Although I had long anticipated Elder Qu’s betrayal, I was still caught off guard when it happened.
The thought of descending into that dreadful place again filled me with a million reasons to refuse.
Yet, given the current circumstances, it was unsuitable for anyone else to go down.
Jiang Feng was injured, Jiang Lingxi was a woman, and as for Fatty, if I let him go, I’d be worried sick.
After much deliberation, it seemed I was the only one who could go.
Returning to our lodging, Fatty was still awake. Jiang Feng’s injuries had been tended to; his hand was splinted with a wooden board, and he lay on a wooden bed, hooked up to an IV drip.
Jiang Lingxi sat at a table nearby, lost in thought, her mind miles away.
Seeing me return, Fatty quickly hurried over and asked what they had said, if we were allowed to leave.
I replied, "They want me to lead the way for them."
"What?" Fatty was stunned. "You mean you have to go down?"
I nodded.
"How can they do this? They broke their word!" Fatty was becoming agitated.
I gave a wry smile. "They're bandits. Do you think bandits keep their word?"
"Brother Xiang, why don't we find a way to escape!" Fatty suggested.
I glanced at Jiang Feng, not far away. "Look at the situation now. Can we escape?"
Fatty sighed deeply. "Sigh! What a mess this is. If we hadn’t taken the shortcut back then, we wouldn’t have encountered any of this."
"There are no 'back thens'," I said. "Since it’s happened, let’s not dwell on it too much. Regardless, before I go down, I’ll talk to them and see if I can arrange for you to leave first."
"Xiang Fei," Jiang Lingxi looked at me. "Why don't I go in your place."
I blinked in surprise. She continued, "I'm a geologist. I have more experience with cave exploration than you. If they need a guide, I can go."
"No," I immediately refused. "You're a woman..."
"What's wrong with being a woman?" Jiang Lingxi retorted. "I'm serious. Let me go. You stay up here and find a way to get my uncle out. Seeing him like this now, it pains me... Ultimately, this is all my fault."
"What fault is yours?"
She explained, "If it wasn't for me mistaking you for a thief on the train, you wouldn't have been forced off... And then it was me who suggested we all share a ride..."
Initially, I had held some resentment towards her regarding this matter. However, after she treated Fatty and me to dinner, that resentment vanished.
Furthermore, Jiang Lingxi was a person with a great personality, and she was loyal. I genuinely considered her a friend.
Given how things had turned out, I didn't blame her at all.
"None of this is your fault," I said. "Don't overthink it. We're friends who have gone through hardship together, so let's put the past behind us. Don't worry too much."
She insisted, "Xiang Fei, let me go. Can you help me take my uncle out?"
Jiang Lingxi looked at me with all seriousness. Fatty looked from me to her. "Brother Xiang..."
"Don't speak!" Jiang Lingxi glared at Fatty and walked over to me, looking at me with utmost sincerity. "Me going down is the best option."
Just as I was about to speak, she grabbed my hand and handed me a piece of paper covered in writing. "When you all get out, deliver this to my grandfather."
I glanced at it. "Are you sure you’ve thought this through?"
"Yes."
I took a deep breath, feeling a complex mix of emotions, but I respected her decision. I handed the letter back to her. "I hope you deliver this letter to your grandfather yourself. I will find a way to get Uncle Jiang to a hospital, but I won't leave. I'll wait for you to come back up."
Jiang Lingxi smiled faintly. "Alright then, you all wait for my triumphant return. I also want to see what this treasure actually looks like."
The night passed without incident.
The next day, I went to find Elder Qu and explained the situation about Jiang Lingxi wanting to go down with them.
Elder Qu was hesitant at first, but when I mentioned that Jiang Lingxi was a professional in geological exploration, he agreed without a second thought.
"Brother Xiang, our meeting was surely arranged by fate. You deal in antiques, and that girl is a geologist. Isn't this exactly what we needed to find the treasure?" Elder Qu said with a smile.
"However, I have a condition," I stated.
"What condition?"
"You must send Jiang Feng to a hospital. You saw his condition. Leaving him here is definitely not an option."
Elder Qu hesitated for a moment, then after a pause, said, "Fine, I can have someone take him to the hospital, but I will have him monitored. If he makes any other moves, you know what I will do."
I let out a breath. "Alright, I’ll talk to him."
"Yes, you better make it clear to him. Otherwise, if he causes any trouble, you won't escape responsibility either."
When I brought back the news, Jiang Lingxi seemed very happy. Jiang Feng was carried away that afternoon.
As he was leaving, Jiang Feng looked very reluctant. He held Jiang Lingxi’s hand and said many things.
Finally, he asked me to take good care of Jiang Lingxi.
I nodded and agreed, telling him not to worry too much and to focus on recovering from his injuries first.
Two days later, Elder Qu personally led a team. Da Kui also went down with them. Their group consisted of about ten people, and their equipment was much more complete than what we had brought before.
They even lowered a diesel generator. Not only that, but I saw that each of them was carrying a hunting rifle, along with a lot of other gear.
Fatty and I also moved into tents near the entrance. After all, staying in the village was the same as being anywhere else, so it was better to be here to get news immediately.
We were joined by two others watching the entrance: one named Zhu Pi, and the other Chai Huo.
Zhu Pi was quite fat, similar in build to Fatty, but sturdier. Chai Huo was a man of few words, usually remaining silent.
The four of us guarded the entrance, and food was delivered daily by people from the village.
In reality, if Fatty and I had wanted to run, it would have been easy. However, with Jiang Lingxi down there, I had no intention of leaving until she returned.
That group of people went down with such a grand fanfare, and they were gone for five days.
During those five days, Fatty and I would look down into the entrance every day.
This day was like any other. Fatty and I sat in the tent for a while, and out of boredom, we went outside for a smoke, glancing down the entrance.
As soon as we lit our cigarettes, we heard bursts of gunfire from below, and it was exceptionally intense, as if a battle was raging underground.
The commotion startled both Zhu Pi and Chai Huo, and they also gathered around.