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On the afternoon of the Second High School, Zhang Qiu arrived early at Dahe Hotpot, having asked Song Weidong to reserve a private room in advance. Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue were waiting for everyone there, with a large and a couple of Camouflage Bags in the corner filled with equipment. Just after eleven o'clock, the Brothers began to arrive one after another. The first to come were Yang Yu and Rui Rui, each carrying a backpack, with Yang Yu wearing a pair of black sunglasses.
Zhang Qiu thought of the dark environment in the ancient city and joked, "Are you going to wear that when we enter the ancient city?"
"Of course! I want to take pictures and show off in front of the Brothers."
"Great! We'll take a group photo at the Yuan Dynasty ruins; it will definitely be meaningful."
The last to arrive was Lan Ningshan, who hurried in just before noon, placing her black shoulder bag aside and smiling, "Sorry for being late."
Zhang Qiu personally pulled out a chair for Lan Ningshan and said, "Not late at all, just in time. Please sit down."
"Brother Qiu, can we order now?" Gao Zhi had been unable to contain his excitement from the side.
"Yes, yes. Let's call the waiter to order."
Gao Zhi went out to find the waiter himself. The menu was passed around among everyone, and one dish after another was served around them as the water in the copper pot began to boil. Taking advantage of the fact that the hot pot hadn't started yet, Zhang Qiu said, "Everyone check your equipment and see if anything is missing. If we need anything, we can buy it right after we finish eating."
"Brother Qiu, I brought insect repellent. My grandfather told me to bring it since we're going into the ancient city."
"That's great! Please thank your grandfather for me." Zhao Pingchuan was indeed a timely help; he had been worried about how to guard against insects inside when the insect repellent arrived.
Wang Zhengxiang patted his bag beside him and said, "Brother Qiu, I have a lighter, candles, a spring knife, and a folding shovel prepared here."
"You even brought a folding shovel? Where is it?" Zhang Qiu looked at Wang Zhengxiang's bag, picturing a triangular iron shovel like those carried by military engineers in movies.
"It's inside the bag; it's foldable. I bought it from downstairs at Jinmao Building for twenty bucks. Very cheap; just not sure how good it is."
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Having it is better than not having it."
After checking everything, Zhang Qiu was pleasantly surprised to find that they were well-prepared; everything he had thought of and hadn't thought of was ready. He had to admit that three heads were indeed better than one. Gao Zhi somehow managed to bring a helmet with a light attached on top. Yang Yu teased him, "Are you planning to go mining?"
Gao Zhi laughed heartily, "Entering the ancient city is not much different from mining."
"Alright, alright, the meat is ready, let's eat and then we can set off!"
The large pot was boiling with hot water, and the shrimp and lamb rolls were constantly tumbling in the water, with vibrant green vegetable leaves sprinkled throughout. The pot was quickly devoured by this group of food lovers. New dishes were continuously added to the pot, and laughter filled the private room, creating an atmosphere even more lively than the bright sun outside.
Two hours later, everyone who was ready arrived at the foot of the ancient city. After applying insect repellent on themselves, Zhang Qiu and his group climbed up a dirt slope that had been dug out by people in the past. The weeds on both sides concealed the slope, and just as Wang Zhengxiang was about to go up, he was pulled back by Zhang Qiu. Wang Zhengxiang asked, "Brother Qiu, what's wrong?"
"There's a snake in your heart. Where's your entrenching tool? Take it out."
"Got it." Wang Zhengxiang unloaded his bag and took out a folded iron shovel. When opened, it was only about half a meter long but looked quite impressive. Zhang Qiu took the entrenching tool from Wang Zhengxiang's hands and began to strike at the weeds, saying with a smile, "This is called beating the grass to scare the snake."
As soon as Zhang Qiu finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter. Zhang Qiu turned around, took Jiang Xue's hand, and walked at the front while reminding everyone, "Be careful underfoot and hold onto the branches tightly."
Upon reaching the ancient city, Zhang Qiu couldn't help but feel nostalgic. This was where Hall Society became famous; the scenes from that time were deeply etched in Zhang Qiu's mind, and he would never forget them.
Jiang Xue noticed Zhang Qiu's thoughts and gently said, "Thinking about the past?"
Zhang Qiu nodded and replied, "Let's keep going."
Zhang Qiu led the way with the entrenching tool. In fact, there was no need to clear a path; although few people came here before, there had always been a path for walking in the middle. The center of the path was devoid of any grass, which puzzled many but they did not know why.
The entrance had been transformed into part of a Civil Defense project in response to the national call for deep digging and grain storage during the 1960s. The entrance made of red bricks and cement was sealed with a rusty iron door. Above the door hung a five-pointed star with "Beiluan" and "Civil Defense" engraved on either side. Zhang Qiu took out his hammer from his backpack and struck it several times; the door creaked open with a groan.
Standing at the entrance without the door blocking their way, they immediately felt a chill rush towards them, causing everyone to shiver. Fortunately, they were well-prepared; their thick clothes meant for insect protection were just right for keeping warm now. Yang Yu sighed, "I didn't expect it to be so cold inside Great Xia."
Lan Ningshan added from beside him, "Someone died inside; there was once a kidnapping case that happened here. When police captured the suspect, they found that the victim had already died inside—a child."
Lan Ningshan's expression remained calm while everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Zhang Qiu sensed a coldness that was completely different from that of outside the ancient city; goosebumps instantly rose on his back. Seeing that everyone looked fearful, Zhang Qiu reassured them, "Don't be afraid; with Sister Lan here, what is there to fear? Besides, we have so many people."
"Yes, with me here, there's nothing to fear." Lan Ningshan reached into her bag and pulled out a police-issued Type 92 pistol. Tasked with protecting Jiang Xue, she had kept the gun close due to the potential danger, and now it proved useful for their expedition.
Seeing Lan Ningshan armed, Zhang Qiu said, "Look, we have a gun, so what is there to be afraid of? Even if something appears, we won't be scared."
"That's right, there's nothing to fear. I'll take the lead; let's go in!" Yang Yu stepped forward.
"Okay, okay, let's go in."
Despite their fear, a strong curiosity overshadowed it. Besides, with so many people around, no one wanted to admit they were the coward.
Yang Yu turned on a powerful flashlight and shone it toward the cave entrance. As soon as they entered, they encountered a corner; without venturing further inside, they couldn't see anything. Gao Zhi, wearing a helmet, switched on his light and followed Yang Yu with a candle in hand to test the air. If the candle went out, they would have to stop advancing.
Zhang Qiu held Jiang Xue's hand as they followed Gao Zhi. The candle in Gao Zhi's hand flickered unsteadily, indicating that there was wind inside the cave, which reassured Zhang Qiu. After all, this place had once been inhabited; it was unlikely there were no ventilation openings. It was impressive that after so many years, the ventilation still functioned well—one had to admire the ancient construction techniques.
Inside the ancient city, Zhang Qiu truly understood what it meant to be unable to see one's hand in front of their face. Wherever the light did not reach was pitch black; even holding her hand up to her eyes revealed nothing. Rui Rui, Wang Zhengxiang, Zhao Pingchuan, and Lan Ningshan followed behind them in order. The girls were sandwiched in the middle. Lan Ningshan volunteered to bring up the rear but couldn't help but suggest switching places after walking for a while. In the end, Zhao Pingchuan, who was bolder than the others, took up the rear with Wang Zhengxiang's spade in hand, glancing back every few steps.
Each person's backpack had a regular flashlight pointing upward; this type of flashlight emitted soft light that was helpful for observing the surroundings of the tunnel and better appreciating the ancient relics. Another important reason was that being in a well-lit environment calmed one's mind more than being in darkness, preventing any accidents due to nervousness.
The air inside the ancient city was filled with a decaying odor and dust particles floated around. Fortunately, Zhang Qiu and her companions had brought masks; Yang Yu handed out black masks meant for fighting to everyone. The walls of the ancient city tunnel were covered with clumps of dirt and spider webs but nothing else could be seen. On the ground lay scattered fragments of soil. Zhang Qiu and her friends occasionally commented on their surroundings with admiration while Yang Yu led at the front taking random photos with her phone while showing off her oversized sunglasses.
Not long after they set out, spaces began to appear on both sides of the tunnel. Zhang Qiu shone her flashlight inside and saw stone platforms about the size of beds covered in thick layers of dust; there were also unspoiled straw mats on the ground. Zhang Qiu speculated that this might have been a bedroom in ancient times but concluded that the straw mats must have been left behind by later inhabitants. Other spaces included toilets that resembled modern squat toilets exactly. There were also some empty rooms whose purposes Zhang Qiu could not determine.
As they continued along the main path, Rui Rui suddenly felt scared. Indeed, being in this dark and enclosed tunnel was deeply oppressive. Jiang Xue held Rui Rui's hand gently and comforted her: "Don't be afraid; we're together."
Rui Rui nodded and continued following everyone forward. After about five minutes of walking and turning a corner, they encountered a downward slope leading into another passageway. As they descended along this gentle slope for a bit longer, Yang Yu suddenly shouted: "There's a fork in the road here!"
Zhang Qiu and the others hurried over to take a look; sure enough, there was a dark opening on one side. Zhang Qiu asked for everyone's opinion: "Should we go in and take a look?"
Gao Zhi replied: "Let's go in, Brother Qiu; since we’re already here, we shouldn't miss out."
"Wang Zhengxiang said, 'Brother Qiu, let's continue moving forward; I feel uneasy about this fork in the road.'
'I brought a rope. If it doesn't work out, we can turn back. I want to see what's inside too.'
'Let's go in. Who knows when we'll come back again? We shouldn't leave with regrets. What if this place collapses? We might not get another chance.'
'Pah pah pah, don't jinx it. We're still inside; nothing is going to collapse.'
'…'
After some discussion, everyone finally decided to go in and take a look. Zhang Qiu drove a nail into the blue brick wall at the fork and secured the nylon line wrapped around the reel, saying, 'Let's go; we need to find out!'
Yang Yu led the way, followed by Gao Zhi. The candle flickered as Zhang Qiu spread the line while advancing. Jiang Xue focused on the compass in her hand and said, 'We're heading due south.'
Not long after, they reached a dead end—a red brick wall blocked their path, but some light was shining through from outside. Zhao Pingchuan remarked, 'This should be where the gym is located.'
'Then this must be a blocked entrance. Alright, let's head back and continue forward.'"
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