Chapter 18: A Secret

I didn’t turn around when I heard footsteps approaching from behind, because I didn’t need to. The person had already started talking loudly: “It seems I was really in time this time. You haven’t gone into the water yet.”

It was Xiao Chengqian, so I didn’t need to turn around.

Everyone knew that Xiao Chengqian was coming, so no one was surprised, including Tao Bai and Lu Shan, who didn’t say a word and were silent.

Xiao Chengqian walked a few steps to my side and sat down, saying with a smile, “Were you waiting for me?”

“Waiting for you? Not at all! It’s because we can’t move until after 11 p.m. It’s a little cold at night.” As he spoke, I looked at my watch on my wrist. It was now 10:03 p.m. In less than an hour, I would be going into the water.

As for the other candidate for the dive, the tentative choice is Chengxin.

Xiao Chengqian stood up and said, “Because the place is too sensitive, there is only one chance to go into the water, so it’s normal not to wait for me. However, since I’m here, let’s talk for a moment.”

After saying that, Xiao Chengqian walked towards the unoccupied side, and I followed him, but Tao Bai stopped me. He still kept his head down and said to me in a tone that was a bit embarrassed, “You can’t go over there to talk.”

“What do you mean?” My face fell. If I could accept being watched in a subtle way, I absolutely could not tolerate this blatant restriction of personal freedom.

My attitude was already like this, and Xiao Chengqian’s attitude was even more direct. He shouted, “Don’t take the chicken feathers as an order. Go away. If you block me again, I won’t be polite.”

Facing my attitude and Xiao Chengqian’s, Tao Bai’s head lowered even more, and his voice sounded even more timid: “Don’t talk to us in a way that avoids us. It will be difficult for me.”

He looked like a child who was lacking confidence and was a little afraid of people, but he didn’t move an inch, and he made it embarrassing for people to lose their temper. At the same time, Lushan also came over.

“What’s going on?” Lushan asked, and Chengxin and the others noticed him.

I lit a cigarette with a somewhat irritable expression on my face. I knew that Xiao Chengqian must have a secret that I wanted to know, and that he was ready to tell me.

But Tao Bai and Lu Shan stopped me. Do they really want to force me to fight with them?

Xiao Chengqian guessed that the young master had a temper tantrum. He took out a special phone and smashed it on Tao Bai’s body, saying, “Call your boss and ask them if I can talk to Chengyi alone for a while.”

Lu Shan remained calm, but Tao Bai picked up the phone and walked over to make a call. He really did it.

In the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, Tao Bai returned, returned the phone to Xiao Chengqian, then tugged at Lu Shan’s sleeve, and the two of them retreated.

Throughout the entire process, Tao Bai didn’t say a word, but his attitude was already very clear. It was obvious that the higher-ups had allowed me to communicate with Xiao Chengqian alone. This made me even more full of questions, but fortunately, Xiao Chengqian and I finally had time to communicate alone, so I could ask him about it later.

We walked in silence for a long time, to another hill. We stood on the hill, the night wind was very cold, blowing my hair and Xiao Chengqian’s hair flying, the quiet moonlight reflected in the sky, the whole world seemed very quiet.

“Why did you allow me to talk to you alone?” I asked.

“All forces are intertwined, and there is no clear black and white division. Since I can know where you are and get your secret phone number, do you think it’s strange to allow me to talk to you?” Xiao Chengqian smiled.

I was silent, and suddenly I felt that it would be foolish to ask any more questions about this. Xiao Chengqian should not have the patience to explain to me how the forces were entangled, who were their people in the department, and I only needed to know that the forces of Xiao Chengqian’s organization could affect the department.

“Do you remember that deserted village? The first time we met,” Xiao Chengqian suddenly started talking about this.

I nodded. How could I forget everything in that deserted village?

“At that time, we took a helicopter directly to the deserted village, then obtained the purple plant and took Yang Sheng away. Do you remember?” Xiao Chengqian continued.

Of course I remember, the back of Yang Sheng’s departure is still one of my clearest memories, but Xiao Chengqian looked deeply at me, implying that it was not that simple.

I looked at Xiao Chengqian strangely at first, and then I thought of a possibility, and at that time, Master vaguely mentioned some words to me, and I suddenly understood what it was. I looked at Xiao Chengqian in shock, “Is the department behind you supporting it?”

“I can’t say much more. The only thing I can tell you is that there is more than one force supporting us. Some things have been discovered since the 1960s, and there have always been people who are very enthusiastic, very enthusiastic…” At this point, Xiao Chengqian really didn’t say anything else.

In fact, I have no intention of knowing what the purpose of those forces is or how they are entangled. The only thing I care about is Jiang Yi. I asked, “Does Jiang Yi have anything to do with the whole thing?”

“Him? I don’t know. Do you think that with my current position in the organization, I can know these things?” Xiao Chengqian shook his head and said very directly and helplessly.

Yes, not to mention that my master took away many of their elders, just to say that Xiao Chengqian is a junior, the core secrets he can access are also limited.

I was silent for a moment before I said, “If that’s the case, with so many complicated things behind it, why did they call me when they knew my phone was being monitored?”

“It’s for the reason I told you, to keep you from going in. There are things in the water, and if you bring them up recklessly, the consequences could be very serious.” Xiao Chengqian said seriously.

“What is in the water?” When I asked this, I already thought of a possibility, and looked at Xiao Chengqian with disbelief.

“Wherever there is that thing, it will never be too peaceful. The old village chief is the best example. That’s why it has been preserved. What do you think is in the water?” Xiao Chengqian looked at me seriously and said.

“Purple plants.” After getting Xiao Chengqian’s affirmative answer, I was calmer. I vaguely understood what the three chains left by the master meant, but at the same time, I was also puzzled. Why did Tao Bai tell me that nothing was found underwater?

“If so, do you still want to go in the water after you know? There are legends of water monsters in this pool, but they are not naturally grown, and there are many underwater puzzles, such as where the water monsters are hiding? If they are as powerful as the old village chief, do you think they have the ability to resist underwater? Not to mention, if you bring the purple plant up, how many covetous forces will be attracted, and it is impossible for you to keep it with your power! If you hand it over, can you guarantee that it will end up in the right hands? The only way is to destroy it, but since I know about the purple plant underwater, how many people do you think know about it? If you destroy it, you will be the target of everyone! Back then, your master didn’t manage to do this either.” Xiao Chengqian said to me very seriously.

“What did you say?” I was shocked. Looking at Xiao Chengqian, I knew that Xiao Chengqian must have secrets. I didn’t expect him to know so much.

“This matter is like a trap, using you to complete it. You have no choice in retreat or advance. The only way is to be firmly tied to the department. Do you think your master didn’t know that there were purple plants hidden in the deserted village? If we hadn’t come forward to take the purple plants, your master would have been caught in this dilemma.” Xiao Chengqian said to me.

I looked at Xiao Chengqian in surprise. Was there such a secret back then? But… my question came out of my mouth all of a sudden: “Why use our Li family line?”

Is there any other secret that cannot be told?

Facing my question, Xiao Chengqian suddenly smiled and said to me, “As a member of the Old Li lineage, don’t you know the biggest secret of your lineage, no, more precisely, of our two lineages, and that history?”