Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! This arc will cover the warehouse adventure (Season 2 Episodes 22-30) and incorporate our lovely boys Jiang ZiSuan, Jia KeZi and Li JiaLe into the action. Enjoy :)

Beta & Co-author: jeangirlmy

Disclaimer: The Lost Tomb/Grave Robber Chronicles belong to Xue Li.

- Story Start -

Jiang ZiSuan turns into a side road and stops before a large building with high, whitewashed walls. The wooden gates are flung wide open, allowing him an unfettered view of a spacious courtyard with a white stone floor. Rows of antique vases and other things are arranged on both sides.

While this place is unfamiliar, the people inside are not. Jiang ZiSuan spots a colourfully dressed Pang Zi shouting and brandishing a feather duster, to two men messing about with a stepladder, to Liu Sang and Huo DaoFu – he's here too? - trading barbs with Pang Zi and hitting each other with a big red ribbon ball.

His eyes flick to the wooden signage above the door, the auspicious red cloth draped above it and the dozen or so congratulatory flowers on stands occupying one side. Everything seems to point to an opening ceremony he's very sure he's not been invited to.

But whose-

A familiar figure steps out from behind the cluster of flower stands with a phone pressed to his ear. Jiang ZiSuan's eyes snap back to the wooden signage at once.

Ah. Of course.

"Wusanju," He reads aloud and turns to Li JiaLe who gives him an unrepentant grin. Next, he looks at Jia KeZi in the backseat and gets a sheepish smile in return.

Turning back to the front, Jiang ZiSuan exhales.

One month ago, he'd applied for a dead-end, low paying job he doesn't need and certainly doesn't like. It's back breaking and mind numbing labour; a never ending routine of accepting, storing and retrieving goods. The last time he held such a job was as a packer in a bottled drinks factory during his school breaks.

He doesn't need the extra money. In fact, he's saved up enough to be able to take a break for a year. Maybe even two. That didn't stop him from walking into Warehouse 11 and setting his thumbprint down on the application form.

All because one friend just got divorced and the other friend was worried about him. Two men he'd known for about a week, tops.

Seriously, what does that say about himself?

The work itself is a no brainer. Jiang ZiSuan only needed a couple of days to familiarise himself with the rules and regulations. The 'don't mess with me' look he's honed for the past decade ensures he's left well alone by any of the smalltime bullies (a given in such an enclosed organisation) and treated with wary respect by everyone else.

Well, everyone except for Li JiaLe and Jia KeZi who welcomed him with wide grins on his first day at work. They pulled him into their group of friends, insisted that he join them for meals and even after work in Warehouse 11's gym or games room.

Bai HaoTian joins the three of them for meals whenever she can. She couldn't help giggling at the double take Jiang ZiSuan gave her L15 badge and his surprise when he learned she's the Director of Operations, one of the two highest positions in Warehouse 11.

Given her huge crush on Wu Xie, Jiang ZiSuan is surprised not to see her here. Perhaps she's somewhere inside?

He decides it's none of his business and turns to Li JiaLe.

"You said we're meeting Huo DaoFu this morning."

"We are," Li JiaLe says a little defensively, "just that a few more people are joining us."

Jiang ZiSuan raises an eyebrow, sees that it has no effect whatsoever, and contemplates putting his pickup truck in reverse and getting out of here.

A familiar head sticks in the window which he opened earlier and forgot to close. Jiang ZiSuan blinks at unruly bangs, twinkling dark brown eyes with ridiculously long lashes and tiny laughter lines, and a blinding smile.

Wu Xie up close is rather a lot to take in at once.

'Welcome to Wusanju!"

"They didn't tell me it's your opening," Jiang ZiSuan says in lieu of a greeting. The last thing he wants is to be thought of is a gate crasher.

"I told them not to otherwise you wouldn't be here." Wu Xie gives a cheerful laugh and thumps on the steering wheel with a fist. "Come on, get down already!"

Li JiaLe and Jia KeZi take his words to heart and quickly scramble out.

Traitors.

"Hey, you three!" Pang Zi comes over, brandishing his feather duster. "Make yourselves useful, we're running out of time!"

When the others follow, Jiang ZiSuan knows he has no chance of escaping. With a put upon sigh, he switches off the engine and gets down.

After the ridiculous opening ceremony which consists of Wu Xie throwing up the ribbon ball and Pang Zi whacking it into orbit with the feather duster, they all go out the gates to await customers.

- o -

An hour later, there's still no one in sight.

"I'm sure it's those stuffy uniforms of yours," Wu Xie says at last. "Not that you three don't look good in them, but you're scaring away any potential customers."

Anyone would think he means it except for the glint in his eyes.

"Wu Xie's right," Li JiaLe says and doesn't see Jiang ZiSuan's incredulous look. "We shouldn't be in uniform unless we're on official duty. I'll go get our jackets."

"Here." Jiang ZiSuan tosses him the keys.

The three of them left Warehouse 11 earlier so that they could swing by Jiang ZiSuan's apartment to pick up some of his things and change the lorry for his pickup truck.

"Have either of you seen Xiao Bai?" Wu Xie looks from Jiang ZiSuan to Jia KeZi. "I've tried calling her, but she's not answering."

"Yeah, why didn't you pick up our simei?" Pang Zi demands. "She missed the grand ceremony!"

"I would've if I knew we were coming here," Jiang ZiSuan replies dryly.

"You'd have found an excuse to stay away if you knew," Huo DaoFu counters, strolling up to them and batting away the ribbon ball thrown by Kan Jian.

Jiang ZiSuan isn't going to admit to that, but-

"Why did you return the money I transferred to you?" He asks in a low voice. "It's for my medical bill."

"I know and I told you I don't want it." Huo DaoFu bats away the ribbon ball again, this time tossed by Liu Sang.

"I don't like owing people."

"Neither do I."

Huo DaoFu glances around at their growing audience and leans in.

"Just keep this group of idiots alive and I'll consider us even."

Ignoring the outcries along the vein of "Who're you calling idiots", Jiang ZiSuan frowns at him.

"There's no amount in the world that can cover that and you know it."

"I do indeed." Huo DaoFu smirks at him.

"Hey, I resent that, you know," Wu Xie says mildly.

"You shouldn't," Huo DaoFu tells him.

"By the way," Pang Zi cuts in. "Jiang ZiSuan, how did you manage to get out from Warehouse 11? I thought Level 1 employees aren't allowed out."

"That's why I took the job of collecting goods this afternoon," Li JiaLe explains, handing Jiang ZiSuan and Jia KeZi their jackets. "I could bring two assistants with me."

"Not bad," Pang Zi says and eyes him with renewed respect. "Not only do you look like a movie star, you're smart too!"

Li JiaLe pauses halfway while shrugging out of his jacket. His face turns red as he looks at the grinning faces around him. With a laugh, Wu Xie gives him a little push in the back.

"You three can change inside if you prefer that."

- o -

The trio stop beside the pool table and strip off their uniform jackets. Huo DaoFu strolls in, looking like he's had enough of the usual 'Wu Xie and Pang Zi' dynamics. He waits for Li JiaLe and Jia KeZi to shrug off their uniform jackets before lifting a hand.

"Wait. I want to take a look at your necks first."

Turning a surprised Jia KeZi towards the window, Huo DaoFu he tips his head up and examines the horizontal scar across his throat, even running a gentle fingertip over it. He does the same for an equally surprised Li JiaLe.

"They've healed well. I just wish I could do something about the scarring," he mutters, looking vexed.

"Oi!" Pang Zi sticks his head in. "Huo DaoFu, stop groping them and let them get dressed. Wu Xie's treating us to lunch!"

"I am not groping anyone!" Huo DaoFu storms out after him, pale cheeks flushed pink.

- o -

Lunch is a modest affair at an upscale restaurant… until a large platter of crabs lands on their table. Amid the exclamations of surprise, Er Jing appears, pushing a wheelchair-bound Wu ErBai.

"It's your Er-shu's treat," he explains with a smile.

During the flurry of greetings, calling for two more places to be set and nosiy shifting about of chairs, Jiang ZiSuan notes the double take from Er Jing when he sees him and the puzzled frown he shoots Wu Xie. Jiang ZiSuan also notes Wu Xie glancing at Er Jing several times during the meal with a rather speculative smile on his face.

Interesting.

- o -

The party breaks up after lunch. Liu Sang and Kan Jian thank Wu ErBai for the treat and leave the restaurant together. Huo DaoFu would've done the same if not for Wu Xie inviting the rest back to his home.

When Jiang ZiSuan pulls up in front of Wusanju, Wu Xie, Pang Zi and Wang Meng are escorting Er Jing and Wu ErBai to the gates.

"Something's up," Jia KeZi says quietly from the backseat. "Pang Zi says there are wristwatches strewn all over the courtyard."

With the mood turning somber, Wu Xie asks Er Jing to take Wu ErBai back home before stepping inside the courtyard. The others follow, looking at the trail of wristwatches leading inside the building.

"Did you all see his face?" Huo DaoFu asks in a low voice.

"Whose?" Li JiaLe asks.

"Er Jing. He was smirking at Wu Xie when he left."

Very interesting, Jiang ZiSuan thinks to himself.

- o -

The last thing any of them expects to see is a Warehouse 11 employee kneeling on the pool table with jagged black lines on his face. His arms are up in the air with all ten fingers fluttering. Uttering garbled moans, he bows to a large wooden box.

"Xiang Yang!" Li JiaLe exclaims.

Xiang Yang jerks towards him and abruptly collapses on the table, almost hitting his head on a corner of the box. Wu Xie tells a squawking Wang Meng to call an ambulance at once. Huo DaoFu examines his pulse and uncovers a number of wristwatches on both arms.

It's Pang Zi who reads the 'Danger. Do not touch' warning aloud, yet it's also him who reaches in a hand the moment the box is opened.

"Pang Zi, don't touch it," Wu Xie warns.

Jiang ZiSuan rolls his eyes at Huo DaoFu and gets a similar eye roll back.

"I'll report this incident to Warehouse 11 as soon as we get back," Li JiaLe offers.

"Thanks, JiaLe. I'll try to call Xiao Bai again," Wu Xie says. "It looks like someone is targeting me once more, someone with ties to Warehouse 11."

"It's not me," Jiang ZiSuan says and could've bitten out his tongue.

"Of course it's not you!" Wu Xie claps him on the shoulder. "I know you prefer an upfront approach."

Jiang ZiSuan scowls at him while Huo DaoFu gives a snort which he changes into a cough.

"I may even have to go undercover at Warehouse 11," Wu Xie continues. "Pity I can't use your face since you're working there."

"Too bad then," Jiang ZiSuan says shortly.

"Well, I'm sure your friends are glad. Am I right?" Wu Xie winks at Li JiaLe and Jia KeZi who nod and smile.

Jiang ZiSuan glares at Wu Xie and turns away as the warmth in his chest spreads up his neck and into his face. These two idiots trust far too easily. Someone really should to keep an eye on them.

It might as well be him.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)