With no leads to pursue, the investigation had to be shelved for now.
Ke Meng stood in the Investigation Bureau's underground testing room, watching the testers repeatedly test the new items he had brought out that day. His expression grew distant.
The image of a red wooden door flashed through his mind. It was a memory, not something conjured out of nothing.
"The Infinite Door," Ke Meng murmured.
Ke Meng knew why he had suddenly thought of the Infinite Door.
The concept of doors had stirred something in him. The Infinite Door might have some connection to it, though his intuition offered no clear feeling.
That afternoon, Ke Meng drove straight to Octopus City to take another look at the Infinite Door.
The residential complex containing the Infinite Door had been converted into housing for investigators. The investigator on the first floor had received advance notice and came out to meet Ke Meng.
Ke Meng entered the living room and ran his hand over the Infinite Door.
This door was steeped in an eerie feeling.
After the red door was opened, another door remained behind it. Big-Faced Cat had once explained that this was a door that could be opened forever, endlessly and infinitely.
But on this return visit, Ke Meng felt something new when he saw the red door.
This time, Ke Meng understood the concept of "doors," whereas on his previous visit, he had known nothing about it.
His store of knowledge had grown, so his understanding naturally differed, undergoing a subtle change.
"Outside the door connects to Blue Star, and inside connects to the unknown. You're that kind of door too." Ke Meng stroked the handleless red door, his eyes flickering as he murmured to himself. At last, he understood the true nature of the Infinite Door.