There was no choice but to move the stones blocking the well one by one. However, upon looking inside, we discovered the bottom of the well was dry. Even with a flashlight, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But I was persistent. I had a rope tied around myself. A police officer said to me then, "Team Leader He, this is too dangerous!"
"It's fine, don't worry. You pull hard up there. If anything happens, help me by pulling the rope!"
"Alright!"
The officers dared not defy my orders. Although these two were not part of the Punishing Sin Squad, I could see they were very active within the criminal investigation team, and I was considering recruiting them.
After I descended, the two above gripped the rope tightly. The end of the rope was tied to a tree. With their help, I managed to push off the well wall with my feet. Theoretically, these stones hadn't been moved, so it would be impossible for anyone to have descended. Yet, for some reason, I had a feeling that someone had come down here.
In fact, there were handprints on a few of the stones, which I didn't mention. If I wasn't mistaken, Liu Yuning and Xiao Yuande must have moved these stones and observed from the well's edge. I just didn't know what happened along the way that led to them being pushed down.
Upon reaching the bottom of the well, I found the ground to be quite soft. Indeed, there were depressions where two people had fallen, but the bodies were no longer there.
I cautiously surveyed the bottom of the well. Suddenly, I noticed a crevice nearby. Putting my ear to it, I heard the sound of wind. I quickly pushed, and a door on the well wall swung open.
Interesting! There was a secret passage here. This village was clearly not simple. I followed the secret passage, shining my flashlight into the darkness, my feet treading on mud and sand as I moved forward, resolutely and calmly.
My other hand, of course, was gripping my gun. For a moment, I felt my father's strength pouring into me, and my grandfather calling to me. Until I reached a strip-shaped passage at the bottom of the well, I found there were entrances in all directions: left, right, front, and back. For a moment, I didn't know which way to go. But through the footprints on the ground, I saw that the two had likely proceeded towards the left.
I walked along this path for a while. The further I went, the more I realized that this place beneath the well must be some kind of hidden ancient ruin. It wasn't a tomb; more accurately, it seemed to be a place where miners had once excavated, as the minerals embedded in the left and right well walls suggested this to me.
As I walked, I saw two figures lying on the ground. They seemed to have fainted from inhaling a considerable amount of something. I observed the surroundings, and a gust of grayish-yellow smoke assailed my nostrils. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and immediately sprayed the cassia seed and chili oil spray everywhere to purify the air. Then, I quickly placed a Purity Pill into their mouths. He Xiaoyu had left these for me before. However, since she had taught me how to make them, I would secretly produce some myself when I had free time.
With the Purity Pills in their mouths, Xiao Yuande and Liu Yuning soon regained consciousness. Without me saying anything, they realized what had happened. Xiao Yuande immediately stood up and helped me support Liu Yuning. "The situation here seems peculiar, but we cannot proceed further unless we are equipped."
"Yes, let's leave for now!" I replied. Soon, we returned to the bottom of the well and, with the help of the two officers outside, climbed out one by one.
Back at the provincial department, we conducted a detailed investigation into the specific situation of Huagui Village. We wouldn't have known otherwise. This village had indeed been eyed by a mine owner in the past, and he had constructed a mine in the underground level. However, for reasons unknown, something had happened one year, resulting in the deaths of many miners. The owner had gone mad and doused himself with gasoline in the mine shaft before lighting a match, setting himself on fire. The remnants of the mine still existed there. But due to years of neglect, some sulfur had filled the entire mine tunnel. To enter now, one would need protective gear.
My cassia seed and chili oil spray was somewhat effective, but continuous spraying would surely be insufficient in the end. Therefore, I abandoned that idea. We continued our discussion in the criminal case conference room. When the miner owner, Du Zhiming, was mentioned, I couldn't help but frown, "Du Zhiming?"
"Yes, it's quite a coincidence. This fellow is connected to Du Qitai. Guess what their relationship is?" He Xin seemed to be deliberately building suspense, a smug smile playing on her lips.
"Damn it, just tell us!" I feigned annoyance, glaring at her, my eyebrows raised.
"Alright, actually, Du Zhiming is Du Qitai's father! Hahaha!"
"I wonder if Du Qitai lived in the mine shaft back then. Can that be determined?"
"There's some vague information. It mentions a woman, Gao Fanchun. This should be Du Qitai's mother."
"What's left is for you all to investigate thoroughly. Go to the mine shaft again!"
I knew for sure that if we went this time, we couldn't do it like before, or we would all become wandering souls in the mine shaft.
We sought out some exploration experts from the provincial department. Additionally, ten SWAT officers led by Li Fan, ten criminal investigators, and members of the Punishing Sin Squad were dispatched. This time, almost everyone was present, except for Xie Chuchu and Xiao Dong.
As for the case of the stolen eyes, I didn't know if it was related to the mine shaft, but since it was in Huagui Village, there might be a connection.
Besides, we still hadn't found Qian Zhiqiang's body.
Entering the well, we were all fully equipped and began our in-depth investigation once more. Upon reaching the junction again, we split into several groups, sending people to explore all four directions.
Liu Yuning, Zhang Keying, and a portion of the police officers were in my group. The others, each with a considerable number of people, went their separate ways. We followed the path where I had discovered Xiao Yuande and the others previously. This time, with gas masks and protective suits, we could venture further.
With the help of our goggles, our vision remained clear. However, after about fifteen minutes of exploration, the visibility around us decreased further. At this point, an exploration expert beside me said, "I've been to similar mine shafts before, but not as troublesome as this one. The sulfuric acid concentration here is severely exceeding the limit. If I were to accidentally inhale even a tiny bit, I'd lose my life."
"Everyone, be careful. Don't move randomly. Remain calm. I will lead the way!" I said bravely, even moving ahead of the SWAT officers.