I picked it up from the ground and found it was an iron box, palm-sized, blackened with age, but a string of small characters written diagonally across it remained clearly legible. “Changbaishan Brand Matches,” I murmured, feeling an immediate surge of familiarity. I recalled my grandfather telling me that when the country was first liberated, food was extremely scarce, so China manufactured small items like toothbrushes, soap, and matches for export to the Soviet Union in exchange for bread and other foodstuffs. This Changbaishan Matchbox was a brand produced in the Northeast back then, destined for Russia. Looking at such an exquisite, handcrafted iron box, I felt a profound sense of nostalgia. With a bit of effort, I slid the box open. Inside were three large-headed long matches, two thin, Russian-made cigars, and a plain silver ring. This was good stuff. I nearly drooled looking at the cigars, as I’d long heard that Russian tobacco was superb; these decades-old cigars must pack quite a punch when smoked. Then I picked up the silver ring and examined it. On the inner band was an inscription of Russian text. Judging by the size, the ring must belong to a man. Perhaps the Russian inscription was his wife’s name? Maybe a scientist working here accidentally tucked the box, ring and all, into his document satchel during an emergency? Seeing how preciously he kept this ring, he must have loved his wife deeply. What a pity... “Sigh...” I let out a breath. Just as I was thinking, * behind me suddenly whispered, “Come here, something seems off about this spot.” I frowned and quickly closed the iron box, then walked over. Beside *, he was carefully examining a section of the wall in the corner with the flashlight in his hand. I was puzzled and started to ask what was wrong, but * made a shushing gesture. Feeling somewhat helpless, I also studied the wall. It was located between two large iron cabinets, plastered over with cement. Due to the age, the cement had crumbled extensively, exposing the black bricks underneath. Besides being damp and harboring some fine, pale moss, the wall seemed entirely unremarkable. So I looked back at *, only to hear him whisper a single word: “Listen...” I nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and suppressed my own breathing as much as possible. At that moment, a faint sound surfaced, as if someone were speaking behind the wall. Curious, I pressed my ear as close to the surface as possible and thought I made out a man’s weak voice: “Three moons... three...” I recognized the slight Hangzhou accent, confirming this was one of Boss Wu’s men. Without time to ponder the meaning of his words, I told *, “There’s a person in here, quickly, let’s get him out...”

shook his head. “I’ve been studying this for a while. This wall should back onto solid rock. I don’t know how he got inside.” I reached out to touch the wall, searching for any mechanism in vain, then pushed hard, but it didn't budge. Growing anxious, I watched as * stepped back two paces and began assessing the structure of the wall. Then I saw him pull two black packs of explosives from his backpack and hold them up against the wall, gauging the placement. I exclaimed in shock, “* Are you insane? There’s a living person in there! If you blow up the wall, he’ll die too.”

glanced at me dismissively, stroked the beard on his chin, and whispered, “Don’t assume a Tomb Raider only excels at geomancy. I was blowing up eggs with firecrackers when I was five. The shell shatters, but the yolk remains intact. You can rest easy.” I hadn't known this dark-skinned fellow possessed such skills. Looking utterly skeptical, I watched him affix the explosives to the wall, and then we both retreated outside the doorway.

checked his watch, told me to cover my ears and open my mouth, but before I could comply, there was a dull THUMP followed by the sound of debris clattering to the floor. Fortunately, the blast wasn't too loud, or I would have been deaf again for a while. After waiting a few seconds, * was the first to re-enter the room. He switched on his flashlight, fanned away the lingering smoke, and slowly moved forward. I followed * to the base of the wall, where I saw a large, person-sized opening in the wall—square and neat, like a doorway. I clapped * on the shoulder and grinned, “Hey, buddy, nice work!”

brushed my hand away and said, “I’m not that precise. This was probably an original archway that was later bricked up. The rock structure inside is sturdier than the brickwork, which is why the original doorframe was revealed.” I managed a wry smile, thinking that compared to Da Xiong, *’s demeanor was very serious and direct. Though lacking in humor, he was certainly more reliable. In the exchange of words, the terrifying atmosphere had already begun to dissipate.

took a deep breath and stepped into the archway. I followed close behind. The moment I entered, I was hit by a thick stench of blood. A quick sweep with the flashlight soon revealed someone slumped against the far corner of the wall, covered in blood, curled up with his upper body **.

and I rushed forward to check. I crouched down and gently lifted the man’s head. As I saw his face clearly, I realized it was Boss Wu’s assistant, Xiao Wang. Xiao Wang’s eyes were shut tight, his face smeared with abrasions, looking utterly battered. On his ** upper body were several deep lacerations, especially on his back, where a few gashes seemed to expose the bone. However, they appeared to have been treated; iodine and some white powder had been applied, staunching the flow.

frowned deeply, took bandages and alcohol from his backpack, wrapped the most severe wounds, then took off his own assault jacket for Xiao Wang to wear and gave him a few sips of water. Then * flipped open Xiao Wang’s eyelid. His eyeball was slightly rolled up, the pupil constricted—he was deeply unconscious. “We need to find a clean, safe place for him to recover, or this kid is done for,” * told me. I nodded, glancing back at the damp document room—clearly unsuitable for a patient. Our only option was to carry him and continue deeper.

knew my stamina was limited, so he handed me his backpack and lifted Xiao Wang onto his own back, asking me to lead the way. I swept the flashlight around. The hole we blew seemed to connect to a horizontal passage. We now had two directions to choose from.

frowned. “Don’t hesitate. It makes no difference which way we go.” I smiled wryly and, following natural instinct, chose the left path. As we proceeded, I surveyed the passage. It was about three meters wide and two meters high. The red brick walls reminded me of the reinforcing tiles used in coal mine tunnels, suggesting this passage was once prone to collapse. Indeed, not long after we started walking, several bricks lay scattered on the floor, and a crack, about half a meter wide, appeared in the wall, running all the way to the ground. This was hardly surprising; Xinjiang is a region prone to earthquakes, often registering above magnitude seven. It was remarkable the passage was still navigable at all. While I was still contemplating where such an underground tunnel might lead, a flashing red light suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead.

and I exchanged a surprised look, then hurried forward to investigate. As we approached, we were astonished to find the end of the passage contained an iron cage—more precisely, an electric elevator resembling a cage. The elevator door was tightly shut, the wire mesh rusted a deep brown, and some withered, vine-like things still clung to the netting.

pushed me aside, pulled out a military knife, and expertly jimmied the latch open. He pulled hard, swinging the wire mesh door to the side. He cautiously extended a foot to test the elevator floor. It emitted a screeching, unpleasant sound but seemed capable of bearing weight. He nodded to me, then stepped inside himself. I followed immediately. We stood still for a moment to ensure the lift wouldn't collapse, and then turned our attention to the flashing red light on the control panel. The control panel was situated in one corner of the lift. A warning light on its side flashed incessantly. On the panel was a single red button marked "DOWN," indicating it was likely American-made.