Chapter 52: Welcome to the World of Thrills (21)

The elevator doors slammed shut with a loud bang, then began to descend slowly. But at that very moment, the lights inside flickered…

In the brief instant before darkness fell, Fan Sijin caught a glimpse of a figure crouching above Ren Guowei’s head.

A woman with long hair and a red dress lay pressed against the elevator ceiling, her black hair nearly brushing Ren Guowei’s head…

With a ding, the elevator came to a gentle stop, and the doors slid open as the lights flickered back on.

Ren Guowei met Fan Sijin’s gaze, which was fixed on him, and an immediate chill ran down his spine. He quickly stepped out of the elevator.

Once outside, he asked her, “What did you just see?”

Fan Sijin clicked her tongue. “You didn’t see it?”

Ren Guowei paused, stunned. “No, I didn’t.”

She kindly reminded him, “Next time we take the elevator back, you should look up.”

“What was it?” Ren Guowei asked, suddenly uneasy.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a ‘person’ crouching on top of the elevator. Her hair was hanging down right above your head.”

Surprised, Ren Guowei hurriedly glanced back just as the elevator doors were closing. In the split second before they shut, he indeed saw the woman crouched on the elevator ceiling. She even grinned at him.

He let out a low hiss, realizing he had been oblivious to the danger looming above all along.

Still, he was puzzled and asked Fan Sijin, “Weren’t you afraid?”

Fan Sijin gave him a strange look. “Why would I be? She’s above you, not me.”

Ren Guowei was speechless.

Fan Sijin ignored him and began to survey their surroundings.

This floor had been transformed into a vast shopping center, divided into sections for men’s clothing, women’s apparel, sports gear, cosmetics, even a café and a children’s play area. Each section housed numerous shops, each guarded by a sales assistant stationed at the entrance.

As they passed by, every attendant wore the exact same professional smile, as if carved from the same mold, down to the identical curve of their lips.

Strangely, despite the many stores, there wasn’t a single customer; the only two people moving about were Fan Sijin and Ren Guowei.

Fan Sijin nearly circled the entire floor before discovering a staircase by the children’s play area. However, the stairs led into a black void.

This was likely the exit—the same as in the previous scenario. They needed to locate the key to escape.

After assessing the situation, they returned to the elevator. Yet, the elevator panel lacked even-numbered buttons. They pressed the button for the third floor.

Surprisingly, when the doors opened, they were greeted by a familiar scene: a silent corridor.

Before entering, Fan Sijin dropped the bracelet from her hand onto the carpet. Now, a green bracelet lay on the floor in the hallway.

They had returned to the restaurant on the fourth floor.

So, the third and fourth floors were essentially the same level?

Upon returning, the others remained seated in the restaurant, clearly waiting for their findings.

Fan Sijin noticed Bai Li still sitting obediently in her spot, posture unchanged. She approached and sat down, whereupon Bai Li visibly relaxed and joyfully said, “Sister, you’re back.”

Fan Sijin responded with a nod.

Ren Guowei glanced at the others, sat down, tapped the table, and said coldly, “Let’s exchange information. I’ll start. Our floor is the fourth; at the end of the hallway is an elevator that goes down to the first and third floors and up to the fifth.”

“The first floor is the shopping center, the third floor is this hotel floor, and the fifth is the rooftop. I suspect the exit is in the shopping center. I haven’t been to the rooftop, so I don’t know what’s up there.”

He looked at Fan Sijin and added, “This is what Miss Fan and I have discovered. Has anyone else found anything?”

Found anything?

Lu Ke and Gao Yi exchanged glances, both momentarily stunned.

They had never thought about searching for clues; they had just instinctively waited here for Fan Sijin and Ren Guowei to return.

Seeing Ren Guowei’s gaze, Gao Yi awkwardly lowered his head, avoiding eye contact, and said nothing.

At that moment, Duan Ruman spoke up. “I asked several times, but any words related to ‘leave,’ ‘go out,’ or ‘exit’ were blocked by those attendants.”

Fan Sijin had noticed this clue last night. She listened intently, leaning back in her chair, deep in thought.

Suddenly, Ren Guowei asked, “Miss Fan, have you discovered anything else?”

Upon hearing Ren Guowei single out Fan Sijin, Duan Ruman’s expression darkened, and she sneered, “Hmph, what could a clever little schemer like her possibly find?”

Ren Guowei turned toward Duan Ruman, disapproving, his brow furrowed and tone sharpening, “What’s your problem?”

Duan Ruman met his displeased gaze, lips pressed tight in defiance, but refrained from further ridicule.

Fan Sijin clicked her tongue, cast a glance at Duan Ruman’s inexplicable hostility, then straightened up and spoke calmly, “If all goes as expected, tonight will be our last.”

Her words left everyone stunned, uncertain of her meaning.

Duan Ruman scoffed, “How do you know that? Don’t start spouting nonsense just because you can’t find any clues!”

At that moment, Wu Feng, the quiet bespectacled man, pulled a small, tattered newspaper from his pocket. It was clearly singed and worn.

“This is what I found in the trash bin of my room this morning,” he said.

He pointed to a section of the paper, and everyone saw a partially intact headline: “Nanning Hotel… May 19, 1028… Night… Explosion… Heavy Casualties…”

Meanwhile, the digital calendar on the restaurant wall displayed May 19.

At that instant, Duan Ruman fell silent, and the entire room grew quiet.

After a moment, Ren Guowei rose and said, “There’s still some time before nightfall. Let’s continue searching for clues. Everyone, prepare yourselves.”

He then politely addressed Fan Sijin, “If I find anything, I will inform you immediately. I hope you will share your findings with me as well.”

Fan Sijin nodded. “Sure, no problem.”

Ren Guowei acknowledged her and left the restaurant. Wu Feng and Duan Ruman immediately followed. Before leaving, Duan Ruman shot a fierce glare at Fan Sijin.

Gao Yi also stood. This time, he spoke gently, almost coaxingly, as if trying to comfort a girlfriend. “Sijin, they’re all banded together. Should we cooperate with them too?”

Fan Sijin let out two cold laughs. “Ha, you really think so? Trying to ride my coattails later?”