Chapter 419: The Hidden Chamber

Chapter 419: The Underground Secret Chamber (6 updates)

3:15 AM.

Unknown District, Apartment Building.

Boom—a residence door was violently smashed open.

Criminal Police from the Criminal Investigation Team rushed inside.

Inside, apart from an elderly couple, there was no sign of the suspect, Lai Jun.

It was confirmed that neighbors had seen Lai Jun returning home just a week ago.

Tracking his ID usage also verified that Lai Jun hadn’t left the city.

Subsequent investigations using neighborhood surveillance and the city’s Tianyan Surveillance Camera turned up a clue.

A trace emerged at last.

One day ago.

Lai Jun was spotted at a ‘Live-Action Escape Room’ entertainment venue…

…

At 6:20 AM.

Outside the entrance of the venue.

One police car after another arrived.

Xiao Yu stepped from his vehicle, eyes fixed on the tightly secured storefront.

He glanced up at a feed from one of the city’s Tianyan Surveillance Cameras.

Two days ago, surveillance caught the suspect, Lai Jun, entering this venue and never reappearing.

It was highly likely he was hiding inside this live-action escape room.

What exactly is a live-action escape room?

Simply put, it’s an adventure game where players search the room for clues, solve puzzles, and aim to escape the 407 Room.

In recent years…

Live-action escape rooms have become as popular as offline activities like Werewolf, a favorite among young people in major cities.

Of course, running such a venue…

First, you need to build various ‘rooms’, corridors, and cells.

These venues demand precise setup, ample space, and the right ambiance—not something just anyone can manage.

Is it really that fun?

Xiao Yu had never played one himself.

However, he recalled his police academy classmates describing the experience.

Imagine waking up to find yourself alone in a meticulously designed maze,

with ceilings and floors carved out as perfect cubes.

No food, no water, and dressed in nothing more than a shabby inmate uniform.

In a state of panic, you frantically search for an escape.

After some effort, you find a mechanism and push open the door.

Just when you think you’re free, you realize the game has only just begun…

This game challenges your intellect, adaptability, and deductive reasoning.

Doesn’t that sound enticing?

Especially when success brings an indescribable sense of achievement.

Imagine bragging to your friends, basking in the glory of your feat.

The Criminal Police began knocking on the door.

Yet the venue appeared deserted—the door was unguarded.

They then traced the owner’s phone number.

Half an hour later…

A disheveled young woman drove up to the store.

Seeing a cluster of police, she stood bewildered, unaware of what had unfolded.

“Please open the door,” Xiao Yu said with a smile. “We need to inspect the premises.”

“Okay…”

The young woman, Hao Yanli, 27, asked in confusion, “May I know what happened to my store?”

Her family was well-off, and she enjoyed the occasional outing.

Later, together with a few friends, she co-founded this venue and had been running it for two years.

They hadn’t made much profit, but they hadn’t lost money either.

“A suspect is believed to be hiding in your store. We need to investigate,” Xiao Yu explained.

“How is that possible?”

Hao Yanli looked shocked but opened the door. “There’s no one in here—we check every day before closing.”

This wasn’t a matter of things simply disappearing… Xiao Yu remained silent.

Once the door swung wide open, a platoon of Criminal Police stormed in to conduct a thorough search.

Live-action escape rooms come in many themes.

This venue had a theme reminiscent of a haunted mansion with elements of a rescue from prison.

Players are required to team up and overcome challenges…

An hour later, after an exhaustive search by the police…

Surprisingly, there was no trace of anything suspicious, nor any sign of suspect Lai Jun!

This result furrowed Xiao Yu’s brows.

A review of the Tianyan Surveillance had shown that,

Two days ago around 2 PM, the suspect, Lai Jun, entered this venue.

But he never emerged.

Considering the venue is in a busy district with surveillance on every side,

everyone’s comings and goings are recorded.

If Lai Jun wasn’t hiding here,

how did he manage to slip away?

Xiao Yu stepped in to inspect personally.

Activating his Falcon’s Eye, Wangdie’s Nose, and Wax Moth’s Ear simultaneously,

he discovered that the escape room was enormous.

It began with a grand hall, followed by a lengthy corridor.

There were many haunted house elements as well as prison-like cells scattered about.

Every area Xiao Yu passed was scrutinized carefully.

Just as he was about to retrace his steps, puzzled by the lack of anomalies…

Suddenly, his expression froze in confusion.

His nose twitched rapidly, and his face shifted in an instant.

The stench of blood and decay flooded his senses.

The next moment, Xiao Yu bent down to inspect the floor.

The floor was a painted solid wood construction with numerous narrow seams.

Unless examined closely, its irregularity would have been easily missed.

After all, escape rooms rely heavily on ambient illusion.

The lighting was deliberately dim.

Even with his Falcon’s Eye activated, the faint illumination nearly caused him to overlook the oddity underfoot…

Slowly, he crouched and scrutinized the floor.

At last, he discovered something amiss.

Guo Qiang and others, accompanied by Hao Yanli, approached.

“What is this place?”

Xiao Yu raised his head, meeting Hao Yanli’s astonished gaze.

“Oh, this used to hide an underground secret chamber.”

Hao Yanli explained, “A player was injured while climbing here, so it was abandoned and never opened to the public. But… how did you find out about it? Unless you were an old player or an employee, nobody would know this area exists.”

Indeed.

The floor’s design cleverly concealed the entrance to the hidden chamber, blending it seamlessly with the rest of the surface.

Ordinary people would never notice it, which is why the Criminal Police hadn’t discovered it during their search.

Xiao Yu reached out and pried open a seam in the floor.

With a gentle effort…

A roughly square panel, nearly one meter on each side, was slowly lifted up…