Chapter 3

The cable cars intersect, passing by in an instant, making it difficult to determine whose hand is being pointed at. Strangely, Muda instinctively feels as if it is a reminder to himself, and without a second thought, he reaches out his hand to grasp in a diagonal backward direction

It sounds like it was specifically arranged for her to have fun, and the matter of the Lao Jiu Hot Pot restaurant was merely incidental

Li Tan's voice was hoarse and raspy, making one feel uncomfortable all over: "What did he say?"

Wan Fenghuo glanced at her and said, "I believe that those who are important will come."

His eyes were wide open, fixed intently on the ceiling, speaking rapidly, like a typewriter clattering away, with a flat tone, without any pauses, very much like reciting a text

The person next to them was jostled and appeared somewhat displeased, but upon seeing that the two were together, they still made room for them

As soon as they arrived, the other three individuals also made their entrance. One of them was a frail woman in her nearly forties, with sparse eyebrows that seemed to have forgotten to grow, named Cen Chunjiao, who sat next to Wan Fenghuo.

He took out a hairpin for comparison, the hairpin made of old silver, with the head adorned by a cloisonné phoenix, the phoenix's eyes inlaid with rubies, and its beak holding a string of white jade pendants

The cable car swayed gently as it descended, soon reaching the center of the river. In fact, there were no remarkable sights along the Yangtze River; just a bridge spanning across, a few boats navigating, and a thin mist over the river.

Upon receiving the call, I felt a bit uneasy; the person's voice was intermittent and weak, giving the impression that they were on the verge of collapse

Accompanied by a sound of "aiyo", the tentacle is a plump segment of an arm

Mushida is clever and perceptive: "So this hairpin is like the news you just shared; everyone who is coming later, including myself, are all people who have inquired about the case at Luoma Lake in the past"

It is not that I am afraid, but rather that I feel a sense of unease

The horse beside her looked at her strangely, not because her actions were abrupt: this young girl, dressed in a carefree and lively manner, seemed to be completely out of place among the crowd.

Turning around, there was a man in his thirties, with a round face and big ears, his face full and fleshy, causing his eyes to be squished into two lines. He was not tall, even shorter than Mudi.

If it were set up like a casino, with each person having chips representing amounts in front of them, and after listening for a while, pushing out two chips, it would be even more interesting

Mushi patiently explained to her: "Aunt Hong, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and even if I shout for help, it is unlikely that anyone will assist me. If he becomes angry and we end up fighting on the cable car, it would be very dangerous swaying over the river. Anyway, I gave him enough face, remained quiet and did not cause a scene, and he understood the situation and eventually returned my phone after thinking it over."

However, Mudi's curiosity was not that strong; after all, he was merely a conduit for receiving information.

Mukai Masashi picked up the chopsticks to serve the vegetables, and at that moment, he felt the fine hairs on his arms stand on end

Mushidai felt it was normal. After more than twenty years, it was possible for the murderer to have died a natural death or by accident. She observed the expressions of the other two individuals: Ma Tuwen appeared to be merely sleepy without any other unusual signs, while Li Tan suddenly raised his head, a trace of barely perceptible anger crossing his face

I was very scared, so I immediately called my boss. The boss does not stay at the hotel, and I guess he was very angry because it was too late and I woke him up. As soon as he answered, he yelled at me and then hung up. When I called again, his phone was already turned off.

This cable car has been around for some years, built in the 1980s, and it has not been renovated since. The cable creaks and groans, making one feel quite anxious. When the cable car arrived, Mu Dai thought about backing out, but her position was too far forward, and she was directly pushed in by the people behind her

For example, "Wan Fenghuo first covered the hairpin with his hand. Three people came to me; one wanted an old silver hairpin with a phoenix design, another sought a phoenix with ruby eyes, and the last was looking for a phoenix holding white jade in its beak. These were the three requests, but at that time, I had nothing in hand, so I just archived these three requests and kept an eye on them.

Huo Zihong gently said: "You should go on time, hand over the door knocker, and someone will greet you. There are many snacks in Chongqing; you can come back after you get tired of eating them."

A trace of bewilderment seemed to flicker across Cen Chunjiao's face, as if she still felt a tinge of fear: "To be specific, he wasn't really talking either"

It is certainly commendable to act with righteousness and bravery, but...

Since we have come, let us make ourselves comfortable

The broth of the hot pot shimmered slightly, with strands of fragrance mingling with the bubbles that overflowed. The craving within me stirred intensely. I prepared my own dipping sauce and reached for the vegetables with my chopsticks. As I extended my chopsticks, I suddenly realized that I was the only one moving at the table. After a moment of hesitation, I continued.

Fog is rarely seen in Mushi, and when it suddenly appears, one might think they are on a plane and experiencing nearsightedness.

That day I was on the night shift, dozing off at the front desk in the middle of the night when suddenly the phone rang. Room 103, the guest inside requested that I bring a pot of hot water.

On the way to the Lao Jiu hotpot restaurant, Mu Dai called Huo Zihong and mentioned the incident of encountering a thief. Huo Zihong asked her, "Did you shout? You need to let everyone help catch him, so that he won't be able to deceive others in the future."

Wan Fenghuo inquired: "So... what is the content of that?"

The room was very quiet, even the canary that usually flitted about was standing still with its wings drooping. Upon closer inspection, one or two feathers seemed to be standing on end.

The other two are men, one named Ma Tuwen, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, reeking of alcohol, with bleary eyes, bare-chested wearing a vest, and a large floral tattoo on his arm; the other named Li Tan, in his fifties, tall and thin, hunched over, with deep wrinkles, and a face full of despair

The man had a pair of shifty little eyes that darted around, his expression fluctuating between dark and light. Muda extended his other hand, palm facing up, presenting it before him. The man hesitated for a moment, then pulled Muda's phone out of his pants pocket

Mushida Yigen looked back, hesitating for a moment at the door, but it should be correct. The uncle, dressed as if he were performing in a Qing Dynasty palace drama, stood up enthusiastically: "Miss Huo Zihong?"

At the entrance of the hot pot restaurant, a waiter was seated. Mu Di remembered what Huo Zi Hong had instructed her to "hand over a note," so she first gave the note to the waiter. Sure enough, the waiter pointed with her hand and said: "Straight ahead, turn right, private room."

Then one day, he retracted his hand, revealing the hairpin. Someone had brought a hairpin to sell, and the buyer and seller matched up.

Then, the man extended his hand and pointed in this direction

The person who committed the murder has actually been dead for five years

Huo Zihong sighed and said, "I still believe that when faced with such situations, one should not be afraid; one must stand up and act with righteousness."

As the others had not yet arrived, Wan Fenghuo, feeling idle, recounted the case of Luoma Lake to Mu Dai, while also introducing his own profession.

Mukai was somewhat surprised; it turned out that Aunt Hong and the others had already deposited the funds with Wan Fenghuo. This hot pot feast was a meal paid for upon hearing the news, which she found quite novel

Mushidai smiled and pulled his arm forward, saying: "Brother, stand a bit further ahead."

After getting off the plane, Huo Zihong made a call to Mudi, which could be considered a subtle attempt at reconciliation. Only then did Mudi ask her: "Why is this address the Old Nine Hot Pot Restaurant? Are you inviting me to have hot pot?"

She feels that it is somewhat of an overreaction: "How much money can this possibly make? Moreover, wouldn't it suffice to just make a phone call to notify? Is it really necessary to have someone come over specifically for this?"

Mushi felt that it was impossible to communicate with Aunt Hong, and he was too lazy to try. Isn't the matter of 13,000 the best example of this?

I have seen that guest; he has been staying at the hotel for about ten days. Aside from the first day when he checked in and we briefly crossed paths, I have hardly seen him come out since. Moreover, he was already very ill when he checked in. At that time, we, the staff, jokingly said that we must not let him stay long, as it would be inauspicious if he were to die here

Mushi felt a slight numbness in her scalp and instinctively looked up at the ceiling. Cen Chunjiao emphasized twice that she was "staring at the ceiling," which made her inexplicably feel that there was something on the ceiling.

As we spoke, the cable car on the opposite side arrived, and at the closest distance, we could see the clothing and appearance of the people inside. Tourists are the easiest to excite, and they immediately began waving their hands and shouting "hi" and "hello" towards the other side

The people across the way almost simultaneously began to make a commotion, but a man in a black jacket by the window remained still. Similarly, the wooden figure on this side did not move either. Naturally, the two exchanged a glance.

Cen Chunjiao's gaze swept over each person one by one, and she spoke the first sentence.

After arriving at the station, I returned to Mudaigen Station, thinking that perhaps I might still see that man in the black jacket and express my gratitude in person. However, once I stepped out and saw the bustling crowd, I suddenly felt that everything at that moment was hazy, and I might not even be able to recognize him.

Chongqing has two nicknames, the Fog City and the Mountain City, both of which reflect genuine sincerity without any embellishment

Five years ago, I worked as a waitress in a small inn near the Jinan West Suburban Passenger Station. It was a low-end inn, the kind where the bedding is rarely washed. The guests, although from all walks of life, were mostly poor workers.

Mu Zhi felt relaxed and found a budget hotel near Jiefangbei to stay in. The next day, upon waking up and seeing that it was still early, he went out to take a ride on the Yangtze River Cableway

I carried the kettle over and took the keys with me. When I knocked on the door, no one responded. I used the keys to open the door, and as soon as I entered, I knew something was wrong. That person had a dark complexion, with their eyelids rolled back, lying on the bed, staring wide-eyed and gasping for breath, as if they were on the verge of losing consciousness.

A simple sentence, yet upon reflection, it carries profound meaning; Mu Dai's heart skipped a beat: Does Aunt Hong consider this matter important? Could it be that she knows someone involved in the case?

The cable car is mostly filled with tourists, who at this moment are murmuring: "Local residents definitely wouldn't come to ride it, there's nothing to see."

First, there is the year, month, and day, a certain year, a certain month, and a certain day, then the address, XX County, XX Street, XX Road, how many people were killed, followed by gender, name, what tool was used for the killing, how the killing was carried out, how the perpetrator escaped after the act, all conveyed in a report-like tone, with eyes fixed on the ceiling

Wan Fenghuo closed the door to the private room and turned on the ignition switch under the hot pot: "Let’s eat and chat at the same time. You have all paid the money, which has been kept on our side. After listening to Cen Chunjiao's account, you can then decide whether to settle the bill—though to be fair, the bill will definitely need to be paid, unless... it is false information.

Mukai also remained silent, taking the phone and pretending to browse the web with his head down. The man quietly squeezed his way outside, and this page was thus turned in unspoken understanding.

I was so anxious that I decided to go downstairs to find the old man at the door. Just as I reached the door, the man lying in bed suddenly spoke.