Chapter 3 (2/2)
“Tony needed to go home, so we needed to stop there for a while.”
This matter concerns the representative of the entire human race; a lone person chosen out of several billion people. How could they make such an important decision so offhandedly? Even civil servants have to take an exam plus interview, for them to just choose a random person for front counter management…
Feisha was crying on the inside. Damn it, Tony, why did you have to go back home? Why couldn’t you have stopped by the Bermuda Triangle for a quick holiday?
Isefel spoke up again. “Your tolerance is also above average.”
“…”
Tolerance? He pondered the idea for a moment. “You mean, if I shit myself and broke down crying when I first saw the giant, you’d have let me go?”
“Asa.”
“What?”
“His name is Asa,” Isefel said.
“Okay. Asa, Asakritos. You know, I’ve always thought that my memory’s pretty good. Uh, so back to what I was asking before, if I…”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you wouldn’t have broken down.”
Feisha decided that the first thing he was going to do when he got home was to become more of a coward. Now that the big questions were answered, he turned his attention to the details.
“Oh, right, why did you bring me here?”
“This is the front counter.”
“Oh.”
Feisha nodded, and started walking back. His feet suddenly halted in their action as he turned back slowly to gape at Isefel.
“Your front counter isn’t the same as the one I’m thinking of, is it?”
“It is.”
“What about registration?” They can’t provide VIP home registration for every single customer, can they?
“Registration is not needed, just inspect their travel pass and allocate a room.”
Feisha suddenly thought of something that’s not quite right. “Why haven’t I seen any counter staff?”
“Because there aren’t any,” Isefel answered simply.
“What about the concierge, or bellboys?”
“There are none.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t have assistant managers, a business centre, or a telephone central exchange either.”
“We don’t.”
Feisha stood up straighter. “Are you saying that I’m basically a general without an army? That I’m the only one in front desk?”
“Yes.”
“…”
No wonder the monthly salary here was nearly two thousand dollars; the money for the entire sector was given to him alone! This sure is a profitable business. Feisha cast a hopeful gaze at Isefel.
“Do you guys have trade unions here?”
“No.”
“Is there a place for customers to file complaints?”
“No.”
This has crossed the line from simple monopoly straight to daylight robbery.
“Then what the hell do you guys have?” asked Feisha, somewhat indignantly.
“Co-workers,” Isefel said as he walked back the way they came. “I’ll take you to meet them.”
That invisible man Hughes who turns transparent randomly? Oh, wait, he’s on room management.
Also that titan, Asa, who sprays spit everywhere when he talks. At least this head of security seems pretty reliable.
As well as that lecherous-looking guy called Gin. Feisha doesn’t even know what he does.
…He’s also gay.
Feisha came to the conclusion that maybe it’s better to not have any subordinates. It’s peaceful.
Translator’s notes
Not everyone riding a horse is a knight in shining armour, it could be Xuanzang.
You can read all about this delightful old man here:
During holiday season as well, you can offer -20% off deals and customers will just have to deal with it.
And here we see the start of a long and painful road of Chinese puns ahead. (Seriously, this series has a ton of them.) As usual, the original phrase:
过年的时候，你还可以打折，打十二折，反正客人也没折。(lit. During new years, you can offer discounts, -20% off discounts, the customers can’t do anything about it anyhow)
This sentence uses the Chinese word, 折 (zhé), which means discount, to make a pun about how the customers can’t do anything about being ripped off. 没折 (méi zhé) in this context means to be helpless, and as I’m sure you’ve noticed, uses the same character for discount.
They can’t provide VIP home registration for every single customer, can they?
So apparently home registration is a thing in China where before you leave for your trip, the hotel sends someone from the branch near you to visit your house with the registration papers so you can register in advance and not when you arrive out in the lobby with your 50 suitcases.
I don’t know either.