013. Attempting to Change

“Could there be other hidden reasons?” Lin Mi wondered quietly. She recalled that the staff member had been carrying a toolbox and had emerged from the kitchen. So, perhaps someone at the hotel had also noticed safety hazards in the kitchen? Or had her anonymous complaint letter actually worked, prompting the hotel to send someone to inspect? Yet, the inspector and the kitchen staff had ended up in conflict? This thought made Lin Mi frown.

Maybe the origin of this fire wasn’t simply a matter of negligence; perhaps it involved deeper issues within the hotel’s management, equipment failures, or even human factors. Could that earlier argument have been tied to an underlying danger? Perhaps the hidden risk that led to the fire wasn’t so severe in itself, but other factors combined to create such a terrible outcome. If these internal conflicts or equipment hazards could be resolved, would it be possible to prevent the disaster altogether?

The idea invigorated her. Just as she was about to edge closer and investigate the kitchen further, she rounded the corridor and bumped right into someone.

“Sorry!” Lin Mi quickly apologized. When she looked up, she was taken aback.

Wei Xun!

What was he doing here? Wasn’t the conference on the fourth floor? Judging from his appearance, had he just come out of the restroom?

Earlier at the registration, he had seemed unapproachable, surrounded by the press and exuding a powerful aura. Now, standing in this quieter corridor, he appeared less formidable, more relaxed and casual.

“It’s you?” Wei Xun seemed surprised as well, not expecting to run into her here. Still, her furtive actions piqued his curiosity.

He adjusted his glasses, a flicker of doubt in his eyes before his usual elusive smile returned.

“Uh, you remember me?” Lin Mi was a bit surprised. Recalling how he’d helped her out at the dinner party before, and with the fire looming in the afternoon, she acted on impulse.

“Hello, Mr. Wei.”

Lin Mi straightened up, hesitated briefly, and then decided to offer a tactful warning.

“Um... this afternoon... If you don’t have any particularly important plans, I’d suggest you leave the hotel a bit early.”

Wei Xun raised his eyebrows slightly at these disjointed words. What kind of new tactic was this? This was an important international conference—how could he just leave early without cause? Unless something truly significant happened.

But what did she mean by this? She didn’t seem like the type to randomly approach other men. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt compelled to help her at the previous dinner; her eyes had been clear and stubborn.

“Uh, I know my words sound strange, but I noticed this hotel’s safety measures are lacking. I gave feedback but got no response.”

Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Mi paused. Since a reasonable explanation wouldn’t do, she decided to act mysterious.

“The safety here is questionable. I have a feeling... it might not be safe this afternoon. If you trust me, leave after lunch. Consider it my way of repaying your kindness from last time.”

“Not safe?” Wei Xun’s gaze darkened as he studied Lin Mi, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

“Why do you say that? Did you see or hear something?”

He asked directly, a note of probing in his tone. He’d struggled for years to reach his current status, and there were plenty who wished him ill, even dead.

“Ever heard of metaphysics? Fate cannot be revealed,” Lin Mi said, waving her hand in a deliberately cryptic manner. Her presence here was already hard to explain; the more she said, the more likely she’d trip up. Each lie required ten more to cover it, and she’d easily be exposed.

She couldn’t explain herself to officials—how could she elaborate to Wei Xun? If not for his help before, she wouldn’t have gone to such trouble now.

Wei Xun didn’t press further. He stood in place, his gaze deep and assessing, as if weighing the truth of her words.

After a few seconds, he gave a soft, humorless laugh.

“Thank you for the warning.”

His tone was calm, betraying neither belief nor skepticism, but his attitude remained polite.

“I’ll be careful,” Wei Xun added, not probing further nor showing any impatience or doubt about her sanity. He nodded slightly, then stepped past her and continued down the corridor.

...

Watching Wei Xun’s departing figure, Lin Mi sighed inwardly. He probably didn’t believe her. Still, whether he took her words to heart or not, at least she had tried.

Back in the hotel lobby, Lin Mi let out a quiet breath and strode up to the front desk with a stern face.

“What’s going on in this hotel? For a supposedly high-end place, your safety measures are shockingly lax! And your staff arguing in the kitchen during an inspection? Is the safety of your guests less important than your employees’ tempers? Don’t you realize how crucial hotel safety is—”

Determined to change what would trend in the future, Lin Mi threw caution to the wind and, for the first time, played the role of a difficult customer in public.

She did her best to look and act like a picky, hard-to-please guest, making it clear she was not someone to be trifled with. A hotel like Starlight International placed great value on customer experience and service, especially when a guest raised a fuss at the front desk—the staff wouldn’t dare brush her off.

She had no choice. The hotel was full of surveillance cameras. Her impressive system was powerful, but she wasn’t omnipotent. She was just an ordinary person, lacking the ability to dodge every camera or spin endless, flawless lies.

So she had to insert herself into the situation, making herself part of the story. She’d already pretended to have lost her way and lingered near the kitchen as a pretext. Now, by acting as a fastidious and exacting guest, everything fell into place.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, for your unpleasant experience. We’ll address your feedback immediately. Could you please elaborate on the specifics...?”

The lobby manager approached at once with a reassuring smile.

Seeing this, Lin Mi decided to quit while ahead, sitting down to give her feedback and exaggerating what she’d seen and heard upstairs.

Fortunately, her efforts were not in vain. The hotel quickly sent another inspection team to the third floor.

In the end, they actually discovered issues with the gas stove and wiring.

As a token of gratitude for her feedback, the hotel even gave her a complimentary lunch voucher for the buffet.

Just in time for lunch—after a busy morning, Lin Mi was genuinely hungry, so she accepted the voucher with a smile.