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墨書 Inktalez
I extended a hand and pressed it against the metal door, feeling the surging water flowing on the other side. It should be clean water; at least there were no solid impurities in it. The current was strong, but there were no foreign objects striking the walls or the door to create louder sounds or vibrations.
Xiao Guolin and I stood silently in front of the metal door. He quickly lowered his hand while I kept mine pressed against the door, wanting to feel it a little longer.
I had many questions to ask Xiao Guolin, but he was clearly unhappy that I had brought Xiao Ting down with me, so I felt the need to explain. I didn’t want any misunderstandings right from the start.
“Old Xiao, your daughter is stronger than you think. She was determined to come down and find you; I really couldn’t stop her. You know what kind of person I am; how could I drag her into this? It was impossible to hold her back.”
I sensed Xiao Guolin turning his face toward me, and I could only frown back at him. His face was truly unappealing, as if a layer of skin had been burned off, revealing the flesh underneath. His skin was tight, leaving his entire face expressionless.
An expressionless and strange face was, in fact, his expression: terrifying.
“Are you two… getting along?” Xiao Guolin asked, his whole face moving as he spoke, the skin stretched so tightly that it seemed like it might split at any moment.
I managed a bitter smile. “She’s gotten close to someone else. I… well, you know how complicated feelings can be.”
I couldn’t read his thoughts from his expressionless face. He stared at me for a moment before turning his gaze back to the metal door.
My heart eased slightly. Staring into such a strange face stirred various feelings within me. Alright, I admit it; there was indeed psychological pressure. If I couldn’t be sure this person was Xiao Guolin, I wouldn’t want to face him for even a minute.
“What is this place? How did you get those injuries on your face?” I turned my face toward the metal door and asked.
“This room? It should be a service hole for this tunnel, meant for maintenance personnel,” he replied.
I glanced at him. That was an acceptable explanation; I understood it that way too. However, I still couldn’t comprehend what kind of maintenance this seamless metal tunnel would require. It seemed that Xiao Guolin couldn’t explain that either.
“Were your injuries caused by the water outside?”
“Yes…” Xiao Guolin sighed. “I wasn’t as lucky as you guys. Outside this service hole, I encountered a flood. The water contained highly corrosive substances. Although I managed to hold onto the doorknob and didn’t get swept away by the current, those corrosive materials completely ruined my appearance. Still, compared to others, I’ve been quite fortunate; at least I’m still alive.”
"Others... your team is dead?" I couldn't help but ask softly.
There is a difference between death and disappearance. Just like with Xiao Guolin, we knew he was missing, which is why we took the risk to come find him. If it were confirmed that he was dead, at least I would have a reason to leave Xiao Ting on the Ground.
"Yes. Besides me, they all perished."
After a moment of silence, Xiao Guolin said, "If I have time, I will tell you this story. But it's not pleasant; you might not like it."
"How did you get in? This is my room. I encountered the same door in front but didn't open it. How did you manage to open it?"
"With this." Xiao Guolin pointed to something next to the metal door.
I felt around my waist and found a rope, pulling up the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight. Yes, I still habitually kept the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight tied to my waist.
The light behind us was bright; several people were using flashlights to illuminate Jack. We didn't have any shadowless lights, and the Glow Stick's light certainly wouldn't support a surgery.
However, the flashlight was mostly blocked by the people surrounding Jack, and the light it cast wasn't very bright. I couldn't see clearly what was in the corner of the wall. Of course, that thing wasn't large, which was one reason for my inability to see it.
I turned on the One-Eyed Beast Flashlight, and under its beam appeared a palm-sized dagger, though it was broken.
Suddenly, a pure white hand appeared in my flashlight's beam. Long fingers pinched the broken dagger. Tang Yumo walked up to me holding the dagger.
"I heard your conversation and became quite curious." After saying that, Tang Yumo handed me the broken dagger and drew out a Hakka Straight Knife from behind her. "I tried using this to open the door in front but had no success."
Tang Yumo's meaning was clear; she was dissatisfied with Xiao Guolin's explanation!
I didn't doubt Xiao Guolin; I just felt that his explanation lacked clarity.
Xiao Guolin took Tang Yumo's Hakka Straight Knife and examined it. "Like this."
He gripped the handle with one hand and held the other end of the Straight Blade with the other, leaning slightly to the side.
"Crack!"
A sharp, piercing sound echoed as Xiao Guolin held the broken ends of the Hakka Straight Knife in each hand. "Your knife is no good."
I felt my lips twitch at the sight, while Tang Yumo's expression darkened instantly.
Deservedly so. I knew Tang Yumo cherished her knife, but this was not Xiao Guolin's fault. Though his explanation was a bit harsh, it was undeniably convincing, leaving Tang Yumo speechless.
I had always thought Cao Mingzhe was invincible, but it seemed that Xiao Guolin was on par with him.
Damn, that was a Hakka Straight Knife, forged from high-quality steel with unparalleled hardness. Xiao Guolin didn't break it by hitting it with his knee; he simply snapped it in half with his hands. Incredible.
Tang Yumo did not retrieve the broken Hakka Straight Knife; she silently watched as Xiao Guolin stepped back and returned to Xiao Ting's side.
Xiao Guolin discarded the broken Hakka Straight Knife and turned back, resuming his previous stance against the wall.
"Are you the captain of this Expedition Team?"
"No, Cao Mingzhe is."
"Cao Mingzhe," Xiao Guolin pronounced each syllable slowly, sending chills down my spine. "Where is he?"
"He died as soon as we came down." My mood plummeted. "Old Xiao, our luck has run out. We were supposed to blow a hole in the underground lake, but when we got down there, we realized we had chosen the wrong spot and fell behind the dam instead. The captain and a secretary sent by the Academy both died. We were chased by Giant Mosquitoes and ran blindly into this Metal Passage. There are still some people unaccounted for."
“Cao Mingzhe is in another group?”
“No, he came down with me. He died as soon as we got down.”
“Impossible!” Xiao Guolin said firmly. “Did you see his body?”
I was momentarily stunned. It wasn't that I doubted Cao Mingzhe's fate, but rather I was frightened by Xiao Guolin's attitude.
Why was he so certain that Cao Mingzhe was not dead?
Logically, there was no reason for Xiao Guolin to doubt my words; he should have trusted me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted me with his affairs and even his daughter.
Of course, my own affairs were a contingency plan he left behind to blow up Lop Nur's Eternal Gate, specifically the Antimatter Bomb. If he didn't trust me completely, he wouldn't have entrusted such an important matter to me.
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