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

The walkie-talkie went completely silent.

No one spoke for a moment in the culvert.

The phrase "There are people on the back slope too, don't make a sound" weighed on everyone's heart like a stone.

There was another sound outside the wall.

Ding.

The sound was very soft.

It's the sound of metal hitting stone.

Very close.

It was so close, it felt like being separated by this sealed wall, and someone was using a probe to test it little by little.

Xing Shanhe raised his hand.

Everyone stopped immediately.

He pressed his palm down again.

The skinny captain reacted the fastest, turning the low-position light in his hand to its dimmest setting.

Others followed suit and turned off the extra lights.

In the culvert, only two or three faint points of light remained close to the ground, barely illuminating the water's surface and the tips of the shoes.

The man with the broken eyebrow moved his lips again.

"present……"

The tomb raider next to him quickly covered his mouth.

The broken eyebrow and eyes slowly turned, but there was no struggle.

Xiaoman stood in front of the forest.

Her right hand hung down, while her left hand gripped the edge of her small black bag.

Lin Ye glanced at her but didn't say anything.

At times like these, any unnecessary word could be fatal.

Master Lai stood next to box number three.

This time, he didn't urge him either.

He held his thermos, staring at the wall, finally suppressing the excitement on his face.

There were footsteps outside the wall.

It's very light.

He paused for a moment, then moved to another spot.

Someone was speaking in a low voice.

Through the cement, gravel, and soil, it was impossible to hear complete sentences; only a few words could be heard.

"Back slope..."

"Old drainage..."

"Let's investigate."

"Don't get too close."

Xing Shanhe pressed himself against the wall, listened for a few seconds, and then slowly backed away.

The skinny captain leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Brother Shan, are we still going to tear it down?"

Xing Shanhe glanced at him.

"Demolishing it now is like opening a door for them."

The thin captain's face turned even paler.

Master Lai lowered his voice: "The longer it drags on, the tighter their encirclement will become."

Xing Shanhe looked at him.

"If we smash it now, they'll be trapped like turtles in a jar outside."

After saying that, Master Lai fell silent.

Box number three was right at their feet.

If the wall is torn down, anyone outside who isn't blind will be able to see them.

At that point, it's uncertain whether people will even be able to get out of the house, let alone bring suitcases.

Lin Ye looked at the sealed wall.

Cement, broken bricks, and old stones were used to build a rough but thick wall.

It's indeed difficult to move from the front.

The noise was still in his ears, but it was a little quieter than before.

The sounds of the dead in Qingshan Cemetery were drowned out in the distance.

What comes up from the culvert is mostly the sound of old construction work.

A hammer striking a stone.

The muddy water flowed downhill.

Someone is breathing.

Someone is cursing.

There are also the old voices of Ma Changshun and Yao Guanggen, which have been soaked in water vapor.

"Old Yao, don't knock on the wall."

"That's the back slope."

"It's empty outside."

"If you knock too hard, it will collapse."

Another voice sounded urgent.

"Which way should we go?"

"Bottom right corner"

"There's also a leak in the bottom right corner."

"Was the sluice gate not sealed properly?"

"I don't know, it was filled with broken bricks, and the mortar wasn't completely dry yet."

The sound was intermittent.

It wasn't telling him how to escape now.

Those were just a few words left over from the construction back then.

But for them now, that's enough.

Lin Ye squatted down and reached out to touch the lower right corner of the wall.

The area was plastered with cement.

It looks no different from other places on the surface.

But when you press your hand on it, you can feel a slight dampness.

He looked up at Xing Shanhe.

"Don't tear down the main wall."

Xing Shanhe immediately looked at him.

"What should we demolish?"

Lin Ye pointed to the bottom right corner.

"here."

The skinny captain also squatted down, looking at the clump of gray cement.

"Here? Isn't this just the corner?"

Lin Ye didn't look up.

"There's a water inlet inside."

Without wasting words, Xing Shanhe took out a fine probe and gently poked the spot Lin Ye pointed to, the needle tip sinking in a little.

Xing Shanhe stopped.

He changed the angle and tried it again gently.

This time, a very faint hollow sound came from inside.

thump.

Xing Shanhe's expression changed.

"It's empty inside."

The skinny captain whispered, "Really?"

Lin Ye ignored him.

Xing Shanhe shone the light against the base of the wall again and discovered that the cement in that area was a lighter color than the rest of the wall, with very fine watermarks at the edges.

If you didn't know the location, you wouldn't even notice it.

Su Tinglan squatted down beside her and took a look.

"Like an old, worn-out drain."

Her voice was very low.

"It was repaired later, but it didn't kill it."

Master Lai looked at Lin Ye.

"Who told you that?"

Lin Ye didn't even look up.

"The wall is more honest."

Master Lai stared at him.

Lin Ye added, "More honest than a living person."

After he finished speaking, none of them said a word.

Master Lai knew perfectly well that he was talking nonsense.

But this time, no one had time to press for answers.

Xing Shanhe gave the order in a low voice.

"Make that request."

"Don't use the sledgehammer."

"Cloth bag tools".

"Pause for three seconds after each movement, and listen outside."

The skinny captain swallowed hard.

"Brother Shan, this job is a bit delicate."

Xing Shanhe looked at him.

"Are your hands shaking?"

The skinny captain immediately shook his head.

"It doesn't shake."

He reached for the tools, and just as his fingers touched the crowbar, it gently bumped against a nearby rock.

Ding.

Everyone looked at him at the same time.

Sweat immediately beaded on the skinny captain's forehead.

He mouthed, "I'm sorry."

Xing Shanhe didn't scold him.

They just threw a thick piece of cloth over there.

The skinny captain wrapped the crowbar in two layers and then tightly wrapped the silencer hammer with cloth before daring to continue moving it.

a bit.

stop.

The underground ditch was so quiet that only the sound of water could be heard.

There was no response from outside the wall.

One more time.

stop.

Someone outside took two steps.

Everyone immediately froze.

A few seconds later, the footsteps faded into the distance.

The skinny captain continued.

He was covered in sweat, and his movements were light and slow.

Lin Ye felt his hands were aching just watching him.

As the skinny captain chipped away at the cement, he muttered to himself, "I feel like I'm performing minimally invasive surgery on the King of Hell."

Lin Ye lowered his voice: "Just don't kill the patient."

Xing Shanhe didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Shut up, steady your hand."

The skinny captain immediately shut up.

The cement was peeled away little by little.

Broken bricks were visible below.

Behind the broken bricks was black mud.

Further inside, a little damp air finally seeped out.

The wind was very gentle, carrying moisture.

The skinny captain's eyes lit up.

"It works."

Xing Shanhe reached out to stop him.

"Don't rush."

He probed inside with a probe.

The space inside is not large.

It is an old water outlet that slopes downwards.

People can drill through it.

But it's very narrow.

Box number three definitely won't make it through.

Master Lai also figured it out.

His face darkened.

"Expand."

Xing Shanhe nodded.

"It can be expanded, but it will take time."

Master Lai glanced at the direction outside the wall.

"We don't have that much time."

Xing Shanhe did not answer.

Master Lai suddenly whispered, "Unpack it."

Lin Ye spoke almost immediately.

"It cannot be dismantled."

Master Lai looked at him.

"You reacted very quickly."

"Nonsense," Lin Ye said in a low voice, "When the box was closed just now, the main hall almost turned into a chaotic market. Now you're opening it in this ditch, where are you going to hide if something happens? Hiding in a crack in the mud?"

Master Lai's eyes turned a little cold.

"Do you know what's inside?"

Lin Ye looked at him.

"I know it's not something to mess with."

Su Tinglan also spoke up: "The box cannot be opened."

Master Lai turned to look at her.

Su Tinglan's face was pale, but her voice was steady.

"It's too narrow here. If the anomaly spreads, everyone will be trapped. Even if you don't care about others, you have to care about the box."

This statement is more effective than simply giving advice.

Master Lai looked at her for a while without saying anything.

Xing Shanhe also spoke up.

"Don't open the box."

He wrapped the crowbar in cloth and continued to look at the water outlet in the lower right corner.

"If you want it to pass, enlarge the hole."

Master Lai finally gave up.

The thin captain breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Ye also relaxed a little.

He wasn't sure what would happen if he actually opened box number three here.

But he was certain it wouldn't be as simple as opening blind boxes.

The drain in the lower right corner was gradually widened.

The sound of probes outside was getting closer and closer.

Ding.

Ding.

On one occasion, the sound was almost right behind the wall.

Everyone stopped.

Xing Shanhe raised his hand, even lowering his breathing.

Someone outside the wall said, "There's a hollow sound coming from here."

Another voice replied: "Mark."

"Shall we open it?"

"Don't start yet, wait for the team leader."

These words were spoken very softly.

But everyone in the culvert heard it.

Sweat dripped down the skinny captain's chin.

He didn't dare wipe it.

After the people outside had walked a few steps away, Xing Shanhe immediately whispered, "Quickly."

The skinny captain gritted his teeth and continued picking.

Xiaoman stood beside the woods, staring intently at the direction outside the wall.

Her right hand was not working properly, so she used her left hand to hold her bag and leaned slightly forward.

Lin Ye noticed that the tips of her right fingers were trembling.

He said in a low voice, "You go first."

Xiaoman didn't look at him.

"It's not my turn yet."

"You hurt your hand."

"Your leg isn't injured."

"Do you really have to use yourself until you're completely worn out?"

Xiaoman then glanced at him.

"If I don't scrap it, you'll scrap less of it."

Lin Ye was cornered by her.

That sounds very harsh.

But listening to this made him feel uneasy.

The drain outlet was finally widened to the point where the box could pass through.

It was barely acceptable.

Xing Shanhe first sent one of the tomb raiders to crawl through and explore.

The man held the rope and slid in along the sluice gate.

A few dozen seconds later, the rope was gently pulled twice.

Safety.

Xing Shanhe immediately said, "Number three first."

No one objected.

Box number three was wrapped tightly and tied with three ropes.

Two tomb raiders were pulling inside.

People outside were being pushed in.

The box got stuck halfway in.

The skinny captain's face turned green.

"It's stuck."

Master Lai's gaze instantly hardened.

Xing Shanhe squatted down to find the angle.

"Don't pull it forcefully."

At that moment, an old voice also appeared in Lin Ye's ears.

I'm not talking about now.

It happened during construction that someone was lying next to the water outlet, cursing and swearing.

"The sluice gate is angled."

"Don't lift it up."

"The more you lift it, the more stuck it becomes."

"Send it down the trough."

Lin Ye immediately lowered his voice: "Don't lift your head."

Xing Shanhe looked at him.

Lin Ye pointed to the bottom edge of the box.

"Press it down a little, and push it along the water trough."

The skinny captain whispered, "Any further down and we'll be splashing water."

Lin Ye looked at him.

"So you want to take someone's life?"

The skinny captain shut up.

Xing Shanhe made his assessment and nodded.

"As he said."

The people outside pressed the box down half an inch.

The people inside worked together to pull it forward little by little.

The box gently rubbed against the edge of the gravel, making a very soft friction sound.

Lin Ye felt a chill run down his spine.

Someone outside the wall seemed to pause for a moment.

Everyone immediately froze.

A few seconds passed, and there were no new sounds from outside.

Xing Shanhe raised his hand.

carry on.

Box number three finally slid slowly down the water trough.

The moment the box went completely through the hole, Lin Ye felt a sudden heave in his ear.

The chaotic noises above the green hills seemed to have been pulled back by someone.

Old Li's voice seemed to come from near and far.

"Huh? Why are we so far away again?"

Boss Wei cursed.

"Who's moving?"

Grandma Zhao said anxiously, "Stop making noise, the sound is going towards the back mountain."

Lin Ye's vision went black for a moment.

Xiaoman caught him.

"Can it still hold on?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"support."

This time I'm really full.

Box number three has passed.

Boxes number one and number two are much easier to handle.

Xing Shanhe glanced at the time and said in a low voice, "Number one and number two, if they can pass, they pass; if not, they're discarded."

Master Lai looked at him.

Xing Shanhe said coldly, "Number three has already passed."

Master Lai remained silent.

Box number one barely passed.

The second box got stuck twice; we finally had to remove the outer carrying frame to get it through.

Next are the people.

The one with the broken eyebrow passed by first.

He's in the worst condition; leaving him until later could easily lead to problems.

The two tomb raiders gently gagged him with a cloth to prevent him from suddenly reciting those things halfway through the tomb.

As Duanmei was dragged over, he made muffled sounds in his throat.

No one dared to hear clearly.

Then came the skinny captain.

He crawled halfway through when his waist got stuck.

Lin Ye whispered, "Scenic spot."

The skinny captain's face turned red.

"Don't hold grudges at a time like this."

Xing Shanhe kicked the sole of his shoe from behind.

"Tuck in your stomach."

The skinny captain managed to hold it in.

After he left, he muttered under his breath on the other side, "I'll go back and start dieting."

Lin Ye: "You can set your flag again when you get back."

Xiaoman glanced at him.

"You talk too much."

"Relieve tension."

"You're creating tension."

Lin Ye shut up.

As Su Tinglan prepared to go over, Chen Jin crawled over first, while Bai Yuan stayed inside to protect her.

Before bending down, Su Tinglan glanced at Lin Ye.

very short.

He didn't say anything.

She moved steadily as she crawled through the sluice gate, only her sleeve was scratched by a pebble.

Bai Yuan followed.

Chen Jin was waiting outside.

Soon, only Xing Shanhe, a tomb raider, Xiaoman, and Lin Ye remained inside.

There's also a half-opened wall.

The sound of probes coming closer outside.

Ding.

Ding.

This time it's closer than before.

Someone outside the wall said, "There was a noise just now."

Another person said, "There must be a cavity here."

Xing Shanhe's face darkened.

"quick."

Xiaoman looked at the forest.

"You go first."

Lin Ye didn't even think about it.

"You go first."

"no."

"With your right hand like this, it will only cause more trouble in the end."

Xiaoman's expression remained unchanged.

"My task is for you to live."

"If you live, my chances of living are a little higher," Lin Ye said in a low voice. "Don't try to talk nonsense with me."

Xiaoman looked at him but didn't move.

Lin Ye became anxious.

"If you keep arguing, I'll really report you to Su Wantang."

Xiaoman calmly said, "Complaining is useless."

At that moment, Su Tinglan's hushed voice came from the other side of the water outlet.

"Let her go first."

Lin Ye and Xiao Man paused at the same time.

Su Tinglan's voice was very steady.

"Her right hand is injured, so the longer she stays there, the slower she gets. Lin Ye can still crawl through on his own."

Xiaoman looked towards the water outlet.

Lin Ye also looked over.

The other end of the waterway was dimly lit, and only half of Su Tinglan's face could be seen.

She did not explain further.

There was no talk of any special relationship.

But she reached out her hand, clearly intending to catch Xiaoman on the other side.

Lin Ye seized the opportunity and pressed down on Xiao Man's shoulder.

"Did you hear that? That's how the professionals judge it."

Xiaoman looked at him.

"What kind of professional is she?"

Lin Ye said, "An outstanding employee of the data center."

From the other side of the stream came Su Tinglan's soft voice: "Shut up."

Xiaoman finally stopped arguing.

She ducked down and crawled into the sluice gate.

I couldn't use my right hand, so my movements were much slower than usual.

Halfway through the hole, my sleeve got caught on some loose gravel on the edge.

Lin Ye immediately reached out to untie it.

Suddenly, a closer metallic clang came from outside the wall.

Ding.

Xing Shanhe whispered, "Quickly."

Lin Ye flicked his fingertip and broke off a small piece of the edge of the gravel.

Xiaoman was finally taken over by Su Tinglan and Chen Jin on the other side.

She had just walked over when she turned back to look at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye waved his hand at her.

"He's alive, don't stare."

Xiaoman didn't say anything.

But his eyes clearly said: You better be.

Xing Shanhe patted Lin Ye on the shoulder.

"You pass."

"And you?"

"I'm the last one."

Lin Ye didn't argue with him.

At times like this, arguing about who comes last is pointless.

He bent down and crawled into the water inlet.

The water outlet was narrower than he had imagined.

My chest was pressed against the cold, damp stone surface, and my back was scraped by a piece of broken brick.

He moved forward a little, and suddenly a piercing noise rang in his ears.

It wasn't the lingering voice of a dead person.

It's outside the wall.

Probe.

thump.

This time, it wasn't a gentle touch on the stone surface.

Instead, they plunged into the blocking wall.

Lin Ye's body stiffened.

Xing Shanhe whispered from behind, "Don't stop."

Lin Ye gritted his teeth and moved forward.

On the other side of the waterway, Xiaoman had already reached out to pull him.

Just as his hand was about to touch Xiaoman, a muffled thud came from the blocking wall behind him.

Click.

A thin crack appeared on the wall.

The next second, a beam of cold white light swept into the culvert from the crack.

The beam of light was very narrow.

But it landed right on half of Lin Ye's face.

He was stuck in the sluice gate, unable to move forward or backward.

Someone stopped outside the wall.

A few seconds later, a calm voice came through the wall.

"There are people inside."

No one in the culvert moved.

Lin Ye looked at the beam of light falling on his face, and only one thought popped into his mind.

This time, they were caught red-handed.