The plump proprietress pointed to the gap in the barbed wire and told me, "When the rumors first spread that this place was haunted, many outdoor streamers wanted to get attention. This is where they cut it open. After a few people died, no one dared to come anymore. No one dared to seal up this barbed wire either, for fear of getting something unclean on it."

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but ask, "This place is so big, why is it just left empty and unattended?"

"Manage? How do you manage it?"

The plump proprietress raised her voice: "A previous owner wanted to take over, but he caused a lot of trouble and people died. Every time construction started, someone would die. They all hanged themselves inside. Isn't that terrifying? After that, no one dared to touch this place anymore, all afraid of being punished."

My mood grew increasingly heavy.

After such a long delay, Xiao Shun has disappeared without a trace.

"Xiao Shun, where are you? Come out quickly, your grandpa is looking for you!"

I shouted loudly.

The only response I received was the repetitive, gradually fading echo; there was no other sound. The entire parking lot resembled a silent tomb.

We followed the plump proprietress around the parking lot, but couldn't find a soul in sight; she must have run upstairs.

The plump proprietress thought for a moment and said, "This won't work, it's too time-consuming. Let's split up and search."

Should we split up and search?

"Um!"

The plump proprietress nodded: "This building is divided into two areas, A and B. You search in area A, and I'll search in area B. There's no cell phone signal here. If you find it or encounter any danger, just ring this bell!"

As she spoke, she handed me a small, delicate bell, then turned and quickly walked towards Section B.

"Remember, it's 11 o'clock now. You must leave before noon, whether you find it or not, or you won't be able to leave."

Although it looks like there's still an hour left, finding a child in such a large building is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

I stood at the entrance to the basement of Area A, using my phone as a flashlight, and stepped inside.

As soon as I stepped inside, I heard a loud "bang" behind me.

The door closed by itself.

I tried to turn the handle hard, but I couldn't open it no matter what I did.

Immediately afterwards, a clear yet lonely voice drifted over from afar.

"Uncle, help me! I'm here, Uncle!"