Sister Hua hurriedly shook her head, her tone revealing fear and unease, "No, I... I just opened the basement door, it was too dark inside, I... I really didn't dare to go in."
"Just find the light switch in the basement."
Chuanliu comforted her, while lighting a tinderbox and gently blowing on it, causing the flames to leap up.
She handed the tinderbox to Sister Hua and said, "Don't be afraid, A-Qiang and I will be waiting for you at the door."
Sister Hua took the torch, still looking troubled, but she gritted her teeth, opened the hidden door to the basement, and climbed down the ladder.
"ah--"
However, less than two seconds later, a terrified scream was heard.
Hua Jie, in a panic, grabbed the extinguished tinderbox and scrambled up the cave. She plopped down at the entrance, pale-faced, shaking her head repeatedly. "I just went down and touched something cold and huge! It was terrifying! I...I really can't go down any further!"
Sister Hua hurriedly stuffed the tinderbox back into Chuanliu's hand, held her hands tightly, and said in a pleading tone, "Xiao Ni, come down with me. I really don't dare to go alone."
Chuanliu frowned slightly, subtly withdrew his hands, and stood up.
She glanced at Zhuiming before saying, "Okay, A-Qiang and I will accompany you."
Sister Hua paused for a moment, then said, "Why don't we let Qiang keep watch outside? In case those people come back, he can inform us in time."
Chuanliu shook his head. "No need. I saw the boss had already locked the gate this morning. Those people won't be able to come back."
As she spoke, she took out another tinderbox and handed it to Sister Hua, while she opened and blew on the one she was holding.
Hua Jie, Chuan Liu, and Zhui Ming went down the ladder in order.
As expected, the basement was shrouded in deep darkness, with only a faint ray of light seeping in from the exit, like scattered stars in the night sky, barely enough to outline the shelves not far from the exit.
The shelves were made of metal, cold and solid. The nearest shelf was neatly arranged with daily necessities such as rice, flour, oil, and salt, as well as several buckets of clear drinking water.
Compared to the hotel above ground, the temperature in the basement was slightly lower, exuding a chilly atmosphere, clearly indicating that it was usually used as a storage space.
The continuous rain for several days had filled the air with a damp smell, and the sound of leaking water could be heard from somewhere.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock."
The sound of dripping water broke the silence, clear and piercing, echoing like a heartbeat in the empty basement.
Sister Hua clung tightly to Chuanliu's arm, unwilling to let go for even a moment.
The tinderboxes in their hands emitted a faint light, flickering in the darkness as if they might go out at any moment. The dancing flames barely illuminated the path half a meter ahead and cast the shadows of the three people on the shelf. The shadows swayed with the flickering flames, adding an eerie touch to the dim space.
The three of them could only rely on these two faint beams of light to cautiously move forward within their limited field of vision.
"Boss, are you there?"
Sister Hua tried to keep her voice down as she softly called to the hotel owner. However, only the silent air and the echoes reverberating in the empty basement answered her.
The boss isn't here.
There were only the three of them in the storage room.
Chuanliu silently explored the surrounding furnishings, gradually sketching out the layout of the place in his mind.
This is clearly a designed storage space, with metal shelves similar to those at the exit placed less than a meter apart. Each shelf is arranged in a regular pattern, two in a row, with a wide path between them for people to walk freely.
The overall layout resembles a library bookshelf, neat and orderly.
However, to Chuanliu's surprise, she did not find any light switches around the exit.
The switch might be hidden among the shelves, and unless you know the storage room inside and out, it would be difficult to find it immediately.
Chuanliu pulled his arm away from Hua Jie's tightly clenched hand and said in a deep voice, "I'll go over there and check the situation. Aqiang will protect you."
"Huh? Huh..."
Sister Hua wanted to persuade him to stay, but the former went off in another direction without saying a word.
Sister Hua had no choice but to blow on the tinderbox in her hand again to light the way ahead. She cautiously explored forward, her eyes scanning the metal shelves.
The shelves near her were piled high with stored food and non-perishable ingredients, with occasional survival supplies mixed in.
Sister Hua's eyes darted around. She turned and smiled at Zhui Ming, then casually grabbed some items from the shelf and stuffed them into her pocket.
The firelight shone up on her face, making it appear strangely distorted.
In this dimly lit basement, her smile seemed to be tinged with a sinister aura, sending chills down one's spine.
Watching Sister Hua turn away, Zhui Ming frowned.
At this moment, Chuanliu held a torch, reached to the side with one hand, and illuminated the way with the other, quickly moving between the shelves. Before he knew it, he was already several shelves away from them.
Sister Hua's voice came from afar. She looked in the direction of the firelight in the stream and whispered, "Xiao Ni, don't stray too far from me!"
Chuanliu responded, but continued walking deeper into the area.
Sister Hua ignored her and began picking out supplies from the shelves without restraint.
After a while, Sister Hua seemed to have not had enough of searching and handed the tinderbox in her hand to Zhui Ming next to her.
Zhuiming subconsciously took a step back, and then heard Sister Hua click her tongue in dissatisfaction, "Qiang, what are you standing there for? Help me shine a light."
Zhui Ming put one hand behind his back and caught the tinderbox with his other hand.
"I need to find medicine for your brother-in-law. You know, medicine is the most expensive thing on Paradise Island," Sister Hua muttered, seemingly talking to herself rather than to someone else. As she spoke, she continued searching.
Zhuiming continued to follow quietly behind her, only taking a slight step back to maintain a certain distance.
Before leaving the shelf, Sister Hua suddenly turned around and said to Zhui Ming, who was not far away, with some dissatisfaction, "Qiang, come closer, I can't see the road clearly."
Just as Zhui Ming was about to step forward, Hua Jie's expression suddenly changed.
Her eyes gleamed strangely in the light from the sword in Zhui Ming's hand, and her originally simple face instantly contorted into a ferocious expression. Her face twisted, a cruel smile curling at the corner of her mouth, every nerve seemingly taut with excitement.
Sister Hua kicked Zhui Ming with such speed that no one had time to react.
Although Zhuiming was alert, Hua Jie's attack was too sudden, so he had to quickly take two steps back and skillfully avoid the fierce kick.
Just as Zhui Ming regained his footing, Sister Hua did not stop. She slammed her hands on the shelf next to her and pushed Zhui Ming hard.
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