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

Liu Nian grabbed Lin Ye's sleeve.

Her hands were cold, and her fingertips were trembling.

"I want to go."

Tao Shuang stood at the door, her expression unchanged.

"no."

Liu Nian looked up at her.

"What about my mom?"

No one responded immediately.

It was very quiet inside the security booth.

The old-fashioned mobile phone was still plugged into the corner of the table; the charging cable wasn't making a good connection, and the screen kept flickering on and off.

Lin Ye looked down at the photos on Liu Nian's phone.

Zhou Qin sat in a chair with her wrists strapped to the back of the chair.

Her hair was a mess, and her face was frighteningly pale.

There are water stains in the corner of the wall.

The ground is covered in old cement.

There is only one line of text below the photo.

3 PM, Genting Bay A17.

Bring what she has in her hands.

Lin Ye stared at the photo without speaking immediately.

He zoomed in on the picture.

A piece of plaster had peeled off the wall behind Zhou Qin, revealing gray cement. In the lower right corner, there was half a red warning sticker, with only the character "fire" visible.

Further down, it looks like "oil".

Lin Ye frowned.

Tao Shuang saw his expression.

"What did you figure out?"

Lin Ye didn't answer, and dragged the photo to the corner of the ground again.

There was a black mark on the ground.

It's not a shadow.

Like an oil stain being run over by a tire, leaving a small, dirty mark.

Lin Ye handed the phone to Uncle Zhao.

"Uncle Zhao, look at this land."

Uncle Zhao came over.

He was impatient at first, but after glancing at it twice, his face darkened.

"Old cement floor".

"Does it look like a villa basement?"

"I've never lived in the basement of a villa."

Uncle Zhao stared at the photo and reached out to tap the black mark.

"But it looks like a car repair shop. The floor has oil on it and can't be wiped clean. And this sticker, it's probably a no-smoking sign. You often see these stickers next to used car dealerships, repair shops, and oil depots."

Liu Nian looked up.

"Not A17?"

Lin Ye did not speak definitively.

"This place in the photo doesn't look like A17."

Liu Nian's eyes were red.

"Then why did they send me to A17?"

Lin Ye looked at the line of text.

3 PM, Genting Bay A17.

Too straightforward.

It was so straightforward, as if they were afraid the other people wouldn't understand.

"Maybe they want us to go to A17."

Liu Nian didn't understand.

Tao Shuang understood and immediately picked up her phone to forward the photo to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang called soon after.

Lin Ye picked up.

Her first question was: "You don't think the photo is A17?"

"uncertain."

Lin Ye held the phone close to his ear.

"But there were remnants of a 'No Smoking' sign in the corner, and oil stains on the floor. Uncle Zhao also said it looked like a car repair shop. The fact that they wrote the location so clearly makes it seem like they were deliberately trying to lure us there."

There's some news coming from Gu Wantang's side.

She should be outside.

"continue."

Lin Ye looked at Zhou Qin in the photo.

"The last place Liu Jiankun was seen was the old repair shed behind the used car dealership in the south of the city. Zhou Qin's photo also looks like a repair shed."

Tao Shuang added a sentence.

"The background isn't high-end, and the area doesn't resemble a villa district."

Gu Wantang did not speak immediately.

Two seconds later, she said, "Send the photo to Ningzhi. Her journalist colleagues are familiar with Chengnan."

Lin Ye was stunned.

Gu Wantang rarely took the initiative to involve Ning Zhi.

But this is indeed the right time.

Reporters can cover the streets and alleys much faster than sitting in an office looking up information.

Lin Ye forwarded the photos to Ning Zhi.

Ningzhi replied almost instantly.

You finally remembered me?

Linye returned.

Identify the location and rescue people.

Ningzhi was not poor this time.

She only replied with one word.

and so on.

Liu Nian kept looking at Lin Ye's phone.

Lin Ye turned off the screen.

"She's looking for someone to recognize the location."

Liu Nian's throat moved slightly.

"What if my mom...?"

Don't scare yourself unnecessarily.

Lin Ye interrupted her.

Liu Nian looked at him.

Lin Ye lowered his voice.

"If you panic now, you'll go wherever they tell you to go."

Liu Nian gripped the bottle of water tightly.

The bottle made a cracking sound as she squeezed it.

Lin Ye reached out, took the water bottle from her hand, and placed it on the table.

"It'll leak if you squeeze it any harder."

Liu Nian was stunned for a moment.

Her eyes were still red, but her lips twitched slightly.

I didn't laugh.

But my hands stopped shaking so badly.

Tao Shuang stood to the side and glanced at Lin Ye, but said nothing.

Uncle Zhao walked to the door and looked towards the west side.

"If it really is the old repair shed on the South Ring Road, then it's crossed the line with Liu Jiankun's line."

Lin Ye nodded.

Liu Jiankun.

Used car dealership.

Old repair shed.

Replace the trunk lining.

The oil stains in Zhou Qin's photo.

These things flow together so smoothly.

It didn't seem like a coincidence.

A few minutes later, Ningzhi sent a message.

My colleague recognized me.

There is a row of old sheds in the back alley of the South Ring Used Car Market.

One of the rooms had a "No Smoking" sign posted on the corner, but the sticker was so badly torn that only half of it remained.

He had previously filmed illegal taxi transactions there.

The next one pops up quickly.

The location of the water stains in the photo also looks similar.

Lin Ye showed the message to Tao Shuang.

Tao Shuang immediately passed it on to Gu Wantang.

Ning Zhi called shortly after.

Lin Ye picked up.

Ning Zhi spoke in a low voice and very quickly.

"The area around the South Ring Road is a mess. Used cars, scrapped parts, and illegal repair shops are all crammed together. There's a freight road behind it, so cars can get there quickly."

Where are you?

"In the car."

"Sure?"

"Lin Ye, my bag has been confiscated."

Ning Zhi's tone was not very good.

"Gu Wantang's people look at me like I'm a criminal suspect."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

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

Ning Zhi suddenly asked, "Are you worried about me, or worried that I'll cause trouble?"

Lin Ye originally wanted to say the latter.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself.

He glanced at Liu Nian, then at Tao Shuang standing by the door.

"Yes, we have them all."

There was no response from Ningzhi.

Two seconds later, she chuckled softly.

"You know how to talk."

Lin Ye didn't answer.

Ning Zhi quickly regained her composure.

"My colleague only dares to take pictures outside now, and doesn't dare to get close. The car that circled around Shunmin Hotel last night eventually headed towards the South Ring Road."

Lin Ye's heart sank a little.

"Tell him to stay away."

"Know."

Ning Zhi paused for a moment.

"Linye."

"Um?"

"If Liu Nian is next to you, don't let her hear too much."

Lin Ye glanced at Liu Nian.

She kept her head down, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

"It's too late."

Ningzhi sighed.

"Then keep an eye on her."

The phone hangs up.

Gu Wantang's message has also arrived.

My men went to the old repair shed on the South Ring Road.

The investigation at Genting Bay will continue; they will not withdraw.

Lin Ye replied with an "okay".

A few seconds later, Gu Wantang sent another message.

This assessment was useful.

Lin Ye stared at those words for a moment, stunned.

Gu Wantang rarely praises people.

She even praises people as if she's stamping a document.

Linye returned.

Thank you, Ms. Gu, for approving the application.

Gu Wantang did not reply immediately.

Half a minute later, she sent a message.

Don't be poor, protect Liu Nian.

Lin Ye stared at the screen and chuckled softly.

Liu Nian looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

"fine."

Lin Ye placed his phone face down on the table.

Some people say my professional skills have improved.

Uncle Zhao sneered from the side.

"It's best not to advance any further. If you do, you'll have to go to the bureau to assist with the investigation."

Lin Ye did not refute.

That makes a lot of sense.

There was some noise again in the East District.

Boss Wei asked slowly, "Why is Xiao Lin still here today?"

Old Li said, "This kid doesn't look like he's off work, he looks like he's been detained by the cemetery."

Grandma Zhao sighed.

"Young people, don't stay up late all the time. If you ruin your health, no one will care."

Boss Wei chuckled.

"Surely no one cares about him? I've seen him on the phone quite a bit."

Lin Ye paused, his hand holding the pen still.

These dead people can't hear him, but they're particularly good at watching the excitement.

Grandpa Gu's voice rang out after a while.

"Liu Jiankun..."

Lin Ye immediately picked up a pen.

Grandpa Gu's voice was lower than usual.

"That person doesn't like to drive his car into the Gu family's house."

Boss Wei asked, "If the driver doesn't drive into the Gu family's house, where will he drive?"

"South Ring Road".

Grandpa Gu seemed to be recalling something from the past.

"If Gu Mingyuan wants to see shady people, he should send Liu Jiankun to the South Ring Road. Used car dealerships, repair shops, and small warehouses—no one will ask questions there."

Lin Ye wrote it down stroke by stroke.

South Ring Road.

Used car dealership.

Repair shed.

Grandpa Gu continued, "They changed the license plates, the inner liner, and the tires on the car there."

Lin Ye's pen paused.

Change the cards.

Replace the lining.

Change the tire.

This is not a simple car repair.

Grandpa Gu paused for a moment.

"Liu Changhai came to see me before his accident."

Lin Ye held his breath.

"His hands smelled oily."

Grandpa Gu said slowly, "He said the car is wrong."

Grandma Zhao asked, "What car is wrong?"

Grandpa Gu did not answer immediately.

After a long while, he said, "The car that hit him wasn't the one in the news."

Lin Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

He lowered his head and wrote in his notebook:

Liu Changhai was in a car accident.

The vehicle involved in the accident may have been replaced.

Old repair shed in South Central.

Liu Jiankun.

He took a picture of these lines and sent it to Gu Wantang.

There is no explanation of the source.

Only one sentence was added.

When inspecting the old repair shop, pay special attention to the license plate, tires, and lining. Liu Changhai may have had his car replaced after the accident.

Gu Wantang replied quickly.

receive.

A few seconds later, another message came through.

Keep thinking.

Lin Ye looked at the words "keep thinking" and felt a little strange.

Gu Wantang had previously told him to stay put, not to move, and not to do anything reckless.

This time, she let him keep thinking.

It's not protection.

It is not an order.

It's about including him in this matter.

Just as Lin Ye was about to reply, Liu Nian suddenly stood up.

"I'll go too."

Tao Shuang said coldly, "No."

Liu Nian looked at her.

That's my mom.

"Precisely because she's your mother, you absolutely cannot go."

Liu Nian's voice suddenly rose.

"None of you are her daughters!"

The security booth fell silent.

Uncle Zhao frowned but didn't scold her.

Lin Ye stood up and walked up to her.

"Liu Nian".

Her eyes were red, and her chest was heaving rapidly.

"You said you were stalling for time, checking locations, waiting for someone. But the one who got kidnapped was my mother."

Lin Ye looked at her.

"I know."

"you do not know."

Liu Nian's tears fell.

"You have people, cars, lawyers, and reporters. You have all the means."

Her voice choked for a moment.

"She's all I have."

After those words were spoken, no one uttered a sound.

Lin Ye recalled the day he graduated.

With only a few dollars in my pocket, I sent out resume after resume, only to receive polite replies in return.

At that time, he also felt that he had nothing.

But Liu Nian was in a worse situation than he was back then.

Even the only person she could hold onto was dragged away.

Lin Ye pushed the chair towards her.

"sit down."

Liu Nian remained motionless.

Lin Ye spoke in a very low voice.

"If you want to save her, sit down."

She looked at him.

Lin Ye didn't try to comfort her.

"If you rush out now, you'll only give them one more card to play."

Liu Nian's lips trembled.

Lin Ye pointed to the evidence bag on the table.

"Your mother sent you to Qingshan Cemetery not to exchange places with her. She hid the phone so that you could convey her message."

He paused for a moment.

"You've done it."

Liu Nian stood there for a long time.

Finally, he slowly sat back down.

Tao Shuang glanced at Lin Ye.

This time, his gaze wasn't as cold.

Uncle Zhao went out and poured a cup of hot water, placing it next to Liu Nian.

They can't hold back with their words.

"Cry all you want, but don't faint here from low blood sugar. This is a security booth, not an emergency room."

Liu Nian held the paper cup.

The water surface was shaking violently.

Around 1 p.m., Lu Zhixia sent a message.

I looked at that photo of the box again.

Lin Ye clicked on it.

The next one popped up immediately.

The seal looks like it's from three years ago, but the box label looks older.

In other words, the box may not have been shipped out three years ago.

Lin Ye didn't fully understand it.

Lu Zhixia called soon after.

He answered the call.

Lu Zhixia spoke very directly.

"The box might be an old box that's been reused."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone is using old collection boxes to pack other things. It's also possible that old collection items are being relocated."

Lu Zhixia kept her voice very low.

"These two properties are different."

Lin Ye asked, "Which is more dangerous?"

"Both are dangerous."

Lu Zhixia paused for a moment.

"But if it's an old box being reused, it means they may not only have one batch of items. The collection boxes are just packaging."

Lin Ye looked at the anti-floating bottle on the table.

The vase remained quiet and still.

He felt that it couldn't really control the situation today either.

Lu Zhixia then said, "Lin Ye, listen carefully. Don't go to A17, don't go to the South Ring Road, don't touch the boxes, and don't touch the seals."

"I'm being kept very close watch on now."

"Then let them continue to be watched."

Her tone was still cold.

After saying that, he added another sentence.

"Don't always let someone answer your call in the middle of the night."

Lin Ye was stunned.

"You find it annoying?"

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

"no."

Lu Zhixia quickly said, "What I mean is, don't always put yourself at the scene of an accident."

The phone hangs up.

Lin Ye held his phone, not moving for a long time.

Uncle Zhao glanced at him.

"Who else?"

Lin Ye put his phone back in his pocket.

"Appraiser".

Uncle Zhao snorted.

"You've got a lot of connections, kid."

Lin Ye glanced at the anti-floating bottle.

"It was all forced into development."

At 1:27, Gu Wantang sent a photo.

Outside the old repair shed in South Central.

The roller shutter door was half-closed.

A gray bread truck was parked at the entrance.

The license plate was half-obscured by mud.

There was a scratch on the back of the car, and the location was very similar to the one that Ningzhi's colleague photographed last night.

Lin Ye immediately zoomed in on the photo.

There was a fresh black mark on the ground near the entrance.

It was dragged from under the roller shutter all the way to the side of the car.

Like something being moved out and rubbing against the ground.

Tao Shuang leaned closer.

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Ye pointed to the black mark.

"This car isn't parked there waiting for someone."

Uncle Zhao glanced at it twice.

"Are you moving things?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Or they just moved in."

Liu Nian's face turned pale instantly.

Tao Shuang picked up her phone, about to make a call, when Gu Wantang's message popped up first.

The person is not inside.

The second one was a few seconds later.

There was blood at the entrance.

The third one came even slower.

There was also half a red seal.