"That matter is probably well-known to every local. Actually, the misfortune is hard to pinpoint. Perhaps it has something to do with that mansion. If we're lucky this time, we might not only find others and crack this case, but also the one from before!"
"I hope so. After all, every mystery has its day of revelation."
We exchanged glances. Last time we were here, we didn't venture further, but now it's different. Even if we were to suddenly disappear, we wouldn't back down now. What time is it? Even if a gun were pointed at my temple, I doubt I'd be afraid.
As we walked, near a strangely dilapidated building, we spotted a familiar dim glow. As we focused on it, we suddenly heard a strange voice from upstairs: "Yes! It's upstairs, you can come up!"
For a moment, Lu Chusheng and I were struck silent with fear, a little tense. We looked up. It was late at night, and there was supposed to be no sound at all, yet suddenly this happened upstairs. If it were an ordinary person, they'd probably have collapsed in fright by now.
Though our earlier resolve was contradicted, this situation was too extraordinary.
A minute later, we calmed down a bit and rushed upstairs. Although the place might be dangerous, we didn't have time to think about it then.
We reached the fifth floor, which was the end of the line, with nowhere else to go. However, upon entering a room, we found a computer on a desk.
It was an ordinary laptop, currently on. The room had blue walls on all four sides, with no furniture, only this computer on a narrow desk. Our attention was immediately drawn to it.
I sat down in front of the computer, intently examining the screen. Initially, there were only dense lines of numbers, but after a while, a small underground space appeared on the screen. Then, many people were seen tied up there, leaning against a rough, dilapidated wall.
It was the members of the Sin-Punishment Unit, along with the missing police officers from the second and third teams!
They were all here.
All their eyes were taped shut with black tape, their mouths stuffed with white cloth, and they were bound with heavy chains. They seemed to be tied together, sitting cross-legged on the ground, their expressions extremely haggard, as if they had suffered various tortures here.
The computer showing us these scenes was no coincidence; someone must have deliberately left it for us to see. As I was watching the scene, a WeChat message below began to flash repeatedly. I quickly clicked on it, and a message popped up in front of me: "Detective He, congratulations, you've finally found this place. Now, we're going to play an execution game. You don't have much time. If you lose, all your colleagues will die violently. Let's calculate: there are over a hundred people here, hahahaha!!"
"What do you want?" I roared.
The other party didn't use voice, but typed again...
After about a minute, new text appeared in the chat window: "Don't be angry. Don't you know what I want? I want you to play a game with me. Alright, I'll tell you the rules. I'll ask you some questions later. If you get them wrong, I'll take a police officer out and shoot him. Don't ask me how I'll do it. Just know that if you answer incorrectly, they'll have no escape. Be careful."
"What game do you want to play? I don't have time for games. Release them immediately. I warn you, I can find you wherever you go!"
The other party typed again: "So you mean you want to consult with your dear daughter? Hahaha! Let me tell you, from now on, you cannot contact anyone else. If I find out, I will immediately release a gas called hydrogen sulfide into this secret room. If inhaled too much, this gas can be fatal. Think carefully."
Unable to contact the outside world, we had to rely on ourselves? The other party only replied by typing, likely to prevent us from hearing his voice. He could probably hear our voices immediately, perhaps because there was a camera installed in this room.
I analyzed the situation: confronting the perpetrator directly now would be very troublesome. With no other choice, I said, "Alright, ask your first question!"
"Good, you're straightforward. But Detective He, don't underestimate me. I'm not like that other person, hahahaha!! So, the first question is: Near a cramped space, there's a dark and deep funeral home. It's still operational, but suddenly there's a huge explosion. However, there are no explosives in the room. Only Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong are present. Before the explosion, they smelled a strange odor. But they are ordinary students and didn't carry any bombs. The room isn't sealed. Why did the room explode?"
No explosives in the room? Not sealed?
This question seems ambiguous, like a trap. I wasn't sure how to answer, as there were many possibilities based on facts. For example, perhaps Xiao Ming or Xiao Hong were metaphors for bombs, and the explosion was just a game they were playing. What can be ruled out is that if the space isn't sealed, the explosion couldn't have been caused by some gas.
Common explosive gases include methane, ethane, propane, toluene, xylene, phenol, etc. But these gases only become effective in a sealed space or when ignited.
Right, ignited! Because there's an incinerator in the funeral home. What if the children smelled some explosive gas there? Then, upon encountering an open flame, an explosion would occur, right?
With this realization, I immediately stated my answer: "There must have been a gas that explodes upon ignition. The location is a funeral home, so incineration equipment is normal. Also, the two children smelled a strange odor before the incident. I suspect it was methane, as it's the most explosive gas."
"Oh? Is that so? But Detective He, you might not know that methane is a colorless and odorless gas at room temperature and pressure."
"I know that. It's just that the special smell in household natural gas or coal gas is an artificial odor added for safety, usually by mercaptans or thiols. This way, people can react immediately in case of a leak."