Fortunately, it was dark, so the bloodstains on the equipment were not very obvious. Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to explain myself clearly even if I were innocent.
After asking the balding uncle to send it back to the adult store, I lay on the bed tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. I barely managed to endure until dawn and squinted for a while, only to have a nightmare of being locked in a deserted village inn by a female ghost.
With two dark circles under my eyes, I opened the store door. Regardless of my state, business still had to go on.
I made myself a cup of strong tea and sat in front of the computer. I organized the previous night's encounter and recorded it in written form on the computer. This was a habit I developed years ago. Such detailed recollection helped with thinking and prevented missing important clues.
A fresh morning breeze blew into the room, lifting the army - coat curtain. A young and lovely girl sneaked in.
"Xia Qingzhi, don't you have class today?" My train of thought interrupted, I looked at the girl weakly.
"It's still early. I passed by and thought I'd check in. So, any progress on my brother's matter?"
The expectant look in Xia Qingzhi's eyes made me reluctant to tell the truth. Looking at her blushing cheeks, I turned the computer screen aside: "Last night, I went to the Yinjian Xiuchang on Wudeng Road according to the address on the card and found some traces related to your brother. At least now I can confirm that you didn't lie, and your brother did exist."
"Then… do you know where he is now?"
"That requires further investigation. I need time." I readily took the egg - filled pancake the girl was holding. After a night of shock, now that I smelled the fragrance, my stomach finally growled.
"Hey! That's my breakfast!"
"Next time, put less lettuce and add more chili…"
After Xia Qingzhi left, I opened the leather suitcase brought out from Yinjian Xiuchang, wiped the bloodstains off the live - streaming equipment with a rag, and started fiddling with it.
There was nothing special about the selfie stick or the camera, but the large - screen mobile phone caught my attention.
I plugged in the charger and waited five minutes for it to turn on. On the nearly eight - inch screen, there were only three solitary icons: a phone book, a mailbox, and one icon that was actually a black - and - white photo of myself!
I clicked on this strange app, and a line of text appeared on the screen: "12 hours and 30 minutes until the task is released."
"Not bad, these knock - off devices have quite a high tech - content." I turned to look at the digital clock on the wall. It was 7:30 a.m., which meant the task of Yinjian Xiuchang would be released at 8 p.m. that night.
"Again at night?" I seemed to smell a conspiracy. This time, I couldn't rush in ignorantly but had to be fully prepared.
I took out my own phone and found a familiar number in the frequently - used contacts list.
"Hello, Er Gou, there's work."
On the other end of the phone, there were the sounds of wine bottles bursting and women's screams. After a long time, someone answered the phone: "Brother Jian, I'm a bit busy here. Just make it short."
"Not bad, Er Gou, you can use idioms now?" The young man on the other end of the phone was named Chen Ergou, nicknamed Er Gou. He dropped out of school at fourteen to become a gangster. Three years ago, he came to my store to collect protection money, but I tied him up, whipped him, and gave him an electric shock education for half an hour. Then his conscience awoke, he turned over a new leaf, and became an informant.
In our line of work, we deal with all kinds of people. Informants provide information and work for me, and I provide corresponding rewards. Each side benefits from the other, which is a kind of alternative transaction.
"I'm investigating a supernatural disappearance case recently and need you to get me some things that can deal with spiritual entities."
"Brother Jian, the police are coming. If you want to tell a story, can you wait until tonight? Damn it! Give it to me hard! Hey, Brother Jian, I didn't mean you!"
"I know it's hard for ordinary people to understand, but this is really not a joke. I need you to get me some blessed talismans or amulets before dark. Price is negotiable, but the things must be effective."
"Brother Dog, the police are here!"
"Withdraw, withdraw, withdraw! Take the back door! Hey, Brother Jian, the goods will be delivered! Get out of the way, you remember, from now on this Sanba Bathhouse is my territory! Let's go!"
Listening to the gradually clear siren on the other end of the phone, I couldn't help but sigh that youth was really good.
In the afternoon, around two or three o'clock, a young man with a bandage on his forehead came to the adult store.
His right hand was in a cast, and his left hand was holding a somewhat aged wooden box.
"Brother Jian, check the goods." Er Gou put the box on the table and opened it with one hand, revealing the colorful talismans and messy exorcism tools inside: "I didn't know what you wanted, so I tied up Blind Liu, the fortune - teller on the overpass. These things were all searched from his home."
"Blind Liu?" I had met him once in the police station before because he was warned for secretly installing a camera in a hotel. That guy was just a fraudster…
When I found a silver - plated cross and two long strips of garlic in the box, I was more certain of my thoughts.
"What is this? A combination of Chinese and Western? He has quite a wide range."
Well, at this point, I didn't hold out much hope and could only bite the bullet and sort the talismans in the box, putting them in my clothes and pants pockets. Treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor, in case Blind Liu was some kind of expert hidden from the world, then I would make a profit.
"Brother Jian, if there's nothing else here, I'll go first. Blind Liu is still being held. I'm afraid the brothers will go too far and hurt that old guy." Saying this, Er Gou picked up the empty box and prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute." The moment Er Gou picked up the box, I saw a different talisman.
This talisman was pasted on the bottom of the box. Because it was too old, its color was yellowed, almost integrated with the box.
"Brother Jian, this peach - wood box was passed down from Blind Liu's ancestors. Don't set your eyes on it, or Blind Liu will fight me to the death." Er Gou touched the cast on his arm: "That old guy still has some skills…"
Hearing Er Gou's words, I thought this box was even more extraordinary.
Indeed, the wooden box that looked age - old didn't smell of decay at all when placed in front of me. Instead, it carried a kind of indescribable charm.
"You can take the box away, but I must keep this talisman." I went to the inner room to put on the disposable gloves for corpse - inspection and carefully peeled off this talisman pressed at the bottom of the box.
It was incredibly thin, and it was impossible to tell what material it was made of, but it was more tenacious than ordinary paper.
"Brother Jian, what's written on this?"
"If I could understand, would I be selling adult products here?"
The two of us stared at the flamboyant characters on the talisman. We knew they were Chinese characters, but we just couldn't understand their meaning.
Strangely enough, as soon as this talisman was peeled off, a disgusting smell came from the peach - wood box. I knew something was wrong and gave Er Gou fifty yuan to quickly return the box.
When it was dark, fully armed, I quietly sat at the table, silently looking at the wall clock.
"It's eight o'clock!" The moment the hour hand passed, the phone screen lit up.
There was no ringtone, no vibration, no prompt at all. In the faint cold light, a strange number called.
"Hello…" I pressed the cold phone body to my ear. There was only a woman's sobbing on the other end of the phone. "Who are you looking for?"
The crying slowly stopped, but the terrifying feeling gradually approached, as if the woman on the other end of the phone was walking out of the phone and lying on my shoulder.
"I want to find someone." The voice carried no emotion at all, as cold as a lonely tombstone on a mass grave.
"Sorry, this store only sells adult products. If you really need something, you can add my WeChat…" I trembled as I organized my words. In fact, I didn't even know what I was talking about.
"Help me find someone. He hid me under the floor, inside the wall, and behind the bathroom bathtub a few years ago. Find him, find him!" The voice suddenly stopped, and the call was hung up, leaving me with endless speculation.
"Was she dismembered?" I shivered. At the same time, a text message appeared in the mailbox.
"It's late at night, the dormant desire is about to burst. Pick up the phone in the guest room and reply to the ambiguous questions. She is actually at the door, waiting for you to call her in with scarlet eyes…"
"Live - streaming task: Check into Room 203 of Anxin Inn at midnight and survive until the sun rises."
Looking at the text message prompt on the phone, I no longer had any luck. I knew the place in the task. Just three months ago, a strange - looking male death occurred in that small inn built on the outskirts of the city.