"No, I think the lake water is very clean." Heizi imitated me and started to act stupid.
"Hey, you young people, there are ghosts in that lake, and they killed people." The man finally told the truth.
"Is it true?" Zhou Jiaonan also pretended to be frightened and came over.
"Let's talk inside. It's very cold." The man shook his head helplessly.
The cabin is not big, but it can accommodate us, and it is indeed warm inside.
This man turned out to be the ranger of Biyue Lake and had been guarding this forest for some time.
It happened half a year ago, when it was still summer and the scenery in this place was even more beautiful.
Although this place is relatively niche, many people still come here because of its reputation, especially the Biyue Hotel in the middle of the lake, where you have to queue to check in.
Many people swam in the lake that day, and some took boats to the small island in the middle of the lake. Although it was not possible to stay in a hotel on the island, the scenery on the island alone was worth a visit.
Because environmental protection is advocated everywhere, there are no motorized boats here, all are manually paddled.
The accident happened to two men and two women. The boat, which was fine, capsized. The most bizarre thing was that all five people, including the boatman, were spared and all drowned.
"Isn't it strange that he drowned?" Heizi asked.
"They are all wearing life jackets, and I know the boatman. He is very good at water." The man took a puff of his dry cigarette and tapped the soles of his shoes.
This was really unbelievable. We looked at each other and motioned for the man to continue.
"Originally, this was an accident. People came down from above. After a period of investigation, the bodies of several people were recovered. No trace of human harm was found..." The man frowned when he said this.
Zhou Jiaonan immediately looked at me. She was still worried about the corpse in the water.
I signaled Zhou Jiaonan to calm down and let the man in front of me continue.
Heizi quickly took out a cigarette and handed it over. The man happily took the cigarette and lit it. There were no shops around here, and the man probably hadn't smoked a finished cigarette for a long time.
"Please tell us in detail." I said and handed over the pack of cigarettes in my bag.
"After the matter is investigated, the scenic spot will naturally operate as usual. It was fine at the beginning, but three months ago, something happened." The man took the cigarette and became closer to us.
"What happened?" Heizi imitated me and gave the man the pack of cigarettes.
It is indeed boring to be alone in this mountain. It is probably not easy to smoke a cigarette and drink wine to relieve fatigue.
The man did not refuse our kindness, he just smiled and thanked us.
"At first, tourists said they saw people walking at the bottom of the lake..." the man said, stopping and looking at us.
He probably took into account the presence of the three women and was worried about scaring them.
"It's okay, we're not afraid, just go on." The three women knew each other well.
"The staff at the scenic spot thought it was a joke, but then one after another people saw it, and it became a bit weird." The man said and lit another cigarette.
"There is no diving or other business in this place. Those tourists spoke in a serious manner, and the scenic spot staff began to worry..." The man said with great concentration, and we also became nervous.
"What happened next?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Later, the staff of the scenic spot suspended the business and sent people to the lake to investigate." The man said this and lit another cigarette, not knowing whether his lungs could bear it.
"There were three people who went there. I still remember that it was raining lightly that day. The person who was punting the boat was an old brother of mine. He was a veteran on the water. He was very courageous and good at water. He would often come to my hut to drink with me... "The expression on the man's face began to change.
"I also went there at that time. Some staff and I were standing by the lake. We all had telescopes in our hands..." The man lowered his head and fell silent.
"Two staff members on the boat brought diving equipment. When they reached the middle of the lake, the two staff members went into the water. My old brother was waiting on the boat." The man raised his head and smiled bitterly.
"But time passed by, and the two staff members who went into the water still didn't show up. My old brother was anxious, and so were we on the shore." The man took a deep breath of cigarette and took a long time to spit it out.
"I heard the staff using the walkie-talkie to contact my old brother. My old brother said that he saw the two people at the bottom of the lake. They seemed to be dead. He wanted to go and save them." When the man said this, a line of tears flowed from the corner of his eyes.
"He went down?" Heizi asked in surprise.
"Well, that's what he is, warm-hearted..." The man paused.
"The staff were trying to persuade him not to go into the water. They said they would send people over with professional equipment right away, but my old brother was rushing to rescue people..." The man raised his hand and wiped away his tears.
"I kept staring at him with a telescope, and I saw him lose his walkie-talkie and jump directly into the lake..." The man sighed and didn't speak for a long time.
Heizi took out a bottle of wine from his bag, unscrewed the cap and poured some into the cup. Suddenly the aroma of wine filled the room.
It seemed that the aroma of the wine brought the man back to his senses. Heizi smiled and handed the wine to him, and the man took it and drank it in one gulp.
"After my old brother went down, together with the two staff members, the three of them never came out again..." The man put down his wine glass and seemed to be calmer.
Kuroko's bag was like a treasure chest. The guy took out a few more bags of peanuts and handed them over, and also got a cup for himself.
"Brother, let me have a drink with you." Heizi stopped pressing the question and poured wine for each other.
"Thank you." The man forced a smile.
"People are dying one after another. This matter has become a bit big. An investigation team came from above and sent many people to dive down to retrieve the bodies..."
"After three days of searching, their bodies could not be found at all..."
"Later, after listening to the opinions of some elderly people, they hired professional corpse collectors..."
"But the result is still the same, and the man who fished out the corpses went down once and never wanted to go down again..."
"In the end, the higher-ups ordered that this place be closed down and no tourists are allowed to receive anymore..."
"Without the tourists, the boatmen won't come either. I'm just staying here alone. I don't even have to smoke a cigarette, let alone drink." The man said intermittently, and Heizi would take a sip with him from time to time.
"Brother, no one stopped us on the way when we came in?" I still expressed my doubts.
"We are all counting on tourism. Naturally, the authorities cannot completely seal off this place. We still hope to be able to reopen..."
"It's also too cold during this time. There are people patrolling the lake on weekdays, but you're not allowed to go into the water..." The man said and looked at me.
"That's right, I'm the only fool who wants to swim in the winter..." I naturally understood what he meant.
"Thank you for the cigarettes and alcohol. Please go back quickly." The man said and wanted to evict the guests.
"Brother, to be honest, my senior brother and I are Taoists. Maybe we can help you with this matter." Heizi grabbed the man who was about to get up and open the door.
"Stop making fun of me, you young people don't know the seriousness of this kind of thing." The man was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"Brother, if you can, please take us to the person in charge of the scenic spot. We will help you find your old brother's body and solve the problem in the lake." I stood up and said seriously.
"Young man, don't talk nonsense..." The man frowned.
This matter is very disturbing. I can't possibly lead everyone to change into Taoist robes, right?
Or write the word Taoist on your face? Moreover, with our current group, it is really difficult for people to believe in our identity.
"Brother, we can prove our identities, but don't be scared." Heizi stood up with a smile and blocked the door.
"What are you going to do?" The man suddenly became nervous, probably thinking that we were bad guys.
"Senior brother, call Liang Feng out." Heizi looked at me with a sly smile.
"Isn't this... not good?" I looked at everyone in embarrassment.
"Do you have any other options now?" Heizi spread his hands towards me.
"Okay then." I said and leaned back.
The three women also stood up and made way to one side, and Heizi also consciously retreated to the door to make some room for Liang Feng.
"What on earth are you talking about?" The man had already retreated to the corner.
"Liang Feng." That's all I had to say.
"The general is here." Liang Feng appeared in front of me instantly.
"Ah... ghost..." When the man saw Liang Feng, he jumped up in fright. He turned his back to us and wanted to climb up the wall.
