Dude, something's really wrong with your abilities.

Chapter 19 Sounds in the Lottery Shop

Sun Tiemei reported the results of her investigation over the past few days to her superiors. Old Zheng frowned after hearing the report. He had thought that the mall hostage-taking incident and the suicide in the detention center were isolated incidents, but he did not expect that so many things would be involved later.

"So, this lottery station is definitely suspicious. What are you planning to do about it?"

"Bring the boss back first and interrogate him." Sun Tiemei's answer was always the most direct.

Old Zheng nodded; this was the most direct solution at the moment.

Bringing the lottery shop owner back would have been a small matter; either Chang Biao or Fatty could have gone alone. But Chen Shi brought it up, saying he was curious about the voices the three interviewees had mentioned and wanted to go see for himself.

Sun Tiemei agreed after a moment's consideration, and so it was decided that all five groups would be mobilized.

Wang picks up bargains and guards the house.

The mission wasn't demanding, so Sun Tiemei and the others didn't bring any equipment this time. However, Chen Shi still meticulously prepared his three essential survival tools. In addition, he also brought a riot baton. Old Zhou from the equipment room said, "It's not for self-defense, but your hands are shaking a bit, so it'll be more comfortable to hold this."

The fat man drove at breakneck speed, and as he approached his destination, he made a sudden stop and swerved, blocking the entrance of the lottery shop with the back of his car. Chang Biao, however, pushed the door open and went inside before the car was even turned off.

At that time, the old man in the lottery shop was drawing a trend chart for the Double Color Ball lottery on a board, and two neighbors were sitting on stools, carefully thinking about how to choose numbers for the day.

Suddenly, a bald, thuggish man burst in and, without saying a word, shoved the old man onto the table.

After restraining the old man, the thug even coaxed him in a sweet, affected voice, "I'm sorry, please don't resist, it will hurt a little."

The old man was too frightened to speak. The two neighbors initially thought it was a thug causing trouble, so they planned to run away quickly. But when they heard Chang Biao's shocking tone, they realized that the boss had encountered a pervert, so they quickly took out their phones to call the police.

At this moment, Sun Tiemei and the others came in and took out their identification. The neighbors exchanged glances, then looked at the old man who was still being held down, and left as quickly as possible.

"What's your name?"

Chow Tai Fook.

"Do you know why I'm looking for you?"

The old man swallowed hard. He looked at his ID, then turned to look at Chang Biao, who was looking at him with a very sincere and embarrassed expression, but that expression, combined with his face, was even more frightening.

"I...I confess." The old man's voice trembled slightly.

Chen Shi had already taken out his notebook.

"I shouldn't have been greedy for that little bit of money," the old man said with a repentant look. "I connected that wire, about three years ago. In the summer, the air conditioner used a lot of electricity, so I connected a wire from the utility pole behind the station without a meter. I just thought I could save a little bit, since the profit margin at the lottery station is so low."

Everyone was both amused and exasperated. As Chang Biao picked up the man and carried him to the car, the fat man noticed that Chen Shi, who had been holding a notebook, was acting strangely.

At this moment, Chen Shi's expression seemed to have gone out of control. The corners of his mouth turned up one moment and down the next, like someone making a face, but his expression was numb.

The fat man was startled and quickly slapped Chen Shi's face, but it was no use. He called Chen Shi's name, but there was no response.

Chang Biao got anxious and pressed down hard on the old man's head: "What on earth have you done?"

The old man's eyes welled up with tears, and he stammered that he had only stolen electricity and really didn't know anything else.

Sun Tiemei could tell that the old man was indeed unaware of the situation, but Chen Shi was acting very strangely right now.

"It might be the same voice we investigated a few days ago. Although we couldn't hear it, Chen Shi did," Sun Tiemei said, offering her analysis.

"What should we do now?" The fat man stamped his feet anxiously.

Chang Biao suggested, "Quickly say something that will make Xiao Shi happy; maybe that will wake him up."

What made Chen Shi happy?

Fatty and Chang Biao looked at Sun Tiemei and gestured for the team leader to go first. Team leader Sun coughed and said, "Chen Shi, your work performance has been very good lately."

Chen Shi remained unmoved.

The fat man thought to himself, "Boss, your compliment is so perfunctory." Chang Biao, standing nearby, hurriedly said, "It's not like that!"

"I'll do it." Pang Daqiang took a deep breath and said excitedly, "Kid, the cafeteria lady said you won't have to queue for food anymore, and she'll save you double the braised pork."

Chen Shi's eyelashes twitched.

"It's useful, it's useful," Chang Biao said, still holding the old man tightly in his grip. "Continue."

Encouraged, the fat man continued his nonsense: "My wife's second uncle's brother's house was demolished, and he wants to find a son-in-law to live with him. I sent them your photo, and they all said it was good."

Chen Shi stopped moving again.

"Daqiang, this won't do." Chang Biao said anxiously again.

"Wait, let me think," the fat man paced back and forth a few times, then suddenly remembered something, rushed up to Chen Shi and shouted, "Run!"

"Brother Qiang, why do people run?"

Chen Shi woke up instantly, not only because running was a fear ingrained in his genes, but also because the fat man had just sprayed spittle all over his face.

The fat man chuckled: "See? This kid's just shameless. Sweet talk doesn't work; he needs to be provocative like this."

Chang Biao was pleased and then apologized to the old man for his rudeness earlier.

Sun Tiemei hesitated for a moment and said, "Just now?"

Chen Shi understood what she meant and explained, "Team leader, as soon as I came in, I heard these sounds, and then the sounds became more and more numerous, as if hundreds of voices were rushing into my head at the same time. It felt like my own thoughts were being forced into a corner, and I couldn't control my body at all."

Sun Tiemei asked, "Did you find anything?"

Chen Shi didn't speak, but instead lay down, pressed his ear against the tile to listen, and then suddenly stood up again.

"A sound, a sound from underground, the sound I heard came from down below."

Upon hearing this, the fat man squatted down and tapped the tiles with his fingers. The sound was solid and muffled, the typical sound of a normal cement floor. He moved half a step to the side and tapped another tile. This one was different. It didn't produce that dull, solid echo; it was hollow, with a crisp sound, as if there was nothing underneath.

"This side is empty," he said, looking up at Sun Tiemei.

Sun Tiemei nodded to Chang Biao, who then released the old man. The old man cooperated perfectly, clutching the trend chart and huddling in a corner.

After gesturing for everyone to move aside, Chang Biao raised his fist and slammed it into the ground. With one punch, a large hole appeared in the ground, and tile fragments kept falling down. He then punched again, and the hole continued to widen.

Chang Biao stopped smashing a hole a meter long.

The fat man looked at the old man: "Tell me, what happened?"

The old man looked bewildered. "I'm so wronged, esteemed leaders! I've run this shop for many years, and I really didn't know the basement was empty!"

"Let's go down and take a look first. Chen Shi will stay up here," Sun Tiemei decided.

The three jumped down one by one, while Chen Shi, holding a riot baton, stared at the old man.

The underground space was much larger than the space above, and although there were some fluorescent lights on the ceiling, the lighting was still dim, and there was a damp, musty smell in the air.

To the three's surprise, the ground was covered with a dense array of instruments, which were flashing green lights.

The fat man said, "The sound Xiao Shi was talking about must be caused by these things."

Chang Biao: "Team leader, it seems like no one's here. What should we do now?"

"Take photos to preserve evidence, then contact the patrol team to send people over to thoroughly search for evidence and take all these things back."

Upon hearing this, Chang Biao took out his phone to take photos of the scene, while the fat man went to unplug the equipment.

Suddenly, Sun Tiemei felt the hairs on her body stand on end and shouted, "Watch out!"