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."
<
"Do you want to go back upstairs 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.
<
"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 in 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.
<
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!"
"That place will be closing soon. I don't think that's too strange." Shannchyuan chuckled.
Chioujen nodded. He did not refute Shannchyuan's words.
<
"I'm not tired yet." Chioujen suddenly said that. "This is very important."
<
"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.
<
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 Dahge 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."
"Dahge 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 frowned. He thought Hannrong was an innocent person who would easily get dizzy when he was given a heavier load than usual. At least, he did not expect that Hannrong actually kept a secret.
"Who called Hannrong? And why is Hannrong watching us?" Shannchyuan asked.
"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.