Chapter 16: The Cable Over the AbyssThe docking station was a solid mass of metal and concrete, exuding a palpable chill just from its appearance. Shan Xiaoxi always felt this way whenever she saw it.At night, the docking station closed down, leaving only minimal lighting and overnight security guards.The cargo passage was located a hundred meters underground, with its entrance above ground resembling an ordinary underground parking garage entry, except for the security checkpoint at the entrance.No vehicles passed through at night, so the checkpoint barrier remained lowered, never to be raised. Beside the barrier was a small door for security personnel to come and go—this was the entry point for smugglers into the cargo passage.The security personnel had long been bribed. They only checked what the passersby wore, not even inspecting the contents of their backpacks.So that was why the sleazy old security guard had reminded them to return their work uniforms.After passing the security checkpoint, they entered the underground passage.According to regulations, the underground passage was inactive at night, with only minimal lighting, just like the surface. The light of the Crimson Moon couldn’t penetrate underground, making the passage appear even dimmer.To make it easier to find their way, Lin Ting, walking ahead, took a flashlight from her bag and turned it on.The underground passage was spiral-shaped, winding all the way down a hundred meters underground. During the day, vehicles driving through probably didn’t notice anything amiss, but walking down on foot was somewhat uncomfortable.Shan Xiaoxi usually exercised regularly, so walking this distance wasn’t tiring for her. However, perhaps because she had drunk Patra Bone Wine, she felt a bit dizzy after a few rounds.The boxed meal she had eaten at CJK in the evening was quite greasy, even containing a few pieces of chicken with skin, all of which Shan Xiaoxi had finished. Now, the taste rising from her stomach made her feel even more uncomfortable.Shan Xiaoxi suppressed the urge to vomit. This was not the time to falter. It was a lesson—next time, she shouldn’t eat before coming here.With her stomach and head feeling unwell, Shan Xiaoxi forgot to count the rounds. Fortunately, Lin Ting pulled her back before they passed the marked point.Following the spiral passage all the way down, they eventually reached another security checkpoint. Beyond that checkpoint, vehicles could drive onto the cargo docking bridge.Smuggling definitely couldn’t go through the cargo docking bridge. The smuggling passage had to branch off before the second security checkpoint. It was said that this branch was a gap specifically left for smuggling.Lin Ting used her flashlight to search along the wall. There should be a disguised entrance here, difficult to distinguish with the naked eye and only detectable by touch.Being their first time here and lacking experience, Lin Ting searched for a long time without finding the entrance. Shan Xiaoxi also stepped forward to help identify it.As time passed without finding the entrance, the two grew anxious. Compared to their earlier calmness in the CJK warehouse, the dim and confined environment of the underground passage added significant mental pressure.The sound of chaotic footsteps echoed from behind. Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting simultaneously stopped moving. They ducked to the side, hiding their figures in the darkness, and Lin Ting turned off her flashlight.Several smugglers arrived together. They barely spoke to each other, silently forming a cooperative formation, with the leader appearing rather intimidating.Why would people travel together? Could it be that someone dared to rob smugglers of their goods?Watching as the group entered the entrance not far away, Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting emerged from the darkness and immediately walked to the spot where the others had disappeared, finally finding the entrance.Once the exact location of the entrance was known, it wasn’t hard to find. The entrance was simply blocked by a curtain, and the color of the curtain matched the surrounding walls, making it visually difficult to distinguish.Behind the curtain was actually an electrical room.Inside the electrical room was a duty officer from the docking station. He glanced at the work uniforms worn by Shan Xiaoxi and the other person, said nothing, and simply gestured to the right with his hand.There was still a path to the right.Lin Ting led the way, with Shan Xiaoxi following behind. After turning right and walking about three meters, they discovered another door. This door was quite obvious and easy to spot at a glance. Upon opening it, a pungent, foul odor immediately assaulted their noses.Behind this door was actually a restroom.Beyond the restroom was another wide-open door, with wind blowing through from the opposite side. Lin Ting and Shan Xiaoxi exchanged a glance, held their breath, and quickly passed through the restroom into the cave behind it.Next was a flight of stairs. Shan Xiaoxi silently counted this time—there were thirty-three steps in total.Whether it was the concealed electrical room or the staircase behind the restroom, neither could have been excavated after the docking station was built. This passageway must have existed since the station’s construction. Of course, its original purpose might not have been for smuggling.At the end of the stairs was a large room. The room had one door and one window. The door was connected to the stairs, while the window was on the opposite side—a very large window facing the side of the Abyss.The room was filled with people, all smugglers wearing different work uniforms. Besides smugglers from CJK, there were also delivery personnel from several other factories.There was only one smuggling route from the Fourth Ring to the Third Ring, controlled by the big shots from the Inner Ring, who allocated time slots based on the day.Those delivering goods had to queue up to receive a number. Those at the front of the line waited less time, allowing them to finish their work early and return home or make multiple trips back and forth.At this point, the differences among those traveling in groups became apparent. Some larger groups would bully lone smugglers and cut in line.Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting were only a pair, so a group of five behind them cut in front. However, they didn’t mind—their intention wasn’t to deliver goods anyway. This gave them the perfect opportunity to observe the smuggling route closely while waiting in line.The so-called smuggling route was actually three independently operating cableways. The three cableways were spaced about two meters apart, extending from the window outward, crossing the Abyss toward the direction of the Third Ring.Shan Xiaoxi stared at the window, looking at the three cableways, her expression one of shock and disbelief.The Abyss spanned several kilometers—were these three cableways really that long?Standing there, Shan Xiaoxi couldn’t see the end of the cableways at all, let alone the receiving point on the Third Ring side."Shocked" was an understatement for how she felt at that moment. No wonder Lin Ting had wanted her to give up upon hearing they would take this route. No wonder Lin Ting had insisted she scout the location in advance.Fortunately, Shan Xiaoxi’s face was covered by a mask, or someone would have surely noticed her unusual expression.All three cableways were in operation, and the line progressed quickly. Shan Xiaoxi and Lin Ting didn’t wait long before receiving their numbers. Lin Ting was number forty-three, and Shan Xiaoxi was number forty-four.The numbers they encountered tonight weren’t particularly auspicious, but Shan Xiaoxi was in no mood to dwell on such trivial matters.The number tags were double-sided, with one side that could be peeled off.Finally, it was Shan Xiaoxi’s turn. She had already watched Lin Ting operate once, but her fingers still trembled uncontrollably from nervousness.Taking the frozen chicken from the backpack, she peeled off one side of the number sticker and placed it on the packaging of the frozen chicken, then put the chicken into the bag on the hoist.The remaining side of the number sticker had to be taken back to the factory to collect "overtime pay."Lin Ting and Shan Xiaoxi didn’t have much chicken with them, so they shared a bag with a few people behind them.Shan Xiaoxi’s gaze remained fixed on the bag on the hoist, following its movement until it disappeared from sight.This was smuggled goods. But what about people?How were people smuggled?

The Fashion Rookie and The Mysterious Gentleman