BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 32 The Incident Site

The whole affair had scared Che Qianzi into breaking out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, no real harm had been done. He followed Sun Desheng to Room Five.

Sun Fatty had come specifically to find the director of Room Five, Ouyang Pianzuo. Unfortunately, upon arriving, he learned that Ouyang was resting at home.

The old director had spent several exhausting days in Jiuhe City, both physically and mentally drained, only to come away empty-handed. After reporting back to Yang Shuji, he had taken leave and gone home to recover.

At present, the person in charge of Room Five was Deputy Director Xiao Yifeng.

Xiao had only been promoted in recent years and got along well with Sun Desheng. Sun Fatty immediately brought Che Qianzi over and said:

“Old Xiao, perfect timing. This is my brother, Che Qianzi. He just joined the Bureau and will be accompanying Room Two on this field mission. Help him get a set of equipment.”

“Director Sun’s brother? Say no more.”

Xiao smiled warmly.

“I’ll issue him the equipment that Deputy Director Shen La used to use.”

He sat down at his computer and continued:

“Give me Che Qianzi’s position and Bureau ID number… Che Qianzi…”

After entering the name, nothing appeared on the screen.

Xiao froze.

He entered it again.

Still nothing.

Looking at Sun Desheng and Che Qianzi, he muttered:

“What’s wrong with the system this time? That shouldn’t happen… Director Sun, when was your brother’s contract submitted?”

“Oh right, the contract!”

Sun slapped his forehead.

“Sorry, Old Xiao. We never submitted it. We’ve been so busy with the Ghost Market incident these past few days that I completely forgot about it. How about this? Let him borrow Shen La’s equipment for now. We’ll return it afterward.”

Xiao shook his head helplessly.

“In the past, no problem. One word from you and it would’ve been done. But Yang Shuji changed the regulations last month. Every piece of equipment issued now has to be registered.”

After glancing around to make sure nobody else was listening, he lowered his voice.

“How about this? I’ll pull out the equipment you left here years ago. I’ll record it as you taking your own gear back. What happens afterward is none of my business.”

“Good enough.”

Sun Fatty laughed.

“Something is better than nothing.”

Then he turned to Che Qianzi.

“My old gear isn’t bad. After this mission, we’ll get Shen La to hook you up with some good stuff. And leave the handgun here. You haven’t completed firearms training. Giving you a gun right now is asking for trouble.”

Not long afterward, Xiao personally brought out Sun Desheng’s equipment.

Everything was stored in an old suitcase.

Since Sun had become Bureau Chief and stopped going into the field, the suitcase had sat untouched for years, covered in a thick layer of dust.

Opening it in front of them, Xiao revealed its contents.

Unlike most investigators, who carried talismans and ritual supplies, Sun’s kit contained only:

A handgun

A collapsible baton

A pitch-black short sword

The handgun and baton were ordinary enough.

The sword, however, made Sun pause.

“Huh?”

He slapped his forehead.

“Now I remember. Shen La left this sword with me during my last field mission. Later he upgraded to better equipment, and I never opened this case again. Completely forgot about it.”

While Sun was speaking, Xiao inspected the handgun and frowned.

“Director Sun, who checked this weapon back in? The safety is still engaged, but the slide has been sitting in a ready-to-fire state all this time. The spring needs replacing, and the sights will need recalibration.”

“I already said, keep the handgun.”

Sun took out the sword and baton and handed them to Che Qianzi.

“Brother, you’re lucky. You have no idea how many people in the Bureau have wanted this sword. Director Wu personally forged it. It may not be a top-tier magical artifact, but it’s still first-class equipment.”

Che Qianzi was still eyeing the handgun.

Unfortunately, Xiao had already begun disassembling it in front of him.

Resigned, he tucked the baton and short sword behind his waist and said: “How about this? Give me the revolver, and you can have this precious Bureau treasure.”

Sun shook his head, smiling.

“In the Bureau, carrying a gun requires a firearms permit. When we get back, I’ll personally help you apply. Forget my revolver—I’ll have Director Ouyang get you a Gatling gun. One of those that spits blue muzzle flashes.”

After collecting the equipment, Sun led Che Qianzi outside.

A large bus was already waiting at the front gate.

The personnel assigned to the Altyn-Tagh Nature Reserve mission had all arrived.

As soon as the two boarded, the bus headed for the airport.

They flew aboard the Bureau’s private aircraft to Shihezi Huayuan Airport in Xinjiang.

After landing, the team split into two groups.

Xiong Wanyi and Ximen Lian, along with Sun Desheng and Che Qianzi, boarded a helicopter and flew directly to the incident site.

The remaining investigators traveled overland by bus.

After more than two hours in the air, the helicopter landed in a barren stretch of the Gobi Desert.

This was the disaster site.

The original rescue workers had already withdrawn.

In their place were over two hundred armed rescue soldiers, still attempting to excavate the collapsed area and rescue any remaining survivors underground.

The area had been sealed off.

After showing their credentials, Xiong and the others were escorted by a sentry into a large command tent.

The officer currently in charge was a company commander who was visibly troubled over how to proceed with the rescue.

So much time had passed that the trapped survey team members were unlikely to still be alive.

After identifying themselves, Ximen Lian got straight to the point:

“No need for formalities. Stop all rescue operations immediately. Our people will reassess the underground situation first. We’ll decide the next course of action afterward.”

“We can’t stop.”

The commander looked at them anxiously.

“My men heard voices underground while digging. Human voices. We’re very close.”

Then he continued:

“There are still lives down there. By the time your assessment is finished, anyone who might still be alive will probably be dead.”

“You heard people talking?”

Ximen frowned.

“Did they hear what was being said? Any accent? And did anything unusual happen afterward?”

The commander replied:

“The soldier who heard it is still guarding the shaft entrance. You’ll have to ask him when he comes back—”

Before he could finish, the ground beneath them suddenly shook violently.

A moment later, agonized screams erupted from the direction of the mine entrance.

Before anyone could react, a dirt-covered soldier burst into the tent.

“Captain Li! Something’s wrong!”

He was panting heavily.

“There was an explosion in the shaft just now! Liu Yiyang and several others went down moments ago. Their condition is unknown!”

The commander’s face instantly changed.

“Who authorized them to go down there?! This is madness!”

As he shouted, he rushed out of the tent.

Sun Desheng exchanged a glance with Ximen Lian.

Then Sun, Ximen, Xiong Wanyi, and Che Qianzi all followed him outside.

They ran to the mine entrance.

Three to four dozen soldiers had already gathered there.

A large-built soldier was lying flat on the ground, shouting desperately into the shaft:

“He Chunsheng! How are you guys?! Hold on! I’ll send people down right away!”

By then, Xiong Wanyi and Ximen Lian had arrived behind him.

The two exchanged a few whispered words.

Then Old Xiong quietly pulled out a lighter.

He flicked it on and tossed it into the shaft.

The lighter had barely fallen into the pit when—

BOOM!

A gigantic fireball erupted from below.

Along with it came a wave of nauseating, putrid stench that made everyone recoil.