Suddenly, the truck slammed on the brakes and came to a stop. Caught off guard, we were thrown onto various objects. What happened? Judging from the time, the truck convoy should have left the city and been driving on the mountainous outskirts where traffic lights were rare. Such a sudden brake likely meant something unusual. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to slip out of the cargo hold, but the door was locked. Breaking the door would contradict the original plan of infiltrating stealthily. At this point, I had to admit that trapping myself in a locked cage was an extremely foolish act.
"Uesugi, we have an idea, would you like to hear it?" Souren Manranyama, who had just moved to my side before being thrown back due to the brakes, spoke cautiously. She had a slight smile on her face, as always, an extremely diplomatic expression.
In addition, it seemed that she was considering the presence of Uesugi Yui, as her way of addressing me had changed accordingly.
"Well, go ahead," I said.
Without any surprises, Souren Manranyama was about to explain the reason for their calmness earlier.
"Take a look at this." Souren Manranyama took out her phone from her bag, and the screen displayed a map with a dot indicating our current location. As I had estimated, we had indeed reached the outskirts, and were currently parked on the side of a mountain road.
"Do you know the reason for stopping?"
"Well..."
Souren Manranyama operated the phone a little, and the map on the screen transformed into a satellite photo with astonishing precision. From the photo, we could see that the convoy of trucks we had infiltrated was parked in a row on the side of the road. In front of the convoy, there were two larger cargo trucks carrying unknown containers. About ten people were busy unloading goods from the containers, seemingly preparing to distribute them evenly among the trucks in the convoy.
So that's it. This should be an unplanned transfer while on the way. Souren Manranyama and I exchanged opinions, and our considerations were the same.
"In that case, they must be planning to load goods here. Our situation doesn't look optimistic. Let's abort the mission and retreat forcefully," I suggested.
Leaving green hills doesn't fear burning, but in case the operation is exposed, Souren Manranyama's position in the family will undoubtedly become awkward. Therefore, I gave the recommendation to retreat. However, Souren Manranyama didn't seem to agree, as she calmly took out a bunch of keys from her bag and said casually, "The cargo trucks from this manufacturer are designed very thoughtfully. To avoid anyone accidentally getting trapped inside the cargo hold, they installed two-way locks that can be opened from the inside. These keys correspond to every vehicle in this convoy."
Well... no wonder they were so relaxed. Even though we were inside the cargo hold, we could monitor the outside movements in real-time. Although the cargo hold was locked, we possessed the keys to escape at any time... I was the foolish one.
"There's no time to waste. Let's hide in the nearby forest before they come. According to the position on the map, the warehouse should only be about five or six kilometers away," I suggested.
"Alright, let's do that."
Everyone reached a consensus. After unlocking the door, with Fumi taking the lead, we retreated while I covered the rear. Throughout the process, the workers who were busy unloading goods from the containers didn't even notice us.
We hid in the bushes, observing them unload the goods, hoping to find some clues related to the cargo.
"Um... I have an idea... but it seems a bit late to mention it now." Uesugi Yui, acting out of character, trembled as she raised her hand, hesitating.
However, after hearing her idea, we were all convinced by her caution and thoroughness.
Subsequently, I put Uesugi Yui's idea into action and returned safely.
"By the way, I didn't see Bai Yaxin's shadow." I casually mentioned to the girls. Speaking of which, Uesugi Yui hadn't even seen a photo of Bai Yaxin. Only a good sister like Uesugi Yui would be enthusiastic enough to participate in such a troublesome matter without any personal gain."It's normal. He's the kind of person who doesn't mix with his subordinates unless necessary," Souren Manranyama casually responded, then handed the messenger bag to Fan. Fan skillfully pulled out a neatly folded plastic mat from the bag and spread it on the grass, gesturing for us to sit on it. He then pulled out a folding umbrella from the bag and opened it, shielding Souren Manranyama and Uesugi Yui from the sun. It was almost like a picnic scene. The daughters of wealthy families are truly different. They can even carry out infiltration missions like going on a picnic. It really changed my perception in an instant.
In this relaxed environment reminiscent of a picnic, I remembered something else. Ito Shinran and Ito Tomono. After the last incident, we haven't heard from them again. I wanted to discuss this with Souren Manranyama, but hesitated whether I should bring it up in front of Uesugi Yui. If Uesugi Yui were to know about Ito Tomono, it would only add to her guilt. After all, she was the type of self-sacrificing perfectionist with an excessive sense of responsibility. Considering this, I didn't bring it up in the end. I just stayed silent and monitored the workers unloading and loading cargo with the girls, and finally watched the convoy of trucks leave.
"Did you take note, Fan?" Souren Manranyama asked softly before leaving.
"Are you referring to the license plates of the container trucks?" Fan replied.
"Yes, go back and investigate the origins of these trucks and compile a report for me."
"Understood, Miss."
The simple conversation between master and servant reflected a high level of understanding and professionalism. Uesugi Yui and I exchanged a glance and silently marveled at how people in different worlds lived differently.
As the two convoys left, we began our journey through the mountains and forests. With the advantage of our elevated position, we could occasionally catch sight of the direction the trucks were heading. However, amidst this intermittent observation, we noticed that the convoy turned left at a road junction where it should have turned right.
"Is it because Bai Yaxin himself is suspicious by nature, or is it because your investigation of him has been exposed?" I looked at Souren Manranyama.
Souren Manranyama maintained his official smile and calmly replied, "I don't know if it has been exposed, but it's not an overstatement to say that Bai Yaxin is a paranoid person."
He added, "Only someone like him, a person with a mental illness, could get along with someone like Uminari Manranyama."
