Jin Dongdong's body stiffened, and he quickly waved his hand, his voice stuttering, "No...it's not! I...I used to...my dad was an old locksmith, and I...I just learned a little bit, really, that safe wasn't anything high-tech..." His voice grew softer as he spoke, fearing these people would take him for a habitual thief.
"Good luck?" Xiao Han leaned over, stroking his chin as he sized up Jin Dongdong. "Oh, kid, you have this skill too? Not bad!" There was a hint of surprised appreciation in his tone.
"I...I really didn't..." Jin Dongdong explained urgently. He had just been rescued by these people and didn't want to be mistaken for a bad guy again.
Su Wan, however, took another look at Jin Dongdong. "Don't be nervous. Knowing how to pick locks is a skill. You never know when it might come in handy."
Jin Dongdong looked at Su Wan gratefully, a little relieved.
Lu Shiyan tossed the metal instrument, then spoke again, "That Black Wolf, he values this instrument very much, and the things in that safe, right?"
Jin Dongdong nodded quickly, "Yes! He values it greatly! He usually carries that instrument with him. When I took the fountain pen, I saw him put the instrument on the table to charge, so I just... In the safe, there was only this." He pointed to the instrument in Lu Shiyan's hand.
"How many people are in Black Wind Stronghold? What's their firepower like? And their supply reserves?" Lu Shiyan continued to ask.
Jin Dongdong tried to recall, "About... about forty or fifty people, most of them men. They have guns; I've seen at least everyone with a rifle, and also homemade explosives. No, and there are also the men and women they've imprisoned, about 20 people."
"The stronghold... is that abandoned factory. The walls are very high, and there's only one large iron gate, which is usually locked. There are also people on twenty-four-hour rotating guard, and they keep several vicious dogs. Supplies... they've robbed a lot of things. I've seen rice, flour, and canned goods, quite a lot, all piled up in the warehouse."
"It sounds like Black Wind Stronghold is a rather interesting tough nut to crack," Xiao Han rubbed his nose.
Lu Shiyan's lips curved into a smile, "We'll pay them a visit."
Jin Dongdong also quickly said, "I... I can lead the way! I know where their warehouse is! They've robbed a lot of good things, including food, medicine, and gasoline!"
Lu Shiyan looked at Su Wan, "What do you think?"
Su Wan pondered for a moment. A place like Black Wind Stronghold would be a menace sooner or later. If they could take it down, they would not only gain supplies but also eliminate a public nuisance.
More importantly, Jin Dongdong had mentioned "Black Wolf's" emphasis on that instrument. She recalled the miraculous scene of Red Bean spitting out seeds after devouring the crystal core. This world could no longer be judged by common sense.
"I think we can go take a look," Su Wan said. "But we can't engage in a full-blown fight. After all, our goal isn't an all-out battle. Dongdong, are you familiar with the terrain inside? Are there any weakly guarded areas or usable passages?"
Jin Dongdong nodded vigorously, "Familiar! When I was imprisoned, I secretly observed! There's a spot in their backyard where the wall collapsed at one corner due to the previous earthquake. Although it's patched up with wooden boards and barbed wire, it's definitely not as sturdy as the main gate! And that area is close to their kitchen and utility room, so there are fewer patrols at night!"
"Very good." Lu Shiyan stood up. "We'll act tonight. Xiao Han, A Mo, you two are responsible for the outer perimeter, support, and vigilance. Li Kui, you're with me. Su Wan, you and Jin Dongdong will come with us. He'll be in charge of guiding, and you'll be in charge of coordination."
"No problem!" Su Wan immediately agreed.
Xiao Han pouted and grumbled, "Alright, alright, following Lu Da Shao means no easy days. My injuries haven't healed yet, and Little Red Bean isn't spitting out fruits anymore."
When Jin Dongdong heard 'fruits', he instinctively felt a little nauseous and wanted to throw up.
A Mo was as silent as ever, merely reloading his pistol.
"That's why we need to go at night," Lu Shiyan said calmly. "We're not going to fight them head-on. Our target is their warehouse and the things 'Black Wolf' values. Jin Dongdong, in that safe, besides your fountain pen and this instrument, was there anything else? Or, did you notice anything 'Black Wolf' was particularly attentive to?"
Jin Dongdong frowned, trying to recall. Suddenly, as if he remembered something, his eyes lit up.
"Oh right! That safe was actually double-layered! I pried open the outer layer and took this instrument. Inside... inside there seemed to be a small hidden compartment, but I was too nervous at the time and didn't dare to touch it further, afraid of triggering an alarm."
"Hidden compartment?" Lu Shiyan's interest grew even stronger.
"Also," Jin Dongdong added, "I saw 'Black Wolf' several times with that instrument, wandering around certain specific places in the stronghold, as if he was looking for something."
"Once I unintentionally overheard him talking to his confidant, mentioning terms like 'energy fluctuations' and 'source,' but I don't know what exactly they were."
"Energy fluctuations? Source?" Su Wan and Lu Shiyan exchanged glances.
Could it be that Black Wind Stronghold held some unknown secret? Or, was there some special energy source?
Lu Shiyan handed the metal detector to Su Wan, "Do you know how to use it?"
Su Wan took it, turning it over and over. There were several buttons on it, and the screen was dark. She tried pressing one of the buttons marked "ON/OFF."
The instrument vibrated slightly, and the screen lit up, displaying some incomprehensible symbols and a horizontal baseline.
"It seems... a bit complicated." Su Wan tried pressing a few more buttons. The baseline on the screen seemed to be slightly distorted at one point, as if affected by some invisible interference, then returned to jumping up and down, emitting irregular "beep beep" sounds.
Lu Shiyan withdrew his gaze, "Get ready. We'll leave after dark. Jin Dongdong, think carefully again about all the details concerning Black Wind Stronghold. Don't miss anything."
Jin Dongdong nodded heavily.
Li Kui silently inspected the fire axe in his hand. The axe blade was already a bit curled from previous battles, but he still wiped it very carefully.
Su Wan returned the fountain pen to Jin Dongdong. The boy took the pen, his eyes a little red, and carefully put it away close to his body.
"Thank you, Wan Jie."
Su Wan was about to step forward and pat his shoulder to encourage him, but as she approached, a sour, sweaty smell mixed with some indescribable stench of filth assailed her, making her instinctively hold her breath.
"Um..." She cleared her throat, a slight unnaturalness in her voice, and took out a large bucket of still slightly warm water and two sets of clean clothes from her space. "You two, you've been on the move all night. Go wash up over there first. Change into clean clothes, and then we can prepare for the next step."
The two hurried to wash. The weather was already very cold, so they quickly washed and changed into clean clothes. After washing, Jin Dongdong looked even fairer and more delicate.