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墨書 Inktalez
Fatty glanced at the corner where Vietnamese pretended to doze off.
‘He discovered it, and then he asked a question that left me speechless.’
I looked at Fatty, who had stopped and was pretending to be deep in thought. “Stop acting cool and continue.”
“Damn, can you cooperate a bit? I was really surprised at that moment.” Fatty was dissatisfied with my reaction. ‘He asked me: Is Cao Mingzhe an Awakened One?’
I suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over the table. Leaning over it in shock, I asked, ‘How does he know about Cao Mingzhe? I haven’t mentioned him to anyone, and Jack definitely wouldn’t tell him that name. Have you brought up Cao Mingzhe with him?’
‘Aren’t you surprised that he linked Cao Mingzhe with the term Awakened One? That term should raise more questions for us.’
Indeed, did Cao Mingzhe’s statement convey a message to the Hakka People: I am the Awakened One, and I have sent them to do something?
The change in attitude from the Hakka People, from Staring Like a Hawk to agreeing to help Fatty enter the Underground Cavern to rescue someone, also indicated their apprehension towards the Awakened Ones. But why did the Hakka People suddenly turn against Fatty upon entering the Underground Cavern? Was it a case of outward compliance but inward defiance? Or was this all part of a trap set by Cao Mingzhe, leading Fatty and Xiao Ting here just to eliminate them using the Hakka People? The Awakened One was merely a signal.
This thought sent chills down my spine, and I dismissed such unrealistic ideas.
I knew Cao Mingzhe fairly well; he was an introverted scholar, reserved yet responsible. Of course, I hadn’t seen him since the Lop Nur expedition. He must have changed, both in mindset and actions. This was evident in both me and Xiao Guolin. I believed that Cao Mingzhe would be no exception; everyone who emerged from the Lop Nur Underground Passage had undergone some transformation.
However, I didn’t believe he would harm anyone, let alone Xiao Guolin’s daughter. Therefore, I leaned more towards believing that it was the Hakka People who were being duplicitous. They appeared to agree with Cao Mingzhe, but once inside the Underground Passage, they suddenly turned on Fatty.
All the thoughts flashed in my mind, chaotic and disordered, racing at high speed until suddenly, my brain blacked out as if it had crashed, and all the images vanished. It seemed that reason had triumphed over imagination; there were too many things I couldn't understand or explain. Solving the immediate problem felt more realistic.
"How did the Vietnamese know about Cao Mingzhe and the Awakened?" I asked Fatty, trying to calm myself.
Fatty glanced at A San again. "He overheard three Hakka People quietly discussing this matter."
Damn, I knew A San was best at eavesdropping on others. The information he revealed to me was always obtained through his snooping. It seemed this guy would never change; he always had his ears perked up wherever he went.
"He also reminded me that the Hakka People are aware of our conversation, even if we're just whispering."
At this point, my expression turned interesting. This didn't seem to align with what I had thought.
"Are you saying A San can hear their whispers too?"
Fatty nodded. "I've confirmed this; you don't need to doubt it, as long as it's within a certain range. He can hear everything. Remember the Hakka People's campsite by the underground lake? It was him who told me to go downstream to find you. Quite miraculous, isn't it?"
I could only nod; this was nothing short of a miracle. I turned to look at A San; it seemed necessary for me to gather some information from him.
I snapped my fingers at the Vietnamese, who remained still with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
Seeing this, Fatty picked up a bamboo tube from the table and tossed it over.
The Vietnamese sprang up, catching the bamboo tube mid-air, and walked over with a sheepish smile. "Brother Qiang, you need something from me?"
I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. I pointed at a chair. "Sit down; I want to chat with you. You're not asleep, are you?"
A San dragged the chair closer to me, seemingly wary of Fatty. Perhaps he had been thoroughly beaten by Fatty in the Underground Cavern, leaving him with some psychological scars.
"I just dozed off for a bit, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Brother Qiang waving at me."
I chuckled. This Vietnamese guy was unusually afraid of Fatty; even a simple wave could be considered a greeting. It was clever of him not to get his head split open.
I raised my index finger to my lips, signaling for silence. I mouthed to him, 'Can you hear their voices, even whispers?'
A San nodded.
'How far can you hear? What’s the effective distance?'
The Vietnamese thought for a moment. 'I haven't figured it out yet, but one or two hundred meters is no problem.'
I frowned. 'Don't give me that nonsense! This isn't your first time eavesdropping. How far away were you when you listened to Ah Xiang and Wu Qitai? After all these years, you still don't know your eavesdropping range? Do you expect me to believe that?'
'It's different now,' A San insisted, patting his chest. 'Brother Qiang, I used to have good hearing; I could listen through doors and catch snippets of conversations, but the sound wasn't very clear. However, now it's hard to explain. When I'm seriously eavesdropping on someone, it feels like they're whispering directly into my ear, regardless of distance. The sound doesn't fade just because it's far away.'
I stared at A San in disbelief, struggling to grasp what he meant. Fatty had confirmed this ability; could it really be true? This was way beyond ordinary eavesdropping.
I looked at Fatty questioningly, and he nodded, giving me a simple affirmation: 'Yes.'
'When did this start?' I turned my head toward A San. 'When did you develop this special ability?'
'Do you remember that black hole? You all were watching it, but I could already hear strange sounds coming from inside.'
I let out a heavy sigh. Honestly, I really wanted to give him a good beating.
I certainly remember that black hole; Jack was injured there, and we were forced to escape separately. Jack and I jumped into the Underground River while being chased, barely escaping with our lives. But he had heard sounds coming from the black hole long before and didn’t warn us in time, which clearly raised suspicions.
My expression must have looked terrible because A San hurried to explain, "I was terrified by that sound; it was right next to me, like an invisible ghost making noise in my ear. I even thought I was losing my mind. I was afraid you would abandon me; I couldn’t do anything."
"Brother Qiang, I’m on your side; you have to believe me."
A San's expression was sincere, but this sudden abnormality in his behavior was indeed unsettling. It wouldn’t be easy for me either. I chose to trust him because now wasn’t the time to hold him accountable.
I understood that Vietnamese had psychological pressure, but his statement "I’m on your side" made me increasingly uncomfortable, especially after witnessing the exchange of glances between him and Fatty.
I pointed a finger at him. "You’re not on my side; you’re on his."
At this point, I directed my finger toward Fatty. (To Be Continued...)
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