Although this stone slab was thick and heavy, Wang An felt it weighed only about 200 jin.
Therefore, Wang An was very worried that these five Japs might push the slab open from the inside or smash it to pieces.
After all, once they realized they were sealed inside, they would certainly be in great agony, and over time, they would inevitably go insane.
And as for what a person in a state of madness is capable of doing, that was truly unpredictable.
Fortunately, Wang An wasn't trying to kill them; he just wanted to keep them locked up for as long as possible.
After thinking it over, to prevent these five Japs from neglecting their ancestors and trying to sneak out early, Wang An thoughtfully carried over large stones one by one and placed them on top of the slab!
He didn't stop until he had cleared all the large stones in the vicinity, and the pile on the slab had become a conical mound about two meters in diameter and roughly as high as Wang An himself. Only then did he turn and leave.
On the way back, Wang An kept pondering: if these five Japs wanted to get out, what method would they have to use to achieve it?
Ultimately, Wang An realized that relying on human strength to get out was completely unrealistic; they could only rely on explosives.
However, if they set off explosives inside the stone mountain, the consequences for these five little Japs might be more than just being blown to death.
One had to understand that the interior of this stone mountain was shaped like an inverted "urn." Even shouting inside would be unbearable for the ears, primarily because the echo was incredibly powerful.
If the sound of an explosion reverberated inside, the consequences would be simply unimaginable.
After pondering for a long while, Wang An couldn't figure out how he would get out if he were currently inside.
This problem was basically unsolvable!
Ceasing to think about this boring question, Wang An specifically chose paths through the overgrown brush, jogging his way back toward the old plot.
The reason Wang An specifically chose the overgrown areas was that these were places where the wild grass was thickest, meaning a person walking on them would leave no footprints.
Although Wang An couldn't figure out how to get out of the stone mountain, he never believed that just because he couldn't do something, others couldn't either.
Thus, being cautious to avoid mistakes was always the right way to go.
At the thought that the invincible Grade 6 Leaf Ginseng was about to emerge, Wang An's little heart couldn't help but accelerate its beating, thumping wildly.
One must remember that this was a Grade 6 Leaf Ginseng—a "big prize" that professional ginseng diggers might not find in a lifetime, and something legendary that was said to be on the verge of cultivating into an immortal.
Of course, the idea of ginseng cultivating into an immortal was far too far-fetched. Wang An suspected that all the stories about "ginseng becoming immortal" were rumors concocted by the people of the Ginseng Gangs.
The purpose of these rumors was simply to drive up the price of ginseng.
An hour later, Wang An arrived near the old plot.
As soon as he approached, Wang An shouted with a laugh
"Hahaha... I'm back!"
The reason Wang An put on this act was that he was afraid Mu Xueli and Wang Li would be startled by his sudden appearance.
After all, digging ginseng was a task requiring extreme focus; if a hand shook even slightly, the ginseng could very likely be ruined.
Hearing Wang An's shout, Wang Li said to Mu Xueli with a face full of joy
"Brother Mu, my fourth brother is finally back, hahaha!"
Mu Xueli had also heard Wang An's shout, but at that moment, he was struggling with a Grade 4 Leaf Ginseng and had no time to pay attention.
Thus, without even lifting his head, Mu Xueli replied casually
"Mm-hmm, I heard."
After speaking, Mu Xueli continued his struggle with the ginseng.
It was clear that the person happiest about Wang An's return was actually Wang Li. Because Mu Xueli had been digging ginseng with single-minded focus, he had no room for idle thoughts.
Wang Li, however, despite holding his Type 56 assault rifle, had been in a state of constant paranoia, as if the area around this old plot were an extremely dangerous zone where fierce beasts or ruthless men could appear at any moment.
Simply put, Wang Li was scared—scared from the bottom of his heart.
As soon as Wang An's figure appeared, Wang Li trotted over eagerly, not forgetting to eject the round from the chamber and engage the safety.
Noticing Wang Li's actions, Wang An ruffled Wang Li's head and teased him with a chuckle
"What's this? You were scared half to death just because I wasn't right beside you? You had a round chambered? The safety was off?"
Hearing this, Wang Li scratched his head bashfully and said
"This whole area is full of 'clubs,' I had to keep a good watch. If anything happened, I'd definitely risk my life against them..."
Before Wang Li could finish, Wang An interrupted
"You little idiot, remember this: if anything happens, grab your Brother Mu and the two of you save your own skins first. What the hell is there to guard? Risking your life over this little thing?"
Seeing that Wang Li still seemed a bit confused, Wang An continued
"You have to be clear about what's important. Risking your life for a few 'clubs'—others do that because they have no money. Do you really need to do that now?"
After speaking, Wang An patted Wang Li on the shoulder and walked toward Mu Xueli.
By now, over twenty ginseng roots of various sizes were laid out beside Mu Xueli.
However, most of them were low-grade "Horse Hooves" and "Two-Prongs"; only four Grade 3 Leaves and one Grade 4 Leaf were truly valuable items.
After a quick glance, Wang An's admiration for Mu Xueli nearly reached its peak.
Because despite digging so many ginseng roots, only two of the low-value Two-Prongs had damaged tendrils; the rest were completely unscathed.
This digging technique could be described as incredibly impressive—to the point of being "god-tier."
Wang An felt that even the veteran leaders of the old Ginseng Gangs might not be able to achieve this level of precision.
In truth, people who had never dug ginseng didn't understand just how difficult it was to extract a root completely intact.
Not to mention anything else, the crisscrossing grass roots and tree roots alone could make one's eyes spin and even lead to a mental breakdown.
Both Wang Li and Wang An had experienced this deeply, and not just once.
Having finished inspecting the ginseng, Wang An said with a laugh
"Impressive, Xueli. I really didn't think your technique had reached this level."
Hearing this, Mu Xueli didn't lift his head and said with great smugness
"Of course. Only my marksmanship is inferior to you two; in other aspects, you'd have to work yourselves to death to even catch up to me."
Although Mu Xueli was speaking boastfully, Wang An couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart. This brother-in-law of his was truly driven to excel!
Wang An laughed and once again took the newly unearthed Grade 4 Leaf Ginseng in his hand, observing it carefully.
One must realize that a Grade 4 Leaf Ginseng was already a formidable "big prize."
(End of Chapter)