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墨書 Inktalez
The search team and equipment from the AE Organization gradually arrived at Zhenfeng. Jack took charge of coordinating the personnel and equipment since he was familiar with the group and had arranged for the gear. If anyone else got involved, it would only complicate matters.
I had to go to the hospital every day for an IV drip; the wound on my chin was too deep, and if it got infected, it would be troublesome and affect our plans. Fatty followed me, his expression always gloomy. He rarely spoke to Xiao Ting, let alone Jack; whenever the two met, it was either a cold stare or a tense standoff.
Jack wisely avoided contacting Fatty and instead introduced the search team from Hong Kong to Xiao Ting, allowing them to devise their specific search strategy based on the situation. The detailed execution would only be possible once we entered the mountains; in Zhenfeng, we could only provide a general overview. Along with the equipment came two Satellite Phones; the search team already had one, and I took one for myself. Before we set off, I handed the other Satellite Phone to Xiao Ting and quietly instructed her to call me if things got out of control.
Of course, I was mainly concerned about Fatty's unpredictable behavior, which was why I hadn't given him a phone. I hoped nothing would go wrong. With a quiet sigh, I set off ahead with Jack. Fatty, Xiao Ting, and the search team from Hong Kong would have to wait for our call before they could act.
When we arrived at Beipanjiang Town, Ah Xiang and his crew were already impatiently waiting for us. Fortunately, upon seeing the large amount of equipment Jack and I were carrying, they realized we weren't just wasting time and refrained from complaining too much. In fact, Jack and I had been quite fast; we drove a vehicle loaded with gear straight to Beipanjiang Town without taking any breaks.
Not long after leaving Beipanjiang Town, the mountain roads became unsuitable for vehicles. After getting out of the car, Jack and I strapped on our climbing gear and carried some food supplies while leaving most of the equipment with Ah Xiang's team. Wu Qitai's crew was incredibly fit; they carried enormous backpacks up the mountain trails without lagging behind us at all. Sometimes, watching them climb made me extremely anxious—especially since these mountains were steep and their heavy packs seemed to dangle them precariously over the cliffs as if they might fall at any moment.
Upon seeing Jack for the first time, Ah Xiang displayed a look of deep concern. Although he didn’t ask directly, I could tell what he was thinking; Fatty's absence made him even more uneasy. Sure enough, during our first break, Ah Xiang pulled me aside and quietly asked, "Where's Fatty?"
Feigning nonchalance, I shrugged. "He had other commitments and couldn't come. I've got a different partner now—someone who will be more helpful for our mission."
My explanation clearly didn't convince Ah Xiang. We were resting on a ridge overlooking steep cliffs and endless tropical and subtropical jungles below. Ah Xiang glanced back down the path we had come from and nervously smiled. "You really are cautious."
With you guys around, can I afford not to be cautious? I thought to myself before asking him, "So can we proceed to our destination now?"
Ah Xiang gave a vague smile in response but said nothing.
A fox. He had no other way of knowing the truth but could only continue following me onward.
As I left Beipanjiang Town, I had already informed Xiao Ting, and I believed they were on their way. In fact, they could have acted earlier, at least to synchronize with us, but I didn't want them to expose themselves. In a situation where the enemy's intentions were unclear, the more concealed Fatty and Xiao Ting remained, the safer I felt. I wasn't worried about Ah Xiang guessing that Fatty was following behind; in fact, I thought he would inevitably figure it out. Knowing that I had help lurking in the shadows would naturally deter him from having any ulterior motives towards me.
I also wasn't concerned about Fatty being unable to find me. I had a satellite positioning system on me, so Fatty could know my location at any time. They had set off later, but in this vast mountain range, we were likely only separated by one peak; the straight-line distance was even visible to the naked eye.
Our overall direction was to head upstream against the Beipan River, and sometimes we could see the river rushing past beneath the cliffs. The scenery of the Beipan River Basin was breathtaking; the river flowed through the deep gorges of the mountains. Even though I was perched atop a cliff, I could feel the powerful surge of the water below. Unlike northern rivers, especially the Yellow River, which carried silt, this river surged without any sediment. The white waves and clear waters paired with the green towering mountains on both sides created a magnificent painting that seemed endless.
I did not experience aesthetic fatigue; even when exhausted, a glance at the surrounding beauty could lift my spirits. However, I had more pressing matters to focus on and couldn't afford to dwell too much on the scenery. First, I noticed that we weren't moving in a clear direction but rather following the Beipan River upstream. I had never seen Ah Xiang pull out a map or compass to determine our course. Additionally, while resting, I managed to interact with two of the others besides Ah Xiang and another Vietnamese person. I discovered that they were not Chinese and couldn't speak Chinese either; of course, I couldn't understand their language either but guessed they might be Burmese or Lao People since I could tell they weren't speaking Vietnamese. I quietly asked Jack if he recognized their language, but he couldn't identify it either. If Fatty were here, he would have immediately known this and might even extract some information from them.
Based on my instincts, I judged that these two were Mountain Folk hired by Ah Xiang for labor. Their ability to traverse mountains far surpassed ours; they were much stronger than professional expedition team members and hardly needed climbing gear—most steep cliffs they could scale with their bare hands.
For confidentiality and safety reasons, my Satellite Phone remained off until two days into our journey when I managed to make a call to Xiao Ting during a nighttime rest.
Fatty answered the phone. He was quite displeased that it took me so long to get in touch and scolded me before I could say anything, warning me: "If this happens again, Xiao Ting and I will come meet up with you. You need to check in at least once."
I understood his concern for my safety; however, I also worried that if he truly caught up with us, our strengths would be fully exposed, which would be detrimental in dealing with potential crises. So, I vaguely agreed.
Then Xiao Ting took over the call and briefly updated me on the search team's arrangements. The search team wasn't following the river; they had found a Guide in a village who led them into the mountains in alignment with our general direction. Xiao Ting maintained contact with the search team and mentioned that they had found traces of Cao Mingzhe entering the mountains and were following his trail. This was the only good news since we entered the mountains. I asked her how things were going with her and Fatty; she said everything was fine. This eased my mind a little.
As I climbed over a ridge, Ah Xiang pointed ahead and said to me, "We're here."
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