Courtyard House: My Long and Hard Body Makes Me Play with All the Women in the Courtyard

So the group set off again, groping their way forward in the pitch black. Despite their worries and anxieties, their excellent teamwork made the whole process much smoother and more orderly.

Soon, a sliver of light appeared ahead. "We're here!" Xiao Qing exclaimed excitedly. "We'll reach the outside world after passing through this passage!"

Just as everyone was full of hope and ready to accelerate their sprint, a cold voice suddenly broke the silence: "You think this is the end?"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Then, several figures dressed in black appeared at the end of the cave, completely blocking the way out...

Chapter 411 Walking into a Trap

"How did you find us?" Xiao Qing quickly calmed down and asked while observing the surroundings.

The leader of the men in black slowly removed his mask, revealing a young and cold face.

“We’ve been lying in wait here, just waiting for you to walk right into our trap.” He smiled contemptuously. “Did you think those obvious traps were just randomly placed? They were just there to distract us.”

Su Ting gripped his weapon tightly and asked in a low voice, "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"My name is Lei Zhen, from the Shadow Assassins organization. As for the reason... it's simple," Lei Zhen's eyes sharpened, "The information you have concerns the life and death of our entire organization; we absolutely cannot allow it to fall into the hands of outsiders."

"Hmph, you cancerous growths in the darkness, you actually dare to try to cover up your crimes!" Lin Yue said through gritted teeth.

Zhao Feng gently nudged her arm, signaling her to calm down. At this moment, Li Ming suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Lei Zhen, now that we're here, why don't we talk about terms? Perhaps we can find a win-win solution."

"Oh?" Lei Zhen looked at Li Ming with interest. "Do you think we can still talk?"

“Of course there is.” Xiao Qing stepped forward. “This information is indeed very important, but if we hand it over to you, you must promise not to hunt us down again and to give us a chance to leave safely.”

Lei Zhen remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he nodded: "Okay, but you must hand over the data first."

Su Ting hesitated for a moment, then slowly handed the documents from his backpack to Lei Zhen. After receiving the documents, Lei Zhen smiled slightly and waved for his men to make way. "You can go now."

Just as they were about to push through the crowd, Su Ting suddenly stopped and turned to look at Lei Zhen: "Lei Zhen, don't forget what you said."

Lei Zhen sneered: "Don't worry, as long as the data is safe, your lives are safe for the time being. But I advise you to be more careful in the future."

Several people quickly weaved through the crowd and walked out along the passage. Finally, they saw the bright sunlight in the distance, as if they had seen a glimmer of hope for life.

As they stepped out of the cave and breathed in the fresh air, a strange sense of relief washed over them. The sunlight was warm and soft, a stark contrast to the chill of the mine.

"What do we do now?" Li Ming asked. "Is it safe to go straight back to the city?"

"Let's find a secluded place to rest first," Su Ting suggested. "We need time to organize our thoughts and decide on our next move."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Xiao Qing looked up at the sky and took a deep breath: "Finally, we can see the sunshine."

"But that doesn't mean it's all over," Zhao Feng said seriously. "We still need to remain vigilant at all times."

Lin Yue patted Xiao Qing on the shoulder and encouraged her, "No matter what, at least we're safe now. We can discuss the rest later."

Su Ting looked around at everyone and said firmly, "We have overcome crisis after crisis, and this time will be no exception. If we all work together, we will definitely get through this."

Just as everyone was discussing what to do next, Xiaoqing suddenly noticed a dense grove of trees not far away. "That looks safer, let's hide there for a while."

Everyone nodded in agreement and headed towards the woods. Just as they were about to step into the forest, Lin Yue suddenly stopped and glanced back towards the mine: "Are they really going to let us go so easily? Something feels off..."

"Maybe they really just want the data back," Li Ming comforted them.

"I hope so," Lin Yue said, frowning.

Su Ting gently patted her shoulder: "No matter what happens, we'll face it together. The most important thing now is to conserve your energy and prepare for the future."

Chapter 412 A Stark Contrast

The group entered the woods and found a relatively secluded spot to rest. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows, and the sounds of birds and insects all around seemed to create a stark contrast to everything they had just experienced.

Xiao Qing found a relatively flat spot to sit down and took out some dry food from her backpack to share with everyone. Su Ting took a piece of bread but didn't eat it immediately. Instead, he stared at the food in his hand, lost in thought.

"Why aren't you eating?" Zhao Feng asked upon seeing this.

Su Ting raised his head, his gaze resolute: "I'm wondering, can we really leave like this? Could Lei Zhen have other schemes up his sleeve?"

Lin Yue sighed softly and leaned against a tree: "I also feel that this matter is not so simple. Lei Zhen seems to be a very cunning person, and I'm afraid he won't let us off so easily."

"So what do you suggest we do now?" Li Ming asked anxiously. "We can't just keep hiding here, can we?"

“We need a plan,” Xiao Qing said in a deep voice. “We can’t just passively wait for them to act; we must take the initiative.”

Su Ting nodded in agreement: "Yes, we can't just sit here and wait to die. First, we need to find out what the Shadow Assassins are planning and what secrets are hidden behind this information."

Zhao Feng suggested, "We can try contacting our allies to see if they have any useful intelligence or support."

“Good idea, but we must proceed with caution,” Su Ting cautioned. “After all, our current situation is very special, and any small mistake could put us in danger again.”

Everyone nodded, unanimously agreeing to the plan. They decided to rest there for the night to recover their strength before contacting their allies to discuss the next course of action.

Night fell, and the woods were silent. A campfire blazed, illuminating everyone's faces. Xiao Qing held a communicator, trying to contact the outside world, but the signal seemed unstable.

“The signal isn’t very good around here,” Xiao Qing said, frowning. “I’ll try adjusting the equipment.”

Su Ting helped by carefully checking each antenna. After a while, the communicator finally responded.

"This is the Falcon Squad, please respond," Xiao Qing said anxiously.

After a static crackling sound, a familiar voice rang out: "Xiao Qing, is that you? It's me, Eagle."

Xiao Qing breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, Eagle, we've finally made contact. We need your help."

"What happened? Tell me quickly." The eagle's tone was tense.

Xiao Qing briefly described what had happened: "We are safe for now, but we are unsure if the Shadow Assassins will have any further moves. We need more intelligence and support."

The eagle paused for a moment, clearly considering its options. "I know a reliable source; I can try to get more information. But I need some time."

“Understood, we will remain vigilant,” Xiao Qing nodded. “Please contact us immediately if there are any developments.”

After ending the call, Xiao Qing turned to everyone and said, "The Eagle has agreed to help us, but we need to settle down here first."

Su Ting clapped his hands: "Alright, everyone has worked hard. Get a good rest tonight and we'll make further plans tomorrow."

Everyone lay down and closed their eyes to rest. However, each person was filled with worry, unsure of what the future held.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the treetops, and birds chirped merrily in the woods. Xiao Qing woke up early and went to the stream to wash up. The clear water invigorated her.

Chapter 413 Terrain and Resources

After washing her face, Xiao Qing took a deep breath of fresh air and returned to the camp. She saw Su Ting already checking the equipment, preparing to start a new day.

"You're up really early," Xiao Qing said as she walked over.

Su Ting smiled and said, "I'm used to it. You're here pretty early too."

The two sat down together to discuss today's plans.

“There was no further news from the Eagles last night,” Xiao Qing said. “But we can’t just wait around. How about we split up today, waiting for news while searching for other clues?”

Su Ting nodded in agreement: "Yes, I'll go with Zhao Feng to investigate the surrounding terrain and resources to see what we can use. You girls stay here and wait for Eagle's news, and protect our supplies."

“Li Ming and I can also go scout; the more of us there are, the more effective we will be,” Lin Yue suggested.

“That’s good,” Su Ting nodded, “but you must be careful and try not to act alone. If you encounter any problems, come back to the assembly immediately.”

After agreeing on their respective tasks and having a quick breakfast, everyone set off separately. Su Ting and Zhao Feng took the necessary equipment and followed a winding path deep into the forest.

After walking for a short while, they came to an open area with an abandoned old house in the distance. Su Ting gestured for Zhao Feng to stop and carefully observe the surroundings.

"There seems to be no one around here, but we should still be careful to stay hidden to avoid causing unnecessary trouble," Su Ting said softly.

The two approached the abandoned house silently. It was overgrown with weeds, and the roof had partially collapsed, leaving it in a state of disrepair. Su Ting pushed open the door; the interior was dark and filled with a damp, decaying smell.

Zhao Feng frowned and shone his flashlight around: "There doesn't seem to be anything useful here."

Suddenly, Su Ting crouched down and touched something on the ground—a torn strip of cloth. "This is the symbol of the Shadow Assassins!" Su Ting whispered.

Zhao Feng was taken aback: "This means..."

"This means that Lei Zhen's people have been here, and may even still be active in the area," Su Ting analyzed. "We need to inform others of this as soon as possible and strengthen vigilance."

The two dared not linger and quickly returned to the camp. As soon as they entered, they saw Xiao Qing, Lin Yue, and Li Ming huddled together studying a communicator.

"What's wrong? Did you find something?" Xiao Qing asked when she saw Su Ting and the others rushing back.

Su Ting showed them the strip of cloth in his hand: "We've found this place and discovered traces of the Shadow Assassins organization. I'm afraid we're not really safe."

Li Ming took the strip of cloth and examined it carefully. His expression turned serious: "This is indeed an important clue. We need to come up with a solution quickly."

Just then, Eagle's voice came through the communicator: "Xiao Qing, are you listening?"

Xiao Qing quickly picked up the communicator and replied, "Yes, we just made some new discoveries."

Eagle seemed very anxious after hearing this: "Listen to me first. I've discovered some new intelligence about the Shadow Assassins. They're said to be carrying out a secret project codenamed 'Black Moon,' and the information you have is part of that project."

"Project Black Moon?" Xiao Qing repeated the name, feeling a chill run down her spine.

“That’s right, and according to intelligence, this plan could very well affect the fate of the entire city. You are in a very dangerous situation right now and must evacuate to a safer place immediately,” Eagle said anxiously.

Su Ting frowned: "Evacuation is the last resort. If we abandon this information now, we are giving up our only chance to stop this disaster."

“I understand how you feel, but I must remind you that this matter is more complicated than you imagine.” Eagle paused, then continued, “However, I will send a support team to help you. Please hold on until the reinforcements arrive.”

After hanging up the phone, everyone was silent for a while, thinking about what to do next.

“We must make a choice,” Su Ting said firmly, looking at everyone. “Either risk continuing to investigate the truth behind the ‘Black Moon’ project, or follow Eagle’s advice and evacuate to safety.”