"This thing, when you came here the last few times, did it sound?" 0401 asked.
"You can tell by the expressions on their faces." Sun Hang shrugged.
"So, during the time the Public Security Bureau has the amusement park sealed, someone still sneaked in," 0401 said thoughtfully, "or perhaps the culprit has always been hiding in the amusement park, and you just haven't found his hiding place."
"Seems like a lot of analysis, but it's actually a load of nonsense." 0398 rolled his eyes at him, "By the way, can you unlock these handcuffs for me? Being cuffed to this idiot, I'm really worried he'll get me killed."
"Alright, everyone, stop arguing and keep moving." Mr. Huang said in a deep voice, "The primary objective of this operation is to search for the missing trainee sheriff, alive if possible, dead..."
The word "dead" twirled in his throat for a long time, and he swallowed back the rest of "dead or alive."
There was only a corridor at the entrance of the ghost house, but it was quite spacious, big enough for three big guys to walk side by side. Locked doors lined both sides of the corridor, and the keys were long gone. To open them, forceful means would have to be used.
Every time they passed a door, Sun Hang would carefully inspect the lock, observing the rust in the keyhole for any signs of tampering — but unfortunately, the rust and dust were consistent on every lock, ruling out the possibility of the opponent holding a key or picking the lock.
"What's inside these rooms?" 0401 couldn't help but ask.
"Various themed escape rooms," the young sheriff replied.
"Have you guys checked inside?" 0401 asked again.
"During the first two surveys, we used fiber optic scopes to inspect the rooms but found no clues," the young sheriff shook his head.
The fiber optic scope he referred to is a special device equipped by the Public Security Bureau, which can pass a micro-probe the size of a grain of rice through the door crack to capture the scene on the other side.
"So you're saying you haven't directly gone in to check?" Sun Hang frowned, "With something like themed escape rooms, there must be secret passages inside. The door in the corridor might not be the only entrance and exit."
"Mr. Huang said that if this survey yields no results, we'll pry open these doors and thoroughly inspect them," the sheriff said.
"Speaking of which, did anyone hear any strange sounds?" 0401 suddenly shivered and said in a low voice, "I seem to hear a sound similar to a child's crying..."
"I heard it too," the young sheriff nodded slightly, "now that you mention it... it does seem a bit like that."
"It's the sound of the wind," Sun Hang said, "The walls on this floor are bare brick walls, with many gaps unsealed. Plus, the door of the ghost house is open, directly facing the corridor, producing a draft-like phenomenon. The wind passes through the wall gaps, creating a wailing sound."
"But what I heard wasn't a child's cry." 0398 shook his head, "If I have to describe it, it's more like... a girl's singing."
"Singing?" Sun Hang's eye twitched, "Are you sure?"
"I... now that you mention it, I'm not so sure," 0398's expression was a bit ugly, "the sound comes and goes, faintly..."
"How about you? What sound did you hear?" Sun Hang turned to ask the other sheriffs.
"It's just the wind, don't scare yourself," Mr. Huang said with some impatience.
"Then why is it that 039... hey, what are you doing?" 0401's words were suddenly interrupted, feeling a great force pulling him forward by the wrist.
Somehow, 0398 had changed, their eyes lifeless and movements stiff, dragging 0401 off toward the depths of the corridor.
"A trance? Is someone controlling him?" Sun Hang thought and instinctively made way for the two.
"What's going on?" 0401 shouted in surprise and urgency, "What is this woman up to again? How is she so strong? Damn, I feel like my wrist is about to be torn off!"
"Quick, restrain her!" Mr. Huang wanted to reach out to grab 0398 but was stopped by Sun Hang.
"0401, don't resist," Sun Hang said, "Follow her and see where she takes us."
At Sun Hang's words, Mr. Huang immediately reacted and said to the other sheriffs, "Everyone, be alert for any anomalies and report them to me immediately!"
"What the hell is going on with 0398?" 0401, dragged stumbling forward by 0398, said, "Is she acting?"
"Doesn't seem like acting." Sun Hang shook his head, "Her wrist's already bleeding from the cuffs, but she hasn't even frowned... Besides, don't you think her strength is unusually strong?"
0398 was a woman just over one meter sixty, with a slender build that didn't look like someone who worked out regularly. 0401, on the other hand, was a man one meter seventy-five, weighing over one hundred sixty pounds... In a simple contest of strength, 0398 shouldn't stand a chance against 0401.
But now, 0401 was being dragged by her, unable to hold her back.
"Could she have been possessed by a wraith?" 0401 said, terrified, "Mr. Huang, could you please unlock my handcuffs first..."
"No way. What if she runs away if I unlock them?" Mr. Huang immediately rejected his proposal, "Just stay as a human ballast weight... Rest assured, we can ensure your safety."
0398 continued dragging 0401 through the hallway, up to the second floor, making several turns until a faint light appeared not far away.
It was a figure cloaked in a robe, the faint light emanating from something it held, but before the sheriffs could rush at it, the figure turned and vanished down a side corridor.
The second-floor layout of the ghost house was far more complex than the first, with passageways and hidden alleys making it a true maze. With the building plans long lost, no one knew what was behind each slightly ajar door.
The figure merely covered what was glowing in its hand, disappearing from view instantly.
It wasn't until then that 0398 stopped as if waking from a dream, doubling over and retching violently.
"Cough... cough... What happened?" 0398 asked while coughing, "Just now... what was that?"
"What did you see? What did you hear?" Sun Hang went over, gently patting 0398's back and asking.
"Cough... you asked me about the singing... so I perked my ears to hear better... then the song, which was far away, suddenly felt as if it was right next to me..." 0398 said intermittently, "I was startled, but the next moment, I found no one around... just darkness everywhere, couldn't see anything... I could only see a point of firelight in the darkness... I didn't know why, but the firelight had this huge draw on me, and I followed it subconsciously..."
"Sounds like you fell into a trance," Mr. Huang said, stroking the stubble on his chin, "But you were in the middle of the group, surrounded by us, so the other side shouldn't have had a chance to hypnotize you... Wait, could it be the singing?! We all heard wind, but only you heard singing!"
"Probably," another glasses-wearing sheriff suggested, "Some specific frequencies can also put people in a hypnotic state."