Chapter 21: An Unforeseen Opportunity

Facing Chengxin’s question, Lushan was silent for a long time before he said, “No, there are no conditions. The purpose is just to make you give up.”

We didn’t expect Lu Shan to give such a near-rogue answer, and for a moment we couldn’t think of anything to say in response. We were so angry that we couldn’t speak for a long time.

With a loud ‘pop’, Xiao Chengqian slammed his hand down on the table and said, “Yes, we can’t force you to do anything, but you can’t interfere with our freedom of movement either. Deep-sea diving equipment? You think I can’t get it? That’s it then.”

After saying that, Xiao Chengqian left in a huff, and at this point, it was useless to say anything more. The remaining people were not as angry as Xiao Chengqian, but they remained silent and walked out of the barracks.

I was the last to leave. As I was about to step out of the door, I heard Tao Bai say in a low voice behind me, “I can only report all this to Minister Jiang. There’s no other way.”

I was both angry and amused, and said, “Please go ahead,” and walked out.

We were exhausted after a day of running around, so after we came out, we went to our own rooms and went to bed. But I was disappointed and couldn’t sleep, so I simply put on some clothes and went out to take a walk in the small forest in front of the barracks to relieve my mood.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on this quiet grove. I lit a cigarette and smoked it silently. Xiao Chengqian’s news to me should be absolutely certain and true. There are really purple plants under the water.

But what else is there besides purple plants? This is a mystery, and the more crucial question is how this information was determined. Xiao Chengqian didn’t say, but I guess he couldn’t tell me either. He simply knew about this secret and then decided that I was being used this time, and I couldn’t advance or retreat.

What’s more frustrating is that if I’m just being used, it’s not so bad. At least I can get enough support to go underwater. What should I do next? I can take things one step at a time. What does Lushan mean? He completely denies Xiao Chengqian’s use… Is there any other secret in between?

Everything is like a tangled mess, making it difficult to sort out, and even more difficult to cut through. I was lost in thought, and I smoked a cigarette until it burned to the end, until it burned my fingers, and I let out a cry and came to my senses.

The pain in my fingers had not yet subsided when I heard footsteps in the woods. I am a Taoist priest, and in this kind of place at night, the thing I am least afraid of is meeting ghosts or something, and then people, the most troublesome thing is to be afraid of meeting wild animals or something.

So, when I heard the footsteps, I didn’t react at all. Instead, I leaned against a tree and waited quietly.

The moonlight was cool enough tonight, and the figure gradually appeared in front of me, then became clearer and clearer, making me even more confused. It was actually Lushan?! What was he doing here? Could it be that he was also someone who couldn’t sleep because he was troubled?

I looked at him without saying a word, but he greeted me as if nothing had happened, and then he was silent, as if we had just met on the street and said hello.

This strange time and this relatively remote environment were not within his scope of attention at all.

I had a hunch that this person was someone who liked to take the initiative into his own hands. He just said hello, stood next to me, and didn’t say anything. He was just waiting for me to ask him, so that he could take the initiative.

I didn’t have a good impression of Lu Shan, and from my childhood to the present, my experience has made me increasingly tired of being led by the nose by others, so I really didn’t ask anything, lit another cigarette, smoked it in silence, and casually said goodbye to Lu Shan before walking out of the woods.

1 meter, 5 meters, 10 meters… I calculated the distance, or was this an opportunity for me? Or was Lu Shan trying to tell me something? I hesitated again, but the speed of my feet did not change. I told myself to walk past the big tree in front, and if Lu Shan did not stop me, I would go back to find him.

As I saw the big tree in front of me getting closer and closer, and when I was only one meter away, I heard a cough behind me, followed by two words full of curiosity: “Want to chat?”

A smile appeared on my face, and for the first time I felt a sense of freedom, no longer constrained by others. But when I turned around, I was already confused.

In the early years, I could never have pulled off such a deception, putting on a mask. Chen Chengyi was a straightforward person who didn’t hide his temper. It was only after a few years that I realized that in this world, a sense of security often comes from some kind of disguise, and the only thing that can be relied on is one’s own heart.

The whiteness of a spotless environment is never precious.

What is truly precious is the kind of white that comes from opening up your body and heart in a world of chaos, fire, and mud.

In my wandering thoughts, Lushan had already come to a stop in front of me.

He looked at me, and for the first time, the expression on his face was no longer the calm that would not change even if the sky fell, but a playful uncertainty.

The first thing he said to me was, “Are you pretending to be stupid? Or are you really stupid?”

“It depends on how you feel.” I have to admit that sometimes it’s exhausting to talk to Lushan. No one wants to talk to someone who is unpredictable and doesn’t even reveal their intentions. It’s like standing naked in front of others.

“I don’t seem to be able to gain your trust. But that’s okay, everyone needs a necessary layer of pretense.” Lushan’s expression returned to its usual calm, and once again, it was that annoying look that made you wonder what he was thinking.

“I hope you’re telling me this because the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re a spy and you want me to become one too.” I joked a bit, but I was actually not at all interested in Lu Shan’s disguise or his secrets.

What I am interested in is whether there is a chance for this operation to turn around, and whether this chance is something that Lushan can bring to me.

If it really is as Xiao Chengqian said, that he rushed to find two sets of equipment, it is still debatable whether we can go into the water.

“I am a Chinese, and my heart is also Chinese, so I am naturally not a spy. I just want to say that when I left, Tao Bai was already asleep, and we did not report the situation to Minister Jiang. We only told Minister Jiang after your investigation was over that you had not found anything because of the problem with the dive, and you were in a depressed state and had not yet made specific requests of us.” Lu Shan said slowly.

This statement contains a lot of information, and I need to digest it slowly, because the only literal meaning is that Lu Shan is concealing our demands in the barracks. The amount of information worth considering comes from the purpose of Lu Shan’s actions.

Since I didn’t know this person, I could only guess. Leaning against the tree, I said, “Then what? Are you trying to make me grateful? Hurry up and get rid of those unrealistic thoughts in your heart?”

I deliberately said this to provoke Lu Shan. Any fool knows that Lu Shan has no need to do this. He is Jiang Yi’s man. What good would it do to please me?

“Haha, you’re really funny. I still want to say that when I came out, Tao Bai was already asleep. In addition, this camp is very simple. It doesn’t matter if a few of you want to go out. And tonight, if there is any movement on our side, the people in the other country will also pretend not to see it.” Lu Shan said slowly.

My eyes narrowed. I admit that I became interested in what Lushan said, and I was also curious about him. I didn’t say anything, and Lushan continued, “The boat is still tied there. It will be dawn before anyone goes to retrieve it. Finally, I want to say that to find something, you don’t have to dive very deep. The environment below is not very good. It’s not as flat as a swimming pool. It’s full of ravines and ravines. Maybe there are some unusual guys hiding there.”

At this point, Lushan suddenly turned to look at me and smiled, then said, “Is that enough information?”

I also smiled and said to him, “It seems a little short. At least 8 or 9 kilometers of lake surface, the underwater information is not clear. I can’t finish exploring it in two nights. I can’t figure it out.”

“This one,” Lu Shan said, scratching his head in embarrassment, “actually, if you look in the southeast direction, will it be better? Pay attention not to the water, but to the rock wall immersed in the water. If it’s still not clear, and if you feel that time is pressing, don’t waste talent. Whether it’s Mu Chengqing or Ji Chengzhen, they are both capable. They can still locate a slightly more accurate position.”

Indeed, it can be done!

Hearing this, I straightened up, patted my clothes, and then, without saying thank you to Lushan, which would have been meaningless, I asked, “What do you want?”

Lushan didn’t say anything, but smiled and said to me, “You should be careful too. It’s not that there’s no danger if you’re not at the bottom.

I didn’t answer, but just looked at Lushan steadily. I wasn’t afraid of danger, and I could avoid it. Nothing could stop my footsteps. I just wanted to make sure what he wanted.

“If you can, please tell me as much as possible about what’s down there. If there are any special places or objects, please don’t miss them for me.” Lushan finally spoke directly.