Early morning, quite a few people had gathered downstairs of Building 7.
Looking from the balcony, many people were crowded around the spot where someone had jumped yesterday.
After eating breakfast and washing up, Qin Ziwen went downstairs.
"Hey, why did he suddenly jump? This seems to be the first case in our residential complex, right?"
"Judging by the location, it should be someone from Building 7. Does anyone know him?"
The deceased lay face up, male, with a layer of brownish blood pooled beneath him, his hair graying, not young in age.
Huang Tao pushed through the crowd and sighed: "I know him. He lived on the top floor."
A neighbor in the crowd said: "I remember now. Yesterday afternoon, his wife was dragged down by a crocodile while fetching water at the river. By the time he got the message and went over, she was already gone."
"Oh heavens, that's too tragic. Did his family have no one else?"
"I think it was just him and his wife. They usually had a very good relationship, often going for walks after dinner in the evening."
"We chatted during a walk before. Their son got married long ago, and the old couple sometimes went over to help look after their grandson."
The gathered neighbors spoke one after another, piecing together the deceased's identity.
"What should we do with the body? Leaving it here isn't right. What if it rots later and breeds germs?"
"Ugh, speaking of that, I remember the First Basement Level. Someone's family member died in the garage, I don't know who. Last time I passed by, the stench was overwhelming."
"No one dealt with it?"
"Who would deal with it? The body was already bloated, with pus all underneath. Anyway, I don't usually go through the garage, so the smell doesn't reach me."
An old man from the crowd stepped forward: "All the gentlemen here, lend a hand. We can't just leave him here. He's gone, but we still have to live here."
With one person taking the lead, others gradually stepped forward.
Qin Ziwen was silent for a long moment, then stepped forward, reached the feet, bent down, and grabbed the deceased's ankles.
Seven people worked together to carry the body outside the residential complex.
"Where should we put it?"
"How about throwing it in the river?"
"Do you still want to eat fish from the river later?"
"Who cares about that now."
Huang Tao said: "The pit dug last time when we killed that male crocodile leader isn't completely filled yet."
They threw the body into the pit, then covered it with a layer of soil.
Suddenly, one of them squatted down and retrieved a bloody key from the side of the corpse's pants.
Seeing everyone looking at him, the young man weighed the key in his hand and said with a smile: "We all helped collect his body. There's no one at his home anyway, so let's go take a look together. The dead are gone, but the living must look forward."
Qin Ziwen thought of the Xie Jun brothers he had killed last time; he hadn't found keys on Xie Jun then.
Wang Xiaoli said the two usually used code locks; she didn't know the codes either. She also said the food at Xie Jun's place was basically finished, otherwise they wouldn't have targeted Qin Ziwen.
Thinking of this, he felt somewhat ashamed. The first time he killed someone, he actually forgot such an important thing as searching their belongings.
He needed to find an opportunity later to check Xie Jun's home. Even if there was no food, there were likely other supplies.
The seven people went to the 10th floor, Unit 1, Building 7. After trying, they used the key to open the door of unit 1001.
They opened the door.
The house was very clean and simple.
A faint medicinal smell permeated the living room.
A large built-in cabinet was installed on the dining room wall, filled with many bottles and jars. Two vases with arranged flowers were placed on the TV cabinet in the living room, but the flowers had already withered.
Someone found a piece of paper left on the table: "There's a suicide note here."
"I'm sorry, neighbors. I've caused you trouble. Yesterday afternoon, I received the news that Guilan was gone at the river. When I rushed over, I only saw footprints by the river. My beloved wife Guilan was timid. When she accompanied me teaching in the countryside before, she always said it was dark outside when she got up at night and needed me to accompany her.
I sat in the room for a long time last night. I picked up the kitchen knife and put it down again. These old bones, my hands shake too badly. I tried a few times; the pain was piercing. I don't dare imagine how much pain she felt. Jumping is quick, not so much suffering. I've caused you all trouble, might affect you.
I have disinfectant in my bathroom. Please, whoever can, take it and use it. There's nothing valuable at home, just some blood pressure medication and diabetes medicine. There's also half a bag of rice in the kitchen and some wild vegetables Guilan picked. If you don't mind that we old folks used them, please take them.
I never caused trouble for anyone in my life, but at the end, I have to trouble everyone to handle my body. I feel truly sorry in my heart. Please take anything you find useful.
The pen is almost out of ink, and I should go now. Guilan has been waiting below for a long time; she's surely going to say I'm dawdling again. My old rheumatic legs make walking difficult, and she had to fetch water. Actually, I should have been the one to go.
Zhou Jingwen, written."
After reading the final words, someone sighed gloomily: "If only we hadn't crossed over."
Qin Ziwen went to the kitchen.
The kitchen was tidied very cleanly.
There was half a bag of rice in the cabinet, and next to it, a large bag of wild vegetables wrapped in a plastic bag.
Huang Tao said: "Let's split this among us few."
In the end, Qin Ziwen received a portion of rice.
Perhaps because of the suicide note, everyone searched the house quite gently.
The old man's home didn't have many valuable things. Before the crossing, perhaps the large LCD TV in the living room and the microwave in the kitchen would have been somewhat valuable.
Other than that, it was mostly clothes and quilts in the cabinets.
Qin Ziwen looked around and, in the end, besides a little rice, only took a small pair of scissors from a drawer.
He didn't touch anything else; there wasn't much worth taking.
Returning home, he washed his hands with clean water, fed the rabbits, and let the Crowned Eagle out through the window.
"Let's go, we'll check the trap locations we set yesterday first." Qin Ziwen put on his backpack, fully armed, holding a spear and the "machete" seized from Xie Jun.
Qin Ziwu carried a backpack and held an empty plastic bucket.
Deng Guang had already been waiting downstairs for some time.
Seeing the two come out, Deng Guang said: "Let's go. Oh, by the way, can you use this?"
Deng Guang pulled out a bunch of "rope" from his pocket. "My balcony clothesline. I think the quality is pretty good, quite sturdy."
Qin Ziwen tugged the rope and praised: "It's quite sturdy."
"Good that it's sturdy." Deng Guang, happy that the thing he brought was useful, smiled happily.
They arrived at the east gate and had only taken a few steps when,
"Brother Qin!"
Zheng Yuan called out and quickly approached.
It had only been a few days since they last met, but Zheng Yuan already had a stubble of short black beard on his cheeks.
"Are you guys going exploring?"
Zheng Yuan was followed by five or six people; the only familiar face among them was Zou Sheng.
"Yeah, the riverbank has been too noisy lately, not very convenient for fishing."
Zheng Yuan said: "Have you heard? Someone found one of those cards out in the wild, on an altar."
Qin Ziwen thought of Wang Yun. Had news of him obtaining a card leaked? But with so many people in his team, it wasn't surprising if word got out.
"Where did you hear that, Brother Zheng?"
"Hey, it's from Building 4. Someone from Building 4 went north yesterday and found it in a cave at the foot of the mountain."
A cave? Not an underground cavern?
And Wang Yun lives in Building 1, so Zheng Yuan is probably talking about a different person.
Wang Yun found a card in an underground cavern, and there's one in a cave at the northern foot of the mountain too. It seems altars might refresh easily in caves. What about that cave on the mountainside then?
"Oh." Qin Ziwen nodded thoughtfully.