Chapter Thirty

As soon as Su Xiaobai got off the plane, the weather in Gudu City seemed to be against her. The drizzle fell incessantly, the kind of rain that was most annoying. It wasn't the kind of heavy downpour that washed everything clean, nor the light misty rain like the tips of willow branches. Instead, it was the kind of endless, entangling rain that could go on for days, like a woman who just couldn't let go.

Standing on the outskirts of the construction site, Su Xiaobai looked around at the barren land, stretching for thousands of acres, with hills in the distance but no sign of greenery. This area, located outside the Fifth Ring Road of Gudu City, had only been gradually developed in the past two years. Not far away, there were a few large iron factories, one of which was a major manufacturer of redwood furniture.

Although the headquarters had chosen this piece of land because it was far from the city center, it was conveniently accessible. It only took a little over an hour from the secondary highway. Moreover, being away from the city center made it more suitable for developing new pharmaceutical products. After discussing and planning for half a year, they finally decided to place the new branch factory here.

Su Xiaobai was wearing a yellow plastic raincoat, her feet in black rubber boots like everyone else. She trudged through the construction site, her boots sinking into the yellow mud washed by the rain.

Not far away, a large crane was operating, and dozens of workers, shirtless and braving the light rain, were laboring away. The group of people inspecting the site slowly made their way towards the factory building.

The building was just a temporary metal shelter, inside of which were many tools. Su Xiaobai sat down at a table with other colleagues from the branch and took off her raincoat, discussing something with the head of the construction project.

To be honest, Su Xiaobai didn't care about the factory's layout. This business trip was originally for how to develop pharmaceuticals after the factory was built. The specific planning of the factory was being handled by a new engineer from the headquarters. After the discussion about the factory layout was almost done, everyone noticed that the rain hadn't lessened, but rather seemed to be intensifying. They didn't hurry to leave but instead sat on the sofa chatting casually.

After chatting for a while, Su Xiaobai felt a little bored and, perhaps, had to relieve herself. However, there was no public restroom inside the temporary factory building. After asking around, she found out that there was a temporary toilet 300 meters away, though it was a bit far.

But no matter how far, she couldn't keep holding it. Su Xiaobai borrowed an umbrella and left the factory building, reluctant to put on the damp raincoat she had taken off earlier.

She wasn't sure how long she had walked, but when she looked back, the factory had already become a dot in the distance, and she still hadn't spotted the restroom. She began to doubt if the person who gave her directions had made a mistake.

Her rubber boots were soaking in the yellow mud, and stepping through the soft, mushy ground was frustrating. After walking for another five minutes, she finally saw a blue-roofed building, with four or five yellowish factories nearby, which seemed to be warehouses for storing tiles.

Quickening her pace, Su Xiaobai entered the public restroom, relieved herself, and let out a sigh of relief. She thought she could just head back, but strangely, she felt her feet were wet. She couldn't help but suspect that her rubber boots were leaking. Looking around, she had no choice but to turn back, heading towards a corner near the tile warehouse. She leaned against a box of tiles while taking off her boots, and sure enough, as she tipped the boots over, dirty yellow water poured out.

"Is my luck really this good? Even my spare shoes are leaking," she muttered under her breath, but still calmly removed her socks. Just as she was debating whether to call her colleague to bring her a new pair of boots, she heard the screech of an emergency brake outside.

Normally, she hadn't stolen anything; she was just looking for a place to shelter from the rain, and a straightforward explanation should have sufficed. But for some reason, she found herself instinctively retreating a few steps, as if her body had reacted before her mind had processed it.

Two men walked in through the warehouse door, each carrying a large cardboard box. The box was identical to the ones stacked with tiles inside the warehouse, but usually, people would push them in on carts. This was the first time Su Xiaobai had seen someone carry one in this way, and considering the weight of the tiles, the fact that these two men could carry it so easily was surprising.

While Su Xiaobai was still puzzling over this, the two men turned and left. The sound of a car driving away came from outside the door. It was only then that Su Xiaobai slowly made her way out. Since one of her feet wasn't wearing a shoe, she had to hold onto a box and hop along on one foot, looking somewhat comical, like a frog with no legs.

Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Normally, Su Xiaobai wouldn't be this suspicious, but for some reason, she felt that the otherwise ordinary cardboard box seemed to be hiding something suspicious.

Nevertheless, she pushed down the slight curiosity bubbling inside her and quickly slipped her damp rubber boots back on, trying not to slide around due to the wetness. She turned to grab her umbrella.

However, she didn't expect that, because she wasn't wearing socks, the rubber boots were extremely slippery, as if there were mudfish inside. After only a few steps, she tripped and fell flat. Luckily, she managed to brace herself with the large cardboard box, preventing herself from falling too badly. But the sudden noise of the box hitting the ground was unusual. Su Xiaobai's sharp ears instantly recognized that the sound was far from the crisp clink of tiles.

She quickly scanned her surroundings to make sure no one was watching, then slowly lifted herself up. After letting out a deep breath, she gritted her teeth and headed for the warehouse door.

However, just two minutes later, for reasons she couldn't explain, she ended up turning back. This time, her cheeks were puffed up in frustration, and she was holding a shard of tile in her hand. With a burst of determination, she cut open the side of the cardboard box that had been bothering her so much.

Taking a deep breath, she gradually saw what was inside. No, no, to be precise, it wasn't an object—it was a person, a human head, black and lifeless.

"What the hell..." Su Xiaobai couldn't help but curse under her breath. Saying she wasn't scared would be a lie. After all this time, it turned out to be a "corpse." Her legs nearly buckled as she kneeled, but she seemed almost possessed, her hands reaching out to touch the "head" inside the box.

When she finally recognized the face of the head's owner, her eyes went wide in disbelief. It was impossible, it couldn't be true—it was none other than Qiao Nan!