Chapter 438: Howl's Moving Castle 

Just as the Magic Century Theme Park was in awe of the newly opened hotel next door,

on the provincial highway, a convoy of more than 40 blue coaches was mightly and grandly heading into Zaomen. From a distance, it looked like a long train, chugging forward.

In the last vehicle of the convoy,

Chen Jianhai was driving alone, his face tense, his eyes filled with unmistakable "killing intent."

At the rear of the coach,

a birdcage covered with a black cloth sat quietly on the floor, occasionally emitting a series of profound life lessons:

"Whether the flowers bloom or not, whether you come or not, where will I go... None of it is up to me."

"Everyone carries their burdens, and every bird's suffering is different."

"What can we do?"

"Life is less than a hundred years. After tasting all the joys and sorrows, it's time to say goodbye."

"Just like how I bid farewell to the island, and you... bid farewell to the girl you liked."

"Drowning in the clamor of crowds, wandering in the lights of the streets."

"Ah, life, it is as bitter as a song!"

...

Chen Jianhai, suppressing his anger, finally couldn't hold back and shouted:

"Can you shut up for a while?!"

Damn it!

This damn bird had been blabbering non-stop since they got on the bus, and Chen Jianhai had several times wanted to crash the car into the greenbelt and end it all with the bird!

Previously, since he was on the island keeping an eye on things, he had left the myna bird in the northern mountains, still within his sight.

But now that he was in Zaomen,

if this myna bird started chatting with the hotel staff or guests one day, and something went wrong, it would be a disaster!

So, in the new Zaomen hotel, Chen Jianhai specifically spent 300 points to buy a "grumpy, beautiful banyan tree that would burst into song when agitated,"

just to house this damn bird!

Unfortunately, Chen Jianhai's hot temper was like a soft marshmallow in front of the myna bird.

Not only did it have no intimidating force, but it also acted as a catalyst for the bird's performance.

With an audience and feedback, the myna bird paused slightly, then happily began a new round of pessimistic culture jokes:

"Amid the hustle and bustle of the world, why not enjoy solitude alone."

...

I'll endure it...

The killing intent in Chen Jianhai's eyes grew stronger!

Yes, this was definitely killing intent...!!!

If this were a cultivation world, he believed the sheer oppressive aura he was emitting could destroy the entire mortal realm, the entire immortal realm, the entire demon realm, and even the entire beast realm!!!

Everyone would die!!!

Damn bird, just wait!

In a moment, I'll have that banyan tree whip you to death!!!

Silently turning up the volume of the bus's sound system, Chen Jianhai stepped hard on the accelerator and sped off down the highway...!

...

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, four hours had gone by.

Since Chen Jianhai had ultimately placed the hotel's main entrance on the same side as the Magic Century Theme Park, right across from the subway entrance,

he had decided to keep a low profile and make it easier for employees to enter the hotel.

Thus, he directed the convoy to the hotel's western entrance, with the coaches entering through the Morning Light Bookstore corridor.

As the Ocean Star luxury coaches exited the provincial highway and turned onto the side road, the number of cars on the road gradually increased.

The convoy's speed also slowed down.

"I heard this street and the side road were newly built in the past six months. Before, it was just dirt roads, and people would even bring goats to sell goat milk."

"Bring goats to sell goat milk? Was it freshly squeezed?"

"I think it was freshly squeezed. Lang even said the goat milk was delicious."

"Ew... I don't believe it. Just thinking about it makes me feel the gamey smell."

Looking at the bustling town, the employees on the bus curiously pressed their faces against the windows, gazing out at both sides.

To compensate the residents displaced by the Cream Road demolition and relocation,

the city of Zaomen had not only provided them with housing in the city but also built this new town near their original land.

The town was filled with small houses, each with its own little building. The grass was lush, and the roadside was planted with beautiful flowers. The streets were clean and wide.

On both sides of the road, there were various restaurants, breakfast shops, fried chicken joints, fruit stores, vegetable shops, convenience stores, and small supermarkets.

To the right of the town, there was also a lively small market, where many people could be seen strolling with shopping bags and baskets, carrying freshly bought meat and vegetables.

Some were haggling,

while others were chatting, sharing tips on how to make meatballs crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, or how to make pancakes more fragrant and soft.

The entire town exuded a sense of life, comfortable and lively.

"Wow... they even have grilled cold noodles here!"

"I see grilled seitan too!!"

"And hotpot!!!"

"There are even freshly made fried leek dumplings!! I can smell the garlic chives!!"

"That supermarket looks like it has everything. Great, we can come here to eat when we're craving something!"

The employees on the bus chattered excitedly, all looking incredibly happy.

Earlier, when they were preparing to come, they had been worried about the food situation.

After all, some of them were former employees from the island, and when they first arrived on the island, there was really nothing there.

At night, aside from the hotel, the entire coastline was pitch black.

They had to rely on the hotel's cookies and dessert cakes as snacks.

Although the hotel's snacks were well-made, eating them all the time really made you gain weight!

It wasn't until Lang brought barbecue equipment that the island's night life took a turn for the better.

So,

when they first heard that the new hotel in Zaomen was in the suburbs, they were worried about not having access to delicious street food. Some even brought half a box of snacks to satisfy their cravings.

But now, it seemed all their worries had been resolved!

The employees on the bus pressed their faces against the windows, swallowing their saliva as they looked out at the street.

The people on the street looked up, puzzled by the passing convoy of blue coaches, wondering which guesthouse was about to open.

Since this town was close to the Magic Century Theme Park,

many people had built guesthouses in their homes, hoping to make some money from the park's business.

The coaches slowly stopped at the entrance of the small market, and the doors opened.

"What's going on? Are we getting off here?"

The employees on the bus were all confused.

"Aren't we supposed to be going to the hotel? Why are we entering the small market??"

"Yeah, did the GPS navigation get it wrong?"

"This doesn't look like a hotel,"

"Should we call the boss and ask?"

...

As everyone hesitated, Bai Cheng stood up from the bus and shouted:

"Everyone, follow me. The road ahead isn't suitable for coaches. The boss wants us to go on our own."

With that,

Bai Cheng and her three roommates got off the bus, retrieved their luggage from underneath, and after confirming that everyone was present, led the group toward the hotel.

"Big Cheng, is this the right place?"

"It doesn't look like there's a hotel here."

The roommate with the gold-rimmed glasses looked around curiously, whispering in confusion.

"Should be, right?" Bai Cheng glanced down at her phone uncertainly. "The boss said the entrance is a bookstore. If we find the bookstore, we'll find the hotel..."

The entrance is a bookstore?

The three roommates exchanged puzzled looks.

That sounded really strange.

Just as the four of them were puzzled, Bai Cheng suddenly brightened up, grabbed her suitcase, and dashed over to a second-hand bookstore.

The walnut-colored arched door bore the grain of wood, and semi-transparent curtains hung lazily on the cream-colored window frames. In the corner, two boxes of old books leaned against the wall, basking in the sun. A small wooden sign hung on the antique bronze color doorknob, reading:

"Squirrel Second-Hand Bookstore, Bread on Special on Saturdays."

This was it!

Bai Cheng excitedly pushed open the bookstore door and walked inside.

As soon as she entered, the hustle and bustle of the small market seemed to be completely shut out.

A vintage radio stood on the counter, its antenna raised high, playing a melody with indistinct lyrics. The scent of woody fragrance incense blended with the ink fragrance of books, creating a unique and subtle aroma. A hanging ceiling lamp hung from the ceiling, its light focused by the lampshade and cast onto a round high-legged coffee table below.

To the left of the bookstore was a massive bookshelf, filled with all kinds of second-hand books.

On the opposite wall, an entire section had been designed to look like a large door.

Was this door the passage?

Bai Cheng was puzzled.

"Wow, did the boss bring Howl's Moving Castle here?" The short-haired roommate was excited, her voice rising.

"What's Howl's Moving Castle?" Bai Cheng asked, confused.

"It's about a super handsome wizard named Howl. His castle has a small door at the back, and depending on the symbol on the door, you can go to different places when you open it."

"It's really cool!"

The short-haired roommate grew more and more excited as she spoke.

She walked forward, placed her right hand on the doorknob, and gently pressed down.

In the next moment,

the wall-door slowly opened,

and bright light poured in from outside. A grapevine-like purple corridor appeared behind the door, with a wide, pure white pebbles path resembling a small stream flowing through emerald green grass, extending to the distant end.

At the end stood a towering, majestic castle, its spires reaching high. The sunlight reflected off the glazed color glass, shimmering beautifully.

Beside the white pebbles path, two long railway tracks ran parallel, with a red mini train parked on them, faint smoke rising from its body.

Inside the door was the second-hand bookstore's wall... but outside, there was a corridor??

Bai Cheng was stunned.

Although she had always known her boss was capable, full of ideas and creativity,

this scene before her was just too unbelievable!

Yes, too unbelievable!

Who would dare believe this?!

Bai Cheng stiffly turned to look back at the bustling small market outside the bookstore,

then at the Morning Light Corridor leading to the fantasy castle.

She couldn't fathom how these two wildly different scenes were separated by just a wall.

"What are you thinking about?"

Just as the employees in the bookstore were at a loss by the scene before them, Chen Jianhai's figure suddenly appeared from the mini train. He waved at Bai Cheng and the others, saying:

"Get on!"

...

Half an hour later,

"Is everyone here?" Chen Jianhai stood below the mini train, calling out to each carriage.

"All here!"

"Good, let's go!"

Chen Jianhai, drenched in sweat, sat in the co-driver's seat of the mini train. He waved his left hand forward, signaling to depart.

But after waiting for a while, the train didn't move.

Chen Jianhai glanced displeased at the bellboy in the driver's seat and asked, "Why aren't you moving?"

"Boss, I've never driven a mini train before..."

The bellboy was on the verge of tears.

Originally, he had been sitting comfortably on the Ocean Star luxury coach, but at the last rest stop, Chen Jianhai had suddenly called him and asked him to ride in his car.

The bellboy didn't think much of it, but as soon as he got in, Chen Jianhai handed him a daunting task: to drive the mini train!!

There were a whole train full of people on board,

and if anything went wrong, he wouldn't be able to make up for it even if he died eight hundred times.

Chen Jianhai was speechless. "Didn't I tell you? Just treat this mini train like a car. It runs on fuel and electricity, the principle is the same."

The bellboy looked wearing a bitter expression and said grievously, "You're lying. This mini train is clearly steam-powered."

Steam your sister!

Chen Jianhai almost cursed out loud.

Usually, there was no sign of cultural accomplishments in his work, but now all his accumulated historical knowledge was being used against him.

Seeing the bellboy was genuinely scared, Chen Jianhai had no choice.

"Get out, I'll drive!"

"Okay, boss~~"

The two quickly switched places,

and with a series of skilled operation, Chen Jianhai got the mini train chugging. It let out a "choo-choo" sound, puffing smoke rings as it happily moving along the railway tracks toward the Magic Hotel ahead.

"Finally made it!"

With a train full of people, Chen Jianhai let out a long sigh of relief, genuinely feeling a bit后怕.

Normally,

just like how other castles and ancient city walls had moat,

when he purchased the Morning Light Corridor for the Zaomen Magic Hotel, he had designed it with the moat concept in mind.

Using the shops on one side of the small market as a barrier, with the bookstore as the connecting entrance, all guests wanting to enter the hotel had to pass through this corridor to truly reach the hotel grounds.

To enhance the stay experience and visual effect for guests, he had originally prepared eight two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage to shuttle guests through the Morning Light Corridor.

But he had forgotten that this time, it was employees, not guests, coming to the hotel.

Even if the eight two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage could run back and forth driverless, transporting over 800 people would have exhausted the horses.

So, on the way, he realized his mistake and quickly spent 290 points to redeem a one-time sightseeing mini train. He then took a shortcut to another entrance of the hotel to drive the train over, barely managing to arrive before Bai Cheng.

Watching Chen Jianhai skillfully drive the train, the bellboy's eyes were filled with envious and respectful admiration.

But amidst the envious and respectful admiration, he couldn't help but ask:

"Boss, why did you tie a birdcage to the train?"

"Is it to let the birdcage enjoy the breeze?"

Chen Jianhai replied, "That bird is important. I need to keep it with me."

"Bird?" The bellboy looked back again, asked in confusion:

"But the birdcage is empty."