Lu Zhaoming carried the unconscious Xiao Hu, his steps quick and firm.

Xiao Mei followed closely behind, her face pale, but she still gripped the dagger tightly, not daring to relax for a moment.

The two arrived at a secluded underground workshop. The entrance was hidden in the ruins, making it difficult to spot even from the outside.

The blacksmith was squatting in a corner, hammering a piece of metal. Hearing Lu Zhaoming's footsteps, he looked up.

"Blacksmith, something's happened to Xiaohu, please help me." Lu Zhaoming's voice was firm and deep, without the slightest hesitation.

The blacksmith's gaze swept back and forth between Lu Zhaoming and Xiaohu, his eyes gradually softening.

He put down his tools, stood up, approached Xiao Hu, and carefully examined the condition of Xiao Hu's head, his brows furrowed.

“I’ve seen similar devices,” the blacksmith said in a low voice. “It was one of the parts that the White Robe recently purchased on the black market.”

Lu Zhaoming felt a chill run down his spine; the blacksmith's words had clearly complicated matters.

He put the tiger down and gestured for the blacksmith to explain more clearly.

"Be more specific, what do you know?" Lu Zhaoming's tone was tinged with urgency.

The blacksmith took out a simple map from a nearby table, on which several suspicious locations were marked with charcoal.

“Traces of white-robed individuals trading have been found in these places, but I didn’t dare to dig deeper.” The blacksmith’s expression turned serious, as if recalling some unpleasant past.

At this moment, Ah Niu suddenly walked out from the other side of the workshop, his eyes filled with hatred.

“The deaths of my family members are also related to these transactions, and I am willing to help find out the truth.” Ah Niu’s voice was low and firm, clearly showing that his hatred for the white-robed man had penetrated to the bone.

Lu Zhaoming nodded, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

He looked at Ah Niu gratefully, then turned to the blacksmith and said in a deep voice, "We need to find the white-robed man's new laboratory as soon as possible. Blacksmith, could you help Xiao Hu stabilize the device first?"

The blacksmith nodded, looking somewhat nervous, but his eyes revealed determination.

He carefully untied Xiao Hu's hair and began to examine the device using a special tool.

Xiao Hu's breathing gradually calmed down under the blacksmith's operation, but his face remained as pale as paper.

A system notification sounded in Lu Zhaoming's mind: "The device is connected to an external signal source. It is recommended to trace the source of the signal."

Lu Zhaoming's heart skipped a beat; this clue was clearly of paramount importance.

He decided to use this clue to disguise himself as a homeless doctor and infiltrate a nearby black market to find more information about the white coat.

He looked at the blacksmith and said firmly, "Blacksmith, you are familiar with the rules of the black market. Would you be willing to come with me?"

The blacksmith hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

"No problem, but we need to be careful. People on the black market are unpredictable."

Lu Zhaoming patted the blacksmith on the shoulder and said gratefully, "Let's go, time waits for no one."

The two of them quickly left the underground workshop with Xiaomei and the unconscious Xiaohu, heading towards the black market.

Throughout the journey, Lu Zhaoming was filled with tension and anticipation.

He knew that this operation was not only related to Xiaohu's safety, but also to the future of the entire wasteland.

The entrance to the black market was hidden in an abandoned warehouse, where a suffocating atmosphere permeated the surroundings.

Lu Zhaoming and the blacksmith, along with Xiaomei and Xiaohu, mingled into the crowd, searching for Sister Hong's whereabouts.

Sister Hong is a well-known intelligence broker in the black market. Although she appears neutral, everyone knows that the information she possesses is priceless.

Finally, they found Sister Hong in a dimly lit room.

Hongjie wore a black robe and had a sweet smile on her face, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes.

"Who are you? What do you want to know?" Sister Hong's voice was gentle but with a hint of provocation.

Lu Zhaoming did not answer directly, but instead took out several pieces of precious metal from his pocket and handed them to Sister Hong.

“We are very interested in the experiments conducted on the white coats. We heard you have some relevant information?” He deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound mysterious and alluring.

Hongjie's eyes lit up slightly, clearly showing that she was interested in these metals.

She took a sip of the wine on the table, her smile still bright, but "your questions are too sensitive," she laughed, "but I can sell you some information."

Lu Zhaoming keenly noticed the subtle change in Hong Jie's attitude and used his Judgment Eye to analyze her micro-expressions, instantly confirming that she was lying.

He calmly placed several pieces of precious metal on the table, a slight smile playing on his lips to conceal his inner wariness.

"Is this enough?" He deliberately lowered his voice, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

Sister Hong tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her sweet smile still on her face, but "enough," she said slowly, "I have indeed heard some rumors about the White Robe these past few days, but the information comes at a high price."

Lu Zhaoming felt a chill run down his spine, but he remained calm on the surface and said lightly, "We understand. Giving so much at once must be worth it." He deliberately steered the conversation away from Hong Jie's attention, while his fingers lightly traced the metal surface, secretly noting down the names of other people Hong Jie had been in contact with.

The blacksmith stood to one side, gripping his tools tightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The surrounding crowd was noisy, with whispers and sounds of transactions mingling together, creating a depressing atmosphere.

Lu Zhaoming and the blacksmith carefully left the room, blended into the crowd, and quickly evacuated the black market.

Walking down the dimly lit alley, Lu Zhaoming whispered to the blacksmith, "Sister Hong is problematic; we need to find another way to break through." His tone was firm, and the blacksmith nodded.

The two, carrying Xiaomei and the unconscious Xiaohu, hurried through the night, knowing that time was of the essence and that every step could affect the future of the entire wasteland.

Just then, Lu Zhaoming suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowed, and he whispered, "Not good, there's a trap ahead..."