I fell asleep past four in the morning and woke up close to noon.
Hong Yunpeng went out to buy some boxed meals, and after getting up, the three of us sat in the living room to eat.
"Shall we go check out the spot later?" Hong Yunpeng seemed a bit excited.
I glanced at Wang Yang, and seeing he didn't object, I said, "Sure, let's go take a look over there first…"
As I spoke, something occurred to me, and I asked Wang Yang, "Have you ever been down a tomb?"
He took a bite of his rice and replied, "Sort of."
Hong Yunpeng said, "What do you mean 'sort of'? Either you have or you haven't, what's with the 'sort of'?"
Wang Yang put down his chopsticks and looked at him, "Have you?"
Hong Yunpeng pursed his lips, "I… I've watched others do it."
"Watched others? On TV?"
"Even watching TV is better than you!" Hong Yunpeng retorted.
Watching these two bicker all day long gave me a splitting headache.
I quickly said, "After we finish scouting, we can go buy some tools. This isn't really a tomb, more like just a grave. The three of us can take turns, and we should be able to dig it out in one night."
"Go at night?" Hong Yunpeng was taken aback.
I blinked a couple of times, "Otherwise? You want to go during the day?"
Hong Yunpeng scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh, "Yeah…"
Wang Yang said, "You look so big and strong, I didn't expect you to be so timid?"
"Who are you calling timid?"
"Whoever answers, that's who."
"Say that again…"
Feeling helpless, I glanced at the two of them and picked up my boxed meal, heading out to the balcony.
Even eating a meal, I couldn't find peace.
In the afternoon, Hong Yunpeng drove us to Phoenix Mountain. Before going up, I bought two bunches of flowers to blend in.
Holding the flowers, we headed up the mountain.
Phoenix Mountain is the second-largest cemetery in Guangling, with all tiered graves, row after row, stretching upwards.
Following the wobbly map given by Liu Hun, we found a very imposing grave in the back mountain.
This grave was in an excellent location, with the mountain behind it, an open expanse in front, and surrounded by water on both sides. According to feng shui, this was a prime spot for accumulating vital energy.
The grave was large, the tombstone nearly two meters tall, with inscriptions carved in a powerful, elegant script.
A stone platform had been built around it, enclosing the entire grave.
There were no weeds on the grave mound, clearly indicating it was well-maintained.
In front of the tombstone, fresh fruit and flowers were placed; it was unclear if someone had visited recently.
"Rich people are different!" Hong Yunpeng exclaimed, "Look at this grave, it's built like a park. You can tell a lot of money was spent."
Wang Yang said, "It's a shame the location isn't chosen very well."
I was a little puzzled, "Isn't this location quite good? Surrounded by mountains and water, it accumulates vital energy…"
Wang Yang smiled and pointed to a large, sunken pit not far away, "See that?"
I nodded.
"A pit north of the grave, 'the second son will have no heirs'," Wang Yang said, "That's a pit of complete ruin."
"There's such a saying?" I was a bit surprised.
"When it comes to feng shui, I know much more than you guys," Wang Yang said smugly.
"What's the use of good feng shui?" Hong Yunpeng said, "It's still going to be dug up…"
As soon as he finished speaking, a uniformed attendant pointed at us and said, "What are you doing?" 138 Reading Network
The three of us exchanged glances. Hong Yunpeng quickly took out a pack of Hongta Mountain cigarettes and offered one, "We're here to visit a grave, we were bored and just looking around."
The man in uniform glanced at us but didn't take Hong Yunpeng's cigarette. Instead, he said, "Leave quickly, this is not a place for you."
"Alright, alright, we're leaving," Hong Yunpeng said, fawningly pulling me.
We left via the stone steps to the side and got back into the car. Hong Yunpeng lit a cigarette and said, "It seems that place is guarded by special personnel. If there's any movement, we'll definitely be discovered."
I nodded, "And at night, without light, it's impossible to start working."
"No wonder that guy Liu Hun didn't make a move. It seems digging this grave is really not an easy task," Hong Yunpeng said.
Wang Yang remained silent, seemingly contemplating something.
Just then, a black "Tiger Head Benz" stopped not far away. Perhaps because the car was rarely seen, we couldn't help but look over.
First, a man in a black suit got out of the passenger seat. Then, the man in the black suit opened the rear door, and a woman wearing a black pencil skirt and a white wide-brimmed hat alighted from the car.
Her demeanor clearly indicated she was wealthy.
"Didn't expect to see a beauty at a cemetery," Hong Yunpeng joked.
The woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties, with eyebrows like green jade and lips like painted vermilion. She was not only beautiful but also possessed a distinguished气质.
"That's Wu Jinyuan's granddaughter, Wu Tingxiu," Wang Yang interjected.
"Wu Jinyuan's granddaughter?" I asked, confused, "How do you know?"
Wang Yang replied nonchalantly, "I've had some contact before."
"It seems your social circle is quite wide," I commented.
Wang Yang smiled, "If you're involved in Guangling's antique circle, you naturally have to know all sorts of people, especially those wealthy individuals who appreciate antiques."
"You're saying she also likes antiques?" I asked.
"Sort of. It might be because of her grandfather's influence."
Wang Yang paused and continued, "This Wu Tingxiu is no pushover. I heard she dabbled in funerary objects for a while. Not only in Guangling, but even in the entire antique circle of Gus Suzhou Province, she's quite a figure. However, unlike Wu Jinyuan who likes to collect, she does it for money."
I nodded, thinking that Liu Hun was truly audacious. If this woman found out someone was coveting her grandfather's grave, she would definitely make things difficult.
Then it dawned on me, Liu Hun had now thrown this hot potato to me. If this Wu Tingxiu found out…
I licked my lips. Hong Yunpeng said, "This woman looks like trouble. If she finds out we're digging up Wu Jinyuan's grave this time, we'll be in deep trouble!"
I let out a sigh, "If it's really impossible, we can just run away."
"Run away?" Hong Yunpeng was surprised.
I said, "It's something I promised Liu Hun, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I have no relatives or friends in Guangling, so leaving doesn't leave me with any attachments. I might as well just run."
After saying this, I glanced at Wang Yang from the corner of my eye.
I was testing him. I had a feeling that Wang Yang, this kid, would have a way.
As expected, as soon as I finished speaking, he said, "No need to run away, I have a plan."
"What plan?" Wang Yang and I asked in unison.
Wang Yang's lips curled up slightly, playing coy, "We'll make our move tonight, and you'll know then. We definitely won't be discovered."