Second move
With another loud bang, countless pebbles rained down from the cave ceiling like hailstones, and a layer of clearly visible smoke billowed out, choking Zhao Fengnian and making him cough incessantly. Everything in sight was a hazy, indistinct mess.
Zhao Fengnian felt a burning pain in his stomach, wanted to vomit but couldn't, and a sour feeling was stuck in his chest. He coughed. He had overestimated his physical strength. His consciousness, which he had been trying to maintain, gradually blurred. The poison was more potent than he had imagined.
"Run!" Xiao Jiang burst forth with extraordinary strength, hoisted Zhao Fengnian onto his shoulder, and ran off like carrying a sack of potatoes.
As they lurched, water droplets trickled down the cold cave walls, splashing onto his head. Zhao Fengnian shuddered. He instinctively tugged at his sleeve, but found nothing. Where were his clothes?
Ouyang! A chill ran down Zhao Fengnian's spine, and his scattered thoughts came together. Could this kid still be alive? "Xiao Jiang, put me down. I need to find Ouyang."
"He's grown legs now, maybe he's waiting for you outside." Xiao Jiang showed no intention of putting him down, but Xiao Jiang's vest was already soaked with sweat, and he probably couldn't hold on for much longer.
The sound of the rushing water grew more rapid, and Zhao Fengnian couldn't bear it: "I can walk by myself, this way it will be faster."
Xiao Jiang suddenly stopped and put him down. In that short delay, the water had already reached his ankles. Starving wild beasts surged forward, running with all their might, splashing up countless black waves.
It's over! It's over! There's poison gas outside and an underground river inside; no one can escape. Zhao Fengnian didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment. His ears were ringing non-stop, as if surrounded by a million flies, making him extremely irritable.
Darkness cast time into nothingness, and his water-soaked hands, exposed to the cold wind, went numb and almost lost all feeling.
But Zhao Fengnian dared not relax his grip on his wrist even a little. The flashlight was their only tool for escape. If it fell into the water, they would be blind. He loudly encouraged Xiao Jiang to hold on a little longer, as the exit was just around the corner.
Then the flashlight beam traced a blurry path on the water's surface. Ah, it was an iron gate; they were back in that empty house.
In a flash, Zhao Fengnian came up with a solution: closing the stone door of the sealed room should prevent the air-raid shelter from being flooded.
"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?" Xiao Jiang shouted, his eyes filled with extreme fear.
"Turn on the light for me, I need to close the stone door." Zhao Fengnian rushed out like an arrow and pressed the mechanism on the stone wall, but the stubborn rock wouldn't budge after being pushed in a few inches, whether it was stuck or the water pressure was too high. Seeing that something was wrong, Xiao Jiang hurriedly stepped forward to help press the stone, but it didn't help much.
The water flowed together to form a small waterfall, rushing downhill with a gurgling sound. Ah, the terrain here is higher than the air-raid shelter. In desperation, Zhao Fengnian clenched his fist and struck the mechanism on the stone wall with all his might. In just a few blows, his hand was already a bloody mess.
Xiao Jiang simply bit the flashlight, pressed both hands against the exposed stone door, and roared. The stone door moved slightly. Streams of icy water hit his legs, his upper body swayed, but Xiao Jiang barely steadied himself and used all his strength to continue pushing the door.
With a "click," the mechanism finally sank in, and the stone door began to slowly close. The two worked together to push the stone door, accelerating its movement.
The flow of water gushing from the crevice grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. Zhao Fengnian felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he slid down the stone door to the ground.
The stone door was really well sealed. Zhao Fengnian struggled to raise his hand and wipe his face, which was wet. Xiao Jiang next to him was not much better off. His clothes were stuck to his skin and his hair was dripping wet. He looked very disheveled.
Xiao Jiang leaned against the wall, panting heavily, and asked, "Why didn't you run?"
"I was afraid the underground river would flood the people." Zhao Fengnian looked at Xiao Jiang's bleeding hand with interest. "Why didn't you run?"
Xiao Jiang turned his head to look at the wall, remained silent for a long time, and then reached out his hand, saying the same old thing: "Let's go to the command post and report to the leaders."
With Xiao Jiang's help, Zhao Fengnian stood up and forced a helpless smile. A crisis reveals a person's character. He apologized for his earlier suspicion and prejudice. However, the fact that Xiao Jiang was not a spy did not mean there was no problem. He could only think to himself: Comrade, you can't hide forever. If you confess sooner, I might be able to plead for you.
Before leaving, he glanced at the stone wall and thought it was strange. The secret agents had buried so many explosive packages, and there were still more than a dozen that hadn't exploded. Wouldn't they have been ruined if they were flooded? They could have just used enough gunpowder to collapse the air-raid shelter and destroy all the documents. Why go through all that trouble?
The flashlight beams flickered, and in the shifting light and shadow, Zhao Fengnian weakly looked up. Xia Lang and his group stood in the flooded passage, anxiously calling to them. The two disregarded everything else; only instinct drove their legs to run.
"The floodwaters are rising! Comrades, evacuate quickly! What about Ouyang and Xiao Li?" an officer shouted.
"Stop asking, get together quickly." Xia Langren had already rushed towards the exit, leaving only his voice echoing through the secret passage.
What? Ouyang hasn't come out yet! Zhao Fengnian turned and walked towards the snow cave, but was grabbed and dragged back by two men.
Zhao Fengnian struggled desperately, but the two men were extremely strong, and he could not break free from their restraints. He shouted, "Ouyang, Ouyang, come out quickly!"
There was no response from the snow cave. His heart sank to the bottom, and his voice turned into a heart-wrenching roar: "Ouyang Qiang! Answer me!"
"Let's get out of here first." Xiao Jiang grabbed Zhao Fengnian's legs, while another person supported him under his armpits, and they pulled him out. Zhao Fengnian's voice filled the corridor as he was carried out.
Outside the area originally cordoned off by hemp rope, a crowd had gathered again, and a dozen or so soldiers were stacking long burlap sacks hand in hand, seemingly trying to block the overflowing water and divert it elsewhere.
"Xiao Zhao, what's wrong inside?" Secretary Deng ran over and anxiously draped a dry towel over Zhao Fengnian.
Zhao Fengnian's eyes lit up. He pulled Secretary Deng aside and said in a hoarse voice, "The spies dug a secret passage next to the air-raid shelter. There are translated telegrams and explosives inside. Also, Ouyang hasn't come out. The Xiao Li he's been following is likely a subordinate of Zero or a key figure in the smuggling operation. Go and support him!"
Zhao Fengnian recalled that when Ouyang Gang finished telling the story, Ouyang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Li has a problem!"
Everyone was listening attentively to the story, some joking, some scared, but he was looking around absentmindedly, as if searching for something.
Based on this alone, it was impossible to judge whether the other party was good or bad. So the two decided to test each other again. Before they could make a move, Xiao Li couldn't hold back any longer and took the lead in trying to break down the door.
Even though Zhao Fengnian specifically warned Xiao Li that there might be danger behind the door, he remained indifferent, his eyes showing no emotion. This couldn't be explained by recklessness; it could only mean that he was absolutely certain there was no danger in that room.
Finally, everyone's attention was focused on opening the door, but Xiao Li seized the opportunity to slip into the snow cave, clearly trying to prevent everyone from entering the house—a classic case of protesting too much. If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Jiang also had a problem, he certainly wouldn't have left Ouyang to face the enemy alone.
Secretary Deng patted Zhao Fengnian on the back, bringing him back to his senses: "I understand. You take good care of your wound. I'll lead the team to arrest them. Tell me how to get there."
Zhao Fengnian swallowed hard, his temples throbbing slightly. "Do you have paper and pen? I'll draw it for you."
“Here it is.” Secretary Deng, with his sharp eyes, pulled a black pen from Zhao Fengnian’s pocket. “Here, draw on my hand.”
Huh? When did he put the pen in his pocket? And it looks so familiar. Zhao Fengnian glanced at the pen, his mind going blank.
Perhaps seeing that Zhao Fengnian did not move, Secretary Deng took the initiative to unscrew the pen cap, but he tried to unscrew it from both sides and could not open it. He threw it forcefully towards the wall, and whoosh, a silver light flew out, and with a clang, a small spark flew off the rock.
Both of them were startled. Zhao Fengnian went closer and saw a silver needle lying on the ground, its tip glowing with a strange blue-black light.
Looking closer at the pen tip, a hole was clearly visible. Zhao Fengnian's breath caught in his throat. This wasn't a fountain pen; it was obviously a poisoned pen used by spies for assassination. If it weren't for good luck, at least one of him and Secretary Deng would have died.
"Xiao Zhao, how did you get this?" Secretary Deng asked, his brows furrowed as he held the poisoned pen.
"I don't know." Zhao Fengnian tapped his head, trying hard to remember. Right, Xiao Li had a pen clipped to his chest. Could it be that Ouyang took it and put it in his pocket when he was doing magic tricks? No, no, it could be that he secretly took it and put it in Xiao Li's pocket when he was questioning him.
Secretary Deng's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "It seems that this is the murder weapon that killed the child. When the coroner examined the body, he found a silver needle in the black spot on his shoulder, which was exactly the same length."
It turned out the murderer was Xiao Li. Zhao Fengnian felt dizzy: "Xiao Li is a spy. Save Ouyang."
He fainted as soon as he finished speaking. Secretary Deng reacted quickly, caught him, and shouted, "Quick, someone come quick! Section Chief Zhao has fainted!"
A murder case subsided after the killer's identity was revealed, but arrests continued on the other side.
Fifty meters from the snow cave, Secretary Deng could clearly feel the biting cold wind blowing from the end. Sun Dadan waved his hand to stop the team: "Everyone, attention! At ease! Organize your equipment!"
Seeing that everyone had almost finished organizing, Sun Dadan continued to give orders: "The left and right flanks will be in groups of four, led by me and Secretary Deng respectively. The central flank will be in groups of five, with Xiao Kang as the group leader. This criminal has already murdered a young comrade, and the circumstances are extremely heinous. We must bring him to justice."
Secretary Deng continued, "Comrades, once you've caught the person, please notify me immediately. Remember, they must be alive!"
"Yes." Everyone was full of enthusiasm.
With a crunching sound, the group spread out to search on the thin layer of ice. Beams of light shone on the crystal-clear ice pillars, like a rainbow descending. Before Secretary Deng could even marvel at the wonders of nature, a flash of light appeared ahead. He picked up the object from the ground—a metal cufflink.
It was Ouyang's mark. Secretary Deng's blood boiled uncontrollably. Ah, the direction was right. He immediately gathered his thoughts and ordered his soldiers to form a tight circle, increasing vigilance. The prisoner was just ahead.
Following Ouyang's directions, Secretary Deng quickly found another cufflink, which was a pair with the previous one. He couldn't help but smile, but suddenly his foot slipped, and he fell straight backward.
Fortunately, the comrades behind him caught him immediately. Secretary Deng looked closely and saw a steep slope blocking his way, at an angle of at least 60 degrees. On such a slippery road, who could withstand a fall?
ah!
A sharp scream shattered the silence, followed by a series of thuds and thuds from the fight. Secretary Deng had no time to think; he took a few steps and climbed to the top. The other soldiers jumped up and used the momentum to climb the steep slope.
The upper level was pitch black, but two dark figures could be vaguely seen entangled together, making it impossible to tell who was who. Secretary Deng pulled back the bolt of his rifle, rushed over, and shouted, "Hands up!"
The flashlight illuminated the shadowy figure. Xiao Li, straddling Ouyang, recklessly raised a cube, intending to smash it down. Secretary Deng's heart skipped a beat. Bang! A bullet grazed Xiao Li's scalp.
With a thud, the cube fell to the side, and the soldiers who followed immediately surrounded the two men. Secretary Deng put away his rifle and tossed down a rope: "Tie him up!"
Secretary Deng knelt down to examine Ouyang's injuries. Ouyang's lips were purple, his eyes were unfocused, and he was so cold that he was delirious, muttering incomprehensible nonsense.
After rubbing his palms together, Secretary Deng took off his coat and covered Ouyang with it, continuing his examination. Ouyang had a cut on his arm and his face and neck were covered with purplish-blue marks, which gave an idea of how intense the fight had been.
"Comrade Ouyang, thank you for your hard work." Secretary Deng called over a soldier and asked him to carry Ouyang back for treatment.
"Reporting to the secretary, gold has been found." The soldier held up a square wooden box, inside which lay two gold bars. They were not long and angular bars, but round like soap bars, without any steel stamps. They were obviously cast by a small workshop.
Most importantly, the shape is exactly the same as the one in the Red Devil's mouth.
Very well, with witnesses and physical evidence gathered, Secretary Deng was about to call it a day when the drowsy Ouyang grabbed his clothes, as if he had something to say.
Secretary Deng heard Ouyang clearly only when the bottle was close to his lips: "The mark, find the mark."
"What mark?" Secretary Deng and the other monks were completely baffled.
“An arrow,” Ouyang said with his last ounce of strength, then began to repeat the mark, the mark…
“Secretary, is this what he’s talking about?” the soldier said, pointing to a distinctive engraving on the box.
It does resemble an arrow, but not quite. It's easy to mistake it for a scratch and ignore it. Secretary Deng recalled that Feng Nian had also mentioned marks before.
That was used by Zero to contact CC agents. The two always made contactless meetings. Once the superiors confirmed the meeting time, they would hide the letter in a brick with an engraved mark. The same mark would then guide the CC agents to find the brick.
Ugh, this is so frustrating! Secretary Deng sighed. He thought he had finally made it through the long journey and at least caught the murderer, but it turns out there are mountains beyond mountains, and the murderer might not even be the real culprit. There seems to be no end in sight.
While he was thinking, Sun Dadan rushed over, exhaling a puff of white breath: "Secretary Deng, are you alright? I heard a gunshot."
"It's alright, take that murderer back and let Lao He handle it." Secretary Deng waved his hand and looked down to look for other similar marks.
"Secretary Deng, you can't be dressed so lightly. Here, take the clothes. I'm going back now, hehe." Sun Dadan grabbed his arm, pulled him back, and forced him into the cotton-padded coat. Then, he ran off with the prisoner in a flash.
This Sun Dare to do it! Secretary Deng didn't want to waste time, so he led the remaining three team members to conduct a radial search. Three minutes passed, and they didn't see any traces of human activity. Suddenly, one of the soldiers exclaimed, "Secretary Deng, there's one here!"
“Secretary, I have one too,” another person called out.
Following the marks they found, Secretary Deng led the team slowly into the heart of the territory. The road ahead was no longer flat; it spiraled upwards.
If it weren't for the pitch black surroundings, Secretary Deng would have thought he was climbing a mountain. Before long, the winding path came to an end, and a short walkway appeared in front of him. If you weren't nearsighted, you could see a vertical ladder at the end, with a professional gas mask hanging next to it.
The soldiers had never seen such professional protective equipment before, and they curiously took it and passed it around to look at it. Secretary Deng did not stop them, saying that it was good for the young comrades to broaden their horizons. We don't have it now, but we will definitely have it in the future.
Since they had gas masks and gold bars as travel expenses, Secretary Deng was basically certain that the exit of the vertical ladder led to Ruijin City, and the spies had long been prepared to escape.
Go up and take a look. Following his heart, Secretary Deng stretched out his arm and climbed up. There was a round iron cover at the top. He held his breath and pushed it open. In an instant, a wave of heat hit him. Secretary Deng immediately understood what it meant to experience both ice and fire.
He quickly glanced around; all he saw were ruins and rubble. He had no idea where the exit was in Ruijin City. Before his last breath ran out, Secretary Deng put the lid back on, rubbed his eyes with one hand, and exclaimed, "Ah~ it's so spicy, I'm going blind!"
"I told you not to rub it, now you've ruined it!" A soldier's reproachful voice caught Secretary Deng's attention.
"I... I didn't mean to. How was I supposed to know it was so precious, like an eggshell, that it would crack if you touched it?" another soldier protested, sounding aggrieved.
"Don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss, it's broken, it's broken." Secretary Deng felt regretful and slowly climbed down. "Where is it cracked? Let's take it as a negative example and learn from it."
"Secretary, look at your chin, it's cracked." The soldier pointed to a crack with a pained expression.
By the light of the flashlight, Secretary Deng touched the irregular crack. The surface was sticky. Oh, the rubber must have aged.
"I'm sorry, Secretary Deng, I'll never touch it again." The young soldier who had broken the item looked apologetic and kept fidgeting with his fingers.
"Don't move, what's that on your hand?" Secretary Deng said, peeling a thick black line off the back of the soldier's hand. Luckily, it wasn't a centipede or any poisonous insect.
"Oh, it's leaking from that crack. It's not poisonous, is it?" The young soldier shook his hand fearfully.
"Leaking out?" Secretary Deng suspiciously held the thick thread in his palm. After a while, the thread turned into a thick, black paste. He touched it to his fingertips, smelled it, and found it had a strong fishy smell. It must be swim bladder glue!
That dog spy, calculating so meticulously! He never intended for Xiao Li to live.
If Xiao Li goes out wearing this gas mask, the glue at the crack will gradually melt due to the high temperature, and the gas mask will no longer be sealed. By the time everyone has cleared the gas, they will only find Xiao Li's body carrying gold bars.
"Hmph, that son of a bitch is trying to switch places with me." Secretary Deng waved his hand, his face stern, to signal the end of the operation. He had to get Old Zhang under control immediately; the remaining gold bars were definitely still on him.
Bang, bang!
Two deafening gunshots rang out. Secretary Deng knew something was wrong and ran wildly toward the sound of gunfire. The steep slope was splattered with red blood, and Secretary Deng's temples throbbed wildly, sliding all the way to the bottom.
A man was lying next to the icicle. He recognized him at a glance as Sun Dadan because he was the only one wearing a thin military uniform: "Company Commander Sun, wake up."
Sun Dadan grunted and opened his eyes slightly: "Secretary Deng, I'm sorry, the prisoner escaped. But I sent them to chase after him."
"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll take you to see a doctor. Don't sleep, please don't sleep." Secretary Deng's hands were covered in hot blood. He could feel Sun Dadan's body gradually getting cold, but his legs were stiff and he couldn't take a step.
The young soldier behind him hadn't come down yet for some reason, and he couldn't find anyone to help him.
At the critical moment, the soldiers in the middle lane descended like heavenly soldiers. Xiao Kang, who was leading the team, tore off his clothes and gave Sun Dadan emergency treatment. It was good that someone was taking care of him.
Secretary Deng clenched his fists, his whole body shrouded in a gloomy aura. He had thought too highly of the prisoners. If they didn't obediently surrender, they would be in for a beating.
The water in the secret passage had not been completely drained, and the humid air condensed into water as soon as it touched the skin. In less than a minute, Secretary Deng's clothes were soaked.
According to the pursuing soldiers, after the prisoner stole a gun and fled the snow cave, he pressed a mechanism in the empty room opposite. The rushing water almost swept the soldiers away, but the prisoner seemed to know there was water behind him and ran as fast as he could to the secret room on the other side. Before they could see him clearly, he disappeared into thin air.
There was no disappearance. Secretary Deng glanced around, then kicked open the metal cabinet. The cabinet spun halfway around, revealing a dark hole.
"Wow, Secretary Deng is amazing!" The soldiers looked surprised.
"You didn't look carefully enough." Secretary Deng tapped on the filing cabinet, where there was a bloody fingerprint and a faint dent at the bottom, which was the arrow mark and the door switch.
The bastard was probably shot, but the water on the ground diluted the bloodstains. Secretary Deng reorganized the team, and except for one soldier who went out to find Minister He to arrest Lao Zhang, the rest of the group waded into the new area.
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