"No more waiting! Call the police!"
"He might not be out for a while. Let's call the police first."
Wang Zizai and Elder Dong both thought it was time to call the police.
Only Professor Li, holding his phone, hesitated.
He had followed Ying Chen the longest and understood him the best.
He knew Ying Chen was no ordinary person. Their first meeting had been in an ancient tomb. Such a place should have been familiar territory for Ying Chen, posing no threat.
So he still wanted to wait a little longer, for a miracle.
"Hey, Old Li, what are you still hesitating about? If you don't call, I will!"
Wang Zizai sighed and was about to take out his phone to call the police.
But as his finger pressed down on a number, a voice suddenly came from the darkness in the distance: "Do you have so little faith in me?"
It was Ying Chen's voice!
Hearing this, Wang Zizai's dialing hand trembled, nearly dropping his phone.
Professor Li, however, clenched his fist tightly: "I knew Mr. Ying could do it!"
Elder Dong said nothing, but his eyes flickered with a peculiar light.
The more powerful Ying Chen was, the more surprises and unexpected events he provided, proving he had followed the right person.
After all, among the three, Wang Zizai was repaying a debt of gratitude, Professor Li was pursuing academic research, and only Elder Dong sought the path to eternal life.
Since meeting Ying Chen, his various actions had completely won over Elder Dong.
It made Elder Dong understand: Ying Chen wasn't just making empty promises! Ying Chen truly had the ability to lead him to the path of longevity!
Not long after the voice faded, Ying Chen and the missing workers appeared in the vision of the three.
The workers seemed to be in good spirits, not as dejected as they might have expected.
However, when counting the workers, one person was found missing.
Elder Dong frowned and was about to ask about the missing person.
But the foreman of this group of workers spoke first: "Wei De... has met with misfortune!"
"The tunnel collapsed, and Wei De happened to be in the collapse zone. He couldn't get out."
"Alas, perhaps it was fate! Of the eleven of us, only he met his end. Everything is determined by fate; no one can control it!"
Hearing the foreman's words, Elder Dong's eyes widened in surprise, and he then patted the foreman's shoulder.
"Please accept my condolences. Our project team has purchased insurance for every worker, and we will initiate the claims process as soon as possible."
The other workers, though they knew the truth and vaguely suspected that Wei De's death might not have been caused by ghosts but was somehow related to Ying Chen, did not speak.
They all tacitly agreed that the foreman's account was the "truth."
Even if the police and insurance company asked later, they would respond the same way.
This was the workers' simple moral code: they believed Wei De had erred first and brought it upon himself, and they believed Ying Chen's retaliation was justified and appropriate. Therefore, they were willing to help Ying Chen conceal the truth.
Not to mention that Ying Chen was their savior, the one who had led them out of the phantom maze.
In fact, they didn't know that even if they hadn't been willing to help Ying Chen, the police would never have found any evidence from Wei De's body.
Because Ying Chen had indeed commanded a malevolent energy that suspended Wei De in the air.
Wei De's body showed no signs of foul play, nor could Ying Chen's fingerprints be detected.
Even if the police suspected Ying Chen, they couldn't convict him!
"You can go back and rest. We won't trouble you with the remaining work. Don't worry, you'll be paid in full!"
Ying Chen waved his hand and said.
A hint of joy immediately appeared in the workers' eyes.
Not having to work and still getting paid – who wouldn't like such a benefit?
Soon, the workers returned to the surface.
The other workers, who had been broadcasting the incident online, saw that their lost colleagues had returned.
They dejectedly turned off their live streams.
Their dream of becoming famous internet celebrities was officially shattered.
Down in the well, Elder Dong, seeing Ying Chen dismiss the workers, asked with a look of confusion: "Mr. Ying, even if these workers need rest, there's no need to say they won't be involved in the rest of the project, is there?"
"We've only dug through one tunnel so far. As for where the tomb at the end of the tunnel is, or how to open it, that's still up in the air! Without the workers' help, are we going to do it ourselves?"
Ying Chen smiled faintly at Elder Dong and nodded: "That's right, we'll do it ourselves!"
This statement immediately startled Elder Dong, Wang Zizai, and Professor Li.
This was a large tomb, its scale comparable to building a house!
Ying Chen was asking three frail old men to do it themselves?
Putting aside the question of humanity, even the probability of success was almost zero!
Even if Elder Dong and the other two worked themselves to death here, they wouldn't be able to open the tomb!
Seeing their hesitation, Ying Chen said leisurely: "The entrance to the underground palace is actually very close. Opening it is just a small matter. However, the dangers within are no longer suitable for workers to be involved in. Otherwise, instead of a few people getting lost, many would die!"
Hearing Ying Chen's words, the three were stunned.
"Underground palace? Entrance? Where?"
They had supervised the entire project. They had examined every inch of the tunnel and found no underground palace, let alone an entrance.
How could Ying Chen be so certain of an underground palace entrance?
Ying Chen offered no explanation, simply walking towards the tunnel.
Elder Dong and the other two quickly followed.
When they reached the middle of the tunnel, Ying Chen stopped.
He looked down at the ground, then suddenly raised his foot and stomped heavily on the ground!
Boom!
In an instant, the earth shook and the tunnel trembled.
A large amount of loose soil and gravel fell from the surroundings, hitting the three men.
The shaking continued for more than a minute before it stopped.
Elder Dong and the other two brushed off the dust and asked in astonishment: "Mr. Ying, what are you doing? There's nothing here!"
Ying Chen smiled and remained silent.
Then, an astonishing scene occurred.
Where Ying Chen stood, the ground suddenly cracked open like a melting ice cliff!
It plummeted downwards into the depths of the earth!
Ying Chen fell with it!
"Mr. Ying!" the three cried out anxiously.
Their voices echoed in the fractured crevice.
After a long while, there was no response from Ying Chen.
Just as the three were at a loss as to what to do, a voice suddenly came from the crevice: "Can you see the entrance to the underground palace now?"
The three were both surprised and confused.
Surprised that Ying Chen was still alive!
Confused about where this so-called underground palace entrance was.
"Could it be..." The three exchanged glances, and all thought of a possibility.
Then, they all simultaneously leaned over to look into the crevice.
What they saw made them gasp and would forever be etched in their memories!
Below the crevice lay a vast underground palace!
There were underground rivers, underground peaks, and even some luminous plants that shone brightly in the darkness!
And at the center, surrounded by mountains and rivers, stood a magnificent gate!
Four large characters were inscribed on it.
Tai Qing Xuan Gong!