Just back from abroad, visiting her boyfriend!
Wasn't that exactly the story the girl in the red dress had told me about herself that night?
I'd been fooled. The one who died in front of the bronze bell must have been her!!
I'd actually listened to a dead person tell me her story the whole way!
A chill ran through me, making my hair stand on end.
I told Little Six that if he ever saw that girl in the red dress again, he mustn't have anything to do with her.
Little Six was extremely reluctant, but seeing my grim expression, he agreed.
Seeing that I wasn't in a good state, Little Six told me to rest another night and wouldn't let me drive that night, no matter what.
After all the strange things on Tiger Waist Mountain, I was utterly drained, and I slept until morning.
On my way to the cafeteria for breakfast, I happened to pass through the yard and see Old Wu arguing with several police officers.
I went over to listen. It turned out the higher-ups had sent a new investigation captain, and his first order of business was to investigate everything thoroughly again.
From what they were saying, the captain wanted to inspect the two-story building behind the office building.
Naturally, Old Wu refused. He kept making excuses, first saying it was packed with scrap vehicle parts, then saying there were trade secrets inside, so it wasn't convenient for the police to inspect it.
The captain was no pushover either. When Old Wu wouldn't let them in, he had two of his men pin him to the ground.
Old Wu still wouldn't hand over the keys. In a fit of anger, the captain had two sledgehammers brought over to smash the door open.
I'd been inside that building twice, and the second time, I'd even stolen a file envelope. Not only did Old Wu regularly stay in one of its rooms, but it also held the secret about Old Tang that Sixth Uncle had mentioned.
Two officers knocked the lock off with a few swings of their sledgehammers, and a group of five or six crowded inside.
Old Wu scrambled up from the ground, hurriedly grabbed me, and said:
"Little Li, come help me stop them. Whatever happens, don't let them go upstairs!"
I knew what was going on. Everything was upstairs, so of course Old Wu was nervous. But if the police wanted to search it, who could stop them?
Old Wu and I hurried after them at a jog.
Once inside, the police split into two teams. Three searched the ground floor, while the captain took two others upstairs.
Seeing the captain about to head upstairs, Old Wu rushed over like a madman and grabbed him.
"Listen to me! There are evil spirits up there. You can't go up!"
The captain shoved Old Wu hard and cursed:
"It's broad daylight. Cut the crap! You're so determined to stop us searching this building, I think you've got something to hide!"
With that, he called the two officers beside him and went upstairs.
I wanted to follow the police, but Old Wu looked so pitiful after being shoved to the side.
I went over to help him up and said:
"Old Wu, what are you doing? There's nothing in this dump. If they want to search it, let them!"
Old Wu shot me a fierce glare and said:
"You don't know shit! It's over. We're in serious trouble this time!"
Seeing him so nervous only made me more curious. Just what secret did this little two-story building hold?
Old Wu gestured, and I supported him as we followed them upstairs.
The sight of the upper floor stunned me.
Although both my previous visits had been at night, I clearly remembered seeing by my phone's light that, apart from the archive room, the rooms upstairs had all been open and empty, just like those downstairs.
But now, every door upstairs was shut tight, and most had padlocks on them.
As I puzzled over this, a powerful, fishy stench drifted over.
The captain frowned, turned to Old Wu, and said:
"What have you hidden upstairs that stinks so badly?"
Old Wu was just about to speak when the captain's phone rang.
"What? Director Zhang came in person? All right, I'll be right down!"
Hanging up, the captain pointed at Old Wu and said:
"Once I've seen the director, I'm searching every room!"
He signaled his men to watch Old Wu, then hurried downstairs.
Seeing the captain leave, Old Wu let out a long breath. When the officers weren't looking, he gave me a meaningful glance.
I knew Old Wu fairly well and immediately understood. He wanted me to stay here.
With the captain gone, the two officers also made to leave. After they joined the officers downstairs, I deliberately stayed at the back, then quickly slipped into a ground-floor room while nobody was looking.
At the entrance, one of the officers looked back, noticed I was missing, and asked:
"Hey, where's that kid?"
Old Wu hurriedly brushed it off:
"He was scared of getting arrested and bolted ages ago. What kind of damn cop are you, with eyes like that?"
There was a smack. It sounded as though Old Wu had been kicked and fallen to the ground.
"Watch your mouth. Shut the door!"
Then I heard the building's entrance slam shut with a clang!
Old Wu had never told me the truth. I wasn't staying because of his instructions, but because I wanted to use this chance to see what was in the other two file envelopes.
Once everyone had left, I hurried upstairs.
On my way to the archive room, I received a text from Old Wu.
"Brother, hurry to the room opposite the archive room at the far eastern end of the second floor. Burn the book on the table!"
I'd barely finished reading it when another message arrived.
"There's a lighter in the drawer."
I pocketed my phone, thinking:
A book? Was it the one the village chief mentioned, the one taken out of the demon cave back then and carried away by Old Wu?
I quickened my pace and soon stood outside the archive room again.
The archive room wasn't even locked!
I pushed the door open, went in, and quickly opened the filing cabinet. It was completely empty. Nothing remained.
I knew Old Wu must have moved the documents after I'd stolen the first file envelope.
At that thought, I turned back, crossed to Old Wu's room, and kicked the door open.
"Holy shit!"
An unbelievably foul, fishy stench hit me in the face.
I hurriedly covered my nose and mouth, opened my eyes, and looked.
The room was actually piled with large buckets of dead fish. The fish were badly rotten and spoiled, utterly disgusting!
A single bed stood by the window, with a small table at its head. On the table lay an old black-covered book.
I skirted the fish buckets, grabbed the book, and hurried out, shutting the door behind me.
It really was an old book!
Its spine was stitched firmly with white thread. Though thick, it felt very light in my hands. The paper seemed to have aged to its limit, ready to tear at the slightest force.
Four large, strange characters were written on its solid black cover. With my limited education, I didn't know how to read them.
He, Liu Yunbo, and Old Tang had been comrades-in-arms. The tangled relationships involved left me with no trust in Old Wu whatsoever.
Now Old Wu wanted me to burn the book. Who knew what unspeakable secrets it might contain?
I decided to take it back and study it slowly when I had time, so I carefully wrapped it in my clothes.
Staying here wasn't a solution. I searched the second floor and finally found an unlocked room on the north side.
After kicking at them for a long time, I knocked the iron bars off the room's rear window, took a deep breath, and jumped straight down.
The hospital.
I'd fractured my leg.
Little Six was the one who took me to the hospital.
Fortunately, it was only a minor fracture. After treating me, the doctor put a cast on my right leg.
Knowing Old Wu and the others would soon come to visit, I hid the book under my mattress.
Sure enough, once Old Wu heard the news, he came to the hospital with some coworkers, carrying fruit and flower baskets.
I told my other coworkers I'd hurt my leg by accidentally falling on the dormitory stairs.
Old Wu was no fool and naturally knew what had happened. He cursed at me a few times out of habit, then changed the subject.
After a little small talk, everyone was ready to head back to the company. Seeing nobody else in the room, Old Wu leaned close to my ear and whispered:
"Little Li, did you burn the book?"
I nodded and said:
"I burned it, Brother Wu. There wasn't even any ash left!"
Old Wu narrowed his eyes and asked again in a low voice:
"You really burned it?"
"Brother Wu, don't you know how little schooling I've had? Do I look like someone who enjoys reading? If I didn't burn it, what use would I have for that lousy book?"
Old Wu didn't know I'd gone to Tiger Waist Mountain and heard where his book had come from.
He patted my chest in satisfaction and said:
"Brother, just stay here and recover. Little Six can drive the night shift for now. You'll get every cent of your wages, and I'll throw in a five-hundred-yuan bonus this month!"
"Thanks, brother!"
Old Wu really was a crafty old fox. As he got up to leave, he spotted my jacket lying to one side and casually reached into a pocket.
Only after finding all the pockets empty did he nod and leave.
After everyone left, I felt terribly tired and drifted off to sleep.
To my surprise, it was already late at night when I woke.
This was a small hospital, the closest one to the company. There weren't many inpatients, and the entire floor was especially quiet at night.
I hadn't told my family about the fracture, and nobody was there to look after me. Fortunately, the injury wasn't serious, and I could still get to the bathroom on crutches.
With my head lowered, I slowly hopped forward on one foot. Just as I reached the bathroom door, an old man coming out bumped into me.
I fell flat on my back, limbs splayed. The old man looked to be in his sixties, all skin and bones. He gave me an apologetic smile and said:
"Oh dear, young man, sorry about that. I'm in a bit of a hurry!"
I was in so much pain I nearly cried as I said:
"Sir, even if you're in a hurry, you need to watch where you're going. I only got admitted today!"
I was still waiting for the old man to help me up, but he simply nodded and left.
I sat on the floor, furious. The men's bathroom was in an awkward spot, and I couldn't very well call a nurse over.
In the end, I had to use the bathroom door to pull myself up, bit by bit.
After that ordeal, I felt as though my leg had finally broken clean through. By the time I got back to bed, my hospital clothes were soaked with sweat.
The piercing pain kept me awake. Only when dawn was approaching did I manage to doze for a while.
I didn't know what time it was when crying outside the door woke me.
I sat up and looked out. A family of all ages was carrying things out of the ward opposite, wiping away tears.
I asked the man in the neighboring bed:
"Brother, what happened in the room across the hall?"
He sighed and said quietly:
"Their old man died of a heart attack in the bathroom last night!"
I struggled to keep myself calm.
"Do you know what time he died?"
"I heard it was sometime after midnight!"
I could no longer feel any of the pain in my right leg.
I'd gone to the bathroom at one in the morning!!