Chapter 5
Heifeng's face changed, and he immediately forgot about Rongyuan's existence and rushed out first. The rest of the people also rushed to the base at almost the same time. At the same time, they consciously separated the front, back, left, and right guards and the rear guards in the dark mine tunnel. This combat quality has become an instinctive one, just like breathing, and it was formed in their long struggle for survival.
In a few breaths, Rong Yuan was the only one left. He closed his eyes, listened attentively, and then walked forward.
Living on the Prison Star, most activities except hunting are carried out underground, because people's night vision ability is very outstanding. In other words, only those with this ability can survive. But no one can be like Rong Yuan. To him, darkness is like daylight. The slight air flow brings all kinds of messy information fragments from afar, piecing together a nearly complete picture in his mind.
After turning a few corners, Rong Yuan saw the base of Heifeng and his men - a mine cave with an area of about 300 square meters. Some low walls were built with gravel and soil to separate areas with different functions. There were palm-sized holes dug in the wall, and several torches were inserted, bringing a dim light. In addition to the entrance they came in, there were two dark mine tunnels, and no one knew where they led to.
Most of the small compartments in the mine were bedrooms with distinct personal styles, simple earthen beds, and some rough and simple decorations and personal belongings on the walls. The other two places, which looked like kitchens and storage rooms, also had very few things in them. The kitchen was filled with some black dried meat and plants that looked like dead grass, and the kitchen utensils were mostly made of wood or stone. In the storage room, there were messy animal furs, shells, bones, stones, wooden shovels and other things. Similarly, calling them garbage seemed to be a compliment.
Rong Yuan raised his eyebrows in surprise.
He had expected the simplicity and poverty in the mine, and he had not had high expectations for it. But the layout inside surprised Rong Yuan.
There were five or six small rooms without doors and the walls were only half a person's height, so the interior was clearly visible. Various small items were placed carelessly in the holes in the wall or on the beds made of earth and stones. It was obvious that some people were richer and had extra clothes and leftover food, while others were so poor that they only had a pair of pants left, and the bed was bare without even a straw.
This proves two things: first, this small group does not follow the principle of equal distribution, but rather the principle of more work, more pay, and perhaps also the principle of status and seniority, so the gap between the rich and the poor is quite obvious. However, from their previous interactions along the way, it can be seen that there is no exploitation and exploitation among them; second, they are not good people to the outside world, but they have their own set of rules internally, and the members are equal, respectful, and trustful to each other, so there is a relatively harmonious atmosphere, and precious food is not hidden privately, and theft and suspicion are not likely to happen.
Rong Yuan's impression of them immediately improved a bit.
However, what really changed his impression was not these dead objects, but the three people in the mine.
Three women.
The ratio of men to women on the prison planet is seriously unbalanced. Women are a very scarce resource here. Therefore, the outside world has all kinds of unbearable assumptions about how female prisoners will be treated on the prison planet. For this reason, many female criminals commit suicide when they are arrested because they are afraid of being sent to the prison planet. Some scholars and humanitarians in the empire have been calling for female prisoners to be sent to different prison planets or to establish isolation areas on prison planets, but this suggestion has not been passed due to various factors.
But from what Rong Yuan saw, the three women in front of him were not treated humiliatingly. On the contrary, they received the utmost care and protection from the men.
Although they were all rather thin, and their faces were particularly pale from having lived underground for so long, they were fully clothed and in good health. Their expressions revealed a closeness and trust in Heifeng and the others, without the slightest fear or resentment.
The two older women had wrinkles on their faces and rough fingers. It was one of them who was crying. A woman with unkempt brown hair had a bloody chest. She leaned against Heifeng, covering her face with her hands, and almost fainted from crying. Another red-haired woman sat next to her. One of her legs was broken at the knee and tied tightly with rags. Blood was still seeping from the rags, but she looked calm and explained the cause of the incident to everyone in a clear and logical manner. There was also a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old, whose face was so pale that it was almost transparent. She also didn't speak, kneeling beside the red-haired woman to bandage her wound.
"…We didn't make it in time. Little Stone was caught by the black beetle. Leaf refused to listen and chased after it…It's been thirty minutes now."
The red-haired woman explained the whole story in a few words. After listening, Heifeng's face was as tight as iron. He clenched his teeth tightly, as if he relaxed, his energy and spirit would drain away.
Rong Yuan knew from the red-haired woman's words and everyone's expressions that the brown-haired woman was Heifeng's wife, and Ye Zi and Xiao Shitou were their only two sons. Not long ago, two black beetles suddenly emerged from a mine tunnel. Several women and children who stayed in the mine fought desperately and repelled the black beetles, but the young Xiao Shitou was abducted by the black beetles. Ye Zi, the elder brother, chased after them alone despite everyone's attempts to stop him, and he was afraid that he would be in danger.
Seeing that he was speechless for a moment, Old Miles sighed and asked, "What did Ye Zi take when he caught up with her?"
"Only the knife I carry with me." said the red-haired woman.
Everyone's faces became even uglier. The hope of survival was not great to begin with. Now it seemed unlikely that the boy would wake up and return the same way. The underground mine was so complicated that even old Miles, who had lived here for more than a hundred years, could not say that he could get out without a tool to indicate the direction after going deep into it, let alone a young child.
The silent Black Wind suddenly raised his head and asked, "Which mine tunnel did they leave from? "
The red-haired woman hesitated for a moment, then pointed in a direction, "Over there."
Heifeng patted the brown-haired woman on the back, let her go and stood up. The brown-haired woman realized something, suddenly stretched out her skinny hands to grab his collar, opened her mouth and couldn't speak, her face was full of tears, and her wide eyes were filled with despair and hope.
Hei Feng said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, I will bring them back."
—If I can't, I will avenge them... or die outside.
He kept this sentence in his heart and did not say it out loud, but the brown-haired woman obviously understood it, and everyone understood it, but when they looked at Heifeng's face, they could not say anything to dissuade him.
There was dead silence.
After a moment's silence, old Miles suddenly chuckled twice and said in a casual tone, "Don't worry, Mary. With me, old Miles, leading the way, I will definitely bring your husband and children back safely."
Heifeng was surprised and said: "Miles, you..."
"I can't help it. Is there anyone here who knows the mine better than me?" Old Miles shrugged his shoulders, and his usually wretched figure suddenly looked taller. He said, "No matter what, the kids still have to call me Grandpa Miles!"
"But……"
"I'll go too." A muffled voice interrupted what Hei Feng was about to say. It was Ye Ming, the "man who killed a lot" that Old Miles introduced. After he finished speaking, he didn't look at anyone, but just lowered his head and began to organize his equipment.
"Me too."
"Boss, count me in."
"How can I be missing from this kind of operation?"
"The injured ones stay behind, and the others should get ready."
"Hey, you look down on me, don't you? Even if I lose one of my arms, I can still beat you down."
The rest of the people stood up one by one, and after a while, there was no one left sitting. Not all of them were equally fearless and calm. There was fear in their eyes, but they did not retreat.
Hei Feng was stunned. After a long while, he choked up and said, "Brothers, this is too dangerous. I..."
"I want to go too." A soft voice sounded, interrupting him again.
This time, everyone's jaws almost dropped to the ground in shock. After they realized what was happening, they all said firmly, "No!"
The person who was opposed by them pursed his lips and said, "Even if you don't agree, I can still follow behind secretly, right?"
"How can this be possible? Isn't this even more dangerous?" someone else objected subconsciously.
"So, you should take me with you instead of letting me take the risk alone." The man said calmly and confidently. On his pale face, there was not even a trace of fear or shrinkage towards the road ahead.
Everyone looked at the teenage girl in silence.
Saving lives is like putting out a fire, there is no time to waste. Seeing that they could not change their minds, after a brief dispute and deployment, Heifeng led five or six people to the rescue. No matter how unwilling the remaining people were, they had to obey the order and stay behind. They also agreed that if the people who went out to pursue did not come back within a week, they would move their base, forget the past, and start a new life.
In the dark mine tunnel, two torches burned quietly, illuminating an orange-yellow light. The ghostly girl with white hair and gray eyes closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, as if sensing something. After a moment, she pointed in a direction and said, "This road."
"Let's go." Heifeng walked in front holding a torch, and everyone followed in turn. Ye Ming held another torch and stayed behind. The girl named Dayu and Rong Yuan were protected in the middle.
After they set out on the journey, Rong Yuan finally understood why the seemingly burdensome girl insisted on coming. Her sense of smell was very sensitive, and she could catch the faint smell left by leaves and small stones in the complex mine tunnels, thus tracking their whereabouts.
As for why Rong Yuan was also given special protection, it was because his storage bag contained most of the food and equipment for everyone. Of course, another reason was that he was a newcomer to the team and could not cooperate with everyone, so it would be more convenient for him to stay in the middle and take care of them.
Not long after they set out, Heifeng picked up a piece of blood-stained cloth from the ground. He had a gloomy face, and his expression was even more anxious. Rong Yuan watched silently, and suddenly raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of interest in his eyes.
Old Miles bent over, coughed twice, and swept his cloudy eyes over Rongyuan.
