"Miss Liang, are you all right?"
"Mm. Let's not talk anymore. Little Darling needs to sleep. There, Little Darling, be a good girl and go to sleep. I won't bother you."
June 13, 2001. Audio file analysis. Audio file 200106130423G.wav.
"...Static... You'll scare Little Darling if you come over. I'm fine. Something new just appeared in the room..."
Click! Click! Click!
"...Static..."
Click!
"Well, Mushroom?"
"Mm, this sounds like a wind-up mechanism. You've seen those wind-up toys, right?"
"Oh."
"What about Little Darling?"
"No, I didn't hear anything else. It was just the sound of that wind-up toy."
"In that case, let's go see Liang Qiyi now."
June 13, 2001. Visited the client's residence. Audio file 0420010613.wav.
Ding-dong—ding-dong—
"Miss Liang? Miss Liang, are you home?"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Miss Liang!"
Click!
"Miss Liang, are you all right? About that phone call in the early hours..."
"Everything's fine now. Thank you. And thank you for before, too. There's no need to investigate anymore. The job's over, right?"
"Miss Liang, what happened?"
"Nothing happened. I just figured it out. They won't hurt me, either. They're just toys. It's all right. You don't need to worry or investigate anymore."
"Miss Liang, there's something very wrong with your current state."
"No, I'm fine. I just came to understand. You might find it unsettling... but there are all kinds of life in this world, right? That's perfectly normal."
"Miss Liang, we've already looked into Qian Yongqiang. There's a deep connection between him and these toys. He may return to the country soon. This matter needs to be resolved, Miss Liang. It's not simply a matter of there being all kinds of life in this world, as you put it."
"But I think this is fine. I'm the one paying you, so I get to