Her mood gradually calmed, and with another blink, the ghosts vanished, leaving only rows of glass bottles before her eyes.
"Don't worry, I will seek justice for you all!" Ning Wei's gaze was firm, and she possessed an aura that naturally inspired trust in spirits.
This was perhaps why she had been so "popular" at the Taoist temple before; having helped so many souls and cleared their grievances, they had bestowed upon her their only light.
This light could protect her, shielding her from harm by her own kind.
With a heavy heart, she left the room. Following the patrolman's routine, he usually spent half an hour traversing all the floors and inspecting every room.
However, after his inspection, Ning Wei wasn't sure if he would descend or head elsewhere.
Ning Wei made her way to the control room. On a wristband was a vibrator, which she deduced was the means to contact the patrolman and open the elevator.
Aside from that, the room contained only a stool, beneath which sat a discarded meal tray.
The absence of a sleeping area suggested he might not spend the night here.
If this assumption proved true, it would be good news for Ning Wei.
All that remained was to wait.
Ning Wei, armed with a scalpel, stood guard by the elevator entrance. As soon as the patrolman appeared, she intended to subdue him.
Time ticked by. Bored, Ning Wei idly tapped the scalpel against the elevator door. It was merely a tool for killing, having lost its initial purpose.
Regardless of its value, Ning Wei felt no regret. If she broke this one, she would simply fetch another.
Half an hour passed quickly. The patrolman's usual schedule was to start his rounds at ten.
It was now ten-thirty, and the elevator remained unresponsive.
It was only later that Ning Wei recalled a crucial detail.
Since the patrolman controlled who could enter and exit the basement, and he also performed patrol duties, he must possess something to swipe for the elevator card.
Thinking of this now, Ning Wei smacked her forehead in annoyance.
It was all because of the medication she'd been taking; her mind had become sluggish.
While she reflected, another half hour slowly elapsed.
It had been an hour, and he still hadn't returned. Had he gone directly to his dormitory to rest?
To find out, Ning Wei began searching the control room.
In a corner, she discovered a thumb-sized card. She tried the card at the elevator's card reader, and it responded.
The elevator doors slowly descended. As they opened, Ning Wei, scalpel in hand, waited at the entrance.
She realized the card in her hand lacked proper authorization. The elevator had moved because someone was already inside, heading down.
In fact, the indicator light for her floor in the basement had not been illuminated.
Fortunately, she had noticed this problem before the elevator fully stopped. Ning Wei, holding a scalpel in each hand, positioned herself directly by the elevator entrance.
The moment the doors opened, she struck.
However, someone was faster. A hand immediately grasped her wrist. A familiar voice spoke, "It seems you're not doing too badly here, even playing with scalpels."
It was Li Ye speaking, with seven other passengers standing behind him.
Tang Tang poked her head out from behind and patted her chest, saying, "Good thing I wasn't at the very front. I don't have the skill to disarm someone empty-handed."
"You scared me to death! I thought the patrolman was back!" Ning Wei exclaimed, feigning fear.
Tang Tang quickly stepped out of the elevator and pulled her aside, recounting everything that had happened upstairs.
Apparently, after Ning Wei was taken away, the patients had resumed their sunbathing.
Li Ye was extremely anxious, but his abilities were insufficient to infiltrate the basement. Just as he was about to resort to force, Mei Nan and the others restrained him.
"You have to trust Ning Wei. And that doctor and nurse appeared in the second-floor office. I believe they haven't made a move yet!" Mei Nan held Li Ye's wrist tightly.
"If you act rashly now, you'll sabotage Ning Wei's plan. She was already intending to find an opportunity to explore the basement!" Song Zhi also joined the persuasion.
In the end, Li Ye did not act. Before they could even discuss their next move, they were soon herded back to their ward.
Before parting, everyone kept shaking their heads at Li Ye.
Returning to the ward, Li Ye tried to use his ability again, but this time, his bead showed no even faint glow.
Ning Wei had discussed it with him the previous night, assuring him she would prioritize her safety. Most importantly, her unique identity meant she possessed the means of self-preservation, even without the other passengers nearby.
Initially, Li Ye was skeptical, believing she was merely boasting.
Ning Wei smiled confidently, "I can communicate with ghosts. They have wronged so many people. If all the spirits appeared before them, they wouldn't have time to deal with me, would they?"
Facing their deepest fears with their most despicable human nature was something few could do with a calm expression.
It was precisely because Ning Wei had given him advance notice that Li Ye had restrained himself and avoided causing trouble.
Otherwise, did they truly believe Mei Nan and the others could convince him with just a few words?
He merely wanted to test this group for Ning Wei, to see how far they would go against her. Now, it seemed they were not that formidable.
In fact, having these passengers with her was a burden for Ning Wei. Without them, she couldn't imagine how much more smoothly she could have left each station.
Perhaps due to Li Ye's unusual past identity, he could only perceive the most capable individual, which was Ning Wei.
Besides her, the other passengers had also made some efforts, but their collective contributions were minuscule. Their greater talents were used for their own self-preservation.
Finally, after dinner, once all the nurses had left after their shift, Li Ye immediately opened the door and summoned all the passengers to discuss their next plan.
The current major problem was their inability to access the basement. Even if they damaged the elevator, it wouldn't help.
At this point, Yuan Yuan suddenly spoke, "I'm in the ward at the very edge. One night, I vaguely heard the elevator doors opening, and then the patrolman's flashlight shone in."
"You mean the patrolman has an elevator card?" Zhu Yilian pressed for details.
Yuan Yuan was uncertain. She had also been given sleeping pills in her dinner that night. Although she had managed to vomit it all up, she still felt groggy.
Regardless, it was a lead.
They would just have to wait and see. As soon as the patrolman appeared, they would knock him out and search him.
The only uncertain piece of information was the patrolman's peculiar habit.