However, I was truly too tired and didn't give her the response she deserved. Although she was very skilled in martial arts, she lacked experience in certain areas. After fiddling with it for a while without success, she likely got tired and rolled over to sleep.
It felt like the genders were reversed!
The alarm clock rang, and I opened my eyes, reached for my phone, and swiped to turn off the ringing. Shen Xingyue mumbled in her sleep. She was truly asleep, her breathing very steady.
I couldn't bear to disturb her slumber, so I tiptoed off the bed, got dressed, used the restroom, and splashed some water on my face to wake myself up. I then returned to the underground command center. Yao Yao was still engrossed in searching for the map, having already completed half of the search area in Mount Zhongnan.
"How... so fast?" Yao Yao chuckled.
"Your eyes are bloodshot. Go get some rest," I said, feeling concerned.
"It's fine, I've already searched a considerable area. Come on, let's search together."
"That's an order. I can search by myself. Go up and sleep!" I forcibly pulled Yao Yao up, pushed her out of the command center, took her to the elevator, and then into Shen Xingyue's office. After taking off her outer layer and tucking her into Shen Xingyue's bed, I left.
Shen Xingyue woke up briefly midway but couldn't see clearly in the dark. She probably thought I had gone to the restroom and didn't pay it any mind. She rolled over and continued to sleep.
I poured a cup of strong tea from Shen Xingyue's office, returned to the underground command center, lit a cigarette, and continued the search.
Perhaps it was due to Yao Yao's bad luck that she hadn't found anything all night. As I took over her work, in the time it took for a single cigarette, I discovered a suspicious spot. However, I didn't have the heart to wake Yao Yao. I continuously shifted time, searching different mountain peaks nearby, and marking them on a printed paper. As one target peak after another was identified, the outline of the xiangqi board became clearer.
Ultimately, twelve mountain peaks that were clearly active areas for the Shan Hai demon clan were found. These only formed a little more than half of the board. I enlarged this incomplete board proportionally to explore other mountain peaks. Although no people were found, I estimated that the Shan Hai demon clan would eventually come to investigate these mountain tops. After all, it was a xiangqi competition. The board might not be perfectly standard, but the relative positions should not differ significantly. Following the board to find the mountain peaks should be correct.
An hour later, I had drawn the shape of the entire chessboard on the map. Although it was a bit crooked, with the Chu River and Han Border, the nine palaces, and the small right angles for the cannon positions, it was still recognizable as a xiangqi board.
Furthermore, the "Chu River and Han Border" also existed in reality, a vast and straight valley. From a bird's-eye view, the bottom of the valley was completely invisible, and it should be very deep. I didn't know if there was water in it. Logically, the very bottom of such a valley would have a stream.
This also corresponded to the historical anecdote. The so-called "Chu River and Han Border" was actually the dividing line between Western Chu and Han at the time, the "Hong Canal."
It seemed that the Shan Hai demon clan had not yet completed their survey of all the mountain peaks. However, with only two weeks left, I estimated they wouldn't make any more changes. This battlefield was it!
I slumped back into the chair and exhaled a relaxed breath. The first step was completed. The second step would be to go and inspect it in person. Such a large deployment couldn't all go. Who should I bring?
I'd better wait for Yao Yao to wake up before deciding. I had never participated in a xiangqi competition, so I had no experience.
I marked the map, reduced its size, and looked for ways to enter the mountains.
This was almost the hinterland of Mount Zhongnan, more than a hundred kilometers from the nearest town. There seemed to be no existing road to enter the mountains. There was, however, a tunnel passing through the mountains nearby, several kilometers long, but that was for a railway. No, wait. If we could get a train to stop nearby, wouldn't that save us from having to trek over mountains and ridges?
Trains wouldn't stop just because we waved them down, but Shabia definitely had the ability to do so!
Moreover, Shabia was now clearly on our side. They might not send their top experts to participate in the competition, but they would surely want our Baize demon clan to win and would provide strong support.