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墨書 Inktalez
"There's a ghost, run!"
Rui Rui screamed as she ran up, while Jiang Xue directly jumped into Zhang Qiu's arms. Zhang Qiu stared at the skeleton on the ground, feeling a wave of fear. Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, Wang Zhengxiang, Zhao Pingchuan, and others were also frightened upon discovering the skeleton, and the image of the deceased child they had discussed when entering the ancient city appeared in their minds. The only one who remained calm was Lan Ningshan, but even in such a place, it was hard not to feel scared. She said, "Everyone, let's hurry and leave here."
"Wait!" Zhang Qiu suddenly shouted. "Stay calm; we need to leave in an orderly manner. Don't panic."
But how could they stay calm? Everyone almost ran away from the spot where they found the skeleton. When they stopped to catch their breath, Yang Yu suddenly said, "Brother Qiu, it seems we're not in the same place we came from."
"What!"
Zhang Qiu looked around; it was pitch black and he couldn't see anything.
Yang Yu shouted from the side, "Brother Qiu, come look at the wall."
Zhang Qiu and the others quickly gathered around Yang Yu. Wang Zhengxiang looked at the bare wall and asked, "What's wrong with this wall? Is there something off about it?"
"Of course there's something off," Zhang Qiu also noticed the issue.
"What's wrong?"
"Look at the bricks; they're all red bricks, while other places use gray-blue bricks. This clearly indicates that this place was built by later generations."
"Who would have nothing better to do than build in such a broken place?" Rui Rui was utterly confused, especially thinking about that terrifying skull. Why would modern people abandon their lives on the surface to construct something in the underground ruins of the Yuan Dynasty? Wasn't that insane?
"It can't be helped; it's a product of its time," Zhang Qiu seemed to understand the reason but wasn't entirely sure.
Yang Yu asked, "Brother Qiu, what are you thinking?"
"I think this construction probably dates back to the 1960s. After the Sino-Soviet relationship collapsed, Soviet forces amassed millions of troops along our northern border, creating a significant military threat. At the same time, we were facing the threat of nuclear war. During that time, there was a nationwide call to dig deep and store grain. I believe this place is likely a product of people utilizing the Yuan Dynasty Ancient City Ruins for expansion."
"Why do we need to expand when it's already this big inside?"
"If my guess is correct, it might be to accommodate more people."
"Brother Qiu, how do we get out now? Are we really going to go back the way we came?" Rui Rui was not interested in history; she was only concerned about their current situation, especially how to return if they took a wrong turn. The thought of retracing their steps through the area with skeletons made her feel uneasy.
"Let's see if there are any other exits," Zhang Qiu said, also reluctant to return to the place with skeletons.
Rui Rui walked cautiously, always watching her step. Having encountered bones twice during one visit to the ancient city was almost too much for her to handle.
Zhang Qiu didn't find an exit but discovered several wooden boxes in the corner. He lightly tapped Yang Yu beside him and whispered, "Look at this."
"Treasures?" Yang Yu's first impression was treasure; in countless films and shows, most protagonists eventually discover mysterious treasures.
"Maybe yes, maybe no," Zhang Qiu thought. There probably wouldn't be treasures in a man-made place like this. But then again, perhaps people from that time collected items from elsewhere and stored them in these boxes?
Yang Yu suggested, "Then let's open it."
Jiang Xue said, "How about we don't open the boxes recklessly? I have a feeling there might be danger."
Gao Zhi saw Zhang Qiu and Yang Yu whispering in the corner and walked over with a smile. "Brother Qiu, Brother Yu, what are you up to?"
As soon as Gao Zhi finished speaking, his eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, there's treasure!"
Gao Zhi's loud voice attracted everyone's attention. Lan Ningshan, who had a background in law enforcement, immediately said, "Don't move! We should call the police."
However, when Lan Ningshan took out her phone, she realized there was no signal in this place.
"Since we're here, let's open it and take a look," Wang Zhengxiang said as he used a tool from the armory to pry open the box.
Lan Ningshan stepped forward to stop them, saying, "No, we can't just open it."
Gao Zhi replied, "Officer Blue, what are we here for? Since we're on an adventure, isn't it a pity not to take a look at the treasures we find?"
Lan Ningshan and Wang Zhengxiang were arguing nearby while Zhang Qiu approached the wooden box, examining it closely. He could see some writing on it, but it was too worn to read. Roughly counting, there were four rows of two-meter-long wooden boxes in the corner. Zhang Qiu said, "Let's open it and take a look."
"Zhang Qiu, this..."
"Sister Lan, this time listen to me; let's open it and see."
Lan Ningshan realized she didn't actually want to stop Zhang Qiu. Seizing the moment, Wang Zhengxiang quickly inserted his entrenching tool into the gap of the wooden box. Yang Yu cautioned, "Be careful."
Wang Zhengxiang didn't use brute force but instead gently wiggled the entrenching tool up and down. The planks began to fall off one by one. Zhang Qiu stepped forward to pick up a piece and observed it in his hand, saying, "This wood is already rotting."
Wang Zhengxiang increased his strength, and with the first push, the wooden box opened, revealing moldy straw inside. He used the entrenching tool to push aside the straw, uncovering paper soaked with water. Lan Ningshan sniffed and expressed her confusion, softly saying, "This smell isn't water; it's oil."
"Oil?"
"That's right; it should be machine oil."
Lan Ningshan stepped forward and pulled back the paper covering to reveal rows of brand-new rifles neatly arranged inside. Everyone was astonished; Lan Ningshan was so shocked that she couldn't speak—she understood better than anyone else how significant this discovery was.
Zhang Qiu picked up one of the rifles. He had seen this type online more than once, but now he was seeing the real thing. Moreover, these firearms appeared to be well-preserved and fully functional. If they could equip their group with these...
"So many guns must be turned over to the state," Zhang Qiu was still daydreaming when Lan Ningshan had already made a decision regarding this batch of firearms.
Zhang Qiu toyed with the rifle in his hands while Lan Ningshan pressed down on the gun's handle and said, "Put it back."
"Let me play with it for a while; after all, we don't know if there are bullets inside," Zhang Qiu said as he pulled back the bolt to show Lan Ningshan. She looked at Zhang Qiu and the rifle in his hands before finally saying, "Alright, but you mustn't have any other ideas."
"Don't worry, what ideas could I possibly have?"
"Brother Qiu, should we open the other boxes too?" Wang Zhengxiang shouted from the side. This was much more interesting than drawing lots in a game. No money needed, and what they got from opening the boxes were genuine rifles.
"Open them, I want to see what treasures are inside."
Wang Zhengxiang opened another nearby wooden box, which was also covered with moldy straw. He pushed aside the straw and unwrapped the oil paper inside, revealing yellow bullets and several double-edged daggers with blood grooves.
Lan Ningshan thoughtfully surveyed the area and said, "It seems this is a military arms cache. I didn't expect to find so many dangerous items hidden in this ancient city. If criminals discover this, it could be serious. Wang Zhengxiang, open the other boxes as well."
Wang Zhengxiang looked at Zhang Qiu, who nodded and said, "Go ahead and open them."
With a few bangs, the decayed wooden boards were torn apart and thrown aside. Inside the other boxes were also brand new rifles and unopened canned goods. Zhang Qiu picked up a can; the military green tin had white lettering that read 'Fried Chicken Wings.' Zhang Qiu laughed and said, "So, how about it? Interested in trying some?"
Gao Zhi grinned and replied, "Stuff from the sixties is long expired."
Zhang Qiu chuckled and proposed, "I have an idea; how about we each take a rifle for a group photo?"
"Zhang Qiu, don't be ridiculous; it's dangerous."
"Sister Lan, they're not loaded; what are you afraid of? Come on, take a picture with us."
Lan Ningshan couldn't resist her younger siblings and was pulled into their antics, holding a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle herself. As before, using a strong flashlight for illumination, Yang Yu held a selfie stick to take pictures. After the photos were taken, Lan Ningshan urged, "Everyone quickly put the rifles back."
Jiang Xue and Rui Rui showed no interest in the rifles, but the others were different. All boys love guns; they rarely get the chance to handle one. Although it was an old semi-automatic rifle from last century, it was enough to excite them for a while. No matter how much Lan Ningshan insisted, Yang Yu and the others continued to play with their rifles while Jiang Xue and Rui Rui obediently returned theirs to the box.
Seeing Lan Ningshan's frustrated yet helpless expression, Zhang Qiu advised, "Sister Lan, just let them have some fun; it's a rare opportunity. When we leave later, I'll make sure they leave the guns behind. You can handle these boxes."
With no other option, Lan Ningshan agreed. She thought to herself that once they got out, she needed to contact the authorities immediately. If news of guns in the ancient city spread out, it would inevitably lead to chaos.
About ten minutes later, Zhang Qiu said loudly, "Alright, alright, let's put the guns back. It's time for us to go."
Yang Yu took the lead in putting the guns back into the box, while Gao Zhi held onto his gun reluctantly, thinking that it would be better if Officer Blue didn't come.
"Now we need to think about how to get back. Since we can't find a second exit, we can only return the way we came. I know there are skeletons in that place, but that's the only way to go. Fortunately, it's spacious inside, so we can easily avoid the skeletons as long as we stay focused on our path. What do you all think?"
Qiu Wan looked at everyone, and no one voiced any objections. Everyone understood that this was the only way out; even if there was just one skeleton, or even a pile of them, they had no choice. They couldn't possibly stay here forever; after all, they didn't want to have fried chicken wings from the 1960s for dinner.
"Alright then, let's go."
Qiu Wan drove an iron nail into the wall to secure the rope. The earlier wrong turn had given Zhang Qiu a profound lesson; the ancient city was pitch black, and it was very likely they could stumble into another area in a panic. Even if they didn't take a wrong turn, having a guiding rope was necessary. With the rope to guide them, at least they wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Zhang Qiu secured the rope and intentionally waited until everyone else had exited before secretly grabbing a dagger and slipping it into his bag. Jiang Xue noticed Zhang Qiu's actions and stepped forward to shield him.
Zhang Qiu took Jiang Xue's hand and smiled, saying, "Let's go."
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