Chapter 18: Chapter 15: Magic Show_2
“Anyone else? We can split into several groups,” the magician’s assistant continued. He glanced at the crowd, then smiled and bowed toward Mia, who was holding Yaoer. “Beautiful lady, would the little princess like to participate?”
“Ah…” Mia was taken aback and hesitated. Yaoer seemed a bit eager to go, but Xu Mo’s expression turned unusually serious.
“No,” Xu Mo said bluntly. At that moment, he felt a chill run through him. The smile beneath the mask looked sinister, and he noticed the person had weapons hidden on them. Given that the previous magic trick used a substitute, clearly dropping into a hidden passage would not allow someone to emerge from above; otherwise, there would be no need for a substitute.
Thus, that hidden passage must lead somewhere else, meaning once someone went in, they might not come back!
Mia was stunned by Xu Mo’s serious tone, then shook her head and declined, “No, thank you.”
The assistant placed a hand on his chest in a salute, glanced at Xu Mo coldly, then turned away without acknowledging them further. Instead, he picked up a participating child and placed him inside the box.
Xu Mo stared at the scene, his eyes changing. His senses heightened to the maximum, extremely serious. He suspected these people might be a criminal gang, luring victims into traps with the magic show.
“Xu Mo, what’s wrong?” Mia asked him.
“Miss Mia, I noticed just now that the woman who went into the box and the woman who appeared above had different nail lengths,” Xu Mo said. “That was a double.”
Mia was surprised. “Then where is she?”
“There must be a hidden passage beneath the box and the floor. She fell through,” Xu Mo continued.
“Then why are they letting children participate?” Mia asked, puzzled.
Xu Mo turned to Mia and said, “I’ve heard stories of kidnappers using magic shows to abduct children. These people wear masks; no one knows who they are.”
“Ah…” Mia gasped, her face showing anxious concern. “What should we do?”
Their conversation was drowned out by the surrounding noise, and no one else heard them.
“What nonsense are you talking about? This is the main area of the Underworld. There are law enforcement teams patrolling everywhere, and security is very good. Do you think this is the black market?” Elsa rebuked, clearly thinking Xu Mo had been to the black market too many times and was jumping to conclusions.
Xu Mo glanced at Elsa, expressionless. Seeing his look made Elsa a little angry. She turned to the stage and said, “The show is starting. Watch and see for yourself.”
Xu Mo also kept his eyes on the magician, ignoring Elsa. He had experienced many such realistic and surreal situations, especially in the Underworld.
The box prepared for the magic show was very large. Several children excitedly crawled into it, laughing joyfully as they went in, seemingly anticipating what would happen next.
Xu Mo watched those smiling faces. They had no idea what they were about to face, and at that moment, he could do nothing. Elsa wouldn’t believe him, nor would any strangers around them.
As the box closed, Xu Mo’s heart pounded.
The magician began his exaggerated performance. At that moment, the bottom of the box opened, and a hidden compartment appeared on the ground. Xu Mo heard the children’s startled gasps, but it was only for a moment before the voices ceased.
“There’s someone below, operating the mechanism from underground,” Xu Mo stared at the magician. When the box opened, it was empty; the children had vanished.
The crowd looked up, but there was no one above.
“Next, we will reappear with the children. Everyone, please witness the magic,” the magician’s assistant said as he opened the box, ready to enter with the magician. The surrounding crowd cheered enthusiastically; even Elsa appeared excited, seemingly looking forward to the upcoming miracle.
Xu Mo’s expression changed. They were preparing to leave.
“No time left!”
Seeing the box already open, Xu Mo shouted, “Frauds, the woman who entered the box and the one who appeared above had different nail lengths. They are not the same person.”
His voice was loud, drawing the attention of many people around, including Mia and Elsa, who both looked at him, wondering what he would do next.
“You are mistaken,” the magician’s assistant glanced at Xu Mo and then ignored him, continuing to step into the box. The surrounding people remained indifferent.
“I bet there’s a mechanism under the box. Be careful, this is a child trafficking scheme,” Xu Mo said, seeing the situation. The crowd started whispering among themselves. The children’s parents couldn’t sit still any longer and rushed forward, with someone saying, “We don’t want to participate anymore, give us back our kids.”
The crowd began to stir. The faces of the magician and his assistants, hidden under their masks, turned extremely grim. It became hard for them to leave once exposed.
“Don’t listen to this kid’s nonsense. They’ll naturally reappear when the magic show ends,” the magician’s assistant said, trying to control his emotions.
“No, I want to see my child now.”
“That’s right, magician, let them appear now.”
Concerned for their children’s safety, how could they not be anxious? Even if Xu Mo was talking nonsense, they needed to see the results.
“Everyone, please step back,” the magician’s assistant stepped forward to push the crowd.
“What are you doing?”
“Could he be telling the truth? Magician, quickly bring out the kids,” voices shouted from the crowd below. People had extreme hatred for child trafficking.