The ones leading the way were two fully armed sheriffs, clad in heavy armor, holding riot shields made of transparent material in one hand and rubber-coated batons in the other. Several tear gas and stun grenades dangled from their waists.
Following behind them were more sheriffs, each wielding a flashlight in one hand and a pistol in the other. The strongest weapon in the squad was an MP5 short assault rifle, slung diagonally across Mr. Huang's back.
Sun Hang glanced at the magazines tucked into Mr. Huang's waist. Besides one magazine filled with rubber bullets, the other four contained live rounds with brass casings.
Sun Hang instinctively touched the wound on his left temporal bone—according to the doctor, he had been knocked unconscious during the strange attack, hit by a stray bullet from a sheriff's gun.
Hopefully, Mr. Huang's shooting is more accurate... Previously, Sun Hang was hit by a 9mm pistol bullet, but if it had been Mr. Huang's assault rifle, Sun Hang would likely be queuing for soup at the Bridge of Helplessness by now.
...
All passages in the amusement park were sealed with official seals from the Public Security Bureau. Mr. Huang scanned the area; all the seals on doors and windows were intact, indicating that no one had entered the amusement park during this time.
"Stay alert, keep your eyes sharp, don't miss any clues!" Mr. Huang commanded sternly, then gestured to move forward.
The two leading sheriffs opened the chains on the large iron gate, tore down the seals, and stepped into the park first.
"Group A will scout, Group B will guard the entrance," Mr. Huang said, "As for you three, follow me, be careful not to fall behind."
"Um... Mr. Huang?" 0401 stepped closer, "This amusement park is so big, where should we start searching? It's getting late... in about an hour, the sun will set."
"What, are you afraid of the dark?" Mr. Huang glanced at him, asking.
"No, not really... I just feel that this place makes one feel creepy at night." 0401 replied in a timid manner.
"If you're scared, stick close." Mr. Huang turned his head back and continued to walk inside.
"..." 0401's eye twitched twice, eventually swallowing back the words he wanted to say.
"We've actually searched this place several times," a young sheriff who seemed relatively kind whispered to Sun Hang and the other two. "We've even used bulldozers to sift through the construction debris piled in the back mountain, but still haven't found any clues."
"Where are we headed now?" Sun Hang asked.
"To the ghost house," the young sheriff replied, "In the last investigative action, Hu disappeared right after searching the ghost house."
"...Alright then." 0401 muttered quietly, "Before it gets dark, let's hurry and search the ghost house."
The squad, comprising six sheriffs and three temporary investigators, soon arrived at the entrance of the ghost house. Sun Hang looked up and saw the sign above the door, "Castle Fright · Secret Room Adventure," hanging crookedly, attached only by some cables and a stand. As the wind blew, the suspended sign swayed gently, seemingly ready to fall at any moment.
The ghost house's main door was nowhere to be found, replaced by two iron gates half a person's height. The sheriffs leading the way placed their riot shields to the side, walked up, and pushed the gates open.
The friction between the metal supports and the cement floor emitted a sound that made one's teeth ache.
"Damn, I feel like there's a chilling wind inside," 0401 whispered, "If only I had a gun, at least I'd feel more secure."
"Have you ever learned to use a gun?" Sun Hang glanced at him, asking.
"No... uh, learned in games." 0401 said, "I'm pretty good at shooting."
"If you were really given a gun and felt secure, then none of us would." Sun Hang responded, "In the real world, friendly fire can't be turned off."
"The kid's right," Mr. Huang turned his head to say, "If the intruder isn't some mysterious entity, there's no need for you to act... And if it really is a mysterious entity, even ten guns wouldn't be enough."
Following behind Mr. Huang, the three temporary investigators also entered the ghost house—Sun Hang noticed that the house seemed unfinished, with construction materials and debris piled everywhere inside.
At the end of the hall was a corridor; one side of the wall had been plastered, while the other side was bare brick.
Or maybe this was supposed to be a "unfinished building" style ghost house?
Crude wrought iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their shades coated with a mixture of cobwebs and dust.
The planks on the floor were mostly rotten, creaking underfoot, while the ceiling and walls bore ocher red paint graffiti, resembling dried blood from afar.
The leading sheriffs turned on the searchlights on their helmets, cautiously advancing with riot shields.
As the squad held their breath, scrutinizing their surroundings, a sudden burst of music shattered the silence!
"What's Daddy's Daddy called? Daddy's Daddy is called Grandpa—"
"Oh crap!" 0401 nearly leapt in fright but was quickly held down by Mr. Huang.
"What's the rush?" Mr. Huang said, "Coward."
Though he spoke, the veins at the corners of Mr. Huang's eyes pulsed, obviously startled by the eerie song.
"What's Daddy's Mommy called? Daddy's Mommy is called Grandma!"
The song continued, and everyone turned towards the source to see a bouncing car in the corner, shaking back and forth, the song blaring from its speakers.
"Damn, how did this thing suddenly start playing? Scared me!" 0401 cursed but suddenly paused, "Wait, where's the power coming from?"
"Batteries," Mr. Huang said gravely, "To prevent sudden power outages leading to accidents, most amusement park equipment has built-in batteries."
"It's been twenty years, and there can still be power in the batteries?" 0401 paused, "Wait, should the batteries still work after twenty years?"
"My suggestion is to open it up and inspect," Sun Hang said.
Soon, the bouncing car was dismantled by the sheriffs, a battery connected to a control chip unearthed from its base.
The battery was old, but the solder marks on the wires were fresh, clearly having been replaced recently.
"Looks like an alarm device," Sun Hang said.
"An alarm device?" 0401, upon hearing the conclusion, sighed in relief, "Seems like our opponent is human, not a mysterious entity?"