Chapter 11: Unexpectedly, their gazes met in mid-air, and Shen Mi...
In his spare time, Shen Mi thought more about how to complete the mission, such as how to sneak into Kulen's office and get the criminal records he had hidden.
The possibility of entering openly and honestly is slim; it seems the only option is to sneak in secretly.
But how do you sneak in? And where are the criminal records kept?
This system is truly useless; it doesn't explain anything crucial, leaving everything to the host's luck.
As Shen Mi was thinking, he heard a faint sound of footsteps behind him.
She instinctively gripped the pickaxe in her hand, and when she turned to look, she found Savare standing timidly behind her, holding a piece of unpolished, shiny ore, as if she had just returned from the depths of the mine.
"What's wrong?" Shen Mi tried to soften her tone so as not to let her emotions affect her. Besides, 1017 had just come to provoke her, and Shen Mi was afraid that she would cause her further harm.
Shavalei pursed her lips, seemed to hesitate for a moment before whispering, "Sister Chenmi... I found this at the intersection of a small road."
She opened her palm; it was a piece of mineral that, though dull, gleamed with an unusual luster. Its surface was pitted and uneven, but several lines shimmered with subtle colors under the light. It looked different from ordinary minerals, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what made it different.
Savare led Shen Mi to the inconspicuous path, muttering to herself, "I don't know why, but the ore here... seems a little different."
Shen Mi observed carefully. This path was much narrower than the main mine tunnel. There were many pebbles scattered on the ground. Some of the fragments were similar to the ore in Shavalei's hand, faintly glowing, but most of the ore looked like waste that had been picked over.
Chen Mi looked in the direction Shavalei was pointing and pondered for a moment.
It was a secluded path, with piles of rubble and dust at the entrance, as if no one had walked there for a long time. Chen Mi walked over, the damp air seeping out from the deep, dark mine tunnel, carrying a faint musty smell, as if one would be silently swallowed up if they got too close.
The mine has winding paths that can easily lead you astray. If you venture too deep, you'll face more than just getting lost; there's also the risk of oxygen deprivation and landslides. So, for safety's sake, Chen Mi never wanders off, which is why he never gets caught.
Looking at the dark road ahead, Chen Mi felt a little scared.
"Shavale, how did you find out?" Shen Mi asked in a low voice.
Savare lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, as if she felt embarrassed. She tightened her grip on the pickaxe. "I... when I was urinating before... I just wanted to find a place where no one was around. I was afraid of being seen urinating indiscriminately, so I went to a more secluded place... and then I saw a pile of ore covered with a black cloth. When I lifted it up, I found a lot of shiny ore."
After saying that, she quickly looked up at Chen Mi, as if afraid that she would laugh at her.
Shen Mi paused for a moment, then gently reassured her, "It's alright."
Shen Mi estimated his current location. This mine tunnel was in an extremely remote location. If someone like Shavalei hadn't deliberately avoided crowds, they probably wouldn't have been able to find it.
However, the little incident of Savare urinating dispelled the fear brought by the mine tunnel.
Shen Mi looked at the inconspicuous path again, her mind no longer as tense as before.
The beam of the flashlight on the helmet shone on the uneven rock face, making the bulging rock face look like a monster with a blue face and fangs opening its mouth, ready to devour them into bones.
Shen Mi swallowed hard, lowered his head, and asked, "Shavalei, do you dare to go in?"
Savare nodded nervously: "Be careful, there are many small stones on the ground."
"good."
The two walked together along the path. Just as Savare had described, the path was littered with fragments of ore, the air dry and stifling, filled with dust that even masks couldn't block, making it almost suffocating. The already narrow mine tunnel seemed even more cramped, with irregular marks on the rock walls that looked like small puddles.
There was a puddle mark that was still very fresh. Shen Mi squatted down curiously, about to reach out and see what it was, when Shavalei, who was walking briskly, grabbed his hand.
Shen Mi looked at Shavalei in confusion, not understanding why she had stopped her.
Savare's face flushed instantly, as if someone had caught her red-handed, her voice both embarrassed and panicked: "Don't, don't touch me!"
Shen Mi was completely bewildered by her sudden reaction: "What's wrong?"
Savare stammered for a long time, her ears turning bright red, before finally lowering her head and whispering, "That was... I... I peed..."
Chen Mi: "..."
For a moment, the only sounds in the mine tunnel were the faint glow of the flashlights from the safety helmets on their heads and the slightly awkward silence between the two men.
Shen Mi's lips twitched slightly as he suppressed a laugh, withdrew his hand, and tried to maintain a calm tone: "...Next time you can be closer to the entrance."
Savare was so ashamed she wanted to bury herself in the pile of ore, muttering softly, "I... I was just afraid of getting too close and being discovered..."
Shen Mi suppressed a laugh and said nothing more, but the tension in his heart was completely dispelled by Shavalei's antics.
After regaining their composure, the two continued deeper into the mine tunnel.
The further you go, the narrower the mine tunnel becomes, like a giant mouth that is gradually closing. The jagged rock spikes on the rock wall cast distorted shadows under the flashlight beam, as if something restless is lurking there.
Shen Mi slowed her pace, carefully discerning the layers of loose rocks and the undulating terrain beneath her feet, afraid that a careless step on a loose rock might trigger a landslide. Shavalei followed closely behind, her breathing somewhat rapid, seemingly still recovering from the earlier embarrassment.
The beam of the helmet's flashlight swept across the uneven rock face, revealing the pitted and uneven rock layers as if torn apart by some force, exposing fine cracks. In some places, the rock face had an eerie dark purple hue, marks left by high temperatures, like solidified scars, stuck firmly to the wall.
The ground was a complete mess, with ore fragments scattered everywhere, some even making a slight crunching sound when stepped on. Dust floated in the air, rising and falling with their breaths, and even with masks on, they could feel the dryness and choking sensation.
At the far end of the mine tunnel, in a corner, lay a pile of things covered by a black cloth. The edges of the cloth were tattered and curled, the fabric stained with dust, and several holes were burned into it by sparks. When the wind blew, the edges of the holes seemed like open eyes, coldly watching anyone who approached.
Lifting the black cloth revealed ore that shone brightly. The ore was unpolished, yet it exuded a natural luster, refracting a cold light under the flashlight. Despite being the most ordinary mineral, it seemed somewhat dazzling.
Beside the ore pile, the burn marks were particularly striking. The ground was scorched black, the edges of the rocks were purplish, and upon closer inspection, there were even some unburnt remnants—a piece of burnt leather protective gear lay forlornly on the scorched earth, its edges slightly curled, and the stitching and blurred markings of the labor camp's standard protective gear could still be vaguely discerned.
This area silently speaks of a certain chaos and haste. Some people have been here, some have hidden something, and some are eager to destroy evidence.
Now, everything is covered by the silent mine tunnels, as if the burning and destruction never happened, leaving only a cold, hard, and oppressive silent space.
Shen Mi stared at the scorched marks, his heart tightening. The lingering smell of burning in the air had faded to almost undetectable, but the charred marks on the ground and the curled fragment of protective gear indicated that this place had recently been deliberately burned.
Shavale stood beside her, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes, and asked softly, "Sister Chenmi, did... someone burn something here?"
"Hmm." Shen Mi's gaze shifted from the charred fragments of protective gear to the pile of ore covered by a black cloth. She lifted the cloth, revealing ore with a cold luster. Some surfaces were as smooth as mirrors, while others had sharp edges, clearly not of ordinary quality.
“These ores are much better than what we usually dig up.” Savare’s eyes widened. “Did someone secretly hide these…?”
Shen Mi didn't answer, but slowly squatted down and rummaged around the pile of ore. Suddenly, her fingertips touched a cold, hard object.
It was a piece of mechanical debris.
The fragment had jagged edges, as if it had been violently dismantled. The metal surface was covered with fine scratches and traces of being burned by high temperatures.
Shen Mi picked up the mechanical fragments, rubbing the burn marks with his fingertips, his expression slightly grim: "It's not just about hiding ore; this place may also be related to some kind of machinery."
Savare blinked, clearly not quite understanding, but still lowered her voice and asked, "So what... are these people doing secretly?"
Shen Mi's gaze lingered between the ore, the burn marks, and the mechanical fragments before he slowly uttered, "I don't know, but it's definitely not a good thing."
Saware unconsciously moved closer to Chen Mi, her voice even softer: "Then... what do we do now?"
Shen Mi stuffed the mechanical fragments into his pocket, covered the ore again with the black cloth, and patted Savare on the shoulder: "Pretend you didn't see anything for now, we'll talk about it when we get back."
Savare nodded as if she understood, but her gaze kept drifting towards the pile of ore, as if she was worried about something.
Shen Mi looked around again, and after confirming that there were no other noteworthy clues, he lowered his voice and said, "Let's go."
The two figures gradually disappeared into the narrow, dark mine tunnel, with only the faint light from their safety helmets casting two swaying shadows on the wall, silently reminding them of everything they had just discovered.
Back at their original spot, Shen Mi methodically completed today's mining quota, loading the ore pieces onto the truck with Savare one by one, and finally delivering them to the ore collection point.
Danheng is currently over there checking the records.
The queue for submitting ore is quite long right now. Shen Mi patiently suppressed the urge to share her discovery with Dan Heng, her hand unconsciously resting on the scrap stone she had carved beforehand.
Finally, it was their turn. She pushed the waste stone in front of Dan Heng, her eyes slightly lowered, but her heart was pounding rapidly. Dan Heng looked down to examine it, his gaze focused, completely unaware of Shen Mi's unusual behavior.
Her movements were gentle yet swift, and the words she carved were simple and clear: "The place to take a bath at night."
The writing was so subtle that it was impossible to spot without careful observation. Shen Mi slowly placed the other ores onto the conveyor belt, as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, Dan Heng looked up, his gaze sweeping over Shen Mi. Their eyes met in mid-air, and Shen Mi's heart raced. She quickly looked away, feigning nonchalance. Dan Heng's gaze remained calm, but Shen Mi knew he must have seen the words she had carved. A few seconds later, Dan Heng slowly nodded, seemingly acquiescing to something.
It's done!
A note from the author:
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Great! Everyone!!! We made the list!!! [Kiss][Kiss][Kiss] I'll be updating daily for the next four days, don't miss it! [Kiss][Kiss][Kiss] kisses! I'm off to grind Genshin Impact now, see you tomorrow!!!
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