Chapter 216: United Heart Jade

The years-old news article detailed the predecessor to the New Century Amusement Park. Before the park was built, the land had been a burial ground for villagers from the counties around Xinhu and Jiangcheng. The custom had lasted for over a century until earth burials were officially banned.

Not even the nearby villagers could say just how many people were buried across that stretch of land. Whenever the media asked, they only ever answered, "Many, many."

A deep chill washed over me as I finished the article. I finally understood the phrase: "The laughter of the living echoes through the sighs of the dead."

"This livestream is at the New Century Amusement Park, and during the night session of all times. I hope those two will be alright."

I rolled down the car window, letting the night breeze brush my face to scatter the lingering unease.

Forty minutes later, a sudden brilliance flared at the end of the desolate road. It felt as though we had crossed an invisible boundary and plunged straight into another world.

I paid the fare and stepped out of the car, hugging my Black Leather Suitcase. Laughter and shrieks of pure excitement instantly flooded my ears.

I looked about a hundred meters ahead. Brightly lit and sprawling across more than 650 mu, the New Century Amusement Park stood before me like a sleepless, magical city.

"Finally made it." I had never visited a large amusement park before, and the towering rides inside looked incredibly thrilling and dangerous.

"Are there really this many people out so late at night?"

I walked toward a towering billboard. The massive words painted across it—"Welcome to New Century Amusement Park"—were impossible to miss.

I winced as I bought an overpriced ticket. I was just about to head inside when a figure near the main gate caught my eye. It was an old man in ragged clothes with a severe limp, wandering aimlessly. Every time he spotted someone, he would hobble over, cup his hands together, and grovel for change.

"A beggar?"

It wasn't long before the old man hobbled over to me. He stretched out his grimy hands, keeping his head bowed as he muttered, "Have pity, have pity..."

I didn't give him any money right away. Instead, I studied him closely. The old man was completely barefoot, his clothes ripped wide open to reveal a withered, emaciated frame.

He kept his head bowed, never daring to meet anyone's eyes. It looked like he was intentionally hiding his face. This odd behavior caught my attention. "Old Master, how much do you want?"

"Have pity, have pity..." It seemed to be the only phrase he knew how to say.

"He doesn't seem suspicious." I shook my head. The upcoming livestream was just making me overly paranoid.

I dug a five-yuan bill out of my pocket and placed it into his grimy palm. But the second I tried to pull my hand back, the old man grabbed my wrist with both hands. "Hurry and leave! Hurry and leave!"

His sudden reaction startled me, but I quickly regained my composure. The old man finally lifted his head, revealing a face completely covered in dark bruises and lingering signs of a severe beating.

"Old Master, did someone force you to come out here and beg?" I wanted to figure out what was going on, but he simply let go of my hand. Clutching my five-yuan bill, he repeated his warning: "Hurry and leave... Hurry and leave..."

I stood there for a moment, watching the crippled, barefoot old man hobble over to another tourist and hold out his hands to beg once more.

Anyone who gave him money received the same muttered warning to "hurry and leave." Those who refused were chased all the way to the park entrance until a Security Guard stepped in and forcefully dragged him away.

"Something is definitely wrong with that old man." He acted like a stereotypical beggar, yet there was a crucial difference—he wasn't greedy. It felt as though he wasn't actually here for the money at all.

Committing his face to memory, I presented my ticket and finally stepped inside the New Century Amusement Park.

The park grounds were massive. Even though it was a night session, the crowds were still dense.

"This is going to be a problem. I have to find Tie Ningxiang before midnight. The main mission has to be completed unconditionally." To avoid failing the task, I headed straight for the staff center. I told them I had been separated from my friends and asked to use the park's public announcement system.

Five minutes later, Tie Ningxiang and Yi Yi's names rang out over the loudspeakers, requesting that they immediately head to the Tunnel Rollercoaster Rest Area where someone was waiting for them.

Searching aimlessly would only be a waste of time. I sat on a bench in the rest area, burning with anxiety. Still, there was no better alternative; I could only pray that Tie Ningxiang and Yi Yi heard the announcement.

I fidgeted in my seat for over ten minutes, but there was still no sign of the two women. "Did they already head home?"

I lit a cigarette and waited in sheer frustration, clinging to a final shred of hope. Tie Ningxiang's name had appeared in the Underworld Live Show's livestream tasks. The optional missions presented two choices: protect Tie Ningxiang or kill Tie Ningxiang. Everything seemed to indicate that her life would be in critical danger tonight.

"Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?" Sitting entirely out of place in a sea of laughter and cheerful voices, I couldn't blend into the joyous atmosphere around me.

I tried calling Tie Ningxiang three more times, but without exception, none of the calls went through. "What the hell is going on? Has she already been attacked?"

I didn't dare follow that train of thought. Just as I raised my phone to dial a fourth time, a pair of hands suddenly covered my eyes, plunging my vision into total darkness.

"Guess who?"

I could hear the pounding of my own heart, but my mind went completely blank. Cold sweat slid down my temples to my cheeks. My body froze stiff. That sudden question smashed into my mind like a dropped anchor.

"Who is it?"

A barrage of voices from the Underworld Live Show phone calls instantly rushed into my head. Voices of men and women, strangers and acquaintances—I couldn't tell them apart. My normally sharp mind dissolved into total chaos.

"Gao Jian! Gao Jian!"

The hands covering my eyes slowly slipped away. As the light returned, I gasped greedily for air, feeling like I had just broken the surface of a deep pool.

"Uncle, don't scare me!"

My shoulder was shaken. My eyes finally refocused, and I clearly saw the two people standing behind me.

Dressed in casual clothes, Tie Ningxiang was the one shaking my shoulder with a look of concern. Meanwhile, Yi Yi stood timidly a half-step away, looking exactly like a child who had just done something wrong.

"I finally found you."

"Gao Jian, why do you look so awful?"

Tie Ningxiang pulled out a tissue and began wiping the cold sweat off my face. As her soft fingertips brushed against my cheek, I reached up and grabbed her wrist. "Why couldn't I reach you on the phone?"

I held on extremely tight, involuntarily using all my strength, as if she would vanish like a mirage the second I let go.

"Thanks to Chen Feng's father, the higher-ups stripped me of my rank and formally suspended me," Tie Ningxiang said indifferently, completely unbothered by my tight grip on her wrist. "I had already promised Yi Yi I would bring her to the amusement park, so I just turned off my phone to completely unwind. Why? You even used the park's PA system—what sort of earth-shattering emergency is going on?"

Seeing that she was perfectly safe, I finally let out a sigh of relief. I released her wrist and stubbed out my cigarette. "It's nothing massive. It's just..."

I had spent the entire trip obsessing over the livestream tasks, completely forgetting to figure out how I would actually explain things once I found her.

My awkward stammering only made the criminal investigation team leader even more suspicious. "Did you track down Lu Xing? Or did you uncover another murder?"

I didn't want to feed her a random lie, but I couldn't expose the Underworld Live Show either. I settled on a partial truth. "I can't tell you the exact details, but you're in incredible danger tonight. It's best if you stay close and don't leave my sight."

"I can't leave your sight all night?" Tie Ningxiang thought it over for a moment before a faint smile touched her lips. "Then are you coming home with me later? What happens when we need to sleep?"

"Then we'll just..." I trailed off, completely lost for words. It wasn't until her smile grew more pronounced that I realized she was deliberately teasing me.

"Senior Sister, I'm not joking around." I couldn't answer her question, and I couldn't actually stick to her side for the entire night. Out of options, I reached into my coat and retrieved a Brocade Box adorned with golden threads and carved with the character for 'heart'.

"Senior Sister, this piece of jade can be separated or joined together. They share the same heart and can establish a telepathic link between the wearers. It's incredibly profound." I opened the Brocade Box and held it out to her. "We will each wear one of these pendants. If you fall into danger, I will sense it immediately, and vice versa."

I didn't mean anything else by it. Given how things had escalated, it was simply the best solution available.

However, considering the setting and the mood, my words carried an unintentional romantic undertone for Tie Ningxiang. She gazed at the crystal-clear jade pendants resting in the box, which faintly reflected both of our silhouettes.

"What is this jade called?"

"The United Heart Jade."

"United Heart?" A strange glint flashed in her eyes. Reaching into the box, she picked up one of the pendants and swept aside her cascading hair, exposing her snow-white neck.

She untied the cord and slipped the jade pendant over her head to rest against her chest. Lowering her head slightly, she shot me a nervous glance and asked, "Does it look good?"