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

Lin Ye still couldn't fall asleep.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his phone pressed against his ear, with one slipper upright and the other askew beside him.

Ning Zhi lowered her voice on the other end of the phone.

She asked the boss which bus to take to Qingshan Cemetery.

Lin Ye rubbed his face.

"Liu Nian?"

"Hmm. Baseball cap, black jacket, holding a bottle of mineral water."

Where are you?

"In the car."

Are the car doors locked?

Ning Zhi paused for a second.

"What do you take me for?"

Lin Ye didn't say anything.

Ningzhi took over the task herself.

"Locked."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

Gu Wantang's people still have a good understanding of Ning Zhi.

"Who took the photo?"

"My colleague."

Ning Zhi's voice was a little softer.

"He saw Liu Nian walking towards the old train station in the back alley of the old furniture market, but didn't dare to follow too closely. Later, he waited for him near the Shunmin Hotel."

"Don't let him get close."

"I know."

"Don't tell him to come any closer."

"Linye."

Ning Zhi's tone turned a bit cold.

"I'm a journalist, not a bandit."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"You looked quite like that when you were rushing to take a picture of the license plate yesterday."

Ningzhi hung up the phone.

It was hung up very neatly.

Lin Ye looked at the screen and actually relaxed a little.

The fact that she can still get angry means she's okay.

Less than half a minute later, Gu Wantang called.

Lin Ye picked up.

"I really didn't sleep."

There was a moment of silence on Gu Wantang's end.

"Liu Nian wants to see you."

"I've heard about it."

"Tao Shuang will take her to the entrance of the cemetery. You only go to the entrance, do not enter the west section."

Lin Ye looked out the window.

The dormitory curtains weren't fully drawn, and daylight leaked in through the gaps, casting a pale white line on the wall.

"What if she insists on going to the West End?"

"stop."

"Miss Gu, her mother is missing. She was chased all night. There's a high chance she won't obediently stand at the door and give her last words just because you stopped her."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Gu Wantang asked, "Are you a psychologist?"

Lin Ye fell silent.

Of course not.

He was just a cemetery security guard who hadn't slept well for two days in a row and whose mental state was increasingly resembling that of someone trying to prevent a bottle from floating in the air.

Gu Wantang said, "You can see her, but not alone. Tao Shuang and Uncle Zhao are both here. She needs to confirm the route is safe before she can enter the West District."

Aren't you coming?

"I'm on my way to see Liu Jiankun's younger brother."

Lin Ye, sit up straight.

"Any news?"

"not yet."

Gu Wantang paused for a moment.

"I have news for you. Don't try to be a hero on your end."

Lin Ye glanced at the slippers beside his feet.

"I'm not even wearing shoes right now, so I can't pull it off."

The phone hangs up.

When Lin Ye was changing his clothes, he discovered that one button on his shirt was wrong.

He looked down for three seconds but couldn't find a solution.

Anyway, his face now looks like he's just escaped from a disaster, even when he's wearing a suit.

The buttons are correct, there's not much difference.

When we arrived at the security booth, Uncle Zhao was sitting at the entrance smoking.

Upon seeing him, Uncle Zhao looked up.

"Didn't I tell you to sleep?"

"Going to sleep."

"A few minutes?"

"Even five minutes can be considered a form of sleep."

Uncle Zhao put out his cigarette.

"Are there more people from the Gu family here?"

Lin Ye nodded.

Uncle Zhao didn't ask any more questions and moved the thermos to the side.

"I've checked the west section. I covered the area that was trampled on last night with bricks. I've also called someone to repair the drainage ditch."

"Has the management finally agreed to make repairs?"

"I told them that if we don't fix it soon, reporters will come and film us."

Uncle Zhao glanced at him.

"It's more effective than me saying ten things about safety hazards."

Lin Ye knew without even thinking who the reporter was.

Ningzhi is now at Qingshan Cemetery, almost becoming a talisman against evil spirits.

Not long after, a black car stopped at the entrance of the cemetery.

Tao Shuang got off the bus first.

Then there's Liu Nian.

Liu Nian is thinner than she appears in the photos.

The baseball cap was pulled low, the mask hung on one side, and the chin was extremely sharp.

She didn't have a red paint tube in her hand, but was clutching a bottle of mineral water.

The bottle had been crushed.

After getting out of the car, she first looked at the cemetery gate.

Then I looked at Lin Ye.

"You're Lin Ye?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"I am."

Liu Nian stared at him for a few seconds.

There was no trust in her eyes.

Only the vigilance of being on the verge of collapse.

"My mom said you might know the way."

Lin Ye slowed his tone.

"What road?"

Liu Nian didn't answer, but turned to look at the west district.

"I want to go over there."

Tao Shuang stopped her directly.

"no."

Liu Nian's hands clenched tightly.

The mineral water bottle made a click.

"My mom said that if we can't keep the red tubes, we should come here."

Her voice trembled.

"She said that if there was nowhere else to go, she would go to the old cemetery in the west."

Uncle Zhao hadn't said anything at first.

Upon hearing "the old cemetery in the western district," his face darkened.

"Who told you about the old cemetery in the west wing?"

Liu Nian glanced at him but did not answer.

Lin Ye asked, "Did your mother say what we were looking for at the old cemetery in the western district?"

Liu Nian shook her head.

"She didn't say it explicitly."

"So what did she say?"

Liu Nian lowered her head.

She scratched at the bottle cap with her fingernails until they turned white.

"She made me memorize a sentence."

Lin Ye did not urge him.

A breeze blew in from the cemetery entrance, carrying a faint scent of pine needles.

Liu Nian's voice was very soft.

"I won't look at a tombstone without a photo."

Uncle Zhao frowned.

"What?"

Liu Nian continued, "Look ahead, the third hole."

Tao Shuang looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye also looked at her.

The fallen grass, the scraped soil, and the new scratches on the back of the tombstone all matched up perfectly last night.

Tao Shuang took out her phone and sent a message to Gu Wantang.

A dozen seconds later, she put her phone away.

"You can go. Liu Nian will go in the middle, Uncle Zhao will lead the way, and the two of you will guard the rear. Lin Ye will stay away from the tombstone."

Lin Ye was stunned.

"I'm dividing it into regions?"

Tao Shuang looked at him.

"You are a key person under protection."

Lin Ye didn't want this title at all.

Uncle Zhao took the keys and walked ahead.

Tao Shuang brought two people with her.

Liu Nian walked in the middle.

Lin Ye was scheduled for last.

He had only taken two steps closer when Uncle Zhao turned around and glared at him.

"Why are you following me so closely? From now on..."

Lin Ye took two steps back.

He felt he wasn't someone who needed special protection.

More like a burden on a major project.

The old cemetery in the western district is a little better during the day than at night.

That's all we can do.

Few people come here; the roadside weeds grow tall, and the cracks in the stone slabs are full of moss.

Several old steles were leaning, and the characters on them had been worn away by wind and rain, leaving only faint imprints.

Uncle Zhao frowned as he walked.

"This area should have been cleaned up a long time ago. We've been talking about it for years, but no one has allocated any funds."

Lin Ye said in a low voice, "Now someone's stirring up trouble."

Uncle Zhao turned around and glared at him.

Lin Ye shut up.

When they reached the vicinity of the nameless tomb, Liu Nian stopped.

She stared at the low monument without a photograph.

The grass in front of the low monument is still lying down.

The soil that had been scraped off last night was temporarily covered up by Tao Shuang's people.

The new scratches behind the base of the monument are more clearly visible during the day.

Liu Nian's face turned pale when she saw the scratch.

"They really did come."

Tao Shuang said, "I couldn't find it."

Liu Nian did not believe it immediately.

She walked around to the side of the monument, stared at the back of it for a few seconds, and then shook her head.

"I don't look at the inscription."

She slowly turned around, her back to the nameless grave.

There is no grave behind the monument.

It is a row of drainage holes embedded under the retaining wall.

Each opening has an iron mesh.

Several of them were rusted and reddish, filled with withered leaves and mud.

Liu Nian began to count.

"one."

She took a step to the right.

"two."

Go further to the right.

"The third one."

The wire mesh of the third drain hole was badly rusted, with a small piece of the edge curling up.

Tao Shuang squatted down and shone her flashlight on it.

It looks a bit strange that they're using flashlights during the day.

But it was too dark inside the cave.

When the light shines in, you can only see withered leaves and clumps of mud.

Tao Shuang did not reach out to touch it.

She asked the people behind her to get the tools.

Uncle Zhao muttered a curse under his breath.

"I had these holes cleaned before, how come I didn't notice them?"

Lin Ye looked at the cave entrance.

"The people cleaning the cave don't even know what they're looking for. Who would bother turning over every single fallen leaf and patch of mud?"

Uncle Zhao didn't say anything.

The tools were brought quickly.

Tao Shuang used tongs to carefully remove the objects from the hole, one by one.

The first bunch: withered leaves.

The second one is a lump of mud.

The third item is a half-cut plastic bag.

Liu Nian stood to the side, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

Lin Ye glanced at her.

"Would you like to sit for a while?"

Liu Nian shook her head.

The mineral water bottle in my hand was completely deformed.

Tao Shuang stopped after clamping for the fifth time.

She pulled a black waterproof bag out of the hole.

The size of a palm.

It was wrapped in tape and covered in mud.

Liu Nian took a step forward, but was stopped by the people around Tao Shuang.

"That belongs to my mom."

Her voice changed suddenly.

"That's what my mom told me to find."

Tao Shuang didn't hand it to her.

"Take a picture first."

Liu Nian became anxious.

"Give me!"

Lin Ye took a half step forward, but Uncle Zhao grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"Don't get involved."

Lin Ye almost cried out from being strangled.

Liu Nian's eyes reddened as she looked at the waterproof bag.

"My mom is missing."

she says.

"That's what she left for me."

Tao Shuang paused for a moment.

She looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye understood what she meant.

Evidence should not be given out indiscriminately.

But Liu Nian has already pushed herself to her limit.

Lin Ye lowered his voice.

"Liu Nian, take a picture first. I'll show it to you after I'm done. It's not that I don't want to give it to you, it's just that I'm afraid someone will say it's been switched."

Liu Nian looked at him.

"Not changing?"

"No change."

Lin Ye said, "I'll just stay here and watch."

Liu Nian's tears fell.

soon.

One of them hit the back of her hand.

She wiped it away fiercely with her sleeve, without crying out loud.

After taking the photos, Tao Shuang put the waterproof bag into a transparent bag.

Then, in front of Liu Nian, he used a knife to cut open the outer layer of tape.

There was an old mobile phone for seniors inside.

There was also a folded piece of paper.

My phone died a long time ago.

The paper was laminated, and the edges were yellowed.

Tao Shuang unfolded the paper.

The above is Zhou Qin's handwriting.

Liu Nian, if you see this, it means I failed to take you away.

Don't go home.

Don't go to see your relatives.

Go find the woods of Qingshan Cemetery.

If he doesn't know, let him look at the phone.

Your dad's last phone call is on your phone.

Upon seeing this, Liu Nian burst into tears.

She reached out to touch the paper.

His hand froze in mid-air before retracting.

It's as if I'm afraid that if I touch it, the words will disappear.

Lin Ye stood to the side, his back gradually tensing up.

The phone contains Liu Changhai's last phone call.

Tao Shuang had already put the old-fashioned mobile phone into the evidence bag.

"Go back to the security booth to charge your phone."

Uncle Zhao frowned.

"What kind of interface does this old-fashioned mobile phone have?"

Lin Ye leaned closer to take a look.

"Round mouth".

Uncle Zhao thought for a moment.

"I think there are some in the guard booth drawer. I used to charge Old Wang's radio."

Tao Shuang looked at Lin Ye.

"go back."

No one objected this time.

Liu Nian walked back without saying a word.

Tao Shuang kept the laminated paper.

She only looked at it once and then never wanted it again.

I felt like all my strength had been drained away, and I felt lightheaded when I walked.

Upon arriving at the security booth, Uncle Zhao rummaged through the drawers.

Half a box of Band-Aids.

A roll of adhesive tape.

Several batteries, it's unknown whether they have any power left.

An old-fashioned round-pin charging cable.

Uncle Zhao slammed the thread onto the table.

"There really is."

Looking at the wire, Lin Ye suddenly realized that Uncle Zhao was quite a character.

Qingshan Cemetery looks like it has nothing at all.

But if you really want to find something strange, he can always find it in some drawer.

The old-fashioned mobile phone is plugged in.

The screen is not lit.

Liu Nian stared intently.

One minute.

Two minutes.

At the third minute, the screen flickered.

Liu Nian grabbed the edge of the table with her hand.

The startup sound is very loud.

It also had a jarring electronic sound.

No one spoke in the guard booth.

After turning on the phone, the battery level was only one bar.

Tao Shuang did not act immediately.

She took photos first, then started recording video.

Only then did I open the call log.

There are only a few old records inside.

The top note reads:

Changhai.

The call took place three years ago.

The date was exactly the night Liu Changhai had his accident.

Liu Nian covered her mouth.

Tears streamed down my face through my fingers.

Tao Shuang pressed play.

The speakerphone on older phones is very poor.

First came a burst of static.

Then came a man's very low voice.

"Zhou Qin, don't open the door."

"Jiang Cheng's men have arrived."

There was rapid, panting breathing on the other end of the phone.

There were also car sounds.

The man continued, "I've put the bills away. One copy is for Chairman Gu, and the other is at the cemetery."

"There's something else we can't give them."

The noise suddenly increased.

It felt like my phone had been bumped.

The man's voice was broken and intermittent.

"They're looking for A17, not for the money."

"There's something in there..."

The sound was drowned out by a screeching sound of brakes.

Immediately following was the sound of an impact.

It's so boring.

Zhou Qin's voice came through the phone.

"Changhai!"

Recording has ended.

The guard booth was eerily quiet.

Liu Nian squatted on the ground and finally burst into tears.

Very small.

It's like holding it in for too long, so much so that you don't even dare to cry out loud.

Lin Ye stood by the table, his fingers slowly tightening.

They were looking for A17, not for the money.

There's something inside...

But it just ends here.

Tao Shuang turned off the recording, her face cold.

Uncle Zhao stood to the side, his lips moved, but in the end he said nothing.

Lin Ye looked at the anti-floating bottle.

It still stood there steadily.

Spending money carelessly.

This time, Lin Ye didn't want to laugh.

My phone suddenly vibrated.

Lin Ye lowered his head.

It's Gu Wantang.

I met Liu Jiankun's younger brother.

The second one popped up right after.

He said that Liu Jiankun had driven a batch of boxes into Genting Bay A17 three years ago.

The third one appeared soon after.

The box has a collection number on it.