If I couldn't find a way to come directly to the mountain and hold him hostage, these people would likely be affected, but that plan seemed too difficult, so I'll put it aside for now.
According to their rules, we'd have to go through some ordeal here. After all, a single person's trial was probably not simple.
Seeing I made no move, the Cardinal waved his hand, and countless nuns appeared beside us, seemingly to observe closely if we were indeed ourselves.
Then, those strange individuals sneered, passed through a door behind the church, and left. Now, only the people in camouflage and the nuns remained in the church. They escorted us out of the church and into a warehouse behind it, where we were roughly shoved inside.
With a loud bang, the warehouse door was locked from the outside. We struggled for a bit. Though we weren't bound, it was clear we couldn't leave for the time being.
Lu Chusheng and I exchanged glances. He finally spoke, "We can't let them lead us around by the nose!"
"Yes, but we can't call the police yet, because the hostages are still in their hands. If they find out we've contacted the police, they'll probably be killed."
"Alas, I never thought we'd end up like this. But we've discovered an important area today. This place must be one of Polaris's territories."
"Exactly. If we're going to investigate Polaris, we'll start from here!"
"Agreed!"
Even in this perilous situation, we felt invigorated by the prospect of finally beginning our formal investigation into the Polaris organization. It was great; I didn't know how long I'd waited for this day.
Just as we were getting excited, we heard some vents on the warehouse ceiling slowly moving. Within minutes, thick smoke filled the air. Although we tried our best not to inhale the gas, there were no gaps, and the space was small. The gas lingered in this sealed, cramped area. Even if we didn't breathe, it would automatically enter our lungs.
Soon, we began to feel our limbs go numb and our heads grow heavy. It was likely that the gas contained something like ether. Anyway, after inhaling a little, we lost all strength, and our vision went black. With two thuds, we collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
I don't know how I woke up. My muscles ached all over. After a struggle, I managed to sit up slightly. I realized I was no longer in the previous warehouse, and Lu Chusheng was nowhere to be seen.
Shelves were lined everywhere, stocked with a wide array of goods. The place was vast, with strange lights flickering intermittently in the aisles. Product posters adorned the walls. If I wasn't mistaken, this must be a fairly large shopping mall.
The game was about to begin, but I had no idea what to do. For now, I'd walk around and try to get out of here. Following the previous pattern, someone should speak to me soon.
But this time, after standing up, I searched around the mall for a long time. It was completely silent, with no sign of any activity. A normal person would feel immense pressure at such a moment. Compared to being threatened from behind, this endless silence was even more perplexing.
At this moment, I suddenly touched a shelf and found that the items on it were dust-free and very clean, indicating frequent use. I picked up a few packs of instant noodles and a few cans of food to check. They were all recently stocked. This was one of the organization's territories, and they likely had people operating various shops here, just like the stores down the mountain. Life here seemed normal, and no one suspected anything.
If we hadn't been invited here this time, we might never have discovered such a place. Lost in thought, I walked from one shelf to another, reaching an elevator area in the mall. Seeing the moving stairs descending from upstairs, I intended to go up and take a look. However, just then, I heard faint rustling sounds from upstairs, as if someone was talking.
I immediately became alert, reaching for the gun holster at my waist, only to find my gun was gone. I searched for my police ID and baton; they were also gone. The thugs must have taken them. With no other option, I went upstairs empty-handed.
Before I even stepped onto the elevator, hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs. Several strange shadows were approaching. When I saw that they were in the shape of lizards, I was taken aback. These lizards were significantly larger than the ones we usually saw, which immediately reminded me of the man-eating dragon incident I encountered in the city before.
First, someone was surgically altered to look like a dragon, and now lizards? It seemed that plastic surgeon was indeed remarkable. Speaking of plastic surgeons reminded me of Dr. Huang Dafa from the Vampire Throne case, that incredibly popular plastic surgeon.
I wondered if he was somehow involved. But no, now wasn't the time to ponder that. As soon as those lizards came down, I said sternly, "Don't try to scare me. You're people, aren't you?"
When I saw through their disguise, they all began to cry mournfully, whimpering, and slowly descended from the elevator.
"How did you figure it out? Are you a police officer?" one of them, looking quite sharp, recognized me. Even though I was prepared, I still felt quite eerie hearing the lizards speak human language.
I nodded and asked, "How were you brought here?"
"Me? Wuwu... I was a father working for a chemical company in Guangming City. Unexpectedly, one day on my way home, I was attacked by some strange men in camouflage. I fainted. When I woke up, I found myself transformed into a lizard. I thought I was dreaming at first and couldn't accept it. I tried to kill myself by smashing my head against the wall several times, but I didn't die. See these scars on my forehead? They're from when I tried to break the wall."
Then another lizard said, "I was at a class reunion and got drunk. I had no idea what would happen. When I woke up, I felt like I was tied to a cold iron bed. My limbs were restrained by metal plates, and then my whole body became numb, as if I'd been injected with some anesthetic. Afterward, someone came beside me. They were holding a syringe as thick as my arm. I was so scared I almost peed myself, but I couldn't. After they injected me, I fell unconscious again. When I woke up the second time, I was like this, wuwu... Oh, I was a high school girl, a sophomore at Guanghua Memorial High School in Guangming City."