Back to two hours ago, some members of the program crew started to divide the work after lunch. They divided into three groups and began a carpet-style exploration of this small county.
To prevent any accidents, Director Zhao brought two bodyguards with him before leaving the inn.
Zhao Yi felt that the program he directed should not be called "Incredible Journey" but should be called "First Crime Scene". He told his idea to his assistant, but the assistant rejected it decisively.
The assistant thought that the term “crime scene” was too materialistic and scientific, and did not fit in with their original intention of making the program (Zhao Yi:?), and firmly stated that this program was definitely an unforgettable trip for him, because he was a pure materialist before participating in the program, but now he even carries amulets with him, which has never happened before.
Zhao Yi said worriedly, "Just before we left, Taoist Xiao Jing told me that there was something wrong with the owner of this inn, and asked me to go out and find out more about Lu Keyuan... Don't you think this scene is familiar?"
The assistant was a little distressed, not really understanding the leader's train of thought: "How can it be familiar? Director Zhao, are you overthinking it?"
Zhao Yi glared at him and said, "Stupid! He said the same thing when he first arrived at Bijia Village last time. What happened?"
There was a bolt from the blue, corpses everywhere, bones piled up... He never wanted to recall that scene again in his life.
The assistant was so shocked that his glasses almost fell off his nose. He didn't know what he thought of. He said in horror: "Could it be that Boss Lu is a perverted murderer, and there are many bodies buried under the inn?"
Zhao Yi: “…” Damn, do you have to say it so scary?
...
...
The assistant suddenly shook his shoulders nervously, his face turned pale, and he said tremblingly: "No wonder he placed so many gods and Buddhas in the hall. It looks so weird. It turns out that they are to suppress those corpses..."
Zhao Yi was speechless. He didn't expect that he only provided a small idea, but the other party could be so imaginative! Should he say that he is worthy of being in the film and television industry?
The other people also looked a little unnatural, but not everyone had the same horrific and divergent thinking as the little assistant. Some people couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted the little assistant's wild imagination: "You've watched too many horror movies, right? Who would be so perverted as to hide a corpse under their own hotel? Do you think police dogs are vegetarians?"
"That's right. Every tourist who comes to the inn is registered. The local authorities have records of all out-of-town tour groups. If someone is missing, they can find out immediately. If Boss Lu is really a murderer, who would he kill? You?"
"You're overthinking. Although transportation here is not well developed, it's not that it doesn't have contact with the outside world. There are so many tourist attractions here and the passenger flow is so large. If there was a problem, it would have been exposed long ago. Didn't the previous trending search that was on for several days go away?"
The assistant was convinced by their logic and felt that he might be overthinking. He could not help but said, "I was bitten by a snake once, so I have a psychological trauma."
A colleague next to me casually said, "You are just worrying about nothing."
.
The sun was shining brightly at noon, scorching the earth. There were no trees on either side of the road, not even a shady place to provide shade. Occasionally a fully loaded donkey cart would pass by slowly, its heavy hooves kicking the bumpy dirt road, raising a cloud of dust that made people feel upset.
The program crew walked for more than half an hour without running into many people. They finally caught a few pedestrians dressed as locals, but they turned out to be tourists from other places. Upon asking, they found out that the ethnic minority costumes they wore were all rented.
Zhao Yi wiped the sweat off his face helplessly: "Hey, how do you think these people got here? We spent so much effort climbing the mountain last night, and it took us half the night. I don't believe they all climbed up the mountain one by one like us."
The photographer laughed and said, "I just saw a donkey cart with a lot of people on it. I guess this is their means of transportation."
A logistics girl was surprised: "With such a prosperous tourism industry, have the locals never thought about repairing the road?"
"It's not that developed. It can't be compared with those big tourist cities outside. Moreover, the terrain here is dangerous and cars from outside can't drive in. Building roads here is also a big project."
"The road connecting to the outside world is full of cliffs and steep cliffs. Building the road is a life-threatening project. Who would dare to take it?"
"Well, that's true."
The team atmosphere was heavy for a moment. No one wanted to discuss this somewhat heavy topic anymore. Someone livened up the atmosphere and changed the topic, asking, "By the way, Director Zhao, why didn't Professor Fu come down?"
"Professor Fu told me that he sprained his waist while climbing a mountain, so he found a local barefoot doctor to give him massage."
Everyone: “…”
Zhao Yi sighed and said, "I didn't expect the conditions here to be so tough. Fortunately, we didn't invite those young stars or young idols as guests this time, otherwise their fans would tear me apart after the show airs."
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but think of the last time Yan Xiu got into trouble, his powerful fans not only cursed the program crew online, they also found out where the program crew was staying and jointly wrote a letter to threaten the program crew.
Everyone had an expression of lingering fear on their faces.
Zhao Yi shook his head: "It's a pity that we don't have those big traffic this time. Our show will definitely not be as popular as the last time."
One is unknown whether he is alive or dead, the other is seriously injured and in a coma. The lawyers' letters from the two agencies, who would dare to accept such a heat that can cause public outrage? If Qin Entertainment was not rich and powerful and had connections above, it would be a miracle that the show could continue.
Everyone complained in their hearts, but looked concerned and comforted him:
"Our show didn't become popular because of celebrities. Besides, ordinary people have their own advantages. There aren't so many problems."
"The guests are just tools. We have Taoist Xiao Jing this time, who can ensure safety and provide some fun. It's not a loss at all."
"Hasn't the show even aired yet? With the previous popularity, maybe it will also have high ratings this time."
That being said, everyone knows that their show is just a 'lack of attention for the experts,' and when it comes to shots of sensitive topics, they have to be careful during post-editing.
A group of people were walking aimlessly and unknowingly came to the stilt house they first arrived at in the morning. A familiar figure was squatting on the ground with his back to them, busying himself. It seemed that he had just come back from fishing. Fishing nets were scattered on the ground and there were several buckets next to them. There were many fish struggling in them, splashing water from time to time, soaking the surrounding soil.
Zhao Yi's eyes lit up, he waved his hand behind him, and said in a low voice: "Let's go to Sang Tai's house first. Since the real owner of the inn is his sister, she should know something."
Everyone followed him without suspecting anything and came to Mr. Sang's door.
The person squatting on the ground drying the fishing nets was none other than Sang Tai. Hearing the noise behind him, he quickly stood up and turned around. When he saw Director Zhao and his friends, he was startled at first, then a big smile broke out on his face: "Ah! It's you guys!"
Director Zhao smiled and said, "Yes, it's us!"
Others: "..." Director Zhao's bad taste, deliberately bullying others for their accents...
Mrs. Sang didn't notice it and thought that the program crew were just visiting, so she put down the work in her hands, wiped her hands, and warmly welcomed everyone into the small building.
Mrs. Sang's family's conditions were obviously among the best in Dian County. The stilt house was much larger than the surrounding ones. It looked relatively new from the outside, and the interior was also very upscale. Most of the large furniture inside was made of carved mahogany. Everyone sat down in the living room, feeling quite surprised.
After all, the young lady they met in the morning, Yilan, was dressed very simply and didn't look like someone who could live in such a house, and Sang Tai's dress was not much different from that of an ordinary farm boy - but on second thought, the owner behind the only Internet-famous inn in Dian County is Yilan, and she may just be a low-key person who doesn't show off her wealth.
Mrs. Sang's sister seemed to be resting upstairs. She came over after hearing the noise and saw a group of people sitting downstairs. She was surprised, but she reacted quickly and exchanged a few polite words with everyone with a smile on her face. She was a careful person and noticed that the people in the production team had sweat on their foreheads and looked tired. She got up and worked in the kitchen for a while, and soon brought her some herbal tea to everyone.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you without notifying you in advance."
Director Zhao took the herbal tea and gulped down a few mouthfuls. He took a long breath and said with a smile, "I wonder if you have ever watched the show 'Incredible Journey'?"
In a remote mountainous area like Dian County with inconvenient transportation, people are not afraid of being closed or having no Internet access in the village, but they are afraid of being ignorant and keen to sing a different tune from the program team. However, the program team found that since Dian County has become a tourist attraction, it shows that this small county is still very open. Almost every household in the local area runs a homestay, which also shows that the people here are warm and hospitable, and they are likely to cooperate with the program team.
Therefore, Zhao Yi did not want to conduct any secret investigations in private. When he saw Yilan nod, he directly stated the purpose of his visit.
The first few seasons of "Incredible Journey" were broadcast in the form of "Approaching Science", a simple reality show with mostly small-scale content and mainly focusing on tourism. After several episodes, the audience grew and the background became stronger, so the program team decided to create some hardcore content.
This time they came to investigate the "God's wrath" that caused a lot of controversy on the Internet a while ago. In fact, they just wanted to find out the truth behind it.
The police previously suspected that someone had deliberately set the fire and investigated the case. After more than a week of investigation, they could not find any evidence. They then investigated the social relationships of the two deceased and found that apart from the controversial fact that they were homosexuals, there was no complicated grudge between the two young men. Moreover, their relationship had long been recognized by their families. The young couple was purely misled when they went out for a trip.
Because there were empty red wine bottles, wine glasses, cigarette butts, and family planning supplies that showed signs of being unpacked in the room... The official conclusion was that the weather was dry, the inn room was made of wood and was flammable, and the fire was caused by cigarette butts that were not completely extinguished. The young couple was drunk and was unable to escape in time, leading to the tragedy.
As for the unscientific phenomenon that the bed was the only one in the entire room that showed signs of being burned, that was not something the police could find out.
Later, some media came to interview and dug up an old case in the local area. Finally, the banner of "God's wrath" was raised, which triggered a discussion on feudal superstition and national beliefs across the Internet. The Internet was in an uproar for a long time but no conclusion was reached until the scandals of some high-traffic stars became hot searches, and the storm was slightly calmed down.
However, the program crew feels that there is something to be uncovered and the truth is definitely not that simple, so they want to pursue the truth!
When she heard that they came again for that matter, Yilan looked a little hesitant. Only after Director Zhao and others took out her ID card and program-related documents and confirmed that the program team would mosaic her face later, did she agree to cooperate with the interview.
Yilan was very nervous, her face was tense, and she looked completely different from the warm smile she had before.
"So what do you think about the fire at 'Tingxi Pavilion' that killed people, uh..." The assistant took out his cell phone and handed Yilan the photos of the crime scene that they had asked someone to collect. He couldn't wait to ask, but was glared at by the boss angrily.
Zhao Yi cleared his throat, pulled the man over and whispered, "We are here to do a show, not to be paparazzi. Why are you so excited?"
The assistant felt aggrieved: “…” How could he be excited? Every minute wasted costs money. He was clearly making the most of his time.
Zhao Yi: "What kind of questions are you asking? Go away."
On the phone screen, there was a bright red double bed with two human-shaped pieces of charcoal lying flat in the middle. The strange thing was that except for the place where the charcoal was, the rest of the bed was intact, as if... these two people were burned into charcoal somewhere else and then lay there. The picture was extremely weird.
Yilan was shocked when she suddenly saw such a horrifying photo. Her face looked unhappy. She just glanced at it quickly and turned her head away, not wanting to look at it a second time.
Looking back at the two people who had thrown her aside and were whispering, Yilan bit her lip, not knowing whether she should answer the question.
Zhao Yi put his phone away, pushed his assistant away, and put on a smile, which made him look a little slick and not like a young man in his early thirties. However, that handsome face was strange enough to make this young woman let down her guard.
Zhao Yi softened his tone and said, "The questions I'm going to ask may involve privacy. You don't have to answer them."
Yilan nodded hesitantly: "You can ask."
Zhao Yi asked an unrelated question: "It's like this. We did some research before we came here. Tingxi Pavilion Inn is the legacy left to you by your father, but you don't seem to have any intention of becoming your own boss. Instead, you handed over all the management rights of the inn to your husband. Can I ask why?"
Everyone in the room looked at Zhao Yi in surprise. It was normal for her to hand over her property to her husband. Did she need a reason?
The young assistant curled her lips, feeling a little unconvinced: You said I asked bad questions, but aren't you just gossiping about other people's family affairs like a paparazzi?
Zhao Yi does not think he is a gossip. Almost every local family runs a homestay, and Yilan's family is no exception. Moreover, Yilan's inn has been opened for not three or five years, but for decades, and has almost become a family business. However, Lu Keyuan, the son-in-law, is an outsider. It is not his fault for conspiracy theories. Why should outsiders control their own things? As a daughter who married out, Yilan is a little too "outgoing". This must be a great true love.
Although Zhao Yi is a single man, he has been in the entertainment industry for many years and has seen many real and fake couples in the industry. He has developed a pair of sharp eyes. Judging from his contacts with the two people, this couple who live apart do not seem to have much affection for each other.
Then the fact that Yilan is a hands-off boss is worth pondering.
After Director Zhao finished asking this question, everyone's eyes turned to Yilan.
Yilan didn't seem to expect Zhao Yi to be curious about this. She had a strange expression on her face, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with the answer. She said honestly, "I have a low level of education and know nothing about hotel management. He used to be a college student. He knows more than me and can make money."
Zhao Yi, whose head was full of conspiracy theories, felt a sudden pain in his heart when he heard this answer, and almost vomited blood and died.
Is it such a simple reason???
The others were speechless after hearing this. They really didn't understand why Director Zhao was curious about other people's family affairs.
Yilan paused: "And..."
Zhao Yi was excited: "And?!"
Others: “…”
Zhao Yi clenched his fists, and his tone contained a hint of excitement that he himself did not realize: "And and! And what?"
Yilan didn't notice his strange attitude. Her face turned pale, as if she remembered something bad. She said softly, "I seem to have a bad luck with our inn. Every time I go there, I have an accident. Sometimes I fall, sometimes I bleed... Later, I stopped going there."
"Offending?"
"That's right."
Zhao Yi frowned. He didn't expect there was such a reason. He didn't know whether it was true or not. If he had known earlier, he should have asked Taoist Xiao Jing to come along.
Zhao Yi still had some shaky materialistic ideas in his mind. He asked unwillingly, "Is it your psychological effect? Maybe it was really an accident and you didn't notice it?"
"Absolutely not!" Yilan was a little unhappy to be refuted by him, and her voice unconsciously became louder.
Zhao Yi didn't expect her to be so excited suddenly, and his expression was slightly stunned.
Yilan organized her words and said carefully, "I used to go there and at most I would bump my head or fall. I don't know when it started, but I feel uncomfortable every time I enter that yard. It's as if someone is staring at me with malicious intent, following me around like a shadow, making me panic and scared. I don't know why, but I feel that way every time I go there... Until half a year ago, when I got pregnant. I was very happy that day because the inn was busy and I hadn't seen him for many days. That night, I went to bring him food, and then I saw him and Song Yan in the room -"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, without noticing that she had gone from being cautious to venting her emotions.
Zhao Yi suddenly interrupted her: "Wait a minute, who is Song Yan?"
Yilan finally realized what she had said. She looked a little uneasy and stammered, "He, he is a photographer, a college classmate of my husband."
"Just classmates?"
Zhao Yi had already noticed something and winked at the photographer, indicating that the next part should be cut out.
Yilan had no time to pay attention to these things, and blurted out in a daze:
"Still a lover."
After she finished speaking, she realized something and her face suddenly turned pale.
-----
The author has something to say:
Song Yan: As a "missing" cannon fodder, I am really important.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
