Chapter 191: Massage Parlor
The taxi quickly delivered the three of them to the man's apartment building. Lin Ye used the man's phone to pay the fare.
The man's apartment was on the fourth floor. Lin Ye used the key to open the apartment door, and after entering, used a green skill card to set up rune traps at the entrance.
The apartment wasn't large, just one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom—not much bigger than the initial shelter.
The three began searching for information in the apartment. Lin Ye found a blue card beneath the sink.
【Blue Card - Support】
【Using this card can detect the locations of participants within one kilometer (3/3)】
【Note: Participants detected by the card will receive a system notification】
Lin Ye: "Is this support card related to you?"
Victoria: "Yes, skill cards are related to your abilities, while support cards are connected to mine."
Lin Ye: "While it's somewhat useful, couldn't you have stuffed more of those city-destroying one-shot cards into the card pool?" Victoria: "Same as your side, the cards are all system-generated. I do have skills that can destroy cities, but considering the power level, your chances of obtaining them are practically zero."
Lin Ye: "Fine then."
Putting away the card, Lin Ye heard footsteps in the hallway and turned to tell the two students who were searching for information to stay quiet.
Knock knock.
Lin Ye and the two students hid in the spot farthest from the door. When the person outside heard no movement inside, they sent a message to the man's phone.
"I'm here. Where are you?"
"I have something urgent to handle. The door isn't locked. The photos are on the bedroom table. Go in and get them yourself. Remember to lock the door when you leave."
Lin Ye replied with a message.
The handler opened the door and triggered the rune trap immediately upon entering the room.
His luck was terrible—he encountered the Severing rune.
Lin Ye had to step over the minced meat to quickly close the door.
Among the minced flesh, Lin Ye found some fragments of massage parlor discount coupons.
While the possibility that the man and his handler visited the same massage parlor couldn't be ruled out, it was more likely that this particular massage parlor had problems.
"Teacher, I found one of our school's uniforms in the cabinet."
Li Shiyan brought the uniform to Lin Ye, who was searching for clues among the minced meat.
"Don't just stand there. Help me clean this up. If blood seeps through to the floor below, we'll have trouble."
Lin Ye began instructing Li Shiyan on handling the corpse. This girl learned quickly and showed natural talent.
In comparison, Song Qian wasn't doing well, often radiating an aura of physical clumsiness.
"What are you doing?"
Song Qian curiously peeked out from the bedroom and asked.
"We're cleaning the floor. You keep looking for clues in the room."
Li Shiyan answered before Lin Ye could respond.
"Okay~"
Song Qian didn't ask further and withdrew her head back into the room.
"Sorry, teacher."
Li Shiyan spread large amounts of toilet paper across the floor to absorb the blood.
"It's fine. While I personally prefer being prepared for anything, under normal circumstances you shouldn't need this kind of knowledge."
Lin Ye took out the massage coupons and used his phone to check the massage parlor's address.
The massage parlor was located within the neighboring residential complex, just a five-minute walk from this apartment.
After dealing with the minced meat, Lin Ye took the two students and left the crime scene.
"I'm going to check out that massage parlor. You two go eat at the fast food restaurant by the road. It's daytime now, so even if you have bad luck and encounter cultists also eating fast food, it should be fine. Call me if anything happens, and try not to wander around."
Lin Ye sent Li Shiyan a fast food red envelope. After all, he was the adult—it wouldn't be right to have students pay for meals when going out.
"Okay, teacher. Please be careful. Don't worry about us."
Li Shiyan led the worried-looking Song Qian into the fast food restaurant.
Lin Ye walked alone toward the massage parlor. As soon as he approached it, he felt a sense of discomfort.
'Looks like I found the right place.'
The massage parlor was named "Watery Massage," with a pink sign that looked quite dubious from the start.
Lin Ye pushed the door open and entered the massage parlor—this was his first time in such a place.
"Hello sir, this must be your first time here, right?"
The front desk was staffed by a stunningly beautiful young woman with an explosive figure. She smiled as she introduced various massage services to Lin Ye.
"I'll try the 298 package this time. If the service is good, I'll come back for the 998 package next time."
Lin Ye pretended to be experienced and followed the service staff deeper into the massage parlor.
"Do you have a preferred technician?"
The service staff led Lin Ye into an empty room similar to a standard hotel room and asked.
"Is Technician Number 4 available?"
Lin Ye asked casually.
"Um, we don't have a Technician Number 4."
The service staff replied.
"Your shop only has three technicians?"
Lin Ye found this somewhat strange.
"No, the numbers are chosen by the technicians themselves. Technician 44 doesn't have any clients right now. Would you like to choose her?"
The service staff took out a phone containing pictures of technicians with their numbers.
"Sure, her then."
Lin Ye glanced at the phone. Technician 44 was a young woman with an excellent figure. The other pictures were similar—if the photos weren't photoshopped, the quality of technicians at this establishment was absurdly high.
"Great! Here's some complimentary mineral water for you."
The service staff placed a bottle of mineral water on the bedside table before exiting the room.
Lin Ye naturally wouldn't touch this bottle of water. The room was filled with a thick, fragrant aroma that made one's mouth dry and throat parched.
Lin Ye didn't have to wait long before regular, almost mechanical footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Lin Ye gripped the mutated dagger in reverse grip, ready to crush the white card at any moment.
If not for the one-minute restriction, Lin Ye would have taken action as soon as he entered the massage parlor.
"Hello guest, Technician 44 at your service."
A woman identical to the photo approached Lin Ye with a smile. If not for Lin Ye's sharp eyesight, he wouldn't have been able to detect the numbness and fear hidden beneath her stiff smile in the dim lighting.
"Hello."
Lin Ye released his grip on the mutated dagger, then quickly thrust his right hand into the technician's mouth, pulling out a white worm from deep within her throat. The worm's surface was covered with numerous dark green patterns.
The worm was extremely long—Lin Ye pulled out about half a meter, but more of the worm's body remained inside the technician.
"Mmph mmph mmph……"
The technician emitted low, miserable groans. Lin Ye had only pulled out the upper part of the worm; the lower part was buried deep within various parts of the technician's body like plant roots.
If Lin Ye forcibly pulled out the worm, it would tear apart all the organs inside the technician's body.
"...Kill me, please, kill me, let me die..."
The technician made indistinct, garbled pleas.
Lin Ye used the mutated dagger to sever the upper part of the worm, then stabbed the mutated dagger into the remaining lower part of the worm several times in succession.
If the technician truly wanted to die, he could grant her a quick release—but that would have to wait until after he dealt with the cultists and this damned worm.
Lin Ye walked out of the room and returned to the massage parlor entrance, lowering the security shutter under the front desk staff's puzzled gaze.
He should have done this much earlier.
Hearing chaotic footsteps in the hallway, Lin Ye crushed the white card in his hand.