Quick Transmigration: I Was Cannon Fodder But Became the White Moonlight

Jiang Sicheng's face was expressionless. He simply nodded to He Yunfan, signaling him to continue sorting and organizing the inventoried supplies for easy transport.

Then, his gaze returned to the anxious Zhao Dahai.

"From the equipment department?" he asked, his voice steady. "How familiar are you with the factory area, especially the underground piping system and those rarely used, concealed exits?"

Zhao Dahai was taken aback for a moment, seemingly not expecting the question, but immediately seized the opportunity to show off, nodding hurriedly and speaking faster: "I know it well! Brother, I've been working here for almost eight years! I know the routes of most of the main and secondary pipelines, maintenance access roads, and a few less frequently used fire escape routes, as well as the old freight access roads, both above and below ground!"

He observed Jiang Sicheng's expression as he spoke.

Jiang Sicheng's eyes flickered, and he continued to ask, "Do you know the section of the sewer near the No. 3 sewage outlet in the east freight yard, the one marked as abandoned on the map, the one with the severely rusted fence? Do you know the specifics?"

Zhao Dahai was clearly surprised by the detailed questions asked. He frowned and tried to search his memory.

A few seconds later, a look of realization dawned on his face: "I know! I know! There is indeed an old sewer at the east end of the freight yard. It's quite old. It used to be mainly used for draining rainwater and some cleaning wastewater. Later, the factory area was expanded, and a larger pipeline was built. That old pipeline was half abandoned and not maintained much..."

Chen Su listened from the side and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

It seems that Zhao Dahai also knows about that section of the sewer, which at least proves that the information she provided was not unfounded, nor was it something she imagined or misheard.

However, Zhao Dahai's next words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the glimmer of hope that had just risen in Chen Su's heart.

"But brother!" Zhao Dahai's face broke into an even more ingratiating smile, "That sewer, it, it doesn't lead outside the factory area! At least, last year... yes, last autumn, around December, when the factory arranged for inspections of potential hazards in the underground pipe network, I went to check it! The section near the exit on the original design drawings was damaged because of a landslide at the construction site of the closed-down building materials market next door. The soil and rocks pushed down, squeezing and deforming the pipes on that side. Later, fearing an accident, the factory's safety department had people seal it off from both ends with cement!"

He paused, then added some details, describing it in great detail: "Besides, even if it wasn't completely blocked, it's been filled with mud and garbage for who knows how many years. It's filthy and smelly, and you can't walk through it at all! Going in is just a dead end."

Zhao Dahai spoke with absolute certainty, providing detailed information, including the time, place, cause, and result, which sounded far more reliable than Chen Su's information.

As a maintenance worker with nearly ten years of experience, his understanding of the underground conditions of the factory area was clearly far superior to that of Chen Su, a female assembly line worker.

Chen Su's heart sank to the bottom, and the wound on her knee seemed to hurt again.

The information she provided about the sewers was her bargaining chip, and the key to gaining the team's temporary acceptance.

If this passage proves to be a dead end or even dangerous, its value will be greatly diminished, and it may even be seen as a burden that provides misinformation and wastes time and effort.

She subconsciously looked at Jiang Sicheng.

Jiang Sicheng's face remained expressionless.

But those unfathomable eyes narrowed slightly, their gaze sharp as a knife, slowly scanning back and forth between the pale-faced Chen Su and the shifty-eyed Zhao Dahai.

With scrutiny and consideration.

Song Yi frowned, looking at the confident Zhao Dahai, then at the silent Chen Su, and finally casting a questioning glance at Jiang Sicheng.

They were clearly confused by these conflicting intelligence reports.

He Yunfan pushed up his frameless glasses, his gaze behind the lenses calm as he quietly observed the reactions of the two.

The atmosphere in the cramped storage room suddenly became subtle and tense.

In the dim light, dust motes floated slowly, and a silent standoff permeated the air.

Two completely different pieces of information point to two entirely opposite judgments and risks.

Jiang Sicheng remained silent for a few seconds.

Those few brief seconds felt infinitely long to Chen Su, and she could clearly hear her own heart pounding too fast.

"Are you sure?" Jiang Sicheng asked again, each word carrying weight.

He was asking Zhao Dahai, but his sharp, hawk-like eyes seemed to be locked onto both of them at the same time.

"When exactly last year was the sealing operation carried out? What are the specific locations of the collapse and the sealing, the thickness and extent of the cement sealing, and are there any records or recollections of these details?"

He posed several very specific, even somewhat technical, questions in succession.

Zhao Dahai was caught off guard by the series of specific questions and subconsciously avoided looking directly at Jiang Sicheng, but quickly forced himself to calm down.

"It was last autumn, around mid-October... The exact location... was at the far east end of the freight yard, near that old, long-abandoned loading and unloading platform, about... fifty or sixty meters down the pipe? Yes, that's it! The collapse came from the construction site of that closed-down building materials market outside, and it squeezed and deformed the pipe here, cracking it open with a huge gash! The factory's safety department was afraid of a major accident, so they urgently called an engineering team to seal the pipe from both the inside and outside with cement, sealing it with at least this much thickness!"

He gestured with his hand to indicate a thickness of nearly twenty centimeters, his tone resolute, "Absolutely impossible to dig through! Unless you use heavy machinery or explosives! It's simply impossible to do it by hand! The safety department should have records, right? But I'm just a maintenance worker, how would I see those..."

He tried to be as detailed as possible, but he spoke too fast, his eyes occasionally wandered, and he was somewhat vague.

After listening, Jiang Sicheng did not immediately express his opinion, nor did he ask Zhao Dahai for further details.

He turned his gaze to Chen Su, whose face was growing paler and whose lips were tightly pursed.

"Chen Su," he called her name, his voice steady, neither telling whether it was a question or a genuine inquiry, "what is the specific source of your information? When did you obtain it?"

All eyes.

Song Yi's curious inquiry, He Yunfan's calm scrutiny, and Zhao Dahai's eyes, which subtly held a hint of smugness and anticipation.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Chen Su.

The pressure felt tangible, weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Chen Su's throat was terribly dry. She swallowed quietly, forcing herself to calm down, and tried to answer clearly and steadily:

"I heard the news from an old maintenance worker in the factory, surnamed Zhang, everyone calls him Master Zhang. He has worked in this factory for almost twenty years, even more senior than Master Zhao... Master Zhao. About half a year ago, there was a machine malfunction in the workshop. While waiting for repairs, Master Zhang was chatting with a few of us female workers in the rest area. He had drunk a little and was quite talkative."

She recalled, repeating his words as accurately as possible, "He said that the old sewer at the east end of the freight yard, although it was marked as abandoned on the factory map, actually had no major problems with its structure. It was just that the outlet was in a rather remote location and was covered by weeds and piles of waste, so people who weren't familiar with it couldn't find it at all. He also said... there used to be stray cats and weasels that would often crawl in and out of there. He suspected that the passage might lead to the old residential area behind the factory that had long been uninhabited and was waiting to be demolished."

She paused, took a deep breath, and said frankly, "He said that more than half a year ago. As for whether that section of the sewer was sealed off due to a collapse at the construction site next door during those six months, especially after October last year as Mr. Zhao mentioned... I don't know. Mr. Zhang later... it seems he took leave and went back to his hometown not long after, and then the virus broke out, and I never saw him again."

After Chen Su finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

Chen Su's intelligence came from a drunken conversation six months ago, which was uncertain, and the provider's current fate was unknown.

Zhao Dahai's intelligence, which he claims is based on his personal experience and professional judgment last autumn, sounds more timely, more specific, and more authoritative.

Which of the two pieces of information is true and which is false? Or is it partly true and partly false?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dahai could hardly hide his smugness. He straightened his slightly hunched back and looked at Chen Su with a hint of contempt.

Jiang Sicheng's gaze lingered on Chen Su's uneasy face for a moment, then swept over Zhao Dahai's slightly excited expression.

He didn't make a decision immediately, but frowned slightly, as if he was quickly weighing something.

A few seconds later, he made his decision.

"Song Yi," he turned to the boy beside him, "take Zhao Dahai to the next room and ask him about other possible exits in the factory area, especially those that are not frequently used or may have been overlooked, as well as the other branches of the underground pipeline network. Get specific details and draw a simple diagram."

This is to question the two people separately to prevent them from colluding.

This also serves as a means to further verify the authenticity of Zhao Dahai's words and their inherent value.

"Understood, boss!" Song Yi put away his extra expression and became serious. He gestured with his chin to Zhao Dahai, "Master Zhao, this way please, let's have a good talk."

Zhao Dahai seemed surprised by this turn of events. He paused for a moment, glanced at Jiang Sicheng, then at Chen Su, a hint of astonishment flashing across his face, but he quickly recovered: "Alright, alright! I will definitely tell you everything I know!"

As he spoke, he followed Song Yi to a small room partitioned off at the other end of the storage room.

Only Jiang Sicheng, He Yunfan, and Chen Su remained in the room, along with the supplies piled on the floor.

The atmosphere remained heavy.

Jiang Sicheng's gaze returned to Chen Su: "Besides Master Zhang, are there any other sources of information? Even just a few words."

Chen Su shook her head, her eyes somewhat dim: "No. The female workers in the factory rarely come into contact with these things. Master Zhang was drunk that day, and since he's quite familiar with some of us, he said a few more words."

She paused, raised her eyes, and looked at Jiang Sicheng. Her voice was soft, but firm. "Captain Jiang, I know my information might be inaccurate or outdated. But I didn't lie. Six months ago, Master Zhang said that the sewer could indeed lead to the outside. As for now... I'm willing to go with you to confirm. If it really is a dead end, I... I accept it."

Her words partially returned the power of choice, or rather the responsibility of verification, to Jiang Sicheng.

At the same time, it also shows her willingness to take risks.

Jiang Sicheng looked at her, his deep, pool-like eyes still revealing little emotion, only the color of his eyes seemed to have deepened.

He did not respond to Chen Su's words immediately, but turned to He Yunfan, who had been silently organizing supplies but had heard everything.

"Yunfan, what do you think?"

He Yunfan's hands didn't stop; he calmly analyzed, "The two statements are fundamentally contradictory. Zhao Dahai's account is more specific, including the time, events, and measures, making it sound more credible. However, there are several doubts: First, his description of the sealing thickness is slightly exaggerated, as if to enhance persuasiveness. Second, he emphasizes that it's absolutely impossible to dig it open, but according to general engineering experience, unless it's a complete pour, a partial sealing, even with quick-drying cement, is not completely indestructible given the right tools and sufficient time. Third, he seems eager to demonstrate his abilities and deny Chen Su's intelligence, possibly out of a desire to maintain his own value or monopolize the resources."

He paused for a moment and looked at Chen Su: "Her intelligence source is singular and secondhand, so its timeliness is questionable. But what veteran employees say when they're drunk often contains some informal but true information. The key point is that what Master Zhang said about the exit being covered by weeds and waste and what Zhao Dahai said about it being sealed with cement are two completely different situations, which need to be verified on-site to confirm."

"In conclusion," He Yunfan summarized, "Zhao Dahai's words cannot be entirely trusted, nor can Chen Su's intelligence be completely disregarded. The safest approach is to conduct an on-site inspection. However, we need to be prepared for two possibilities: first, the exit is indeed blocked; second, even if it is not blocked, the situation inside the passage is unknown, and there may be other dangers. It is recommended to bring necessary breaching tools and detection equipment, and to control the investigation time to avoid being put on the defensive."

After listening, Jiang Sicheng nodded, clearly indicating that He Yunfan's analysis was basically in line with his own judgment.

He looked at Chen Su again, his gaze lingering for a moment on her bandaged knees.

"Are you able to walk with your injury?" he asked.

Chen Su immediately nodded and stood up straight to prove, "Yes! It's much better after the bandage, and it doesn't affect my walking."

She knew this was a crucial moment to prove her worth and verify the intelligence, and she absolutely could not afford to mess up.

Jiang Sicheng didn't say anything more. He turned around and began to check his equipment. At the same time, he instructed He Yunfan: "Check the necessary tools, prepare ropes, crowbars, high-powered flashlights, gas detectors, food and water. Carry enough for two days. The rest will be temporarily sealed here and marked."

"Yes." He Yunfan immediately began to act, his movements swift and efficient.

Soon, Song Yi also brought Zhao Dahai out of the small room.

Song Yi leaned close to Jiang Sicheng's ear and quickly whispered a few words of report.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sicheng's face remained expressionless, but his gaze towards Zhao Dahai deepened.

"Master Zhao," Jiang Sicheng said, his voice unreadable, "you know the factory's underground area very well. Next, we need to check the condition of that sewer. You'll come with us, and you'll be responsible for giving directions and helping to assess the internal condition of the pipes."

Zhao Dahai's smile froze for a moment, seemingly reluctant, but faced with Jiang Sicheng's unquestionable gaze and Song Yi's menacing stare, he could only nod stiffly, "Okay, big brother, I'll do my best!"

"Chen Su is going too," Jiang Sicheng added, glancing at her. "You point out the exact entrance location."

The decision has been made.

Regardless of whether Zhao Dahai's words are true or false, and regardless of whether Chen Su's intelligence is outdated, on-site investigation is the only way to uncover the truth.