The 110 emergency call operator was stunned.
*Stealing an elderly person?*
A family dispute over inheritance?
This wasn't unheard of. Some children who hadn't visited their parents for years would suddenly reappear if they heard rumors about property or拆迁 compensation.
"Sir, please stay calm. Can you explain what happened?"
"How can I stay calm?!" Ma Long snapped, but he quickly relayed the facts: "My friend and I went to the cemetery to visit his grandpa, only to find the grave dug up and the remains stolen! We're at the Northern City Cemetery—send someone now!"
The operator gasped.
*Stealing bones?*
*Who would do something so deranged?*
"Sir, please keep your phone on. Officers will contact you shortly."
After hanging up, Ma Long tried to comfort Xu Yang. "Don't lose hope, man. The cops'll check the cemetery cameras. They'll catch whoever did this."
Xu Yang stood in a daze, caught between grief and disbelief.
Ma Long rambled on, "Bones are just... bones. What matters is that you remember your grandpa. He's been gone four years—it's not like the thief can hurt him now. Unless they're planning to grind his bones into *bibimbap* or something…"
Xu Yang shuddered.
*Bibimbap… with Grandpa?*
Meanwhile, the female ghost hovering nearby seemed delighted. She twirled around Xu Yang before floating into the empty coffin and lying down contentedly.
Xu Yang erupted. "Get out! You haunt me all day, and now you're stealing my grandpa's coffin?!"
The ghost froze. Her hair writhed like black serpents, her blood-stained robes billowing as the temperature plummeted. A sinister wind howled through the cemetery.
Xu Yang glared back, unflinching.
After a tense moment, the ghost deflated. She drifted out of the coffin and hovered behind him, head bowed like a scolded child. Timidly, she tugged at his sleeve.
Xu Yang's anger dissolved into exhaustion. "Fine, fine. Stop acting cute. I'll buy you your own damn coffin later. This one belonged to my grandpa. Show some respect!"
Ma Long watched his friend shout at thin air, heart sinking.
*Poor Xu Yang. First hallucinations, now this trauma… Is he losing his mind?*
---
The police arrived swiftly—a seasoned officer and his rookie partner. After inspecting the desecrated grave, the older cop frowned. "No valuables buried. No known enemies. Why steal bones?"
His junior checked the cameras. "All nearby surveillance malfunctioned between 10–11 PM last night. No traces left."
The veteran rubbed his temples. "This wasn't some random vandal. Someone planned this meticulously."
With no leads, they could only document the scene and promise updates.
---
Back at his funeral supply shop, Xu Yang stared blankly at his grandfather's portrait. By 4 PM, he abruptly stood. "Ma Long. Let's drink."
They hit a nearby bar. Ma Long ordered two crates of beer, determined to drown his friend's sorrows. By nightfall, empty bottles littered their private booth. Ma Long's cousin Zhang Li and her friend joined, clinking glasses through forced cheer.
---
Meanwhile, at the darkened shop...
A black-clad figure smashed through a second-floor window. Masked and hat-shadowed, the intruder crept through rooms.
A TV blared in the empty lounge, playing a variety show where pop idols raced to rip name tags off each other's backs.
"Forgot to turn it off?" the intruder muttered, clicking the remote.
Silence fell.
Behind him, the female ghost rose from the couch. Her hair slithered like living shadows, crimson dress rustling without wind.
The man froze as the temperature dropped to subzero.
Slowly, he turned—and met her glowing red eyes.