"Let's go check it out." Star Swirl took Bai Xiaohan's hand and took a step forward, and smiled at the woman, "Big sister, don't close the door yet, okay?" We've got friends in the back. ”

The woman nodded as if she was dealing with an errand: "I know, don't stay down there for too long." ”

Bai Xiaohan glanced at Star Swirl approvingly, and the two walked down the stairs.

About the second basement floor, a wooden door appeared in front of it, and a signboard made of LED light pipes hung on it, and the words "puppet workshop" flashed and jumped.

Bai Xiaohan stretched out his hand to push the wooden door, but found that the weight of the door was surprisingly heavy, and he slowly pushed the door open after exerting all his strength.

Eyes fell on the workbench in the room, and the two of them breathed sluggishly, and their bodies couldn't help but tremble.

More than a dozen heads with different expressions were placed on the table, looking neatly at the door, as if welcoming them to the eighteenth level of hell.

The impact of the picture was too strong, and Star Swirl gasped, "This... None of this is going to be true, right? ”

"It's realistic." Bai Xiaohan took a few steps closer, and when his fingertips touched the surface of the "human head", there was a little dye that had not yet dried.

Star Swirl still didn't dare to get closer, instinctively resisting these weird dolls, "Teacher Bai, I can't think of anyone who would buy this kind of doll and put it at home, aren't you afraid?" ”

"I think it would work well to display the clothes in the window of the store." Bai Xiaohan approached with great interest to observe each of the simulated dolls, seemingly attracted by them.

Lifelike, each puppet's eyes contain different emotions, without the slightest dullness and rigidity.

Behind the workbench is a row of glass cabinets containing more than 20 kinds of dolls of various sizes, ranging from children to girls and adult women.

"Why are they all women, and there are no male dolls?" Star Swirl felt her empty stomach squirm, "Is it all for otaku?" ”

"Your idea is a bit evil," Bai Xiaohan chuckled, "but I've also heard about the true story of lonely otaku who use dolls as companions." ”

"But... Try to imagine if you woke up from a dream in the middle of the night and suddenly saw the puppet next to the pillow slowly open its eyes, would you be scared to death? Star Swirl shuddered at the thought.

"Maybe I'll jump up happily," Bai Xiaohan's thoughts were clear, "Isn't it exactly what the master hopes for the puppet to come back to life?" ”

A low laugh spilled out of her lips and popped out of the corner of the room.

"Who? Who's there?! Bai Xiaohan looked around and found a pair of brown leather shoes faintly revealing under the glass cabinet, which were men's shoes.

"Officer Bai, the frequency of meeting is a bit high lately, could it be that you are attracted to me?" Qin Mo paced out from behind the cabinet with a slight smile, his tone was light and wandering, like a mist in the mountains and forests, which could not be seen and touched, and was faintly entwined like a gossamer.

"Mr. Qin, we don't know that you are the owner of this shop." Bai Xiaohan's expression was calm and his attitude was calm.

"I agree with what you just said," a shallow smile flashed in his dark eyes, "It should be the wish of every owner to hope that the puppet can have life." It's like when you were kids, you expected dolls to suddenly speak, because you were so lonely..."

"Mr. Qin, do you believe that there will be a way to bring these puppets to life in this world?" Bai Xiaohan looked directly into Qin Mo's eyes and asked tentatively.

"Oh? If Officer Bai knows, he might as well tell me about this lonely man. The smile in Qin Mo's eyes turned cold, and there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.

Seeing that his expression was unmoved, Bai Xiaohan smiled: "I only learned some from some absurd and strange talks, I haven't seen it with my own eyes, so I can't take it seriously." ”

"What you see with your own eyes may not be true." Qin Mo smiled mysteriously, not knowing what kind of medicine was sold in the gourd.

Bai Xiaohan didn't want to continue playing word games with him, so he took out the red leather ball from his backpack and handed it to him: "This should be from the puppet workshop, right?" ”

Qin Mo took it and looked at it, nodding slightly: "If I'm not mistaken, this is the toy I gave to Haorui." ”

"It turns out that in addition to dolls, you also make these things for children to play with." Bai Xiaohan said.

Qin Mo leaned down, touched the ball in front of Star Swirl, and said with a smile, "Before Hao Rui comes back, will you keep it for him?" ”

Star Swirl slapped the ball off his hand and pouted, "People don't want such old toys, they're dirty." ”

Qin Mo's eyes crossed a trace of imperceptible coldness, and the corners of his mouth still maintained an upward arc: "Officer Bai, how could Haorui's toy be in your hand?" ”

"Mr. Qin, don't you know that Hao Rui died half a month ago?" The eyes of the two met, and Qin Mo's eyes did not dodge.

His reaction was calm and indifferent.

"Officer Bai, you don't want to tell me that people can be resurrected after death, do you?" He placed the red ball in a glass case and placed it with a child-sized figure.

"Have you ever seen a marionette? Or rather... Puppet? The words had come to such an end, Bai Xiaohan just wanted to see Qin Mo's reaction.

"With all due respect," Qin Mo leaned against the glass cabinet and smiled: "Some things that catch the wind and shadows can't be used as evidence, as a policeman, you should know better than me, right?" ”

"You don't think I'm asking as a police officer." Bai Xiaohan looked at her with burning eyes.

"Then I don't have to answer," Qin Mu took out a woodcut knife from his pocket, and instantly reflected a cold glow, "I still have to continue to work, so I won't chat with you." ”

"Then we won't continue to bother." Bai Xiaohan led Star Swirl and prepared to leave.

Walking to the door of the puppet workshop, Star Swirl looked back at the gray figure who was turning back to her, "See you next time," and Star Swirl understood what Qin Mo meant from the way he spoke.

Back at the jewelry store, the woman looked at them a few times and said dissatisfiedly: "Didn't you say that there are still friends coming, why haven't you seen anyone?" ”

"Probably... Missed it. Star Swirl laughs wryly and leaves the shop as if she were running away.

"What's wrong with you?" Bai Xiaohan patted her chest with palpitations, and asked with some puzzlement.

"It's so weird down here, Mr. Bai, don't you smell a choking smell?"

Bai Xiaohan shook his head: "What smell?" ”

"It's like... It seems to be formalin! ”

---

Han Dongzhi and the girl named "Xiaoyue" chatted very speculatively, both of them were fans of Keigo Higashino, so naturally they had a lot of common topics.

After talking a lot, it was natural to talk about life.

"You mean you picked up a special little boy at the wonton shop?" Xiaoyue's eyes flickered, and she seemed to be full of interest in Hao Rui.