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墨書 Inktalez
My heart suddenly began to race intensely. I knew that if this continued, I would lose control again. Of course, I wouldn't impulsively jump up this time, but my expression would be hard to conceal. I had come all this way just to get this news. Staying calm now was more difficult than climbing a mountain.
I leaned back slightly, allowing my face to become more obscured. Although I wasn't completely hidden in the shadows, it made it difficult for A San to see me clearly. This movement seemed more like an attempt to get comfortable, providing a good cover, and I wasn't worried about A San noticing any flaws.
I swallowed hard, trying to make my voice as smooth as possible.
"Oh?" I said casually.
But I didn't continue speaking; if I tried to talk continuously now, my voice would definitely tremble. I pretended to look reserved as I stared at A San in silence.
This left A San a bit bewildered. He leaned forward slightly, "Aren't you curious? You even asked Ah Xiang about it in Beipanjiang Town."
"Of course I'm curious." I tried to keep my voice steady, but my nervousness and excitement made it impossible to remain calm; those words came out with a noticeable tremor. I knew I shouldn't show weakness like this. Suddenly, I leaned forward as well and shouted angrily, "But right now, what the hell I want to know more is how to get out of this damn place! Can you tell me?!"
My spit landed directly on A San's face, and he didn't even wipe it away; instead, he quickly pulled his head back. I glared at the Vietnamese for a moment before retreating slightly, feeling exhausted and frustrated as I leaned against the rock wall. I let out a quiet sigh of relief, thankful that I hadn't lost in this round of mental sparring.
A silence fell between me and the Vietnamese for a moment before I softly said, "Hmm? Why aren't you speaking?"
A San brought his face closer after wiping off the spit. "I saw you were in a bad mood and was afraid..."
"Right." I waved my hand dismissively in a lazy tone. "I'm really curious about what Xiao Guolin is risking everything to trade with you. From your tone, it sounds like high-end weapons—it's not a nuclear bomb, is it?"
I chuckled self-deprecatingly at that thought, and A San awkwardly laughed along with me. "It's an Antimatter Bomb."
My smile instantly froze on my face. This was even more shocking than the Hexagonal Iron information.
I could no longer contain my emotions. My upper body leaned completely toward Vietnamese, and the flesh on my face twitched as I faced A San.
"I hope you're joking."
"No, I swear this is real. Not many people know about it, but far more than those who know about Hexagonal Iron. Europeans sent us a photo of this bomb. It's as big as a pickup truck. The power must be immense."
From A San's words, it seemed that Vietnamese knew even less about the Antimatter Bomb than I did. I had only pieced together bits of information about it.
Humans had already managed to produce and store antimatter, but as far as I knew, its properties and practical uses had not been fully grasped. However, I did know that the annihilation of matter and antimatter would release tremendous energy. The efficiency of mass converting into energy is one hundred percent. Therefore, this energy explosion is far greater than nuclear fission. According to estimates, the energy produced by one gram of antimatter upon annihilation could destroy a city.
A pickup truck-sized amount!? Such a massive chunk of antimatter could probably obliterate the solar system!
If there really was an Antimatter Bomb that large, its main system would be designed to store antimatter. It would use strong magnetic fields to suspend the antimatter, preventing it from coming into contact with any objects. Any contact with regular matter would result in annihilation—what we refer to as an explosion. The core of this bomb, which is the antimatter in the center, should be minuscule. Yet that was enough to leave me dumbfounded.
My mind was completely consumed by thoughts of the explosive yield of this Antimatter Bomb and what Xiao Guolin intended to do with it.
I wasn't a science major; my knowledge of physics was limited to Newton's Three Laws and Relativity, which felt like foreign concepts to me. I couldn't ascertain whether this thing had already been used for military purposes, but it was an undeniable fact that military technology was clearly more advanced than civilian technology. In the absence of certainty regarding the authenticity of this information, I could only prepare for the worst—believing in the existence of this bomb. Moreover, I began to vaguely speculate on Xiao Guolin's intentions.
I continued to stare intently at A San: "What does a group of European arms dealers want with a piece of iron they found in an ancient tomb? Surely they aren't switching careers."
I was merely talking to myself, uncontrollably voicing my thoughts. Yet my eyes remained fixed on A San; to him, it seemed like I was asking him directly.
A San's eyes darted around quickly. "It's possible. Xiao Guolin has made quite a profit from several cultural relics he acquired, especially those porcelain pieces auctioned through Sotheby's; he reportedly made a fortune."
Upon hearing this, my eyes lit up. Old Xiao was quite clever, quietly engaging in side deals.
Those who study Archaeology, especially field Archaeology, can easily acquire a few Cultural Relics from the local populace if they are determined. At the very least, we know which places are likely to yield finds, whether they come from underground or have been passed down through generations. Additionally, after years of sifting through Cultural Relics, our eyes have become sharp, and it is rare for us to overlook something, particularly in our areas of expertise.
I certainly do not believe that a European would switch careers to engage in the trade of Cultural Relics. This makes their interest in that piece of iron even more puzzling. However, I cannot connect that piece of iron to any weaponry. Nevertheless, I immediately made a decision: I must not let the European obtain that iron. Of course, this is contingent upon us making a discovery on this trip and finding another piece of Hexagon iron.
In such a short time, A San overwhelmed me with information. It also gave me the opportunity to corroborate this new information with some of my previous experiences and speculations. However, time was too short; I had not fully recovered from my shock when Jack and Buasong were already approaching us.
A San and I could rest anywhere we liked, and so could Jack, but Buasong could not. He needed to find a flat area for Fumi, at least a space large enough to accommodate Fumi. The stone I was sitting on was unsuitable; it was too narrow for turning around, and if Buasong set Fumi down there, he might fall into the river.
We needed to move forward. A San and I could not block Buasong's path; we had to quickly find a place where Fumi could rest so that Buasong could take a break. If this continued, he wouldn't last much longer.
I wanted to share and exchange this information with Jack; he must have received some insights from Ah Xiang. I did not know what information he had obtained, but it should be more than mine since Ah Xiang is a core member of the Vietnamese Gang and the leader of this operation—at least Ah Xiang knows more than A San.
However, the current circumstances did not allow me to do so. I cast a deep glance at the approaching Buasong and Jack, signaling A San to set off.
(To Be Continued...)
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