Huangfu Huazhang squeezed Shi Nian’s hand, indicating understanding.
The two cautiously stepped into the cell. The space in the cell was relatively narrow, so searching around seed to be unexpectedly easier.
But both of them fully understood that the simpler it appeared, the more complex defusing this bomb likely would be. At the very least, it would definitely be more challenging than the earlier "Peacock Flies Southeast" one.
Suddenly, Huangfu Huazhang turned, pushing Shi Nian out of the room, holding her arms and signaling her to wait outside.
Since basents of almost all buildings in this area were used as air raid shelters, they were constructed to high standards. This one, made of reinforced concrete, had a significant level of earthquake resistance.
Moreover, from the building’s exterior, it was evident that this place was reliable: the above-ground sections had been reduced to ruins, yet the basent remained intact.
Thus he thought, if the bomb were to unfortunately explode, the reinforced concrete walls of the cell could offer Shi Nian so protection from the blast.
Such a silent conveyance of intention, Shi Nian naturally understood. She wished to hold his hand and be with him, but he pressed her shoulder and wrote in her palm: "The room is too small, don’t get in the way."
Shi Nian had no choice but to lightly bite her lip and retreat to the door.
With just a step away, if anything happened, she could still rush over in ti.
.
At this mont, they were unaware that George’s group had been subdued by Yan Xi, so they continued to communicate cautiously by writing in the palm of their hands. Actually, if they dared to speak at this mont, Yan Xi could have intercepted their conversation through listening equipnt and would have known they encountered a ti bomb in the basent, and thus could have had ti to relay this to Yanqing.
Unfortunately, things in this world seldom go as one wishes. There’s always a balance between gain and sacrifice.
As Yanqing held onto the handle, Yan Xi hadn’t been able to give him advance notice.
Yanqing exerted his strength, ready to open the door.
...yet hesitated slightly just as he was about to pull the door open.
He wondered why, after all his fighting above ground and the subsequent confrontation with Isee’s ard n, there had been no sound from below for so long?
He couldn’t believe Huangfu Huazhang hadn’t managed to unlock that complicated password lock by now.
When they divided tasks earlier, he recognized both his and Huangfu Huazhang’s strengths and weaknesses: the above-ground tasks clearly required physical exertion, where Huangfu Huazhang’s shortcoming was evident, so having him do such would be unnecessarily strenuous; conversely, unlocking in the basent was a technical task, demanding patience and strategy.
While he prided himself on his patience and strategic thinking not falling short of Huangfu Huazhang’s, it was clear the password lock design reflected the designer’s personality, with Huangfu Huazhang undoubtedly having a better understanding of George.
Thus, weighing both sides, he opted for the physical task, striving for a better situation for all three.
He trusted that with Huangfu Huazhang’s patience and strategic mind, no matter how difficult the lock design, it shouldn’t have taken this long. The continued silence below suggested only one thing: they must have encountered another challenge beyond the lock!
Ti passed swiftly, and the sunlight on this red earth grew even more scorching. The glaring reflections nearly made Yanqing dizzy.
He saw the glaring light, the raging flas. Sohow he couldn’t help recalling that devastating fire from years past.
Even though everything had been arranged, that unexpected explosion ruined it all...
If not for the sudden explosion, Shi Haoran wouldn’t have died, and he wouldn’t have been concussed.
The screaming sense of danger prevented him from pulling the door open.
He withdrew his hand, squinting fiercely at the door.
That door separated the above-ground from the underground worlds, and it separated him from Shi Nian.
If sothing happened below, wouldn’t this door forever separate them, parting life and death?
No, he couldn’t let her face it alone.
He reached out again to grasp the door handle.
.
Just at this critical mont, he heard a rapid pounding sound from above ground, as if soone was rushing over.
Alert, he quickly turned his head.
He saw a tall, slender silhouette dashing through the mirage-like shimring heat towards him.
He squinted his eyes, stood up, and went to et them.
He saw his usually graceful and gentle brother charging over like a black panther.
He reached out to steady his brother, glanced back behind him: "Is a tiger chasing you?"
If not, why was he running so fast?
Tang Yanxi gasped for breath through gritted teeth, then pressed his shoulder and finally shouted out: "Who told you not to bring your phone, nor a walkie-talkie. I waved a red bed sheet at you from the window for ages, and you didn’t even look!"
Tang Yanqing chuckled silently.
He was so focused on that door earlier that he truly hadn’t noticed anything there.
"What’s wrong?" He squinted to look at his brother: "Don’t tell you can’t handle one George."
Finally regaining his breath, Tang Yanxi snorted: "Then you’re needlessly worrying. I rushed over just because I feared you were in danger."
Tang Yanqing squinted his eyes: "Brother also senses sothing’s wrong?"
No ti for elaboration, Tang Yanxi shoved his phone at his younger brother: "Wait here; I’ll go back and check again, then call you."
.
Back in the room, Tang Yanxi examined George’s desk carefully.
Earlier, he’d been temporarily misled by the snowflakes on the computer screen, thinking the surveillance system had been damaged. He listened closely, but all was silent, assuming the monitoring system was broken like the surveillance equipnt.
Later, he discovered George had a small wireless earphone in his ear. Upon taking it out and putting it in his own ear, it was silent initially, but soon Shi Nian’s sharp scream startled him.
Utter fear.
Only then did he realize danger lurked below the basent!
He swiftly rechecked the electronic equipnt on the desk and finally found a microphone. He hurriedly spoke towards the tunnel: "Shi Nian, it’s Tang Yanxi. George’s threat has been mitigated; you can speak, let know your situation."
"Are you and Huangfu alright?"
.
In the basent, Tang Yanxi’s voice echoed, and Shi Nian’s nose tingled with emotion.
She was too overjoyed.
She quickly raised her voice: "Lawyer Tang, it’s . My husband and I are okay. We’ve encountered tid bombs; we’ve successfully disard two and are now dealing with the third one."
"Lawyer Tang, please, you must try to relay this to Mr. Tang above ground. The bomb’s fuse might be connected to the door; opening it could trigger an explosion. Tell him not to open the door, just wait for above ground!"
Upon hearing this circumstance, even the always calm Tang Yanxi felt overwheld.
Disarming such tid bombs tests not just chanical knowledge but resembles psychological gas more.
And the real challenge in this world isn’t chanical principles but the human mind!
While Shi Nian conversed with Tang Yanxi, in the cell, Huangfu Huazhang couldn’t help but turn around and gaze at Shi Nian solemnly.
Tang Yanxi had just called Shi Nian by her original na, "Shi Nian," not "Nian Nian" as instilled later. This proves his previous worries were true, and she recalled everything...
Although nas appear to be simple symbols, they hold special significance in psychology, representing "self." Since she can clearly recognize the "self," it ans all external influences exerted beyond the self have failed.
It signifies all his attempts to hypnotize her this ti have turned to bubbles.
His Taohuayuan, his dream of family reunion, at this mont in his heart and all around the land has turned into ruins.
This brief distraction affected his actions.
Shi Nian sensed the irregular frequency of sounds and quickly paused her communication with Tang Yanxi, turning back to ask, "What’s wrong, husband?"
Huangfu Huazhang closed his eyes deeply and then tried to say lightly: "It’s nothing."
Tang Yanxi took this opportunity to inform his younger brother about the situation. Tang Yanqing felt his scalp go numb, a chilling cold spreading from his feet, as if black poison vines climbed through his nerves and veins.
He had never experienced such fear.
It’s a nightmare revisiting; back then, he couldn’t rescue Shi Nian and Shi Haoran from the explosion and fire, regretting it for years, preventing him from reuniting with Shi Nian for many years...
And now faced with the sa situation. Can he overco the nightmare this ti and save his beloved girl?
He breathed deeply: "Brother, point the receiver at the microphone; I want to speak directly to them."
Imdiately connected, Tang Yanqing strove to calm down, speaking towards the other side: "Hey, it’s ."
His tone was light and playful, as always.
"Such a fun ga, how could you not include ? Big cousin, don’t hog all the fun, tell , what do you see now?"
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