Rongrong feel a bit awkward was that this tower-like man had stripped naked right in front of her before walking into the bathroom. She had to admit, whether it was his upper or lower body, he was surprisingly shocking!
After washing up, they swapped places. Yang Jie sat by the bed near the window, continuously loading bullets into the magazines.
He turned on the TV to see if there was any useful news.
The news indicated that things seemed to be escalating quite a bit. But that was fine—as long as the National Guard hadn't been mobilized, it wasn't a major crisis yet.