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

The phone was disconnected.

Lin Ye stood in the security booth, his phone still pressed against his ear.

The screen showed that the call had lasted seventeen seconds.

Ning Zhi only said one sentence.

I think I saw Liu Nian.

Then came the man's voice.

"What are you doing standing there?"

Lin Ye immediately dialed back.

No one answered.

Dial again.

Still no one answered.

When he dialed for the third time, he realized that his palms were sweaty.

The lights in the guard booth were humming.

The wind outside the window hadn't stopped; pine branches were scraping against the glass, one stroke after another.

He cannot go out.

Tao Shuang's men are still guarding outside; someone just climbed over from the west side.

He's leaving the security booth now not to save someone, but to cause trouble for others.

The call finally went through.

No one spoke on the other end.

There was only the sound of the wind and distant car horns.

Lin Ye lowered his voice.

"Ningzhi?"

A few seconds later, Ning Zhi's voice came through the microphone.

"Don't shout."

Lin Ye immediately shut up.

There were sounds of fabric rubbing together on the other end of the phone, and the sound of a metal door being blown by the wind.

Clang.

Ning Zhi paused for a moment before saying, "I'm behind the east shed of the old furniture market."

"Are you alright?"

"Not at the moment."

"Who was that man just now?"

"I don't know him. I told him I was filming restaurant review videos, and he told me to get lost."

Lin Ye rubbed his temples.

This kind of excuse is something only she can make up.

"Stop following them now, find a place with lots of people and stay there."

"It's too late."

Lin Ye's mouth fell silent.

"What's so late?"

"Liu Nian was being followed."

There was another sound from the other end.

It looked like a metal frame had been hit.

Ningzhi's breathing became much lighter.

She was holding a red tube in her hands.

Lin Ye's fingers tightened instantly.

Are there any deer up there?

"I can't see clearly, the paint is peeling badly. She's covering it with her coat."

Lin Ye put his phone on speakerphone and placed it on the table.

While listening to Ning Zhi's conversation, he also sent messages to Gu Wantang.

Ningzhi is behind the east shed of the old furniture market in the north of the city.

Liu Nian appeared.

It appears to be a red painting tube.

Someone was following them.

Gu Wantang called soon after.

Lin Ye didn't answer.

He was afraid that if he cut it, Ningzhi's side would break again.

He only replied with two words.

During the call.

Gu Wantang quickly sent a message.

My people are nearby.

Keep her calm.

Don't let her go deep into the shed.

Lin Ye said into the phone, "Ning Zhi, Gu Wantang's people are nearby. Don't go any further in. Look for lights, security cameras, and crowded places."

Ningzhi's side went quiet for a moment.

"Did you tell her?"

"nonsense."

"She's quite quick."

"Now is not the time for you to gossip."

Ning Zhi chuckled softly.

After laughing, he fell silent again.

Lin Ye stared at his phone.

"Ningzhi?"

"I'm taking a picture."

"Are you still filming?"

"Since we're already here..."

Lin Ye almost crushed the phone.

The next second, Ningzhi sent a photo.

The photo is blurry.

A row of old wooden cabinets, with several old sofas piled up next to them.

There was a young girl at the very back.

He wore a baseball cap, a black face mask pulled down to his chin, and was holding a long tube in his arms.

The tube is red.

Paint peeling.

Near the bottom, there is a blurry yellow patch.

Lin Ye zoomed in on the photo.

Like half a fawn.

He passed it on to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang replied quickly.

Confirm the drawing tube.

Tell her not to touch it.

Just as Lin Ye was about to relay the message, Ning Zhi sent a second photo.

Two men entered through a side door of the used furniture market.

A gray jacket.

A black short-sleeved shirt.

The man in the gray jacket looked down at his phone, as if he were looking at a photo.

The man in the black short-sleeved shirt kept looking up at people.

Lin Ye also sent the photos to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang only replied with one sentence.

I saw it.

My men will be there in three minutes.

three minutes.

I usually just scroll through a few short videos and the time is up.

But now it's grown incredibly long.

Things suddenly got chaotic on Ningzhi's side.

Someone was dragging a plank.

Someone called on the boss to settle the accounts.

The beeping sounds of electric vehicles reversing were mixed in with the noise.

Ning Zhi lowered her voice and said, "Liu Nian saw them."

Did she run away?

"no."

"What is she doing?"

"They're coming this way."

Lin Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

Don't answer it.

"She's already here."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then, Lin Ye heard a very young female voice.

Are you a reporter?

Ning Zhi did not answer immediately.

The girl asked again, "Were you taking pictures of them just now?"

Ning Zhi asked, "Are you Liu Nian?"

The girl did not deny it.

She was breathing heavily.

"You just called Lin Ye?"

Lin Ye froze.

Ning Zhi also paused for a moment.

"Do you know him?"

"I don't know him."

Liu Nian spoke very quickly.

"Those two people mentioned him this afternoon. They asked my mom if she remembered Hongtong, and also said that Lin Ye from Qingshan Cemetery was looking for us. My mom's face changed when she heard that name."

Lin Ye didn't make a sound.

Someone used his name to scare Zhou Qin.

No wonder Liu Nian came over as soon as Ning Zhi called him.

Ning Zhi lowered her voice.

Where's your mom?

Liu Nian's breathing became erratic.

"It's gone."

"What do you mean by 'disappeared'?"

"After they left, my mom told me to pack my things quickly. She said to tell anyone who asked about the red bottle that it was lost. Later, I went out to buy water, and when I came back, the house had been ransacked, and she was gone."

There was a rustling sound of plastic bags on the other end of the phone.

Liu Nian seemed to be hugging something tightly.

"This is all I got."

Ningzhi asked, "Is there anything in the tube?"

"no."

Liu Nian's voice trembled slightly.

"It's always been empty."

Lin Ye was stunned.

Empty?

Ning Zhi also paused for a few seconds.

"Then why are you holding it?"

Liu Nian sniffed.

"My dad said that this is what people are looking for. When you really have nowhere to go, hold it in your arms, and at least no one will touch you right away."

Lin Ye felt a lump in his throat.

Liu Changhai is timid.

But he really did leave a way for his wife and daughter.

fool.

But it works.

Those people were looking for a painting tube.

Even if the painting tube is empty, it can buy some time.

The footsteps grew closer.

A man's voice rang out.

"Liu Nian".

The voice was not loud.

I could hear it very clearly over the phone.

"Stop hiding. Your mother is waiting for you."

Liu Nian's breathing became erratic.

Ning Zhi immediately said, "Don't believe it."

The man added, "Your mother has a heart condition. If you keep delaying, she won't be able to take it."

Lin Ye broke out in a cold sweat.

They knew Zhou Qin had a heart condition.

They also knew what Liu Nian was afraid of.

Ning Zhi held the microphone close to her ear, her voice very low.

"Lin Ye, did you hear that?"

"I heard you."

"Tell Gu Wantang's men to hurry up."

Lin Ye sent this message to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang replied.

They have already entered the east shed.

Let Ningzhi walk towards the center of the market.

Don't go to the parking lot.

Lin Ye immediately said, "Ning Zhi, walk towards the middle of the market, don't go to the parking lot."

There was no response on the other end of the phone.

The next second, the wooden frame collapsed.

With a loud bang.

Someone yelled, "Why are you running away!"

Liu Nian gave a short, sharp call.

Lin Ye suddenly stood up.

"Ningzhi!"

Hurried footsteps came from over there.

Ningzhi was panting, her voice broken and intermittent.

"She shoved the painting tube into my hand."

Lin Ye's vision went black.

"What did you say?"

"Liu Nian ran out. I'm holding the tube."

Lin Ye gritted his teeth.

Where are you now?

"Old sofa area".

"Don't hold it, put it down."

"Where should I put it?"

"Take the picture from anywhere: under the sofa, behind the cabinet, or anywhere else. Don't hold it in your hand."

The sound of fabric rubbing came from over there.

Ning Zhi muttered a curse in a low voice.

"There's dust everywhere under this sofa."

"Don't worry about the dust right now."

"My coat is brand new."

"Life is more valuable than a coat."

"They're all expensive."

Lin Ye almost laughed out of anger at her.

The fact that they can still joke around means things haven't gotten to the worst yet.

A few seconds later, Ningzhi said again, "The sticker is sticking up."

"What?"

"The little deer sticker at the bottom of the tube has one corner peeled off."

Lin Ye paused, taking a breath.

"Don't tear it."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Ningzhi whispered, "It's too late."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

This woman will get herself into the news sooner or later.

Ning Zhi's voice came through the microphone.

"I tore it in half and stuffed it in my pocket. I put the tube under the sofa."

Just as Lin Ye was about to speak, Ning Zhi suddenly stopped.

The footsteps drew closer.

A man asked, "What did you just take?"

Ning Zhi's voice immediately returned to normal.

"A cell phone."

"Anything else?"

Soy milk.

Lin Ye: "..."

She really does remember soy milk.

The man said coldly, "Open the bag."

Ningzhi smiled.

"Who are you? From the Market Management Office?"

"Open the package."

"What if I don't?"

The man didn't say another word.

A pulling sound came from the other end of the phone.

Ning Zhi let out a muffled groan.

The phone seemed to have fallen into a crack in the sofa, and the sound suddenly stopped.

Lin Ye gripped his phone, his entire body tense.

"Ningzhi?"

No one answered.

Only the man's impatient voice could be heard.

"I told you not to meddle in other people's business."

Immediately afterwards, another woman's voice rang out.

It's cold.

"Let go."

Lin Ye raised his head.

It's not Ningzhi.

It wasn't Liu Nian either.

It must be Gu Wantang's people.

The man asked, "Who are you?"

The woman said, "It's for you."

Then, the call was disconnected.

The guard booth fell silent immediately.

Lin Ye stood there for several seconds, holding his phone.

He didn't know how things were going in the north of the city.

I wonder if Ningzhi is alright.

I don't know if Liu Nian has escaped or not.

I wonder if anyone has found that empty painting tube.

He could only wait.

This kind of waiting is the hardest to endure.

When a dead person speaks, at least some keywords will be provided.

When a living person is in trouble, all you hear is a busy signal.

My phone finally vibrated.

Gu Wantang sent a message.

Ningzhi is fine.

Liu Nian ran away.

I got the painting tube.

Lin Ye had just breathed a sigh of relief when a second message popped up.

It's empty.

Lin Ye slowly sat back down in his chair.

empty.

Liu Nian was not lying.

The red deer-shaped painting tube was indeed empty.

What about those old scores?

Grandpa Gu said that Liu Changhai would not put anything dangerous out in the open.

Lin Ye looked at the line of text on the notebook.

Red tin painting tube.

Deer pattern.

He stared at it for a long time.

The pen tip stopped on the two characters "小鹿" (little deer).

If the item is not in the tube.

Could it be on the deer?

My phone vibrated again.

This time it's Ning Zhi.

She sent me a photo.

The photo was taken very close up.

It's a torn-off deer sticker.

The back of the sticker was covered in dust, and the edges were curled up.

A string of very small blue numbers is faintly visible in the middle.

Ningzhi sent a message.

I only tore off a tiny bit.