Shao Qi had some regrets. He should've waited for the rescue team before taking action. Once a fire starts, it can be relentless. He worried the people inside might be roasted alive.

As he prepared to enter the cave, a stone flew towards him. He swiftly dodged and fired a shot towards its origin, shouting, “Who's there?”

Zhou You hid behind a mound, recognizing the voice. Knowing it wasn't the eerie voice of the master from earlier, he surmised it might be one of the guards. So, he called out, “Don't shoot! Your comrades are in the cave. If you don’t want us all to die, let us out!”

Hearing the voice, Shao Qi hesitated. Wasn't that the voice of the missing young man? While running, he asked, “I'm here to rescue. How many are still in the cave? The cave is about to collapse, and there's a fire on the mountain. Let's get out first.”

Zhou You stood up. When the two met face-to-face, they were momentarily stunned.

“Is it you?”

“It’s you!” Both exclaimed simultaneously with differing intonations, but both were relieved. It's always easier to talk to someone familiar.

Zhou You hurriedly ran back, shouting, “Come out! The entrance is clear.”

The guards were the first to run out, followed by the workers. Zhou You ran against the flow, with Shao Qi close behind. Shao Qi grabbed his arm, inquiring, “Why are you going back in? The trees on the mountain are burning. Let's go!”

“There are still people inside. I need to make sure everyone got out,” Zhou You replied. Seeing that Shao Qi was alone and seemed injured, he added, “You should go first. If you faint, I can't carry you.” He respected Shao Qi for his bravery.

As they spoke, they were back in the cave. Shao Qi recognized the setup, thinking: This is undoubtedly the handiwork of that damned master – know this scent and formula.

The cave felt like a furnace. As Zhou You helped the last person out, even the ground felt hot enough to burn their feet. He urged Shao Qi to run, asking, “Why is the mountain burning?”

Shao Qi didn’t reply. Instead, he was observing their surroundings, pondering where Master Wei could be hiding.

“What is this place?” Shao Qi inquired.

“I'm not sure. Uncle Qiao and I accidentally ended up here and experienced something inexplicable. I'm still in shock.”

As they emerged from the cave, they saw a worker on fire. While others fled, Zhou You, without hesitation, took off Shao Qi's jacket to help extinguish the flames.

Considering how the fire started, Shao Qi didn’t reproach him. Indeed, given the temperature, wearing the jacket seemed impractical.

Zhou You successfully put out the flames and checked the injured worker. “Hold on. We don't have any medicine now, but I'll find some herbs to treat your burns later.”

“Thank you... thank you...” The worker grasped Zhou You's hand as if holding onto a lifeline.

The guards took off in their cars as soon as they exited the cave. Zhou You was furious, cursing, “Damn cowards! Hope I never see you again!”

The remaining workers stood in the empty parking area, the dangerous forest looming behind them. They dared not venture into the wilderness, yet even here they could still feel the heat from the fire.

“Will we ever make it home alive?” someone whispered.

Author's Note: Please like and add to your collection!

Chapter 028: Such good fortune exists?

Zhou You found Uncle Qiao lying unconscious by the roadside. He woke him up and then asked Shao Qi, "Mr. Shao, what a coincidence! What brings you here?"

"I noticed something unusual in the sky from my car, so I came to check out the situation. What happened inside the cave?"

Aware of his limited knowledge, Zhou You relayed what had transpired in the cave, "It's a pity the guards escaped. We could have extracted some information from them."

Shao Qi was skeptical, "Master Wei seems to be a cold-blooded man. The fact he could casually kill these guards suggests they weren't close confidants. Why would he share any significant information with them?"

Shao Qi approached a worker for questioning. The man, clearly still in shock, was incoherent and soon began crying uncontrollably.

Shao Qi fired a warning shot, silencing everyone. In a grave tone, he demanded, "Which base do you belong to? Why are you here? What's your purpose?"

After a prolonged silence, someone finally responded, "Sir, we're from the Jiangnan base. We were recruited to work here. The wages they offered were high, so despite knowing that the worksite was in the mountains, we came. We didn't expect such misfortune."

"Who hired you?"

"We were individually recruited. All we know is that the contractor's surname is Hong. After arriving, we noticed over twenty guards at the entrance. Initially, we thought they were here for our protection. Little did we realize..." The man paused, then added, "They wouldn't let us leave the cave. For three months, we never stepped outside. Everything – eating, drinking, everything – happened inside. Some of us have already gone mad or died."

"Do you know what you were building? And who drew those designs?" Zhou You probed further.

"At first, we thought it was some sort of secret base. As we dug deeper, it seemed more like a plaza capable of accommodating thousands. Regarding the designs... aside from the Nine Dragons Pillar which our craftsmen carved based on their blueprint, we have no idea about the rest."

Zhou You curiously inquired, "You lived inside the cave and didn't notice someone entering and drawing?"

Shao Qi answered on their behalf, "If they were kept inside the cave, inducing a collective sleep would be enough. They'd be none the wiser about any intruders and would just think they overslept."