Chapter 276 Trader After following Lumian for a few steps with the calcium carbide lamp in hand, Simon the Giant noticed that there was a contradiction in the other party's words: "Char, the boss already knows that you've become an arsonist, so he's unlikely to sacrifice you." Lumian stared at the tunnel ahead, which was illuminated by a yellowish light. Without looking back, he smiled and asked: "How long have I been a member of the Savoyard Party?" Both the "giant" Simon and the "mouse" Christo suddenly understood and agreed with this explanation. An extraordinary person with a questionable background, who had just joined the gang recently and brought his own main ingredients for potions, was indeed not trustworthy and needed to undergo the test of mission after mission. And if he died in the mission, it would just be bad luck. Losing such an outsider Extraordinary person would not make the boss feel as sad as the death of his hard-trained subordinates. The two Savoyard leaders no longer hesitated, and with the most basic caution, followed Lumian, two or three steps behind him, just like when they usually traveled, there were always a few gangsters in a similar position behind them. During this process, "Giant" Simon put on gloves, applied a small amount of "scorpion venom" on his dagger, bayonet and gloves, and returned the bottle of potion to Lumian. The three of them continued walking down the tunnel marked on the map. Although their footsteps were very light, due to the special environment, they still echoed quietly in the dark and silent underground.
Nearly three quarters of an hour later, they passed through the area marked as an ancient tomb and arrived at the entrance of the secret passage. This is a long-abandoned quarry cave. The ground is uneven and there is some moss growing around it. In the distance, there is the sound of an underground river flowing, and from time to time there is the sound of a steam subway passing by from above. Lumian observed for a moment, bit the handle of the calcium carbide lamp, grabbed the protrusions on the side of the stone wall with both hands, and climbed to a place near the top of the cave. Then, he stretched out his right hand, pressed the junction of the side wall and the top of the cave, and pushed a seemingly normal stone backwards. A dark hole suddenly appeared there, enough for a tall man like Simon to bend down and crawl through. This secret tunnel was created by converting the ventilation system of a nearby quarry that already existed but had long been damaged. The three of them bent their backs and walked in small steps as they went deeper underground along the passage. Gradually, they could no longer hear the flow of the underground river, nor could they sense the movement of the steam subway. Except for the sound of their breathing and footsteps, there was silence all around, like a dead tomb. Nearly another quarter of an hour later, Lumian and the others followed the markings on the map and jumped from an exit into a cave that already existed underground. Stalactites hang down from the high places here, as if there is a terrifying monster in the depths of darkness with its mouth open and teeth bared. Lumian didn’t rush to turn into another secret tunnel at the bottom of the cave. Instead, he turned his body sideways and looked at the “giant” Simon and the “rat” Christo, who were more or less covered in dust, and said with a serious expression: "Let's confirm some things now, so as to avoid unexpected situations and no time for communication." "Okay." Both "Mouse" Christo and "Giant" Simon felt that it was natural for Lumian to say such words. Lumian nodded slightly and said: "First, from the moment you enter the second tunnel until you return here, no one can speak. Try to use body language to hint. If that doesn't work, you must get my permission before you can speak." This is an expansion of the precautions based on what Gardner Martin said about not having verbal communication with traders. Lumian has greatly magnified the scope and absoluteness of the effect to avoid possible accidents. Both Christo and Simon remembered the boss's instructions and nodded in agreement with this restriction. Seeing this, Lumian continued: “Second, no matter what abnormality occurs, unless something directly attacks you, remain calm and act according to my reaction. "Three, I won't force you, but if you want to survive, you'd better listen to my command."
Both "Mouse" Christo and "Giant" Simon were quite resistant to these two requirements, because it meant that they were placing their own safety on Lumian's mind, ability, reaction, and knowledge, which was obviously not easy for wild Beyonders who were used to relying on themselves to adapt to. After hesitating for a few seconds, thinking of Ciel's strength and previous performances, "Mouse" Christo forced a smile: “I will follow your instructions, but if you don’t react and Taifei gives me a danger warning, I will take action on my own. "Damn it, the longer I'm in the smuggling business, the more I fear Trier's underground." Simon the Giant also said: "I'm like 'rat'." Lumian was already quite satisfied that he had been able to “tame” two Beyonders who were also leaders of the Savoy Party to this extent. He did not force it and nodded. "no problem. "Four, I will go to the trader and take the box that the boss wants from him." Hearing this, both "Mouse" Christo and "Giant" Simon looked at Lumian with eyes that showed they were recognizing Ciel again. They thought that the "arsonist" would use his strength and status to appoint one of the two to contact the trader and take on the most dangerous part of the task, or propose a drawing of lots to decide, but as the host himself, he actually took the initiative to offer to pick up the box himself. Charles is quite fair... "Giant" Simon couldn't help but sigh. If it were him, he would definitely not be able to do it. This made him and "Mouse" Crystal no longer as resistant as before to follow Lumian's orders. Although the light was not bright, Lumian still saw the reactions of his two colleagues. He couldn't help but sneer in his heart: "If you were all Beyonders who lacked any knowledge of the mysticism and were likely to make some mistakes when handing over the boxes, why would I take the risk myself?" This made Lumian sigh sincerely that sometimes, weakness is also an advantage. After emphasizing again that they could not speak, he turned around and walked to the bottom of the cave with the calcium carbide lamp, and signaled the "giant" Simon to hold a half-man-high stone and move it to the side. The stone was very heavy, and even Simon found it difficult to move it. It took him a long time to move it, revealing the deep entrance of the secret tunnel. The tunnel was not very long. The three of them walked through it in just seven or eight minutes, bending over, and arrived at a mine that had basically collapsed with only a little space left. This is their destination, the Albert Mine. Lumian looked at the messy stacks of gray-black stones for a few seconds, then turned his head to look at the "giant" Simon who was wearing a black suit, and pointed to his chest. Simon understood what he meant, pulled out an iron-gray pocket watch, and snapped it open. There are a lot of gears meshing together exposed on the dial, which has a mechanical beauty that is both precise and cool. "Giant" Simon took out his pocket watch and showed it to Lumian and "Mouse" Christo, letting them know that there were still more than ten minutes left until the transaction time, which was twelve o'clock. Lumian nodded, remained silent, and waited patiently. After waiting for a while, he tilted his head slightly and listened to the movements around him. He felt strange sounds underground, as if a large number of people were shouting, roaring, and fighting there. In the light of the calcium carbide lamp, Lumian glanced at Simon and Christo and found that they had similar reactions and seemed to have heard the noise as well. Seeing Simon and Christo looking back at him, Lumian made a right hand pressing down gesture to prevent them from being affected.
Amid the strange noises that came from time to time, the three stood at the edge of the Albert Mine, waiting silently. Suddenly, there were footsteps coming from the other side of the mine, as if someone in leather shoes was walking towards this side along the unusually quiet tunnel several dozen meters away. The trader? Lumian looked across thoughtfully. The footsteps sometimes stopped and sometimes continued, echoing in the Albert Mine. When it was only a few meters away from the Albert Mine, it mysteriously disappeared, completely vanished. After waiting for a while, Lumian and the other two saw a figure appear at the other entrance of the mine. It was a man over meters tall, wearing a white shirt, a yellow vest, a black suit and dark trousers, and carrying a small brown leather suitcase in his hand. The man was wearing a half-high silk hat with the brim pulled down low, casting a little shadow on his face. However, with his hunter's vision, Lumian still saw his features clearly with the light of three calcium carbide lamps: He has short brown-red hair, brown-red eyes, a slightly messy and thick beard, and relatively thick eyebrows, just like a male bear that has been starved for a long time and has become extremely thin. The collar of his shirt was tied tightly, giving him the appearance of being afraid of the cold. Lumian was holding a calcium carbide lamp and was about to walk towards the man. At this moment, Crystal pulled his arm. When Lumian turned his head to look at him, he pointed to his right pocket with an anxious and fearful expression. Does that mean that the strange mouse named Teffy gave a warning of danger? But judging from Kristo's performance, the danger should not have really erupted yet and is still within control, otherwise he would have turned around and fled... Lumian made an interpretation and nodded to Kristo, indicating that he would pay attention and be careful. Crystal didn't stop him, but watched him walk towards the trader with a little concern. As they got closer, Lumian kept looking at the man's body, analyzing every detail: The clothes were a little too big and didn’t seem to fit him well… He seemed to be afraid of something, but also full of anger and hatred… His hands were not extended from his sleeves, but were hidden inside, including the handles of the suitcase… His feet… Lumian's pupils suddenly dilated, and he saw that the trader was not wearing shoes, but only a pair of gray socks. This is completely contradictory to the sound of leather shoes walking that they just heard! Could it be that the voice was not coming from him, but from someone else? Lumian became more alert and vigilant. There was not much space left in the Albert Mine, and he soon came to the trader. The hungry bear-like man laughed and asked: "Gardner Martin sent you here, didn't he? "Is he frightened? The companion who was sent underground to find the entrance to Trier in the Fourth Epoch suddenly sent a message after being missing for several months, saying that there was an important item to be given to him." (End of this chapter)