Cave Survival
The sound of the cave walls collapsing made people grit their teeth, and countless sharp rocks kept falling around them. Taking advantage of a gap in their escape, Gao Junxiao told Zhang Chong the bad news that the rope had disappeared.
However, Zhang Chong was not angry as expected. Instead, he sneered. His agents were either hooligans or scum. The crime of abandoning their superior was too great for them to bear. Since they couldn't bear it, they might as well make the crime a reality. After all, the dead can't defend themselves.
Heh, so disdainful of his subordinate, did he not know what kind of position he was taking over before he joined the company? Gao Junxiao did not want to comment on Zhang Chong's contradictory mentality of wanting to be noble but also wanting to make a living through corruption. He just wanted to go home as soon as possible. He found a safe place to put Zhang Chong down, and the two covered their mouths and noses and waited quietly.
Not long after, the shaking of the cave suddenly stopped, and the dust that rose up floated in the air. This continued for a very long time, and the only sound in the entire cave was the breathing of the two people.
Only when the smoke and dust slowly settled did Gao Junxiao get up, breaking the eerie silence. The air became clear, and he stepped on the rubble to reach the almost vertical rock again.
Without saying a word, Zhang Chong tacitly turned on his flashlight from behind. A white dot flashed, and Gao Junxiao was pleasantly surprised to find good news—the wall nails that made it easier for Secretary Yu, the scholar, to go down into the hole were still there.
Gao Junxiao took a few steps back and estimated the drop of the cave above. He estimated it to be about 5.6 meters, roughly the height of a two-story building. However, to make it easier for the petite Secretary Yu, the drop of the cave was not very high.
Previously, in the dim light, relying only on slightly protruding rocks, Gao Junxiao felt that climbing would be difficult. However, with the help of the wall nails, he could easily climb the rock with his bare hands.
But what about Zhang Chong, who is weak in his limbs? If they were to carry him up, it would be a big question whether the wall nails could support the weight of two grown men at the same time.
"Counselor Gao, you go first, and bring your men down to find me later," Zhang Chong's calm suggestion came from behind.
Gao Junxiao gestured with his fingers to indicate the protruding length, stared at the wall nail, and fell into deep thought. Only the sound of air flowing could be heard in the cave. He suddenly spoke up and asked Zhang Chong if he had fastened his belt.
"Huh? Hmm~ I've tied it, but what do you need the belt for?" Zhang Chong frowned, looking bewildered.
"I'll get you up here. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in this dark cave. We'll go together if we have to." Gao Junxiao stared intently at Zhang Chong, silently reminding himself that Zhang Chong had to live. The cave's structure was extremely unstable, and if anything went wrong, his carefully crafted plan would be severely compromised.
"Alright." Zhang Chong agreed verbally, but his face showed reluctance. He fumbled around for a long time but couldn't unbutton his clothes.
"We're all grown men, what are you dawdling about?" Gao Junxiao thought to himself that he had been waiting for a long time, so long that his legs were numb. Without saying a word, he was about to help. Startled by Gao Junxiao's enthusiasm, Zhang Chong quickly pulled out his belt and awkwardly handed it to Gao Junxiao.
At this moment, Gao Junxiao had also taken out his belt and quickly tied the two belts into one long strip, but unfortunately, it was still not long enough.
Should he tear off his clothes? Just as Gao Junxiao was in a dilemma, the image of the spy's corpse suddenly flashed through his mind. They were all dead, and he couldn't take any of their belongings with him, so he might as well use them.
As the rustling sound of shoveling rubble stopped, Gao Junxiao excitedly ran back with his spoils. He connected three leather belts and tore another pair of pants to the perfect length.
Then Gao Junxiao nimbly climbed up the hole at the entrance and found the wall nail where the rope was nailed in almost complete darkness. There was still a piece of hemp rope that had been neatly cut off on the wall nail. It was indeed a man-made disaster.
The thought of revenge had just arisen when it was suppressed by the instinct for survival. Gao Junxiao used the original rope to tie the knot at the end into a circle, and then threaded the belt through it to prevent the belt from slipping too much and running around.
He then found another wall nail, tied it with strips of cloth, and, following the instructions of the first mate on the merchant ship, added a safety rope for himself. Having done all this, Gao Junxiao climbed down.
"Section Chief Zhang, I'm sorry to offend you." Gao Junxiao used the remaining shirt and scraps of fabric to wrap around Zhang Chong's waist and thighs, making a simple cloth hanging chair.
Instantly, Zhang Chong's face turned as red as fire, as if his internal organs were cooked through. Although the posture was somewhat shameful, this method of transporting wounded soldiers was an effective one that had been tested in war. Gao Junxiao was too lazy to explain to laymen, so he pulled hard, and the belt carried Zhang Chong up smoothly.
"Section Chief Zhang, just gently pull on the rock face and you can swing in. Let me know when you land." With his vision obstructed and the flashlight in Zhang Chong's hands, Gao Junxiao could only rely on the sound and the weight in his hands to judge Zhang Chong's condition.
As soon as the rope in his hand loosened, Gao Junxiao guessed that Zhang Chong should have landed safely. A moment later, Zhang Chong poked his head out and waved his flashlight to indicate that he could come up.
Just then, a gurgling sound came from the cave above. The two looked towards the sound and saw a small stream of muddy water mixed with gravel overflowing and wetting the cave walls.
An ominous premonition washed over Gao Junxiao, and he hurriedly tied a safety rope around his waist before he could even climb up.
Rumble!
A deafening roar made their eardrums throb. Just as the two thought they were about to be deafened, the entire cave began to shake, and visible gray-white smoke billowed up, leaving the cave riddled with holes once again.
Even more terrifying was an unknown roar approaching from afar, as if they were poor souls tied to the railway tracks, listening to a train speeding by.
Almost instantly, the water reached the exit, cascading down like a waterfall into the cave. In such a dangerous moment, Gao Junxiao stood frozen in place, dumbfounded, staring at the waterfall plunging down from the sky. Zhang Chong seemed to be calling him, but he couldn't hear anything.
He Qingcheng, you really know how to pick a place! I'll settle the score with you when I get back!
Gao Junxiao steeled his heart and struggled to climb up the waterfall. The pressure was terrifying; his chest and abdomen were pressed so hard he could hardly breathe. He was afraid he would drown, but at this moment he had no other choice.
His fingers gripped the crack in the rock tightly, the water relentlessly pounding against his face, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. His survival instinct drove him to keep climbing.
Suddenly his foot slipped, and he felt weightless. At the critical moment, his waist tightened as the safety rope was stretched to its limit.
Suspended in mid-air above the waterfall, he could barely see where the original wall nails had been. The safety rope was just something he had made himself from scraps of cloth, and with no support to hold onto, it was at risk of breaking at any moment.
The deafening roar of the rushing water made Gao Junxiao feel that he would be swept away by the current at any moment. He could only duck his head, hold his breath, and dive into the waterfall to quickly probe for protruding spots on the rocks.
Just as Gao Junxiao was struggling with the current, a new rope suddenly appeared beside him. He grabbed it as if it were a lifeline and held on tightly.
"Quickly grab... the rope, I... I'll pull you..." Zhang Chong spoke haltingly, clearly out of breath.
Zhang Chong was exhausted, wasn't he? Was he faking it or had the drug worn off? Gao Junxiao didn't care too much. Using the pull of another rope, he pushed off the rock face and climbed up little by little.
The flashlight beam seemed almost within reach. Soaked to the bone, Gao Junxiao leaped with all his might and finally reached the upper cave. He panted as he searched for Zhang Chong's figure.
Following the light, he saw Zhang Chong soaking in the water, his whole body stuck in a crevice in the rocks, lying on his back, with leather straps wrapped around his arms.
It turned out that the other person was using their own weight and positioning to help them escape. Gao Junxiao knew that if he had been even a fraction slower, Zhang Chong's arm would have been dislocated by the belt.
Feeling neither gratitude nor relief, Gao Junxiao nodded to Zhang Chong while panting heavily, and Zhang Chong returned the gesture with a slight smile.
The cave was still swaying, and as they looked down along the edge of the rocks, the abyss was shrouded in darkness.
However, their narrow escape lasted only a few seconds before the flashlight went out with a "pop." As the white light gradually dimmed, Zhang Chong sighed helplessly, "This time, we two might really be doomed."
"Not necessarily!" Gao Junxiao pointed to the faint glow emanating from Zhang Chong's chest and said, "Section Chief Zhang, is your seal made of fluorescent stone?"
Zhang Chong paused, and his unfocused gaze, which had been wandering into the distance, instantly returned to focus. Perhaps due to his accelerated metabolism, he regained some of the strength he had lost.
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Using the faint light of the seal, the two supported each other and struggled upstream against the rushing water. What should have been a hundred meters felt like a thousand meters.
But when Gao Junxiao reached the end, he discovered that the cave was almost completely sealed off, with only one opening through which water was constantly pouring in.
Perhaps the falling rocks caused by the explosion blocked the cave exit. Coincidentally, there was a large waterfall above, and the impact of the waterfall broke open the blocked rock.
Moreover, based on his experience, Gao Junxiao guessed that a barrier lake must have formed outside, which would cause the backflow of water to be so rapid.
This time, they were unable to force a passage through on their own. Zhang Chong, like a puppet with its strings cut, slid to the ground, his face filled with deep worry, as if he thought that their only fate was to be trapped and die.
"Section Chief Zhang, don't rush, give the brothers some time." Gao Junxiao's confident demeanor puzzled Zhang Chong.
He was immediately relieved and said frankly, "They say that a kind-hearted person cannot command an army. I have learned something new today. With a commander like you, the subordinates will not be bad."
After an unknown amount of time, a bright ray of light shone in, and a young man called out, "Brother, are you there?"
Upon hearing the voice, Gao Junxiao's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied, "I'm here!"
Clang, clang, clang, more and more light pierced through the cracks, and Gao Junxiao, who was standing next to the falling rocks, noticed that the water flow was gradually thinning. Boom, smoke and dust shot into the sky under the light, like a snowfall.
"Big brother, big brother!" The kitten rushed in first, water dripping from its hair, its shirt clinging to its body, completely soaked.
"Cat, help Section Chief Zhang out first, I'll calm down a bit more." Gao Junxiao gestured with his chin and gave the order.
"Alright." The kitten put away its entrenching tool, picked up Zhang Chong, and walked outside.
Almost simultaneously, another tall figure squeezed in through the cave entrance, rushed to his side and asked him if he was alright. Gao Junxiao was even happier when he saw the person. He raised his hand and patted the man's head to reassure him that he was fine.
After Zhang Chong and the others had walked away, Gao Junxiao smiled and asked in a low voice, "Shan Hai, is your nose alright? Ouch, it seems a little crooked."
"Tch, how could that be? How much strength could a little girl have?" Shan Hai raised one eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced, but secretly glanced at the puddle.
"That's good. Did you catch the person I asked you to arrest?" Gao Junxiao said the last sentence very loudly, so that the people outside could hear it.
"Reporting, sir, we have successfully apprehended the fugitive Shen Jian. That kid actually went into the water; he's a really good swimmer." Shan Hai put his legs together, gave a military salute, and then playfully winked at Gao Junxiao.
As the two walked out, Shan Hai explained that the rubble had buried a large part of the cave entrance, but the brothers had not given up. They continued to clear the blockage caused by the explosion outside, clearing the water before going into the cave to rescue people.
Bang--
Birds took flight in fright, and a gunshot rang out from the east side of the woods. Gao Junxiao stopped the curious Shan Hai, guessing that it was most likely Zhang Chong cleaning house; CC's family affairs were none of their business.
As Gao Junxiao stepped out of the cave, his soldiers put down their tools, straightened their bodies, and saluted. The little cat thoughtfully brought a dry blanket from the boat and draped it over Gao Junxiao's shoulders.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Go and warm yourself by the fire, don't catch a cold." Gao Junxiao's caring words were echoed by the group of young people.
Guided by the little spy, Gao Junxiao found Zhang Chong, who was in a daze. He was still wearing the same light gray Zhongshan suit. Zhang Chong had not washed or changed his clothes. The breeze blew through his dripping hair, giving him a sense of desolation.
Seemingly sensing the arrival of someone, Zhang Chong looked up and said in a weak voice, "Thank you for your trouble, Inspector Gao!"
"You're welcome. We'll go back into the cave when the tide goes out and see if there are any more clues." Gao Junxiao sat down next to Zhang Chong.
Zhang Chong nodded and told Gao Junxiao about something he had been wondering about: how did Shen Jian, disguised as Xiao Jia, contact his agents?
After thinking for a moment, Gao Junxiao felt that they might have decided beforehand to impersonate Captain Jia, so the secret agents of the investigation team acted according to the pre-arranged plan.
That's not quite right. Zhang Chong said that Captain Jia was assigned by him on short notice, and there were other candidates at the time. Shen Jian had already escaped from the merchant ship, so it was impossible for him to communicate with the detained team members in advance about who he would impersonate. The team members at most knew that Shen Jian would impersonate one person.
"I don't know about that. How about we interrogate Shen Jian now? That bastard got lucky and swam out," Gao Junxiao kindly suggested.
"Oh! Where did you find him?" Zhang Chong asked, intrigued.
"Not long after the explosion, this kid suddenly appeared on the reef. I had already ordered my men to hunt him down, so he was apprehended as soon as he showed his face. However, I heard he's still unconscious," Gao Junxiao explained patiently, shrugging.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Chong eagerly stood up and asked to see Chen Jian. With a smirk, Gao Junxiao said unhurriedly, "Fine, but let me make this clear: he's mine. You can interrogate him, but you can't torture him."
"Understood, Councilor Gao, please!" Zhang Chong stared intently at Gao Junxiao.
"Please!" Gao Junxiao replied politely.
The sea breeze seeped into his still-damp clothes, a slight chill that tickled his nose. Gao Junxiao couldn't help but sneeze. He proudly defended himself, thinking and cursing at the same time, that it must be his wife missing him.
Zhang Chong glanced at him incredulously, his lips twitched a few times, and he finally acquiesced to his statement.
Inside the cave where they were stationed, Director Yan was guarding the unconscious Chen Jian. Upon seeing the newcomer, he greeted him warmly with a cupped-hand salute. Gao Junxiao noticed several bruises on Chen Jian's exposed wrists, guessing that Director Yan had secretly disciplined the boy.
Splash—
A basin of cold water poured over Chen Jian, leaving him completely soaked. Like a fish out of water, Chen Jian opened his mouth wide and straightened his body. After a while, he spat out the remaining water from his mouth with a "pfft".
"Captain Shen, are you sleeping soundly?" Gao Junxiao looked Shen Jian up and down, his eyes carrying a subtle air of authority.
To everyone's surprise, Shen Jian fell silent, his lips pressed tightly together, his whole being radiating an aura of "non-cooperation".
“Don’t think we can’t do anything to you just because you don’t talk. We, as your superiors, were almost killed by you. If we all went to complain, even ten Team Leaders Dai couldn’t protect you.” Zhang Chong threatened with narrowed eyes, “But if you cooperate, I’ll let you go back and pretend nothing happened.”
Hmph, Chen Jian's lips curled into a cold smile, revealing his arrogant attitude.
"Shan Hai, come in and tell Captain Chen about his arrest." Gao Junxiao called out, and Lei Shan Hai scurried into the cave and saluted.
However, upon catching a glimpse of the mountains and sea, Zhang Chong's questioning gaze shifted to Yan Chu, then to Gao Junxiao. Had their headquarters brought this tall soldier aboard? He couldn't recall ever seeing him.
“We brought it. Look at the gun he’s carrying. There are only three in the entire headquarters. Lei Shanhai even had a shooting competition with that gun at headquarters. No one in headquarters could be mistaken,” Director Yan said confidently.
Captain Jia, who was standing nearby, added, "Reporting to the section chief, I saw him when we boarded the ship. The soldiers all wore the same clothes and had similar ranks, but that gun was too conspicuous. I wouldn't mistake it; it was carried by a big guy."
Captain Jia, as Zhang Chong's confidant, would not side with the headquarters, and Director Yan, as an old acquaintance, had no reason to lie. Zhang Chong lowered his head, blinked a few times, and looked at Lei Shanhai again.
Shan Hai sucked in his stomach and tried to straighten his body. Gao Junxiao noticed that the child seemed a little timid, after all, he was not facing bandits, but the meticulous Zhang Chong.
Gao Junxiao gave Shan Hai a look to reassure him that he would take care of things if anything happened, otherwise the show would never end.
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