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

The announcement ended, and the platform fell completely silent.

Zhou Qiming stood behind Lin Ye, his face pale.

"elder brother."

"Um."

"May I go now?"

Do you think the door can close?

Zhou Qiming glanced back.

The car door was wide open.

He reached out and pressed the close button twice.

no response.

"Hold."

Cheng Fang's voice came through the earphones.

"Lin Ye, what's the situation on your end?"

"The door is open."

"Are you kidding me? The driver's side indicator shows all doors are closed."

Lin Ye looked up.

"Where's the train?"

"Running normally, just past the midpoint of the interval."

"I'm parked here."

There was a moment of silence on Cheng Fang's end.

"Don't wander off."

The seven people on the platform moved.

The man at the front took a step forward.

The broken helmet was tilted to one side on his head, and half of his face was covered in grime.

"one."

The second person followed.

"two."

They didn't look at Lin Ye, nor at Zhou Qiming.

They just mechanically kept moving forward.

An announcement would sound every time someone walked out.

"three."

"Four."

"five."

Up to the seventh person.

The sound stopped.

Lin Ye heard the eighth set of footsteps.

Hey.

Hey.

It's very light.

Not in sight.

From the very back of the platform.

He turned his head to the side.

At the end of the gate stood a rusty iron gate with a faded sign hanging on it.

Maintenance channel.

The eighth step is behind the door.

"You saw them yesterday too?" Lin Ye asked.

Zhou Qiming nodded quickly.

"I saw it."

"several times?"

"What do you mean, 'a few times'?"

"These seven people."

Zhou Qiming was taken aback.

"Several times, I think."

"Is it always like this?"

"almost."

He pointed to the platform.

"Come out, line up, and then announce over the loudspeaker that the number of people is incorrect."

"And then what?"

Zhou Qiming hadn't spoken yet.

A loud bang suddenly came from deep within the platform.

boom!

It looked like something had completely collapsed.

All seven workers turned around at the same time.

Someone shouted.

"run!"

The lights went out.

The entire platform was plunged into darkness in an instant.

Zhou Qiming was so frightened that he grabbed Lin Ye's arm.

"that's all!"

"Let go."

"I'm afraid you'll get lost!"

"I'm still alive."

The darkness lasted only a few seconds.

Snapped.

The lights came back on.

The platform has been restored to its original state.

The seven people who had just approached the end have returned to the end.

Old uniform.

helmet.

Covered in dust.

Even their positions are exactly the same.

The broadcast started.

"Recount."

Zhou Qiming cursed under his breath.

"here we go again."

Lin Ye glanced at the time.

From the last broadcast to the lights coming back on.

Forty-seven seconds.

It was exactly those extra forty-seven seconds from last night.

He pressed down on the earphones.

"Cheng Fang."

"explain."

"It's looping here."

"how long?"

"Forty-seven seconds."

"Same as last night?"

"Um."

Lin Ye looked at the maintenance door.

The eighth footstep sounded.

This time he heard it much more clearly.

Each of the seven footsteps carried a faint fluctuation of lingering soul energy.

There was none behind the door.

The only sound was the soles of shoes scraping against the cement floor.

It's like being frozen in a certain moment.

Repeat it over and over again.

Cheng Fang asked, "Can it be returned?"

Lin Ye turned around.

The car door was right behind me.

One step away.

He reached out and grabbed Zhou Qiming by the collar, pushing him into the carriage.

"Go in."

Zhou Qiming staggered two steps.

"And what about you?"

"Sit inside."

"Brother, don't scare me."

"I don't have time to scare you."

Lin Ye pointed to the innermost seat.

"Don't get out of the car, no matter what noise you're being called."

"Where are you going?"

Lin Ye looked toward the maintenance gate.

"Find the eighth one."

Zhou Qiming opened his mouth.

In the end, we obediently went inside.

Be careful.

Lin Ye has already stepped onto the platform.

Cheng Fang cursed into the earphone.

"Didn't I just tell you not to wander around?"

"The missing person has boarded the bus."

"That's why you should come back."

"Seven people are standing outside, and eight people are taking attendance."

Lin Ye walked forward.

"The eighth one is behind the door."

Cheng Fang paused for two seconds.

"Sure?"

I heard footsteps.

"Alive?"

"It doesn't look like it."

Lin Ye walked to the gate.

The door was welded shut.

The weld joint was old, and it was sealed with another layer of concrete.

He reached out and knocked.

thump.

It's very empty inside.

The eighth footstep came from deeper within.

Hey.

Hey.

Arrive at a certain location.

stop.

Then something hit the metal.

when.

Then, everything started anew.

Lin Ye looked down at the time.

The second round has ended.

Thirty-nine seconds.

He frowned.

"It's gotten faster."

Cheng Fang immediately asked, "What's gotten faster?"

"cycle."

The first round lasted forty-seven seconds.

In the second round, only thirty-nine remained.

The seven people on the platform reappeared.

The broadcast didn't give him much time either.

"one."

"two."

"three……"

Lin Ye crouched down and looked around the iron gate.

The entire wall must not be moved.

If we really blast this place open, who knows if we'll collapse the abnormal space as well?

The door can only be opened.

He placed his hand near the door lock.

Ling Ting drew the spirit inward.

Metal welds, reinforcing bars, concrete.

The sound was separated into layers.

After being cleansed by the spiritual essence, he heard the structure inside a door so clearly for the first time.

The top left corner is welded shut.

Central reinforcement.

The actual load-bearing component is the horizontal steel bolt on the right side.

"Found it."

Cheng Fang heard it.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Open the door."

"How do I open it?"

Lin Ye raised his fist.

"Knock once."

"You'd better just do it once."

"rest assured."

"I'm most worried when you say you're at ease."

Lin Ye ignored him.

The third round of broadcasting has begun.

"The number of people is incorrect."

"Recount."

The cycle is accelerating.

Thirty-three seconds.

Lin Ye waited until the footsteps behind the door reached the end.

when!

The instant the metallic clanging sound rang out, he punched the right side of the door lock.

There was only one muffled thud outside.

The shockwave, however, seeped into the door panel.

Click.

The horizontal steel bolt inside is broken.

The iron gate popped open a crack.

Lin Ye kicked it away.

A musty, dusty smell wafted out.

Behind the door is a narrow construction passage.

There are no lights.

The yellow warning sign from more than 20 years ago still hangs on the wall.

"No entry."

Lin Ye turned on his flashlight.

The eighth step is just ahead.

Hey.

Hey.

He followed the sound inside.

The platform announcements behind me were still playing.

"six."

"seven."

My steps finally stopped at the corner of the passage.

Lin Ye turned around.

A collapsed concrete beam lay across our path.

A rusted safety helmet was visible behind the beam.

Next, continue.

It's human bones.

A complete human skeleton.

He was still wearing his old construction work clothes.

A metal tag was hanging from his waist.

Lin Ye squatted down and wiped off the dust.

Zhao Anhe.

The name is the same as the one on the accident attendance sheet.

found it.

The eighth person never left the construction area.

Just as Lin Ye was about to notify Cheng Fang, another voice suddenly appeared in Ling Ting's ears.

rustle.

It came from the left hand of the skeleton.

There was a deformed metal toolbox lying there.

Lin Ye moved the cement fragments aside and lifted the lid of the box.

The tools inside were already rusted.

At the very bottom, however, was a sealed document bag.

The plastic has turned yellow, but the seal is still on.

The forest was torn open.

Inside are several construction records.

The first one has the date written on it.

Below are only a few lines of hastily written text.

He stopped scanning the second line.

At 22:41, the main support column was found to have shifted again, and an evacuation request was made.

The work area refused to stop work.

The third line is written in heavier weight.

The ink even tore the paper.

At 23:06, the west evacuation gate was locked in advance.

Outside the platform.

The broadcast resumed.

This time, only twenty-seven seconds had passed since the last round.

"The number of people is incorrect."

"One more is needed."