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

The laughter was very soft.

When Lin Ye heard this, his first reaction wasn't fear, but rather doubt that he had misheard.

After all, when people are stressed, their nerves automatically add drama to their lives.

A gust of wind blows, sounding like someone sighing.

The tree branch swayed, as if someone was waving.

Lin Ye stood in front of the first row of tombstones in the East District, his back gradually tensing up.

The wind passed through the pines and cypresses, the branches and leaves swayed gently, and the shadows fell on the ground, like a group of people bending over and looking ahead.

He slowly turned around.

There was nothing behind him.

Only rows of tombstones stood quietly in the night.

Things that appear solemn and dignified during the day lose their solemnity at night.

Especially the black and white photos on the tombstones.

Even if you don't look at it, it seems to be looking at you.

Look at it, and it seems to be looking at you.

Lin Ye gripped the stun gun tightly, trying to make himself look like a mature and reliable night shift security guard.

Although there are no spectators here.

If there were an audience, they probably wouldn't be alive.

He swallowed hard and tentatively called out, "Who is it?"

No one answered.

Only the sound of the wind.

Lin Ye called out again, "Is anyone there?"

As soon as he said it, he realized how stupid his question was.

There are people here, of course.

And there are quite a few of them.

It's just that it's not convenient for them to answer him right now.

He stood there for half a minute, but nothing happened.

Lin Ye began to comfort himself.

That must have been the sound of the wind.

When people are nervous, they tend to be suspicious and paranoid.

It's like being home alone in the middle of the night and always feeling like someone's in the closet.

Actually, when I opened it, there were only a few unwashed clothes inside.

Lin Ye took a deep breath, turned on his flashlight, and continued walking forward.

The eastern section of Qingshan Cemetery is an old cemetery area, with tombstones arranged in neat rows extending up the slope.

There is a small platform in front of each tomb.

Some were decorated with plastic flowers, some with unburnt paper money, and some offerings had been blown askew by the wind. An apple had rolled to the edge of the grass, revealing a piece of flesh that had been gnawed by insects.

Uncle Zhao had explained the patrol route to him during the day.

After leaving the security booth, first circle around the east area, then go to the south side to check the locks of Fushou Garden, and finally return along the main road.

The whole process takes about twenty minutes.

Uncle Zhao spoke very casually.

Like taking a walk after dinner.

But Lin Ye had been walking for less than five minutes when he started to reflect on why he hadn't gone to deliver the food.

Although delivering food involves being exposed to wind and sun, at least customers will say thank you.

The customer base here is very stable.

It's so stable that it doesn't even get negative reviews.

When Lin Ye reached the second row of tombstones, he suddenly stepped on something.

A snap.

He almost took off from the spot.

The flashlight swung, its beam sweeping across the black-and-white photograph on the nearby tombstone.

The old man in the photo has a kind smile on his face.

But when a person suddenly sees kindness at night, they usually don't feel warmth, but only a sense that their life is about to end.

Lin Ye looked down.

It was a piece of dead tree branch.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tree branches."

Lin Ye smiled at the tree branch.

After laughing, I realized how ridiculous I was, that I'd been startled by a tree branch.

He continued walking forward.

At the very back of the eastern section, there is a small pavilion, which is used by people visiting the graves to rest during the day.

At night, it looks like a place in a horror movie where someone is specifically set to have an accident.

Lin Ye originally wanted to avoid it.

The duty route map clearly states that the area around the East Pavilion needs to be patrolled.

He walked over with his flashlight, but the pavilion was empty, with only a few leaves on the stone benches.

Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from behind the pavilion.

This time, Lin Ye was definitely not the wind.

The wind won't crouch behind the pavilion and rummage through things.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

He turned on the stun gun in his hand, and a blue and white arc of electricity crackled and lit up.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the night.

Lin Ye mustered his courage and walked back.

"Who's there?"

The rustling sound stopped for a moment.

Then, an orange cat emerged from the bushes, carrying half a piece of pastry that it had somehow found in its mouth.

It looked up at the forest.

His gaze was very calm.

His calm demeanor was as if he were asking: "Are you here for the banquet too?"

Lin Ye stared at it for three seconds.

Finally, he quietly turned off the stun gun.

"Eat."

The orange cat ran off with the pastry in its mouth.

Lin Ye stood there, feeling that he had been both stupid and cowardly just now.

However, the appearance of this cat did make him relax a little.

The presence of cats means this place isn't as outrageous as it seems.

After all, cats are very pragmatic creatures.

Home is where there is food.

The fact that it dares to hang out here means there's no danger here.

Lin Ye walked back to the main road and took out his phone to check the time.

Twelve seventeen.

There was still more than half of the patrol to go.

The cell phone signal is only one bar.

He opened his WeChat Moments to see what others were doing.

Zhou Hang sent out the company's late-night overtime meal.

The photo shows three dishes and a soup, captioned: "A night of hard work."

Lin Ye looked down at the stun gun in his hand.

He is also working hard.

It's just that the work environment is rather unique.

His ex-girlfriend also posted an update.

It's a photo of a review notebook; the handwriting is beautiful, and there's a cup of coffee next to it.

The caption reads: Getting ashore is not the end, but a new beginning.

Lin Ye glanced at it for two seconds, then silently exited.

Some people start in the office.

For some, their journey begins in a cemetery.

It's nothing.

Life has different paths.

However, there were more spectators on his track.

Lin Ye put his phone back in his pocket and continued his patrol.

When we reached the boundary between the East and West sections, the wind picked up noticeably.

There is a narrow road here with a sign that reads: "Old Cemetery in the West District. Please do not enter if you are not here to pay respects."

During the day, Uncle Zhao specifically told me not to go west too often at night.

Lin Ye hadn't originally planned to go in.

But as the flashlight beam shone, he saw a bunch of white chrysanthemums lying on the roadside.

The flowers had wilted, and the wrapping paper had been blown open by the wind and was stuck next to the curb.

According to his job responsibilities, he should have picked it up and put it away properly.

He wanted to pretend he hadn't seen it.

Lin Ye stood at the intersection, engaging in a moral struggle for about three seconds.

In the end, professional ethics prevailed.

The main reason is that 3,800 won.

He walked over and bent down to pick up the flowers.

The moment my hand touched the wrapping paper, a gust of wind suddenly blew out from the depths of the western district.

The paper money hanging in front of the row of old graves rustled loudly in the wind.

Lin Ye froze.

The sound was so much like someone simultaneously flipping through a stack of papers.

He raised his flashlight and shone it over there.

The old cemetery in the west section is darker than that in the east section.

The tombstones were crooked, some of the inscriptions were blurred, and several old pine trees grew between the tombs, their roots making the paving stones uneven.

As the flashlight beam shone, one white tombstone after another emerged.

One by one, they sank back into the darkness.

Lin Ye suddenly understood why Uncle Zhao had said the road was bad.

The road here is indeed in bad condition.

It's especially unsuitable for someone like him who just started working and hasn't fully prepared himself mentally to leave.

He put the white chrysanthemum back on the roadside and turned to leave.

I had only taken two steps when I heard a snap behind me.

It looked like something had fallen to the ground.

Lin Ye did not turn around.

This is something only someone in a horror movie who wouldn't survive ten minutes would do.

He quickened his pace and headed towards the main road.

But then the sound rang out again.

pat.

This time it's closer.

Lin Ye began to feel uneasy.

Reason told him that it might be a branch, or it might be an offering blown down by the wind.

But his body told him that reason had little power on the cemetery night shift.

He walked even faster.

Finally, they almost started jogging.

When he rushed back to the main road in the East District, he realized he was covered in a cold sweat.

Lin Ye leaned against a street lamp, panting.

The streetlights were dim, and two flying insects were bumping around inside the lampshades.

After a half-minute pause, Lin Ye resumed his patrol.

The southern Fushou Garden is a newly built area with updated tombstones and better landscaping.

The atmosphere here is a bit lighter than in the East District.

At least there are surveillance cameras on the roadside.

When Lin Ye saw the surveillance camera, he actually felt like he was seeing a relative.

He stood under the camera and solemnly straightened his collar.

If something really happens, at least the surveillance footage can prove that he left in a relatively dignified manner.

The gates of Fushouyuan were securely locked.

Following Uncle Zhao's instructions, Lin Ye checked the door locks, registration board, and fire extinguisher box.

everything is normal.

These four words reassured him greatly.

He even wanted to go back to the security booth immediately and fill a whole page of the duty log with "everything is normal".

But the patrol route wasn't finished yet.

The return trip will take you through the other side of the East District.

That's closer to the tombstone.

Lin Ye walked back with the stun gun in his arms, constantly encouraging himself.

Lin Ye, don't be afraid.

You are a security guard.

You have a key, a flashlight, and a stun gun.

You have received higher education.

Even though I don't need it now, I can't accept it for nothing.

When Lin Ye reached the third row of the East Zone, he suddenly stopped.

In front of a tombstone, there was a half-empty bottle of liquor.

The bottle cap was unscrewed.

There was also a disposable cup next to it, with a little wine left in it.

He remembered Uncle Zhao saying that the sacrificial offerings should not be touched.

Of course he wouldn't move.

But the problem is, the cup moved.

It rolled slowly on the ground.

Very light, very slow.

It rolled from in front of the tombstone to the roadside.

Lin Ye stared at it, a chill running down his spine.

The wind was blowing from the side.

The paper money swayed gently.

He stood there for a full ten seconds before he noticed the orange cat crouching in the bushes beside him.

It stretched out its paw and scratched at the cup.

The cup rolled another circle.

Lin Ye almost knelt down before it.

"Cat Bro".

He lowered his voice.

"Could you please let me know before you start any activities in the future?"

The orange cat glanced at him, then turned and disappeared into the bushes.

That figure looked very composed.

Like a long-time employee who's become familiar with the cemetery.

Lin Ye was startled twice by a cat, and his mentality was starting to break down.

So he decided to speed up and end the patrol.

As long as he returns to the security booth, closes the door, turns on the light, and makes himself a bowl of instant noodles, he is still a complete modern young man.

Lin Ye walked back along the main road.

As we got closer to the security booth, the lights became visible.

That little bit of warm yellow light was especially precious in the night.

He was almost moved.

A person still needs light to live.

Where there is light, there is civilization.

Civilization brings a sense of security.

Just as he thought that, the light flickered.

Lin Ye stopped in his tracks.

The light in the security booth flickered again.

Then it returned to normal.

He stared at the lamp for a few seconds.

well.

Don't panic.

It's just that the wiring is old.

It's normal for cemetery facilities to be old and for voltage to be unstable.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from a nearby tomb.

"What a waste of money!"

The sound was very clear.

It was so clear it sounded like someone was whispering something in Lin Ye's ear.

He froze on the spot.

The stun gun almost slipped from his hand.

The voice cursed again.

He sold me my stamp album for only twelve yuan!

Lin Ye slowly turned his head to look in the direction from which the sound came.

The flashlight beam fell on a tombstone.

In the photo on the tombstone, an old man with white hair is looking at him with a stern face.

The next second, a slow, leisurely voice came from another grave nearby.

"Old Li, are you cursing your grandson again?"