Chapter 21 - Old Hu, Half-Asleep

Chapter 21: Old Hu, Half-Asleep

“What big discovery? Are you planning to traffic arms or charge into the island nation with weapons to take those little devils down with you?” Hu Yifei didn’t see this as any major find. She wouldn’t dare touch those things, what good could possibly be inside?

“Ahem!” Old Hu choked hard on his words. He had been ready to elaborate, but when he turned to look at Chen Yuze and Hu Yifei, neither showed the slightest interest. Even the mention of the Japanese army’s fortress only earned a brief moment of surprise before they returned to their usual indifference.

After some thought, Old Hu spoke up again, “Sister Yifei has a point. It’s not all that useful, and it might even bring trouble. But there should still be some decent stuff in there. If there really are weapons, though, that’d be a whole different problem!”

“So, if we keep quiet about the fortress, no one’s the wiser. But if word gets out, even an idiot would figure out we’re tomb raiders! Once someone traces the clues, you two will be exposed!” Hu Yifei wasn’t exaggerating. If anyone discovered the Kwantung Army fortress, they’d inevitably find the Yuan Dynasty general’s tomb. And once they saw it had been looted, connecting it to the fortress would instantly point to the tomb raiders. Their identities wouldn’t even need verifying!

Old Hu had been too excited earlier, thrilled by the unexpected discovery, and had momentarily forgotten the risks. This was definitely something they couldn’t reveal—at the very least, the location had to stay secret.

Pangzi, however, remained unfazed. “So what if it’s discovered? We can’t just leave everything inside, can we? There might still be good stuff in there! Are we really gonna abandon it?”

“Alright, it’s not as serious as Yifei makes it sound,” Chen Yuze cut in, glancing at Pangzi and Old Hu. “Just don’t touch any weapons. The rest can be taken out, but keep the arms a secret. Sell the other items somewhere discreet. As long as guns aren’t involved, no one’s going to hunt you down over some old Japanese supplies. That’d be ridiculous.”

“Also, you could take some things out and stash them away. Once you leave, let the nearby villagers ‘discover’ the place and report it to the authorities. Otherwise, everything inside will just gather dust. Might as well let people see it.”

Chen Yuze didn’t have a perfect solution either—dealing with military weapons was tricky. But it wasn’t his or Yifei’s problem anyway. Once their mission was done, they’d be heading back.

“The kid’s got a point. We’ll figure it out when the time comes.” Truthfully, this was a messy situation. They were tomb raiders, not arms dealers—this was way outside their usual line of work.

With matters settled for now, the group prepared to rest. The five of them had initially planned to take turns keeping watch, but Lingzi vetoed the idea. “At night, the five of you are less useful than my dogs,” she said bluntly.

She assured them they could sleep soundly—the dogs would guard them, barking at the first sign of trouble. After some thought, they agreed. In this dense wilderness, the dogs were indeed more reliable. Still, Chen Yuze quietly warned Hu Yifei to stay alert. They’d only just met these people, and in this line of work, trust was scarce. A little caution went a long way.

When it came time to sleep, Hu Yifei and Lingzi shared a tent, Chen Yuze and Old Hu took another, and Pangzi got a tent to himself—though not without complaint. But with his size, squeezing in with someone else was impossible. Old Hu, hoping to earn Chen Yuze’s trust, bunked with him to show he had no ulterior motives.

Even so, sleep didn’t come easy. Chen Yuze sighed, shooting a glance at Old Hu beside him. “Old Hu, let’s just take watch. Or at least wake Pangzi up to do it. His snoring sounds like thunder.”

Old Hu, half-asleep himself, was also roused by Pangzi’s snoring. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and glared in the direction of Pangzi’s tent before staggering over. He yanked the tent flap open and kicked Pangzi. “Hey, fatso! Stop sleeping! Get your ass up!”

“Snort… grunt… wheeze—”

The noise only made Old Hu angrier. He grabbed Pangzi and shook him violently. “Get up and take watch! Now!”

After much effort, Pangzi finally blinked his eyes open, staring groggily at the furious Old Hu. “Man, that was a good nap. Time to work?”

“Yeah, you’re working—by yourself. You and the dogs are on watch. Come back to sleep after we’re all out cold. Otherwise, none of us are getting any rest!” Old Hu dragged Pangzi out of the tent. The moment Pangzi stepped outside, the four pairs of resentful eyes locked onto him told him everything. Scratching his head sheepishly, he slowly made his way to the campfire.

“Uh… my bad, guys. Must’ve been real tired. I’ll keep watch—you all sleep easy. I’ll hit the sack once you’re all out.” He tossed some firewood into the flames, settling in for his shift.

Chen Yuze felt a little bad, but there was no way Pangzi could sleep first—not unless they all wanted a sleepless night. After a moment’s thought, he tossed his coat over. “Here, don’t catch a cold.” Then he threw over the Japanese rifles they’d found earlier. “Take these for protection. Might need them tomorrow, too.”

“Thanks, kid. You’re way nicer than Old Hu, that traitor—”

Before he could finish, Pangzi felt something cold against his neck.

He turned to see Old Hu—still half-asleep—holding a Japanese officer’s sword, its blade resting against Pangzi’s throat. “What was that, fatty? Say it again.”

“N-nothing! Slip of the tongue! Don’t take it to heart, man!” Pangzi stared at the dazed Old Hu, genuinely worried. Is this guy sleepwalking?!