The items from the cave had just been moved outside when Armed Forces personnel returned. They swiftly cleared the remaining goods from the entrance.
Huo Jingrui and the captain coordinating with the armed team conferred in low voices. Then, the men quickly vanished.
Afterward, Huo Jingrui took three comrades and prepared to accompany Lu Jingming and the others back down into the cave.
However, at this moment, Lu Jingming and Si Huaida began to argue. Si Huaida declared, "No! We’ve come this far. I must go with you."
"Listen to me. If something happens, at least you’ll be safe."
"Stop talking! You know full well how important this is. Enough! Let Xiaojian and Xiuyuan stay up here."
Seeing he couldn’t persuade Si Huaida, Lu Jingming turned to Huo Jingrui. But before he could say anything, Si Huaida was already at the cave mouth, his foot reaching for the rope ladder.
Lu Jingming, seeing no other option, had to follow. He didn’t forget to instruct his two assistants, "Later, follow everyone and retreat to a safe area." Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Guan Xiuyuan grew anxious and rushed to the cave mouth, calling down, "Master, I want to go down with you too!"
As he was about to step onto the rope ladder, Jian Zhenzhu came over and grabbed him, saying, "What’s the point of playing the hero at a time ?"
In truth, he was worried about what he would do if Guan Xiuyuan actually went down. So, he invoked authority, saying, "Now is not the time to show off. You must obey orders."
Huo Jingrui and Yunyi both glanced at Jian Zhenzhu, making his face burn. He felt as if they could see right through his thoughts.
As Si Huaiyuan landed, Huo Jingrui also stepped onto the rope ladder. Yunyi told him, "Be careful."
Huo Jingrui gave her a deep look, then quickly disappeared into the cave entrance.
Then, the three soldiers who had been called also quickly descended into the cave.
Afterward, soldiers came forward and led everyone away from the cave entrance, retreating a full five hundred meters.
Time ticked by. Everyone kept their gazes fixed on the cave entrance, too tense to even breathe loudly.
After all, nobody knew if the method to open the door had been deliberately provided. They also didn’t know if the final cipher could actually unlock the combination lock. If it couldn’t, those who went down might never come up again.
Although Yunyi appeared calm, her palms were sweaty. She was terribly worried about Huo Jingrui.
Huo Jingrui’s appearance was different from her Jingrui, but many of his mannerisms were identical to the person she knew so well. Even though she wanted to observe him more, in her heart, she had already recognized him.
The reason she wasn’t rushing was her belief that what belonged to her wouldn’t slip away.
Just when everyone’s anxiety was reaching its peak, cheers erupted from the cave, signaling that the door had been opened.
Some wanted to rush toward the cave entrance but were stopped by the soldiers guarding the area, who announced, "No one is to approach the cave entrance before receiving orders."
So, everyone had no choice but to continue waiting there.
Half an hour later, Huo Jingrui climbed out of the cave entrance. He beckoned several soldiers over. "Restore the entrance, camouflage it properly. Then spread out, hide, and stay alert."
The soldiers saluted crisply. "Yes, sir!"
Huo Jingrui added, "The safety of those below is now entirely entrusted to you."
Together they responded, "We guarantee we’ll complete the task!"
After giving these instructions, Huo Jingrui strode over to the Armed Forces captain. "Arrange for your men to split into two groups. One group will escort those items down the mountain and bring up supplies. The other group will into the mountains to rescue the hostages and arrest the traitors and enemy spies."