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墨書 Inktalez
“Viper knows the USB drive is fake…”
The message pierced my heart like an ice pick!
How could he know? Could it be that the mole beside Captain Chen is so high-level that even this kind of secret can be leaked?
Or… could that mysterious electronic voice actually be someone from “Viper”? Playing a game of cat and mouse?
The rusted sign of “Lao Wu Auto Repair Shop” looked particularly dilapidated in the setting sun.
The air was thick with the smell of engine oil and rubber.
The yard was filled with abandoned vehicles, resembling a graveyard of steel.
I felt filthy, like a homeless person, clutching my new phone and a crumpled wad of cash in my pocket, nervously observing my surroundings.
Several oil-stained workers were busy at work, not sparing me a glance.
Is this place really safe?
The message claimed “Lao Wu Auto Repair Shop is safe,” but does “Viper” know I’m here?
Recalling Captain Chen’s last unfinished words, “go find…,” could it be referring to Wu Jianguo?
I took a deep breath, suppressing the churning fear, and approached a middle-aged fat man who looked like he was in charge.
“Excuse me… is Master Wu Jianguo here?” My voice was dry.
The fat man lifted his oil-stained face and scrutinized me warily. “Who are you? What do you want with him?”
Following the code from the note, I whispered, “Captain Chen sent me to fix the fuel tank.”
Upon hearing “Captain Chen,” the fat man’s expression changed instantly.
A sharp and serious alertness lingered in the air.
He set down the wrench and signaled to a young apprentice nearby.
The apprentice understood immediately, walking over to the door and casually fiddling with a "Closed for Business" sign, effectively blocking the view of the entrance.
"Follow me," the heavyset man said in a low voice, no longer looking at me as he turned and walked deeper into the Lao Wu Auto Repair Shop.
My heart raced as I hurried to keep up.
We passed through a maintenance area cluttered with parts and grease, arriving at a corner piled high with old tires.
The man moved aside several heavy tires, revealing a concealed, thick iron door that almost blended into the wall.
He pulled out a key and quickly unlocked it.
"Get in! Hurry!" he urged.
Behind the door was a narrow staircase leading down, dimly lit.
A stronger smell of motor oil mixed with disinfectant wafted up.
I descended the stairs, and the man swiftly shut the door behind us, cutting off the light and sound from outside.
The underground space was small, resembling a reinforced bomb shelter more than anything else.
The walls were rough concrete, adorned with several maps and incomprehensible circuit diagrams.
In one corner were stacks of canned food and bottled water.
On a makeshift army cot lay a person!
The moment I saw his face, I almost cried out!
It was Zhang Zhenbang!
His complexion was pale, his eyes tightly shut, and his forehead was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. He had clearly been injured in the warehouse explosion, but he was still alive!
An elderly man dressed in gray work clothes, lean and sharp-eyed like a hawk, was sitting by the bed, carefully changing his bandages.
The old man looked up, his gaze piercing me like a searchlight.
“You are Wang Lei?” His voice was hoarse yet carried an undeniable authority. “I am Wu Jianguo.”
“Zhang Zhenbang… he…” I glanced at the unconscious Zhang Zhenbang, a mix of shock and joy flooding over me.
“Concussion, shoulder grazed by shrapnel, significant blood loss, but he’s alive,” Wu Jianguo said briskly as he finished bandaging him. His tone was steady, as if he were describing the condition of an ordinary tool. “Where is Captain Chen?”
At the mention of Captain Chen, a wave of immense sorrow surged in my throat. My voice choked as I spoke, “He… he sacrificed himself to cover for me… that assassin…”
Wu Jianguo’s hand paused for just a fraction of a second while changing the bandages. A flicker of deep pain crossed his eyes but was quickly replaced by a deeper resolve.
“What about the item?” he asked directly.
“The USB drive… it was fake! It was taken by Viper’s people!” I hurriedly pulled out the crumpled note. “After the transaction, I received a text saying Viper knew it was fake!”
Wu Jianguo took the note from me and glanced at it. There was no surprise on his face; instead, a hint of cold understanding emerged.
“Just as I thought.” He stood up and walked over to an old metal toolbox that had been welded to the ground in the corner.
He didn’t use a key; instead, he took a specially made hex wrench and inserted it into an extremely concealed small hole on the side of the toolbox, twisting it forcefully.
"Click."
A seemingly inconspicuous piece of metal on the front of the toolbox popped open, revealing a small hidden compartment!
Inside the compartment lay an object.
It was a... metal lighter? An ordinary silver Zippo lighter, as plain as can be!
Wu Jianguo picked up the lighter, his expression complex.
"This belongs to Captain Chen," he said, rubbing the cold metal casing. "He anticipated that the worst might happen. The real key and core backup are not on that USB drive."
He looked at me, his gaze intense. "Before Zhang Guodong died, in addition to arranging for that gun to be sent out, he also had this lighter delivered to Captain Chen through another absolutely secure channel."
"The mark on the bottom of the Gun Grip is for positioning, while inside this lighter..." Wu Jianguo pressed hard on an extremely tiny indentation at the bottom of the lighter with his fingernail.
"Click." A soft sound echoed.
The metal casing of the lighter unexpectedly opened like a small safe, revealing a narrow gap!
Inside was not a fuel cotton core but an exquisitely crafted black chip, no larger than a fingernail!
"This is the real key to accessing the 'Mole' List and the core data backup!" Wu Jianguo's voice carried a heavy weight.
So that's it! Captain Chen had used double insurance! The gun was the bait to draw attention; the lighter was the hidden ace, concealing the true lifeline!
I suddenly understood, my admiration and sorrow for Captain Chen deepening in my heart.
Just then!
A sudden rush of heavy footsteps echoed from above! Accompanied by terrified shouts from apprentices and the loud crash of things being knocked over!
“Master Wu! It’s bad! There are several cars outside! The people coming down… they have guns!”
Wu Jianguo's expression changed dramatically.
“They arrived so quickly?!” He instantly secured the hidden compartment for the lighter, gripping it tightly in his hand.
The lights in the basement began to flicker violently!
The voltage is unstable!
“They’ve cut the main power! They came prepared!” Wu Jianguo assessed the situation with his seasoned experience.
He rushed to the wall, yanked open an electrical panel, revealing an emergency light connected to a backup battery, casting a ghastly white glow.
At the same time, he abruptly flipped over Zhang Zhenbang's cot!
Underneath, on the cement floor, there was a square iron cover with a pull ring!
“A tunnel! It leads to the drainage pipe in the back alley! Hurry! Get him out!” Wu Jianguo shouted at me, shoving that crucial lighter into my hand!
“Take this! We absolutely cannot lose it again! The chance for List to see the light of day depends on it!”
I fumbled to grasp the cold lighter, feeling as if I were holding a searing iron!
The sounds of banging and shouting above grew closer! They seemed to be smashing through the iron door leading to the basement!
“What about you?!” I asked anxiously.
Wu Jianguo pulled a well-maintained old-fashioned pistol from a hidden compartment in his toolbox, expertly checking the magazine with a resolute look in his eyes.
"I'll hold them off! Hurry up! Remember, once you're outside, contact 'Eagle' with the new phone! The number is..."
His words were abruptly cut off by a deafening roar!
The heavy iron door above emitted a grating, metallic screech that sent chills down the spine.
A bullet pierced through the door, striking the concrete steps below and sending sparks flying!
The door was about to break!
Wu Jianguo yanked open the iron cover on the ground, revealing a dark hole and a strong stench of sewage.
He forcefully pushed the unconscious Zhang Zhenbang into my arms!
"Go!!!"
Wu Jianguo turned around, raised his gun, and aimed steadily at the iron door that was about to be smashed open!
In the pale emergency light, his silhouette resembled a mountain forged from steel!
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