This detective mystery novel blends suspense, science fiction, and horror. The story revolves around a luxury sightseeing train that runs between the capital and the seaside. Its seventh VIP carriage mysteriously disappears once a week, but in reality, it is being diverted into an underground artificial world called the “Demon’s Lair.” The Lair’s controller, a mutant known as the Madman, plans to rule the world by creating copies of important figures around the globe and replacing them. The protagonist, Allen, takes the train in place of his friend Zhao Hongyi and accidentally gets caught up in the conspiracy. When the train stops because of a malfunction in a tunnel, the seventh carriage sinks underground, and its passengers are replaced with clones. Allen escapes because his identity does not match the records, and resolves to destroy the Lair and rescue the real people. As the story unfolds, Allen sets out to track down the clones around the globe, facing one crisis and moral dilemma after another as he uncovers a shocking conspiracy that threatens the balance of power worldwide.
The novel is divided into three volumes, each focusing on a different stage of the story, from the initial discovery to the global struggle and rescue mission.
Volume Breakdown
Volume One: Awakening from the Abyss
Follows Allen’s accidental entry into the Lair, his discovery of the conspiracy and escape, and his initial investigation after returning to the surface.
Volume Two: Pursuit in the Shadows
Allen joins forces with allies to track down the clones around the globe, faces the mutant forces’ counterattack, and delves deeper into the Lair’s origins and ambitions.
Volume Three: Light at the End
In the climax, Allen and his team launch their final operation to rescue the real people held captive and dismantle the clone network, while confronting the moral and social repercussions.
