Episode 6 Chapter 055 Funeral Home
When Director Gao said this, he hesitated, as if he found it difficult to speak. I became even more confused. I was an outsider, and although I had some interactions with them, they suddenly asked me to help them on duty for no apparent reason. There must be something wrong. It is human nature for anyone to ask questions after hearing such a request.
I saw that Director Gao seemed to be hiding something, so I asked him if Shi Hu and Shan Lanjin knew about this. But as soon as I asked this question, Director Gao's face changed immediately, and he looked terrified. He immediately told me not to tell them a single word, and that this matter had to be kept secret from them.
I was even more surprised when I heard this. They had to hide it from Shi Hu and Shan Lanjin, which meant that the police couldn't know about it. I said, "Are they going to do something illegal But what does this have to do with me? Why did they ask me to come?" When Director Gao heard the word "illegal", he immediately interrupted and said, "Don't think too much. This is definitely not what I thought."
I looked at Director Gao and saw that he was also in a dilemma. I suddenly felt that he was just a messenger, a lobbyist. He was hesitant and could not say anything. I was embarrassing him here, which would only make him more embarrassed. So I told him that I couldn't come to this place in the middle of the night for no reason, and this was not a peaceful place. What if he was trying to harm me? Besides, no one would be willing if I didn't make this matter clear.
Director Gao's forehead was covered with sweat, and I was anxious to see him. Finally, I guessed that he had no other choice, so he told me that I must keep it a secret. I said I must, but Director Gao was still worried and repeatedly reminded me several times. I patiently agreed, and he finally opened up.
He said that this matter started with the construction of the funeral home. He said that building a funeral home requires public power and some capital. When the funeral home was being built, the public support provided them with land acquisition and removal of some obstacles, while the capital was raised by themselves. So the person in charge at the time found an investor, who basically paid most of the money. Director Gao did not say who this person was, but just said that just like a joint-stock company, the funeral home is managed by the director on the surface, but in fact, many things behind the scenes are decided by this person, and it was this person who asked me to help on duty this time.
It sounded even more mysterious to me. I asked myself that I had no such wealthy acquaintance in my life, so it was impossible that he knew me. If he didn't know me, then he must have some purpose. I thought I should not go. However, Director Gao's next words made me waver. He said that this person might know some strange things that happened in the funeral home. After all, he was the one operating behind the scenes, and no one knew this funeral home better than him.
When Director Gao said this, the first thing that came to my mind was the body on Guangfu Road. If the body had been kept in the funeral home all this time, it must be the person behind it. Moreover, Director Gao repeatedly emphasized that Shi Hu and Shan Lanjin should not be informed, which meant that he wanted to cover up some secrets of the funeral home.
As the saying goes, many decisions are made in a moment. No matter what I was thinking at the time, I agreed to Director Gao. Director Gao was naturally very happy to hear that I agreed. He said that he would pay me the duty fee in another way. At that time, I didn’t care much about the duty fee, so I agreed casually, and kept thinking about the ins and outs of the matter in my head.
Later, Director Gao told me some things to pay attention to, including when to go and when he would pick me up, for fear that I would change my mind halfway. I told him that since I had promised him, I would not go back on my word, so he should not worry. It was just that maybe this matter was really important and he couldn't be at ease, and he always looked worried, so I didn't care. Then he said he would go back first and pick me up in the afternoon, and then he left.
Nothing happened until the afternoon. I originally wanted to continue calling Shi Hu, but I was afraid that I would not be able to keep the secret and would reveal it, so I thought about calling him tomorrow. Later, Director Gao came. The sun was about to set when he came, and it was already dusk when he and I arrived at the funeral home.
Director Gao took me to an office on the fourth floor, near the corridor, and said that I was on duty there. I asked if I was the only one there. Director Gao said that I was the only one on this floor, and there would be other people on duty on other floors. He was in the conference room on the first floor. I could call the landline if I had any questions, but I was not to walk around casually.
Director Gao was afraid that I would be hungry at night, so he said that there were instant noodles and bread in the cabinet, and if I was hungry I could make some myself. I asked what the fourth floor was used for, and Director Gao said it was an office, and there were some instruments that needed to be guarded. I knew Director Gao was not telling the truth, and if that was the case, he wouldn't have to let me guard it, there must be a reason, but I was too lazy to argue with him, because I wouldn't get anything out of making things difficult for him, and it would only make both sides awkward.
I have worked shifts before, especially the night shift, which can be very boring. But I don’t think it will be boring in a place like this. I’m more afraid it will be boring because it’s not a quiet place. And in a place like this, even if there is nothing to do, you will imagine something in this environment.
The only thing that could kill time in the entire duty room was the surveillance screen. However, I felt a little cold after staring at the monitor for a while, because when this kind of place was presented through the surveillance screen, it added an inexplicable sense of horror. I was alone there, so I took out my mobile phone to play, which could be regarded as a way to divert my fear.
Time passed very slowly, and it felt like one minute was ten minutes longer than usual. I finally made it to the early morning. The temperature dropped quickly and it was a bit cold. I was not sleepy, not even in a place like this. Then I suddenly received a text message from a completely unfamiliar number. The text message only had three words - check the surveillance!
This message gave me a start. I looked out the window and saw a dark corridor. When I received this message, I felt like someone was secretly watching me. I looked around and saw no one, so I checked the surveillance camera as the message said. The surveillance camera was still the same, nothing was happening, but I didn't dare to be careless. Sure enough, a person appeared on it soon.
He walked very fast, as if he came up the stairs from the other side, and was coming towards me. There were four surveillance cameras in total, and I was not very good at reading, so I needed to think for a while before I could determine the direction. There was a surveillance camera in front of the duty room, which just happened to show a part of the duty room. I saw this person walking towards me quickly, so I stretched my head to look outside, but it was pitch black outside, and there was nothing at all. I looked at the surveillance camera again, and this person was almost at the duty room, but when I looked outside, there was nothing. I even checked to confirm, and there was really nothing.
So I looked back at the surveillance camera, but I was shocked by what I saw. I don't know when the person in the surveillance camera was standing by the window of the duty room, facing the window, as if looking inside. But when I looked out of the window, there was clearly nothing there.
So I immediately panicked and didn’t know where to look at this time, whether to look at the surveillance camera or out the window. But no matter where I looked, my back felt cold and my scalp felt numb.
And just at this moment, another text message came. I was startled when the text message sounded. I felt my hands shaking like chicken feet like crazy, and then I finally held the phone. This was a completely instinctive nerve reaction, an unconscious tremor caused by being scared for a moment.
I then checked the text message, it was the same number, and it said to me to go to the place where the person went. I looked at the surveillance camera, and saw that the person had already walked to the other end. I watched carefully, and saw that he pushed open the door of a room. I didn't know where it was, but I saw that it said 409.
I swallowed my saliva, but did not stand up. Instead, I sent a text message to ask who he was, but there was no response. I waited for a long time but there was no response. Finally, I checked the surveillance again, but there was nothing. Finally, I made up my mind and said, since it wants to harm me, it had already moved when I was outside the window just now, why should I go through so many troubles? Besides, Director Gao asked me to take duty just for this. If I don't go, it would be a waste of their design and my trip would be in vain.
I walked out of the duty room and it was even colder in the corridor. It was not the kind of cold you get in winter, but rather gloomy. I shuddered and walked towards the place where the man had just entered. When I arrived at the door of 409, it was open, but it was dark inside. I could only see the shadows of some things standing there, and there was a sense of emptiness.
There were many beds inside, and I initially judged that it should be a morgue or something like that, but these iron beds were almost all empty. I looked around and didn't see anything, but the fear in my heart was growing. What did the person who sent me the text message ask me to come in for? And just as I was thinking about this, I heard footsteps coming from inside, and it seemed that they were walking towards me.
I only saw a black shadow slowly emerging from inside, but I couldn't see it clearly, and he stopped at a distance where I could only see his body but not his face. I asked him if he was a human or a ghost. He answered me, and I felt relieved after he spoke, because I could basically confirm that he was a human.
He said I shouldn't care about these things and don't need to be afraid. He just wanted to ask me a question. I asked what it was. He said Old Man Liu had a private notebook and asked if he gave it to me.
