Entertainment: A song that brought his deceased wife back to life.

Upon hearing the word "beef," the tall, thin man behind him couldn't help but swallow hard.

With a thud.

It was especially loud in this quiet room.

Er Lei turned around and glared at him before continuing to deceive Xu Qing.

"Think about it."

"If only we could get two boxes."

Even just one box.

"Will Jiang Yue still have to put up with that old woman's attitude from now on?"

"Why would you wash the pot just for a stale bun?"

"Those compressed biscuits, one of them will last you a day."

"There's also meat."

"If you don't want Jiang Yue to faint from hunger tomorrow, this is your chance."

Er Lei spoke with great enthusiasm and eloquence.

Spit flew everywhere.

Seeing that Er Lei had started, the tall, thin man immediately and astutely approached him.

His already thin face was creased with wrinkles from excitement.

"That's right, those compressed biscuits are a good thing."

As the tall, thin man spoke, he smacked his lips twice as if they were freshly cooked braised pork.

"Think about it, it's beef flavored."

"As soon as you tear open the packaging, the aroma of oil wafts straight into your nose."

"Take a bite, and it's so flaky it crumbles."

"Take a sip of water and swallow it; the warmth in your stomach will make you forget it's winter."

The tall, thin man got more and more excited as he talked, and saliva was almost dripping from the corners of his mouth.

I don't know if I was drooling over Xu Qing, or if I was just making myself drool.

The other two lackeys beside him also had their Adam's apples bobbing, their eyes gleaming with a green light.

In this welfare home where even pickled vegetables are divided by the root, beef-flavored compressed biscuits are truly a delicacy fit for the gods.

Er Lei was very satisfied with the tall, thin man's performance.

He patted the tall, thin man on the shoulder, then looked at Xu Qing, who had remained silent.

"How is it?"

"Dumb guy, we may have some minor disagreements from time to time, but when it comes to something as important as eating, I won't lie to you."

"If you agree, we'll split that box of cookies fifty-fifty."

"When the time comes, you can give a few packets to that crazy woman Jiang Yue, and she'll treat you like royalty."

Er Lei patiently persuaded, his tone carrying a seemingly sincere yet seductive quality.

Xu Qing sat on the edge of the bed.

He was still clutching the old, sharpened chopstick in his hand.

He didn't look at Er Lei, nor at the tall, thin man who was still swallowing his saliva.

His gaze fell on the dim light and shadow at the doorway.

My mind is racing.

He knew better than anyone what kind of person Er Lei was.

This person never tells a single truth.

What 50/50 split? That's utter nonsense.

If they actually get their hands on something, these people will definitely kick him out and even pin the blame on him.

Sending him to that supposedly haunted warehouse was definitely not a good idea.

Either I want to lock him inside and scare him.

Either let him go and detect mines, and if he gets caught, he'll be the main culprit, while Erlei and the others will keep watch outside so they can escape at any time.

This scheme is so cunning that you can hear it from two miles away.

but.

Xu Qing recalled the scene in the cafeteria earlier.

Granny Wang's greasy face, and Jiang Yue's back as she had to scrub a pile of black pots for half a steamed bun.

Jiang Yue's hands were covered in chilblains.

Getting it in cold water will definitely make it crack even more.

If we had those compressed biscuits...

Jiang Yue no longer needs to beg that fatso.

Even if you know there's a trap ahead.

He'd jump into this trap for a few cookies of dubious authenticity.

Xu Qing slowly loosened her clenched fist.

He tucked the old chopstick into his inner pocket.

then.

He stood up abruptly in full view of everyone.

The movements were swift and decisive.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Er Lei was about to waste more breath when he was surprised to find the mute man so agreeable.

He swallowed back the long speech that was about to come out, almost choking himself.

"That's more like it!"

Er Lei slapped his thigh, and the fat on his face twitched twice.

He wanted to reach out and put his arm around Xu Qing's shoulder to show his so-called "brotherly affection".

Xu Qing stepped aside to let him pass.

Er Lei's hand missed its target and awkwardly stopped in mid-air.

Xu Qing ignored the awkward atmosphere.

He walked straight towards the door of the dormitory.

The footsteps were very light.

As Er Lei watched Xu Qing's thin figure from behind, a sinister glint of triumph flashed in his eyes.

"Keep up."

Er Lei lowered his voice and waved to the people behind him.

The tall, thin man quickly closed the door, and a group of people followed Xu Qing silently like a tail.

It was now completely dark.

Half of the streetlights in the welfare home were broken, and the other half were dimly lit, like will-o'-the-wisps.

It's very windy.

The wind made the withered branches sway wildly, and their shadows stretched and grotesquely on the ground.

Xu Qing walked at the very front.

He didn't take the main road.

There are surveillance cameras on the main road, and there's also Old Zhang who likes to wave his flashlight around aimlessly.

He deliberately chose to walk in the shadows at the base of the wall.

That was taught to him by Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue used to take him to secretly watch Lao Zhang play cards, following the same approach.

Er Lei and his group followed behind. They were quite arrogant at first, but now they didn't dare to breathe loudly.

If caught, theft is a serious crime.

The old lady who runs the hospital looks kind, but if she really wanted to use discipline, she wouldn't hesitate.

The group walked through the alley behind the cafeteria.

The place was piled with coal ash and junk.

Stepping on the coal slag produced a faint cracking sound.

The tall, thin man accidentally kicked over an empty jar.

Ding-dong—

The sound carried far in the quiet night.

Xu Qing suddenly stopped in her tracks.

He turned around and stared coldly at the tall, thin man.

There was no reproach in his eyes, only a chilling stillness.

The tall, thin man trembled with fright and quickly covered his mouth, not daring to breathe.

Er Lei slapped the tall, thin man on the forehead.

"Go easy on me if you don't want to die!"

Er Lei cursed in a low voice.

A few barks came from afar.

That's Old Zhang's big black dog.

The group of people were so frightened that they pressed themselves against the wall and dared not move.

A while later.

The barking stopped.

Only a coughing sound came from the boiler room in the distance.

That's Old Zhang.

The sound is coming from the other end.

Er Lei breathed a sigh of relief and nudged Xu Qing in front of him.

"Come on, what are you standing there for?"

"If you miss the time, you can forget about eating those beef-flavored cookies."

Xu Qing ignored him.

Only after confirming that it is safe to proceed can we continue forward.

Beyond this cinder field lies the path leading to the back of the mountain.

The environment here is even worse.

Both sides of the road were covered with withered grass that was half a person tall.

When the wind blows, it makes a rustling sound.

It's like countless hands clapping.

The rotten, earthy smell grew stronger and stronger.

The smell, mixed with the stench of some unknown animal carcass, assaulted my senses.

Xu Qing pulled her collar up to cover her nose.

The cold air seeped into the soles of my feet through my thin, old cotton shoes.

My toes were so frozen I couldn't feel them anymore, and walking felt like stepping on two blocks of ice.

But he didn't stop.

All I could think about was that box of so-called compressed biscuits.

Er Lei followed behind, feeling a little uneasy.

People usually avoid walking around this back mountain.

The rumors about the dead and will-o'-the-wisps spread like wildfire in the orphanage.

Especially the old worker who hanged himself.

It's said to be on the crooked tree in front of that warehouse.

Er Lei looked at the dark bushes on both sides and had a feeling that something was hidden inside.

"Hey, you mute."

Er Lei's voice trembled slightly.

"Slow down, are you in a hurry to be reincarnated?"

Xu Qing slowed her pace slightly.

He was actually memorizing the route.

In case something unexpected happens, we need to think about how to escape.

A small earthen slope appeared ahead.

Once you cross this slope, you'll reach that abandoned warehouse.

Several people climbed up using both their hands and feet.

Standing on the top of the slope.

That red brick warehouse looked like a giant monster, lying in the weeds.

The warehouse is very large.

The walls are mottled, with many red bricks exposed, like skinned meat.

The windows were all shattered long ago.

All that's left are a few dark, gaping holes, like the eye sockets of a dead person.

The north wind blew through those broken windows.

Waaah—

Wow—

The voice was so shrill it sent chills down your spine.

It really felt like someone was crying inside.

The tall, thin man shuddered and shrank behind Er Lei.

"Brother Erlei... how about... we go back?"

"This place looks really eerie."

"I think I saw a white shadow float past that window."

Er Lei's legs were actually weak too.

But he couldn't show weakness in front of his younger brother.

In particular, one should not lose face in front of a mute person.

"fart!"

"That's a plastic bag!"

"Where did this ghost come from?"

"Don't you know that supernatural beings are forbidden after the founding of the People's Republic of China?"

Although Er Lei was stubborn, his legs betrayed him, and he didn't dare to take a step forward.

He stood on the earthen slope, pointing to the rusty iron gate below.

"Dumb."

"Go and take a look first."

"Check if the door is locked."

"And the exhaust fan vent is in the corner to the left of the door."

Erlei issued the orders.

He's using Xu Qing as a stepping stone to test the waters.

Xu Qing stood in the wind.

The coat fluttered in the wind.

He glanced at the gloomy warehouse.

He glanced back at Erlei again.

Er Lei wore a stiff, fake smile, and clutched half a brick in his hand—for self-defense, but also as a threat.

Xu Qing turned around.

Facing that unknown darkness.

He put his hand into his pocket.

I touched that cold, old chopstick.

The rough wood texture pressed against his palm, giving him a tiny bit of a sense of security.

He took a deep breath of the air, which reeked of decay.

Then start moving.

Step by step.

They walked toward that black hole that seemed capable of swallowing people whole.

The group of people behind them, including Er Lei, looked like a few vultures watching their prey enter the cage.

Standing on the earthen slope, motionless.

Xu Qing walked very steadily.

The withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground crunched underfoot.

We're getting closer and closer to that big iron gate.

ten meters.

five meters.

By the dim moonlight.

Xu Qing saw a huge black lock hanging on the large iron gate.

The lock was covered in rust.

It looks like it hasn't been touched in a long time.

He walked to the door.

Reach out.

That thin, bony hand gripped the cold iron railing.

He shook it forcefully.

bang-

The iron gate made a dull thud.

In the quiet back mountains, it was like a thunderclap.

Erlei, who was on the earthen slope, was so frightened that he almost sat down on the ground.

"Keep your voice down!"

Er Lei roared in a low voice, his voice filled with terror.

Xu Qing ignored him.

He carefully examined the door.

The lock is locked.

But the gap in the door was quite large.

You can indeed see some boxes piled up inside.

Those cardboard boxes really do look like they're for storing supplies.

It seems that Er Lei did not lie about this matter.

There's something there.

Xu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

He loosened the iron gate and moved a few steps to the left.

According to Er Lei.

The broken exhaust fan vent is right here.

Xu Qing squatted down.

He groped around in the corner for a while.

My hand touched a cold metal frame.

It is an old-fashioned exhaust fan vent.

The fan blades are long gone.

All that's left is a square hole.

The entrance to the cave is not large.

But it's definitely not small.

An adult definitely couldn't get in.

But for a seven-year-old child who is severely malnourished.

This hole is practically tailor-made for me.

Xu Qing lay on the ground.

He peeked over and took a look.

It was pitch black inside.

I can't see anything.

All I could smell was an even stronger musty odor, and the smell of rat droppings.

"How is it?"

Seeing no movement, Er Lei behind him mustered his courage a little and took two steps forward.

"Can we go in?"

Xu Qing stood up.

He turned to look at Er Lei and nodded.

Er Lei was overjoyed.

The fear I felt just now was instantly replaced by greed.

"I knew it!"

"quick!"

"You'd better get inside right now!"

"Hand those boxes over to us!"