The rooms in this building were not large, and the facilities were old. The entire building was even filled with a sense of decay.
Several young people were visibly upset and went to complain to their leader, Su Dacheng.
Su Dacheng was also in a difficult position. Their current operation had required a great deal of effort to secure a budget of 2 million for expenses.
Su Dacheng had not anticipated that the cost of living on Icefire Island would be so exorbitantly high.
On Icefire Island, even the most basic accommodation and meals like these cost one Icefire currency per person per day, which was equivalent to 1,000 US dollars.
Their team of 20 people would need nearly 200,000 per day!
At this rate of spending, they would run out of money to pay for accommodation and meals in just five to six days.
They had previously estimated that this mission would take at least 10 days, and at most a month, to complete.
Of course, there was a way to supplement their funds: by taking on missions on the island and in the free zone, such as collecting materials from animals and plants or exploring unknown areas of the island.
These exploration activities and missions could earn them Icefire currency, and the income was quite substantial.
However, Su Dacheng and the others were reluctant to do so, as such income came with significant risks.
The individuals who had come to the island this time were all elites and top performers. It would be a laughable tragedy if they were to face danger or even casualties just to earn enough for their living expenses.
Agou walked up to Su Dacheng, who was arguing intensely. Su Dacheng believed that even if the rooms were like this, it was still acceptable. After all, these people were martial artists and had endured hardship; slightly simpler rooms could be tolerated.
But the biggest issue was Su Dacheng's desire to book an entire floor, even just one end of a corridor, primarily for security reasons.
However, the Icefire Island authorities refused, citing that rooms were currently scarce and they could not clear an entire floor or even half a floor for them.
Even for the Chinese delegation, the rooms were not contiguous but scattered.
This made ensuring security very difficult!
Having independent space was not impossible. A few hundred meters away, there were detached villas. If they wanted better accommodation, they could stay there.
However, the daily rent for one of these villas was a staggering 100 Icefire currency, or 100,000 US dollars!
Furthermore, this 100,000 US dollars only covered accommodation and did not include meals. If they wanted to dine on the island, they would have to pay an additional one Icefire currency per person per day.
Seeing this, Ling Tian turned and walked away from the group, approaching a staff member by the roadside.
The island staff wore red and blue uniforms, a color choice clearly meant to represent Icefire Island.
"Hello sir, how may I be of assistance?"
"Where can I exchange Icefire currency?"
"If you need to, you can follow me, and I can take you to the currency exchange."
Ling Tian wasted no time. Carrying his Ghostblade long saber, he followed the staff member to a building near the pier.
Ling Tian recognized the four English letters on the building: Bank!
It turned out there was a bank on the island. But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising, as Icefire currency was a form of currency.
Ling Tian entered the island's bank and directly pulled out a black card, tossing it to the staff member.
"Swipe 5 million US dollars, and give me 5,000 Icefire currency!"
The staff member was surprised by how wealthy this young man was. That was 5 million US dollars, not 500 dollars!
"Sir, 5,000 Icefire currency, if you want it all in physical form, the volume is very large and inconvenient to carry.
We can issue you a card, and you can swipe it anywhere on the island for purchases...
Let's do that. I don't need a password or anything!"
"Sir, this card is unregistered, meaning you must keep it safe. If it's lost, it cannot be reported lost, and anyone who finds it can use it," the staff member continued.
"Oh, there's such a rule?" Ling Tian was a bit surprised by this rule but quickly understood.
In fact, such rules were not strange. On Icefire Island, it was essentially a world where the strong preyed on the weak.
If you had the strength, you could possess anything. But if you lacked the strength, even if you possessed some things, wealth, or treasures, you likely wouldn't be able to protect them.
A few minutes later, Ling Tian received a card. This card was made of titanium alloy, plated with red and blue colors using an electroplating process. The card also had a chip and a number.
Ling Tian's card number was 0066. According to the staff member, he was the 66th person to obtain such a card on the island, and only those who exchanged 1,000 Icefire currency or more at once were eligible.
At this moment, Su Dacheng was still arguing with the island staff, trying to improve the accommodation conditions for the members of the Chinese delegation as much as possible.
Ling Tian approached Su Dacheng and directly interrupted their conversation.
"Hey, let me ask you, what's the price for the villa with the best environment, security, and privacy on this island?"
Ling Tian's appearance surprised Su Dacheng and the others. The staff member also paused for a moment, then pointed to a house on a high ground in the distance.
"There, that villa is relatively independent, with no obstructions around, and offers an excellent view of the island and the sea...
Additionally, the facilities and decor inside are very advanced. Just staying there costs 200 Icefire currency per day!"
"Okay, that villa it is. Arrange for us to stay there!" Ling Tian said directly.
Su Dacheng was furious upon hearing this. "Ling Tian, are you crazy? All the funds for this operation would only be enough to stay there for one day...
What will we do tomorrow? Sleep on the streets?"
Ling Tian smiled, took out the card, and handed it to Su Dacheng.
"Leader, I'll cover our accommodation expenses for this trip!"
As Ling Tian spoke, he took a large bag from the staff member following him and handed the bag to Su Dacheng.
"Here are 200 Icefire currency. Please take it and distribute it to everyone.
We came to this island to make things happen, so why should we be so stifled?
Everyone should eat and drink as they please, buy any souvenirs they like. Don't worry about saving money for me!"