Shen Xingmian had heard many similar stories, oh yes, and many idioms to describe such events—

To cross the river and then dismantle the bridge; to use up one's resources and then discard it.

However, before "crossing the river" and "unloading the millstone," neither the person nor the donkey knew what fate awaited them.

They just kept their heads down and worked, because if they didn't, whips or knives would soon fall on them.

A life of being driven and enslaved.

She's already suffered enough; she doesn't want to become one of the abusers.

Hearing her say that, Shen Yunting and Luo Qi'an exchanged a smile, both thinking that their daughter was really too cute. That expression of avoiding her at all costs was really heartwarming.

"Okay, then you decide whether it's more convenient for the three of us to go together, or for you to go by yourself. Of course, it's also fine to just bring your mother."

After Shen Yunting finished speaking, she winked at her husband teasingly, with a hint of provocation.

In Luo Qi'an's view, this behavior was neither mockery nor provocation, but rather more like...flirting.

A flush rose uncontrollably to his cheeks; he knew his face must be red, so he quickly turned his head away so his daughter wouldn't see.

Honestly, his wife is too much of a troublemaker. He has to control his emotions and not become an improper person in his daughter's eyes.

Shen Xingmian was still lost in thought and didn't notice the little interaction between her parents.

After thinking it over, she still felt that it was better for her to be alone outside.

Moreover, she was still some distance from those people, and she really didn't want to trek across the snow; she would have to rely on snowballs to get there.

As for how to hide once we get there, that's a big problem. It's a completely barren area with not a single tree. We'll just have to see how things go once we get there.

Fortunately, there were still quite a few small wooden houses. She could use spatial teleportation to hide, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

She quickly made her final decision: "I'll go by myself. I'll have Xue Tuan take me. Otherwise, it's so far, I'm afraid it will be afternoon by the time I get there."

"How about we absorb some energy nearby first, then go back to our space to recuperate, and go over at night? It's easy to be discovered in broad daylight."

Shen Yunting was still a little worried about her daughter going alone.

"It's alright. Even if we've been discovered, there are ways to deal with it. With my current abilities, even if I can't handle those people, I won't be hurt by them. Don't worry."

I'll be away for quite a while this time, so don't worry about me. I'll be back immediately if anything happens.

Shen Xingmian's gaze was very firm; his eyes could convey a lot, such as confidence and determination.

The two people on the other side also received and felt it.

They reciprocated with equal trust, nodding in agreement.

Sometimes, worrying is unnecessary and can even cause anxiety. They can't do that; they have to ensure their children have no worries.

They need to let her know that they trust her, so that she can act without worry and be more confident.

"Okay, you can go in first. I'll let you know when I'm able to get back, don't worry."

After Shen Xingmian finished speaking, she sent her parents back to the space, leaving only Xue Tuan outside.

She leaned closer to Snowball, gave its big head a couple of hard strokes, and whispered, "See that over there? We need to sneak over quietly, without alerting those people. Don't make any loud noises, and definitely don't shout, understand?"

Snowball just stared at her with its big eyes, without responding.

Shen Xingmian finally realized that he had been overthinking things. Xue Tuan was only slightly smarter, and his intelligence was far from reaching the level of a child.

However, after thinking about it, she stopped worrying. Even if the snowballs made a whooshing sound, it wasn't anything unusual in the snow-covered mountains.

Those people will definitely panic, but only because they're afraid of a tiger attacking the camp, not because they're worried about an intrusion.

The difference between the two is quite significant. At least the other party will not enter the mine to search for intruders carefully, but will only pay more attention to the situation of wild animals outside.

If necessary, they might even send a snowball over to lure the enemy away from their prey.

It's quite interesting to think about; she's probably the first person to use a tiger to "lure the tiger away from the mountain."

After deciding on the route, Shen Xingmian set off on her snowmobile.

She specially changed into a white down jacket, and when she ran in the snow-capped mountains, it looked like she was wearing a ghillie suit. In addition, the snowballs were moving very fast, so even if someone saw her, they would probably just think they were seeing things.

After three days of practice, she and Xue Tuan have become very coordinated. She only needs to move her fingers slightly, and Xue Tuan will know which way to turn and how much to turn.

Running at full speed, they reached the vicinity of those people in less than half an hour.

Their white paw pads were soft, and their movements were agile. They made no sound, and no one on the other side noticed their presence.

Upon closer inspection, the situation is different; the personnel are scattered, leaving plenty of opportunities for infiltration.

There were many piles of ore nearby, and it looked like none of them had been hauled away. There weren't even any tire tracks on the snow on the way out.

It's obvious that they haven't interacted with the outside world for a long time.

Once Shen Xingmian had pinpointed the location, he used a few spatial leaps while the others were looking elsewhere, and arrived behind a small wooden house.

This is the only way to the entrance of the mine.

They probably didn't expect anyone to sneak in; they were only thinking about preventing hunters from wandering in by mistake, and also, perhaps, preventing the people inside from escaping.

The guards outside weren't very dedicated; they would occasionally go back to the charcoal fire in the wooden house and roast for half a day.

The only sound was the howling wind all around, so loud that it was hard to hear the faint noise she made.

This emboldened Shen Xingmian considerably, and she even secretly peered through the cracks in the wood to observe what the people inside were doing.

Unlike the simple wooden cabins she had imagined in the snow-capped mountains, the preparations here were quite comprehensive, with thick blankets, a stove for boiling water, several neatly stacked bags of rice, and a lot of firewood piled up outside.

They look like they plan to live here for a long time.

She didn't look any further. Seeing that there were no guards at the entrance of the mine, she quietly slipped away, carefully observing her landing spot to make sure she didn't leave any footprints of her child, as that would be too conspicuous.

The entrance to the mine wasn't large, but because of her short stature, it seemed quite spacious for her to walk through. If it were her uncle, he would probably have to bend over, which would be quite uncomfortable.

The further she went, the dimmer it became. Fortunately, she was in great shape and had excellent eyesight, so she could see fairly clearly.

The road surface was fairly clean, as if it had been specially cleaned, probably to prevent people with poor eyesight from tripping.

Looking at it this way, it doesn't seem like exploitation or oppression; it actually shows respect for working people.

However, we can't draw conclusions too early; we still need to go in and take a look before making any decisions.

Moreover, even if they truly respect the working people, would they really let this mine go?

Absolutely not.

Ah, in the scenario she imagined, she seems to have become the despicable villain...