There are people inside! And they're working on it!
Su Tang made a quick decision; they couldn't stay any longer. She immediately instructed Lin Fan and Chen Xue to take samples of kaolin and some associated minerals out.
She quietly retreated to a dark place where Lin Fan and Chen Xue could not see her, and quickly took out a thermal imaging device from her spatial storage.
Held up to his eyes, the screen lit up instantly.
Deep inside the mine tunnel, a dozen human-shaped silhouettes radiating heat of different colors suddenly appeared!
They were scattered throughout the mine tunnels, like a swarm of diligent worker ants. Around these figures, five more silhouettes stood out clearly, each holding a long, thin object that emitted a cold, metallic sheen—rifles!
Su Tang could even make out the outline of a Soviet-made AK-47.
She adjusted the focus further, and the image became clearer. The mine tunnel had simple tracks, and a mine car half-loaded with ore was parked nearby.
This is not a simple case of illegal mining; it is a well-organized, clearly defined, and even armed secret mine.
Combined with the previously discovered Russian-language canned goods...
They are enemy agents.
Su Tang's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Outnumbered and outgunned, a direct assault would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
She calmly put away the thermal imaging device, quickly retreated to Lin Fan and Chen Xue's side, deliberately suppressing the solemnity on her face and replacing it with a serious expression.
“Something’s wrong,” she said in a low, urgent voice. “I just smelled a very strong odor of hydrogen sulfide deep inside. The gas concentration here could rise again at any moment. We have to evacuate immediately!”
Lin Fan and Chen Xue wanted to say that not enough samples had been collected, but seeing Su Tang's serious expression, they swallowed their words. Although they didn't know what had happened, their trust in Su Tang was deeply ingrained.
"Go!" Su Tang gave the order, and the two did not hesitate for a moment. They immediately picked up their backpacks containing a small number of samples and followed Su Tang out of the cave.
On the return truck, the cargo compartment was jolted violently. Lin Fan and Chen Xue were still immersed in the immense joy of finding kaolin and the lingering fear of surviving a close call, chattering excitedly about how to write their report when they got back.
Su Tang, meanwhile, leaned against the corner of the carriage, her eyes closed, saying nothing.
Her mind was racing.
This matter absolutely must not be reported through the research institute.
Chief Engineer Geng Xiangdong's reaction to "Devil's Slope" was too extreme. His attitude of doing everything possible to prevent them from going up the mountain exceeded the caution that a technician should have.
Looking back now, it wasn't that I was afraid of taking responsibility, but rather that I was afraid of my secret being exposed.
There's probably a mole inside the research institute.
If the information is reported through normal procedures, it is very likely to be leaked. If that happens, it will alert the suspects, and it would be a minor issue if they escape. If the suspects are cornered and destroy important evidence, or even cause greater damage, the consequences would be unimaginable.
No, we have to bypass the research institute and go directly to the top leadership of the military region.
The truck screeched to a halt in front of the research institute; it was already completely dark.
"Comrade Su, we've arrived!" Lin Fan jumped out of the car excitedly.
Su Tang jumped down as well, handed the collected sample bag to Lin Fan, and commanded in a serious tone:
"Lin Fan, Chen Xue, everything we saw today at Devil's Slope in Xishan, except for the kaolin itself, must not be mentioned to anyone in any detail, understand?"
The two were taken aback by her serious tone. After exchanging glances, they nodded emphatically: "Understood!"
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