hotmtlnovel Chapter 634 Zhang Chuan Wants to Go Out
Chapter 634 Zhang Chuan Wants to Go Out
Zhang Chuan shook his head, picked up a tightly woven straw hat from the corner of the wall, and put it on his head. He said firmly, "I'm not sleepy. Now that we've figured out the general terrain of the mine during the day, we can take advantage of the quiet at night to thoroughly investigate the surrounding area. We need to remember the guards' shift changes, their patrol routes, and where the perimeter fence is loose or where there are blind spots in the surveillance. You'll need to know these things to avoid trouble and make investigations easier when you're conducting surveys in the future."
Zhao Ci knew his temperament; once he made up his mind, nothing could sway him. So she could only nod, her tone full of deep concern: "Then you must be careful. Don't get too close and try to force your way in. If they find out, not only will the plan be affected, but you'll also easily suffer losses, which would be a net loss."
"Yes, I know what I'm doing," Zhang Chuan replied, pushing open the door and disappearing into the thick darkness. The night at the mine was exceptionally dark, with only a few dim miners' lamps flickering in the distance, making the surroundings seem even more silent. Zhao Ci stood by the window, gripping the windowsill, watching his figure cross the courtyard, turn into the tunnel entrance, and completely vanish into the darkness before turning away. He clutched the half-finished coal mine geological map tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning white, silently repeating in his mind—he must come back safely.
This coal mine is unlike any other place; the guards patrolling at night are even more vigilant than during the day. Add to that the equipment piled up everywhere and the pitch-black mine entrance, and an accident could easily happen if one isn't careful. Zhao Ci was restless, so he moved a chair to the window and sat there, his eyes fixed on the direction of the courtyard gate, not even noticing that the warm tea on the table had gone cold.
Zhang Chuan moved through the mine like a nimble shadow, his footsteps so light they were almost silent. He had received specialized stealth training, giving him an extraordinary sense of his surroundings—he could predict the direction of footsteps half a minute in advance; he could accurately calculate the length of the handover interval when the guards chatted during their shift changes. Those seemingly tight patrol routes were full of loopholes in his eyes. After a few rounds, he had a clear understanding of the guards' shift change patterns, the key areas under their guard, and even memorized the smallest, most inconspicuous hole in the barbed wire fence.
More than half an hour later, a very soft sound came from outside the courtyard gate. Zhao Ci suddenly stood up and saw Zhang Chuan lift the curtain and walk in. His straw hat was still covered with night dew, but he was not in any disheveled state.
"You're back?" Zhao Ci's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, his heart finally settling down after being in his throat for so long. He hadn't slept at all, and had been worried the whole way with his eyes open.
Zhang Chuan took off his straw hat, which was slightly damp from sweat, and casually placed it on the wooden stool by the door. His voice carried a hint of fatigue from just returning from an investigation, but it was clear and logical: "The guards on the west side change shifts every fifteen minutes, the intervals are short, making it difficult to make a move; the patrols in the southeast corner are the laxest, there's a section of fence there that's been in disrepair for years, you can go around it from underneath. Also, there seems to be an abandoned old mine shaft hidden deep inside the mine, the entrance is blocked by thick iron plates and has a lock welded on top, the guards are quite tight, there might be something fishy going on there."
Zhao Ci sat at the table, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, listening attentively to every detail. After listening, he nodded, then couldn't help but look up and remind her, "I've written it all down. But remember, when you investigate in the future, avoid people if you can. Safety is always the top priority. Don't take risks just to be quick. We're not in a hurry."
Zhang Chuan hummed in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the bloodshot eyes of Zhao Ci—clearly, he hadn't slept all night again. He frowned, his tone urging with unwavering authority: "It's almost dawn. You should get some sleep first. We can discuss the rest after daybreak. I'll keep an eye on things here; nothing will go wrong."
Zhao Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Looking at Zhang Chuan's composed profile, she felt inexplicably at ease—no matter how difficult the situation, as long as Zhang Chuan was by her side, it seemed that even the toughest hurdle could be overcome.
Meanwhile, Zhao Lei waited outside the coal mine all night as planned. Just as dawn was breaking, he looked at his two men and asked in a low voice, "How's it going? Any movement inside? Have they come out yet?"
A man pretending to be selling groceries at a stall shook his head, and another man squatting in the corner selling cigarettes echoed, "Captain Zhao, it's quiet inside, and no news has come out yet."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the mine gate creaked open a crack. Zhang Chuan appeared inside, but before he could step out, he was stopped by the gatekeeper.
Old Li, the gatekeeper, craned his neck, looking troubled: "Comrade, I'm really sorry, but according to the rules, you can't just go out now."
Zhang Chuan's heart tightened—he had arranged with Zhao Lei last night to send a message this morning. If he couldn't get out, the people outside would be worried, and if they acted impulsively, things would be terrible. He deliberately frowned, his tone tinged with anger: "Rules? Don't you know our Professor Zhao has a heavy smoking habit? He's been off for most of the day. If he craved it and it affected his work, and Director Jiang blamed him, could you bear the consequences?"
Old Li hesitated, his hand still blocking the doorway. Seeing this, Zhang Chuan understood the situation and simply turned around to walk back, muttering, "Forget it, I won't go out. I'll go find your Director Jiang and tell him that you wouldn't let me buy cigarettes, which delayed Professor Zhao's business. If he gets angry, it has nothing to do with me."
Upon hearing this, Old Li's face turned deathly pale, and he almost dropped his miner's lamp. He had been guarding the mine's gate for almost ten years and knew Jiang Hu's temper best—that guy was the mine's security captain, intolerant of any wrongdoing, and when he got angry, he wouldn't just deduct wages, he'd fire anyone as easily as stubbing out a cigarette. His entire family depended on that meager monthly wage of thirty-odd yuan; he had a paralyzed mother to support and two children in school to raise—how could he afford to gamble?
He hurriedly took half a step forward, opened his arms to block Zhang Chuan, and forced a fawning smile that looked more like a grimace: "Oh, Master Zhang, look what you're saying, it's all a misunderstanding! There's a cigarette shop around the corner, they have Red Peony and Dashengchan brands, I'll open the door for you right away, hurry back!"
His mind was racing with calculations—whether he really wanted to buy cigarettes or not, Professor Zhao was a distinguished guest invited by the mine, and he'd heard he was here on a mission from above. If he really delayed things, Jiang Hu would be the first to take action against him, and he'd lose his job. Even if it was a lie, Zhang Chuan usually seemed quiet and reserved, but if he really tried to stop him, who knew what kind of trouble he might cause? As long as he didn't report it and turned a blind eye, Zhang Chuan wouldn't bother with him. As for what the other guy wanted to do outside, what did it matter to him? As long as it didn't jeopardize his secure job, that was all that mattered.