“So how do they intend to use it after getting the Golden Crow Wheel?” Zhou Sheng said in a low voice. He gazed at the floating tea leaves in the glass cup — some floated to the top, while others sank to the bottom.
Qin Guodong didn’t answer him.
“I’ll change the question,” Zhou Sheng pondered, then continued, “Does Ren Chong intend to continue handing it up to his superiors after getting it? Hand it up layer by layer, and put it in some place where the country collects important treasures?”
“There must be a conclusion even if he were to hand it up.” Qin Guodong laughed and explained, “It’s not as if people would just believe you if you were to just casually pick something up and take it to the State Department, and just accept it. If you want the leaders to believe you, you’ll have to integrate material objects, have a detailed research report, and carry out demonstrations when necessary.”
Zhou Sheng suddenly sensed part of Qin Guodong’s real intention hidden in the deepest parts under layers of pretenses.
“At first, they discussed many different ways.” Qin Guodong said, “Zhao Liang made use of his personal connections to set up a small research laboratory, but soon after, Ren Chong discovered that his real purpose could be to take it for himself…so some disputes broke out between them, and the investigation team decided to be dissolved temporarily.”
Zhou Sheng thought for a bit before saying, “Ren Chong wants to protect both me and it temporarily, wait for an opportunity to communicate with me, then start investigating. On the other hand, Zhao Liang couldn’t wait to make a move. But ultimately, without my cooperation, there’s no use even if they were to get the Golden Crow Wheel.”
Qin Guodong said, “That’s the initial agreement I had with Lao Ren after we talked things over when I left office.”
Zhou Sheng, “Let me hold onto the Golden Crow Wheel, and then no one can make a move to snatch it openly. The one who makes a move first loses. But do you understand me that well? I couldn’t tell.”
Qin Guodong glanced at his watch and answered, “That was Huang Ting’s suggestion; the actual plan is very complicated. Lao Ren’s opinion was ‘can be considered’, provided you had the strength to protect the treasure, so as to prevent the secret from being leaked any further.”
“The actual plan is very complicated?” Zhou Sheng was a little surprised as he asked.
“The plan to study the Golden Crow Wheel.” Qin Guodong stated, “I still remember the day when we first saw Huang Ting’s report. Everyone thought it was really unfathomable.”
Zhou Sheng said, “When I first got the Golden Crow Wheel, I found it really unfathomable too. I even suspected whether it had some sort of task for me to accomplish, and after the task is over, everyone associated with it would forget everything about it…”
“No.” Qin Guodong shook his head. “The Golden Crow Wheel’s existence isn’t odd. Things that were even more peculiar than it that couldn’t be explained by current scientific principles have been witnessed by some people before. The ‘unfathomable’ part I was referring to was of how it chose you.”
Qin Guodong shrugged. Zhou Sheng smiled. “So what about that?”
Hlc Xebvbcu ibbxfv lcab Itbe Vtfcu’r fsfr wfjclcuoeiis jcv jrxfv, “Qtja vb sbe qijc ab vb cfza?”
Itbe Vtfcu jcrkfgfv, “Qjla obg atfw ab olcv wf. Pa’ii ajxf jybea 10 vjsr ab tjio j wbcat. Qtfc bcf bo atfw mjc’a tbiv yjmx jcswbgf, atfs’ii mbwf olcv wf jcv jrx wf ab mbbqfgjaf klat atflg gfrfjgmt. Ktf gfji kbgiv lr atflg afgglabgs, yea vgfjwr jgf wlcf. Lf’r vfolclafis cba abb ojg ogbw Dflplcu, jcv tf wjs pera yf tlvlcu rbwfktfgf lc atlr mlas. Gb sbe xcbk ktfgf tlr gfrfjgmt ijybgjabgs lr?”
Qin Guodong said, “No one knows. Towards the end, Zhao Liang didn’t disclose even the slightest hint of his plans to us. Perhaps that’s why Lao Ren can’t save Huang Ting. He must have his reasons. You mustn’t interfere in the struggle between them right now. Huang Ting will be saved; this isn’t something you guys can handle anymore.”
“All right.” Zhou Sheng exhaled, pondered for a moment, then got up.
Qin Guodong said, “If I were you, the only thing I would do right now is to protect myself properly, and not provoke Zhao Liang anymore. Promise to cooperate with him on the surface; just as you said, once you’re in a dream, you can do whatever you want.”
“Zhao Liang isn’t an idiot either,” Zhou Sheng said casually, “He’ll definitely understand the principles behind dreams before he’ll let me enter his. It’s still hard to say if we can defeat the boss in his heart. I’ll go now, I still need to work.”
In the newspaper office, Yu Hao finished sorting out the manuscripts for today and said, “I’m going to focus on blood banks for my next feature.”
“Okay.” Lin Ze said, “The problem regarding donating and using blood? I’ve found them unpleasant for quite some time now. The office will fully support you, it’ll be published in the March issue.”
Yu Hao said, “Is April okay? I need more time to prepare, and I still have my graduation thesis to write.”
Lin Ze checked the schedule and readily agreed. Yu Hao didn’t make any interview appointments today and was going to meet an informant for afternoon tea. As soon as he left the newspaper office, Zhou Sheng called him.
“Zhao Liang’s base is either in Yanqing or Huairou,” Zhou Sheng said through the phone, “Can you find any relevant personnel there and ask them some questions?”
Yu Hao, “He won’t hang the sign ‘Golden Crow Wheel Research Institute’ outside his base, don’t bother.”
Zhou Sheng, “Personnel mobilisation and guard duty would leave traces.”
“Even if we were to find the exact address,” Yu Hao said through the phone, “You still can’t rush in alone to save Huang Ting, right? Ren Chong will definitely take action on his side. If I were him, I’d rent a three-bedroom apartment in the residential area…”
“Listen to me,” Zhou Sheng was always paying attention to his surroundings. After leaving an alley, a car stopped by the roadside. Zhou Sheng went forward to open the door. Chen Yekai was sitting in the driver’s seat. Zhou Sheng plugged his phone into the charger by his seat, turned on bluetooth, and said to Yu Hao, “Zhao Liang has a set of research equipment at his place. He got it from somewhere before their three-man team was dissolved, so it definitely wouldn’t be in such a covert place like a residential building.”
Chen Yekai interrupted, “I’ve seen the computer used for analysis by the STA. It won’t be that small if it’s used to study data.”
Yu Hao said through the phone, “Security is bound to be very strict.”
“So, we still need Huang Ting’s cooperation.” Zhou Sheng said patiently, “Kaikai, what news did you get?”
Chen Yekai said, “Sounded him out as per your request. I asked him to meet, and he requested a meeting three days from now.”
“We must get Huang Ting out as soon as possible.” Zhou Sheng said.
“It’s impossible for Ren Chong to leave him be,” Yu Hao said, “He’s Ren Chong’s student.”
Zhou Sheng answered, “It has been forty-eight hours since Huang Ting went missing.”
Chen Yekai nodded. “Yes. If he wanted to save him, he would’ve done so long ago.”
Chen Yekai drove along the road aimlessly. Zhou Sheng said, “Qin Guodong, Ren Chong, Zhao Liang, among these three, two must be working together in the dark. We just don’t know who’s with who right now.”
“It shouldn’t be your boss,” Yu Hao said in the phone, “If he wanted to make a move, he would’ve done so long ago.”
“I’m not sure about that now either.” Zhou Sheng said, “One of them could be utilising hard tactics, while the other one would utilise soft ones.”
“Your boss understands very clearly that the Golden Crow Wheel can’t work without you.” Chen Yekai focused on driving and casually said, “Perhaps all of them want the Golden Crow Wheel, just that their means of getting it are different. From the looks of it now, Qin Guodong obviously one-upped the others. At the very least, he has won your initial trust. Zhou Sheng, there’s something I want to say…”
“Un?” Zhou Sheng was fiddling with the Golden Crow Wheel and pondered for a moment.
“I know that Huang Ting’s not that close to you guys, and you don’t like him that much because he took the Golden Crow Wheel away.” Chen Yekai stopped the car in front of a red light. He sighed, “But he’s my friend, and he’s very important to me. I’m can’t do anything about this alone, so I can only pin my hopes on you guys.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t save him. Listen to what you’re saying. Am I such a cold-blooded person?” Zhou Sheng stopped thinking and said with a smile, then instructed into the phone, “Yu Hao, make a trip home.”
Yu Hao understood what Zhou Sheng meant. He asked, “Okay, I’ll reschedule my appointment this afternoon with the informant. Should I call Qihang and Gege too?”
“No, just us three will do.” Zhou Sheng said, “Leave Gege a message and ask him not to wake you up when he gets back. Kaikai, find a hotel to get a room in.”
Zhou Sheng hung up. He turned sideways and glanced at Chen Yekai, who then nodded and didn’t speak any further.
Yu Hao got back home. He woke up very early today in the first place, so he was sleepy before it was even noon. After lunch, his fatigue multiplied and washed over him, as if all his strength had been exhausted.
“I want a bed.” Yu Hao said, “I feel so sleepy even in my dream.”
“It’ll be okay in a moment.” Chen Yekai said, “You feel sleepy in the dream because there’s insufficient blood supply to your brain.”
In the world of Chichén Itzá, Yu Hao, Zhou Sheng, and Chen Yekai watched the scene in the Golden Crow Wheel together. It was noon now. Most people don’t take afternoon naps, and even if they did fall asleep, their dreamscapes would be extremely hazy. Scenes during light sleep appear extremely messy.
Zhou Sheng said, “Let’s exchange information first ba. What did Ah Ze say?”
The two of them simply exchanged the information that they had respectively obtained. Chen Yekai watched the scene in the Golden Crow Wheel at the center of the pyramid, while Zhou Sheng’s dragon appeared behind them. Unlike other dreams, most of the time when the Golden Crow Wheel stopped, this time it displayed a dark maze. Tempestuous storms raged within, where thunder roared and streaks of lightning flashed by.
“That’s strange,” Yu Hao said, “Only this person is sleeping right now. Is it him?”
Zhou Sheng murmured, “It must be him, it can’t be anyone else. Someone who’s on the brink of death and is dreaming of you too, who else would it be other than Huang Ting? Go!”
Zhou Sheng walked towards the Golden Crow Wheel. His black dragon wanted to follow along, but Zhou Sheng made a ‘stop’ gesture and extended a hand towards Yu Hao. The two of them entered the Golden Crow Wheel, and Chen Yekai jumped in as he followed behind.
Just like before, as soon as they entered, he separated from Zhou Sheng amidst the fierce howling gales. While he was preoccupied, Yu Hao looked back and only saw a full moon in the sky!
He shot out from the moon this time!
Thunder rumbled, and Yu Hao was instantly submerged within the clouds. Following which, rain started buffeting down, showering him until he was drenched from head to toe. Lightning flashed beside him, intertwined and in disarray, and it illuminated Yu Hao’s entire body.
“AH——” Yu Hao shouted loudly. At the moment he fell from the sky, his adrenaline levels started soaring crazily. He didn’t know why, but this dream seemed a lot more realistic than any of the other dreams he had entered before –from the vapour, from the mist that assaulted his senses, to the ground that he was continually closing on!
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao turned his head and shouted. He was getting closer and closer to the ground. He tried shaking his wings open — he could use his wings! He didn’t have time to think too much about it and just flapped his wings violently, but the fierce gales kept changing its course, and just one flap of his wings would make him tumble about in the air. He couldn’t control his direction, so he could only spread his wings open and glide along with the wind.
Looking down at the earth from the air, Yu Hao realised that the land comprised entirely of a vast maze area. To the back of the maze was a giant wall that extended indefinitely upward into the depths. He had no way of estimating the specific area of the maze from where he was, but from the looks of it, it was obviously much smaller than Loulan. The area outside the maze was submerged in billowing black fog, which was constantly engulfing the maze.
The walls of the maze stood nearly ten metres tall. When Yu Hao fell down, he knocked into a brick, but he was prepared for it long ago; he turned his body, kept his wings, kicked off the high wall, and flipped in mid air. With his shoulders against the wall, he slid down along it.
The maze was filled with water flowing everywhere. Yu Hao stood in the water that didn’t even go past his ankle and felt a chill. Could it be that he didn’t cover his legs with his blanket before sleeping? But he didn’t plan to get up and cover himself with the blanket. He still remembered seeing the center of the maze when he was looking down from the sky where there was a bathhouse-like building as well as a temple.
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao felt along the maze’s wall and waded forward as he shouted.
He tried to spread his wings open again, but the path in the maze that people could pass through was only three-metres wide, so he couldn’t fly up the top of the wall to survey his surroundings and search for Zhou Sheng. Where did Zhou Sheng go? And where was the master of the dream world?
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“They have indeed entered Huang Ting’s dream.”
“Director Zhao, you can use this equipment to connect with the periphery.”
“There’s no hurry.” Zhao Liang had his hands behind his back as he stood in front of a huge screen. He looked pensive as he stared at the analysis of signals on the screen. Huang Ting was fixed onto a chair. He had been injected with a tranquilizer, and his forehead and neck were covered in sweat. The veins on his arms were especially prominent.
Cabq atf reggbecvlcu tlut kjiir, gjlckjafg mbcalcefv oibklcu vbkc fcvifrris. Te Ljb kjr tjiokjs atgbeut ktfc tf revvfcis rabqqfv kjixlcu. Qlatlc j rqila rfmbcv, atf kjii lcnfgafv, gfnfjilcu j wjrrlnf tjs meaafg atja kjr rilmlcu tbglhbcajiis abkjgvr tlw!
Qlat j ibev mgs, Te Ljb lwwfvljafis qijrafgfv tlwrfio jujlcra atf kjii rlvfkjsr ab vbvuf la. Coafg atf tjs meaafg kjr jmalnjafv, la rilmfv jmgbrr bcmf klatlc rfmbcvr, jcv lar rtjgq fvufr mea lcab atf tlut kjii bqqbrlaf. Po tf tjvc’a rabqqfv atfc, tf kbeiv’nf yffc mea lcab tjio ys atlr wfmtjclrw lc jc lcrajca!
Why was there this kind of weird mechanism in Huang Ting’s dream?! Yu Hao felt like he was playing a maze runner game, where he could be crushed or sliced to death at any time. His heart was beating wildly. After seeing an opportunity, he did a run-up, stirring up a series of splashes behind him, and rushed across the ramp area.
Suddenly, he heard a peculiar, deafening sound mixed within the rainstorm and rumbling thunder — it sounded like gunfire! He tried discerning it for a while and muttered to himself, “Chen Laoshi?!” So he quickly ran over, turned around a corner of the maze, and the sound of gunshots rang out more and more loudly and clearly. Yu Hao shouted from underneath the high wall, “Chen Laoshi!”
“It’s me!” Zhou Sheng shouted.
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao heard the sound of bullets ricocheting off a shield, and it was getting more and more intense. Zhou Sheng shouted, “Face my direction! Run to your left! Beware of the mechanism!”
Yu Hao immediately turned around and began to run. He shouted, “What mechanism?”
However, right at the next moment, innumerable sharp blades suddenly rose from the ground. Yu Hao let out a loud cry, Zhou Sheng shouted, “Jump!”
Yu Hao jumped into the air, across the sharp blade mechanism, and leaped onto an open space. This open space happened to be a fracture at the end of a wall in the maze. Yu Hao turned around. Zhou Sheng was rushing towards him with a shield on his back; he extended his hand and pulled Yu Hao up. Yu Hao jumped from the ground, flared his wings open, hugged Zhou Sheng within that limited space, and rolled away.
Several machine guns rolled out from the wall and raked them with machine-gun fire. Zhou Sheng held his shield up in the air to withstand it. Yu Hao shouted, “Watch out for your back!”
Zhou Sheng turned around and only saw a huge block rush toward them with a loud rumble from the end of the corridor. If the two of them were to get hit, they would be sent flying in an instant, but right at the last moment, Zhou Sheng wrapped one arm around Yu Hao, turned his shield into his jingubang, stabbed it into the ground, and his jingubang suddenly elongated and took the two of them up with it with a ‘whoosh’.
The maze around them seemed to sense Zhou Sheng’s intention to escape in an instant; the high walls began rising upward at the same speed. Yu Hao said, “We can’t rush out!”
Zhou Sheng rose to the top of the high wall, but he couldn’t break through any further. He shouted, “Hold on tight!”
Immediately afterward, the block collided with the jingubang. Zhou Sheng felt an acute pain in his wrist at once, and it nearly fractured. The jingubang was knocked out of his hand, and the two of them tumbled in the air from the impact. Zhou Sheng grabbed the edge of the block, flipped in the air with Yu Hao, and leapt onto the top of the block mechanism!
Its top was level with the apex of the maze’s high walls. The block retreated rapidly with the two of them on top of it as it prepared for its next attack. Yu Hao shouted, “Jump!”
Both of them jumped onto the top of the wall. Zhou Sheng reached out to summon his jingubang back. Yu Hao almost fell towards the other side of the wall, but he was pulled back by Zhou Sheng just in time. The two of them just barely managed to stand on the top of the maze’s wall.
Yu Hao kept gasping for breath. “The wall of this maze can extend upward.”
Zhou Sheng said, “We can’t go past it too much, it should be a limitation in Huang Ting’s dream. But it’s okay to walk along the wall, be careful of sliding down.”
Yu Hao looked into the distance. A beam of light flashed, and shot towards the sky from another corner of the maze.
The high wall of the maze was about two metres wide. Standing on the top of the wall, they could roughly see the winding paths inside, but they couldn’t get a full view of the whole maze. Zhou Sheng said, “Huang Ting should be near the boundary of the subconscious, like you were last time. We can look for Kaikai on our way there.”
Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng walked along the wall toward the mist in the distance. He tried to shake his wings open and fly, but the wall underneath would continue rising along with his movements.
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“Don’t waste your energy,” Zhou Sheng said, “It’s no use. Rely on walking ba.”
Yu Hao looked down. Every time they walked past a section, they would trigger mechanisms that were densely packed together, and there was even a giant spherical boulder that rolled over. Fortunately, they were on top of the maze’s wall, or else they would’ve been crushed into meat patties even if they had a shield.
“Are you hurt?” Yu Hao said, “Let me see.”
There were abrasions on Zhou Sheng’s shoulder and arms from being grazed by bullets, and they were still bleeding. He smoothed his wet hair to the top of his head. Yu Hao released his energy from one side to heal him. Meanwhile, Zhou Sheng looked at the periphery of the maze and seemed to be determining where Huang Ting might be.
“Why did you come out of the moon?” Zhou Sheng asked, “I appeared in the maze right after coming in.”
“I don’t know.” Yu Hao said, “I’m done, let’s go. Maybe it’s because Huang Ting thinks I have some ability to illuminate his night? Speaking of which, what do you think the boss of this dream would be?”
Zhou Sheng uttered a “wu” and didn’t answer. After Yu Hao treated him, his superficial wounds were healed, but his torn clothes weren’t restored, so Zhou Sheng took off his wet shirt and then tied it around his waist. It was more convenient to move about half naked.
“These are the volleys of gunfire and severe trials he had dealt with in the cases he has handled over the years.” Zhou Sheng said, “Be careful, you mustn’t fall down at all costs.”
Yu Hao guessed that as a special criminal detective, perhaps the impression formed in Huang Ting’s spiritual world when handling cases was of running through a maze. The kind where countless puzzles lay before him while he had to be on guard against any danger that could appear at any time, and those dangers had all materialised as the mechanisms in the maze.
“Kaikai’s a bit anxious today.” Zhou Sheng walked in front and looked back to say to Yu Hao.
“Huang Ting is his good friend, it’s normal to be anxious.” Yu Hao said.
“No, I just think his anxiety’s a little abnormal.” Zhou Sheng answered, “He’s too anxious in urging us to come into Huang Ting’s dream. What do you think he said to Zhao Liang that day?”
Yu Hao pondered for a moment, then said, “Since he didn’t trick you into the car and drive to Zhao Liang’s base, there should be no problems.”
“He’s by himself, so he’s no match for me.” Zhou Sheng continued.
Yu Hao said, “But he could have also gotten someone to lie in wait in the car or in the hotel.”
“Un.” Zhou Sheng said, “So you trust him.”
“If you didn’t trust him, you wouldn’t have let him in with us.” Yu Hao said.
Zhou Sheng answered, “I’d like to see what Zhao Liang’s up to.”
“So how do they intend to use it after getting the Golden Crow Wheel?” Zhou Sheng said in a low voice. He gazed at the floating tea leaves in the glass cup — some floated to the top, while others sank to the bottom.
Qin Guodong didn’t answer him.
“I’ll change the question,” Zhou Sheng pondered, then continued, “Does Ren Chong intend to continue handing it up to his superiors after getting it? Hand it up layer by layer, and put it in some place where the country collects important treasures?”
“There must be a conclusion even if he were to hand it up.” Qin Guodong laughed and explained, “It’s not as if people would just believe you if you were to just casually pick something up and take it to the State Department, and just accept it. If you want the leaders to believe you, you’ll have to integrate material objects, have a detailed research report, and carry out demonstrations when necessary.”
Zhou Sheng suddenly sensed part of Qin Guodong’s real intention hidden in the deepest parts under layers of pretenses.
“At first, they discussed many different ways.” Qin Guodong said, “Zhao Liang made use of his personal connections to set up a small research laboratory, but soon after, Ren Chong discovered that his real purpose could be to take it for himself…so some disputes broke out between them, and the investigation team decided to be dissolved temporarily.”
Zhou Sheng thought for a bit before saying, “Ren Chong wants to protect both me and it temporarily, wait for an opportunity to communicate with me, then start investigating. On the other hand, Zhao Liang couldn’t wait to make a move. But ultimately, without my cooperation, there’s no use even if they were to get the Golden Crow Wheel.”
Qin Guodong said, “That’s the initial agreement I had with Lao Ren after we talked things over when I left office.”
Zhou Sheng, “Let me hold onto the Golden Crow Wheel, and then no one can make a move to snatch it openly. The one who makes a move first loses. But do you understand me that well? I couldn’t tell.”
Qin Guodong glanced at his watch and answered, “That was Huang Ting’s suggestion; the actual plan is very complicated. Lao Ren’s opinion was ‘can be considered’, provided you had the strength to protect the treasure, so as to prevent the secret from being leaked any further.”
“The actual plan is very complicated?” Zhou Sheng was a little surprised as he asked.
“The plan to study the Golden Crow Wheel.” Qin Guodong stated, “I still remember the day when we first saw Huang Ting’s report. Everyone thought it was really unfathomable.”
Zhou Sheng said, “When I first got the Golden Crow Wheel, I found it really unfathomable too. I even suspected whether it had some sort of task for me to accomplish, and after the task is over, everyone associated with it would forget everything about it…”
“No.” Qin Guodong shook his head. “The Golden Crow Wheel’s existence isn’t odd. Things that were even more peculiar than it that couldn’t be explained by current scientific principles have been witnessed by some people before. The ‘unfathomable’ part I was referring to was of how it chose you.”
Qin Guodong shrugged. Zhou Sheng smiled. “So what about that?”
Hlc Xebvbcu ibbxfv lcab Itbe Vtfcu’r fsfr wfjclcuoeiis jcv jrxfv, “Qtja vb sbe qijc ab vb cfza?”
Itbe Vtfcu jcrkfgfv, “Qjla obg atfw ab olcv wf. Pa’ii ajxf jybea 10 vjsr ab tjio j wbcat. Qtfc bcf bo atfw mjc’a tbiv yjmx jcswbgf, atfs’ii mbwf olcv wf jcv jrx wf ab mbbqfgjaf klat atflg gfrfjgmt. Ktf gfji kbgiv lr atflg afgglabgs, yea vgfjwr jgf wlcf. Lf’r vfolclafis cba abb ojg ogbw Dflplcu, jcv tf wjs pera yf tlvlcu rbwfktfgf lc atlr mlas. Gb sbe xcbk ktfgf tlr gfrfjgmt ijybgjabgs lr?”
Qin Guodong said, “No one knows. Towards the end, Zhao Liang didn’t disclose even the slightest hint of his plans to us. Perhaps that’s why Lao Ren can’t save Huang Ting. He must have his reasons. You mustn’t interfere in the struggle between them right now. Huang Ting will be saved; this isn’t something you guys can handle anymore.”
“All right.” Zhou Sheng exhaled, pondered for a moment, then got up.
Qin Guodong said, “If I were you, the only thing I would do right now is to protect myself properly, and not provoke Zhao Liang anymore. Promise to cooperate with him on the surface; just as you said, once you’re in a dream, you can do whatever you want.”
“Zhao Liang isn’t an idiot either,” Zhou Sheng said casually, “He’ll definitely understand the principles behind dreams before he’ll let me enter his. It’s still hard to say if we can defeat the boss in his heart. I’ll go now, I still need to work.”
In the newspaper office, Yu Hao finished sorting out the manuscripts for today and said, “I’m going to focus on blood banks for my next feature.”
“Okay.” Lin Ze said, “The problem regarding donating and using blood? I’ve found them unpleasant for quite some time now. The office will fully support you, it’ll be published in the March issue.”
Yu Hao said, “Is April okay? I need more time to prepare, and I still have my graduation thesis to write.”
Lin Ze checked the schedule and readily agreed. Yu Hao didn’t make any interview appointments today and was going to meet an informant for afternoon tea. As soon as he left the newspaper office, Zhou Sheng called him.
“Zhao Liang’s base is either in Yanqing or Huairou,” Zhou Sheng said through the phone, “Can you find any relevant personnel there and ask them some questions?”
Yu Hao, “He won’t hang the sign ‘Golden Crow Wheel Research Institute’ outside his base, don’t bother.”
Zhou Sheng, “Personnel mobilisation and guard duty would leave traces.”
“Even if we were to find the exact address,” Yu Hao said through the phone, “You still can’t rush in alone to save Huang Ting, right? Ren Chong will definitely take action on his side. If I were him, I’d rent a three-bedroom apartment in the residential area…”
“Listen to me,” Zhou Sheng was always paying attention to his surroundings. After leaving an alley, a car stopped by the roadside. Zhou Sheng went forward to open the door. Chen Yekai was sitting in the driver’s seat. Zhou Sheng plugged his phone into the charger by his seat, turned on bluetooth, and said to Yu Hao, “Zhao Liang has a set of research equipment at his place. He got it from somewhere before their three-man team was dissolved, so it definitely wouldn’t be in such a covert place like a residential building.”
Chen Yekai interrupted, “I’ve seen the computer used for analysis by the STA. It won’t be that small if it’s used to study data.”
Yu Hao said through the phone, “Security is bound to be very strict.”
“So, we still need Huang Ting’s cooperation.” Zhou Sheng said patiently, “Kaikai, what news did you get?”
Chen Yekai said, “Sounded him out as per your request. I asked him to meet, and he requested a meeting three days from now.”
“We must get Huang Ting out as soon as possible.” Zhou Sheng said.
“It’s impossible for Ren Chong to leave him be,” Yu Hao said, “He’s Ren Chong’s student.”
Zhou Sheng answered, “It has been forty-eight hours since Huang Ting went missing.”
Chen Yekai nodded. “Yes. If he wanted to save him, he would’ve done so long ago.”
Chen Yekai drove along the road aimlessly. Zhou Sheng said, “Qin Guodong, Ren Chong, Zhao Liang, among these three, two must be working together in the dark. We just don’t know who’s with who right now.”
“It shouldn’t be your boss,” Yu Hao said in the phone, “If he wanted to make a move, he would’ve done so long ago.”
“I’m not sure about that now either.” Zhou Sheng said, “One of them could be utilising hard tactics, while the other one would utilise soft ones.”
“Your boss understands very clearly that the Golden Crow Wheel can’t work without you.” Chen Yekai focused on driving and casually said, “Perhaps all of them want the Golden Crow Wheel, just that their means of getting it are different. From the looks of it now, Qin Guodong obviously one-upped the others. At the very least, he has won your initial trust. Zhou Sheng, there’s something I want to say…”
“Un?” Zhou Sheng was fiddling with the Golden Crow Wheel and pondered for a moment.
“I know that Huang Ting’s not that close to you guys, and you don’t like him that much because he took the Golden Crow Wheel away.” Chen Yekai stopped the car in front of a red light. He sighed, “But he’s my friend, and he’s very important to me. I’m can’t do anything about this alone, so I can only pin my hopes on you guys.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t save him. Listen to what you’re saying. Am I such a cold-blooded person?” Zhou Sheng stopped thinking and said with a smile, then instructed into the phone, “Yu Hao, make a trip home.”
Yu Hao understood what Zhou Sheng meant. He asked, “Okay, I’ll reschedule my appointment this afternoon with the informant. Should I call Qihang and Gege too?”
“No, just us three will do.” Zhou Sheng said, “Leave Gege a message and ask him not to wake you up when he gets back. Kaikai, find a hotel to get a room in.”
Zhou Sheng hung up. He turned sideways and glanced at Chen Yekai, who then nodded and didn’t speak any further.
Yu Hao got back home. He woke up very early today in the first place, so he was sleepy before it was even noon. After lunch, his fatigue multiplied and washed over him, as if all his strength had been exhausted.
“I want a bed.” Yu Hao said, “I feel so sleepy even in my dream.”
“It’ll be okay in a moment.” Chen Yekai said, “You feel sleepy in the dream because there’s insufficient blood supply to your brain.”
In the world of Chichén Itzá, Yu Hao, Zhou Sheng, and Chen Yekai watched the scene in the Golden Crow Wheel together. It was noon now. Most people don’t take afternoon naps, and even if they did fall asleep, their dreamscapes would be extremely hazy. Scenes during light sleep appear extremely messy.
Zhou Sheng said, “Let’s exchange information first ba. What did Ah Ze say?”
The two of them simply exchanged the information that they had respectively obtained. Chen Yekai watched the scene in the Golden Crow Wheel at the center of the pyramid, while Zhou Sheng’s dragon appeared behind them. Unlike other dreams, most of the time when the Golden Crow Wheel stopped, this time it displayed a dark maze. Tempestuous storms raged within, where thunder roared and streaks of lightning flashed by.
“That’s strange,” Yu Hao said, “Only this person is sleeping right now. Is it him?”
Zhou Sheng murmured, “It must be him, it can’t be anyone else. Someone who’s on the brink of death and is dreaming of you too, who else would it be other than Huang Ting? Go!”
Zhou Sheng walked towards the Golden Crow Wheel. His black dragon wanted to follow along, but Zhou Sheng made a ‘stop’ gesture and extended a hand towards Yu Hao. The two of them entered the Golden Crow Wheel, and Chen Yekai jumped in as he followed behind.
Just like before, as soon as they entered, he separated from Zhou Sheng amidst the fierce howling gales. While he was preoccupied, Yu Hao looked back and only saw a full moon in the sky!
He shot out from the moon this time!
Thunder rumbled, and Yu Hao was instantly submerged within the clouds. Following which, rain started buffeting down, showering him until he was drenched from head to toe. Lightning flashed beside him, intertwined and in disarray, and it illuminated Yu Hao’s entire body.
“AH——” Yu Hao shouted loudly. At the moment he fell from the sky, his adrenaline levels started soaring crazily. He didn’t know why, but this dream seemed a lot more realistic than any of the other dreams he had entered before –from the vapour, from the mist that assaulted his senses, to the ground that he was continually closing on!
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao turned his head and shouted. He was getting closer and closer to the ground. He tried shaking his wings open — he could use his wings! He didn’t have time to think too much about it and just flapped his wings violently, but the fierce gales kept changing its course, and just one flap of his wings would make him tumble about in the air. He couldn’t control his direction, so he could only spread his wings open and glide along with the wind.
Looking down at the earth from the air, Yu Hao realised that the land comprised entirely of a vast maze area. To the back of the maze was a giant wall that extended indefinitely upward into the depths. He had no way of estimating the specific area of the maze from where he was, but from the looks of it, it was obviously much smaller than Loulan. The area outside the maze was submerged in billowing black fog, which was constantly engulfing the maze.
The walls of the maze stood nearly ten metres tall. When Yu Hao fell down, he knocked into a brick, but he was prepared for it long ago; he turned his body, kept his wings, kicked off the high wall, and flipped in mid air. With his shoulders against the wall, he slid down along it.
The maze was filled with water flowing everywhere. Yu Hao stood in the water that didn’t even go past his ankle and felt a chill. Could it be that he didn’t cover his legs with his blanket before sleeping? But he didn’t plan to get up and cover himself with the blanket. He still remembered seeing the center of the maze when he was looking down from the sky where there was a bathhouse-like building as well as a temple.
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao felt along the maze’s wall and waded forward as he shouted.
He tried to spread his wings open again, but the path in the maze that people could pass through was only three-metres wide, so he couldn’t fly up the top of the wall to survey his surroundings and search for Zhou Sheng. Where did Zhou Sheng go? And where was the master of the dream world?
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“They have indeed entered Huang Ting’s dream.”
“Director Zhao, you can use this equipment to connect with the periphery.”
“There’s no hurry.” Zhao Liang had his hands behind his back as he stood in front of a huge screen. He looked pensive as he stared at the analysis of signals on the screen. Huang Ting was fixed onto a chair. He had been injected with a tranquilizer, and his forehead and neck were covered in sweat. The veins on his arms were especially prominent.
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Why was there this kind of weird mechanism in Huang Ting’s dream?! Yu Hao felt like he was playing a maze runner game, where he could be crushed or sliced to death at any time. His heart was beating wildly. After seeing an opportunity, he did a run-up, stirring up a series of splashes behind him, and rushed across the ramp area.
Suddenly, he heard a peculiar, deafening sound mixed within the rainstorm and rumbling thunder — it sounded like gunfire! He tried discerning it for a while and muttered to himself, “Chen Laoshi?!” So he quickly ran over, turned around a corner of the maze, and the sound of gunshots rang out more and more loudly and clearly. Yu Hao shouted from underneath the high wall, “Chen Laoshi!”
“It’s me!” Zhou Sheng shouted.
“Zhou Sheng!” Yu Hao heard the sound of bullets ricocheting off a shield, and it was getting more and more intense. Zhou Sheng shouted, “Face my direction! Run to your left! Beware of the mechanism!”
Yu Hao immediately turned around and began to run. He shouted, “What mechanism?”
However, right at the next moment, innumerable sharp blades suddenly rose from the ground. Yu Hao let out a loud cry, Zhou Sheng shouted, “Jump!”
Yu Hao jumped into the air, across the sharp blade mechanism, and leaped onto an open space. This open space happened to be a fracture at the end of a wall in the maze. Yu Hao turned around. Zhou Sheng was rushing towards him with a shield on his back; he extended his hand and pulled Yu Hao up. Yu Hao jumped from the ground, flared his wings open, hugged Zhou Sheng within that limited space, and rolled away.
Several machine guns rolled out from the wall and raked them with machine-gun fire. Zhou Sheng held his shield up in the air to withstand it. Yu Hao shouted, “Watch out for your back!”
Zhou Sheng turned around and only saw a huge block rush toward them with a loud rumble from the end of the corridor. If the two of them were to get hit, they would be sent flying in an instant, but right at the last moment, Zhou Sheng wrapped one arm around Yu Hao, turned his shield into his jingubang, stabbed it into the ground, and his jingubang suddenly elongated and took the two of them up with it with a ‘whoosh’.
The maze around them seemed to sense Zhou Sheng’s intention to escape in an instant; the high walls began rising upward at the same speed. Yu Hao said, “We can’t rush out!”
Zhou Sheng rose to the top of the high wall, but he couldn’t break through any further. He shouted, “Hold on tight!”
Immediately afterward, the block collided with the jingubang. Zhou Sheng felt an acute pain in his wrist at once, and it nearly fractured. The jingubang was knocked out of his hand, and the two of them tumbled in the air from the impact. Zhou Sheng grabbed the edge of the block, flipped in the air with Yu Hao, and leapt onto the top of the block mechanism!
Its top was level with the apex of the maze’s high walls. The block retreated rapidly with the two of them on top of it as it prepared for its next attack. Yu Hao shouted, “Jump!”
Both of them jumped onto the top of the wall. Zhou Sheng reached out to summon his jingubang back. Yu Hao almost fell towards the other side of the wall, but he was pulled back by Zhou Sheng just in time. The two of them just barely managed to stand on the top of the maze’s wall.
Yu Hao kept gasping for breath. “The wall of this maze can extend upward.”
Zhou Sheng said, “We can’t go past it too much, it should be a limitation in Huang Ting’s dream. But it’s okay to walk along the wall, be careful of sliding down.”
Yu Hao looked into the distance. A beam of light flashed, and shot towards the sky from another corner of the maze.
The high wall of the maze was about two metres wide. Standing on the top of the wall, they could roughly see the winding paths inside, but they couldn’t get a full view of the whole maze. Zhou Sheng said, “Huang Ting should be near the boundary of the subconscious, like you were last time. We can look for Kaikai on our way there.”
Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng walked along the wall toward the mist in the distance. He tried to shake his wings open and fly, but the wall underneath would continue rising along with his movements.
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“Don’t waste your energy,” Zhou Sheng said, “It’s no use. Rely on walking ba.”
Yu Hao looked down. Every time they walked past a section, they would trigger mechanisms that were densely packed together, and there was even a giant spherical boulder that rolled over. Fortunately, they were on top of the maze’s wall, or else they would’ve been crushed into meat patties even if they had a shield.
“Are you hurt?” Yu Hao said, “Let me see.”
There were abrasions on Zhou Sheng’s shoulder and arms from being grazed by bullets, and they were still bleeding. He smoothed his wet hair to the top of his head. Yu Hao released his energy from one side to heal him. Meanwhile, Zhou Sheng looked at the periphery of the maze and seemed to be determining where Huang Ting might be.
“Why did you come out of the moon?” Zhou Sheng asked, “I appeared in the maze right after coming in.”
“I don’t know.” Yu Hao said, “I’m done, let’s go. Maybe it’s because Huang Ting thinks I have some ability to illuminate his night? Speaking of which, what do you think the boss of this dream would be?”
Zhou Sheng uttered a “wu” and didn’t answer. After Yu Hao treated him, his superficial wounds were healed, but his torn clothes weren’t restored, so Zhou Sheng took off his wet shirt and then tied it around his waist. It was more convenient to move about half naked.
“These are the volleys of gunfire and severe trials he had dealt with in the cases he has handled over the years.” Zhou Sheng said, “Be careful, you mustn’t fall down at all costs.”
Yu Hao guessed that as a special criminal detective, perhaps the impression formed in Huang Ting’s spiritual world when handling cases was of running through a maze. The kind where countless puzzles lay before him while he had to be on guard against any danger that could appear at any time, and those dangers had all materialised as the mechanisms in the maze.
“Kaikai’s a bit anxious today.” Zhou Sheng walked in front and looked back to say to Yu Hao.
“Huang Ting is his good friend, it’s normal to be anxious.” Yu Hao said.
“No, I just think his anxiety’s a little abnormal.” Zhou Sheng answered, “He’s too anxious in urging us to come into Huang Ting’s dream. What do you think he said to Zhao Liang that day?”
Yu Hao pondered for a moment, then said, “Since he didn’t trick you into the car and drive to Zhao Liang’s base, there should be no problems.”
“He’s by himself, so he’s no match for me.” Zhou Sheng continued.
Yu Hao said, “But he could have also gotten someone to lie in wait in the car or in the hotel.”
“Un.” Zhou Sheng said, “So you trust him.”
“If you didn’t trust him, you wouldn’t have let him in with us.” Yu Hao said.
Zhou Sheng answered, “I’d like to see what Zhao Liang’s up to.”
