Xiao Feng wasn't someone overly zealous, nor was he anti-foreigner to an extreme extent.

If Darcy had approached with humility and spoken kindly when he first appeared, he wouldn't have ended up with just a bottle cap of water and a thin strip of meat.

But the reality was, after appearing, Darcy acted all high and mighty, as if he was naturally superior to others.

This made Xiao Feng very unhappy. On his own land, there's an outsider like you asking for help with such arrogance. Do I owe you something, or do I have a debt to repay? Why should I coddle you?

And so, a series of events unfolded afterward.

Xiao Feng poured a bottle cap of water for Darcy, paying no mind if he would drink it or not, and tossed out a second question: "How many of you are left now?"

After much hesitation, Darcy finally drank the water, proving by his actions that dignity held no value in the face of survival.

"All, all dead. I'm the only one left," Darcy said in great terror, as if recalling a horrifying memory.

Xiao Feng nodded in satisfaction: "Very good."

Then, he tore off a strip from some beef jerky and handed it to Darcy.

"Were all your people foreigners?" Zhao Guo'an asked.

Xiao Feng rolled his eyes at him, as if blaming him for asking such a pointless question.

Darcy replied, "No, most of them were from Huaxia. They were responsible for guiding, and we provided technical support."

Xiao Feng and the others didn't find this answer too surprising, considering that the few who met tragic ends earlier were likely the guides.

Of course, "guiding" was a nicer way of putting it. The harsher truth was they were cannon fodder, risking their lives to check for traps ahead.

In fact, it wasn't just in Huaxia where you found such spineless traitors leading the Imperial Army, other countries had them too, or rather, human nature was largely the same.

Pouring another cap of water for Darcy as a reward for answering, Xiao Feng asked, "Did you see the treasure?"

"No, we didn't," Darcy replied.

"Hmm?" Xiao Feng chuckled lightly, clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

If he answered simply yes or no, the reward seemed too easily earned.

Though these rewards meant little to Xiao Feng, even the slightest gain was better than nothing.

For someone like Xiao Feng, he'd rather discard things himself than let others benefit so easily!

Realizing his answer lacked sincerity, Darcy added, "We encountered... a monster, and because I was farther away, I managed to escape!"

Everyone was stunned—monster?

What is this, Ultraman?

Xiao Feng thought for a moment and said, "Let's do it this way. Rewarding per question is too tedious, and it's no fun for you.

Why don't you tell me everything you know, and I'll give you this bottle of water and beef jerky all at once. How about that?"

"Alright, but you need to give me half of the water and jerky first," Darcy said.

Xiao Feng sneered, "Do you think you're in a position to negotiate with me?"

"..." Darcy took a deep breath, unwilling to admit it, but he indeed lacked the bargaining chip to threaten them now.

Of course, this also came down to differing mindsets.

If it were Xiao Feng, he definitely wouldn't think this way.

Because one side needed information, and the other needed water and food, both had demands. It was all about whose resolve was stronger.

But clearly, Darcy didn't have such strong endurance. Facing basic needs like hunger and thirst, without great willpower, it was impossible to endure.

"You just mentioned encountering a monster. What kind of monster?" Xiao Feng asked.

Darcy shook his head, sincerely admitted, "Honestly, I didn't see what the monster looked like. I only heard everyone screaming and crying for help.

I was terrified, and after waiting a long time without anyone escaping, I had no choice but to run back myself."

Lu Yao questioned, "Since you never saw it with your own eyes, how can you be sure a monster attacked your teammates?"

"A shadow..." Darcy said in a deep voice, "The flashlight projected the monster's shadow onto the wall. It was tall with many legs, or perhaps tentacles.

In any case, it was definitely not human!"

Xiao Feng and others exchanged glances, feeling that Darcy didn't seem to be lying.

At this time, Lin Jiaxuan asked, "Did you run for a long time?"

Darcy raised his wrist, checked the time on his luminous watch, and nodded to confirm, "Yes, for a full thirteen hours."

Thirteen hours might not sound very long.

But without food or water, and constantly running, plus the extreme tension and fear, managing to run here meant Darcy had quite decent stamina.

However, that's not the main point. The key issue was that according to Darcy, their group had yet to see any treasure before all were wiped out.

Just how big was this underground cavity?

How far still lay ahead?

Clearly, this was not a subject to dwell on too deeply, as the more you thought about it, the more you wanted to turn back.

But at this stage, Xiao Feng had no intention of turning back.

He wanted to see what kind of treasures such a cunningly designed, massive project concealed.

"From here all the way to encountering that monster, tell me about the dangers you faced," Xiao Feng suggested.

Darcy frowned and said, "Actually, I don't need to say anything. As long as there's a dangerous area, you'll see bodies or broken robots and drones. Just keep an eye out and you'll be fine."

Xiao Feng didn't intend to question the veracity of his answers yet and continued, "Who sent you here?"

"It's not an assignment, it's employment; someone hired us to come for treasure hunting, and whether we succeeded or not, we would get half of the commission," Darcy replied.

"I want to know, who is the employer?" Xiao Feng pursued.

Darcy smiled bitterly, "That, I don't know. I guess those teammates didn't either. We were hired by a transit company, and the employer's information wasn't disclosed."

"Transit company?" Lin Zhiyan asked, puzzled.

Darcy explained, "It's like an intermediary agency in Huaxia. The employer gives money to the company, the company takes a cut, then recruits workers with it."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng gave up on the idea of finding the employer.

The circle seemed endlessly convoluted. Even if he found the transit company Darcy mentioned, who could guarantee that the financier wasn't just another pawn for some big shot?

Moreover, as this involved treasures from Sun Shijie's ancestors, there was no reason for him to be anxious.

"Can I have the water and jerky now?" Darcy swallowed hard, looking impatient.

Lin Jiaxuan gave him a disgusted look, handed over a bottle of mineral water, and said impatiently, "Here, take it, take it, take it."

Darcy thanked her, reaching out to grab the bottle from Lin Jiaxuan's hand.

Just as he was about to touch the bottle, he suddenly accelerated, trying to seize Lin Jiaxuan's wrist.

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