Chapter 10 The Basement on the Fifteenth Floor 4
Things that defy the laws of nature cannot exist, just as a flame that has run out of fuel cannot continue to burn.
While my "fireflies" are creations that defy common sense, they are by no means rootless duckweed.
It is able to continue to exist because of the spiritual connection between us, and my spiritual power continuously fuels its existence through this connection.
However, the cave before me was like a barrier, invisible and intangible. As the "firefly" descended, the invisible barrier, while not physically hindering it, ruthlessly severed my spiritual connection with it. It was as if it were saying that "real space" and "space that should not exist in reality" are as clearly divided as yin and yang, and that people in the mortal world cannot defy common sense, presumptuously attempt to overstep the laws of heaven and earth, and establish a free passage between themselves and the underworld.
"So what do you plan to do?" Chang'an didn't notice the change on my side.
He first asked for my opinion, then looked uneasy: "I think we should close the lid quickly, in case there's something dirty hiding down there..."
"No rush," I said after thinking for a moment. "Do you have a Bluetooth camera or anything like that at home?"
"You mean you're going to throw the Bluetooth camera down here to replace your own eyes?" He immediately realized what I meant, then shook his head regretfully, "But I don't have one here."
"It's okay if you don't have one, just give me your phone."
He obediently handed the phone to me, and I took out my own phone, opened WeChat, and initiated a video call request to Chang'an's phone.
After the call connected, I went to the kitchen to get a broom, then took out the rubber band that he used to bring with him when he collected barbecue takeout orders. I attached my phone and flashlight to the end of the broom at the same time, using it as a selfie stick with light, and squatted on the floor to peer down into the cave.
"So there's another way!"
Chang'an's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer to look at his phone, wanting to see the video feed transmitted from below.
Immediately, he uttered a sound of doubt and disappointment: "...Huh?"
Unfortunately, no images were transmitted back.
Because the network signal was automatically cut off as soon as my phone went down into the cave.
First, I retrieved my phone and changed the network connection to share my Chang'an phone's data hotspot. Then I tried sending my phone down into the cave, but it still didn't work. The network seemed to have been cut off by an invisible barrier.
It seems that not only spiritual connections, but also electronic connections are not working.
I put my phone away again, took a deep breath, and prepared myself mentally.
This time, I stretched out my arm and reached down into the cave!
Chang'an was too late to stop him and could only exclaim in alarm, "What are you doing!"
I ignored his voice and focused solely on feeling my arm.
Human perception and manipulation of their own bodies ultimately rely on electronic signals. If this cave were one that blocked even electronic signals, I shouldn't be able to control my own arms right now.
But this time, the signal was not blocked, and I was able to clearly feel my arm and move my hand smoothly.
Both "mental connection" and "electronic signal connection" are ultimately "wireless connection." Given the current situation, since the brain can connect to the arm through physiological means, does that mean that other forms of "wired connection" can also work?
Or is it that the physical body of life possesses some mysterious quality, just as many spatial storage props in fantasy stories cannot contain life, this cave cannot block the connection of life signals?
If it's the latter, then I'll have no choice but to go through that myself.
Wait a minute, I think I was led astray by the initial disappearance of the "fireflies".
If you just want to understand what's inside the cave, there's no need to worry about whether it's a wired or wireless connection. Just put your phone in recording mode and repeat the steps you just did.
I understand why I didn't immediately think of such a simple approach; it's because I was too eager to explore the phenomenon of the cave's interior being cut off from the outside. Having encountered something so incredible for the first time, I was completely focused on investigating its specific mechanisms.
Seeing that I was safe and sound, Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly grabbed me, trying to get me away from the cave.
"You took too much risk! Didn't you think about the possibility of something happening to you?!" he said, still shaken.
"Chang'an, let's try one more time." I turned to him and told him my plan.
After hearing this, his first reaction was: "You really just want to record a video on your phone to see what's down there, and you don't plan to go down yourself, right? You should be satisfied after you see it, right?"
"..."
"Why did you turn your head away?" he stared at me.
Chang'an's premonition was correct; I couldn't be satisfied with just a glance inside. Even if there were some "dirty things" down there, I would still persevere in the end.
I started thinking about how to persuade him, or how to get him away from me.
While barging directly into the cave isn't out of the question, he might follow me in. What if there's danger inside? His strange encounters might be related to me, but I have no intention of implicating him.
The best course of action might be to pretend to agree here first, and then return to investigate alone later. After all, he doesn't live in this house anymore.
It seems I will be unable to conduct further investigation for the time being.
"Chang'an, I..."
We had only spoken a few words when an unexpected situation interrupted our conversation.
Knock knock knock.
An unexpected knock came from the entrance hall.
I could only helplessly shut my mouth. Why does it feel like someone's been knocking on the door all day? This is the third time already, isn't it? Although this time it wasn't my door that was being knocked on.
"Who is it?" Chang'an called out.
But the person outside didn't respond; they just kept knocking.
I got up and headed towards the entrance, while Chang'an grabbed the black plush rug rolled up nearby and used it to temporarily cover the cave. Although it wasn't some kind of secret, it was perhaps best not to expose such a supernatural entity, which might contain unknown dangers, to unrelated passersby.
However, this time, the person appearing outside the door, regardless of whether they were related or not, was at least not a complete stranger.
When I opened the door, the person outside saw me.
"Huh?" The person was initially puzzled and surprised, but after a moment, they finally recognized my face. "...Do you live here? This doesn't seem right."
This person was the policeman who had knocked on my door not long ago to investigate eyewitness accounts of a serial killer.
He's even come all the way here on his visit?
"No, it's my friend who lives here." I suppressed my surprise, then turned back into the house and called Chang'an over.
Chang'an rushed over immediately and introduced himself to the police.
The policeman looked at me suspiciously, but finally spoke to Chang'an first: "It's you, isn't it? The one who made a false police report the night before last."
“I didn’t make a false police report,” Chang’an said, sticking out his neck.
“Our officers investigated later and found that a very serious murder had occurred in your house before, and the murderer has not yet been arrested.” The police officer asked seriously, “You said this place is haunted, is it really just haunted? Tell me again about the anomalies you noticed before.”
It turns out that the policeman was there to investigate a murder case that occurred eight months ago.
I've heard that the authorities really take murder cases very seriously, to the point that there's a slogan that "every murder case must be solved." But that was a murder case from eight months ago, right? I didn't realize that the authorities would pursue murder cases to this extent.
Previously, there were rumors online about wanted criminals who, after escaping the heat, went to Jay Chou's concert, only to be dragged out and arrested on the spot by authorities from the crowd. Compared to this, it doesn't seem so surprising that the authorities are keeping such a close watch on serious murder suspects who have been at large until now.
But I remember this policeman was previously handling the most recent serial killer case, and now he's taking time out of his schedule to inquire about clues from another case. Is this kind of busyness common there? Or...?
"It really is haunted!"
Chang'an was eager to prove himself, so he let the police into the house, walked up to the black plush carpet, and yanked it off.
“Look!” He pointed to the magic circle on the floor. “Look, it really… really exists here…”
As he spoke, his voice trailed off.
The floor was completely bare; there was no trace of the cave. Only the magic circle drawn with black paint remained, and even the wooden cover was nowhere to be found.
Not only Chang'an, but I was also greatly surprised. The cave had actually disappeared?
What happened? The night before last, Chang'an reported the incident to the police, and the cave disappeared after they arrived; today, the police came again, and the cave has vanished once more.
Could it be that the police are righteous and masculine, while the cave is an evil entity, causing it to tremble and hastily disappear when the police arrive? That's absurd!
Faced with the facts, I could only tell myself not to rush. This wasn't the first time the cave had appeared and disappeared; perhaps it was part of a strange phenomenon, and something I needed to explore.
"Where's the ghost?" the policeman asked expressionlessly. "Send it out, shall we?"
“Ghost…ghost…” Chang’an stammered, unable to speak.
The policeman sighed, then seemed to notice something, and immediately walked to the magic circle, squatted down, and touched the paint on the edge lines with his finger.
He rubbed his fingers thoughtfully, his expression growing increasingly serious. After a moment, he muttered to himself, "...Blood?"
-
Although they didn't see the strange cave with their own eyes, the police officers' attitude changed noticeably after they came into contact with the magic circle; their already serious and mature faces became even more profound.
He led us downstairs and then asked Chang'an, "Do you have anywhere else to stay?"
"What?" Chang'an hadn't reacted yet.
"The house you rented will be protected as a crime scene from now on. You are not allowed to go back to live there at least today and tomorrow," the police officer said in an unquestionable tone.
"Huh? But..." Chang'an seemed to want to say something.
But he suddenly shut his mouth, turned to look at me, and then said to the police with certainty, "No problem, I never planned to go back to live in a place like that anyway. Please make sure to protect the scene well, don't let a single rat in!"
Calling me a rat is really going too far.
He probably said that to prevent me from entering that cave. What a pointless worry. If I'm determined to go into that cave, no matter how many ordinary people come or how tight the defenses are, it'll all be for nothing.
"Speaking of which, why protect that house?" Chang'an finally asked. "Is it because of the murder case eight months ago? But that happened eight months ago, right? Maybe the murderer has already fled to another place."
"You can't say that. This is a murder case. A murder case with extremely cruel methods and very serious circumstances. The department has always attached great importance to this major case. And..." The police officer seemed to be considering whether to reveal what he was going to say next.
After a long silence, he looked at Chang'an, then at me, and finally said, "Moreover, the murderer is still roaming around Xianshui City and is even continuing to cause trouble."
"What?" Chang'an was horrified.
I made connections based on the other person's eyes and combined them with my previous suspicions to arrive at a deduction.
"Is the serial killer who has committed crimes in the city in the last two months the same person who murdered the former tenant in that house eight months ago?"
Asahi's face then appeared in my mind.
(End of this chapter)
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