Chapter Fifty-Six: The Gifted Project

In the early morning, Zhang Xiue stepped out of the tent. Looking at Tang Long with a touch of concern in her eyes, she whispered, “Go inside and get some sleep.”

Shan Qiu, who was sitting nearby, couldn’t help but pout. She hadn’t slept all night either, so why was Zhang Xiue only worried about that man?

Tang Long showed no sign of fatigue. He shook his head with a smile. “I’m fine. I dozed off a bit in the latter half of the night, so I’m not really tired now.”

“Liar!” Shan Qiu muttered under her breath and stood up, heading toward the tent where Zhang Xiue had stayed.

Whether Tang Long was tired or not, she certainly was!

“Did you have a fight with Shan Qiu?” With no one else around and the morning still young, Zhang Xiue blushed as she sat on Tang Long’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, her curiosity evident.

“No,” Tang Long replied, shaking his head.

“But then why does she sound so sarcastic and snarky when she talks?” Zhang Xiue puzzled aloud. She genuinely couldn’t understand how Tang Long and Shan Qiu interacted. Tang Long never showed any dislike toward Shan Qiu, and when something needed doing in the village, Shan Qiu was always willing to step up, like volunteering for the night watch this time.

Normally, that would’ve been Zhang Xiue’s job, but she had to lead the group to the “Ghost King’s Cave” during the day.

Sometimes, Zhang Xiue felt that while Yutou Village had plenty of people, there were precious few who could really shoulder responsibilities. To put it bluntly, counting all the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, there were barely a dozen who could be relied on; the rest either needed training or were too meek to be of much use.

“You should be the one asking that,” Tang Long replied with a half-smile. He had long noticed that Shan Qiu was acting a bit strange.

“Ask me?” Zhang Xiue was momentarily stunned, then frowned. “Ask me what?”

A mischievous smile played on Tang Long’s lips. He leaned closer and blew softly into her ear. Zhang Xiue blushed and tried to pull away, murmuring, “Stop it.”

Tang Long rested his chin on her shoulder, still smiling. “Don’t you think Shan Qiu might be interested in you?”

“What?” Zhang Xiue stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? How could Shan Qiu be interested in me... You mean, she—like that?”

Tang Long chuckled. “I’m not sure, but she definitely likes you. As for whether it’s in that way, I can’t say.”

Whether the second-rate little assassin had a different inclination was impossible to judge at this point.

“I don’t think so,” Zhang Xiue said after considering it carefully, shaking her head. She didn’t believe Tang Long was right; maybe Shan Qiu just liked her as a person, but nothing more.

Tang Long didn’t argue. He had just mentioned it in passing. For a woman as beautiful as Zhang Xiue, it was hardly surprising to attract attention from both men and women.

After spending some affectionate moments together, Zhang Xiue stood up from his lap, worried that someone would see them now that it was getting late.

Tang Long suppressed a laugh. It wasn’t that no one would notice; it was just that even if others saw, they’d turn a blind eye and respectfully keep their distance.

Of course, Zhao Xiaoyue was the exception. That girl never cared about such things. If she were up now and saw Tang Long and Zhang Xiue cuddling, she’d definitely barge in and make a scene.

Back in the provincial capital, Zhao Xiaoyue had often left Yao Handong at his wit’s end. It wasn’t that she was inconsiderate—she just couldn’t stand seeing anyone get too close and cozy with her brother Tang Long.

Breakfast was congee made by Liu Yishou, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables prepared by Yutou Village itself.

Whether it suited everyone’s taste was another matter—it leaned toward the lighter side, and in the early morning, it wasn’t appropriate to serve rich meats and fish.

In the morning, the main agenda was visiting the “Ghost King’s Cave.”

“Do we still need to sign an agreement?”

Many students were perplexed by this.

Jiang Xue explained with a solemn expression, “Everyone, please remember: you absolutely must not pry or break off any stalactites inside the Ghost King’s Cave. First, there is a legend that says anyone who does so will be cursed by the Ghost King.

“Of course, you don’t have to believe that. But if anyone dares to damage or remove a stalactite, the villagers of Yutou will break your legs. That’s real. It’s clearly written in the entry agreement—page two, in bold. This is no joke, and you must not cross this line.

“If you can’t abide by this, please stay outside and give up the tour. The ticket for the Ghost King’s Cave costs three hundred yuan, but it’s not part of this trip’s expenses—it’s a special gift from Village Chief Tang Long and Secretary Xiue.

“I hope everyone obeys the agreement and, above all, don’t try to push the boundaries or test the limits, or the consequences will be severe!”

Even before heading to the cave behind the mountain, Jiang Xue had repeatedly emphasized that the one thing absolutely forbidden was damaging the stalactites inside.

Upon arrival, they were met by over a dozen burly men with fierce expressions and pickaxes, watching them coldly.

These were Yutou Village’s “enforcers,” whom Tang Long had specifically asked Lian Sheng to gather for intimidation.

“Remember, you must not break off any stalactites, or you could be beaten to death by our villagers!” Zhao Xiaoyue stood atop a boulder taller than a person, repeating the warning sternly through a loudspeaker to ensure everyone heard.

“Before entering, please check your entry agreement again. This agreement is legally binding. Any act of breaking off or damaging the cave’s stalactites will incur legal responsibility. If you damage or remove any, you must compensate at ten thousand yuan per gram. Moreover, any retaliatory action by villagers is also protected by law; you could have your legs broken, or worse—your life could be at risk!”

The repeated warnings stemmed from fear that the university students would take the rules lightly. It was necessary to lay down the law before letting them in.

“Jiang Xue, do you think they’re setting us up for a scam?” Dorm leader Zhang Xinxin couldn’t help but whisper her concern.

Jiang Xue smiled wryly and shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’m the organizer. Would I do something I’m not sure about?”

“Will they really break our legs?” someone else asked nervously.

Jiang Xue’s face turned stern. “As long as you follow the rules and visit as instructed, you’ll be fine. Otherwise... you’d better not go in.”

Originally, the plan was to send twenty people in at a time, but that would have taken too long. In the end, Tang Long and Zhang Xiue decided it was best to let everyone line up and enter together, with a villager accompanying every few people. Jiang Xue organized helpers for self-supervision to ensure nothing went wrong.

The visiting time was also extended from thirty minutes to an hour and a half, even up to two hours.

Photography was allowed, and everyone could enjoy themselves a bit longer.

“Begin entering the cave!”

Jiang Xue didn’t lead from the front; she stayed in the middle of the group, placing trusted friends and dormmates at intervals to ensure nothing unexpected would happen.