Improved Hidden Passage Mechanisms, Even Dogs Wouldn't Make Them

Old Liang was getting old.

When it came to the matters between the young lady and the manager, it wasn’t his place to ask too many questions.

However.

The more he thought about it.

The more he felt he hadn’t done anything wrong—if anything, he hadn’t done enough.

He had never even met Lin Yu before.

Yet at this very moment.

In Old Liang’s mind, Lin Yu had already been labeled as "Public Enemy Number One."

"Ninth Miss, don’t worry."

"The earliest hidden mechanisms were designed to trap intruders completely, regardless of life or death."

"But this is a society governed by law now—how could we still do things like that?"

"Those vertical, several-meter-deep dangerous passages have been almost entirely modified by me over the years."

"I’ve even added spiral slopes to them—no one will get hurt."

"At worst, they’ll just fall in and won’t be able to find a way to open it from the outside."

"Once I go back in the evening, I’ll just let them out."

"In the meantime…"

"Manager Yao’s calls? Naturally, I won’t answer them!"

With that.

Old Liang picked up his silent phone from the table.

The screen displayed an incoming call from Shen Buyao.

Without hesitation, Old Liang decisively hit the reject button.

This was already the sixth call he’d rejected since the meal began.

Everything.

Was entirely under Old Liang’s control!

Shen Jiuyi: "…"

After hearing Old Liang’s explanation.

Shen Jiuyi once again gained a deep understanding of his "eccentric" nature.

It seemed.

That the moment he received Manager Yao’s call.

This plan had already begun brewing in his mind.

After all this back-and-forth discussion.

And such meticulous planning.

Shen Jiuyi still felt there was a glaring flaw in it.

"Old Liang, what if that young gentleman from outside and Manager Yao both fall into the hidden passage?"

"Wouldn’t that just give them a chance to be alone together?"

Old Liang wagged his finger confidently and said:

"The entrance space is designed for only one person to fall through—there’s no way two could drop in together."

"Besides, Manager Yao’s weight has consistently stayed between 47 and 50 kilograms."

"I’ve adjusted the pressure trigger for the mechanism to 60 kilograms."

"In other words, even if Manager Yao accidentally steps on any of the hidden passage triggers, she won’t activate the mechanism by mistake."

Shen Jiuyi fell into silence: "…"

After a long pause.

She spoke up again:

"What if Manager Yao is carrying two jars of old wine, each weighing ten pounds?"

Old Liang took a sip of tea: "…"

Then took another tactical sip: "…"

Old Liang: "That can’t be, right? Why would Manager Yao be lugging those around for no reason? Does she even know where the old wine is stored?"

…

The Shen family’s ancestral home.

Passing through the main hall and crossing the central corridor to the backyard.

Among a row of neatly arranged stone steps.

Two round, mud-stained wine jars lay on the ground.

One of them.

Still spinning in place from the force of its fall, refusing to come to a stop.

The material of the jars was truly impressive.

Even after being dropped, they hadn’t shattered—not a single crack could be seen!

Lin Yu cautiously approached the jars, looking down at the stone steps beneath them.

One of the slabs was noticeably sunken by one or two centimeters compared to the others.

A trap mechanism?

Rich people sure knew how to have fun!

Setting up hidden mechanisms in their own courtyards.

The real question was…

Did Shen Buyao, as a member of the family, not even know about this?

How could a full-grown person just vanish into thin air like that?

Lin Yu crouched down and knocked on the stone slab.

"Thud… thud… thud…"

The sound was muffled, but with his keen hearing, he could still detect the hollow echo beneath.

This confirmed it.

There was definitely a space underneath.

But the slab itself wasn’t as thin as a regular floor tile.

Judging by the dull resonance, it had to be at least twenty centimeters thick.

When it was first installed.

The design must have accounted for intruders trying to climb back out after falling in.

This old estate clearly had plenty of treasures hidden away!

Between the intricate locks and the internal mechanisms.

None of this was visible from the outside.

But still…

Shouldn’t they have at least warned their own family about it?

Trapping your own people while leaving outsiders free.

You’re just asking to get robbed blind!

"Lin Yu… Lin Yu, can you hear me?"

"I’m down here… down below…"

A faint voice seeped through the cracks in the stone.

Even with Lin Yu’s sharp hearing, he could barely make it out.

This just showed.

How deep underground she must be!

If it were anyone else…

She could scream her lungs out and it wouldn’t matter!

Shen Buyao’s cries weren’t entirely useless, though.

At least they gave Lin Yu some clues.

The sound… wasn’t coming from directly beneath the slab!

It seemed like the passage twisted and turned, extending much farther away.

This realization.

Put Lin Yu somewhat at ease.

Given the current situation, there were only two ways to dig the antique-loving sister out from underground:

First, locate the mechanism’s unlocking mechanism.

Open the stone slab and find a way to pull her out.

But since they’d gone to the trouble of installing this outdoors.

The unlocking mechanism wouldn’t be easy to find.

If he wasted time meticulously searching for it, only to trigger another hidden trap, wouldn’t Lin Yu end up in the same predicament?

If the first method wasn’t feasible.

That left only the second option…

Smash the slab sealing the passage entrance!

Since he’d confirmed Shen Buyao wasn’t directly beneath it, breaking the slab wouldn’t risk injuring her with falling debris.

This was undoubtedly the best course of action right now.

Lin Yu scanned his surroundings for a suitable tool.

But aside from the wine jars, there wasn’t much else in sight.

His gaze then landed slyly on Flying Dragon, perched on a nearby rock.

Flying Dragon’s eagle-like eyes twitched: "!!!"

Even before Lin Yu spoke.

Flying Dragon felt like prey being sized up by a predator!

Back when it was hunting in the mountains.

This was exactly how it used to stare at smaller creatures!

"Hey, Flying Dragon."

"Go fetch me a hammer. You’re big enough—carrying one shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

"I’m going to smash up your courtyard!"

Flying Dragon: "…"

It really wanted to pretend it didn’t understand.

After all, it was a fierce guardian of the estate.

Not some demolition-loving husky.

This kind of destructive behavior—even dogs wouldn’t…

"Roasted eagle wings~ my favorite dish~"

Lin Yu crouched beside Flying Dragon, gently stroking its wings with a benevolent smile.

Flying Dragon: "…"

Fine!

If dogs won’t do it, it will!

That damn stone slab in the courtyard had been an eyesore for too long anyway!

With a flap of its wings, Flying Dragon took to the air.

In no time at all.

It returned with a wooden-handled, iron-headed hammer clutched in its beak.

The hammer was a bit small.

But it would do.

At least.

It was better than Lin Yu using his bare hands!

…

(Second update for today. A bonus chapter will be posted later. Hope you’ll take some time to check out an ad to show your support!)