Chapter 20 A Night's Rendezvous (Part Two) "Sorry, I was delayed by taking a shower today..."
As promised, Shen Mi arrived quietly under the cover of night at their "usual spot".
Unlike before, she arrived early.
As night fell, the abandoned area of the labor camp was shrouded in darkness, save for the occasional flicker of a searchlight from a distant tower, casting a faint, warm yellow shadow on the ground. Shen Mi leaned against the wall, half-hidden in the shadows, patiently awaiting Dan Heng's arrival.
The surroundings were quiet and deserted, with only the soft rustling of the wind through the iron frame and the occasional rustling of dust rising from the sand. She looked around to make sure no one suspicious was following her before letting out a slight sigh of relief.
—Not yet.
Without a watch, Shen Mi could only stamp her feet and quietly calculate the time. She rarely arrived earlier than Dan Heng. Every time she came here, he would almost always be there first, waiting for her, finding the best spot to avoid being watched, and discussing matters with her as inconspicuously as possible.
This situation is special.
She lowered her eyes, recalling the words "Fairy Boat" she had seen during the day. Dan Heng's unusual initiative to leave a message perhaps indicated that the situation was more urgent than usual.
After a while, she keenly noticed an unusual sound—very light footsteps, steady and swift, unlike the heavy footsteps of the patrol.
She didn't move, but leaned against the wall, slightly adjusting her breathing, waiting for the person to approach.
A moment later, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.
Danheng has arrived.
Shen Mi turned around to face Dan Heng. This time, he did not disguise himself as "Manager Mei" but faced her in his original form.
She stood there, somewhat dazed, until Danheng called out to her, which brought her back to her senses.
"Sorry, I was delayed by taking a shower today."
After listening, Shen Mi consciously looked at his hair. Dan Heng's hair was still slightly damp, with water droplets sliding down the dark strands, gleaming faintly in the dim light of the cold night.
Shen Mi smiled, a question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time flashing through her mind: "Should I wash with hot water or cold water?"
Shen Mi simply felt the atmosphere was just right and couldn't help making a joke; she didn't expect Dan Heng to answer her.
Unexpectedly, Dan Heng glanced at her and said calmly, "Cold water."
In the shadows, her ears silently turned red.
Shen Mi looked at him and felt a little embarrassed. He suppressed the smile on his lips and secretly rejoiced in his heart. Little Azure Dragon really does like cold water.
"But why aren't you washing here today..." Shen Mi stopped talking before she could finish.
There was a momentary pause in the atmosphere.
Dan Heng seemed to realize something as well, pursed his lips, and looked away as if he hadn't heard her words. But his reddened ears betrayed his thoughts.
Shen Mi understood that it was because she had accidentally seen him washing here last time, so he changed locations today.
Shen Mi couldn't help but cough twice to change the subject.
She knew, of course, that Danheng wasn't the type to be easily embarrassed, but the way he deliberately avoided her gaze made him seem like a virgin, which made her look like a greedy lecher.
The atmosphere froze. Shen Mi scratched his head and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he turned slightly to the side, indicating that he should get down to business first: "Did you call me here because there's something urgent?"
Dan Heng seemed to have finally found a suitable outlet, his expression regained some composure, and his tone returned to its usual calm: "Kulun's personnel transfer yesterday was somewhat unusual."
Shen Mi stopped teasing and frowned slightly: "What's wrong with you?"
“He dispersed several of his capable subordinates to other areas,” Dan Heng said in a low voice. “But strangely enough, since 1017 was arrested, his surveillance of you has actually decreased.”
Danheng didn't dare tell Shenmi that Kulun's surveillance of her had indeed decreased, but his interest in her had only increased.
He had heard those people talk about her more than once, their tone of mockery unrestrained, even carrying a kind of nauseating speculation.
Having no other choice, he could only subtly remind her to be careful and protect herself.
Shen Mi was unaware of the potential danger. His eyes flickered slightly as he pondered Dan Heng's words.
The fact that Cullen didn't send anyone to monitor her sounded like good news, but the problem was—he couldn't really let his guard down around her.
"...Could he have some other idea?" Shen Mi said softly, seemingly lost in thought.
Danheng glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and gestured for her to continue, but his gaze unconsciously fell on her face.
On his deliberately darkened face, Shen Mi's eyes shone brightly, like the sun and moon, radiating power and clarity.
Her lips moved, but Danheng couldn't hear what she was saying. He realized he had slightly lost his focus and quickly looked away, but he could still feel the strange lingering feeling in his heart.
Shen Mi lowered his eyes, then suddenly raised them, his gaze filled with determination: "In any case, we all need to be careful."
Regardless of Kulen's schemes or plots, she was determined to overcome this obstacle.
Coming to his senses, Dan Heng took out a neatly folded map from his pocket and handed it to Chen Mi.
“This is a detailed map of Area C,” he said, his voice still steady but with a hint of seriousness. “The defenses in Kulen’s office area are tighter than in other places. I’ve marked the patrol times of the sentries and a few hiding places on this map.”
"Afterwards, you will be transferred to Sector C. You can wait for me in these few secluded places."
Shen Mi took the map, ran his fingertips along the slightly rough paper, and unfolded it to examine it closely. It not only showed the architectural structure of Area C, but also several feasible infiltration routes, and even marked the possible unlocking methods for the access control doors.
"When did you draw this?" She looked up at Danheng, her eyes filled with inquiry.
“Yesterday,” Dan Heng said calmly, “but it wasn’t complete. I can’t confirm the situation inside the office.”
Shen Mi lowered his eyes and looked at the map. He couldn't help but admire Dan Heng's abilities. As expected of the archivist of the think tank, his ability to summarize was truly remarkable!
"Manager Mei, has anyone praised you?"
Shen Mi paused deliberately, looked up at Dan Heng, and smiled slightly. "You have a meticulous mind and accurate reasoning. You're practically born for intelligence work?"
Dan Heng paused slightly, seemingly surprised that she would suddenly praise him. His eyes flickered, and then he said softly, "No."
Shen Mi suddenly thought of his experiences and couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest.
For two hundred years, the Prison of Darkness has been filled with people denying him. Denying his identity, denying his existence, even denying his significance as "Danheng."
But he is so smart and capable. If he were in a different place or with a different identity, he would probably be regarded as a genius and receive endless praise.
Shen Mi lowered his eyes, looking at the map in his hand, his thoughts drifting slightly away.
She suddenly regretted it; her praise had been too understated, like she was saying something trivial rather than affirming him. But it was clearly her sincere opinion.
She looked up at Danheng and said solemnly, "Now someone is praising you."
"Manager Mei, you're amazing."
Shen Mi's gaze seemed to pierce through his body. For a moment, Dan Heng felt as if she was praising Dan Heng, not Manager Mei.
Danheng, you're amazing.
Danheng's fingers twitched slightly, as if touched by her words, but he maintained his usual calm demeanor, only slightly averting his gaze.
Dan Heng tilted his head slightly, paused for a moment, and whispered, "...Thank you."
His tone remained steady, but the tips of his ears had subtly turned red.
Let's get back to the topic.
Dan Heng had a clue about the mine tunnel that the two of them had discovered last time, and he invited Shen Mi here today not only to give her the map but also to share clues.
Shen Mi looked down at the map carefully, then looked at Dan Heng thoughtfully: "So you mean, these ores are actually goods smuggled by Kulun?"
Dan Heng nodded, his expression calm: "The terrain of the mine is not suitable for long-term storage of ore. If it were normal mining, it should be sent directly to smelting or sold by the company. But there are no traces of transportation there, which means that these ores are only temporarily stored. Kulun is probably waiting for a transaction."
Shen Mi frowned slightly, lost in thought: "If that's the case, wouldn't Kulun be smuggling ore?"
Danheng nodded and continued, "Not only that, the mine tunnels and these ores may also be related to those missing women."
Shen Mi paused slightly and looked up at him.
"Based on the information we have so far, most of these missing people are women with different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common—they all worked in that area."
Dan Heng's gaze was deep. "If the mine tunnels were Kulun's secret trading point, then they most likely discovered these things by chance, either trying to use this as leverage to blackmail Kulun for what they wanted, or they simply wandered into a place they shouldn't have gone and were secretly disposed of by Kulun."
Shen Mi felt a chill run down his back.
She recalled the casual conversations her fellow villagers had made, how one by one, people suddenly "disappeared." At first, Shen Mi could still hear some scattered news, but now, everyone seemed to have chosen to remain silent.
If Danheng's speculation is correct, then the "disappearance" of these women was not an accident at all, but a deadly trap deliberately created.
Shen Mi slowly traced the map with her fingertips, a chill creeping into her heart. She and Shavalei had been there before; if they were discovered, their fate would likely be no better than that of the missing.
She subconsciously pursed her lips, her brow furrowing slightly. Her worry wasn't just for herself—Savare was naive, and if she inadvertently revealed something and was targeted, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the heaviness in her heart, and said in a low but firm tone, "We need to find a chance to go into the office and investigate. It's so strictly managed there; maybe the evidence of the transaction is kept inside."
"Don't rush."
Dan Heng's voice was calm and steady, like a weight on a scale, which made Shen Mi's suddenly tense nerves relax a little.
She looked up at him, her brows furrowing slightly: "But what if it drags on too long—"
“Rushing in will only alert the enemy.” Dan Heng raised his hand to signal her to calm down, his gaze fixed on the map, his tone unhurried. “Kullen won’t reveal any weaknesses so quickly; we don’t have enough clues yet.”
Shen Mi remained silent, tapping her fingertips lightly on the map twice. She understood the principle, of course, but the thought of those women who had vanished without a trace, and the potential dangers facing Savare, made it impossible for her to wait calmly.
But she knew that Danheng was right.
Shen Mi sighed softly, raised his hand to smooth his hair, suppressing the anxiety in his heart: "So, what should we do next?"
"Let's wait. After you get to Area C, see if you can get an office pass. We'll make plans then."
"Mm." Shen Mi nodded.
A note from the author:
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Today's updated chapter happened to be about meeting Teacher Danheng. As soon as the game updated, I went to complete the main storyline. Teacher Danheng is so wonderful, gentle yet resolute. [Crying][Crying][Crying] I want to be Teacher Danheng's dog! [Heart][Heart][Heart]
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