From what Zhang Heng saw, there is no doubt that the Binotta Mine is in trouble.
The gate of the mine was locked tightly, and there were no trolleys transporting ore in and out. Even the guards who patrolled around the mine to prevent nearby farmers from stealing ore were gone.
Decius said with an expression that I knew it would be like this, "As I said, Cobb has no reason to deceive us, and it won't do him any good."
"Which side are you from, my friend?" Zhang Heng looked back at Decius and asked.
"Um?"
"Because if you're still going to finish your job on time and get those bronze statues delivered on time, you better hope Cobb lied to you about it."
"But... if he really didn't lie." Decius asked weakly.
"Then congratulations for messing up the first job His Majesty entrusted to you." Zhang Heng said lightly.
Decius tensed up when he heard the words. He knew that the oriental man in front of him was threatening him, but he had to admit that the other party's words were indeed irrefutable.
"If you figure out your situation, let's start working." Zhang Heng said.
After he said this, he climbed over the fence on the side of the mine, and Decius hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly followed.
The two walked through a somewhat muddy path, then turned over a dirt slope, and finally saw the mine on the back.
A group of slave miners were coming in and out of the mine, carrying out baskets of stones and sand, and dumping them outside the cave. A guy who looked like a supervisor saw Zhang Heng and Dai Jiwusi and walked up. He seemed to know Dai Jiwusi. Keus, a little surprised, said, "Why did you come here?"
Decius introduced the two of them, so Zhang Heng also knew that the young man in front of him was Cobb's eldest son, Krasai.
Krasai held out his hand and shook hands with Zhang Heng, "I have seen your performance before, it was very exciting, you are the most powerful man I have ever seen."
Although his tone was polite, there was a trace of guard in his demeanor and movements.
"Oh, Zhang Heng is now an advisor to His Majesty the Emperor, and is in charge of matters related to the construction of the bronze statue." Decius then added.
"Really, then why don't you make good bronze statues and go to my mine?" When Krasai was talking, another group of slaves came out of the mine, but they didn't return to the mine immediately after dumping the gravel. They went into the cave, but stood where they were. There were about a dozen of them, all of them strong and strong, and holding iron pickaxes for quarrying in their hands.
"Uh, because we don't have enough ore supply, we've stopped working for a while, so let's see what's going on on your side, and how long it will take to resume mining." Decius smoothed things over.
"As you can see, there has been a landslide in the mine tunnel, and we are still cleaning it up." Clark said, "I don't know exactly how long it will take to resume mining, but I remember I told you that once it resumes, I will I'll let you know as soon as possible."
"Of course, of course, we didn't disbelieve you. We just wanted to see what we could do to help, and to breathe the fresh air in the countryside." Decius nodded repeatedly, and then looked to Zhang Heng who was on the side , the meaning of that look seems to say it's okay, you should be satisfied now, let's call it a day.
"There is no fresh air in this ghostly place, only groups of stinky slaves and piles of broken stones." Klassey snorted, "No one wants to stay here, when the things here are over, I will I'm going to find a prostitute in the city and give myself a long vacation."
"Yes, then we can have a drink together or something, but then I guess I won't have a job." Decius sighed, and then looked at Zhang Heng.
The latter raised his eyebrows, indicating that he had nothing to ask, and Decius breathed a sigh of relief.
Krasai and the dozen or so slaves watched Zhang Heng and Decius leave the mine.
After walking a certain distance, Decius finally couldn't help but said, "I don't want to say that, but you should believe that the mine is really in trouble now, and Cobb didn't mean to delay the construction period."
"Whether the mine will be in trouble is hard to say, but you are really in trouble, my friend." Zhang Heng said.
Decius really became worried when she heard the words, "I know, but this is an accidental disaster. I hope that you, the advisor, can truthfully report the situation here to His Majesty."
"This is not an accidental disaster." Zhang Heng shook his head.
"How is it possible, we saw it with our own eyes..." Decius widened his eyes, as if he couldn't believe that someone was telling lies with his eyes open. Could it be because he didn't put money in when the two met
"All you see is the slaves pulling the sand out of the mine, and Klassey had the hole blocked up so we couldn't go in, and I've heard that the miners at the Binotta mine aren't Only slaves, and some poor people nearby come here to beg for work, but what we saw this time is only slaves, not those poor people."
"Well, what does that mean?"
"Slaves are the property of the master, it is difficult to betray the master, but those poor people are not, so if you want to do something small, you can't let those poor people stay," Zhang Heng said, "And..."
"what else?"
"Did you notice that the slaves who cleaned the mine didn't have any sweat on them, which means that they just started working not long ago, and remember the muddy road we passed before going uphill?"
"uh-huh."
"I don't know if you have noticed that Krasey's shoes and trouser legs have wet mud on them, which means that he has just walked the part of the road we have walked. This guy came here not long before us. It’s just a show for us. In addition, when I went to find you, I found a few sneaky guys outside your door. If there is no accident, they are the people sent by Cobb to follow you. They watched When I go to find you, it is estimated that someone will come back and inform the people in the mine in advance, and then they will prepare everything."
After Zhang Heng finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Decius, and found that the latter opened his mouth wide in disbelief.
"My God, who are you, why can you see so many details that others would never notice?!"
"You know me. I was a gladiator before, but my observation skills just happen to be better." Zhang Heng didn't intend to explain too much. As one of the tenants of 221b Baker Street, this level of reasoning really doesn't understand the fuss. .
"Okay, so what do we do next?" Decius asked, "I mean, even if they know that the Binotta Mine is lying and shutting down on purpose, strictly speaking, they have not violated the contract and are still paying us. Liquidated damages, and I still don’t know why Cobb would do it, it’s not doing him any good.”
"Of course Cobb didn't have the guts to do this, so next we need to find the person who made him do it behind his back." Zhang Heng said lightly.