CHAPTER 484: CHAPTER 482: DARKNESS BENEATH THE LAMP

Qin Hao was taken aback by Fatty’s words—could the Quicksand Organization’s base really be near Jianghai City?

He quickly asked, "Jianghai City? Where exactly?"

Fatty smiled smugly and said, "Hehe, of course, it’s in those mountains. These guys are very cunning. Their overseas outpost is just a branch, but their headquarters is here!"

"Alright, send me the specific coordinates and details as well."

Qin Hao nodded, and after speaking, he hung up the phone. Almost as soon as he did, his phone chimed as Fatty sent over a detailed map and an introduction to the Quicksand Organization’s headquarters.

Looking at the information, Qin Hao finally understood why they had chosen to place their headquarters near Jianghai City and was in awe of the Quicksand Organization’s strategic decision.

The area surrounding Jianghai City is mountainous, with the entire Jianghai Plain encircled by rugged, towering mountains. This mountainous and hilly region covers a quarter of Huaxia’s territory, historically known for its difficulty to traverse.

During the last century, many underground facilities were built in this hilly area in preparation for world wars. As international relations improved, these facilities were mostly abandoned. Some were developed into tourist attractions, while others remain buried underground, unknown to the public.

The location of the Quicksand Organization’s base is a particularly secretive underground facility, situated within a perilous mountain range.

In recent years, with efforts to protect the environment, these rugged and majestic mountains have become even more secluded, turning into a primitive dense forest.

After determining the location, Qin Hao packed some outdoor equipment and tools for the mountainous journey. An hour later, Qin Hao had taken a car to the intersection of the national and provincial highways on the outskirts of Jianghai City.

Here, it was already a desolate mountain area, except for two highways that passed through the mountains, relying on bridge tunnels to barely traverse this formidable terrain.

After stopping the car, the fare from downtown Jianghai to this place was almost a thousand. Qin Hao directly threw down a thousand, letting the change count as a tip, and jumped out of the car with his gear.

The driver was used to Qin Hao’s outfit. After all, this mysterious mountainous area often drew outdoor enthusiasts seeking wilderness survival.

With a large backpack, Qin Hao plunged into the mountains. The initial path was relatively smooth, but soon he ventured into a scarcely populated mountain area.

Soon, the sun was setting, and the sky grew darker. A fiery cloud of magnificent flames spread across the western sky, slightly reddening Qin Hao’s face.

After a whole afternoon of trekking, even Qin Hao felt a bit strained. He took a slight breath, pulled out the map and compass for a check, and found that he was not far from the Quicksand Organization’s base.

Here, his phone had completely lost signal. Of course, it wasn’t because the area was too remote; despite the rugged terrain, the surrounding cities of the Jianghai Plain form a large metropolitan circle, and at night, this is one of the most brightly lit and densely populated areas on the Huaxia map, so a lack of signal coverage wasn’t likely.

The reason for the lack of signal was that the Quicksand Organization had installed jammers in the area.

With no signal, Qin Hao switched off his phone, then took a sharp hatchet from his backpack, chose a direction, and cut his way through the dense forest.

This area was a thick shrub, with various plants growing densely together, making it extremely difficult to pass. Yet this was the shortest route to the Quicksand Organization’s base.

It took Qin Hao a full five or six hours to hack his way through the thick forest, eventually seeing a blurry outline of a watchtower at the edge of his vision.

This mountainous area, far from the city’s light pollution, had a clear blue sky with a high gibbous moon casting a cold glow above.

By the dim moonlight, Qin Hao was also able to carefully observe the Quicksand Organization’s base. It was located in a small valley surrounded by high mountains, almost like a secluded paradise.

In the valley, there were small houses made entirely of wood and bamboo, a watchtower, and other functional buildings were also present.

Clearly, the Quicksand Organization had been operating this base for a long time.

Qin Hao quietly infiltrated the camp. Perhaps having enjoyed peace for too long or due to its secluded position, the guards in the watchtower were dozing off, and the camp’s defenses were slack.

Qin Hao easily scouted the entire camp and found the location where Xia Han was imprisoned without anyone noticing.

He approached the wooden house where Xia Han was held, ready to take action, when suddenly footsteps sounded from afar.

Qin Hao immediately concealed himself and quietly hid.

Xia Han was currently locked in a simple wooden house. In the latter half of the night in the mountains, the temperature was very low, and she was wearing a thin dress. Her hands were tied behind her, bound to a pole in the middle of the wooden house, leaving her no room to move, let alone escape.

Xia Han shivered from the cold, and the despair and fear in her heart flooded her like a tide, overwhelming her inside. At this moment, she had never felt so desperate or so afraid.

The footsteps, from far to near, soon arrived at the door.

A young man with dyed blond hair stood at the door of the wooden house, glanced inside, and said to the guard at the door, "Open up! The boss said tonight, she’s going in as company in bed!"

The guard was also a very young-looking man. Hearing Blond’s words, he said enviously, "Tsk, the boss can’t hold back anymore? Tsk, the woman inside is the most beautiful I’ve seen in my life, truly a rare beauty!"

Blond gave him a slap on the head, showing his yellow teeth with a grin, "Of course she is, quit the nonsense! Hurry up and open the door. Who knows, once the boss gets tired of her, we might get a taste of this top-notch woman too."

The guard’s face immediately showed excitement upon hearing this, nodding vigorously, his mouth curving into an evil smile, and then he opened the door.