Chapter 9: Meetup
The group shuffled down the corridor, their earlier bickering subsiding into a tired silence.
Boss Chen, his heavy footsteps echoing in the dim light, turned to Ruel, a gruff question in his voice. "Anything worthwhile on the lower floors? You were down there long enough."
Ruel shrugged, his gaze distant. "Nothing but dust and ghosts." His tone was flat, devoid of any enthusiasm. "Didn't find a damn thing."
Chen grunted, a skeptical look on his face. "Didn't even try, probably." He paused, then his eyes narrowed, a hint of concern entering his gruff demeanor. "Where's Mei Feng? Didn't see her with you."
Ruel's expression remained impassive, though a subtle shift, almost imperceptible, flickered in his eyes. "The Last I saw, she was cleaning her room." He gestured vaguely back the way they came. "Said she wanted to get the dust out. Place was starting to stink."
Nina snickered, muttering under her breath, "Probably found something more interesting to clean." Nina shot him a sharp glare, silencing his crude remark.
Chen's gaze remained fixed on Ruel, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "And you didn't see her after that? Didn't she come with you?"
Ruel met his gaze, his own unwavering. "Went out searching after that. Didn't hear any noise from her room, so I figured she was still at it. Mei Feng can be thorough when she wants to be."
He offered a small, almost dismissive shrug, trying to convey an air of nonchalance. "Figured she was fine." But the slight tightness around his jaw betrayed a hint of something more beneath the surface.