Fei Huang also symbolically took off his hat and then put it back on before he looked at Xu Jing, hoping she would make the call.
Jacob had eavesdropped on their conversation; the information was significant. Although Fei Huang didn’t seem to care much, Xu Jing definitely wouldn’t think the same.
"Alright, Jacob, if you can truly get us inside, we don’t mind sharing some information with you," said Xu Jing, a bit unthinking as she spoke.
Fei Huang was taken aback and asked, "Uh... I thought you would care about his eavesdropping just now. We don’t even know his exact identity, and you’re willing to work with him ? Is this okay?"
"The antics of ants are no match for an elephant. If you dare to play games, don’t say I didn’t warn you," Xu Jing said, the latter part directed at Jacob.
Jacob put his hat back on and spread his hands, "Of course, miss."
"Your assistance can’t possibly be free, Jacob. Tell us, what do you want from us?" Fei Huang asked.
Jacob clapped Fei Huang on the shoulder, facing the direction of the academy, "I just need you to come in with me, that’s all."
Fei Huang was puzzled and took a step forward; Xu Jing followed suit.
"Buddy, you must have left something inside," Fei Huang said with a smile.
"You probably won’t tell me what you’re after, right?" Jacob turned his head, looking at Fei Huang.
"Is that all you want? You want us to be cannon fodder, to draw away the guards for you, or to trigger traps?" Fei Huang pressed.
"Oh, my gosh, what a dark thought. What in the world is in your head?" Jacob feigned shock.
"My head is filled with a gun," Fei Huang said with a smile.
At that moment, Xu Jing tugged on Fei Huang’s arm and stepped in front of Jacob.
"You’re right, the information we can exchange is very limited. Why don’t we both step back?" Xu Jing nodded; she looked at Fei Huang and signaled with her eyes.
Fei Huang also gave an affirmative grunt, not pressing any further.
"Why don’t we keep a little mystery between us and join hands to infiltrate the academy’s underground, fulfilling our own little wishes. Wouldn’t that be nice?" Jacob said with a smile.
"So, dear Jacob, what’s your plan for getting us inside?" asked Xu Jing.
"You see, the academy has no surrounding walls. The ways I can think of are sneaking in through the main gate at night or breaking in through a window from the inside. We may have to kill a few people, but that’s just how it has to be," Fei Huang said.
"No, no, no... Your way won’t work. That’s King College; there will be more patrol at night. You don’t think there’s no one protecting underneath the academy, do you?" Jacob raised his index finger and shook it.
"If it were me, I wouldn’t arrange so many guards; such actions are akin to announcing to thieves where the money is hidden," Fei Huang said jokingly.
"Uh... What does that phrase mean...?" Jacob didn’t understand Fei Huang’s proverb, after all, not many Fei Huang People had been to Langdon in the 19th century, let alone known Eastern proverbs.
"It means that such people are overdoing it. It makes others think there’s something very important hidden inside the academy," Xu Jing said.
"You don’t know, but they are very aware of what they are guarding against," Jacob hinted, but stopped just short of revealing too much.
Fei Huang didn’t ask further, realizing that this might involve the forces behind Jacob. Everyone was an adult; what they could think of, those troublemakers inside the academy surely knew as well.
All actions have their significance. If one doesn’t understand, it only proves that they don’t have enough information, that they simply don’t comprehend.
"Whatever you say, how are we going to get in?" Xu Jing also didn’t intend to dwell on it and went straight to the point.
"It’s an academy, there must be enough bathrooms to satisfy everyone, upstairs and downstairs if you catch my drift," Jacob said.
"You mean... the sewers?" Fei Huang asked, his brow furrowing as he remembered his first fight with a transcendent creature, that toad squatting in the sewer eating people.
That battle had not left a good impression on Fei Huang; when he had emerged, he had been covered in sewage.
"Yes, if people live underground, they would leave waste behind, which always needs to be cleared out," Jacob said.
"So which manhole cover should we enter from? If necessary, I need to go change my clothes," Xu Jing didn’t hesitate at all.
"We don’t need to flip manhole covers, Miss. Along the bank of the Taist River, there’s a drainage opening. We can take a bamboo raft from there, and by following the marked pipeline, we can safely enter below the college," Jacob explained.
The Taist River, Chen Ke looked towards the end of the street, the river Jacob was referring to must be the Thames River.
The river flowed slowly, with restrictions on ships moving upstream and downstream. It cut across the entire Langdon, and many novelists who wrote about London mentioned this river.
"It sounds a bit like rowing through shit... Definitely not a pleasant journey," Chen Ke sighed.
"Hmm... indeed, the smell might be rather unpleasant, but it is the most complete route. Moreover, once we enter below the college, our location will be more secluded, allowing us to avoid most guards," Jacob added.
"Let’s do it your way then. We’ll enter the college from there, but remember, no playing tricks," Xu Jing said.
Jacob smiled and extended his hand.
Chen Ke looked at Xu Jing, shook hands with him, and after Chen Ke was done, Xu Jing also shook hands.