Our Hotel Is Open for Business as Usual - Chapter 36

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 36.

Random Box.

Ho-won rarely dispensed rewards like this.

“It’s a probabilistic reward, though.”
“Yes.”

Such rewards appeared in tutorial bonuses as well. But completing the process didn’t guarantee you’d receive everything. The quality of the reward varied slightly depending on the manager’s rating.

“This game contains every conceivable malicious element, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“You’re admitting it….”

And the ‘Random Box: Manager Welcome Package’ was a reward given from tutorial rating B and above.

“….”

Bronze (B),
Silver (A),
Gold (A+),
Platinum (S).

“…So I had my suspicions, but still.”
“Still, still.”
“Are they insane?”
“Pardon?”
“Who in their right mind decides the box itself should be platinum? Was it you, Coco?”
“No? No?”
“So it wasn’t?”

The colorfully decorated box gleamed brilliantly. The light reflected off its surface almost like a mirror. Staring at that impossibly smooth, eye-searing finish, I found myself wondering about the creator’s mental architecture.

“Inflexibility to this degree is remarkable. Whoever designed this box must not have considered that only its color might be platinum.”
“No.”
“I’m not listening. What truly puzzles me is whether I can actually open this. There shouldn’t be an unwrapping animation implemented in the game, should there?”

Even the ribbon was platinum. Extraordinary craftsmanship.

“Shall I share a fascinating fact?”
“No.”
“Platinum’s Mohs hardness is approximately 4.3, making it harder than gold at 2.5. And it’s quite heavy.”
“Coco, no.”
“However, it does possess malleability, so machining isn’t extraordinarily difficult. When made thin, it’s quite flexible for a metal. But that’s entirely separate from whether one can actually unwrap it by hand.”

The ribbon was unusually thick for its kind.

“….”
“….”

Coco’s gaze alternated between the random box and Lee Yeon-woo. Sensing the mood, she quietly rose to her feet. Then, gripping the ribbon’s end between her teeth, she began to unwind it slowly.

Eventually, the ribbon came completely undone.

“Oh.”

Clang.

“I never imagined that ribbons colliding with one another could produce such a weighty sound. Being kidnapped in this hotel and experiencing such novel phenomena—it’s becoming quite the journey.”
“No.”
“You say that every time, but please clarify exactly what you’re denying.”

How a ribbon of such metallic density could unwind so easily remained a mystery. My understanding of the world eroded with each passing moment. It was lamentable.

Yet, setting aside this collapse of reason, I could finally examine the box’s contents safely.

[Initial Resource Set]
Nightmare Assets ×500
Emotional Stabilizer (Medium) ×3
Purification Kit (Guest Rooms, Single Use) ×2
Food Ingredient Box (S) ×1

[Response Protocol Set]
Facility Automation (S) ×3
Resource Warehouse Organization (A) ×1
Surveillance Line Redeployment (B) ×5

A list materialized the moment I opened the heavy box.

“…?”

And then, a single card.

“…What is this?”

I pulled it out and examined the card carefully.

It was quite large,
classically designed,
and exquisitely crafted.

“….”
“In-game, random boxes occasionally yielded cards or files, but this seems to be an entirely different category. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“….”
“It’s not even in the guide.”

Memory Cards, Contract Fragments, Sealed Records, Emotion Straps—platinum random boxes typically produced such collectible items with some regularity. Naturally, those fell within the realm of probability.

‘But this doesn’t seem to be of the same category.’

Even for someone like me, a hardcore player of twenty-six years, this was an extraordinarily unfamiliar item.

Lee Yeon-woo murmured aloud.

“…The Devil.”

Tarot card, number fifteen.

‘I’ve never seen this card before.’

If a symbolic item like a tarot card had appeared in this game, there’s no way I could have forgotten it. Where on earth did this come from?

‘Or was this another concept within the game that I simply didn’t understand?’

Doubt compounded upon doubt. Lee Yeon-woo quickly formulated a hypothesis that bordered on instinct.

“…I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but….”
“….”
“Does this belong to the Hotel?”

Lee Yeon-woo held the card before Coco’s eyes.

“….”

Crunch.
Coco bit down on the card.

“….”
“….”

Munch, munch.

“No.”
“I see.”
“No.”
“Yes.”

It certainly appeared that way.

‘I’ve never seen something look so displeased.’

Coco normally had no expression at all—just that perpetual smiling face with round eyes. Yet emotions still managed to show through quite clearly, and even accounting for that, the displeasure was unmistakable now.

‘…Then this means it’s something from outside the Hotel and the game system. It’s not even in the guide list. For someone who hasn’t fully adapted to the Hotel yet, this is an ominously suspicious object.’

And of all things, it was called “The Devil.”

‘Twisted desire and corruption, obsession, addiction….’

Or perhaps materialism and helplessness.

I remembered the meaning of that card in a decidedly negative light.

‘Tarot cards probably have positive interpretations too, but I can’t recall them at the moment.’

This was certainly not my area of expertise.

I extracted the card from between Coco’s teeth.

“Hmm….”

Despite being chewed, it remained completely intact.

No amount of self-hypnosis could make it appear as an ordinary card. An ominous scrap of paper whose true nature eluded me. I gently placed it back into the box.

“Let’s set this aside for now.”
“Yes.”
“Despite that violent reaction, you’re not suggesting we discard it. Interesting.”
“Yes….”
“Ah, so it’s something that cannot be disposed of? It returns like a boomerang?”
“Yes.”
“How troublesome.”

It was like a cursed doll.

“In any case.”
“In any case.”
“The rewards are truly befitting of Platinum quality. The initial resources are excellent, but the fact that we’ve already obtained a response protocol set is most encouraging. All that effort has borne fruit.”
“Yes.”
“This should give us more breathing room in operations.”

Remarkably, Ho-won possessed an automation system. In essence, it was a function that allowed the system to handle the minute processes that would normally require a player’s individual attention.

‘It consumes so many resources, though.’

In the game, this was called a “protocol.” It was a tedious task requiring players to manually design automation circuits and calculate the necessary personnel and resource values down to the last detail.

But this “response protocol” item allowed you to bypass all those complex processes and apply it directly. Areas where this was used would automatically proceed with guest services in an optimized structure.

“Facility automation… resource warehouse organization… surveillance line repositioning. So there are three of them.”
“Resource warehouse organization.”
“Please calm down.”
“Food. Ingredients. Warehouse.”
“Please calm down.”

This pig of a cat.

“We haven’t even opened the Greenhouse yet, so using a ‘Response Protocol’ on the Food Storage Warehouse seems wasteful. We’re not in a position to afford such luxuries right now, are we?”
“Food… warehouse….”
“We’re in the early stages of operations. Guest numbers are low and risk levels are minimal. This is precisely when we should invest more effort in facility management. Once we address the Consumables Storage Warehouse and Medicine Storage Warehouse first, guest and staff satisfaction will improve.”
“Food…! Ingredients…!”
“Besides, if you’re going to eat three meals a day with me anyway, why insist so stubbornly? You saw the tutorial completion notice with me, so you should know that the very fate of the Hotel right now depends on….”
“Food Storage Warehouse!!”
“Good heavens.”

It’s rare for Coco to raise her voice like this. Equally rare are these moments of her sprawling on the floor, thrashing about, or whimpering in stubborn protest.

“….”

Lee Yeon-woo had tasted the pains of childcare for the first time in a long while.

‘My head is spinning.’

Why must I endure such torment over this half-finished monster cat?

I tried to regain my composure and reason with her.

“Listen. Early-stage guests don’t frequent the Buffet or Dining Area much. Recipes are barely unlocked anyway, so even less so. Coco, you know this too. I’m not sure why you’re acting this way, but the warehouses that actually require the most attention in the early stages are items and medicine….”
“Meow.”
“….”

Lee Yeon-woo clamped his mouth shut.

‘Hearing it again, that really is an honest meow.’

But it’s undeniably rather cute.

“…The Food Storage Warehouse, which hasn’t even been connected to the Greenhouse and automation yet, would be too wasteful to manage using the ‘Response Protocol’….”
“Ying.”
“No matter what, for stable operations, the safety of the managing staff and ourselves must be guaranteed to move in a better direction….”
“Ying. Yi-ying.”
“….”
“Yi-i-ying.”

…True, the Food Storage Warehouse ranks around third in priority.

‘…Since my level has risen so steeply, I have no idea what bugs might pop up next. If the Greenhouse and automation get connected, it wouldn’t be strange for the Food Storage Warehouse to rank first among all storage facilities.’

It’s not the orthodox approach. Early on, long-term guests are scarce, so the Dining Area’s utilization is low.

‘But hotel management isn’t just about facilities and services. The meals guests enjoy are clearly part of that domain, and I was planning to start Dining operations anyway, even if just to fill out the roster….’

When I think about it, other areas aren’t automated either. Even if I can craft items at the Power Generation Plant, I still have to buy recipes and do the work manually anyway.

“….”

Still, I should automate the Consumables Storage Warehouse for Guest Rooms beforehand.

“….”
“Yi-ying….”
“…I’ll take it into consideration.”

If I’m thinking that dying a few times wouldn’t be so bad, have I finally lost my mind?

‘I’ve become so lenient about my own death. If this was an elaborate scheme to make me voluntarily abandon my humanity, it deserves praise.’

But this is still the early stages of operations.

‘I definitely have some breathing room.’

At this point, the Consumables Storage Warehouse for Guest Rooms is manageable to organize manually.

‘…Inventory cleaning, auto-recommendations and refills, tagging… even nightmare asset recovery… If I’m thinking about investing in the future, investing in the Food Storage Warehouse might actually be more advantageous in some ways.’

The Greenhouse belongs to the premium tier among the Non-Existent Floors. The connected Food Storage Warehouse has diverse functions, and normally, massive resources had to be poured in to unlock those functions.

“Understood. Let’s proceed with that plan.”
“…!”

Coco sprang to her feet. Vanta Black’s pitch-black eyes seemed to glimmer with unusual brilliance today. Though it was probably just my imagination.

I laughed.

“I’ll attempt to conquer the Greenhouse first, if possible.”
“Yes!”
‘Though I have no idea when I’ll actually have the capacity for it.’

Then I’ll allocate [Resource Warehouse Organization (A)] to the Food Storage Warehouse.

‘Facility Automation….’

[Facility Automation (S) ×3]

“Three tickets.”

The critical spaces are the 23rd Floor, the 22nd Floor, and the 2nd Floor. The rest don’t require significant effort in the early game.

“…Since we’ve already set our sights on the Greenhouse, let’s use the automation tickets on the Aqua Park, the Dining Area, and the Buffet. We should be able to gradually design circuits and deploy Staff Members to the remaining facilities.”
“Yes.”
“It’s fortunate we seem to have no disagreements on this point.”

The two of us clasped hands and finalized the contract.

* * *

“Geez, is that so? I was startled when you suddenly called me.”
“….”
“Yes, yes. That’s right. I trust our Hong, of course. Once you send the materials, we can verify them on this end… Yes. I’ll be heading back there again soon.”
“….”
“…Alright then.”

Director Lee Sun-hae pressed the phone firmly against her ear. The forced smile that had been pulled up at the corners of her mouth twisted awkwardly at a single word of concern from her colleague.

“There’s no problem at all.”

The call ended shortly after.

“….”

Lee Sun-hae lowered her phone and stared blankly at the ceiling. A sigh threatened to escape, but I forced it down. A relentless exhaustion pressed down upon my entire body.

Carelessly tossing my phone onto the seat beside me, I leaned back against the sofa and asked.

“Are you satisfied?”
“Yes.”

The elderly man with a robust build nodded.

“The master of the Labyrinth went out of his way to show consideration, and if we bungle things on our end, it would be a disaster. You know as well as I do that your young friends discovering the truth would yield nothing but trouble. And above all….”
“….”
“Sun-hae, you were extraordinarily fortunate.”
“…I know.”

A smile tinged with contempt leaked through.

“I know that too.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————