Chapter Sixty-six: Finding Tranquility Amidst the Clamor

Ning Shuyi couldn't help but laugh, surprised that this taciturn fellow was actually quite proud.
"How could that be! Each profession has its own expertise. Every one of us has our strengths, and naturally, areas we're less familiar with," Ning Shuyi waved her hand at him. "Take me for example—I know a bit about many things, but when it comes to firearms, my knowledge is superficial at best.
If it comes to actual combat, it’s all armchair talk for me; real-life application is a whole different matter. I admit I have room to improve there, and I'm a bit weak, but that doesn't mean anyone else has the right to mock me. After all, I can completely outclass them in other areas, right?"
Huo Yan nodded. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Thank you."
Ning Shuyi wasn't sure what he was thanking her for—maybe the answer she had just given, or the comfort she had just offered. But she thought there was no need for so much formality between the two of them, so she just smiled and let it go.
The topic passed just like that.
They soon arrived again at the commercial district. Following the address given by Zhang Jiawen, they found the commercial-residential building. The others arrived shortly thereafter. They parked their car in a small alley by the side of the building, and Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan went up first to check out the environment.
The building wasn't particularly old, but perhaps because there were too many comings and goings, the exterior was still decent while the interior was somewhat run-down.
They squeezed into an old elevator with a crowd of people; the elevator made eerie creaking noises as it ascended. By the time it finally stopped at the club’s floor, only the two of them remained inside.
When the elevator doors opened and they stepped out, the corridor outside was much quieter compared to the noisy lower floors.
Apparently, not many people needed to come to such a high floor, which, for their purposes, was hardly a good thing.
A busy, bustling environment at least provided some cover. Now, with the floor so deserted, every step they took echoed down the corridor. If a group of eight or nine people suddenly appeared, it would be even more conspicuous.
Ning Shuyi quickly sent a crying-face emoji to her teammates, as they had previously agreed, signaling them not to follow immediately.

The building’s structure was a bit awkward. There were only two elevators, situated in a remote corner. Once you stepped out of the elevator, you needed to turn twice before reaching the real corridor on that floor.
And the corridor wasn't a straight line like the one near the cosplay club; the entire floor resembled a lowercase "y," with the hallway branching into two different directions halfway through.
The long stretch after leaving the elevator was completely bare—just exposed walls, some pipes running along the surface, and wall paint cracked with age.
Only at the corridor's fork could they faintly hear loud music coming from one side, sounding quite raucous. The other side was relatively quiet, with the vague sound of someone talking on the phone.
All along the corridor, there wasn't a single sign for directions. If Zhang Jiawen hadn't told them beforehand, Ning Shuyi could never have guessed what sort of place was hidden here.
"Shall we check that way?" Ning Shuyi glanced towards the corridor where voices could be heard.
Huo Yan nodded. Different from his usual habit of following behind during field work, this time he took the lead, and Ning Shuyi had to quicken her steps to keep up with his long strides.
After a few steps, they spotted someone ahead—a man just finishing a phone call, slipping his phone into his pocket and pulling out keys to open a door.
"Hello!" Ning Shuyi stepped closer and greeted him, "Excuse me, is this the ‘Truth or Dare Club’?"
The man she addressed appeared just over thirty, of average height, slightly thin, and his skin was so pale that even Ning Shuyi felt self-conscious standing beside him. Behind the silver frames of his glasses, his phoenix eyes seemed to always hold a hint of a smile.
It seemed the man had been lost in thought, not noticing their sudden appearance and was startled. After a moment’s hesitation, he realized what Ning Shuyi was asking, and quickly waved his hand at them.
"No, this is my studio. The place you’re looking for is probably on the opposite corridor," he replied calmly, with an air of gentle temperament.
Ning Shuyi glanced at the door he was opening and noticed a small wooden plaque with the word "Utopia" on it.

"Alright, thank you!" She quickly thanked him, then, a little curious, glanced at the small sign. "May I ask what kind of studio this is?"
"Psychological therapy," the man replied without any impatience, naturally handing her a business card as he spoke. "Feel free to drop by anytime."
Ning Shuyi accepted the card, thanked him, and slipped it into her pocket before turning back with Huo Yan.
She had seen a flyer for this "Utopia" in Wang Yuluo’s room, placed alongside the one for the "Truth or Dare Club." Now it made sense—since both were on the same floor, Wang Yuluo had just picked them up together.
In such a mixed-use building, a quiet corner for a psychology clinic truly was a peaceful retreat in the midst of chaos.
The "Truth or Dare Club" was similar—downstairs, the crowds coming and going provided perfect cover, while few people ever ventured to this floor, so there was little risk of drawing attention either below or above.
No wonder this "club" had managed to exist so long without being discovered. If not for Wang Yuluo’s death drawing attention, who knows how many more people would have been harmed in secret?
The two of them headed toward the other corridor. Halfway down, they encountered a wrought-iron gate, clearly a later addition and not part of the building’s original fixtures—after all, the "Utopia" side didn’t have anything like this.
Why install a gate here? No doubt it was because the club’s members were guilty and wanted more security.
On this side, the music thundered, and mingled with it were the voices of several men chatting. Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan gently pushed open the half-closed iron gate and slipped inside, listening intently to the conversation, trying to determine how many people might be present.