Few staff members were present when they arrived on the sixteenth floor.
As Song Xi passed by, she could even hear some of them complaining.
“I’m so done, how long will this search take? These rich kids are something else, always running off, never giving anyone a moment's peace!”
“Exactly. It’s their own fault for not keeping a better eye on their kids, yet they blame the hotel’s security for being inadequate. They’re sick in the head.”
“If there’s nothing to find, let’s go. This corridor gives me the creeps. I heard someone died here.”
“Holy crap, is that true? What if we get snatched by a ghost!”
“Stop talking about it, it’s creepy even in broad daylight. Let’s go, just say we didn’t find anything, finish our task quickly, and get some rest. I have the night shift…”
Song Xi and Dai Ze stopped at the door of separate rooms, making a move to take room cards.
Upon seeing guests, the staff immediately fell silent and hurried away, not suspecting a thing.
After the elevator doors closed, Dai Ze leaned against the wall, gazing at the winding, dimly lit corridors on either side, and felt a shiver crawl up his spine.
“Are we still searching?”
Song Xi replied without hesitation, “Yes!”
Dai Ze exclaimed from behind, “It seems you really want to be on this show.”
Song Xi frowned, offering no explanation.
Initially, it was for the show, but as the search progressed, a sense of responsibility took over, especially after hearing the irresponsible staff’s endless complaints.
If they had put the same effort into searching as they did into complaining, Miss Jia’s daughter would have been found long ago.
Song Xi rallied herself and said, “Brother Dai, you search the left side, I’ll take the right. Be thorough. We’ll meet back here later.”
Dai Ze took a deep breath, “…Alright.”
Another ten minutes passed.
The two returned to their meeting spot. Dai Ze, exhausted, sat on the floor, gasping for air. “No… no, I can’t take it anymore. I’ve turned this entire floor upside down and haven’t seen a soul. Do you think… it’s really haunted!”
Fine sweat beaded on Song Xi’s forehead. With her mask on, she felt like she was in a steamer. She felt worse than Dai Ze, but she couldn’t take it off.
“…Brother Dai, how about we search again? We must have overlooked something.”
Dai Ze immediately begged, “My dearest, let’s just give up, shall we? It’s just a show. If it doesn’t work out, I can arrange something else for you!”
Song Xi ignored him, leaning against the wall, and analyzed with him, “You heard what those people were saying. Miss Jia’s daughter is a child. Children are naturally mischievous, so is it possible she entered a room, or was hidden in one, which is why we can’t find her?”
Dai Ze cut to the chase, “Don’t even think about it. Everyone who can afford to stay in this hotel is wealthy and influential! Rich people value their privacy immensely and won’t let you search their rooms. Otherwise, given Mr. Jia’s status, he would have already kicked down doors. Why don’t we just call the police?”
Song Xi couldn’t comprehend, “But she’s a child, a life!”
Dai Ze pushed himself up, propping himself against the wall, “But in the eyes of the wealthy, lives are actually cheap.”
Song Xi clenched her fists silently, her lips bitten to a pale white, a wordless defiance to his statement.
“I’ll search the left, you search the right. One last time.”
Dai Ze watched her stubborn back, shaking his head in resignation.
Dai Ze searched faster than Song Xi, not as meticulously. When he returned to the meeting point, he found Song Xi hadn’t returned yet, so he went to look for her.
Around a corner, he saw her crouching on the ground, looking at something. Her gaze was sharp, as if she had made a discovery.