On the other side stood a middle-aged man, identified as a local official by his name tag.
Christine and her companions stood on the periphery, watching as reporters began to ask questions at the press conference.
Microphones with various station logos were extended, and some were even equipped with long-range recording devices typically used in outdoor reality shows.
One such microphone was thrust right under Sergeant Woods’ nose.
Sergeant Woods was only following orders to temporarily oversee the excavation of the Western Xia Treasury; he never expected to encounter such a mess.
Feeling extremely frustrated, he coughed twice and began to speak. “After the Western Xia Treasury incident occurred, the local government and our troops initiated a swift and effective rescue operation. To date, we have dispatched divers twenty times and used water pumps…”
Sergeant Woods was giving an official update on the current situation.
The reporters, however, couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted loudly. “Sergeant Woods, did you consider drainage issues when you started excavating the Western Xia Treasury?”
“Being so close to Blackwater Creek, did you not think about the possibility of flooding during the rainy season?”
“Is there any corruption involved? We’ve heard that some high-ranking officials want to take over the Western Xia Treasury. Is that true?”
Most of these reporters were from Hong Kong and Macau, known for their freedom of speech and sharp questions.
Sergeant Woods was sweating profusely and struggling to cope.
Each question was a minefield; any answer he gave would be scrutinized by these reporters.
He looked pleadingly at the local official beside him.
The official, however, was looking up at the birds, his gaze drifting like a kite with a broken string.
Sergeant Woods cursed silently but couldn’t do anything about it.
They were from different systems, and he couldn’t bully him. He then turned his gaze to Lily on his left.
Lily didn’t shy away; she smiled back but made no move to help.
Sergeant Woods looked around but said nothing.
The reporters below grew more impatient, almost wanting to shove their microphones into Sergeant Woods’ mouth.
“Sergeant Woods, can you say something?”
“Sergeant Woods, we’ve heard that renowned journalist Domingo is also trapped under the Western Xia Treasury. Can you disclose the list of missing persons?”
The scene was chaotic. The guards maintaining order had never seen such a situation and were trying to push back the advancing reporters as instructed by their superiors.
But these seasoned reporters were like warriors on a battlefield, pushing forward bravely.
Even the female reporters were no exception. The guards retreated step by step as the reporters surrounded the three makeshift tables at the press conference.
Every time Sergeant Woods turned his head, he risked being poked in the teeth by a microphone or blinded by a high-powered flash.
Christine and her companions watched the chaotic scene, initially wanting to question the officials about their lackluster rescue efforts, but their voices were drowned out by the noise.
Suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside the camp, as if dozens of people were shouting.
The reporters at the press conference fell silent simultaneously. Many other reporters were still outside because they hadn’t obtained interview passes.
A disheveled guard rushed in, initially intending to whisper in Sergeant Woods’ ear, but all key positions around him were occupied by reporters.
Unable to squeeze through, he shouted from outside, “Sergeant Woods, dozens of villagers from Blackwind Gulch are outside. They claim that the excavation of the Western Xia Treasury has disrupted their village’s geomancy and are here to demand an explanation.”
Sergeant Woods frowned. These villagers from Blackwind Gulch had already approached him, complaining that their village pond was drying up.
And now they were here again!
When it rains, it pours!
Just as Sergeant Woods was about to order the guards to drive away the villagers, he had a sudden idea-this could be his chance to escape!
Dealing with unreasonable villagers was better than answering these reporters’ questions.
Hearing the commotion outside, the reporters sensed more drama and followed Sergeant Woods out.
Some quick-footed ones even ran ahead to see what was happening outside.
Christine and her companions were swept along with the crowd toward the camp’s entrance.
Before they reached the gate, they heard a cacophony of rural dialects, spoken rapidly by both men and women.
There were also children’s cries, making it even more chaotic than the press conference.
Christine saw an older woman holding a four or five-year-old boy, standing at the camp gate with a commanding presence, shouting angrily.
The guards at the gate were clearly intimidated, not daring to say a word as they faced her spit-laden tirade.
The boy looked chubby and cute in his tiger-head hat but clung tightly to the woman’s neck in fear.
“What is going on?” Sergeant Woods asked sternly as he approached the villagers.
Christine quietly listened to the reporters exchanging information nearby.
They said that Blackwind Gulch’s pond had nearly dried up recently but had surged dramatically after water entered the Western Xia Treasury, almost overflowing.
The boy in the woman’s arms had been playing by the pond when it surged and nearly drowned. Fortunately, a villager passing by saved him with a bamboo pole used for punting boats.
The villagers of Blackwind Gulch had long been at odds with the excavation of the Western Xia Treasury due to the pond issue. Now that water had entered both places simultaneously, they were here to cause trouble.
The reporters outside had already gathered most of this information, while those at the press conference were a step behind.
Sergeant Woods now understood the situation and was negotiating with the villagers.
A thought suddenly struck Christine-could the pond be connected to the Western Xia Treasury?
If so, could Leo and his companions escape through the pond?
Unable to contain herself any longer, Christine pushed through the crowd and ran toward Blackwind Gulch.
She remembered the way: just follow Blackwater Creek downstream and then take a path into the village.
Back in the depths of the underground palace…
Domingo glanced behind her, feeling as if those kneeling terracotta figures had come to life.
She slowly turned sideways, leaning against the wall so she could see them out of the corner of her eye without facing them directly.
Chloe noticed Domingo’s subtle movement and couldn’t help but chuckle.