Batman first used his hand-armor covered fingers to dig a small gap, lifting the torch to look inside, he indeed saw that the exit of the passageway pointed towards the opposite mine.
Batman recalled the overall view of the mine he had seen before in his mind. He calculated the distance of the passage and then found that the exit should be located right at the back-right corner of the mine bunker at the foot of the mine mountain.
There was no cover there and it was quite exposed, but hardly anyone goes there. The small mine on the opposite side was quite a distance away and was separated by a spewing chimney. The guards would not possibly be able to see any movements here.
After discovering this, Batman began to dig. The previous miner who had dug this passage had apparently done it to facilitate movement. The entrance was loosely buried so with a few light digs, more than half of it was dug up.
After Batman crawled into the tunnel, he used a layer of soil to bury the entrance again, extended a hand, and dragged a straw mat over to cover the hole.
After he left, a few black tendrils extended over to sweep away the float soil that had fallen due to the digging, and then silently retracted.
After crawling out of the hole at the foot of the mountain, Batman found a rugged but hidden path and started heading uphill. As soon as he reached the abandoned mine, he found that Shiller was already waiting there.
Just as Batman was about to step forward and say something, Alfred led Merkel in, also bringing two torches. Merkel secured the torches and a hint of light came into the formerly dark, abandoned mine.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Batman cleared his throat, but no one paid any attention to him. Shiller stood up first, stepped forward to shake hands with Alfred, and said, "Nice to meet you, comrade."
Alfred took off his hat and said to Shiller, "Nice to meet you, comrade, I am Action Member Big of the First Bureau of the Soviet National Security Committee, sending greetings from Moscow to you."
Merkel also stepped forward, shook hands with Shiller again, and then said, "Special Employment Commissioner of the Fifth Bureau of the Soviet National Security Committee, Oliver..."
Shiller nodded, looked at the two of them, and then said, "Due to confidentiality requirements, I am not able to reveal my real name and rank yet, but please believe that we are all struggling for the cause of communism."
"Yes, Mr. Rodriguez, a telegram from Moscow has arrived praising your revolutionary work in Central America," Alfred put his hat on the table and both of them sat down. Alfred then said, "Comrade Vasilyevich praised your exploits in Central America."
"In his handwritten letter, he calls you a lifelong friend of the Mexican people, the newly fluttering flag of the Americas."
But Shiller shook his head and said, "We all know that there have never been any saviors. Revolution is inevitable, spontaneous. It doesn't require brilliant and great leaders. This is the will of the Mexican people, the will of the American land..."
"On that sinful land, the Mexican people have been silent for too long. Therefore, just a little spark will be enough to burn down the entire Central American territory. They just need someone to guide them on the right path, just a passerby, not a leader. That is also why, I have not come forward."
"Nonetheless, Comrade Schiller, you have accomplished an unprecedented feat, injecting fresh blood into the heart that is distant in Moscow," Alfred said gravely.
But Shiller again shook his head and said, "There is no so-called heart in the cause of communism. Here, every comrade, every idealist, everyone who has ever walked this path, or is currently walking this path, is an indispensable artery."
Batman saw that Alfred's brow gradually relaxed, and Shiller continued to say, "Comrade Alfred, I know, at some point, you questioned some of the pioneers on this path, but that is quite normal."
"During the journey of exploration, there will always be confused times, people will always propose different opinions, take another fork in the road. However, if you never take a step forward, you will always be in the same place."
"You should not feel frustrated because of the mistakes of some people. On the contrary, it's just that, because you disagree with them, you feel confused and uncertain. This precisely shows that you are still loyal to your original ideals."
"Please believe that those constantly rushing arteries have never stopped moving forward."
"Maybe, the heart that once pulsated the most passionately is no longer young, just like the people of that era, some are shaky, some are aging."
"But new blood will still join in, a young and vibrant heart, will also beat on the new soil."
Shiller's tone was always calm, just like stating a fact. But Batman had never seen such an emotional expression on Alfred's face, he even saw his old butler become teary-eyed.
Batman had never seen such a fervent emotion in this old man. He was always serene and calm, like an old tree that had reached the end of life. Twisted and strong, each line was a story.
But today, Batman saw new vitality in the branches of the old tree, or rather, that was blood that had been suppressed in the aging trunk and multiple tree rings, now surging up to the heart again.
Alfred stood up and shook hands with Shiller again. The two were silent, saying nothing.
But Batman clearly saw that with just one look, they told the story of decades of world's magnificent and undulating life.
There was a power between their souls that Batman didn't understand, a power that made them shine brighter and more vigorously than the sun on the horizon, even when surrounded by demons in hell.
Merkel also seemed to be moved by this power. He and Batman remained silent and after a long silence in the abandoned mine, Shiller and Alfred both spoke up and then stopped together.
"You go ahead," Shiller motioned. But Alfred shook his head and said, "No, you go first. I'm sure your rank is higher than mine and your achievements are superior."
Shiller did not refuse. He nodded, stood up, and then said, "Now, we have three people and can form a temporary command headquarters. So, let me start by briefly explaining the spirit of the operation."
"The land of hell, thousands of years of vicissitudes, the people of hell, have suffered a lot. The Demon Lords are like mountains that sit upon the heads of regular hell-dwellers."
"And as us, the hell civilians, who have long been exploited, oppressed, resilient and resisting, we must fight to the end against the stubborn old forces!"
Shiller got up, looking at the gradually rising smoke outside the old tunnel, his voice echoed in the mines:
"All the oppressed mortals of hell, all the bottom races who have been bullied and exploited, all the demons enduring injustice, will unite and vow to make the endless-spread of hell dare to have a new sky!"