—Mm, good.
Noticing the brief flicker of discomfort on Dick's face and his obvious exhaustion, Brian barely furrowed his brow. He didn't ask directly but made a mental note, keeping his expression calm as he replied.
—Are you going to come out soon? It's been a long time since you've visited. Your mom misses you so much.
Hearing this, Dick looked ashamed, slowly lowering his head.
—The professor just opened a new research project on datura (jimsonweed), so things inside will be pretty busy lately. I… I don't know if I'll have time soon.
—I see…
Brian sighed inwardly, gently patted Dick's shoulder.
—I'm going to visit your mom later. Is there anything you'd like me to bring her?
—Yes!
Dick's eyes lit up. He nodded firmly twice, said "Wait a sec," and ran back into the factory, clearly going to fetch something.
Ten minutes later, Dick came running out again, holding a small wooden box. A barely noticeable tension clung to his face.
He handed the box to Brian, stared intently at him, and whispered:
—Please give this to Mom. It has some things for her. Tell her she must keep it safe.
Brian gave Dick a puzzled look. Was it his imagination? He thought he heard Dick emphasize the words "keep it safe" just a little more than usual.
—Hello!
Just as he was trying to make sense of it, he suddenly heard a voice from his side. The soldier he had bribed earlier—the one who had been standing in the guard booth—had somehow appeared beside them.
The soldier's eyes were fixed on the wooden box in Dick's hand.
—Hello. All items leaving the factory must be inspected. Please open it so we can check.
—O-okay.
Dick stammered. Brian noticed panic flash across his eyes, his body trembling slightly. If the soldier hadn't been focused on the box, he would've noticed the change instantly.
Sensing Dick's distress, Brian quickly reviewed everything in his mind—the moment Dick went in to get the box, all the way to handing it over. His thoughts raced. He shifted his gaze to the box. Something was wrong.
—Then let's open it for inspection.
Brian stepped forward, took the box from Dick's hands, and subtly moved to block Dick behind him. Then he opened the lid.
The soldier only glanced up slightly, saying nothing. As the box opened, his attention locked onto the contents, failing to notice that Dick, hidden behind Brian, was now sweating coldly.
Inside the box, space was limited—just several densely written letters and a few handmade trinkets.
Brian quietly exhaled in relief. He knew Dick wasn't stupid enough to put suspicious items right on top.
The soldier, however, looked disappointed. If he'd caught someone smuggling contraband, he might earn recognition from his superiors, maybe even a promotion—no more standing guard here, plus a small supply bonus.
Unwilling to give up, he rummaged through the box. Finding nothing, he picked up the letters—just typical messages from a son to his mother.
—Ahem… ahem…
Defeated, he placed the items back. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He cleared his throat and said with fake seriousness:
—Though these aren't serious items, security's been extremely tight lately. I'm afraid we can't allow them to leave.
—Greedy bastard!
Brian instantly knew what the soldier wanted. He muttered silently, then smiled, shook the man's hand, and discreetly slipped a small food package into his palm.
—It's just a son's gift for his mother. Please make an exception.
—Oh, oh —the soldier, satisfied by the man's cooperation, still feigned hesitation—. Well… I suppose I can do a good deed this once.
—So fake!
Both Brian and Dick silently cursed, but kept smiling as they politely saw the soldier off.
Once the soldier was far enough away, Brian dropped the smile. He turned and stared hard at Dick.
Under that gaze, Dick felt immense pressure. He lowered his head, full of guilt.
—Next time… don't do this again.
After a long silence, Brian finally spoke. He was genuinely angry. He didn't know what was in the box, but he knew it was problematic.
He wasn't mad that Dick smuggled something important. He was mad that Dick hadn't consulted him first. He acted recklessly. Fortunately, it was him who noticed. With anyone else, they'd have been caught on the spot.
—I expect you to think deeply before acting. If you get yourself in trouble, fine. But don't drag others down with you.
Dick lowered his head even further, deeply ashamed.
—I… I didn't think that much. I thought they wouldn't check.
—Enough! —Brian ruffled his hair. After all, he'd watched him grow up like a younger brother. He couldn't truly stay angry—. Consider this a warning. Luckily that guy was careless. If he'd been sharp, both of us would be dead today.
Without waiting for Dick to respond, he gave him a pat on the back and gently pushed him toward the gate.
—If possible, ask your professor for leave. Go see your mom. Then come visit me.
As he watched Dick walk back in, Brian looked at the box in his hand. Then he glanced at the darkening sky. He knew today was done. Visiting the others would have to wait until tomorrow.
Back in his room at the military base, Brian sat on the living room sofa and placed the wooden box on the table.
He opened the lid. Inside, the letters and handmade items remained unchanged. He took everything out and scanned the bottom. A thin line along the edge caught his eye. He smiled. Just as I thought.
He went back to his bedroom, pulled out a razor blade. With its sharp tip, he carefully inserted it into the line and began cutting slowly around the edge.
Once the circle was complete, he set the blade aside. He reached in and lifted the false bottom of the wooden box, revealing a hidden compartment underneath.
Brian had suspected this all along. Besides the outer shell clearly not matching the inner depth, he also recognized the trick—it was he who had shown it to Dick when they were kids.
The bottom was divided into a nine-grid pattern using paper of the same size, allowing it to sit flat. Inside each grid were small plastic storage bags. He picked one up—inside were seeds, labeled carefully. The tags indicated extremely rare plants and medicinal herbs.
Brian shook his head in disbelief. Why risk so much for these seeds?
He knew the quarantine zone strictly prohibited smuggling items out. If caught, you'd be sentenced to lifelong forced labor. Though, sold on the black market, they might be quite valuable.
He carefully put everything back. Stored the box in the cabinet. If Dick wanted it so badly, he wouldn't say anything. Let his mother keep it safe.
Once done, he returned to the bedroom, flipped the magnetic writing board, and found yesterday's sketch of the middle-aged man. He grabbed a black marker and wrote beneath the portrait: "Monitor power station."
He hadn't expected the "new person" he discovered yesterday to already have a target today. He felt lucky. But… why was the man watching the power station?
—Brian! Are you in? Come quick, help me!
Just as Brian was lost in thought, Sarah's voice called from outside. He startled, checked his watch, utterly confused.
He rushed to the door, opened it—and there was Sarah, standing right there, holding large bags, as if she were moving in.