Chapter 12: The Secret Appearance

  "Wu Shi Rong, you and Zhao Yu'er go find Professor Wang and tell her to bring people and pipes over, the water can wash away this silt." After I finished speaking, they hurriedly went to seek help.

  "You tell me, why do you want to kill Lena? What are you doing here? Are you a grave robber?" I pulled up his head and handed him the water bottle, he hastily took it over and drank it down in big gulps.

  "My name is Zhou Wen, I'm an employee of Benyamin Company. Our company's business is very extensive and diverse. During my sophomore year, I went to their company for internship, but I was secretly plotted against..." He said, lost in thought, lowering his head.

  "What? Ambush? Were you ambushed by people from the Benjamin company? What's going on, tell me? Why did you kill Lena? What was your relationship with her?" I really want to know the truth as soon as possible.

  "Our company is involved in some illegal activities, searching for antiques and treasures everywhere and then smuggling them out to make a profit. But their ultimate goal is to find a huge treasure, I don't know what kind of treasure it is, this secret only a few people in the company know, I just know they haven't found it yet."

  "Huh? A great treasure? But why did you kill Lina, so cruelly killing her for her bracelet, and what's the point of this treasure, is that pair of bracelets worth that much?" I looked at him in confusion, killing someone for a bracelet, how ruthless.

  "In our company, I'm just a obedient dog, they tell me what to do and I do it, and my salary is only 2,000 yuan. They've cast a spell on me, if I don't listen to them, I'll die, so in order to break the spell, I went to find Linna for that ice jade bracelet, maybe I was too anxious and accidentally pushed her down..." As he spoke, he actually started crying, it seems what he said is true, according to Linna's description, he seemed to be eager to get Linna's bracelet at the time.

  "Being controlled? You mean your company is controlling you?" It's really unbelievable, finding a job and ending up with something like this is just too difficult.

  "Yes, I've heard it's a curse called the Golden Cicada. Every day, I have to report my whereabouts and then go to various museums, places with ancient tombs to collect data. They want whatever data they want, no matter how far I have to go, because once the cicada acts up, I'll cough up blood and die!" His eyes revealed his boundless anger towards this company.

  "So, you went to find Lina and snatch her bracelet just to get rid of the poison on your body? Does her bracelet really have the power to cure the poison?" I hastily handed him the food from my cloth bag, and he wolfed it down like a starving little dog.

  "Yes, I also heard that there is a type of ice jade that can dissolve the Golden Cicada Shell. Later, I found out that Linna's bracelet seemed to be made of ice jade, so I snatched it away...". Then he told me in detail about how he stole the bracelet and what happened afterwards...

  What he said is a kind of curse. The "Nine God Strategies" has clear records: the witchcraft is used to harm enemies. Originated in ancient times, including, shooting people and poisonous insects. Curses were prevalent in ancient societies, and the ancients believed that curses could bring disaster to personal or national enemies...

  Wugu is also divided into many types, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, venomous snakes and other poisonous insects are placed in a container, sealed for ten days, after opening the seal, the one that survives is the most toxic, it is also the first choice for Wugu. After feeding (method omitted), it finally becomes Wugu. Putting its feces in someone else's well or food will make people eat and grow worms in their stomachs, slowly weakening their bodies until death. In short, this is a very cruel and poisonous magic trick.

  "So how did you end up here? Are you here looking for Ice Jade?" I finally roughly knew his background.

  "Because a few days ago, my bracelet was stolen and disappeared at home. That ice jade bracelet could relieve the pain on my body. Every day around midnight, my body feels like it's being bitten by ten thousand insects, both painful and itchy. So I heard that an archaeological team is excavating an ancient tomb, so I snuck in to see if I can find a piece of ice jade..." He slowly lowered his head and stopped looking into my eyes.

  "You said that the ice jade can cure the Gu? How did you know that? And how is it that your family has a ghost slave, and how did you harm Weiwei to death?" I extremely detest this kind of man, always attributing all causes to others, yet not willing to take responsibility themselves.

  "It was just a little, it was an accident. That day I was on a date with Lina, she saw it and tore it up, accidentally hitting the back of her head on the triangular iron handrail of the stairs... By the time I got there, she wasn't breathing anymore. I really didn't mean to... Waaaah!" He burst into tears after saying that...

  "Alright, I've got it. You wait here and I'll go see why they haven't arrived yet? In a bit, I'll think of a way to get you out," I said, finishing my sentence as I walked back out the tomb along the original path.

  Zhou Wen said that the curse he planted was a golden cicada, and if the cicada was indeed Xiao Mei's curse, then maybe I could lift her curse. But which kind of cicada was it? And where could I find it? I thought for half a day but couldn't come up with a good idea. To learn more information, I had to rescue Zhou Wen first, so I headed towards Professor Wang's office. At this time, at the entrance of the tomb, I ran into Zhao Yun'er and Wu Shi Rong who were rushing in.

  "What are you two running around like that for? What's happened?" They were already panting and out of breath.

  "Something's happened, we just went to find Professor Wang and she was knocked unconscious on the floor of her office. All the sample boxes we sent over yesterday are gone..." Zhao Yu'er hastily spoke as she picked up the phone to call the police.

  "What's going on? How is Professor Wang now?" I anxiously looked at Wu Shi Rong.

  "Professor Wang is fine, he's already awake. He's just having a terrible headache now and is resting in bed." Wu Shirong looked at me nervously for a moment, then looked at Zhao Yuer.

  "Take me to see Professor Wang, Wu Shi Rong, hurry up and inform everyone to gather together in case something unexpected happens!" As he spoke, Wu Shi Rong ran towards the scene of the tomb, and Zhao Yun'er and I rushed in, seeing Professor Wang lying on the bed, with one hand holding an ice pack against the bruise on his forehead.

  "Professor Wang, who are they? Do you know them? Did you get a good look at their faces?" I looked at Professor Wang, her clothes were very neat and tidy, not like she had been robbed.

  "There were two of them, both wearing black hoods and black clothes. They came into the house without saying a word and punched me on the forehead. As I was about to get up and shout, they grabbed our experimental materials and the jade vase you gave me yesterday, and quickly ran out. Don't be afraid, I've already called the police..." Professor Wang said, lying down on the bed.

  At this moment, Wu Shi Rong brought other experimental class students to see Professor Wang, and just as they walked into the house, an unexpected event occurred. A loud noise was heard, and the upstream dam suddenly burst open a huge hole, with river water constantly pouring out of it. The dozen or so of us were standing at the foot of the mountain, and we quickly helped up Professor Wang and headed to higher ground. At this time, looking back, the tomb site we had been investigating was completely submerged in water.

  "It's all over, our efforts have been in vain!" Professor Wang said, tears falling from his eyes as he gazed at the flooded cemetery. Some of my classmates also cried, and I was stunned - how could this be so coincidental? First, someone came to steal things from Professor Wang, then they blew up the dam and flooded the cemetery. What kind of person would do such a thing? It's just too cruel!

  The water around the cemetery kept getting more and more, we had to move our whole group back to the highway where we came from. Before long, several police cars arrived from the city and took us all back to school, our bodies were covered in mud and water, with Professor Wang's battered face a pitiful sight that was hard to look at directly.

  The Ice Jade Bangle's clue to unravel the mystery was lost, and Zhou Wen estimated that it had been washed away by the flood. It seemed that now they had to rely on themselves to find a new lead. I returned to my dormitory with Wu Shi Rong and searched online for related information, but no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't find anything relevant. After staying in school for several days, there was still no progress. Just then, the rescue team at the scene discovered Zhou Wen's body, it seemed that everything had to start all over again.

  That evening after dinner at the school cafeteria, I had just returned to school when I received a call from Zhao Yuer.

  "Hey! Nie Yu, I have some good news to tell you, I've already found one of the bracelets!" Zhao Yuner said excitedly.

  "What? Where did you find it? Lina didn't say another one was in her mom's hands, how did you get it? Don't take me for a fool!" I really couldn't believe she had the nerve.

  "Really, I have a junior high school classmate whose aunt passed away. Her aunt had no family and left her a bracelet in her will. She didn't know what it was until I went to her house the other day and she took out the bracelet to show me." Wu Shirong pressed his ear tightly against my phone, listening to the sound.

  "Alright, you wait for me, I'm going to your place with Wu Shi Rong right now to see if it's the same thing!" As I said that, I jumped down from the bed immediately...

  This is my first time coming to Zhao Yuer's home. Her home is located in the central area of the coastal city, and I took a taxi to arrive at her residential compound. At the entrance of the compound, there were two security guards wearing uniforms checking people and vehicles entering and exiting, and Zhao Yuer was already waiting for us at the entrance.

  "Look, is this one a pair?" she said, taking out the bracelet.

  "I'm going! This is truly a case of 'breaking iron shoes to find no place' and yet it all came together effortlessly! Good people will definitely have good fortune, while evil people will definitely have evil fortune!" I held up the two bracelets, and when placed side by side, they were virtually identical!

  "Thank you, beautiful girl. You tell your classmate that we're just borrowing it for research and we'll return it to her once we're done. We guarantee it will be returned completely intact, so she can rest assured. Thank you for helping us out, let's treat you to a meal!" I pulled up Zhao Yuner's arm.

  "It's nothing, it's just a small favor, and it's also your good luck. If you have time, hurry back home and take this pair of bracelets to see if they can lift the curse for her!" Zhao Yuner showed a lovely smile, she was wearing a short skirt today, with only one button fastened on her denim shirt, her slender figure looked even more charming under the sunlight.

  "Food is a must, come on beauty, you've already treated me several times, if you don't go this time it would be unfair, besides, if this bracelet can cure my little sister's poison, you'll be my benefactor!" I pulled her arm and walked towards the nearby restaurant, because last time I got a scholarship from the college, now I have some spare money.

  In just a few minutes we arrived at a small restaurant, next to the entrance there was a sign with various menus written on it. I took a look and saw that the prices were acceptable, so I walked in.

  "Beautiful girl, you say what you want to eat, order the most expensive one!" I'm too excited today, forgot how much money I have in my pocket, anyway not enough, there's still Wu Shi Rong, must say this in front of the beautiful girl, otherwise where to put face?

  "Look what you're saying, the most expensive one, do I love to eat that much? You mean I'm a foodie, don't forget our family runs a restaurant, haha!" Zhao Yuer picked up the menu and looked it up and down.

  Just then, several middle-aged men wearing denim shirts sat down at our dinner table.