Chapter 057
Duanmuh Shannchyuan
Shannchyuan started to descend the hole. This time, he quickly reached the bottom of the hole. There, he waited patiently for Chioujen's arrival. He knew this was Chioujen's first time, so it was only natural that it would take him a while to get to the bottom.
After Chioujen landed right beside him, Shannchyuan immediately explained what he already knew about the room. The last time Shannchyuan and his friends were there, they had locked the door on one wall of the room, which led to a secret underground passage. However, they did not cover the door with the things that looked like the cupboard. The objects stood scattered around the door in the wall.
Chioujen circled around while highlighting the entire wall there.
"Is there anything you want to ask about this dungeon?" Shannchyuan also aimed his flashlight all over the room.
Chioujen stopped walking. He focused his flashlight on the secret passage. Shannchyuan thought his friend would ask something related to the passage.
"For now, I think that's enough, Beaushu."
Uh? He doesn't want to ask anything? Maybe he knows a lot about this place. More than we do.
"Do you want to go back to the surface now, or is there something else you'd like to say?" Shannchyuan was absolutely sure that Chioujen had already chosen that time to say something.
You better say right away. I'm sleepy right now.
"Now, I want to tell you about the things I have seen and experienced over the past three days." Finally, Chioujen made his point.
Shannchyuan nodded. "Good! I'd really like to hear your story." Even though he was sleepy, he felt so excited.
"So the story goes like this," said Chioujen.
"Let's sit there first." Shannchyuan pointed at the stone benches in the center of the room.
They both rushed towards the benches. "But before that, how about the photo I asked you to get from the document copying shop at the station?" Shannchyuan said that right after he sat down.
"I put it in my backpack. Do Beaushu want to see it right away?"
"No need. You just keep it for now."
"Okay. Now I'll start telling the story. If anything isn't clear, Beaushu can just ask. There's no need to wait until I finish."
Chioujen then started to tell his story. Shannchyuan listened eagerly. The fact that Chioujen was inside the building the same night he and Yinqyueh were trapped inside the elevator surprised Shannchyuan.
"It's good that I've known you for decades. Otherwise, I would have thought by now that you are an extremely strange person," Shannchyuan said.
For decades, it turns out that Chioujen hasn't changed!
Shannchyuan chuckled. Chioujen's decision to hide when he realized that there was a possibility Shannchyuan was in the elevator was indeed almost unreasonable. This clearly had the potential to cause misunderstandings. Shannchyuan knew that there was always a good reason behind Chioujen's every action. Not everyone could understand those reasons. Regarding the incident at Dahfeisy Tower, Shannchyuan didn't blame Chioujen at all. Shannchyuan felt he would probably do the same if he were in Chioujen's position.
He was fully aware that almost everyone out there would think of them as weirdos. Shannchyuan agreed that their way of thinking often differed from how people think in general.
"Sorry, Beaushu. I hope Beaushu isn't offended."
"Why should I be offended?" Shannchyuan laughed. "You take it easy. I believe each person is a unique individual. So the strange decision you've made, I don't think it was a bad thing."
"Thank you, Beaushu."
"Now, please continue your story."
Chioujen then continued his story. Shannchyuan was intrigued when Chioujen mentioned the bright light he saw in the room of one unit in Dahfeisy Tower.
"The unit's entrance is unlocked?" Shannchyuan couldn't help but interrupt Chioujen's story.
"That's right, Beaushu! Hannrong said that all the units on the ninth floor should be locked.
"Isn't it possible that the tenants of the unit forgot to lock the door the last time they left the premises?"
"That's impossible. That unit hasn't been rented for a long time."
Shannchyuan laughed at the explanation.
"The bottom line is that the security in the building really sucks!"
"Since the place will be closing soon, I don't think that's a bizarre thing." Shannchyuan chuckled.
Chioujen nodded. He did not refute Shannchyuan's words.
This kid seems tired. Should I just stop him? Next time we will continue.
"I'm not tired yet." Chioujen suddenly said that. "This is very important."
Ah! He can guess my thoughts.
"Okay." Shannchyuan fiddled with his flashlight by highlighting the walls in the cellar. "Please continue."
Chioujen explained the things that happened next. He explained everything succinctly but clearly. His storytelling style was so different from Iren's way of telling things.
There's still something I don't understand. Should I ask now?
While playing with the flashlight, Shannchyuan finally decided to settle the curiosity that lingered in his mind. "Then where did that bright light come from?"
Chioujen sighed. "Regarding that, until now, I also have not found the answer."
Shannchyuan also sighed. He felt a little disappointed.
"Why is Beaushu so attracted to that light?"
"Have you heard of any strange occurrences that have recently occurred around here?"
"What happened, Beaushu?"
"Recently, there was an incident similar to that. There was a light explosion that occurred in a large mall nearby. The testimonies of the visitors at the mall are very similar to what you just described. Too bad I didn't get to see the light."
"Beaushu was also nearby?"
"At that time, I was in the mall. But I was in the restroom. So, I knew nothing at all when it happened."
"Did Beaushu not come out of the restroom at all? Wouldn't it have been a mess back then? People were running here and there."
"I was in the toilet for a long time. From the beginning to the end of the incident, I was still inside."
"People must be screaming really loud. Didn't Beaushu hear it?"
"When you're in the public restrooms inside the mall, do you ever hear any noises from outside, however loud they may be?"
Chioujen shook his head. "Didn't anyone run into the toilet?"
"I don't know."
"Beaushu don't know?"
"I think I passed out in one of those cubicles."
Chioujen nodded. "Oh. So that's what our friends were talking about!"
Shannchyuan then briefly told about what had happened to him. He could feel Chioujen's surprise when he heard that. What Chioujen experienced was also almost the same as what Shannchyuan had experienced.
As Chioujen recounted what happened next, Shannchyuan couldn't help but let out a low scream. Shannchyuan admired Chioujen when he found out that he was willing to hide in a box in Hannrong's study just to find out the contents of the conversation between him, Yinqyueh, and Hannrong. If that happened to Shannchyuan, maybe for three days, he would experience aches from having to bend his body in such a way for a certain period of time. But Chioujen was much younger than Shannchyuan. So it's natural that his body was still much healthier and more flexible.
When it came to the part where Chioujen caught Hannrong doing strange things, Shannchyuan couldn't help but let out a surprised voice. Chioujen paused his story for a while.
I thought Hannrong is an innocent person who would easily get dizzy when he was given a heavier load than usual.
Chioujen nodded several times. He seemed to be able to guess what Shannchyuan was thinking.
This is really amazing. In the slightest, I never thought that he actually kept a secret. Such an odd secret.
"Who called Hannrong? And why is Hannrong watching us?" Shannchyuan leaned forward.
"I'll explain later," said Chioujen.
Chioujen then told him about how he followed the people who were following Jenqyih and Shinnshiow. He recounted he saw one stalker, then was injured in the stomach. Chioujen also expressed his suspicions about the potential involvement of the black hat person in the incident.
"Shinnshiow also talked about the injured person. But he didn't know who hurt him," commented Shannchyuan.
"That's right, Beaushu. They told me about it."
The longer the Chioujen story, the more interesting it was. What was even more surprising was the fact that Chioujen stated that the person in the black hat later met someone who knew Jenqyih.
"Jenqyih's friend is a member of a secret security agency. So the man in the black hat must be one of the secret agents too," said Shannchyuan.
"Yes. I saw him last night at Jongharng station too. Luckily, I've changed my appearance, so he didn't recognize me," Chioujen said.
"What was he doing at the station?" Shannchyuan asked.
"Just like me, he only ordered food. At that time, my attention was divided because I was listening to the conversation between the two other people who were also there. One of the two people was the neighbor we saw at the station. When our neighbor left the food stall, I decided to follow the man. So I don't know what happened next to that guy who likes to wear the black hat."
"About that guy. I don't think we need to worry anymore. He's part of a secret security agency. So he's not our enemy."
"That's right, Beaushu. I also thought so when I heard what our friends had to say."
"About our neighbor. Can you repeat the things you caught last night from the conversation between our neighbor and his friend?" Shannchyuan asked.
Earlier, when he met Shannchyuan at the station, Chioujen had already briefly told him about the conversation he overheard last night. However, because they were in such a hurry earlier, Shannchyuan had not yet one hundred percent grasped everything Chioujen had told him. This time, at Shannchyuan's request, Chioujen recounted the contents of the conversation the two people had at a stall at the station in more detail.
One of the two was the person they had seen at the station, their new neighbor. Chioujen explained the contents of the conversation clearly. At first glance, what Chioujen said sounded very suspicious. But Shannchyuan realized he should not be careless. There were so many things that didn't look like they really were.
"Our new neighbor always seems to be curious about people's business. But I'm still not sure if he's involved in anything illegal. Of course, I can't be sure what exactly he's doing," said Shannchyuan.
Chioujen also explained that he discovered a secret passage connecting the underground station to their house while following their neighbor, who was always curious about other people's affairs.
"I think you're right about our neighbor. Maybe he's used to going back and forth from his house to the station through the underground passage. There are so many branches of the passage below our house. Those passageways may be part of a network of underground passages created in ancient times." Shannchyuan took a deep breath. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing for them.
Chioujen's story then revolved around the events of today, where Chioujen decided to return to Dahfeisy Tower to resolve the curiosity that had plagued him. The thing that Chioujen said was extraordinary. Shannchyuan never imagined that there would be a secret room behind the service elevator in Dahfeisy Tower. While in the building, Shannchyuan had already explored the place. He had also been on the roof of Dahfeisy Tower. But of course, it never occurred to Shannchyuan that there was a secret room and stairway whose entrance was from the top of the building.
Shannchyuan had also entered the basement, Floors B1, B2, and B3. At that time, Songfei and his friends from the detective and mystery club invited Shannchyuan and his friends to go underground. Somehow Songfei was able to get the iron-grid padlock lock attached to the stairs on the ground floor that led to the basement. They were all aware that they really shouldn't go down there. But the ban was not an obstacle for Songfei and the company.
At that moment, Hannrong was very cooperative. He didn't stop them at all. The night watchman in Dahfeisy Tower didn't really care about what they were doing, either. The building was almost empty. Nothing of value was left by the owner there. So, even though they weren't allowed to enter the basement, the night watchman just let them do their thing. As long as Songfei and company gave him some money for a pack of cigarettes, the night watchman wouldn't chirp to his superiors.
"So the people hiding in the building's basement are in the same group as the woman whose kidnapping incident was witnessed by Yinqyueh," said Shannchyuan. "This series of events is really like a movie story."
Chioujen recounted that when he appeared on the roof of the building, there were already people waiting for him. Apparently, Hannrong contacted those people.
"Who are they? The police or criminals?" Shannchyuan asked the questions impatiently.
"They are members of the Public Security Bureau in this city. So, a kind of special police. Not the same as the police who investigate ordinary criminal cases. So this case is not an ordinary criminal case. Apparently, the Public Security Bureau has been targeting this group of criminals."
"Huh! So Hannrong is a member of the Public Security Bureau? He doesn't look like an undercover cop at all."
"I don't know what Hannrong's actual position in the bureau is. He didn't introduce himself to me as part of the unit. It's possible that he was just an informant. But from Hannrong's interactions with the two people I spoke to, it seemed that Hannrong is not just an ordinary informant. So I can't be sure."
"Then what happened next to the two people who had been hiding in the basement for a few days?"
"The people from the Public Security Bureau have evacuated them. So they're safe now."
"Were the criminals in that incident part of the same group as the people who kidnapped Shinnshiow?"
"I only found out tonight when Beaushu told me earlier that Shinnshiow was kidnapped. So I didn't ask them about it."
Ah! I'm sure they knew about the kidnapping. But they definitely wouldn't tell Chioujen about it. I guess that kind of thing is their official procedure.
"Did you tell them about the people who followed Shinnshiow and Jenqyih?"
"Of course. From the photos in Hannrong's bag, I think the Public Security Bureau had been watching you guys for a long time. But I don't know if they have any suspicions about you or not."
"Did you tell them about what happened to Yinqyueh?"
"I didn't tell them I was hiding in the box and overheard some conversation. So I didn't tell them about the kidnapping. But Beaushu and Miss Liuchiou already told Hannrong all about it. So they must have looked into it."
"Then what about Jenqyih's friend? Did he not appear at Dahfeisy Tower at all?"
"When I told them about Jenqyih's friend and the person in the hat, agents from the Public Security Bureau seemed to recognize them. At first, they didn't want to talk about it. But then, one of them whispered to me that Jenqyih's friend and the man in the hat were members of the Public Security Intelligence Agency. So those people are not the same as them."
"Ah! Of course. Jenqyih's friend isn't from this city. So he's a Public Security Intelligence Agency agent on duty here."
Shannchyuan sighed. The general public didn't know much about those kinds of things. Information about the structure of the security bureau was not widely published. Many security agencies were operating in the same field and place. Something like that sometimes made the handling of a problem overlap.
In fact, it was not uncommon for problems to arise. For example, the competition between each of those institutions when carrying out their duties. Shannchyuan was a little worried that the competition between the police, the Public Security Bureau, and the city's branch of the Public Security Intelligence Agency would actually make the settlement of their case not go smoothly.
"Is there anything else Beaushu would like to ask?"
"It's getting late. We'd better get some rest now."
The two of them then inched to one corner of the room. They tapped the iron rods as a sign that they were ready to go up. After reaching the top, they saw Iren, who was standing, nodding.
"You guys are taking too long. I almost fell asleep several times," said Iren.
"Sorry! We had a little chat. I can't believe the time has gone by so fast."
The three of them then closed the hole and put the big pot on it again. Done that, they walked into the house. After washing their faces and hands, they immediately went to their respective rooms. That night Shannchyuan slept so soundly. Chioujen's explanation earlier had lifted some of the weight that had been on his mind. The men burst into Dahfeisy Tower, most likely not to silence Yinqyueh but to recapture their two captives who managed to escape.
Author's note :
I have already compiled some chapters in this story into some books. You can get it for free if you are interested. I appreciate your support. Thank you very much.
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