Influenced by Madison's composed demeanour, Ruboo cautiously unzipped the luggage bag.
After a quick glance inside,
he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Not a bomb.
"What's this?"
Seeing no danger, Madison curiously reached into the bag, pulled out the contents, and remarked with some surprise,
"An arm? Looks rather interesting."
Ruboo looked over.
There lay a golden arm, ending at the elbow, with distinct fingers and intricate engravings, resembling a work of art, now being handled by Madison.
Madison then became quite enthusiastic, attempting to slip her right hand into the hollow interior of the golden arm.
Though it was a tight fit, she managed it.
"Well? Isn't it splendid?" Madison stretched the golden limb with satisfaction, turning to Ruboo.
Observing Madison with one normal hand and one transformed into a golden limb, Ruboo sincerely remarked, "It does possess a peculiar beauty."
Gold always evokes a sense of beauty.
"By the way, is this solid gold or just painted gold?"
Ruboo tapped his finger against the golden arm and inquired.
Though he knew of gold, being as impoverished as he was, he'd only ever seen it on television and had no real understanding of what the material was like.
Could he really bite it with his teeth like they do in films and dramas?
Ruboo stared at the golden arm encasing Madison's right hand, pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
Far too lowbrow—it would damage his image.
Madison could tell you whether a dollar bill was genuine, but she wouldn't know about gold.
"Just ask the jeweller. Though judging by how that chap left without a second glance, it probably isn't solid gold either." After indulging herself, Madison removed the gold armband.
Ruboo nodded briefly, then furrowed his brow.
Genuine or not, this gold arm was a rather fine piece of craftsmanship.
Even in such a hurry, that man wouldn't have abandoned it like that.
Something felt off. Could it be stolen?
He couldn't help but suggest, "Shall we wait here? Perhaps he'll return for it?"
"I've no intention of wasting time on trivial matters. Besides, I warned him just now, and he didn't want it. So this gold arm is ours now." Madison's appetite was far greater than Ruboo had imagined. "We'll examine it later. If it's genuine gold, we'll melt it down and split the proceeds. If not, we'll just hang it in our room as decoration."
"Ruboo, this could be a fortune, you know."
Prompted by that final remark, Ruboo nodded in agreement.
As someone who even had women footing his shopping bills today, he was in desperate need of cash.
Bloody America—you simply can't get by without cash.
Ruboo took the golden arm, reassembled it, and then continued up the stairs with Madison.
Despite the earlier interruption, he hadn't forgotten the purpose of his visit.
The sword of Damocles hung over his head, with the ten-day deadline looming.
If he failed to find it here, Ruboo would have no choice but to grit his teeth and venture into the swamps near New Orleans, praying he wouldn't be fed to the alligators while trying his luck.
...
The Monteleon Hotel.
Renowned as one of New Orleans' most famously haunted hotels, it enjoyed considerable notoriety online.
Numerous guests have reported sightings of ghosts within its walls.
Not only that, but the doors to the hotel dining room, the lifts, and even certain objects within the rooms occasionally move in inexplicable ways.
There is even a corridor where the temperature drops when guests pass through, accompanied by apparitions of children at play.
Such uncanny phenomena are most commonly observed after eight o'clock in the evening.
Having endured the day's setbacks, Ruboo no longer placed much credence in such online accounts.
But thinking 'in for a penny, in for a pound', he decided to test it out.
Arriving at his pre-booked room, he noted the time had just passed eight.
Just as Ruboo was pondering where to try his luck,
A loud bang echoed as the door slammed shut.
Ruboo's heart skipped a beat as he spun round to find a fiery figure throwing herself into his arms.
Two slender, pale arms coiled around his neck like snakes.
As Madison's fiery gaze closed in, Ruboo froze, stammering:
"Madison, have you got the wrong idea?"
"Misunderstanding? They say Asian boys are shy and honest, but I see you're quite different, Ruboo. Inviting me to a hotel late at night—who doesn't know what you're up to?" Madison purred, her eyes narrowing seductively, her movements not pausing for a moment.
"Hold on, I'm here on business!"
"Isn't what we're doing right now business?"
"I—"
As the enemy's assault grew relentless and he felt himself on the verge of collapse, suddenly!
The chair beside him shifted strangely.
Ruboo startled, swiftly pinning Madison down. His expression turned grave as he warned, "Careful! Something's amiss here!"
As he spoke, he drew the crucifix in his left hand while gripping the Glock in his right, his face a mix of excitement and apprehension as he prepared to act at a moment's notice.
"What's going on?" Madison asked, puzzled by his refusal.
Ruboo pointed at the chair. "The chair just moved by itself."
"Perhaps you're seeing things..."
Before Madison could finish, right before her eyes, the oil painting on the wall crashed down with a thud.
She jumped in fright.
Yet this was merely the beginning.
It wasn't the only one.
The other frames holding paintings on the wall, untouched by anyone, began tumbling down one after another, as if an invisible hand were pulling them loose.
Madison's body instantly tensed. She hurried back to Ruboo's side, her voice tinged with panic. "Ruboo, I understand what you mean now."
Despite her earlier bold claims about hunting ghosts and even capturing vampires as her personal playthings, she couldn't help but panic when confronted with such a situation for the first time.
"Rest assured, I've made thorough preparations."
Though equally unsettled himself, Ruboo stepped forward to set a reassuring example.
Over the next few moments, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly eerie.
The chairs began shifting again, emitting a hissing, scraping sound.
Cups whirled wildly through the air before crashing to the floor, shattering into countless shards.
The chandelier above swung wildly, casting the room in flickering light.
"Is it about to appear?"
As the commotion within the room grew ever more intense, Ruboo, his palms already sweaty, fixed his gaze intently upon his surroundings.
Yet, after waiting and waiting, the other party still hadn't appeared.
What on earth?
The atmosphere had been built up to this point—the main event ought to be happening now.
Somewhat puzzled, Ruboo glanced at Madison, who looked just as tense. Just as he was about to look away, something suddenly occurred to him.
Chairs shifted, picture frames fell, chandeliers swayed...
Telekinesis!
No wonder!
But why hadn't his containment book reacted?
"Madison!"
Ruboo shot Madison a fierce glare, her expression tense yet tinged with eager anticipation.
Almost forgot you're an actor.
"Well played! Never knew you had such acting chops!"
The moment the words left his lips, the room fell silent once more.