Chapter 116: The Five Senses

Chapter 116: The Five Senses

In the end, Chen Shi Jin couldn't help but feel regretful for not being able to take away the hammer that his neighbor had given him.

But! He firmly took with him the megaphone and received a complimentary set of restraints and a plain white-and-blue cotton hospital gown as a token of goodwill from the hospital.

Initially, he had wanted to take a blanket too, but the two police officers nearly shook him by the shoulders, shouting that blankets were provided in the detention room. Thus, he could only leave the hospital with a pile of belongings and Cat Joy, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Throughout the journey, Chen Shi Jin repeatedly emphasized, "Please, dear police officers, take my situation seriously. Although I believe that there are no ghosts in this world, hypnotic techniques, hypnotic drugs, or special hallucinogenic poisons might exist in abundance."

Both patients are still in the dark about why they barged into my room armed in the middle of the night. So even in the detention center, make sure not to leave me unattended with just two people!"

"I request to be placed where there are the most people! Where there are more police officers, that's where I'll feel the safest!"

The two officers exchanged glances, their expressions resembling dead fish eyes. They were almost regretting their decision to bring this young man to the police station's detention center.

Is this guy really mentally sound?

Isn't the place he should be in a mental hospital instead of a detention center?

"Two big brothers?"

"Two big brothers? ?"

"Enough, stop talking! We got it! We'll lock you up where there are the most people! Is it alright if we have a dozen people watching you all at once?!!"

Due to their excessive anger, Chen Shijin was indeed taken to the largest room in the detention center, where suspected individuals were held.

In this chamber, there were eight single cells with iron bars, yet they were surveilled by four guards posted outside, their watchful eyes never straying.

Chen Jin was escorted into the slightly larger solitary room on the left, the second one.

There is a bed, a washstand, and a bathroom partitioned by a curtain.

Though small, it suffices for the most basic necessities of existence.

"Very well, go in! You'll stay here for twenty-four hours initially. If no incidents occur during that time, you'll return home."

Chen entered the iron gate obediently, then, amidst the amused gazes of the other detainees who were enjoying the show, he argued his case:

"Officer! That's not how it works! How can you tell anything in just twenty-four hours? Isn't it at least forty-eight hours? You should take accidents like mine more seriously! Don't force me to add time to my own sentence!"

The two officers who had brought him in: Forty-eight hours, my foot.

The four guards and the other six detainees: ????

Fish I

Waves I

Wait, did they hear that wrong? Why would anyone willingly want to stay an extra day in detention?

Is he mentally unstable?

The two officers slammed the door shut in exasperation. "Shut up! Go to bed and behave yourself! We'll report this situation to the chief!"

And so, the police station held a one-hour meeting over this person who had voluntarily asked to be detained.

Ultimately, the chief made the call to observe for twenty-four hours, as they couldn't rule out unforeseen circumstances that might jeopardize public safety.

"Just to be on the safe side," he said.

The detention center had ample individual cells, so keeping someone there for a few extra days was no issue.

However, the officers at the station remained unconvinced that any bizarre accidents could occur; they merely shook their heads, marveling at the variety of people in this world.

That very night, they were proven woefully wrong.

It was nearly noon when Chen Shijin entered his minimalist cell.

As he sat on the small bed, other officers arrived with lunch for the other six detainees.

It's worth noting that a detention center differs from a prison; those held have yet to be tried, some guilty, others merely suspects, or simply cooperative witnesses. Thus, the atmosphere in the police station's detention cells was relatively relaxed.

And there were boxed meals.

While the guard distributed the food, Chen Shijin insisted on having one randomly selected box first, threatening to refuse all subsequent meals. The guard found his demand absurd, but the black cat's swift theft of a meal box left him no choice but to roll his eyes and fetch another for those who hadn't received one, knowing full well the peculiar nature of this feline detainee.

As they ate their tasteless boxed meals, the other six detainees began to inquire about him.

"Bro, why were you brought in here?" asked the muscular man seated directly across from him on the right.

Chen Shijin, engrossed in his meal as if mourning a loss, focused solely on filling his stomach to stave off hunger.

"Due to self-discipline, self-awareness, and self-improvement," he replied.

The muscular man: ????

"Cough, bro, why did you snatch my meal? Why don't you eat the freshly served one?" queried the fatty in cell number four this time.

Chen Shijin responded, "To eliminate any potential risks."

The fatty: ...

Alright, with these two questions answered, there's no need to probe further. This guy probably ended up here due to his foolish actions, given his questionable mental state.

They decided it was best not to engage him any further.

After lunch, the afternoon passed peacefully.

Chen Shiming spent the entire afternoon listening to horror novels on his phone. Lezi the cat sat attentively by his side, occasionally scratching the wall and making rustling sounds at climactic moments to enhance the atmosphere.

This annoyed the lady imprisoned in the neighboring cell, so she turned up the volume and started a live stream.

"Come on, folks! A rare live broadcast from detention! Anyone want to hear me sing 'Tears Behind the Iron Bars'?"

The policewatch then intervened, warning that her phone would be confiscated if she continued streaming.

"Ridiculous! I'm not crossing any lines! No indecency here! Can't I just sing 'Tears Behind the Iron Bars'?!"

The officer replied sternly, "No, you can't."

The phones were granted to them because these few individuals weren't considered suspects and were likely to be released after a day's detention. It was much quieter and easier to manage over at the neighboring suspect's cell.

At dinner time, Chen Shi Jin declined the packed meal. He only drank a cup of milk and munched on a dry packet of instant noodles.

This further confirmed in the minds of the other officers and detainees that the man must have some sort of mental or psychological issue.

After dinner, they idled away several more hours until lights out at nine o'clock in the detention room.

"Sleep well! No phone usage, and if you do, don't make any noise. Otherwise, your phone will be confiscated."

In bed, Chen Shi Jin stealthily held his phone close to his eyes and read for an extra hour. Eventually, he was forced to switch off his phone when Luo Zi covered his eyes due to the risk of blindness from reading in the dark.

However, after turning off his phone, he moved the restraints, duct tape, and megaphone closer to his bed. There were also two crisp, juicy apples by his side.

These preparations should suffice.

But most importantly... he couldn't fall into a deep sleep.

He was numb now and might not sense anything if he fell asleep.

In that case...

Chen Jinhua sighed, deciding to conserve his energy by keeping his eyes closed.

He could catch up on sleep during the day.

Midnight.

The other six inmates in the detention center were sound asleep, with three of them snoring intermittently.

There were two police officers on night duty, but the room was under surveillance with cameras placed in every corner. Four more officers monitored the feeds in the control room to ensure the safety of the entire facility.

One a.m.

The on-duty officers grew drowsy, as the dim lighting and their body clocks naturally induced fatigue.

Two a.m.

The two on duty appeared to be battling extreme drowsiness, their heads drooping repeatedly.

In the monitoring room, the four officers were also overcome with fatigue. One rose to make tea, two headed to the restroom, and the remaining one, like a pecking chick, nodded off while gazing at the surveillance screens with bleary eyes.

Among the six confined individuals, two suddenly sat up from their cots.

One of them pulled out a specially crafted long needle from his pocket, effortlessly unlocking the prison cell door and stealthily opening it for the other. Together, they stood coldly in front of Chen Shijin's cell door.

Click.

The iron door opened swiftly.

The black cat lifted its head abruptly, its blue eyes shimmering in the darkness.

Chen Shijin also snapped open his eyes the moment the cat looked up.

With bloodshot eyes, the two men who had unlocked the door lunged at Chen Shijin without hesitation. One aimed to pierce Chen's neck with the needle in his hand, while the other shockingly brandished a chilling long knife from his bosom!

Chen Shijin threw the two red apples he held in his hands at them!

Two loud smacks echoed as the blows landed precisely on their noses.

The two men writhed in pain, tears streaming down their faces, but they didn't dare cry out. However, Chen Shijin had no qualms about doing so!

In the next second, the quiet room was shattered by a deafening announcement.

"Help! Help! Someone's being murdered!"

"How can there be any justice left? Quick, someone come, hurry up and catch the murderer! Ahhh!"

!!!

The drowsy police officers jolted awake. One switched on the lights while the other rushed towards the small, dark room where the commotion originated.

The four officers in the surveillance room also heard the sound simultaneously and sensed something amiss. Upon seeing the footage from the cameras, their expressions were filled with astonishment.

The officer who had just poured tea nearly choked. "My God! Did this guy really... really have an accident?!"

"...Wow! This is getting eerie, isn't it? Those two attackers probably didn't know him at all, did they?"

"Not only that. One of them was a locksmith, suspected of theft but mostly cleared of suspicion, and generally an excellent employee. The other was a chef, accused of using illegal ingredients but also proven innocent."

The officer on duty spoke with an odd tone, "These two are genuinely law-abiding citizens."

Yet, these citizens nearly managed to commit murder under their noses without being detected.

If that young man hadn't immediately fought back with the apple, dodged swiftly, and activated the loudspeaker, he wouldn't have survived long enough to be rescued; he would've died outright.

Not to mention the two officers on duty, who, having cuffed the locksmith and chef and returned them to the interrogation room, now wore pale, stunned expressions. Even the four officers watching from the surveillance room, separated by screens, exchanged awkward glances in silence.

Finally, the youngest officer shivered visibly.

"Brother Zhang! Is it really possible for ghosts to possess people? Ahhh!"

Brother Zhang jolted and then slapped his hand down.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Prosperity, democracy, civilization, harmony!!"