I am the Entertainment Tycoon Chapter 969: Going Back

Sunday, 11:35 AM, May 1st.

With the arrival of a new month, the Sakurean’s Bloom Week was over, and the country would go back to its normalcy. This meant that Theo and his friends had to go back to their normal lives as they had work waiting for them. So, even though they still had the rest of the Sunday to enjoy, they decided to take the train back home that afternoon.

At that moment, the group of friends was seen moving their luggage to the inn’s front hall to wait for their transportation to the train station.

But as they walked into the inn one last time, they felt something was different.

The descent from the DaVinti’s Woven Sanctuary was quieter than their ascent. The familiar creaks of the old inn, once just the groans of aged wood, now hummed with a different resonance, a silent testament to the magic they’d uncovered. Each step down the aged staircase felt heavier, not with fatigue, but with the weight of shared secrets and newfound understanding.

"I still can’t believe this," Ayia whispered, her voice uncharacteristically subdued. She ran a hand along the delicate paper screens of the hallway wall, a wall that had once seemed utterly mundane. "All these years... this place was hiding so much."

"It was," Shizuka agreed, her gaze lingering on a knot in the wooden banister, a knot that now seemed to wink at her. "And now it’s our turn to keep its secrets safe."

"Yeah, at least for a while, we shouldn’t tell anyone about this," Sam chimed in, "Who knows what they would do and steal if some bad people knew what was hidden in this inn?"

The others agreed as they nodded their heads in agreement.

"But we won’t have to stay silent for long," Shizuka said, "I already contacted the university and an archeology authoritative figure about this situation. They told me they will come and evaluate the situation as soon as possible. Maybe they will arrive today and at the latest tomorrow."

The others sighed in relief when they heard that.

They didn’t want anything bad to happen to their discovery.

Max sighed, a sound that held both relief and a touch of melancholy. "My ’normal’ life suddenly feels... bland. Cooking dishes, helping the kitchen... it all seems so trivial after, well, this." He gestured vaguely back towards the upper floors.

"Does that mean I can assign you extra chores back at the restaurant? So that you feel less bored?" Theo asked with a teasing expression.

Max was taken by surprise by his question.

"Boss, I think that is exactly what he needs!" Shoko chimed in.

"I personally think he should be the one responsible for checking the pantry and the ingredient delivery during the mornings this week," Kumiko said with a smile.

"I agree!"

"Let’s do this!"

"..." The others chimed in and agreed with the suggestion.

Max looked at his so-called ’friends’ in a state of stupor after simply commenting on their adventures, which turned into his sudden assignment to the morning duties during this week at the restaurant.

"You guys!" He exclaimed with gritted teeth.

But the others didn’t care, they were having a lot of fun with this.

The last straw was when June, the restaurant manager, declared his sentence, "Then, I’ll assign Max the morning duties of this week."

Max, who was preparing to argue back, deflated when he heard that. He knew that after June assigned someone something, then most likely it would happen.

"Okay..." He replied with a defeated expression.

"Hahahaha," The others laughed out loud at his ordeal.

After all, how could they be friends if they didn’t laugh at each other?

They were conversing loudly at the reception while waiting for their transportation when they suddenly saw Grandma Iko coming to them. They stopped their conversation and looked at her.

The old lady looked at this group that she had just met a few days ago with emotion in her eyes. Over the decades that she had been the innkeeper of this place, she had met a multitude of people. She had seen it all. But she knew it was the first time she met a group of people who would leave a long-lasting impression on her.

It was so uncommon for a group of over 10 people to be this united, and after knowing them for these past few days, she knew they cared for each other.

"Kids, before you leave, I’d like to express my gratitude to you all once again. You have shown this old lady something that I would never have believed existed. No words could describe my gratitude to you all." She said with a touched expression.

"Grandma! It was our pleasure!" Aurora said with a sweet smile.

"It was so fun to solve this mystery with your help," Shizuka said with a calm smile."We are also grateful to you for allowing us to participate in this incredible adventure." Theo chimed in as well.

"..." The others also showered the old lady with grateful words and compliments.

It was then that their car arrived to take them to the train station.

But Ayia had one last question before their departure, "We’ll see each other again, Grandma Iko, after all, we have to be together to see what those safes guard. What do you think they keep?"

Grandma Iko chuckled softly. "I knew this old place had a few more stories to tell than it seemed. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this." Her gaze swept over the inn, a profound peace settling on her features. "It doesn’t matter even if those safes are empty, as I already received the most precious gift of all." Her voice was soft, laced with a quiet satisfaction and happiness. "It was the gift of knowing that this old inn... was left to our family because our kindness managed to touch the heart of one more person." The old lady said those words with a smile so filled with warmth that it seemed to rival the sunlight coming on that spring morning.

The others were taken aback by her words, but let out a smile shortly after. No extra words were necessary.

The group hugged the old lady as they bid goodbye before taking their luggage and leaving the inn’s premises.

As they stepped out onto the cobbled street, the morning sun bathed them in its warmth. They turned to look back at the inn; its wooden facade promised its guests a stay filled with warmth and comfort. Now they knew it was exactly what Woodwright felt when he lived here, and they felt it too.