I Have a Five-star Seaside Hotel

From a distance, 

the massive black scale seemed to have invisible weights added to it, swaying left and right. 

At the very top of the scale, 

a small car resembling a boat slid back and forth with the scale's movements, accompanied by ear-piercing screams. 

"Ah!!!!" 

The screams, carried by the wind, echoed in Xiaoxiao's ears, making her eardrums ache and leaving her in a daze... 

Aren't they supposed to be companions? 

Why are they screaming louder than me?! 

She widened her eyes and looked at the companion sitting next to her. 

The once confident and enthusiastic companion had completely lost their composure, their face twisted in terror. 

As Xiaoxiao turned her head, the camera mounted on her head captured the companion's horrified expression. 

"Hahahahahahaha!" 

"Hahahaha!" 

"Hahahahahahaha!!!!" 

The live-stream chat exploded with laughter. 

"I was so scared I almost peed myself, and then I saw this!" 

"Aren't companions supposed to be professionals? Why are they screaming louder than the streamer?" 

"I thought companions were fearless. Turns out they're just like me!" 

"Host, you're amazing!!!! Riding a high-altitude seesaw and still having the guts to look at your companion's face." 

As if sensing Xiaoxiao's distraction, the "Wizard's Scale" suddenly tilted downward, and the car slid forward. 

"Ah!!!" 

Xiaoxiao's bloodcurdling scream rang out as she felt her hands and feet go cold, her hair standing on end. 

"Wait, why is it sliding forward?!" 

Xiaoxiao was terrified. 

The track had ended, but the car kept sliding forward. 

In an instant, half the car was hanging off the track. 

With a "click," the forward momentum stopped. 

"Oh my god..." 

Xiaoxiao's feet went numb. 

She was now hanging at a 45-degree angle, half-suspended in mid-air, with a panoramic view of Chen Jianhai's "kingdom." 

"Is this scale going to tilt further?" 

Xiaoxiao felt all the blood rushing to her head, and the high-altitude wind made her scalp tingle. 

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, another wave of weightlessness hit her. The scale's tray tilted further, and the car was now almost completely upside down, hanging in mid-air. 

"Ah...!!!" 

The screams from the car grew even more desperate. 

Then, the "Wizard's Scale" grew even more frenzied. 

It tilted up, down, and stopped abruptly when her heart couldn't take it anymore, only to tilt again just as she started to recover. 

By the end, Xiaoxiao could do nothing but scream. 

Every time the scale tilted backward, she felt like she was about to be flung out of the car. 

And every time it tilted forward, she felt like she was about to fly out into the open air and embrace the beautiful world with her soul. 

When Xiaoxiao finally got off the high-altitude seesaw, her legs were weak. She sat in her seat for two minutes before an employee helped her stand. 

The other companions were also trembling, helping each other up. They looked utterly defeated. 

One female companion even had tears in her eyes, but for the sake of professionalism, 

she forced a smile, trying to look like this was all "normal" and "no big deal," like a stubborn child weighing less than 100 pounds. 

"Pfft..." 

Though it was mean, Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh at the companions' disheveled state. 

Her laughter spread to the live-stream audience. 

"Hahahahahaha!" 

"The companions are so cute! I want to tease them!" 

"Wow, I always thought companions were trained professionals, all cool and composed. Turns out they're just as scared as us!" 

"I was prepared for a group of pro companions to carry Xiaoxiao off the seesaw with straight faces," 

"but the real pro turned out to be the host." 

Xiaoxiao and the live-stream audience laughed heartily, 

but the companions were confused by her sudden laughter. 

The poor, nearly crying female companion wiped her tears, her eyes filled with confusion. 

Why is she laughing??? 

Is it really that fun? 

What's so funny?? 

Seeing the companions' puzzled looks, Xiaoxiao laughed even harder. 

But this time, it was a genuine, happy laugh. 

So real!! 

Too real! 

Honestly, at first, the experience of being the only real person among a group of companion NPCs wasn't great. 

It felt like everyone else was just acting, and she was the only real one. 

But hearing the companions' screams, 

seeing them crying, their hair a mess, and looking utterly disheveled after the ride, 

made her feel like she was truly experiencing the attraction with a group of strangers. 

"Aren't you guys companions? Why are you so scared?" 

Xiaoxiao finally asked the question everyone was curious about. 

"We're actually playing for the first time too... We don't have much experience," one companion admitted, blushing. 

They weren't professional companions but hotel employees who usually didn't have time to play. 

Chen Jianhai had come up with the idea of having employees take turns as free companions, giving them a break while ensuring guests didn't feel lonely. 

These companions had won their spots through a lucky draw, making them complete rookies. 

The companions looked a bit down. 

But Xiaoxiao was genuinely happy. 

"Thank you!!" she said sincerely. 

"I had a really, really great time!" 

"Can I take a photo with you guys?" 

The companions' eyes lit up!! 

"Cheese~~~" 

In the selfie stick's frame, a group of young people in robes smiled and posed happily, with the nearly crying female companion beaming the brightest. 

"Wizard sir, congratulations on conquering the Wizard's Scale and obtaining Vikam's magical artifact, the Scale." 

After the photo, an employee warmly handed Xiaoxiao a blue star-and-moon card. 

The card had a matte finish, with stars and moon designs dusted with glitter that sparkled in the sunlight. In the center was a black scale icon, identical to the "Wizard's Scale." 

"Wizard sir, we wish you a wonderful adventure ahead!" 

After leaving the "Wizard's Scale," Xiaoxiao seemed to have found a new direction for her live stream. 

Based on the audience's reaction, they seemed to love the amusement park companions. 

"Let's see what to play next." 

Xiaoxiao stood in Wizard Town, looking around, before her gaze landed on a distant structure. 

It was a pocket watch-shaped building, with a golden chain hanging from a strangely shaped dial. The black hands moved slowly, as if hypnotizing, swaying gently in the air. 

The pocket watch had no second hand, and the hour and minute hands moved based on the watch's sway, matching real time. 

"What kind of amazing design is this?!" Xiaoxiao looked up at the pocket watch, her eyes filled with awe. 

If it were just a clock-themed building, that would be one thing. But this was clearly an amusement park attraction. How could they make a ride that accurately reflects real time? 

"This pocket watch is hypnotic!!!" 

"I feel like I could just stare at this pocket watch swaying back and forth all day." 

"I bet a pack of spicy strips that this big pocket watch is also a themed prop." 

"I'll bet two packs!" 

Xiaoxiao admired the structure for a few seconds before walking over with great interest. 

Whether it was her imagination or the sound effects of the attraction, 

the closer Xiaoxiao got to the "big pocket watch," the more she could hear the "tick-tock" of the second hand. By the end, it felt like every step she took was perfectly synchronized with the clock's time. 

"The Wizard's Pocket Watch:" 

"In the magnificent world of magic, Vikam turns the hands of his pocket watch, using the power of time to traverse the starry void." 

"As Vikam descends further into madness, the hands of the pocket watch are constantly turned," 

"In the clash between light and darkness, the chaotic flow of time will eventually return to normal, guiding the mad wizard toward peace..." 

Xiaoxiao stood in front of the "big pocket watch" introduction board and read the description to her live-stream audience. 

"So it seems the wizard's final fate is to overcome darkness and embrace light!" 

Xiaoxiao stared at the last line of the attraction's description, analyzing it seriously. 

Although "Vikam" was just a fictional character created by the amusement park to guide customers and encourage them to play the attractions, 

the immersive atmosphere and environment of Wizard Town were so strong, 

combined with the amusement park's earlier suggestion that collecting three magical artifacts would unlock the character's final fate, 

Xiaoxiao now felt like she was playing a half-deduction game in the amusement park. 

"I bet this attraction is a pendulum ride," Xiaoxiao said with a hint of smugness. 

"I'm not exaggerating," 

"I, the father of pendulum rides!!" 

"Back in Yin'er City, Huadu and I conquered the local pendulum rides three times. I'm immune to them now!" 

"To me, all pendulum rides are just big swings." 

"If I scream even once or frown during this ride, I'll write my name 'Xiaoxiao' backward!" 

With a mischievous smile, Xiaoxiao strode confidently toward the big pocket watch. 

... 

Familiar with the process, Xiaoxiao chose her companions and sat firmly on the big pocket watch. 

She wiggled comfortably in her seat, tightened her seatbelt, and double-checked her shoelaces before looking around at her companions with ease. 

To her left, one companion had been taking deep breaths since boarding, nervously gripping the armrest. 

When Xiaoxiao glanced at him, the companion was startled but then spoke warmly, though his voice trembled: 

"Sir, don't be afraid. We're here with you." 

Me, afraid? 

You're the one who looks like you're about to wet yourself. 

Even in this state, you're still comforting me... 

For a moment, Xiaoxiao didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or applaud his professionalism and service attitude. 

"Our boss said this attraction is quite intense. If you're scared, just scream. It'll make you feel better." 

The companion generously shared his little tip. 

Xiaoxiao was speechless. 

What kind of advice is this?! 

Sure, screaming can help release some pressure, but she had already promised her live-stream audience before boarding the "big pocket watch." 

If she screamed even once, she'd write her name "Xiaoxiao" backward! 

Ten seconds later, as the companions on either side gasped, the big pocket watch began to swing left and right. 

At first, to help guests adjust, pendulum rides start with small swings, gently swaying back and forth like a big swing. 

Xiaoxiao looked around peacefully at the increasingly elevated scenery, when a thought suddenly popped into her head: 

"Wait..." 

"If we're riding this, the pocket watch's swing and speed will change, making the time inaccurate!" 

After all, what had initially impressed Xiaoxiao was the "big pocket watch" displaying real time. 

If the time changed just because guests were riding the attraction, that would ruin the magic. 

As Xiaoxiao was distracted, the pocket watch swung higher and higher, and the sense of weightlessness grew stronger. The companions' ear-piercing screams echoed around her. 

"Ahhhhhhh!!!" 

"Boss, save me!!" 

"This is terrifying!!!" 

"Wahhh... I don't want to die." 

Listening to the companions' desperate screams, Xiaoxiao almost choked on the wind from laughing. 

The pendulum ride companions clearly lacked mental fortitude! 

Being scared is one thing, 

but shouting "Boss, save me" is just too much. 

If your boss isn't exploiting you, making you work overtime, forcing you to take the blame, or using you as a scapegoat, that's already a miracle. 

How can you expect him to save you?! 

Ugh!! 

But strangely, whether it was because of the "Boss, save me" plea or not, 

the pendulum ride's swing noticeably slowed down, giving the nearly crying companions a chance to catch their breath and mentally prepare themselves again. 

But Xiaoxiao wasn't satisfied. 

The high-altitude seesaw earlier was so thrilling, with perfectly timed scares. 

Why is this pendulum ride so soft?! How is this fun? 

As if hearing Xiaoxiao's dissatisfaction, or perhaps because she was the only one on the ride who hadn't screamed, 

a "click" sound suddenly came from Xiaoxiao's seat. 

The sound of springs and mechanisms turning could be heard as the pendulum swung back and forth, and the seat began to shake noticeably. 

"Wait, is the seat broken?!!" 

Xiaoxiao panicked. 

Did cursing your boss a few times really break the seat?!!