Douluo Dalu: Sign in to the Flame Princess

Seeing the twin sisters he had worked so hard to woo leave him behind, Dai Mubai was filled with bitterness. He realized he had kicked a steel plate this time. His heart was full of resentment and frustration.

He was a prince, after all—a man of noble birth. Yet, here he was, being disrespected by a mere hotel manager and despised by a pair of twin sisters.

All he wanted was to shout, "I am a prince, damn it! You should all kneel before me!"

But he couldn't. If he exposed his identity, his half-brother would send assassins after him the next day.

For a royal prince to be reduced to such a state was almost laughable. He couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle before closing his eyes, allowing the hotel staff to drag him away.

"Get the cargo cart from the kitchen and take him to Shrek Academy," the hotel manager instructed one of the waiters. Even though he had decided to side with Zhao Ming, he didn't want to offend Dai Mubai completely. After all, the prince was still injured, and they couldn't afford for anything serious to happen at the hotel.

"What? You're going to take me back in a cargo cart?" Dai Mubai finally lost it when he heard the manager's words.

Right now, the person he hated the most wasn't Zhao Ming—it was this sycophantic hotel manager.

"What else? Do you expect me to carry you back on a fancy sedan? Our hotel doesn't have that kind of service. Even our cargo carts are in high demand. Also, this transportation service isn't free—it'll cost you two gold soul coins," the manager said, clearly annoyed.

"Moreover, to prevent you from skipping out on paying for today's damages, the single room we've reserved for you is now canceled. From now on, that room belongs to Sir Zhao Ming."

"You... you scumbag! Do you remember how you used to grovel before me?" Dai Mubai's eyes turned red as he roared at the hotel manager. His rage, coupled with his injuries, caused him to cough up blood.

"Grovel? I only did that because you were rich and dumb. Our hotel's luxury suites cost two gold soul coins per day, but I charged you 1,500 gold soul coins for the year. I expected you to haggle, but you agreed without a second thought. We made more profit off you in one deal than the hotel usually makes in two years. Of course, I had to suck up to you."

"But after that, I couldn't scam you into booking any more rooms. So, I've been fed up with you for a while."

"Do you really think your shabby little Shrek Academy deserves my respect?" the hotel manager sneered.

"Heh... I see now, I see how it is..." Dai Mubai laughed weakly, revealing his bloodied teeth. For the first time, he truly understood how harsh the world could be.

---

Upstairs, Zhao Ming leaned against the railing, watching everything unfold with a blank expression.

The world was like this. People only fawned over you when they expected something in return. Once they no longer saw any value in you, their true nature would be revealed.

Seeing Dai Mubai being carted away, Zhao Ming finally descended the stairs.

He had been kicked out of the room.

Zhao Ming couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. Sharing a room with three women had made things a bit awkward, and when it came time for them to shower, they unceremoniously kicked him out.

There was no chance he'd be allowed to sleep in the same bed as them, so he had come downstairs to ask the hotel staff for some blankets to make a bed on the floor.

"Sir, why have you come downstairs?" the hotel manager asked, beaming as he greeted Zhao Ming.

"I just needed some air. The ladies upstairs are a bit much," Zhao Ming said with a chuckle, giving the manager a knowing look that all men would understand.

Zhao Ming had made up his mind—he'd go buy his own blankets instead. After all, he had to maintain the cool image he had just established by beating up Dai Mubai.

"You're truly impressive, sir. Unlike me, my wife can practically beat me half to death," the hotel manager joked.

"That's no good. You should start drinking more goji berry tea," Zhao Ming said, patting the manager on the shoulder.

"You're right, sir. By the way, here's my business card. If you ever need anything, just call me," the manager said, pulling a card from his pocket and handing it to Zhao Ming.

"Li Hua?" Zhao Ming read the name on the card.

"Got it, I'll keep this in mind," Zhao Ming said, pocketing the card before heading out the door.

The sun had set, and the city was starting to darken.

However, Soto City was still bustling. In fact, it seemed even livelier than during the day, thanks to the glow of the street lamps.

After buying some blankets, Zhao Ming decided to take a walk around the city.

"Wait, that girl looks familiar... Could it be Ning Rongrong?" Zhao Ming paused.

His eyes landed on a petite girl standing at a shop counter. She wore a white dress, and unlike most girls, she had short, neat hair that barely reached her ears. Though not very tall, her skin was flawless and delicate, a clear sign of her noble upbringing.

She was certainly beautiful, but because she was facing away from him, Zhao Ming couldn't get a full view of her face.

"This necklace is so expensive! Could you give me a discount?" the girl's gentle voice reached Zhao Ming's ears as she haggled with the shopkeeper.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. All our prices are fixed," the shopkeeper said, sounding a bit apologetic. Though he clearly admired the girl, rules were rules.

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, the girl's face fell in disappointment.

She had run away from home and, although she had brought plenty of money, she had already spent most of it carelessly. It was only recently that she realized she needed to be more frugal, which was why she had learned to haggle by watching other customers. But it seemed her first attempt at bargaining wasn't going well.

"How much is this necklace?" Zhao Ming asked, walking up to the counter. He was already certain that this girl was Ning Rongrong. He could sense the gentle soul power emanating from her, a clear sign of an auxiliary-type soul master.

"Hey! I saw this necklace first!" Ning Rongrong quickly grabbed the necklace from the shopkeeper, glaring at Zhao Ming.

Seeing her flustered expression, Zhao Ming's eyes sparkled with amusement.

He grinned and said, "Why don't I pay for it, beautiful? Consider it a gift from me."

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