Chapter 1171: Auspicious End

"Is this the place...?"

Shen Nan, holding a transparent umbrella, slowly stopped in front of a hotel entrance. He looked up at the hotel sign, an old-fashioned light-up sign from over a decade ago. Faded neon lights intertwined to form the large characters "Huixian Hotel," which, combined with the cloudy, misty mountains, seemed to shroud the place in a mysterious veil.

The hotel's grand archway appeared to be broken, with only a glass side door open. Shen Nan's expression was a little odd. He reconfirmed the address was correct, then entered the hotel through the side door.

Under the dim lighting, the reception hall was fairly well-arranged. Next to it were red leather sofas, typical of old guesthouses. On the wall behind them hung a scrolling screen, the most technologically advanced item in the entire hall, with prominent red characters silently passing by:

—Warmly welcoming all guests to the Wushan Conference.

Shen Nan's mouth twitched slightly. "Bureau 749's budget is really getting tighter every year..."

"Young man Shen."

A voice came from the side.

Shen Nan turned his head to see a white-haired elder, leaning on a cane, slowly approaching with the assistance of a young boy.

"Old Xiao?!" Shen Nan's eyes lit up when he saw Xiao Chunping, and he immediately walked forward. "Old Xiao, it's been many years. How have you been feeling lately?"

"Hahaha, I'm old now, can't even walk steadily," Xiao Chunping chuckled softly, patting the young boy's shoulder beside him. "Fortunately, the children have all grown up; we don't need to worry about them anymore..."

"Yao Qing? You've grown so tall!" Shen Nan carefully observed the clean-cut young man, teasing, "I remember you as just a little tyke..."

"...You're the little tyke," Yao Qing pouted.

Xiao Chunping turned to look at Yao Qing. "Good grandson, greet him."

Though a bit reluctant, Yao Qing obediently spoke, "...Brother Shen."

"Young man Shen, have you just arrived?" Xiao Chunping asked.

"Yes."

"Haha, the accommodation this time isn't as good as our old days... It doesn't bother me, but you young people might not be used to it."

"...I can understand that. After all, conditions here in Wushan are limited. It's good enough to just have a place to stay," Shen Nan paused. "However, I still don't quite understand why they chose this location... Is there anything special about Wushan?"

Xiao Chunping nodded slightly. "I'm not entirely sure either... But I imagine the organizers have their reasons."

"True..."

"By the way, did young Chen Ling not come with you?"

Hearing Chen Ling's name, Shen Nan paused, then gave a helpless smile. "No... We just parted ways a couple of days ago, and he's currently wanted by Bureau 749, so he can't attend events like this."

"Brother Shen, have you seen Sister Zhiwei?" Yao Qing couldn't help but ask, "How has she been recently??"

Shen Nan raised an eyebrow, teasingly. "Oh? Are you worried about your Sister Zhiwei?"

"You... just tell me!"

"Don't worry, she's doing fine." Shen Nan patted Yao Qing's shoulder, then glanced at his watch. "Old Xiao, you two go ahead and stroll around. I'm going to drop off my luggage."

"Alright, we'll talk later."

Shen Nan dragged his suitcase to the front desk to check in. After completing the process, he headed to his room.

As he pushed open the door, a peculiar smell wafted into his nostrils. It seemed the windows and doors had been sealed for too long, and the musty scent of the old hotel permeated the small space, causing him to instinctively frown. Shen Nan closed the door and walked straight to the balcony, pushing open the window.

Shen Nan's room was on the fifth floor. Although not high up, the hotel's elevated position offered a decent view of Wushan Town. Just as he was taking a deep breath of fresh air, a faint sound of firecrackers and gongs and drums drifted from another corner of the town.

Shen Nan looked in that direction, murmuring to himself, "Is that... a lion dance?"

*Crack! Bang!*

Loud firecrackers advanced along the town's streets. The young men who had been squatting on the ground in the vehicle moments ago now strutted proudly like roosters. They used sticks, found from who knows where, to tie strings of firecrackers, holding them out to ignite. The explosions, close at hand, made it hard to hear anything else, and the flying sparks scorched small holes in their neat suits. Acrid white smoke, carried by the wind, curled into their noses, making them cough repeatedly, yet they still smiled, charging forward like warriors.

Amidst the swirling smoke and fire, a nimble red lion figure emerged, darting and weaving!

The lively sounds of drums and gongs mixed together, emanating from the car's speakers. Accompanied by the boisterous rhythm, the awakened lion, as if weightless, leaped between the windows of buildings, sometimes shaking its head and blinking, sometimes roaring with an open mouth, and sometimes swaying its realistic fur, drawing peals of laughter from the children watching by the roadside.

Most people in Wushan Town had never seen a lion dance. Hearing the sounds from outside, they peered out curiously.

"Wow, there's actually a lion dance??"

"It's rare to see such a lively bride pickup these days... Whose daughter is getting married?"

"I don't know, I haven't heard of anyone's daughter in our town getting married..."

Firecrackers roared, the awakened lion led the way. In the misty smoke, a black Audi with its hazard lights flashing, slowly advanced as if riding on clouds and mist. There was no convoy of luxury cars, no red carpet, but amidst the rolling smoke and festive atmosphere, a dancing red lion moved like a spirited deity traversing the mortal world. Every movement captured the attention of most onlookers, drawing cheers and applause as the procession cut through the 'thorns,' striding towards a destination of happiness and auspiciousness.

"Big brother, aren't you going to do the lion dance?" Amidst the booming firecrackers, a young man holding a string of firecrackers saw Chen Ling still accompanying them and couldn't help but ask.

"...I don't know how to do the lion dance," Chen Ling stated truthfully.

"What?!" The young man's ears were filled with the sound of firecrackers; he couldn't hear what Chen Ling was saying at all.

"I said, I don't know how to do the lion dance!"

"Ah? Oh... I thought you were with that other big brother..."

Chen Ling did not explain further, simply following the crowd in his large red opera robe.

The procession moved slowly, and under the gaze of many, it finally reached a wider road. The lion dance, moving ahead, seemed somewhat disoriented, only able to perform within a small area. Seeing this, Chen Ling appropriately turned his head and asked, "Where is the bride's home?"

The young man was surprised. "Big brother, we're not going to the bride's home."

"Aren't you picking up the bride? How can you pick her up without going to her home?" Chen Ling's tone was full of confusion.

"We are going to pick up the bride, but not to her house. The bride isn't there..."

"Then where is she?"

"Over there."

The young man raised his hand, pointing to a building at the end of the road. It was the only modern-looking tall building in the small town, but upon seeing the flamboyant characters on the building, Chen Ling suddenly froze.

Wushan No. 1 People's Hospital.