Chapter 127: A Wall Outside the Door |
Lu Qiuqiu watched in astonishment as Guan Shan walked in. Two of the burly men immediately stood shoulder to shoulder and turned to guard the entrance.
The remaining three followed Guan Shan inside, silent and exuding an air of restrained power.
They were clearly well-trained.
Staff? You call these people staff?!
What kind of staff dresses like special forces ready to raid terrorists? They even had guns in their hands!
And more importantly... aren't you a journalist?!
Lu Qiuqiu's impression of Guan Shan as a "mysterious, highly capable investigative journalist" shattered instantly.
What kind of journalist can make one phone call and bring armed personnel to the door? A thought flashed through Lu Qiuqiu's mind—could it be true that Sacred Heart Hospital collapsed because of Guan Shan?
Previously, she thought it was nonsense, but now she believed it was likely true!
The burly men immediately presented their credentials and professionally explained the existence of the Special Security Group to Lu Qiuqiu.
"Oh, I see..." Lu Qiuqiu seemed to understand, though not completely, but she accepted this fact and became more anxious: "So, my father's disappearance might be a supernatural incident?"
"There's a good chance. Where did your father disappear from?"
Guan Shan asked while looking around the interior of the house, noting that it was only two stories but incredibly spacious.
He had been impressed by the house's size from outside, but it was even more impressive inside.
Dr. Lu's home turned out to be an old mansion near the outskirts...
This old mansion looked like it had a lot of history, suitable for being a museum or a famous person's former residence. It was in a different league compared to Shen's small villa, likely worth an unimaginable amount.
He hadn't expected Dr. Lu, who seemed modest, to be a hidden wealthy person.
Of course, this mansion wasn't bought by her family but was passed down through the generations of the Lu family, symbolizing a long legacy of renowned doctors.
Guan Shan had already read the information provided by the logistics team on the way, knowing what kind of person Lu Mingyi was. In short, he had dedicated his life to medicine, earning high respect, especially in the field of psychiatry. Lu Qiuqiu was also influenced by her family's academic background.
Such a person had almost no dark spots or enemies, and the only person who might have had professional conflicts with him had died of a sudden brain hemorrhage years ago.
So, the possibility of a vendetta could be ruled out.
—It must be said, the logistics team was indeed efficient. Although they looked like thugs, they were actually enthusiastic and professional young men.
But Guan Shan's focus wasn't on whether it was a vendetta or if Lu Mingyi got lost...
If this were a horror movie or game, the appearance of the word "mansion" itself would be a flag.
And for Guan Shan, who had the simulator, this flag was a foregone conclusion.
Just like no one could resist raising the crowbar when an enemy descended from above.
The Horror Game Simulator surely wouldn't miss such a classic horror game setting, right?
"But... if Lu Mingyi disappeared, it means this shouldn't be the main battleground, so I should be safe for now."
Guan Shan felt his analysis was reasonable. It wasn't like the kidnapper would come back to check the crime scene, right? Lu Qiuqiu led the way upstairs, opening the door to the study: "This is the place. Early this morning, when I left for the hospital, he was here reading, and I made him a cup of coffee."
"When I returned in the morning, he was gone."
Lu Qiuqiu pointed to the coffee cup on the table: "When I came in, there was no one here, but the coffee was still warm. I thought he might have gone to bed, but I had something to discuss with him... so I knocked on the door, but it wasn't closed."
"I searched the entire house but couldn't find him. The police also questioned anyone who might have seen him, but no one had."
"Wait." Guan Shan noticed a detail: "Isn't your father almost fifty? Reading and drinking coffee late at night?"
Lu Qiuqiu laughed helplessly: "He's a workaholic. Though he tells his old colleagues he needs to take care of his health and stop researching, he's always preparing papers and books. He was like this when he was younger. By today's standards... he's a 'study freak.'"
"I also think it's unhealthy, so I've advised him, but every time I take him for a checkup, everything is normal. He might even be healthier than some young people who don't take care of themselves, and he feels proud."
Guan Shan was embarrassed, feeling like he had been caught in the crossfire...
Before he had the simulator, he lived irregularly, often with back pain but no illness, just a lack of exercise.
However, thinking about it, he suddenly felt that a fifty-year-old staying up late without issues seemed unreasonable. Maybe it was also due to the effect of the [Ksitigarbha Statue]?
Guan Shan turned to the logistics team and said, "Check this place first. See if there are any clues."
"Yes!" the logistics team responded in unison.
This shocked Lu Qiuqiu again, reinforcing that Guan Shan wasn't an ordinary journalist. But she still didn't quite understand the Special Security Group's meaning... did they handle not only supernatural events but also had superpowers themselves?
Lu Qiuqiu sneaked a glance at Guan Shan, her imagination running wild. What kind of power did he have to cause a hospital wing to collapse?
Guan Shan watched the logistics team work, then walked to the table to observe.
It wasn't that he had suddenly developed "official airs" and learned to give orders, but he didn't know how to use the energy detector.
This was the so-called "To cover up the fact that I'm actually useless, I can only let my subordinates handle it."
"Where does your father usually keep that statue?"
Guan Shan examined the coffee cup, asking.
Lu Qiuqiu pointed to a nearby display shelf: "There. He treasured that statue, not even letting me touch it, and had a protective glass cover made for it."
Guan Shan looked at the empty cover on the shelf.
At this moment, the logistics team reported seriously: "There's an energy reaction, and it's strong, almost throughout the entire study, but... it's scattered and evenly distributed."
Guan Shan didn't understand, seeing their serious expressions, he asked, "Isn't that normal?"
The logistics team explained: "According to experience, it's not normal. Generally, an Esper's traces should be singular, like a criminal's fingerprints, only appearing in places they touched."
Understood, a criminal wouldn't touch every inch of the room, and an Esper wouldn't crawl all over the place...
Guan Shan was stunned, suddenly remembering Qin Deguang, who became the entire apartment, feeling a chill down his spine.
Espers might not crawl, but they could become the room!
Now he knew how the simulator would trigger the plot.
Guan Shan immediately pulled Lu Qiuqiu to run outside, shouting: "Get out first! He might never have left this room!"
He had taken only two steps, opened the door, and found... a wall outside.
The wall blocked the entire door as if it were a fake door.
[Scene Scan Complete...]
"Damn it!!!"