I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

Lin Ye squatted in the lobby of Jiahe Auction House, staring at the customer service phone number on the bottom of the bottle, and remained silent for a full ten seconds.

Ten seconds isn't long.

But it's enough for a young man who has only recently made his fortune to rediscover the malice that comes from the world.

A certain arts and crafts factory in Jingdezhen.

Contact number: 400...

The string of numbers at the end is printed very clearly.

They were so clear-headed, as if they were afraid the buyer would have no recourse after the sale.

Lin Ye stared at it, with only one thought in his mind.

It looks quite professional.

The product he was scammed out of even had after-sales service.

Lu Zhixia stood to the side, not urging him.

She's probably seen too many scenes like this before.

Someone brought an heirloom porcelain bowl, only to find that the bottom of the bowl was marked "Microwave Safe".

Someone brought in an antique jade piece, only to find out it was made of resin.

Some people said it was a cup used by the emperor, but it turned out that the cup also had the hotel's logo on it.

Lin Ye originally thought that these ridiculous things were far removed from his own life.

Now he realizes it's not far.

He himself is a newly updated case study.

Lu Zhixia looked down at him.

"Do you see it clearly now?"

Lin Ye nodded slowly.

"Look carefully."

Lu Zhixia asked, "Do you want me to take another look?"

Lin Ye, clinging to his last shred of dignity, shook his head.

"No need, it has already proven its innocence."

Lu Zhixia glanced at him.

"clean?"

Lin Ye pointed to that line of text.

"Prove your innocence as a work of art."

Lu Zhixia's lips twitched slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

She didn't laugh out loud.

This high level of professionalism made Lin Ye feel even worse.

Sometimes you can get angry when others laugh at you.

If others don't laugh but remain silent, you'll have to face your own foolishness alone.

Lin Ye stood up and looked at the bottle.

Just now, when we were in Yunhu Community, it seemed like an opportunity for him to turn his life around and achieve financial freedom.

Looking at it now, its colorful bottle doesn't look like a national treasure at all.

It's definitely a modern work of art.

Lin Ye suddenly felt like slapping himself.

Of course, he held back.

Slapping yourself in public can easily make you seem crazy to others.

Lu Zhixia asked, "How much did you pay for it?"

Lin Ye has already said that once.

But hearing those words again still made his heart ache.

"Eighteen thousand."

Lu Zhixia remained silent for two seconds.

Lin Ye looked up at her.

"Say whatever you want to say."

Lu Zhixia spoke calmly.

"I reminded you yesterday."

Lin Ye nodded.

"That was a very accurate reminder."

Did you listen to it yesterday?

"I heard it."

"You listened to this and then spent 18,000 to buy it today?"

Lin Ye felt a little ashamed after being asked the question.

He wanted to explain.

For example, he originally planned to just look but not buy.

For example, the seller is in a very urgent position.

For example, Lu Zhixia didn't reply to the message in time.

For example, the phrase "eight million" would be too damaging to a newly graduated cemetery security guard.

But these so-called reasons are just excuses; the real reason is that he was too greedy.

In the end, Lin Ye only said one sentence: "I'm getting cocky."

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

This time, there was a genuine smile in her eyes.

"Your summary is very accurate."

Lin Ye sighed.

"Can this thing still be sold?"

Lu Zhixia looked down at the bottle.

"able."

Lin Ye's eyes lit up.

"How many can you sell?"

"It depends on who buys it."

"What about normal people buying it?"

"several hundred."

The light in Lin Ye's eyes went out.

Lu Zhixia delivered the final blow.

"If you really like this color, it might cost over a thousand."

Looking at the bottle, Lin Ye suddenly felt that even its color had become hateful.

I bought it for 18,000.

Normally it sells for several hundred.

This is no longer a matter of being cut in half.

This is a cut that starts from the neck.

He took a deep breath.

Can I get a refund?

Lu Zhixia asked, "Do you have a receipt?"

Lin Ye remained silent.

"no."

Did they promise it was genuine?

"no."

"Where's the chat history?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

He said it was from his dad's old collection.

Lu Zhixia nodded.

That doesn't count as a promise.

Lin Ye fell silent again.

This world is too rigorous.

He was so meticulous that even when he was scammed, he did it in a very legal way.

Lu Zhixia said, "You can take it back as a lesson."

Lin Ye looked at the bottle.

"Such a big lesson?"

"The bigger, the more eye-catching."

Lin Ye thought what she said made a lot of sense.

In the end, he still had the truck driver take the bottle back to Qingshan Cemetery.

It's not because I can't bear to part with it.

The main issue is that the item needs to be returned to Yunhu Community; the seller definitely won't refund the money.

I feel bad about throwing it away.

I only have a few hundred left after selling them, which hurts me even more.

It's better to keep it.

At least it's large in size, and having it in front of him can serve as a constant reminder not to be too greedy.

When the truck drove into Qingshan Cemetery, Uncle Zhao was sweeping up fallen leaves at the entrance.

He froze when he saw a large, colorful bottle being unloaded from the car.

"Xiao Lin."

"Why."

"Did you buy this?"

Lin Ye held the bottle, his expression somber.

"Um."

Uncle Zhao circled the bottle and looked at it.

"What's it for?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Warning education."

Uncle Zhao didn't understand.

"what?"

Lin Ye said earnestly, "Remind yourself to be down-to-earth and not be misled by money."

Uncle Zhao's gaze towards him became complicated.

"How much did you pay for it?"

Lin Ye was silent for a moment.

"Eighteen thousand."

Uncle Zhao almost dropped the broom in his hand.

He looked at the bottle, then at Lin Ye, and finally blurted out, "Your educational costs are quite high."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Premium Courses"

Uncle Zhao opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to persuade him to go to the hospital for a checkup.

But perhaps thinking that it was normal for a young person to be emotionally impacted by society after graduation, he simply patted him on the shoulder in the end.

"Buy less stuff in the future."

Lin Ye was very sincere.

"I definitely will in the future."

The bottle was eventually moved to the corner of the guard booth.

The guard booth was originally not very big.

With the addition of the large bottle, the space immediately became crowded.

It stood beside the table, brightly colored and upright.

Like an uninvited VIP.

After Lin Ye sat down, he could see its gaudy bottle as soon as he looked up.

Whenever he sees the bottle, he is reminded of the customer service number on the bottom.

He originally intended to tear off the label.

After thinking about it, I didn't tear it up.

Keep it.

This is the most painful part of the soul.

Night slowly fell.

When Lin Ye ate dinner, he didn't even add extra ham to his instant noodles.

The loss of 18,000 yuan caused his spending system to automatically downgrade.

He sat in the guard booth, looking at the bottle, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt it deserved a beating.

But it is porcelain after all.

Beating it up would only hurt yourself.

At midnight, the East District comes alive with activity.

Old Li spoke first.

"I thought of my stamp album again today."

Old Zhou immediately chimed in.

"Which day did you not think of it?"

Boss Wei laughed and said, "Old Li, that booklet of yours has probably changed hands several times already. Put it down."

Old Li retorted angrily, "What do you know? That's my life's work!"

Old Ma's voice quickly chimed in.

"What's a drop of blood? My Heart-Turning Vase is the real treasure. You just wait, my son will regret this sooner or later."

Lin Ye sat in the guard booth and slowly looked up.

coming.

The culprit is still speaking.

He looked at the bottle next to him.

If the dead could see the things of the living, he really wanted to move this bottle to Old Ma's grave so that he could confront the customer service representative face to face.

It's a pity Old Ma can't see it.

Not only can't they see it, but they also boast about it with great confidence.

"The glaze, shape, and overall style of that bottle are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Even experts would have to ponder it."

Boss Wei asked, "What are the experts thinking about?"

Principal Chen calmly replied, "They're probably figuring out where to buy it."

Boss Wei laughed loudly.

Old Ma was furious.

"Old Chen, stop being so sarcastic. One day, someone who knows what's good for you will show up."

Lin Ye glanced at the bottle.

Appeared.

I also paid 18,000.

He picked up his pen and wrote on the third page of his notebook:

Ma Chengde.

A Qianlong-era enamel revolving vase.

Actual: Modern handicrafts.

Cost: 18000.

Residual value: Approximately several hundred to one thousand.

Note: Extremely dangerous.

At the end, he added three more words.

Anti-floating bottle.

After writing those three words, Lin Ye felt inexplicably at ease.

Being scammed is an undeniable fact.

But at least I learned a lesson, and that somewhat mitigated the losses.

From then on, whenever he heard something like "eight million," "ten million," "national treasure," "ancestral heirloom," or "experts dare not recognize it," he would take a look at this bottle.

Look at its pattern.

Look at its color.

Look at the customer service number on the bottom of the bottle.

Then tell yourself.

Stay calm, stay composed, and don't get carried away.

The argument is still going on in the East District.

Old Ma insists that his bottle is a true national treasure.

Old Li insisted that the monkey stamp was the real deal.

Old Zhou insisted that snuff bottles were more reliable than any of them.

Boss Wei insisted on mocking everyone.

Principal Chen insisted on correcting every inaccurate expression.

Old Mrs. Zhao would occasionally deliver a fatal blow, each cut invisible yet deeply piercing.

As Lin Ye listened, he suddenly felt less upset.

He discovered that even the dead can be deceived.

Even the dead can be stubborn.

Even the dead can mistake fake things for real treasures; they were fooled while alive, and they're still not convinced when they're dead.

This actually offered him some comfort.

This at least proves that he wasn't the only stupid one.

At three o'clock in the morning, Lin Ye went out on patrol.

When I returned to the guard booth, the orange cat was squatting at the entrance, looking up at the bottle.

Lin Ye looked down at it.

"Hey Cat Bro, do you think it's fake too?"

The orange cat glanced at him, flicked its tail, and jumped up the steps.

It circled the bottle once, and finally raised its paw and gently scratched the bottle.

The bottle didn't move.

The orange cat seemed bored and jumped down and left.

Lin Ye watched its retreating figure, his feelings complicated.

He's not even interested in cats.

This thing really has no future.

As dawn approached, Uncle Zhao came to hand over the shift.

The first thing he saw when he entered was the bottle, and the second thing he saw was the dark circles under Lin Ye's eyes.

I saw the bottle again at first glance.

"Kobayashi, are you really going to leave it here?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"put."

Uncle Zhao asked, "Is it alright?"

Lin Ye looked at the bottle, his tone very serious.

"It's alright. It's useful."

Uncle Zhao examined the bottle for a long time.

"What's the use?"

Lin Ye picked up the notebook and pointed to the three words on it.

"Anti-drifting".

Uncle Zhao remained silent for a moment.

"What are you guarding against?"

"To prevent me from getting cocky."

Uncle Zhao seemed to understand, but not quite.

Finally, he sat down with his teacup in hand and remarked, "You young people even make decorative items with great meaning."

Lin Ye did not explain.

He carried his bag back to his dormitory to catch up on sleep.

Before leaving, he looked back at the bottle one last time.

Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on the bottle.

It's still flashy, still imposing, and still doesn't look real.

But Lin Ye suddenly realized that it wasn't entirely without value.

At least it taught him a lesson with its 18,000.

You can listen to what the dead say.

But you can't believe everything you hear.

Especially those who remain extremely confident even after death.