Chapter 97: Chapter 51: No Other Choice
Some thoughts always come very suddenly.
Just now, when he heard those people talking, assessed the external building structure, and recognized the identity of "Old Hong," He Kao suddenly thought that this might be the abandoned Joy Valley Amusement Park project.
This building should be the indoor commercial street at the center of the project.
Upon entering, there is a large hall where, during the operational days of Joy Valley, many vendors would set up cart stalls. Going further, there are two indoor pedestrian streets on the left and right. The two pedestrian streets are connected at the other end, allowing one to make a loop indoors.
The two parallel pedestrian streets have a total of four rows of shops. The outer two rows mainly feature specialty dining venues, with windows on the back wall, offering views of the amusement park outside the building.
Due to structural constraints, the inner two rows, back-to-back shops, do not have windows on the interior walls. The side facing the corridor is open, possibly equipped with roller doors or glass doors.
But this room has complete walls on four sides, with a normal door but no window, clearly not a shop. It seems poorly designed for use as an office or dormitory...
It should be a small storeroom at the end of the row of shops on the inside.
Just now, Zhao Hai Zhen used a flashlight on his face. Unable to see the things behind the light, as he turned his head down, he noticed on the ground against the wall root many scattered miscellaneous items; in the corner, there were a few broken hand bead strings spread out.
The hand beads seemed to be made of amber-like material, similar to what Huang Xiaopang usually wore. He Kao had also seen them in the shops along Joy Valley’s indoor pedestrian street; it seemed like some were discarded in the storeroom.
When Zhao Hai Zhen and his group left, the flashlight no longer pointed at his eyes, and he saw the condition of the room opposite the corridor. The opposite was not a shop either but the end of the row on the outer side, seemingly an office room.
That room originally must have had a door, but now it was just an empty wall hole, even the door frame was gone. After abandonment, many things were dismantled and taken away, and local villagers sneaked in to scavenge.
The room had windows, long broken glass. Through the facing doors, and across the broken window, one could vaguely see the silhouette of a Ferris wheel amid tree shadows, not far away.
It is currently a clear day with some starlight and moonlight, hence still visible at night. As the door shut immediately after, just this glance was enough for He Kao to validate his assumption.
Because understanding where this was, He Kao felt slightly relieved, gradually recovering his senses... and at this moment, it was like he heard some strange noise, accompanied by weak sobbing sounds.
"President E, are you finally awake?" He Kao tried to keep his voice gentle, hoping not to scare her further.
"I’m awake, I woke up earlier... I heard everything you said to those people... where is this place, who are they?"
Possibly because of the hood she wore, her voice seemed blocked by something, weakly suppressed and with a sense of fragility.
Gao Xue’e woke up much earlier than expected, the kidnappers possibly worried about the dosage, so the drug covering her mouth and nose was quite mild.
She was awakened by the tightness of the ties, the chill, the noise, and also by suffocation.
Having worked overtime before sleeping, she drank quite a bit of tea. Had she been at home in bed, she might have gotten up to use the bathroom, really unable to hold it anymore.
When she regained consciousness, she happened to hear Xiaotao giving He Kao a couple of loud slaps, thinking she might be dreaming, yet extremely frightened, clamping her legs and curling up, not daring to move.
As she overheard the entire interrogation, initially, she was increasingly confused, later increasingly surprised, one time even forgetting her own situation.
For someone startled and mentally almost collapsing, effective relief isn’t telling her not to be afraid; that often isn’t helpful.
One can try continuously offering various stimulating information to attract attention and divert emotions... like sometimes a slap might wake someone up, based on a similar principle.
What is Hidden Moth? Gao Xue’e felt as if it were a novel story she’s hearing.
The meeting process with Wu Yanjun and Qian Guran, Lin Qingshuang was detailed by He Kao; all kidnappers’ varied questions were explained properly by him.
Though Gao Xue’e initially felt clouded, later gradually perceived clearly. Having read novels before, it felt the real situation couldn’t be accepted or understood, but the facts were right before her eyes.
When He Kao was being beaten, the feeling of fear suddenly relapsed; instinctively wanting to scream, she clamped her teeth, tightening her body, controlling herself steadfastly.
At that time, He Kao didn’t know she had already awakened, yet Zhao Hai Zhen and others weren’t fooled. Zhao deliberately didn’t reveal though, for unknown reasons.
After the questioning temporarily ended, and Zhao Hai Zhen and Xiaotao shut the door to leave, silence suddenly returned to the room. Gao Xue’e’s nerves loosened from the tense state, her body couldn’t hold it...
Her feelings were pulled back to the dark cold reality, she finally cried out, yet enduringly restrained herself from making sound, and then heard He Kao’s words, hence sobbingly questioned back.
He Kao answered: "I don’t know what this place is, or who they are." He clearly knew but couldn’t say it at that moment.