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

After Grandpa Gu said, "If A17 is exposed, Gu Mingyuan will definitely panic," no one in the East District responded for a long time.

Even Old Li has quieted down.

This is very unusual.

At this time of day, Old Li would usually be able to scold his grandson for everything from not visiting graves to drinking milk tea, and also complain about how the milk tea shop's cups are too small and the straws too thin.

Not tonight.

Boss Wei didn't interrupt.

A gust of wind slipped in through the crack in the security booth window, causing the page on the table to flutter slightly. Lin Ye pressed down on the notebook, staring at the "A17" he had just written, but didn't write anything for a long time.

Boss Wei finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Old Gu, don't just say he'll cause trouble. If he does cause trouble, who will he turn to first?"

Old Master Gu snorted coldly.

"Jiang Cheng."

Principal Chen immediately asked, "Which Jiang Cheng?"

"The lawyer the Gu family used to employ," Old Master Gu's voice deepened, "was dismissed after he started engaging in dishonest practices."

Old Zhou said slowly, "A lawyer's dishonesty is more frightening than a thief's."

Mr. Wei quickly replied, "At most, a thief will steal your wallet, but a lawyer can write a document stating that your wallet was a voluntary donation."

Principal Chen coughed.

"Don't generalize."

Boss Wei was annoyed with him: "Old Chen, you used to teach Chinese, you're not in charge of the judicial bureau. Why do you have to defend every industry?"

Principal Chen said calmly, "Language teachers especially cannot misuse concepts."

They started arguing again.

Lin Ye was writing with his head down.

Jiang Cheng.

The Gu family's former lawyer.

He was driven away by Old Master Gu.

This name doesn't sound like a good person.

Of course, such a judgment is hasty. But recently Lin Ye discovered that many things that seem wrong at first often turn out to be wrong later on.

Grandpa Gu continued, "Jiang Cheng made several dual contracts for Gu Mingyuan back then. I didn't expose him on the spot because I wanted to see how far Gu Mingyuan could go. Later, Jiang Cheng got bolder and forged seals to divert project funds to shell companies outside."

The East District fell silent for a moment.

Old Li whispered, "Forged seal? Aren't we going in?"

This time, Principal Chen didn't correct him, but only said, "The nature of this matter is very serious."

Upon hearing this, Boss Wei chuckled: "Old Chen's lack of lengthy explanation means it's really serious."

Old Master Gu's voice was cold.

"I kept a copy back then. He thought I didn't know."

Lin Ye paused for a moment while holding the pen.

Jiang Cheng.

Private seal.

Shell company.

Leave the bottom.

He stared at the few lines of text for a while, and suddenly felt that this five-yuan notebook was not worthy of containing these things.

The bottom right corner of the cover also bears the inscription: "Strive every day."

Lin Ye found it increasingly ironic the more he looked at it.

He is indeed trying.

The direction of our efforts is becoming increasingly drastic.

Grandpa Gu added, "If Gu Mingyuan finds out that A17 has been found, he won't go to Wan Tang first. He'll go to Jiang Cheng first."

Boss Wei asked, "Why?"

Old Zhou said, "Just patch up the hole."

"Yes," said Grandpa Gu. "He needs to know first whether the will can be delayed, whether it can be revised, and whether he can disrupt the person who found the pocket watch."

Lin Ye paused, his pen poised.

The person who found the pocket watch.

Although no names were mentioned, he felt as if those words were stuck to his forehead.

Boss Wei clicked his tongue.

"Whoever found them is unlucky enough. They had no choice but to get involved in the Gu family's mess."

Old Li said, "To be involved in a wealthy family's will, one's birth chart must be extraordinary."

Principal Chen thought for a moment: "It could also be just a chance intervention."

Lin Ye nodded silently in his heart.

Correct.

accidental.

It's just that he's been doing it rather frequently lately.

Grandpa Gu didn't dwell on the topic, only saying, "And there's Accountant Liu."

Grandma Zhao asked, "And who is Accountant Liu?"

"He used to manage the accounts for the Gu family's cultural and tourism business." Old Master Gu's tone was a little disdainful. "He wasn't very bold, nor was he particularly greedy, but he had a problem with bookkeeping."

Boss Wei became interested: "What's wrong?"

"I like to keep a copy for myself."

The East District was quiet for a second.

Old Zhou laughed: "That's a good habit."

Boss Wei laughed and said, "This isn't a problem, it's a gift from God."

Principal Chen said earnestly, "From an auditing perspective, retaining original records does indeed help to trace the flow of funds."

Boss Wei sighed, "Look, the moment you speak, even the God of Wealth seems to be attending a training course."

Lin Ye circled the three characters "Accountant Liu".

Gu's Cultural Tourism.

Old debts.

Keep one for yourself.

As he wrote this, he looked up and glanced out the window.

In the eastern section, rows of tombstones stood in the night, the shadows of pine trees swaying gently in the wind. When he first came to Qingshan Cemetery, he thought it was scary enough that the graves could talk.

Now I realize that what's scary isn't dead people talking.

It was said by the dead, but actually done by the living.

Around 3 a.m., the eastern district gradually quieted down.

Grandpa Gu did not speak again.

Lin Ye looked at the two names on the notebook, feeling no sleepiness at all.

Jiang Cheng.

Accountant Liu.

One of them is someone Gu Mingyuan might go to.

One is the debt left by Old Master Gu.

He can't touch those two lines himself. If he does, his hand might get caught.

But if we don't speak up, it will be too late once Gu Mingyuan has made his move.

He opened his phone and stared at Gu Wantang's number for a long time.

Sending a message at this time feels like harassment.

But it's clear that the Gu family doesn't only do bad things during working hours.

Lin Ye hesitated for a moment, and finally sent only three words.

Cha Jiangcheng.

Then I added another sentence.

Don't ask where it comes from.

After sending the message, he placed his phone face down on the table.

Less than a minute later, my phone vibrated.

Gu Wantang replied: Which Jiang Cheng?

Lin Ye dragged the notebook in front of him and replied according to the words on it:

The Gu family's former lawyer. He was dismissed by Mr. Gu. This may be related to forging official seals.

Gu Wantang didn't reply for several minutes this time.

understood.

Lin Ye stared at those three words and slowly exhaled.

She didn't ask about the source.

good thing.

This at least shows that Gu Wantang has begun to accept this somewhat abnormal way of cooperating.

She was in charge of the investigation.

He was responsible for generating a few keywords that would suddenly pop up in the middle of the night.

opaque.

But it works well.

As dawn approached, Lin Ye fell asleep on the table.

I couldn't sleep soundly.

In his dream, Gu Mingyuan sat outside the security booth and asked him gently, "Mr. Lin, do you sell instant noodles?"

Lin Ye said, "Five yuan."

Gu Mingyuan smiled and said, "I'll offer five million for your notebook."

Just as Lin Ye was about to say he wouldn't sell, the anti-floating bottle on the table suddenly rolled off, its bottom facing up, revealing the customer service phone number of the craft factory.

He woke up on the spot.

Uncle Zhao was standing in front of him, holding a teacup.

"Kobayashi, what did you just say about not selling?"

Lin Ye wiped his face.

"dream."

Uncle Zhao glanced at him twice.

"Did you dream about the coffee shop owner again?"

"It's more serious than that."

Uncle Zhao paused for a moment.

"Family-oriented?"

Lin Ye remained silent.

Uncle Zhao put his teacup on the table and sat down.

"I saw the Gu family's car bring you back last night."

Lin Ye was taken aback: "You didn't sleep last night?"

"I live in the duty room, and I came out to take a look when I heard the car."

Uncle Zhao looked at him without saying a word for a long time.

Lin Ye felt a little guilty under his gaze.

Uncle Zhao sighed, "Xiao Lin, I'm not trying to interfere. But what you've been through these past few days is more than just picking up a few old things."

Lin Ye nodded: "I know."

"Knowing is one thing, but when something really happens, knowing is useless."

Uncle Zhao lowered his voice, "The Gu family are the kind of people who talk a good game on the surface, but they'll do anything behind the scenes. Don't try to tough it out on your own."

Lin Ye wanted to say that he hadn't stubbornly endured it.

But he swallowed the words back down his throat.

He just came out of the Gu family's conference room yesterday.

Besides, not putting up a fight would be a bit shameless.

Uncle Zhao pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, on which a phone number was written.

"Old Wang's phone call."

"Who is Old Wang?"

"He used to work as a security guard at a cemetery, and later drove a taxi for the night shift. He's quick-witted, keeps his mouth shut, and knows the city like the back of his hand. If you feel something's wrong in the middle of the night, call him and have him come pick you up."

Lin Ye took the paper.

The corners of the paper were slightly curled, but the numbers were written very clearly.

He suddenly found himself speechless.

Uncle Zhao is usually sharp-tongued, but when it comes to a real matter, he doesn't utter a single unnecessary word.

Lin Ye carefully put the paper away.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao."

Uncle Zhao waved his hand: "It's better for you to cause me less trouble than to thank me."

"As much as possible."

Uncle Zhao glanced at him and said, "The word 'try your best' sounds like it's all nonsense."

At 10 a.m., Lin Ye had just returned to his dormitory and hadn't even had a chance to lie down when Gu Wantang called.

Her voice was still cold, but this time it was noticeably faster.

"Jiang Cheng has found it."

Lin Ye sat up abruptly.

"Does this person really exist?"

"Yes. I did work as a legal advisor for the Gu family before, but I left six years ago. They said it was for personal development."

"What about in reality?"

"The matter of forging seals is still under investigation. But he is currently in contact with Gu Mingyuan."

Lin Ye's fingers tightened.

"When did you contact them?"

"last night."

As soon as those two words were uttered, Lin Ye's back slowly tensed up.

Grandpa Gu was right.

After seeing A17, Gu Mingyuan really went to find Jiang Cheng first.

Gu Wantang continued, "After leaving the old house, Gu Mingyuan didn't return home but went to a teahouse in the south of the city. Jiang Cheng was waiting for him there."

Lin Ye didn't respond for a moment.

He can't very well say, "Your grandfather guessed perfectly."

Gu Wantang asked, "How do you know Jiang Cheng?"

Lin Ye remained silent.

The other end of the phone went quiet.

After a few seconds, Gu Wantang didn't press further, only saying, "Never mind. Where are you now?"

"dormitory."

"Don't run around today."

Just as Lin Ye was about to respond, a very soft notification sound came from the other end of the phone.

Gu Wantang seemed to have received some news.

A few seconds later, her voice became even colder.

"Someone is checking your employment records, rental history, and the routes you frequently take."

Lin Ye looked down at the pair of slippers by the bed.

For some reason, he suddenly felt that even slippers weren't safe anymore.

"Miss Gu."

"explain."

"Are all wealthy families this efficient at investigating people?"

Gu Wantang paused for a moment.

"Gu Mingyuan is not the highest."

Lin Ye: "..."

Thank you.

I felt even more uneasy.

Gu Wantang said, "I'll have someone keep an eye on you. You go to work as usual, but don't meet with strangers alone. If anyone asks about the Gu family, don't answer."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Where are the reporters?"

"Ningzhi?"

Lin Ye was stunned: "You know her?"

"She called the Gu family's receptionist last night."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

it is good.

Ning Zhi wasn't idle either.

Gu Wantang said, "If she comes looking for you, don't tell anyone about the pocket watch and Uncle Chen."

"Then what should I say?"

"Tell me you don't know."

"She won't believe it."

That's her business.

Lin Ye really wanted to say that in the end, it would most likely become his problem.

But Gu Wantang had already hung up the phone.

Lin Ye lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds.

He was so sleepy.

But I can't sleep.

Gu Mingyuan is investigating him.

Ning Zhi is investigating the Gu family.

Gu Wantang is investigating Jiang Cheng.

Grandpa Gu was announcing his name in the grave.

He, a cemetery night shift security guard who had just graduated, was caught in the middle and couldn't even sleep soundly during his afternoon nap.

Lin Ye pulled the blanket over his head.

Just as I put the cover on, my phone rang again.

He held the phone up to his eyes.

Two words on the screen.

Ningzhi.

Lin Ye stared at it for five seconds, then accepted it.

"Feed".

Ningzhi looks very energetic.

"Lin Ye, did you go to the Gu family's house last night?"

Lin Ye stared at the ceiling.

"no."

Ning Zhi chuckled: "I haven't said which Gu family yet."

Lin Ye: "..."

mistake.

He sat up and rubbed his temples.

"Reporter Ning, I just finished my night shift and I'm very tired."

"Then I'll make it short."

"You'd better keep it to a single word."

Ningzhi ignored him.

"Has something happened within the Gu family?"

"have no idea."

"Has Gu Wantang obtained new evidence?"

"have no idea."

Were you there too?

"have no idea."

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the phone.

Ningzhi said, "Your language system is quite limited today."

"Sleepy."

"Then let me rephrase my question." Ning Zhi lowered her voice slightly, "Lin Ye, are you aware that Gu Mingyuan's people are investigating you?"

Lin Ye paused, his fingers moving slightly.

This time he sat up straight.

How did you know?

Ningzhi smiled.

"You see, you know."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

I've been trapped again.

Ning Zhi continued, "Someone contacted a colleague of mine, asking if any reporters had recently contacted Lin Ye at Qingshan Cemetery. The price offered wasn't low."

Lin Ye was fully awake.

"Are you traveling with me?"

"right."

"He said it?"

"I said so."

Lin Ye: "..."

Ningzhi added, "He said I've had contact with you."

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

"Is the confidentiality of your journalistic circle really that bad?"

Ning Zhi said matter-of-factly, "He doesn't know that I'm familiar with you."

"We're not familiar with each other."

"We're familiar with each other now," Ning Zhi said lightly. "See, if you're in trouble, I'll let you know first."

Lin Ye was unsure whether to thank her or hang up.

Ningzhi said, "Let's meet tonight."

"not see."

"I'll tell you who's investigating you."

"No need, I have a general idea."

"Then I'll tell you who Gu Mingyuan met last night."

Lin Ye stopped.

Trouble.

He already knew it was Jiang Cheng.

You can't act like you know.

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

What do you want?

Ning Zhi chuckled: "Finally, you've gotten smarter."

"Don't praise me, I'm scared."

"I want to know how much you were involved in the Gu family's will."

Lin Ye immediately said, "I don't get involved in the affairs of wealthy families."

"Then why are they investigating you?"

Lin Ye said, "Maybe I look more like someone who knows the inside story."

Ning Zhi was silent for a second, then burst out laughing.

"Lin Ye, your mouth will get you killed sooner or later."

"I think so too."

"At 7 p.m., at the soy milk shop outside Qingshan Cemetery."

Lin Ye frowned: "Why a soy milk shop?"

"Didn't you say coffee wasn't for you?"

Lin Ye: "..."

This woman has an annoyingly good memory.

He was about to refuse when Ning Zhi hung up the phone.

Lin Ye sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, holding his phone.

The sky outside the window was overcast.

What he wants most right now is neither to get rich nor to break the deadlock.

It's time to sleep.

Unfortunately, no one gave him that opportunity.

At 6:30 p.m., Lin Ye returned to Qingshan Cemetery.

Uncle Zhao was smoking at the entrance of the security booth.

Upon seeing him, I asked, "Are you asleep?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

"I couldn't sleep."

Uncle Zhao looked at his face.

"His face looks like he just crawled out of a grave."

Lin Ye sighed.

"Uncle Zhao, this metaphor is unlucky in our workplace."

Uncle Zhao put out his cigarette.

Are you going out at seven o'clock?

Lin Ye was taken aback: "How did you know?"

Uncle Zhao gestured with his chin towards the door.

"A girl just came up to you and asked if you were going to work. She was carrying a bag, and her eyes were quite bright; she was definitely not someone to be trifled with."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

Ningzhi.

Just in time.

He picked up his phone and glanced at the anti-flood bottle one last time before leaving.

The anti-floating bottle is placed in the corner of the security booth, still looking as gaudy as ever.

Lin Ye walked over and gently patted the bottle.

"I'm just going to get some soy milk."

He said, "Nothing should go wrong."

Uncle Zhao remarked detachedly from the side, "You said the same thing about coffee last time."

Lin Ye's hand stopped in mid-air.

Makes sense.

He quietly moved the anti-flood bottle to the center of the table.

"Then you calm things down for me."

Uncle Zhao looked at him.

"Xiaolin, your condition is becoming more and more stable now."

Lin Ye did not refute.

It wasn't completely dark when he left the cemetery.

The soy milk shop is right across from the cemetery.

Several plastic tables were set up at the entrance, and the proprietress was taking fried dough sticks out of the pan. The oil sizzled and steam rose out, while two old men nearby were arguing about whether today's soy milk was thinner than yesterday's.

Ningzhi sat at the innermost table, with two cups of soy milk in front of her.

She waved to the woods.

"here."

Lin Ye went over and sat down.

"You asked me to have soy milk at the entrance of a cemetery? Don't you think that's a bit odd?"

Ningzhi pushed one of the cups towards him.

"It's more normal for someone like you, a cemetery security guard, to come and go as you please."

Lin Ye paused, holding the soy milk.

Ningzhi looked at him with a smile.

"Lin Ye, after the Gu family meeting last night, someone paid to investigate you."

She took a photo out of her bag and placed it on the table.

The photo is a bit blurry.

But what is clearly visible is Gu Mingyuan coming out of the side door of the teahouse.

A middle-aged man was standing next to him.

He wears glasses, a suit, and is rather thin.

Ningzhi pointed at that person.

"Jiang Cheng. He used to be the Gu family's legal advisor."

Lin Ye stared at the photo without saying a word.

He couldn't show too much surprise.

We shouldn't be too unsurprised.

It's hard.

Ningzhi leaned forward slightly.

"What's strange is that Jiang Cheng was reported three years ago for forging contracts and helping people transfer assets."

Lin Ye looked up.

Ningzhi stirred the soy milk with a straw.

"The materials submitted to report the incident were later lost."

She lowered her voice.

"The whistleblower is gone too."

Lin Ye's fingers slowly tightened.

Outside the small shop, the evening breeze blew in from under the row of pine trees in the cemetery.

The proprietress called out from in front of the fryer, "Two fried dough sticks are ready!"

The two old men were still arguing about whether the soy milk was too thin or not.

Despite being surrounded by the sounds of living people, Lin Ye suddenly felt a chill in his ears.

He originally thought Jiang Cheng was just someone Gu Mingyuan had brought in to patch up the mess.

It now appears that someone may have been buried under this hole.