Chapter 654: An Unexpected Noise
After stepping out of the stone forest, Tang Xiu arranged a triple layer type of arrays in its surrounding: an Illusion Array, an Everchanging Big Dipper Array, and a Defensive Array. The Illusion Array could confuse other’s eyes so they could not find the existence of this stone forest, the Everchanging Big Dipper Array would transfer them outside, and the Defensive Array in the innermost was specifically arranged to deal with cultivators. Unless they were at the Golden Core Stage level, it would be very hard for them to break through this array.
This triple array was linked and interlocked with each other—ingeniously making its might increase progressively.
“It’ done.”
Tang Xiu wiped off the sweat on his forehead and spent two-plus hours drawing the array formation. Such a layout required a high degree of concentration and taxed on his mental power, making him struggle with the difficulty. It could be said that this triple layer array was the most profound array he had ever placed after returning to Earth.
Kang Xia took out the handkerchief from her bag she always carried and carefully helped Tang Xiu wipe off the sweat on his forehead, asking, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just spent a large portion of my mental power.” Tang Xiu shook his head and smilingly said, “However, you all must remember to never tell anyone about this Spirit Spring’s existence, except to a few of our people. This Earth vein’s Spirit Spring is literally a treasure trove, and we would suffer a huge loss if it is known by other people.”
“Got it!” Kang Xia and Andy nodded, and so did Gu Yin and Tang Xiaohan.
In the quiet of the dead night.
The flickering Red Planet was dimming at the mountain foot, as a cold wave wreaked havoc toward the two SUVs there. A few stocky figures, however, were actually standing next to the cars and constantly had their eyes constantly set at the mountain peak under the moonlight.
Two kilometers away, Zhao Donghe was standing on the second floor of a small house in the Su Family Village, watching those people next to the two SUVs with binoculars. In front of him, more than a dozen policemen in their uniforms were standing, and the most striking sight on them was that something bulged in their waists. It was obvious that they were armed.
“Chief Zhao, it’s been five days already. What exactly do they want to do here?” Asked a young policeman whose face looked tired while yawning.
“You got tired already?” Zhao Donghe glanced at him. “You must have the spirit of hard work and endurance as a policeman. When I was in the Criminal Case section of the city, let alone staying in one place for five days, I had even stayed put for half a month! These people are suspicious and are likely to have some bad intentions. So they must be monitored even if we have to endure this cold and fatigue.”
The young policeman looked embarrassed. He nodded repeatedly and replied, “I understand. What you taught me is correct, Chief Zhao. But I’m really curious about what they want to do to actually stay in the back of the mountain for five days like this.”
“The longer they stay idle there, the bigger the plot,” said Zhao Donghe. “Alright, I’m going to rest for a while. Wake me up if you see something unusual.”
The young policeman took the binoculars and watched Zhao Donghe leave before using the binoculars to continue monitoring. Just as Zhao Donghe was about to go down the ladder, the young policeman’s face suddenly changed and hurriedly shouted, “Chief Zhao, something’s up!”
Zhao Donghe stared blankly for a second before immediately striding back. He then grabbed the binoculars to observe the scene.
“Um? Isn’t that…”
At the foot of the mountain.
It took five hours for Tang Xiu’s group to finally come out from the mountain, and as he got there, he looked at the Mo Awu’s group of three who greeted him and smilingly said, “You’ve worked hard. Any unexpected incident happened in these days?”
“There are cops hiding in the dark to protect us, Boss, so of course nothing unexpected happened. The first day you trekked up the mountain, there were some villagers nearby who came here, and then came the cops. But nobody came again since.”
The police?
Tang Xiu frowned and asked, “There are cops around here?”
“Yeah.” Mo Awu nodded. “They are in the village two-plus kilometers from here. We have observed them too, and they have been watching us with binoculars. Biao Wang took the opportunity to observe them when he went to the town to buy food, and quietly sneaked over there to clarify the identity of those policemen. They are from the Qinghe County’s Public Security Bureau.”
Tang Xiu nodded and said, “They should have received reports from people who think you all look suspicious here. Anyways, let it be. Let us just leave since this is only a misunderstanding.”
The two cars then drove to the Su Family Village’s vicinity.
Just as they arrived there, four police cars blocked them. Tang Xiu did not rush to get off and only looked at the restless policemen in front. As Zhao Donghe came out with two policemen, Tang Xiu’s brows pricked and then opened the car’s door to get out.
“Why are you here, Tang Xiu?” Zhao Donghe wore a wry smile and deftly took out a cigarette to offer him.
Tang Xiu took the cigarette and smilingly said, “If my guess is correct, we should have created an unexpected noise here, Chief Zhao. I just heard from my bodyguards that the police force has been protecting them in secret these five days. As a matter of fact, I went camping on the mountain with my family members and friends. I got lost in the back of the mountain, so I took a detour and spent several days to come out.”
Zhao Donghe was stunned. Never did he expect that the reports from public sent to the Public Security Bureau would turn out to be such an unexpected scene like this. The report said that suspicious people were seen strolling around the vicinity of this place. He even had to put down all the other matters he was handling to stay put for five days in such a cold weather!
He looked at Kang Xia and Andy, as well as at Gu Yin and Tang Xiaohan, as his mouth twitched a few times, being at a loss of what to say. Although Kang Xia and Andy gave him a breathtaking feeling, he believed that Tang Xiu would not do something indecent with these women since he also brought children.
“Cough cough…. Since this is just a misunderstanding, then we don’t need to stay here any longer and suffer more hardships. Tang Xiu, if you ever come play here again, just let us know in advance formally, else we’ll receive reports from people again…”
From his tone, Tang Xiu could feel a bit complaint, so he immediately showed an apologetic look and smilingly said, “I am really sorry, Chief Zhao. I only thought about making my family and friends happy, so I didn’t expect to make such a misunderstanding. By the way, I heard that the kitchen in the Public Security Bureau’s office is getting old and should be repaired. So how about I donate 500 thousand yuan as a token of my goodwill?”
“This…”
Zhao Donghe was inwardly clear that the goodwill Tang Xiu showed him was a way to apologize. Saying that the Public Security Bureau’s kitchen was dilapidated was nothing but an excuse. However, he appreciated Tang Xiu’s attitude in this matter, and held him in high esteem, and praised Tang Xiu inwardly for his good character. Eventually, he agreed.
Since they must leave, Tang Xiu and his convoy were escorted by four or five police cars all the way to the highway crossroad. After bidding them farewell, then they hurried back to Star City.
It was already early in the morning when they came back to Star City. Tang Xiu ordered Mo Awu to send Kang Xia and Andy back home while he personally drove back to South Gate Town. Although Gu Yin and Tang Xiaohan had slept for a few hours on the road, he still ordered them to go to their rooms to sleep.
“Tang Xiu, there’s someone called Boss Yuan Zhengxuan who came to visit here the day before yesterday. He said that he called you but your phone was turned off. I told him that you went out of the city, so he left a message for you to call him as fast as possible when you come back.” Mu Qingping quickly reported when she saw Tang Xiu downstairs.
Tang Xiu’s eyes lit up. He nodded and said, “Got it. I’ll see him after breakfast.”
“Anyways, I already bought the flight ticket to Saipan, scheduled at noon on January 16th,” continued Mu Qingping with a smile.
“Why not stay at home for a few more days?” Asked Tang Xiu after pondering for a while.
“This place and Nine Dragons Island are both my home.” Mu Qingping smiled. “It’s been some time that I’m back in the mainland. I don’t feel relieved leaving the matters over there to the others for a long time.”
“Alright, then. Since you already booked a flight, just do like you’ve planned!” Said Tang Xiu. “I’ll assign two bodyguards to go with you this time. Don’t think of rejecting. Your safety is very important, so I must make sure that you arrive in Nine Dragons Island smoothly.”
Mu Qingping felt warm inside, and the words she prepared to reject were swallowed back.
After having breakfast, Tang Xiu took his mobile phone that had been 20% charged. After taking the charger, he called Yuan Zhengxuan and made an appointment to meet at a small electronics factory in Star City.
“Here!”
After arriving at the entrance of the small electronics factory, he saw Yuan Zhengxuan waving and called out to him from the security post direction. He parked the car on the roadside, got off and said with a smile, “I was temporarily out of the city before, Uncle Yuan, and I just came back early in the morning today. It isn’t that urgent an issue, is it?”
“It’s alright.” Yuan Zhengxuan smiled. “By the way, I’ve already conveyed your idea about wanting those scientists and researchers in advance. But they have yet to agree immediately since they don’t know the product you want to research. Everybody is now inside and want to talk to you.”
“No problem. Please take the lead and bring me there, Uncle Yuan,” said Tang Xiu.
As he drove the car into the electronics factory, Tang Xiu learned from Yuan Zhengxuan that the secret laboratory was set up here. The products researched by those researchers had already been completed, so most of the security forces had been dismissed as well. The place was named as an electronics factory on the surface, but it was a just a cover-up.
“Boss!”
At the entrance of a three-story building, two security guards in uniforms saluted.
Yuan Zhengxuan nodded at them and took Tang Xiu inside, stopping outside the elevator installed in one of the rooms. After having gone through a series of verifications through fingerprint, retina, password, and work card swiping, only then did the two were able to enter the elevator, as then Yuan Zhengxuan then pressed the -2 button.
Second floor underground.
As the two men entered, what presented itself before Tang Xiu was a huge space. The environment inside was nearly similar with those in the movies, with all sorts of hi-tech instruments and walls made of molten iron, looking like an impregnable iron bastion.
Except for the sealed room in the inner side, dozens of scientists and researchers were there. Some of them were facing desktop computers and playing, some were flipping through magazines, while some others were fiddling with their mobile phones, seemingly playing mobile games.
Clap clap clap…
Yuan Zhengxuan clapped and loudly spoke, “Everyone, could please stop playing? I’ll introduce someone to you. This is Tang Xiu, a renowned figure in Star City. I think you already know his identity.”
“The young Divine Doctor of Star City Chinese Medical Hospital.”
A white-haired old man in a white coat approached and greeted them. He was holding a picture frame in his hand as he reached out his hand and smilingly said, “I’m Mo Yi, the director of this research institute. You can call me Director Mo or Professor Mo.”