He stared intently at the ever-shrinking gap, his eyes bloodshot, muttering nervously, "Block it! Block it up! Quickly! Quickly!"

A dozen thugs and mine supervisors, their eyes bloodshot, were shouting as they desperately threw heavy sacks of earth into the last remaining crevice! With each sack, the crevice shrank a little smaller! Death drew a little closer!

“Boss… if… if there really is someone down there…” A younger thug stared at the bottomless crevice, listening to the faint sounds that seemed to be muffled by the thick layer of earth. His face paled, and his movements slowed involuntarily. “We… we’re not…”

"Shut the hell up!" A foreman slapped the young thug on the back of the head and growled viciously, "Who cares if there are people here! Master Wang has spoken! This well is leaking and collapsing, it's dangerous! It must be sealed immediately! That's the rule! Do you understand?! Do you want a whipping or to get out of here?! Throw it now!"

He kicked a rammed earth bag hard, and the bag rolled and crashed into the depths of the crevice with a dull thud.

The young thug shuddered, dared not say another word, gritted his teeth, and slammed the bag of dirt down even harder.

Most others are the same.

They might have felt a little uneasy, or they might have thought there were still people below, but Wang Bapi's accumulated power, along with that extra "hush money," was enough to make them suppress that weak conscience.

They don't need to know the truth; they just need to follow orders.

Once they completely block the well, their job is done.

As for whether they're dead or alive inside? That's not their concern!