Qin Yuan smiled slightly, looked at the coconut forest outside the window, but was thinking about the traces he had just seen. He didn't want Zhou Hong to worry, and he was even more unsure whether she knew about these abnormal situations, so he chose to hold on for the time being.

That night, Qin Yuan stood on the terrace of the villa, looking at the sea covered by moonlight in the distance, and felt a little uneasy. He always felt that there seemed to be some unknown secrets hidden under this seemingly quiet island. He knew that his professional habits would not allow him to let go of these questions easily.

"Let's go and see it tomorrow." He murmured to himself, a trace of sharpness flashed in his eyes.

The beach at night looks particularly quiet under the moonlight. The silver light shines on the shimmering sea surface, and the sound of waves slapping on the beach is in my ears. The sea breeze blows gently, with a slight salty smell, but it makes people feel extremely relaxed.

Zhou Hong took off her shoes, stepped on the soft beach with barefoot, turned around and said to Qin Yuan: "Instructor Qin, it is rare to have such a quiet moment. Do you usually have no time to relax like you are now?"

Qin Yuan put his hands in his pockets, followed her smoothly, and his eyes were still calm: "It is indeed rare to have such opportunities, but I am not very used to this way of relaxation."

"I know." Zhou Hong couldn't help laughing, "People like you, who are in a tense work environment all day, will definitely feel uncomfortable suddenly when they are idle."

Qin Yuan did not deny it, but just nodded slightly.

Zhou Hong sighed, looked at the sea line in the distance, and his tone gradually became low: "Actually, I am the same. There are too many things in the company, and every day it seems like I am fighting an endless battle. Just after a problem was solved, new troubles would appear, and I feel that I can never stop."

Qin Yuan glanced at her without interrupting her, and listened quietly to her continue.

"From the company's listing to business expansion, to the various suppression of competitors, I have survived it." Zhou Hong's tone was calm, but the fatigue was unconcealed. "But sometimes, when I sit alone in the office at night, I would think, when will such a day end? I sacrificed too many things for my career, and I almost forgot what life is like."

Qin Yuan was silent for a moment and said slowly: "The challenges in life never stop. Just like on the battlefield, you never know where the next threat will come from. But because of this, every time you solve the problem, it is your opportunity to grow and experience."

Zhou Hong turned his head to look at him, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes: "Don't you feel tired? After staying in the army for so many years, you have to face life and death and high-intensity tasks every day. Have you never thought of changing your life?"

Qin Yuan raised his lips slightly, with a faint smile: "Everyone has a different choice. If I choose this path, I will not think about other possibilities. It is certain that tiredness is, but sometimes, tiredness is not necessarily a bad thing."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Hong was a little puzzled.

"If you are tired, it means you are still working hard." Qin Yuan's eyes were deep, looking at the sea in the distance, "Whether you are a soldier or a businessman, as long as you are still struggling, it proves that you are still insisting on doing what you should do. Thinking from another perspective, being able to continue moving forward is a kind of luck."

Zhou Hong was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "Instructor Qin, you are such a...one who can't hear the emotions. I complained to you. I thought you would comfort me, but you were so kind, and you said it like chicken soup."

Qin Yuan smiled slightly: "Is it useful to complain?"

"It's useless." Zhou Hong shook her head, "But sometimes, people still can't help but want to find someone who can listen to them. This is the difference between a human and a machine."

Qin Yuan nodded and said nothing. The two of them fell into a brief silence for a moment. On the beach, only their footsteps and the sound of waves in the distance were intertwined.

After a while, Zhou Hong suddenly sighed softly: "But you are right. Challenge is indeed a kind of experience. Think about it, I have experienced so many ups and downs and have not fallen yet. I am worthy of myself."

Qin Yuan looked at her, his tone was plain but full of affirmation: "You are stronger than you thought."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hong raised a smile on her lips: "Thank you. Although you are not very good at comforting people, this sentence sounds quite useful."

The two continued to walk along the beach, and Zhou Hong gradually relaxed and began to talk about easier topics, such as interesting things that happened in the company, her childhood dreams, and how she got to where she is today step by step.

Although Qin Yuan didn't say much, he always listened carefully, nodded occasionally, or responded briefly. This simple companionship and communication made Zhou Hong feel unprecedentedly relaxed.

"Instructor Qin, I have to say, it's a wise decision to invite you here this time." Zhou Hong said with a smile, "I feel much more relaxed when I chat with you."

Qin Yuan smiled slightly: "If you think it's useful, that's great."

The sea breeze at night gradually became cooler. Qin Yuan glanced at the time and reminded: "It's getting late, go back and rest."

Zhou Hong nodded, turned around and walked towards the villa, his steps became much lighter. Qin Yuan stayed on the beach, staring at the sea in the distance, and his brows were slightly frowning.

The traces found during the day and strangers appeared in his mind. This seemingly quiet island did not seem as simple as it was on the surface. Qin Yuan knew that this superficial calm might be just a sign before the storm came.

"If there is a problem, it will surface sooner or later." He murmured to himself, then turned around and left, and returned to the villa.

The next morning, the sun shone on the clear sea, and the entire island was bathed in a golden glow. Zhou Hong prepared snorkeling equipment early and greeted Qin Yuan with great enthusiasm: "Instructor Qin, let's go to experience snorkeling today! The scenery under the sea is much more beautiful than on land."

Qin Yuan nodded. Although he was not very interested in this kind of activity, since he had agreed to Zhou Hong's invitation, he was happy to accompany him. After changing into his diving suit, the two were taken to a shallow water area not far from the coast by the tour guide.

"This is the best place for snorkeling on the island," said the guide, pointing to the sea. "There are large areas of coral and tropical fish under the sea, which is very suitable for viewing. Take your time and don't dive too deep."

Zhou Hong jumped into the water excitedly, floating on the sea surface with buoyancy, and occasionally leaned under the water to observe the fish. Qin Yuan put on a diving mask and slowly dived into the water. His movements were flexible and free, and soon sank into the seabed several meters deep and began to look at the surrounding environment.

The seabed is indeed beautiful. Various colorful fish are shuttled among the coral bushes, and the seaweed sways gently with the current, and everything seems peaceful and quiet.

However, when Qin Yuan swam to a slightly remote area, his eyes were suddenly attracted by a strange reflection. Through the gaps between the corals, he found a dark iron box at the bottom of the sea, partly buried in the mud and sand, which seemed out of place with the surrounding natural environment.

Qin Yuan frowned and slowly swam over. His professional sensitivity made him realize immediately that this iron box was definitely not an ordinary thing. Its surface was covered with rust, but judging from its shape and size, it was obviously artificially made and seemed to be hidden here.

He tried to get closer to check, but as soon as he reached out his hand, the tour guide swam suddenly from behind and grabbed his arm.

"Sir, it's dangerous here, you can't get close to it." The tour guide gestured, with a little nervousness in his tone.

Qin Yuan looked up at him and observed the tour guide's expression through the diving mask. The other party seemed a little unnatural. Qin Yuan stopped and slowly floated up to the water.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Hong asked in confusion when he saw Qin Yuan floating.

The tour guide explained first: "Mr. Qin just swam to the deep water area over there, where some waste abandoned by fishermen, such as waste iron boxes and mesh equipment, may be dangerous. I suggest you don't get close."

"Doer?" Qin Yuan was thinking, but his face remained silent. He nodded: "I understand, pay attention next time."

The tour guide showed a reluctant smile and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "That's good, the corals and fish here are more suitable for viewing, let's go back."

Qin Yuan didn't say much and followed the tour guide back to the original snorkeling area. He continued to snorkeling as if nothing had happened on the surface, but he secretly felt suspicious in his heart.

"The iron box abandoned by the fishermen?" Qin Yuan did not believe this statement. Judging from the shape and burial of the box, it was obviously not simply discarded here, but more like it was deliberately hidden. The tour guide's reaction was too nervous and he seemed to not want him to get close to that place.

After the snorkeling, when he returned to the beach, Zhou Hong was basking in the sun, and he seemed very relaxed. Qin Yuan sat aside, drinking coconut water, thinking about the iron box under the sea repeatedly.

"What the hell is that box?" he asked himself silently, "If it was really waste, why should it be hidden in such a hidden place? And why is the tour guide so nervous?"

He did not tell Zhou Hong these questions, nor did he show more suspicion about the tour guide. He knew that it was not time to alert the enemy.

That night, Qin Yuan did not choose to rest, but walked alone to the terrace outside the villa and looked at the sea in the distance. The traces he had found in the woods before and the iron box he saw during diving appeared in his mind, and all kinds of clues seemed to be connected.

"There is absolutely a problem with this island." He whispered to himself.

He took out his cell phone, marked the location of the iron box under the sea with a map, and simply recorded the discovery of the day in his cell phone as a backup. His intuition told him that this matter might involve a bigger secret and he needed further investigation.

The sea breeze at night blew the beach, and the crackling sound of the bonfires mixed with bursts of laughter. In order to celebrate the rare relaxation of the holiday, Zhou Hong specially held a small bonfire party by the beach. She invited several island staff to drink fresh coconut juice while chatting with everyone on relaxing topics, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Qin Yuan did not integrate into these laughter and joy. He stood a little far away, his eyes wide, as if he didn't care about the noise in front of him. His thoughts were still on the daytime snorkeling and the iron box under the sea. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the island had an indescribable secret.

At this moment, his afterglow swept through the dense forest in the distance and suddenly caught several faint lights. The light appeared faintly, obviously from the flashlight. Qin Yuan frowned slightly and his eyes sank: "This place is so remote, how could anyone appear in the dense forest in the middle of the night?"

Without saying anything, he quietly turned around and left the bonfire and walked along the beach path towards the jungle. His movements were as light as a cat's steps, not alarming anyone.

As we approached the dense forest, the light of the flashlight became clearer, accompanied by a low voice.

Qin Yuan squatted quietly, and slowly approached the source of the sound under the cover of the dense vegetation. After pushing a bunch of low branches, he saw several strange men busy in the open space not far away. They were wearing ordinary camouflage uniforms, beach shoes, and daggers on their waists, and they were very skillful in their movements.

Qin Yuan narrowed his eyes and carefully observed their every move.

Several men were surrounding an old off-road vehicle with an iron trailer hanging behind the vehicle, which was piled with encapsulated boxes and bags. They carefully moved the boxes one by one and placed them on the open space next to them, as if counting the quantity.

"These people are definitely not staff members on the island." Qin Yuan sneered in his heart. He noticed that the boxes had no signs on the surface, but judging from their appearance and weight, they seemed to contain some special goods.

"Move quickly, don't waste time." One of the men shouted in a low voice, his voice hoarse, with a hint of impatientness.

"I understand. We have to move things as soon as possible. This place is not safe." Another man replied.

"Don't talk nonsense, just move quickly." The leading man said in a low tone, holding a flashlight in his hand, sweeping around from time to time, obviously very alert.

Qin Yuan felt aroused his heart and continued to hold his breath to observe. Although the equipment of these people was simple, they had a very tacit understanding of their actions. It can be seen that they were definitely not ordinary fishermen or tourists, but more like veterans who had been engaged in illegal activities for a long time.

Just as he was about to get closer, he suddenly heard one of them whisper: "There was a little movement on the sea today. In the afternoon, someone approached the area of ​​the iron box."

"Iron Box?" Qin Yuan frowned, and he immediately realized in his heart: these people were indeed related to the iron box at the bottom of the sea.

"The place is already hidden enough, there will be no problem, right?" Another man seemed a little nervous.

"Don't worry, those tourists are at most just looking at it and won't find anything. If they really find it, don't blame us for being polite." The leading man snorted coldly, with a faint threat in his tone.

Qin Yuan's heart sank and his eyes became sharper. He knew that these people were definitely not ordinary smugglers. There might be a bigger secret behind this iron box and the goods they were carrying.
Chapter completed!