Amy looked up, her gaze falling upon the surrounding mirrors. Unbeknownst to her, strange patterns had appeared on their surfaces, like etchings of time's cruel blade or remnants of distorted dimensions.
They shimmered with a faint glow, silently whispering untold secrets.
Detective Zhang approached Amy, his deep gaze fixed on her. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone laced with inquiry.
Amy turned, her calm eyes meeting his. "My name is Amy, and I've been investigating some strange occurrences here. The dancer's death was no accident."
Detective Zhang raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Oh? Why are you so certain?"
Amy pointed to where the dancer lay, a bizarre number "3" etched into the floor. Her voice, clear yet unwavering, held undeniable conviction. "Look at that number '3,' and the patterns on the mirrors. These aren't normal. My investigation reveals that this dance studio is secretly running a very special dance project.
They're trying to use a unique machine to transform real-life dance moves into distinct actions within a virtual, colossal dance world.
This dancer was a key member of the project. He discovered a massive conspiracy hidden behind it—one that could open a portal to a dangerous virtual dance world. If that portal opens, our real world will face unimaginable destruction."
Detective Zhang frowned, puzzled. "Then why did he die?"
Amy's gaze fell on the dancer's twisted body, her voice somber. "Just as he was about to expose this conspiracy, he was attacked by a mysterious force from the depths of that dangerous virtual dance world. This force, through a temporal rift, breached our reality, disfiguring his body and ending his life."
Detective Zhang nodded thoughtfully. "What about the male and female dancers who went missing from the nightclub earlier? Is there a connection?"
Amy affirmed with a nod. "A strong connection. This dance studio has extensive ties to the missing dancers from the nightclub. They all seem to be test subjects chosen by the same enigmatic organization. The true objective of this mysterious organization remains unclear, but it's unequivocally dangerous."
Detective Zhang clenched his fist, his gaze stern and resolute.
In the boundless and star-studded depths of the universe, a lone spacecraft drifted. Tom stood by the window, gazing at the endless darkness and twinkling stars, his heart filled with longing for Earth.
Suddenly, the communicator chimed, and Ai Tiewen's image appeared on the screen.
Ai Tiewen smiled. "Tom, I have a gift for you. It will escort you back to Earth." As he spoke, he held up a mysterious glowing electronic energy detector and sent it to Tom through the screen.
Ai Tiewen's gaze was sincere as he escorted Tom back to Earth, stating solemnly, "Tom, Earth may seem peaceful now, but undercurrents are stirring. The bizarre deaths of scientists are shrouded in mystery, awaiting revelation.
And you, with your extraordinary potential, I hope you'll assist in investigating this case upon your return."
Tom nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Okay, I promise. I also want to go back to high school, catch up on my missed studies, and truly enrich myself."
Tom returned home with the electronic energy detector, embarking on a seemingly peaceful high school life. In the mornings, sunlight filtered through dappled leaves onto his desk as he focused on his lessons, diligently taking notes. At night, bathed in moonlight, he buried himself in books under the lamp, striving to make up for lost time.
However, on a summer evening during his second year of high school, this tranquility was shattered.
The electronic energy detector suddenly emitted a rapid, sharp emergency call, its sound seemingly tearing through the silent night. Tom's heart pounded. Following the signal, he arrived at a dimly lit, ear-splittingly loud bar.
Inside the bar, colorful lights pulsed wildly. A captivating woman, dressed in vibrant attire, approached him with a drink in hand, seductively asking, "Handsome, drinking alone? Care for a drink?"
Tom, still reeling from the detector's alarm, inexplicably accepted the drink she offered. The liquor was alluringly colored, rich on the palate, with a peculiar sweetness. He quickly felt a wave of dizziness, his consciousness gradually blurring.
Just before he completely succumbed to unconsciousness, his phone rang again. The screen clearly displayed two words—Amy.
Amy's brows furrowed, her voice laced with urgency and concern. "Tom, where are you? Why are you so drunk?"
Tom slurred, "Hello? Who is this? Where am I?"
Amy's voice rose in a frantic tone. "It's Amy! Snap out of it! You're in danger, find a safe place to hide!"
As Tom was about to ask another question, a thunderbolt seemed to strike his mind. A torrent of terrifying images flooded his consciousness.
He vividly saw a man with extremely peculiar behavior silently approaching him that very night.
The man was hunched, his steps dragging, his eyes emanating a chilling gloom, like two eerie green ghost fires.
In his hand, he held a pungent handkerchief, which he slowly brought towards Tom, abruptly covering his mouth and nose.
Tom felt a suffocating sensation, trying to struggle, but his body felt as heavy as if crushed by a boulder.
Before he could react further, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
After an unknown period, Tom awoke inside a wooden box in an alley. His head throbbed, and he struggled to recall what had happened.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and his heart tightened, realizing the danger wasn't over.
He cautiously peeked out of the box, seeing a figure in black looking around, a dagger in hand, muttering, "Where did he go?"
Tom's heart pounded. He quickly ducked back, hardly daring to breathe. He knew he had to escape.
Just then, his phone rang again. It was Amy.
"Tom, are you okay? I've been looking for you!" Amy's voice was anxious.
"Amy, I'm in an alley. A man in black is after me!" Tom whispered.
"Don't panic! Listen to me, run down the path to your left. There's a dumpster there, hide behind it!" Amy quickly instructed.
Tom followed Amy's directions, cautiously making his way to the left path. Sure enough, he saw the dumpster. He quickly hid behind it, holding his breath.
The man in black followed the sound, searching the vicinity. Tom nervously watched his every move, his palms sweating.
Just as the man in black was about to approach the dumpster, Tom's phone suddenly rang.
Hearing the sound, the man in black immediately turned and headed towards him.
Tom cursed inwardly.
It was too late to turn off his phone. The man in black approached step by step, and Tom's heart was in his throat.
Suddenly, Tom had an idea. He threw his phone to the other side, and the man in black was indeed drawn away.
Tom seized the opportunity to bolt from behind the dumpster, running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
He ran, gasping for breath, constantly wondering, "Who is this man in black? Why is he chasing me?"
After running for a while, Tom realized the man in black hadn't followed. He finally let out a sigh of relief.
He found a corner to hide, wanting to rest. Just then, his phone rang again. It was Amy.
"Tom, are you safe?" Amy asked.
"For now, but who is that man in black?" Tom replied.
Amy was silent for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure, but be careful.
I think this might be connected to the strange deaths of the scientists."
Tom nodded. "Okay, I'll be careful. By the way, Amy, how do you know so much?"
"I've been secretly investigating this, and I've found some clues. But I can't confirm anything yet.
Be wary of those around you," Amy warned.
"Understood.
Thank you, Amy," Tom said.
After hanging up, Tom decided to go home. He carefully avoided the man in black and finally made it back.
He sat on the couch, replaying the night's events, filled with questions.
What secret did this electronic energy detector hold? Why was someone trying to kill him?
Suddenly, he remembered Ai Tiewen's words on the spaceship: Earth may seem peaceful, but undercurrents are stirring, and the bizarre deaths of scientists are shrouded in mystery.
Could all of this be connected to that case?
Tom decided to find Ai Tiewen tomorrow and ask him what was going on.
The next day, Tom arrived early at the appointed meeting place. Ai Tiewen, however, was late. When he finally appeared via video call, his face was grim.
"Tom, you were in danger last night?" Ai Tiewen asked through the video.
Tom nodded, recounting the events of the previous night in detail.
Ai Tiewen listened, his brow furrowed. "It seems this matter is more complex than I imagined."
"Ai Tiewen, what is all this about? Who was that man in black? Where are you now?" Tom pressed.
Ai Tiewen paused. "Actually, that man in black was Jack. But he wasn't the real Jack."
"What do you mean? Not the real Jack? Then who was he?" Tom asked, astonished.
"He was Boom, the culprit from the previous 'Footless Case,' who soul-traveled into Jack's body, controlling him to hunt you down," Ai Tiewen revealed.
Tom's eyes widened. "Soul-travel? That's unbelievable!"
Ai Tiewen nodded. "There's much in this world we don't know. The mysterious deaths of the scientists are likely connected to this Boom as well."
"So, what do we do now?" Tom asked.
Ai Tiewen's gaze was solemn as he stared intently at Tom. "We need to find evidence to prove Jack was possessed by Boom.
Then, we'll figure out how to capture Boom and unravel the mystery of the scientists' deaths."
Tom nodded forcefully, his eyes resolute. "Okay, I understand. I'll help you investigate."
Ai Tiewen frowned slightly, lost in thought, then solemnly warned Tom: "Tom, be extra careful from now on. I have other matters to attend to for a while, but I'll contact you later. Remember, the school and your home are key."
"Understood, don't worry," Tom replied quickly.
Tom ended the call with Ai Tiewen. Standing on the street, the summer sun beat down, baking the asphalt and sending waves of heat shimmering upwards.
He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, contemplating his next move. After a moment, he decided to return to school to investigate during the summer break.
He headed to the bus station and boarded a bus bound for the school.
The bus slowly pulled away, speeding down the highway. The scenery outside the window flashed past like a slideshow, and Tom's thoughts drifted with it.
As the bus entered a deep tunnel, Tom suddenly felt everything around him become eerie.
The lights inside the bus flickered erratically, buzzing as if they might go out at any moment. A strange shadow seemed to fall over the passengers' faces; their expressions varied, yet each held a hint of fear.
Tom instinctively tightened his grip on his backpack, his eyes scanning his surroundings alertly.
He noticed that the people and scenery around him had changed. The familiar passengers seemed to have taken on different faces, their eyes revealing a sense of unfamiliarity and coldness.
What shocked him even more was that even the signs, seat numbers, and even the text on the bus tickets were written backward.
He rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again, the reversed words were gone, and an ominous premonition washed over him.
The bus traveled through the tunnel for what felt like an eternity, like a century had passed.
Finally, it slowly emerged, and the light from outside flooded the interior, making Tom feel as though he'd awakened from a nightmare.
Soon after, the bus reached its destination, and Tom stepped out, only to find that this wasn't the familiar place he knew.
The scene before him was so strange it disoriented him, and to his surprise, he didn't recall there being a subway station here.
Tom, filled with questions, entered the subway station, where the lighting was dim and cold.
A large clock hung high in the station, its hands ticking, as if narrating the passage of time.
The moment he stepped inside and boarded the subway, something incredible happened. The clock's hands began to spin rapidly, turning round and round, a dizzying blur. In the blink of an eye, the clock had spun a astonishing 360,000 times.
Suddenly, the subway braked abruptly without warning.
The immense inertia sent Tom surging forward, struck by a mysterious force. In that instant, he was inexplicably pulled into Amy's space. Their eyes met, filled with surprise and bewilderment.
"Pretty lady? What in the world is going on? How did I suddenly end up here with you!" Tom exclaimed with delight.
"I don't know either! This is too bizarre," Amy replied.
After a brief moment of panic, they quickly composed themselves and began exchanging information.
"I've been investigating the bar dancer case, and I have a feeling there are many secrets hidden behind it," Amy shared.
"I've been having some very strange dreams, and I feel like this whole thing isn't so simple. I suspect Jack, let me tell you why..." Tom elaborated on his suspicions about Jack to Amy.
Amy's brows furrowed slightly as she pondered his words. "I've already encountered Jack's soul, but I still haven't pieced things together."
Just then, the subway plunged into an inky blackness without warning, so dark that they couldn't see their own hands.
A chilling aura permeated the surroundings, sending shivers down their spines.
Suddenly, a woman in a vibrant red dress materialized like a ghost, relentlessly pursuing them.
"You detestable wretches, don't think you can escape!" the Red-Dressed Woman shrieked, her voice sharp and filled with fury.
"Wait! What's going on? We're not your enemies!" Amy shouted.
The Red-Dressed Woman stopped, glaring at them maliciously. "How dare you argue! You must be that scumbag's accomplices.
You know him, and you're tainted by his karma!"
The appearance of the Red-Dressed Woman deepened the complexity of this already intricate maze.
Who is the "scumbag" she speaks of? And how is she connected to Jack, to Boom, and to Tom and Amy? This encounter suggests an even greater storm is brewing.