Volume Three, Chapter Ten: Soundwaves Settled, Ulong Continues

Zhang Xiaowai lay sprawled on the cold, damp ground just outside the collapsed entrance to the Ulong City abandoned theater's underground sound chamber. His clothes were caked in a thick layer of dust, clinging uncomfortably to his skin, and in his hand, he still clutched the fragmented piece of the silver tuning fork he'd retrieved from the wreckage of Phantom Sound's destructive device. The Sound of Ulong, that insidious, unsettling melody that had permeated his every waking moment, had finally ceased, leaving behind an almost eerie, ringing silence. But Lin's arrogant, defiant declaration, "I'll be back," echoed persistently in the cavernous reaches of his mind, a chilling promise of future chaos. The lingering threat made him feel even more utterly broken than a bowl of instant noodles without seasoning. His Ulong Halo continued its low, persistent hum, a constant, mocking reminder of his futile desire for a quiet, low-key salaryman's life.

Beside him, Liu Piaopiao stood, her sequined wig, once a vibrant, sparkling symbol of her flamboyant detective persona, now drooped like a defeated disco ball caught in a torrential downpour. Her magnifying glass, though still clutched firmly in her hand, was no longer held aloft in triumph, but rather, pointed vaguely at the scene, as if documenting a hard-won, but exhausting, victory. "Phantom Sound is dealt with!" she declared, her voice hoarse from the dust and the previous night's shouting, but still ringing with an undeniable sense of accomplishment. "The detective scores another victory!"

Trailing behind her, Tang Xiaotang had her phone camera fixed on the still-smoking ruins of the sound chamber, its lens greedily soaking in every detail of the destruction. She muttered excitedly, her words barely audible above the ringing in Zhang Xiaowai's ears: "Theater showdown plus villain apprehended, this video is going to break a hundred million views!" Her journalistic instincts remained sharp, always focused on the next viral sensation, even amidst the debris of a near-catastrophe.

DJ Xiao K, ever the showman, twirled his floral shirt, now ripped in several places, and hummed a lingering, almost mournful fragment of his "Ulong Electro." He swayed slightly, as if still caught in the rhythm of the battle. "Xiaowai bro, give me that tuning fork, and I'll mix you a victory BGM!" he proclaimed, his eyes gleaming with a renewed surge of creative energy.

Wang Dazhuang, bringing up the rear, thumped his chest heroically, his police baton still clutched firmly in his hand, though now it seemed more like a prop in a triumphant tableau. "The person of destiny is invincible!" he boomed, his voice echoing in the semi-darkness. "What's a mere theater? I flattened Phantom Sound with one swing!" His self-congratulatory bravado, though familiar, seemed particularly out of place amidst the devastation.

Zhang Xiaowai rolled his eyes, a profound weariness settling over him. He felt his teammates were even more outlandish than the theater's collapsed ceiling. "Can you guys please stop always thinking about smashing things?" he protested, his voice a strained whisper as he gasped for breath, his lungs burning with the acrid taste of dust. "We almost got buried just now!" But Liu Piaopiao was impervious to his pleas. She grabbed him by the arm, her grip firm despite her own exhaustion, and pulled him slowly to his feet. "Zhang Xiaowai, your Ulong Halo is a soundwave nemesis, you saved the whole city! We need to quickly find Old Zhou and ask about what's next!" Her voice held an unwavering determination, a call to continued action even when all Zhang Xiaowai wanted was rest.

Tang Xiaotang chuckled meaningfully, a knowing glint in her eye as she adjusted her camera angle for a final, sweeping shot of the ruins. "Xiaowai bro, your halo needs to be in the Ulong City Historical Museum!" Her words, though playful, hinted at a deeper, more profound significance to his abilities. Xiao K, still caught in his peculiar "soundwave dance," almost collided with a jagged, broken pillar, barely catching himself. "Xiaowai bro, your halo needs to be my electro music inspiration!" he declared, his eyes shining with newfound artistic inspiration.

Outside the theater, the arrival of the police had finally brought a semblance of order to the chaos. Lin, now subdued and handcuffed, was being escorted into a police car. Even in his defeat, his defiance remained unyielding. He continued to shout, his voice hoarse but filled with an unwavering threat: "The Sound of Ulong isn't over! You all just wait!" Zhang Xiaowai's heart dropped, a cold dread washing over him. This guy's arrogance, he mused grimly, was hotter than the charcoal fires of the night market. It was a chilling promise that this was merely a battle won, not the war.

Liu Piaopiao held up the fragmented tuning fork, her voice gaining a renewed sense of purpose. "We have to get to the bottom of the Sound of Ulong's full secret! Lin definitely has accomplices!" Her detective instincts were already piecing together the next phase of their investigation, refusing to let this partial victory blind her to the larger, unseen threats.

Just then, Old Zhou, the seemingly unassuming cleaner, ambled leisurely into view, pushing his trusty mop. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and he puffed out a perfectly round smoke ring, entering his familiar "sweeping philosophy" mode. "You little rascals, well done," he drawled, his voice calm and unhurried, a stark contrast to the previous chaos. "The Sound of Ulong is a control tool of a secret organization. Lin was merely a small-time player, hoping to manipulate Ulong City with it. Unfortunately for him, he ran into your Ulong Halo, and his plan completely fell apart." His words were delivered with a casual knowingness, as if he had anticipated this outcome all along.

Zhang Xiaowai was dumbfounded, his jaw slack with disbelief. He stammered, barely able to form words, "What? Lin was a small-time player? Then who's the big boss?!" The revelation that Phantom Sound was merely a pawn in a larger game was a staggering blow, far more unsettling than facing Lin himself.

Old Zhou chuckled, blowing another perfectly formed smoke ring. "Ulong City holds more secrets than the dust in this theater. The Sound of Ulong was just the beginning; there's bigger trouble lurking beneath. Your Ulong squad, I'm afraid, will have to run a few more errands." His words were cryptic, hinting at a vast, unseen network of intrigue that stretched far beyond their current understanding.

Liu Piaopiao's eyes lit up, a fresh spark of excitement igniting in their depths. "Bigger trouble? A detective's true stage!" Her enthusiasm was boundless, already envisioning new challenges and mysteries to unravel. Tang Xiaotang quickly filmed Old Zhou's mop, her excitement palpable. "This needs to be a headline! Xiaowai bro, your halo deserves a City Hero Award!" Her mind was already churning with ideas for the next viral hit, the "City Hero" narrative for Zhang Xiaowai.

But Zhang Xiaowai couldn't bring himself to feel happy. Old Zhou's words felt like a burning coal, scalding his heart with a chilling premonition. He tentatively asked, his voice barely a whisper, "Grandpa Zhou, what exactly is the principle of the Sound of Ulong? Why can it control people?" He desperately needed to understand the mechanics of this pervasive threat.

Old Zhou glanced at the fragmented tuning fork in Zhang Xiaowai's hand, then slowly, deliberately, began to explain. "This thing is ancient soundwave technology," he said, his voice slow and measured. "It's designed to captivate people's hearts, to subtly manipulate their desires, and to amplify their deepest wants and impulses. Lin managed to decipher its core frequencies, hoping to become the ultimate master of Ulong City. But your Ulong Halo… it's like a cosmic bug, a glitch in the system. It specifically disrupts these control frequencies, effectively breaking the spell and bringing back the missing colleagues." He paused, his gaze growing complex, a mixture of wisdom and lingering concern. "However, the true purpose of the secret organization… that, my dear boy, has yet to surface."

Liu Piaopiao held up her magnifying glass, striking her classic detective pose, her voice firm and resolute. "Then we'll keep investigating! Ulong City's top detective never admits defeat!" Her determination was unwavering, her resolve hardened by the new revelations. DJ Xiao K twirled his sunglasses, humming a new, more profound beat. "Xiaowai bro, for the next case, I'll mix you a global hit!" His artistic ambition, it seemed, only grew with the scale of the mystery.

Wang Dazhuang swung his police baton, his voice booming with heroic conviction. "The person of destiny is invincible! Here's a cold joke to celebrate—Why is the Sound of Ulong afraid of the halo? Because when it triggers, even Phantom Sound has to cry! Hahahaha!" As the terrible joke landed, Liu Piaopiao and Tang Xiaotang simultaneously covered their faces, groaning in unison. Zhang Xiaowai slumped to the ground, utterly exhausted, tears welling in his eyes. "I just want to finish work and eat instant noodles!" he wailed, his voice muffled by the dust and despair.

The police completed their clean-up of the scene. The missing colleagues, now disoriented but otherwise unharmed, were sent to the hospital. Each one mumbled variations of the same bewildered account: "Heard a strange music… and then remembered nothing." Zhang Xiaowai clutched the fragmented tuning fork, its cool metal a stark contrast to the burning anxiety in his chest. His heart pounded like the frantic rhythm of the night market drums. He felt that the secret of the Sound of Ulong had been partially unraveled, but Old Zhou's ominous warning, like a tightening net, foretold even greater trouble. His Ulong Halo buzzed relentlessly, its constant hum a mocking reminder that he would forever be entangled in this bewildering mess.

In the ruins of the theater, moonlight spilled onto the broken stage, casting long, distorted shadows that danced in the ghostly glow. It was like Ulong City's neon lights, he thought, obscuring deeper, more insidious shadows. Tang Xiaotang, caught in her own world of observation and narrative, secretly glanced at him, a subtle, unreadable smile playing on her lips. Her expression held a hint of something deeper, something elusive and intriguing, leaving Zhang Xiaowai with an unshakable feeling that Ulong City's next storm was not just brewing, but already gathering force, ready to unleash its chaotic melody upon his weary, unsuspecting soul once more. The soundwaves, he knew, would continue to reverberate, and with them, his reluctant journey into the heart of the bizarre.