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

"There's another one underwater..."

After the nameless tomb finished speaking, the West District fell silent again.

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

Uncle Zhao noticed that his expression was off and that he had forgotten to screw on the lid of his thermos.

"What did you hear now?"

Lin Ye did not answer immediately.

He lowered his head and wrote three words in his notebook.

Artificial lake.

The pen paused for a moment, then added another line.

There is a box at the bottom of the water.

He sent those words to Gu Wantang.

There might be a box at the bottom of the artificial lake behind A17.

The key is to see if Liu Jiankun went to the riverbank.

Don't let him touch the rope.

The message had barely been sent when Gu Wantang called.

There's a lot of noise going on over there; she's probably still outside Genting Bay.

Are you sure?

"uncertain."

Lin Ye looked towards the western district.

The cemetery was gleaming in the sunlight during the day, except for the area with unmarked graves, which seemed to be shrouded in shadow.

"But this isn't the first time these words have come out."

Gu Wantang did not ask who the person he was talking to was.

She simply said, "I understand."

The call wasn't disconnected.

Lin Ye heard her lower her voice and give instructions: "Set up a cordon around the artificial lake first. Don't go into the water. Check the tracks on the shore first. Don't lose track of the person in the fire escape."

A few seconds later, Tao Shuang's phone rang.

She answered the phone, listened for a couple of sentences, and her face darkened.

"The man in the black mask went around to the east side of the artificial lake through the fire escape. The property management staff followed him to the lakeside, but they couldn't catch him."

Uncle Zhao cursed.

"ran away again?"

Tao Shuang ignored him and continued listening to the phone call.

"Are there drag marks by the lake?"

She looked up at the forest.

"There were also wet, muddy footprints leading towards the lake."

Lin Ye looked down at his notebook.

There's another one underwater.

Scratch marks.

Footprints in wet mud.

He asked, "Do you have any rope?"

Tao Shuang repeated it to the person on the other end of the phone.

She quickly replied, "Yes. Half a nylon rope, the break is very fresh."

Lin Ye's fingers tightened little by little.

Liu Jiankun did not simply flee.

He went to the artificial lake to deal with the things in the water.

Gu Wantang sent the first photo from the scene.

The artificial lake is behind A17 and isn't very large.

A stone path leads to the lake, with a row of low shrubs planted along the side.

In the photo, a section of the bushes has been trampled down.

A black mark was left by dragging through the wet mud on the lake shore.

It was as if something was being dragged from the water toward the shore, only to be pushed back halfway through.

Mud splattered on the stone slab.

Next to the mud splatter was half a piece of grayish-white nylon rope.

The broken ends are very fresh.

Uncle Zhao leaned over and took a look.

"These aren't footprints left by a person."

Lin Ye looked at him.

Uncle Zhao pointed to the black mark.

"A person can't escape this kind of imprint. It's like dragging something. Something heavy."

Lin Ye nodded.

That's what he thought too.

If Liu Jiankun was simply fleeing, there was no need for him to detour to the artificial lake.

He was running towards the box in the water.

My phone vibrated again.

This time it's Ning Zhi.

My colleague took a picture of the man in the black mask.

He didn't leave through the main entrance of Genting Bay, but went towards the artificial lake.

The photos were sent later.

The distance is too far, and the image is very blurry.

A man wearing a baseball cap and a black face mask bent down and walked through the bushes by the lake.

His right hand seemed to be gripping something.

His shoulders were hunched low.

Lin Ye forwarded the photos to Gu Wantang and then to Lu Zhixia.

Lu Zhixia didn't ask anything else, and replied directly:

Don't let anyone touch anything in the water with their bare hands.

If it's a water-damaged wooden box, the box will be very brittle.

You can't force it.

Lin Ye passed it on to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang replied:

Police are already on the scene.

The salvage team is on its way.

The site was sealed off first.

Uncle Zhao looked at the screen and clicked his tongue.

"This is actually like we're investigating a case."

Lin Ye didn't reply.

He stared at the dark mark in the photo.

Artificial lakes are unlike natural lakes; they have a smaller surface area and more regular shorelines.

If the box had sunk in the water earlier, Liu Jiankun might not have been able to retrieve it by himself in a short time.

Unless he knows the exact location.

They also knew where the rope was.

Lin Ye suddenly thought of the half-section of nylon rope.

"He didn't bring the rope with him at the last minute."

Tao Shuang looked at him.

Lin Ye said, "If the box had been underwater all along, the rope would probably have been tied on long ago. He went there today to cut the rope or drag the box to a more difficult location to retrieve."

Uncle Zhao frowned.

"Then he wasn't going to destroy evidence, he was going to finish the job."

"right."

Lin Ye bowed his head and wrote:

The rope was already in the water.

Liu Jiankun knew the location.

It wasn't discovered on a whim.

From the East District, Old Master Gu's voice rang out.

Liu Jiankun is afraid of water.

Mr. Wei wondered, "Is the driver afraid of water?"

Old Master Gu snorted.

"I fell into a river when I was young, and afterwards I never even went into a swimming pool."

Old Li chuckled: "So he still ran towards the lake?"

Grandpa Gu said, "When pushed to the limit, people will do anything."

Lin Ye's pen stopped.

Liu Jiankun is afraid of water.

Then he won't go down to the lake.

He could only stand on the shore and deal with the rope.

The box is located not too far from the shore.

Lin Ye sent his assessment to Gu Wantang.

Liu Jiankun probably won't go into the water.

Pay close attention to the area within three meters of the shore, especially the point where the broken rope entered the water.

Gu Wantang replied quickly.

Marked.

A few minutes later, more photos from the scene continued to arrive.

The property management brought a long pole and gently probed the water where the nylon rope entered.

The water isn't deep.

The pole went down less than a meter and a half before hitting a hard object.

But no one dared to pull him away forcefully.

Waiting for the salvage team at the scene.

Liu Jiankun has not been caught yet.

A black face mask was found next to the fire lane, and there were shoe prints in the bushes, indicating that it went towards the path to the north.

Lin Ye looked at the photo of that face mask.

There were water stains and a little dust inside the mask.

It's like someone casually shoved it on the ground, then picked it up and threw it away.

He asked Tao Shuang, "What does it mean that he threw away his mask?"

Tao Shuang thought for a moment.

"Change clothes."

Lin Ye nodded.

"He prepared his clothes in advance."

Tao Shuang immediately sent out the message.

At almost the same time, Ningzhi also sent a message.

A cleaning cart near the north gate of Genting Bay is missing.

The property management didn't notice.

After reading it, Lin Ye cursed.

The voice was very low.

Uncle Zhao looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"He might have switched to cleaning."

Tao Shuang's expression also changed.

She immediately made a phone call: "North gate, check the cleaning carts and uniforms. Don't just focus on the black-clad workers."

It was very noisy on the other end of the phone.

Someone is running.

The guard booth fell silent, with only the ticking of the wall clock remaining.

Lin Ye stared at his phone.

Gu Wantang did not send any more messages.

That's probably the most chaotic time for her too.

He suddenly felt a little annoyed.

It's not fear.

It's that kind of annoyance of being able to see photos and receive messages from someone far away.

Even though I knew I wouldn't be able to help if I went, those few seconds of silence still felt suffocating.

Uncle Zhao glanced at him.

"sit down."

The forest didn't move.

Uncle Zhao kicked the chair a little closer.

"You can't catch anyone even if you stand there."

These words were similar to what he had said to Liu Nian before.

Lin Ye glanced at Uncle Zhao.

He sat down.

3:31.

Gu Wantang finally sent a message.

The salvage team has arrived.

First, test it in water; do not open the box.

Then came a photograph.

A crowd gathered around the artificial lake.

The cordon was set up.

The property management staff were standing outside.

Police officers, salvage personnel, and Gu Wantang's people were on the shore.

The lake water was stirred up by the long pole, creating a ring of turbidity.

The salvage crew members wore safety ropes around their waists and entered the water next to the half-section of the nylon rope.

Gu Wantang is not visible in the photo.

But Lin Ye knew she must be there.

Lu Zhixia sent a message.

If the container is a wooden crate, do not expose it to direct sunlight; keep it moist and secure it as a whole.

Lin Ye passed it on to Gu Wantang.

Gu Wantang only replied:

receive.

3:40.

The first rope was found by the salvage team.

It's not the half that broke off on the shore.

It's the other side of the water.

The rope end was tied to the metal ring on the box.

The metal ring was badly rusted.

Half of the wooden crate was stuck in the mud, and it was wrapped with two layers of waterproof cloth.

The tarpaulin is torn.

The salvage crew did not pull it out forcefully.

First, put a net in the water, then slowly move towards the shore.

The process is very slow.

Gu Wantang didn't keep posting videos.

He posts a photo every few minutes.

Lin Ye looked at the photos, his heart sinking deeper and deeper.

The first picture shows a piece of blackened waterproof cloth floating on the water.

The second picture shows a corner of the box peeking out.

The third picture shows two people carrying the box towards the shore.

The wood is blackened and has cracks at the edges.

The red seal had long since rotted from being soaked, leaving only a few pieces pasted onto the box.

The fourth picture shows the box placed on a waterproof tarpaulin.

Everyone stood around, but no one made a move to open it.

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

At least this time things didn't go wrong.

Tao Shuang received a message on her phone.

"Liu Jiankun has been found."

She switched her phone to speakerphone.

Gu Wantang's voice came out, carrying a hint of wind.

"Behind the garbage room at the north gate, he was wearing a sanitation worker's jacket. The property management staff recognized the mud on his shoes, and the police have taken him into custody."

Uncle Zhao cursed, "You dog!"

Lin Ye asked, "What does he have on him?"

Gu Wantang said, "A utility knife, half a wet rope, a pair of gloves, and a plastic bag. The plastic bag wasn't opened."

Liu Jiankun didn't escape.

But he had already touched the box before running towards the artificial lake.

They even cut part of the rope.

If it had been any later, the box might have slid even deeper.

Someone on Gu Wantang's side said a few words.

She then said, "We won't open the underwater wooden box on site; we'll make a record of its appearance first."

"Is it numbered?"

"The seal has been soaked and rotted."

Gu Wantang said, "There was a metal plate on the lower right corner of the box, but it's rusted, so you can only see the back half."

Lin Ye asked, "What is it?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone.

"17-0429".

Lin Ye closed his eyes briefly.

QBM-17-0429.

It's still the same one.

The same number connects the Qingdao Expo display case, the A17 hidden compartment, the Mountain and Sea Night Banquet area, and the bottom of the artificial lake.

This is no longer a box number.

Like a thread, it sewed everything together.

Gu Wantang added, "There was movement inside the box, but it didn't seem to be made of metal."

Lin Ye was startled.

"Doesn't look like it?"

"Very light."

Gu Wantang lowered her voice.

"Like paper, or a thin sheet."

Paper?

Uncle Zhao was stunned for a moment.

"It's been soaking in water for so long, and there's still paper left?"

Lu Zhixia's message came quickly.

If there is a waterproof sealed bag, the paper can retain some information.

Don't open it on site.

It has been handed over to cultural heritage preservation and technical personnel for handling.

Gu Wantang did not open the box by the lake.

The wooden crate was sealed completely, wrapped with a moisture-proof film, affixed with a temporary number, and sent to a professional facility for processing.

When Lin Ye saw the last photo, the puddle of water by the artificial lake was still there.

The warning tape fluttered in the wind.

The salvage operation was not as spectacular as expected.

No one shouted.

No one opened the box on the spot.

Lin Ye watched as the black wooden box was carried away, and a cold sweat still broke out on his back.

The nameless tomb is correct.

There really is another one underwater.

This box, however, was quieter than any cash or gold bars.

It's like something specially reserved for future generations.

4:10.

Gu Wantang sent a photo.

It's not a wooden box.

It was the sealed plastic bag that was found on Liu Jiankun.

The bag was soaked through, and the edges were wrinkled.

The paper inside wasn't completely rotten yet.

Only a few lines of text were legible.

QBM-17-0429.

Transfer confirmed.

Recipient:

The words at the end were blurred by water.

The next line is complete.

It has already moved to the mountains and seas.

Lin Ye stared at the last four words, remaining motionless for a long time.

Mountains and seas.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen the word.

In ledger A17, there is a entry for "Mountain and Sea Night Banquet".

Now, the plastic wrapping on Liu Jiankun's body has once again revealed the phrase "has been moved to the mountains and seas".

Uncle Zhao leaned closer and looked at those words.

What are mountains and seas?

Lin Ye did not answer.

He recalled the broken words from before at the nameless grave.

Display case.

fake.

Don't take it away.

Mountains and seas.

It wasn't a lie after all.

It is the direction left behind when the real thing is taken away by people along the way.

Lu Zhixia called.

Lin Ye picked up.

Her voice was low, as if she were standing in a deserted corner.

"Did you see the photo?"

"I saw it."

"It has already moved to the mountains and seas."

"Um."

Lu Zhixia paused for a moment.

"The wooden crates in A17 are very likely just transit crates."

"What about the one underwater?"

"It could be a box for handing over evidence, or it could be a discarded box."

She paused for a moment.

"The genuine article is neither on A17 nor underwater."

Lin Ye looked at the notebook on the table.

"A banquet at the mountains and sea?"

"If they didn't have time to relocate again, then..."

Lu Zhixia spoke very slowly.

"But these few words might also be a way to lure you there."

Lin Ye did not speak.

This might not be the case.

But Liu Jiankun risked being arrested to move the boxes in the artificial lake.

Gu Mingyuan went missing at this time.

Jiang Cheng was still heading towards Genting Bay before he was stopped.

If "mountains and seas" are just bait, the price is too high.

News of Gu Wantang followed shortly after.

Liu Jiankun remained silent.

But when he saw the laminated paper that read "Transported to the Mountains and Seas," his expression changed.

Article :

Jiang Cheng's car was stopped halfway, and he has been taken into custody.

Article :

Gu Mingyuan could not be contacted.

Lin Ye looked at the last sentence.

Gu Mingyuan could not be contacted.

This doesn't seem like an accident.

The moment the words "Mountain and Sea Night Banquet" appeared, and the underwater box was retrieved, Gu Mingyuan's first reaction was neither to call a lawyer nor to fake illness.

Instead, they lost contact.

This shows that he knows what mountains and seas are.

They also knew that it was more dangerous there than A17.

Finally, Old Master Gu spoke up from the East District.

His voice was deep.

"Gu Mingyuan can't escape."

Boss Wei asked, "How did you know?"

Old Master Gu sneered.

"He's a coward. If he really wanted to run, his first step wouldn't be out of the city."

"Where to?"

Grandpa Gu said, "Find someone to bail him out."

Lin Ye lowered his head and wrote in his notebook:

Gu Mingyuan will go to find the people from Shanhai.

After writing it, he sent the sentence to Gu Wantang.

Gu Mingyuan isn't running away; he might be going to find the person behind the Mountain and Sea Banquet.

Gu Wantang replied quickly.

I think so too.

A few seconds later, she sent a photo.

Black hard card.

White marks appeared on the edges and corners.

It has gold lettering pressed on top.

A banquet amidst mountains and sea.

Gu Wantang sent a message:

It was found in the inner compartment of the cleaning cart that Liu Jiankun used for changing clothes.

The date is tonight.