356: Chapter 356 Change One

Second Uncle-in-law hung up the phone, wasted no more time, and walked quickly to the elevator lobby to press the up button.

With a "ding," the elevator door slid open. He glanced left and right before slipping inside.

Watching the numbers on the display jump from "2" all the way to "6," Jiang Ye clicked his tongue, feeling a bit troubled for a moment.

After all, a bath center isn't a public street where he and Tian Lijuan could just wander around aimlessly like they were strolling through a farmers' market.

Even if they took another elevator up to the sixth floor right now, that old man had likely already ducked into some private room, closed the door, and was "deeply experiencing" things.

Furthermore, the moment they stepped out of the elevator, they would definitely be enthusiastically "greeted" by the staff stationed on that floor, leaving them no chance to run around like headless flies looking for someone.

"Little Uncle..."

Tian Lijuan looked at the stopped elevator and scratched her head. "Should we go straight to Second Aunt and tell on him now? If we tell her, once Second Uncle-in-law comes down and we check the consumption record on his wristband, won't everything be clear?"

"No, I know too well how stubborn men are when it comes to this kind of thing."

Jiang Ye glanced at the floor display and reached out to press the up button to call the elevator down. "As long as there's no evidence, even if you corner him at the door of the private room, he'll stubbornly claim he's here to study acupoints. Without hard evidence, your Second Aunt probably can't do anything to him. You can't exactly go to the front desk and ask, 'Exactly where does the 998 Dragon Tendon Massage grab?' right?"

He paused, watching the elevator door slowly open, a flash of "determination" in his eyes. "For the sake of your dad's future happiness, and so your family can welcome a truly kind and virtuous new member, I must get hard evidence!"

Watching Jiang Ye's teeth-gritting, "won't stop until the goal is achieved" stance, Tian Lijuan secretly gasped.

Why does a man who gets angry, especially one whose sore spot has been poked, feel even scarier than a woman...

"Then... Little Uncle, should we follow him up now?"

"No, two people are too conspicuous; it's not convenient for maneuvering. I'll go up alone."

The elevator door opened with a "ding." Jiang Ye reached out to hold the door open and quickly instructed: "I'll go up and first... um... order a Technician, ask about what kind of services they have here, and then try to find the old man's private room to see if I can record some audio or capture some incriminating evidence."

"...?"

Tian Lijuan's expression instantly shifted from nervousness to deep suspicion. She took two steps back and put her hands on her hips. "Little Uncle! Are you just trying to go find a lady of the night?!"

"Find a lady of the night, my ass!"

Jiang Ye's mouth twitched violently. His face was full of heartbreak, clearly conveying, "I can't believe you think that of your Little Uncle." "I already said I'm doing this entirely for Old Tian! The cost of this massage will have to be reimbursed by Old Tian later! Damn it, I'm really breaking my heart for you father and daughter!"

Tian Lijuan: "..."

She skeptically looked Jiang Ye up and down, feeling that beneath his "righteous" facade, he was hiding some other intentions.

Just as she wanted to fight for the chance to go up with him, Jiang Ye pulled her aside without question. "Comrade Xiao Tian! I am now entrusting you with a difficult and glorious mission!"

"Wha... what mission?"

"Find a way, quietly, to trick someone into giving you your Second Uncle-in-law's wristband number! Then send it to me on WeChat."

Jiang Ye's gaze was sharp. "Remember! You must be natural. Don't let your dad or your Second Aunt notice any flaws! If someone is loose-lipped and sends your Second Uncle-in-law a WeChat message to tip him off, all our efforts will be for nothing!"

After saying this, he didn't wait for Tian Lijuan to react and quickly flashed into the elevator, leaving behind only a firm look that said, "Everything is for your dad."

Tian Lijuan watched the elevator door slowly close, reflecting her own slightly dumbfounded face. She couldn't help but pout. "He talks like it's real... Hmph, he's definitely going to find a lady of the night!"

———— Yangri Water Hub, Sixth Floor.

The elevator door slowly opened, and a faint scent of aromatherapy rushed towards them.

The hallway was covered with thick carpet, and the lighting was ambiguous and dim; the environment was clearly much more private than the rest area downstairs.

Just as Jiang Ye stepped out of the elevator, a tall, thin waiter in uniform immediately walked up to him. "Brother, looking for a massage?"

Jiang Ye glanced at him and nodded inwardly. As expected, how could a place like this let customers wander around casually like they were strolling through a supermarket? There were bound to be "sentries" at every intersection.

"Yeah, a massage."

"Do you have a reservation, brother?"

"I do."

Jiang Ye nodded without changing his expression, his tone natural. "Second Brother introduced me."

"Uh...?"

The waiter blinked, somewhat confused. "Brother, are you talking about one of our marketers? Who is Second Brother...?"

"...Hmm? You don't know him?"

Jiang Ye looked at him with some "surprise," took out his phone, and swiped it a couple of times before "suddenly realizing" and saying "Oh." "I misspoke, I misspoke. Look at my memory; it was Third Brother who introduced me."

"Oh, oh, Third Brother."

The waiter smiled, his attitude clearly becoming a bit more enthusiastic. "OK, got it, brother! A guest of Third Brother, eh? Come this way, please. I'll arrange a quieter private room for you."

"..."

Jiang Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief, swallowing back the backup option "Fourth Brother" that was already on the tip of his tongue.

In this magical land of the Northeast, the frequency of the terms "Second Brother," "Third Brother," and "Fourth Brother" is ridiculously high, serving as a universal key for traveling the world and posing as a regular.

He followed the waiter through the maze-like corridor.

After passing several brightly lit areas that looked like legitimate foot massage or SPA parlors, the further in he went, the dimmer the light became, and the atmosphere grew more and more ambiguous.

Because it was afternoon, most of the private rooms in this area had their doors half-open; only three rooms had their doors closed. He wondered if that old man, Second Uncle-in-law, was inside one of them.

Soon, the waiter led Jiang Ye to Private Room "16."

The room wasn't large, containing only a low massage bed, a bedside table with a tissue box and remote control, and a trash can by the bed. The overall decor exuded a cheap "sensual" vibe.

Jiang Ye walked into the room, and the waiter turned on the wall lamp that could only emit a dim yellow light, asking, "Brother, do you have a familiar Technician? If not, I'll arrange one for you."

"No, just call whoever you think is good. Just make sure they're skilled."

"Alright, brother! Guests of Third Brother get a complimentary drink. What would you like to drink, brother? Black tea, green tea, or mineral water?"

"Mineral water is fine."

Jiang Ye paused, pretending to ask casually, "By the way, brother, what kind of services do you have here? Third Brother didn't tell me in too much detail."

"I'm not too sure about that, brother. You'll have to ask the Technician about the services."

The waiter revealed an ambiguous smile, answering flawlessly. "Please wait a moment, I'll go call a Technician for you right now."

After saying this, the waiter bowed slightly and gently closed the door.

The room immediately quieted down, leaving only the faint sound of the central air conditioning blowing.

Jiang Ye sat on the edge of the bed, rubbed his chin, sank his thoughts into his mind, and began to take inventory of his "equipment."

【Current Monthly Mission: Intersection of Fate】 (Incomplete)

Skill Bar: 「Deterrence Aura」, 「Quick Start」, 「Dexterous Hands」, 「Quick Wit Halo」.

Item Bar: 「lucky echo compass」, 「Universal Identity Badge」.

Hmm...

The 「lucky echo compass」 could directly locate the private room where Second Uncle-in-law was. If he snuck to the door and recorded some sounds with his phone, that would be hard evidence.

The 「Universal Identity Badge」 was even simpler. One sentence, "I'm the new boss," would make the staff on this floor obediently listen.

But...

Using such precious items to deal with a foul-mouthed old man? Any way you look at it, it feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; a huge loss.

As for passive skills...

「Quick Start」 and 「Dexterous Hands」...

Eh? Speaking of which, could I...

While Jiang Ye was letting his imagination run wild, pondering various "technical" solutions, the door to the private room was gently knocked on with two "dong-dong" sounds.

"Greetings, distinguished guest. May I come in..."

"Change to a younger one."

"...?"

The Technician, who was just about to push the door open, paused, and a row of question marks instantly floated above her head.

???

Change... change people?

Changing people isn't a big deal; it's normal for customers to have preferences.

But...

The key is that I haven't even entered the room yet! I haven't even shown my face!

Are customers these days really this difficult to serve? The requirements are too abstract!

Dumbfounded, she let go of the doorknob. It felt as if ten thousand alpacas were galloping through her heart, but she couldn't argue with the customer. She could only turn and leave the 16th private room, which had an absurdly high "threshold," with a head full of question marks.