After finishing the phone call, the two of them quietly left the room.
Having gotten lost once before, they found their way to the Pink Crystal entrance smoothly via the stairs.
The door was only latched, so they could enter by gently pushing it open a crack.
"Good thing we're both thin, otherwise we wouldn't fit," Ning Wei whispered to Li Ye.
The Pink Crystal by day was different from the night; there were no flashing lights, not even emergency lighting.
It was pitch black. Ning Wei had trained her eyes during her time at the Taoist temple.
Given her identity, she was bound to be busy at night.
For some reason, the malevolent spirits that appeared loved to extinguish the lights, as if that were the only way to create a terrifying atmosphere.
So her master had specially trained her eyes to see in the dark.
But the Pink Crystal was too dark; there wasn't even moonlight to borrow.
Walking inside, Ning Wei felt as if she had become blind.
Li Ye reached out and took Ning Wei's hand, his low voice beside her ear saying, "Follow me, I can see."
The two of them stayed close together as they searched the entire Pink Crystal.
Unfortunately, they found no information about their other teammates, not even a single clue.
Ning Wei looked somewhat disappointed as they exited the Pink Crystal.
"Don't worry, trust their abilities. As long as we get the ring, I guarantee you'll see them!"
For now, that was all they could do.
Back in their guest room, Ning Wei was restless, staying by the phone, waiting for the regular customer to call.
This feeling was terrible; she vowed never to do this again.
Entrusting everyone's safety to herself, she worried incessantly if even one person disappeared.
Although Ning Wei acted impulsively, she was a woman of her word.
What she said, she would do.
This was something her master had always impressed upon her, and she held her master's words dear.
It was her master, her Taoist temple, that had given her a second life. While her personality might not change, other aspects had.
If it weren't for that one promise, why would she have put herself through so much trouble?
Ning Wei, resting her head on the table, couldn't help but sigh, "It's better to work alone after all!"
In the past, she hunted ghosts by herself, doing as she pleased without needing to consult anyone.
Ning Wei truly yearned for that carefree feeling from before.
However, these words carried a different weight for Li Ye.
With their minds on different things, Li Ye remained silent, taking out a bead and beginning to experiment with the wall.
The phone still hadn't rung by nightfall, nor had Shanshan appeared in the mirror.
Li Ye had intended to use the bead's power to penetrate the mirror, but the mirror now appeared ordinary and offered no way to pierce it.
The mysterious power had not yet manifested, so they had to continue waiting.
Night fell, and still, the phone hadn't rung. It seemed this person was quite patient.
With no other option, the two decided to visit the Pink Crystal again.
Li Ye planned to use his usual method, trading kickbacks for information, since all expenses were covered.
Spending other people's money didn't hurt, and perhaps Li Ye didn't have to worry about money in the first place.
They approached the same waiter who had served them last time. Faced with a substantial temptation, there was no question he wouldn't answer.
Especially since Li Ye wasn't asking about the regular customer tonight, but about the hostesses.
Yes, the waiter assumed Li Ye was looking for a hostess he fancied.
Li Ye described the appearances of his teammates and asked the waiter to look for them. He promised that if one was found, the waiter would receive the highest commission that night.
The waiter acted quickly. After serving a bottle of foreign liquor, he immediately turned and went to a lounge where all the hostesses working that night were gathered.
It was only in this place that Li Ye could find the people he was looking for.
However, after a thorough look, the waiter couldn't find anyone matching all the descriptions.
He decided to be clever, breaking down the characteristics, and found a few hostesses who fit some of the criteria. He brought them to Li Ye.
"Sir, these are the only ones who match the description."
Li Ye merely glanced at them before shifting his gaze away, waving them off.
"The boss is not satisfied?" the waiter dared to ask.
The thing was, when these hostesses heard that this particular boss was looking for someone, they had been eager to accompany him.
Some had even declared they would gladly pay to do so.
These hostesses were not to be offended; who knew when they might get lucky and snag a wealthy benefactor.
So, under their insistent requests, the waiter reluctantly brought them forward.
Li Ye dismissed them with a glance, but the women were unwilling and wanted to try their luck. One of them secretly reached out and pinched the waiter hard on the backside.
The location was both painful and exhilarating, jolting him into full alertness. He immediately pressed for an answer.
Li Ye maintained a polite demeanor, his lips parting slightly as he said, "I only want the people I described. I wouldn't want anyone else, not even an angel."
His words were well-chosen. Though the women were somewhat disappointed, they didn't linger.
Even though they hadn't found their teammates, the two didn't leave immediately.
They wanted to look around more, as any spending here would result in information being received.
Or rather, they wanted to wait and see if the regular customer would visit the Pink Crystal again tonight.
They sat in the Pink Crystal for a long time, but the person never appeared.
Just as Li Ye was about to leave, Ning Wei suddenly called over another waiter.
She used the same method to acquire information about the regular customer.
There was a silent rivalry among the waiters, so when Ning Wei offered a commission for information, this waiter readily agreed.
The competition between colleagues inadvertently benefited Ning Wei.
Furthermore, many women like Ning Wei sought to latch onto wealthy patrons.
The questions she asked were basic, further reinforcing the waiter's assumptions.
"That guest is a regular here, but it's not easy to become his long-term exclusive. Many hostesses have left this place, but he returns soon after..."
The waiter rambled on, hoping Ning Wei wouldn't fixate on one person, especially one as unreliable as this.
Ning Wei endured patiently and pushed a bottle of foreign liquor forward: "From now on, you answer what I ask. Tonight, no matter what I order, you'll get your commission, and you'll get these bottles too."