I looked at the old man in the photo several times.

It is indeed my grandfather.

But how did he know Sister Wu, Bai Su, and Niu Hongsheng?

It's somewhat plausible to say that Grandpa and Sister Wu knew each other.

After all, Sister Wu's family used to run a paper and firework shop, so they might have had dealings with her in some funeral-related matters.

But Niu Hongsheng is a local thug, and Bai Su is a rich heiress. What kind of connection could they possibly have with Grandpa?

The more I thought about it, the more my head ached. I felt like my head was about to explode, and all sorts of thoughts were racing through my mind, but I couldn't make sense of them.

"What are you looking at so intently?"

Su Mingyang curiously came closer.

He had never met my grandfather, which is why he looked so calm and composed.

I pointed to the photo and asked him, "Why do you think Sister Wu knows these guys?"

Su Mingyang waved his hand dismissively: "That's easy, just make a phone call and you'll find out."

Seeing that I didn't speak, he looked surprised: "Still can't get in touch?"

I hummed in agreement: "Last time when we [crossed the underworld], we learned that Bai Su was murdered after going to Rabbit Ear Village, and Niu Hongsheng suffered the same fate. Now that Sister Wu has gone missing, do you think she might have also gone to Rabbit Ear Village?"

"pretty close!"

Su Mingyang lit a cigarette: "It looks like we have no choice but to go to Rabbit Ear Village."

Then we searched Niu Hongsheng's room and found a lot of USB drives and a locked cell phone.

The USB drive is useless; it's full of behind-the-scenes footage from the movie.

As for the phone, I tried using Niu Hongsheng's birthday, the last six digits of his ID card, and even the last few digits of his phone number, but I still couldn't unlock the screen password.

Su Mingyang took the photos and phone to Uncle Niu for advice, but the old man seemed to have suddenly gone mad and didn't know anything except how to shout.

The only clue at present is that they had an accident in Rabbit Ear Village.

As soon as I stepped out of the community gate, I saw that the other side of the road was already packed with people.

Police cars and ambulances all arrived.

Everyone assumed the building collapse was a simple construction accident, and without thinking, they rushed into the building in droves.

I sighed softly.

The Bincheng Building has collapsed, but the formation remains.

Those who rush in rashly, at best, might just fall seriously ill and suffer some pain.

If you're unlucky, you might just become the "energy" of the formation.

I turned my head to look in the direction of the convenience store.

The shop door was tightly closed, with seals pasted haphazardly on it.

The front door was covered with a thick layer of dust, the walls of the house had many mottled marks, and the windows were incomplete. The whole house looked dilapidated.

Judging from these signs, this place has been abandoned for a long time.

...

Originally, I didn't want to bother Master Jin anymore, but I wanted to ask about the [Yinling Trapping Formation].

Plus, he knows Sister Wu and my grandfather, so he might know something.

On the train back, I took a picture of the photo and sent it to Huang Tao, asking him if he recognized the woman between Bai Su and Niu Hongsheng, or if Niu Hongsheng had ever mentioned the origin of the photo.

The response I received was that I had never seen it, never heard of it, and didn't know it.

Upon arriving at the station, we immediately headed to the hospital.

We wasted two days in the small county town, and now we only have five days left, so time is running out.

Jin Ye's ward was on the 25th floor of the inpatient department. While waiting for the elevator, Su Mingyang suddenly pointed to a group of people in front of him and asked in a low voice, "Are those three thugs who went to Old Niu's house to collect debts?"

I looked in the direction he pointed and found that it really was.

A small braid, red hair, and a short, tattooed hairstyle, especially the short haircut which was wrapped in gauze.

However, this time there were more than three of them; they were accompanied by more than a dozen companions.

Leading the way was a man in his late twenties, dressed in a black suit.

He was tall and upright, standing over 1.8 meters tall.

With short hair and two silver earrings, he didn't look effeminate at all; instead, it added a touch of unruliness and individuality to his appearance.

He exuded a calm and composed aura as he walked. It seemed this man was the leader of this group of thugs.

I had no idea what they were up to, so I hurriedly got on the elevator.

Su Mingyang ran over after they got on the elevator.

However, during peak hours, people get off the hospital elevators on every floor, and it's unclear which floor they're going to.

"Oh no, they really came looking for Master Jin!"

Seeing his flustered expression, I quickly asked him what he had done.

"When those three people left, they told me to leave my name if I dared. I thought we were in different cities, so I just gave them the name 'Master Jin' and told them to come to the Wuhua Funeral Supplies Wholesale Market in Kunming if they dared. Who knew they would actually come?"

This guy is more trouble than he's worth.

"Old Chen, they've come knocking on our door. What do we do now?" Su Mingyang swallowed nervously.

I analyzed it and said, "They shouldn't be so bored as to come all this way. Besides, they didn't know that Master Jin was hospitalized. It must be a coincidence."

That being said, before going upstairs, just in case, Su Mingyang still went to find two sticks for self-defense and handed one to me.

I didn't take it. Instead, I went to a pharmacy outside the hospital, bought a syringe, opened the packaging, and hid it in my sleeve.

If a fight really breaks out, I'll prick myself with a needle in front of them and yell that I have AIDS. That would be much more intimidating than a stick.

The group of people took the elevator in the west wing.

For safety reasons, we deliberately went around to the other side and took the elevator in the east hall.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Su Mingyang would instinctively grip the stick hidden in his sleeve at each floor, his eyes fixed on the elevator door, his body leaning slightly forward in an attack stance.

Several people who were about to take the elevator upstairs were so frightened that they didn't dare to come in.

Fortunately, it was at the hospital. If it had been at the bank, Su Mingyang's nervous appearance and the fact that he was wearing a mask would have made him a suspect, and the security guards would have already noticed him.

After a nerve-wracking journey, we finally arrived at the 25th floor without any major incidents.

However, just as the elevator doors slowly opened, the group of people stood in unison at the elevator entrance, completely blocking the narrow opening.