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

When the high-speed train arrived in Qingcheng, it was already past 3 p.m.

As Lin Ye stepped out of the station, the first thing he saw was a hazy gray sky in the distance.

Qingcheng remains the same as always.

The air was slightly damp, the plane trees along the roadside rustled in the wind, and taxis lined up in a long queue, with drivers calling out to passengers through their car windows.

In the past, when he returned from out of town, he would usually feel at ease.

But this time is different.

The sounds from Xihuai Garden in the capital still echoed in his mind.

These things should have absolutely nothing to do with him, a cemetery night shift security guard.

But he happened to hear it.

And it was heard very clearly.

You can hear the dead talking in the green hills.

You can hear it even at the old sea burial site in Haicheng.

You can hear it even in Xihuaiyuan, the capital city.

That means the problem isn't with the words "cemetery".

The problem lies in the local area.

Lin Ye didn't say much as the car drove to Qingshan Cemetery.

Xiaoman sat beside her and didn't ask any questions.

She can be very straightforward at times, but she can also be very tactful.

As long as Lin Ye doesn't bring it up, she won't keep asking.

The street scenes outside the car window receded into the distance.

Shops, intersections, school walls, old residential areas.

Lin Ye slowly sat up straight when the car turned onto the road leading to Qingshan Cemetery.

The outline of Qingshan Cemetery came into view in the distance.

The rows of tombstones are hidden behind the shadows of the trees, and even during the day they look quieter than other places.

He had stayed in this place for so long, patrolling the East District, walking through the West District, and going around the back mountain. He had also heard Uncle Zhao curse him countless times in the security booth.

He used to think that green hills were just green hills.

A cemetery that was built a little earlier, is located in a little remote area, and has a lot of dead people talking at night.

Looking at it now, it's like seeing it clearly for the first time.

What secret does it hold?

When the car stopped at the entrance of the cemetery, Lin Ye did not go in immediately.

Xiaoman stood half a step behind him.

"Shall we go in?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Go in."

He walked into the cemetery, neither chatting with Uncle Zhao nor rushing back to his dormitory to catch up on sleep.

The lights were on in the guard booth.

Uncle Zhao's figure flickered behind the window, as if he were boiling water.

Lin Ye glanced at it from afar but didn't go in to disturb it.

He could actually sense that Uncle Zhao had been acting strangely lately.

But Uncle Zhao didn't say anything, and he didn't ask directly either. Even if he had asked, Uncle Zhao definitely wouldn't have told him.

The old man's mouth is usually the fastest at cursing, but when it comes to serious matters, it can shut up tighter than a tombstone.

Lin Ye went around to the dormitory, washed his face, and his mind was filled with thoughts.

Stamp album.

snuff bottle.

Jadeite bracelet.

Later on, the handwriting became increasingly messy.

Some of them were circles he drew casually.

Some of the markings were so complex that even he could barely understand them.

Previously, these things were like a series of records of finding bargains.

Now it looks like a line.

Starting from Qingshan, we circled around Gujia, then Qingbo, then Haicheng, and finally the capital.

In the end, we circled back to Qingshan.

"I need to investigate Qingshan."

Xiaoman nodded.

"Look it up yourself?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

"I can't find it."

He is not without self-awareness.

As a cemetery security guard, he could only find a few articles on "Is the feng shui of Qingshan Cemetery good or bad" by searching online.

You need to find a professional for this kind of thing.

Find someone who can look through documents, ask people, and dig deep into the details of news reports to find clues.

Lin Ye's mind conjured up Ning Zhi's face.

After Ning Zhi was fired, it will definitely be difficult for her to find a job.

But precisely because of this, she is now free.

Moreover, she is perceptive, stubborn, and tight-lipped.

Of course, whether they can keep their mouths shut remains to be seen.

Lin Ye took out his phone and opened Ning Zhi's chat window.

After a pause, the finger finally sent a message:

Are you free?

Ningzhi replied instantly.

"I'm busy."

Lin Ye looked at the screen.

The next message popped up immediately.

"But you can talk about it. After all, I'm not busy right now; I just don't want to appear idle."

Lin Ye smiled.

"Shall we meet?"

Ningzhi posted her location.

"Old Town Cafe, half an hour later. Your treat."

Lin Ye replied: "Okay."

Ning Zhi: "I want the expensive one."

Lin Ye: "Don't go too far."

Ning Zhi: "I'm already unemployed, and you're not even letting me go too far?"

Lin Ye's smile faded slightly upon seeing those words.

Half an hour later, at the Old Town Cafe.

When Lin Ye arrived, Ning Zhi was already sitting in the corner.

A glass of iced Americano sat in front of her, her laptop was on, and several printed resumes were piled up beside her.

The person still looks the same.

Her hair was tied up, and her eyes were bright.

There's a slight dark spot under his eye.

Upon seeing Lin Ye, she raised her hand.

"Boss Lin."

Lin Ye sat down.

"Why does that way of address me sound like you're trying to kill me?"

"Everyone looks like a boss to me now." Ningzhi closed her laptop. "Okay, what's up?"

Xiaoman sat in a spot near the door.

Ningzhi glanced at her.

"Who is this?"

"Jiang Man," Lin Ye said, "my distant cousin."

Ningzhi looked at Xiaoman.

Xiaoman was also looking at her.

The two looked at each other for two seconds and nodded to each other.

Ningzhi turned her head back.

She picked up her coffee and took a sip.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

There is no wind around the woods.

"I want you to help me check out Qingshan Cemetery."

Ning Zhi stopped what she was doing.

"Investigate what?"

"Historical background," Lin Ye said, "The earlier the better. What was that land called before the cemetery was built? What was it used for? Was the area behind the mountain another place before? Things like that."

Ningzhi looked at him.

"Are you writing a cemetery yearbook?"

"almost."

Ningzhi leaned back in her chair.

"What happened to Aoyama?"

Lin Ye did not answer immediately.

Two students were memorizing vocabulary words in the café, the bar machine was humming, and a waiter was carrying a cake past them.

Lin Ye lowered his voice.

I can't say too much right now.

Ningzhi looked at him.

"You can't say it on WeChat, you can't say it on the phone, and you can't say it in person. Lin Ye, you're becoming more and more like someone on the fringes of a classified unit."

"I think so too," Lin Ye said, "but my salary hasn't kept up."

Ning Zhi, who had been keeping a straight face, almost lost her composure.

She looked down at her resume and muttered a curse under her breath.

"It's annoying."

"How's work?"

"Don't mention it." Ning Zhi handed him the computer. "I submitted to eight companies this morning, and rejected six this afternoon. The other two are just going to stay silent."

Lin Ye looked at the screen.

The emails contained similar content.

Thank you for your attention.

The position is currently full.

Looking forward to future cooperation.

The handwriting is very polite.

They were so polite, it was like they came from a mass-produced template.

Ning Zhi sneered.

"The platform said I violated internal procedures, the media said the position was temporarily full, and the studio said the direction was not a good match. Bullshit. If the direction was not a good match, why didn't they do that earlier? They rejected me without even opening my resume, what kind of match is that?"

Lin Ye looked at her.

"What about the mortgage?"

Ning Zhi paused, her fingers moving slightly.

He's still being stubborn.

"It can still be paid back."

"Are you under a lot of pressure?"

"Nonsense." Ning Zhi looked up and glared at him. "Do you think I'm like you? Spending all my money at the cemetery?"

Lin Ye: "That's as if I have great job benefits."

"At least you get a salary."

Ningzhi closed the laptop, leaned back in her chair, and lowered her voice.

"What I fear most right now is not not being able to find a job."

Lin Ye looked at her.

Ning Zhi twitched the corner of her mouth.

"Even if I found a job, I wouldn't dare take it. Who knows if the next company will answer the phone and fire me the next day?"

Lin Ye remained silent for a moment.

Ning Zhi quickly suppressed her disappointment.

She raised her hand and tapped the table.

"So, you're investigating Qingshan because you're planning to hire me?"

"Um."

"How much?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Calculated per project. A deposit is paid upfront, and additional payments are made based on the value of the materials."

Ning Zhi immediately frowned.

"Don't insult me ​​with money."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Then I'll give you less?"

Ningzhi looked at him.

"You dare?"

Lin Ye couldn't help but laugh.

Xiaoman sat next to her, pausing her chewing of candy for a moment.

Ning Zhi pointed to the forest.

"What are you laughing at? I'm unemployed, not doing charity work. You, Boss Lin, are quite wealthy now, don't pretend to be poor with me."

Lin Ye took out his phone.

"A deposit of five thousand."

Ningzhi's eyelid twitched.

"Are you serious?"

"If you think it's not enough, I'll add more."

"No," Ning Zhi said immediately, "Five thousand is enough for me to do one round of investigation first."

Linye transferred funds.

Ningzhi's phone rang.

She glanced down.

Payment received successfully.

Five thousand.

She stared at the line of text for two seconds, her expression somewhat complicated.

"Linye."

"Um?"

"You're really starting to look like a boss."

"Don't swear."

Ningzhi smiled.

The laugh was brief.

It was brought under control quickly.

She reopened her computer and pulled up a blank document.

Type in the title.

Historical investigation of Qingshan Cemetery.

"Let's get this straight first." Ning Zhi looked up. "I can look up information, I can go to the archives, I can chat with the elderly. But don't make me dig up graves at night."

Lin Ye: "I won't do this job either."

"That's fine then."

She typed a few lines into the document.

Old place names.

When the park was built.

Ownership of the back mountain.

Notice of relocation of graves.

Ningzhi paused for a moment.

"What else?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Check the area around Qingshan Cemetery to see if there were any temples, shrines, mass graves, old battlefields, mines, ancient tombs, ancestral halls, or similar structures in the past."

Ningzhi looked up at him.

"Isn't this area a bit too eerie?"

"You're a professional."

"My profession is investigation, not going to the underworld."

Lin Ye said, "Add more money."

Ning Zhi immediately lowered her head and started typing.

"Boss, please continue."

Lin Ye: "..."

really.

Money is the primary productive force.

After typing out a round of keywords, Ning Zhi suddenly asked, "Why don't you ask Uncle Zhao?"

Lin Ye raised his eyes.

"Didn't you say that Uncle Zhao has worked in Qingshan for a long time? He must know a lot about long-term employees like him."

Lin Ye paused, his hand holding the cup still.

"He's been acting strange lately."

Ningzhi looked at him.

"Something doesn't seem right?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Lin Ye said. "Let me find out first."

Ning Zhi didn't ask any further questions.

"Okay," Ning Zhi said. "From today onwards, I will be your investigator."

Lin Ye stretched out his hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Ningzhi did not grasp it.

She picked up her iced Americano and clinked it against his glass.

"Boss Lin, cooperation is fine, but please don't delay paying wages."

Lin Ye said, "I'm still scared when I hear you call me that."

Ningzhi raised her chin.

"Get used to it."

It was already dark when I left the coffee shop.

Xiaoman followed Lin Ye.

"Is she reliable?"

"reliable."

Xiaoman thought about it.

"Then it will be useful."

Lin Ye looked at her.

"Are you always this direct in your judgments of people?"

"Um."

"So, what's your opinion of me?"

Xiaoman glanced at him.

"trouble."

Lin Ye: "..."

Forget it.

I shouldn't have asked.

Around 7 p.m., Lin Ye returned to Qingshan Cemetery.

The lights at the entrance of the cemetery are already on.

Uncle Zhao, sitting in the security booth, saw him come in and his first words were, "Where have you been gallivanting off to again?"

"See Ningzhi."

"That reporter?"

"Former journalist."

Uncle Zhao looked up at him.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I've been fired."

Uncle Zhao didn't say anything.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"You've all dragged me down with you."

Lin Ye stood at the door and didn't respond to those words.

Uncle Zhao put down his teacup.

Are you on duty tonight?

"Um."

"Don't run around."

Lin Ye smiled and picked up the flashlight.

"I'll just take a walk around the West District."

Uncle Zhao sneered.

"The circle you're talking about right now could lead all the way to the gates of the King of Hell's palace."

Xiaoman spoke up from the side.

"I'll follow."

Uncle Zhao glanced at her.

Keep a close eye on them.

Xiaoman nodded.

"Um."

Lin Ye took a flashlight and went out the door.

The wind blew from the tomb passage, carrying a faint scent of grass.

He did not go directly to the West District.

We first took a detour through the eastern district.

Grandma Zhao was still scolding her granddaughter for the ugly color of the paper clothes she burned.

The old man next door said his son finally remembered to smoke today, but unfortunately the brand was wrong.

A few familiar voices rang out intermittently.

normal.

That's perfectly normal.

I feel even more uneasy when I'm out in the woods.

He listened for a while, then turned and walked towards the west side.

Xiaoman followed behind without saying a word.

When they arrived near the original location of the nameless tomb, Zheng Shouan's area remained quiet.

The three characters "Zheng Shou'an" on the small stone plaque were clearly visible under the flashlight beam.

Further on, there's a small path in the western district near the back mountain.

The grass is even deeper.

There are fewer lights.

The distant mountains behind were dark and oppressive, their tree shadows like a vast expanse of unspread ink.

Lin Ye noticed the voltage was low and slowly walked towards the old drainage ditch.

The drainage ditch was blocked by an iron fence; it was dark inside, and there was a faint sound of water.

Lin Ye squatted down and shone his flashlight inside.

The water is very shallow.

There is moss on the stone wall.

Further inside, the light doesn't reach.

He held his breath and listened for a long time.

At first there was nothing.

Only the wind.

The sound of water.

Insect chirping.

Xiaoman stood to the side, without urging him.

About half a minute later, Lin Ye suddenly heard a very soft voice.

"They're alive, they're all alive."

Lin Ye's fingers tightened.

Xiaoman immediately looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Ye didn't say anything.

The sound didn't continue.

Lin Ye slowly stood up.

He looked up at the hill behind him.

The shadows of the trees were dark and deep.

There are no construction vehicles tonight.

There are no construction lights.

There were no strangers either.

At least they didn't see any along the way.

The green hills were as quiet as if nothing had happened.

But this silence is even more unsettling than noise.

Lin Ye took out a small notebook from his pocket, used his phone screen to illuminate it, and wrote down a few words.

Old drainage ditch.

After he finished writing, he closed the notebook.

"Walk."

Xiaoman glanced at him.

"go back?"

"go back."

Lin Ye said, "We won't go any deeper tonight."

He had a feeling.

Further ahead, what he heard was beyond his current comprehension.

On the other side, on the outer side of the back mountain of Qingshan Cemetery.

On a newly built access road, several construction lights were kept low, their light only illuminating the ground and not shining into the cemetery area.

Two white construction vehicles were parked behind the tree belt.

The vehicle has blue lettering on it:

The second phase of slope drainage renovation at Qingshan Cemetery.

Next to the vehicle, several men wearing reflective vests were carrying equipment out of boxes.

Ground-penetrating radar.

Probe.

Endoscope.

Lighting assembly.

There are also a few rolls of cable.

They moved very quietly and very quickly.

Unlike ordinary construction teams.

Su Tinglan sat in an inconspicuous minivan with the window half-rolled down.

She did not get off the bus.

The phone screen was lit up, hovering over a simple engineering drawing.

The assistant stood outside the car and reported in a low voice.

"The people and equipment are all here. The work outside is slope drainage renovation, and the procedures are all in order."

Su Tinglan asked, "Where is Master Lai?"

"in front of."

Su Tinglan looked up.

At the end of the construction access road, Master Lai stood under an old locust tree, holding a thermos.

There was a small lamp at his feet.

The light shone on the tips of his shoes.

He didn't look at the equipment; instead, he kept staring at the dark shadows on the back hill.

Su Tinglan got out of the car and walked over.

"What's wrong?"

Master Lai did not turn around.

"It's too quiet."

Su Tinglan looked towards the cemetery.

Separated by a forest belt, the tombstones and patrol routes were not visible.

Unbeknownst to her, Lin Ye had just stopped near the old drainage ditch on the other side.

Lin Ye was unaware that the construction team had already advanced from the outer side of the back mountain.

There were trees, a slope, and an old fence on both sides.

They're so close, just a short mountain road away.

But no one noticed the other.

Su Tinglan withdrew her gaze.

"We'll only be doing basic probes tonight."

The assistant brought over a tablet.

"The first section starts from the outside of the old drainage ditch and sweeps along the foot of the back hillside. A preliminary map is expected to be available within an hour."

Su Tinglan glanced at it and nodded.

After the equipment was started, a very low vibration was felt on the ground.

It's not very obvious.

But Master Lai frowned slightly.

He unscrewed the thermos, took a sip, and immediately closed it again.

"Tell them to slow down."

The assistant was taken aback.

"This is already at the lowest power level."

Master Lai looked at the dark, gloomy back mountain.

"Then go slower."

Su Tinglan looked at her assistant.

"Do as he says."

The assistant nodded and turned to relay the message.

A dozen minutes later, the first image was transmitted to the tablet.

The lines are messy.

Layers of black, white, and gray overlap.

Ordinary people can't understand it.

But the technician pointed to a particularly dark area, his voice a little low.

"Miss Su, there's a cavity reaction down there."

Su Tinglan looked at the picture.

It is located outside the old drainage ditch, more than 30 meters away from the foot of the hillside.

Master Lai saw it too.

His face darkened for the first time.

"Stop hitting him."

The technician looked at Su Tinglan.

Su Tinglan stared at the abnormal area, her fingers slowly tightening.

"Mark it."

The technician nodded.

On the screen, that area was circled in red.

At the same time, Lin Ye had already returned to the security booth.

He sat at the table, opened the notebook, and looked at the line he had written down again.

Old drainage ditch.

Uncle Zhao was wiping the cups nearby when his eyes caught sight of that piece of paper.

His hand paused for a moment.

Lin Ye looked up.

"Uncle Zhao."

Uncle Zhao put the cup down.

"What are you doing?"

Lin Ye looked at him.

"What were the old drainage ditches used for before?"

Uncle Zhao stared at him.

The small light in the security booth buzzed.

After several seconds, Uncle Zhao finally spoke:

"For drainage."

Lin Ye didn't say anything.

Uncle Zhao didn't look at him again.

He lowered his head and continued wiping the cup, his voice deep.

Don't ask too many questions.

Lin Ye looked down at the notebook.

He suddenly realized that neither he nor those people had truly entered Qingshan tonight.

They were just standing at the door.

And that door had already been touched by both sides at the same time.

They just don't know it yet.