Translator: Cinder Translations
--------
A taut hemp rope lay across her path, about 10 centimeters above the ground. In the darkness, it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.
One end of the rope was tied to a hidden bush, and the other disappeared into the dirt near a large rock.
This was a tripwire landmine.
Although crudely made, it was a real landmine.
Cold sweat instantly covered Chen Xiaomeng's forehead.
No wonder the village chief didn't need to arrange night guards; they had buried landmines along the only path out of the village.
That was close.
The two carefully stepped over the hemp rope and then inspected the area.
Fortunately, there was only this one.
Just as Chen Xiaomeng was trying to determine the direction toward the mountain path leading to Anping Town, she suddenly realized Jiang Cheng was gone.
Turning around, she was surprised to see Jiang Cheng lying on the ground, crawling along the hemp rope's path, carefully clearing some dirt. Then he took something out of his pocket.
His actions were extremely professional.
After a few minutes of busy work, Jiang Cheng stood up, holding a black object in his hand.
Chen Xiaomeng stared at Jiang Cheng as if he were an alien.
He had actually gone back and disarmed the landmine?!
Putting aside his specialized skill in bomb disposal, she was more puzzled by Jiang Cheng's intentions.
But soon, she understood.
She watched as Jiang Cheng carefully cradled the landmine and ran back to the village. He buried it at the village entrance, then set it up before covering the hemp rope with some weeds.
After finishing everything, Jiang Cheng cheerfully ran back. "Let's go."
Chen Xiaomeng's throat involuntarily rolled as if she wanted to say something, but after a long pause, she kept quiet.
The two continued in the direction Chen Xiaomeng had chosen.
Once they entered the forest, they sped up. Wild animals like hares and mountain foxes roamed this area, so the villagers wouldn't have placed landmines here.
Their physical fitness was much better than the average person, and compared to the villagers who were used to mountain paths, they weren't much slower. At this pace, they would reach Anping Town before dawn.
Weird sounds occasionally came from the forest, like animals passing by or perhaps someone following them.
"What exactly do you do?" Chen Xiaomeng asked in a low voice.
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment before replying, "I have many professions, depending on what the client prefers. Personally, I lean toward being a doctor," he said excitedly. "Because the lab coat is loose, it's easy to hide tips from the supervisor."
Chen Xiaomeng: "How did you not blow yourself up while disarming the mine?"
"Tch," Jiang Cheng muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Even if you're the top of the high-end team, how do you explain disarming and setting up landmines?" Chen Xiaomeng eyed him warily. "I don't believe they teach that in your training."
Jiang Cheng thought for a while, then mysteriously replied, "Well, I learned this on my own. I bought a second-hand video course online. It cost 15 yuan for mine setting, and if you can afford it, you could add 10 yuan to learn bomb disposal too."
Chen Xiaomeng felt a headache coming from listening to Jiang Cheng talk, so she shut her mouth and ignored him.
"This is really easy," Jiang Cheng said. "Knowledge is power. I recommend you check it out. If you want, just give me your WeChat, and I'll send it to you."
Chen Xiaomeng sneered. "Are you sure you're not going to use my WeChat to identify me and then bring people to catch me?"
"What would I catch you for?" Jiang Cheng said, spreading his hands innocently. "With your look and figure, I bet the 200 group wouldn't even want you."
TL/N: The "200 group" (二百组) is likely a reference to a ranking or category, often used humorously or sarcastically in Chinese contexts to signify something or someone perceived as average, subpar, or undesirable in a specific context, like appearance, talent, or skills
Chen Xiaomeng's face flushed red from anger. Her blood was boiling, and she no longer felt cold.
After walking for several hours, they finally reached the edge of the forest.
They stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing at Anping Town not far away.
It was around 2 or 3 a.m., and the town was eerily quiet.
Some houses had red and white lanterns hanging outside, varying in size.
The lanterns swayed slightly in the night breeze, giving off a strange feeling.
Chen Xiaomeng stared at the lanterns, her eyes flashing with an odd expression.
"Do you think those lanterns are related to the ghosts?" she whispered.
Jiang Cheng squinted, slowly scanning the town, then nodded after a long pause. "It's possible."
Earlier, they had seen that some villagers kept dogs, so they abandoned the idea of sneaking into Anping Town under the cover of night to avoid alarming anyone.
The two found a sheltered depression at the edge of the forest.
It was a low-lying area, shielded by rocks and a few trees, perfect for hiding and resting.
The next step was to wait for dawn and then head back to the town to find the archived files and uncover the name of the female ghost to complete the clues.
Based on the current situation, they would decide whether to go straight to Anping Inn to capture the hidden Qian family member.
All clues pointed to Anping Inn, the final and most critical point of the mission. It was likely hiding a danger they were unaware of.
"I have a feeling," Chen Xiaomeng, nestled between rocks and trees, suddenly spoke, "Tomorrow will be the last day. After the sun sets, it will never rise again."
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment and then said, "That's scary."
Chen Xiaomeng watched him, her curiosity about him reaching its peak.
What kind of person was he? What was his background, and what kind of job did he have?
She couldn't figure out what was going on in his mind.
But one thing she was sure of and accepted:
His ability.
He appeared carefree and indifferent to everything, but in reality, he was meticulous and organized, making decisive actions in tough situations without ever showing guilt afterward.
Rather than resembling a person, he seemed like a finely tuned machine.
He had no unnecessary emotions, only occasionally cracking a few provocative jokes, but there was almost no emotional fluctuation.
So far, Chen Xiaomeng could only guess that he might have a strange obsession with certain professions in KTV. In both missions, he had been tirelessly introducing his profession to everyone.
His face glowed with pride as if he were talking about something to make his family proud.
Chen Xiaomeng speculated that it might be related to his childhood experiences.
For example, some of his relatives might have worked in a similar industry.
The influence of those family members, along with the profession they were in, had probably affected him in subtle ways.
A person's childhood is a crucial period for shaping their character, and such character development is almost irreversible.
People with cold personality disorders often suffer from long-term domestic or external violence and neglect, causing them to become numb to negative stimuli. Over time, they develop into emotionally distant and distorted individuals.
(End of the Chapter)
---
Read (NS) ahead on (pa treon . com / CinderTL) – Chapter 234.
Early access starts at $1. Your support keeps this going!
Use Code CINDER2025 to get 50% first month discount on TUR and TUP Tiers. Valid Till 15Jan2025. \(^O^)/
$1 for this novel, or two novels for just $5, RDC/FF/MF Tiers. ;)
Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.