Chapter 25: A Shocking Sight of a Corpse

Cheng Xiangru’s expression shifted the moment he heard the gunfire again, his heart sinking back into a state of intense anxiety.

Nearly half an hour had passed since he and Leng Ying had fallen into that suspicious tomb and managed to climb back out. The fact that gunfire was still echoing after all this time suggested that the situation for Boss Zhou and the others was likely dire.

Seemingly sensing Cheng Xiangru’s worry, Leng Ying spoke softly to reassure him: "Don't panic. The two sets of gunshots sound different; it’s possible they aren't even the same group."

Cheng Xiangru nodded without a word, though his apprehension only deepened. Having just survived the ordeal in the tomb, he was acutely aware of how limited his own capabilities were and knew that even if he reached the scene, there was little he could do. This realization tempered his desperation, and he simply said, "Let's go."

The two shouldered their backpacks and walked briskly in the direction of the gunfire. The biting, frigid wind whipped up snow, freezing the tips of Cheng Xiangru’s hair, but it also gradually calmed his racing mind.

Neither of them noticed that, in the darkness not far away, a pair of bright eyes were fixed firmly on their retreating backs. Only after the two had moved far enough away did the owner of those eyes emerge, approach the pit, glance around, and then duck inside.

Cheng Xiangru and Leng Ying trudged through the deep, vast snow. Physical exhaustion began to weigh heavily on Cheng Xiangru, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward. Once they crested the mountain, they descended into the valley. In the distance, Cheng Xiangru spotted a dark figure sprawled motionless in the snow.

"Wait!" Leng Ying blocked Cheng Xiangru just as he was about to run toward it. She quickly pulled her red-tasseled spear from her pack, expertly assembled it, and then accelerated, dragging the spear behind her as she charged toward the figure in the snow.

Cheng Xiangru held up his flashlight. Seeing Leng Ying reach the person, crouch down to inspect them, and then wave him over, he ran toward her in a hurry.

The man was lying face-down, his clothes soaked with blood that had frozen into shimmering red icicles. He had clearly been dead for some time, riddled with multiple bullet wounds, the fatal one appearing to be in the back of his head. He wore a military-green padded coat, a matching cap, and dark blue jeans. One leg was stretched straight, the other curled, and his arms were extended forward, suggesting he had been shot in the back multiple times while fleeing before a final, fatal bullet struck the back of his head, killing him instantly.

"Do you recognize him?" Leng Ying asked.

Cheng Xiangru shook his head and knelt to turn the body over. The man’s build and attire were completely unfamiliar, which helped settle his racing heart. Though the man was short, his face was long, and his beady eyes were fixed in a wide, distorted expression of extreme terror.

Could the scream they heard earlier have come from him?

Where had those gunshots come from?

With a solemn expression, Cheng Xiangru searched the deceased, finding a mobile phone and some loose change. He pocketed the money, searched again, and finding nothing else, gave up.

Leng Ying looked at the corpse, its chest exposed, and then at Cheng Xiangru, her expression complex. "Aren't you afraid? You’d dare take things from a dead man?"

"Afraid of what?" Cheng Xiangru was stunned. "He's dead. What's there to be afraid of? The living are far more terrifying. Besides, don't grave robbers take things from the dead, too?"

Leng Ying waved her hand. "That's not what I mean. A life has been lost; this is a serious matter. Aren't you worried that if you take his things, the police will track you down?"

Cheng Xiangru raised an eyebrow. "I didn't kill him, so what do I have to fear?"

He started to stand up, but Leng Ying grabbed him.

"Listen to me: you can keep the money, but not the phone." She was at a loss for words, feeling genuinely speechless at this little miser.

"Why?" Cheng Xiangru frowned, clearly displeased. He had wanted to give the phone to his younger sister; since he had acquired it without spending a cent, why should he give it back?

Leng Ying explained patiently, "A phone contains too much personal information and is easily tracked. When the police investigate a case, it's a dead giveaway. If you get tied to a murder investigation in this desolate wilderness, you won't be able to clear your name."

Cheng Xiangru finally grasped her meaning. Reluctantly, he stuffed the phone back into the dead man’s jacket and fastened the buttons.

"Let's go." Cheng Xiangru stood up, scanned the area, found the tracks left by the deceased, and began to follow them.

Leng Ying watched his back with a complicated gaze. The kid was truly bold. Faced with such a gruesome sight—and likely seeing a fresh corpse for the first time—he wasn't just unafraid; he had actually wanted to loot the body. It was unbelievable. She recalled her own first experience seeing a dead body: she had cried and screamed, suffered from nightmares for days, and lost her appetite for a long time before she could recover.

How could this kid be so calm?

Then again, considering he was the son of *that* man, perhaps it wasn't so incomprehensible. Maybe courage, too, was hereditary.

Leng Ying glanced down at the body, used the toe of her boot to nudge its ribcage, and with a slight flick, rolled the corpse back over, restoring it to the face-down position in which they had found it. She checked the surroundings one last time to ensure no one was watching before hurrying after Cheng Xiangru.

Based on the chaotic trail of snow pits, it was clear the deceased had run down from the mountain to the southeast. Another set of tracks nearby suggested someone else had been there—in all likelihood, the killer.

It was hard to tell, however, whether the man had been killed by the barrage of gunfire from half an hour ago or by the pistol shots heard more recently.

Cheng Xiangru didn't care who the killer was; he only worried that these unidentified individuals posed a threat to Boss Zhou and the others. Although he knew Gao Zhuang was a veteran of Middle Eastern conflicts and likely formidable, his anxiety remained.

Beyond his worry for Boss Zhou, Cheng Xiangru also felt a pang of regret. He really had wanted that phone...

Wait! The phone!

Cheng Xiangru suddenly remembered that he had his own phone. If that was the case, why go through all this trouble? Why not just make a call and ask? Having never formed the habit of using a phone for anything other than navigation, he had completely forgotten it could be used to call people.

Seeing Cheng Xiangru stop, Leng Ying asked, "What is it?"

Cheng Xiangru pulled out his phone with some effort. "I almost forgot—I can just call Uncle Zhou and ask."

Leng Ying was speechless again. She frowned, saying, "There shouldn't be any signal in a place like this, should there?"

Cheng Xiangru checked the screen and handed it to her. "Can you check if there’s a signal?"

The phone indicated that there was a signal for calls. While the data connection was extremely poor, it should be possible to make a call. Cheng Xiangru’s phone only had the numbers for Boss Zhou and Chen Shangke saved. With Leng Ying’s help, he found the contact list and dialed Boss Zhou’s number.

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

"Who are you? Where’s Uncle Zhou? Put Uncle Zhou on the phone!"

Leng Ying, listening to Cheng Xiangru arguing with the automated voice, nearly choked with laughter. "That’s a system recording, not a real person. The Goat-Beard probably doesn't have a signal, so the call can't go through."

Cheng Xiangru refused to give up and tried twice more, but each time the call failed.

"I'll try Brother Chen instead!" Cheng Xiangru dialed Chen Shangke’s number.

Leng Ying said dismissively, "They’re definitely together. If the Goat-Beard’s phone doesn't have a signal, how could the others..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Cheng Xiangru heard the "beep-beep" of the connection tone.

It had actually gone through!