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墨書 Inktalez
I didn't turn around. Although the voice was somewhat abrupt, it only surprised me slightly because it was too familiar—it was Jack's voice.
"No, we will proceed as planned. We need to retrieve the Specimen and find a way to fulfill your wish."
"That's good. I need someone to draw Heimanluo's attention."
"Where are you going?" Tang Yumo asked with a frown. "I've already promised to open the exit for you. There's no need for you to make futile efforts; retrieving the Specimen and confronting Heimanluo is meaningless now."
"It is." I still faced Tang Yumo. "I don't believe in any devil's curse. I want to see what has driven the Monster in the cave to madness. At the same time, if possible, I would like to get a glimpse of the Eternal Gate in advance. I think you're also quite interested, after all, you've never seen it with your own eyes. Don't you want to verify whether it matches your vision of the Eternal Gate?"
Tang Yumo's brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed even tighter.
"I'm worried it will be exactly as I foresaw. Aren't you concerned?"
I shook my head.
"Then there's even less reason to avoid it. Of course, you can choose to stay at the Campsite and wait for us to return. The two of us must go see it; at the very least, we need to retrieve the Specimen we left behind."
"Three people—how could I be left out of this?" Fatty's voice came from the other side.
"Damn, when did you wake up? I just heard you snoring a moment ago."
I finally couldn't hold back my frustration. I had been speaking in a low voice, fearing I'd wake them up, but it turned out they were all eavesdropping like thieves. Thank goodness I hadn't said anything too revealing; otherwise, I would have sold myself out.
"Hehe." Fatty grinned mischievously as he sat up, crossing his legs and shifting closer to me. "I woke up when you two were exchanging glances. I pressed fast forward waiting for the drama to unfold, but unexpectedly, the plot didn't go as scripted. It got me so anxious that I couldn't lie still anymore."
I was so exasperated that I nearly lost my breath.
"You two can't sleep, huh? That's fine, I'll take a quick nap while you chat."
Fatty pressed down on my shoulder.
"What are you still doing sleeping? You two seem to be having a great time chatting, huh? Haven't you looked at the time? It's already six o'clock. We need to eat something and hit the road. You don't need to rest; just keep your chatter to a minimum."
Damn it. Fatty's relentless teasing made my face feel hot with embarrassment.
I deliberately glanced at Hakka Man A-Yong. This guy had just been spouting off some impressive lines. I thought that with Fatty putting me down like this, he might take the opportunity to retaliate against Fatty as well. But to my surprise, he was acting all submissive, not saying a word.
After Fatty's loud outburst, everyone woke up. They gathered around the campfire, boiled some water, and started eating, preparing to set off.
I exchanged glances with Jack and Fatty before stepping away from the fire.
Fatty followed me, mumbling, "Stop giving me those looks; I might misunderstand. If you have something to say that you don't want them to know, just say it. By the way, am I included this time, or is it just you two again?"
Jack and I glared at him like daggers. If looks could kill, he would have been dead twice over at that moment.
Seeing our expressions, Fatty immediately raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it. This time I'm in."
'Use your lips.' After we moved a bit further away, I stopped and silently signaled to them.
'Qiangzi, didn't you come to an agreement with that girl? Why are we still keeping an eye on them? This is too exhausting. If you're confident about finding another exit, we should just ditch them and go on our own.'
I shook my head.
'If I were confident, I would have ditched these deadweights long ago. No way; most of us will have to retrace our steps if we want to survive. I called you two here to discuss who will go downstream. Once we reach the Hakka People's habitat, we'll split into groups and send some people by boat downstream to look for our lost Specimen.
The rest will stay at the Hakka People's habitat and wait. At least one of us three needs to stay behind; otherwise, we won't be able to keep the Hakka People in check. Honestly, I'm not very confident about the agreement with Tang Yumo; they could turn on us at any moment. They're too emotional and spontaneous; I can't figure out her thoughts.'
With that, I turned my gaze back to Fatty.
Fatty immediately understood my meaning, his eyes wide open like copper bells, staring back at me. The message was clear: don't think about shaking me off.
I helplessly looked at Jack, who shook his head at me.
Sighing, I pointed a finger at Fatty and then at Jack, mouthing, "Good luck to you both."
Jack used a finger to redirect my gaze. "You have to go. I somewhat believe Sister Tang's method; you are the key person who can enter Hakka People's Sacred Ground and destroy it. This time, you need to check out Hakka People's Sacred Ground; it will help us with our next step to Lop Nur."
"Aren't you the one who decided to withdraw?" I asked Jack in surprise.
Jack was not someone who changed his mind frequently. He had previously communicated with me about wanting to withdraw from this operation. At that time, he seemed quite dejected, and I had felt disheartened because a trustworthy ally like him was hard to come by.
"I changed my mind. I should have corrected my wrong decision and returned to the original path. Some changes in you all frightened me, but what I've seen this time has put my mind at ease. Perhaps facing this Dam or when we reach Lop Nur, I will find the truth. I will stick with it."
"Welcome back," I sincerely patted Jack on the shoulder.
"Hey, hey, hey, you two are really full of passion! Am I just air?" Fatty complained loudly.
I shot Fatty a glare. "Then create a condition for us; you stay behind while Jack and I go."
"Why should I? I should be the one going; I need to keep an eye on your parents and make sure nothing happens to the Old Zhang Family. If something goes wrong, the Old Couple will come looking for me. Besides, why not all three of us go together? Bringing along a Hakka person would complete it; are you afraid they can stir up any trouble?"
Fatty glanced sideways at Tang Yumo.
I thought about it and realized he had a point. As long as we kept Tang Yumo with us, we wouldn't have to worry about the remaining Hakka people developing any ill intentions. Those staying in the Hakka people's habitat, like Xiao Ting and others, should be safe.
Jack and I exchanged glances.
Jack blinked: "You decide."
I knew Jack wasn't interested in collaborating with Fatty, but he understood that his opinion wouldn't carry much weight in this matter.
I nodded at Fatty, accepting the situation I couldn't change.
"Alright, let's go with your idea."
Then I turned my face towards Jack.
"Honestly, my initial plan was to leave here and come back better prepared. I was more inclined to go across to Dam; it has a stronger allure for me. We are not well-prepared this time, and we might not reach the deepest parts, especially with Heimanluo. If I can't defeat it, I would choose to give up. What about you?"
"I'll give it a shot."
"Okay. I understand. One more thing: aside from the three of us and Tang Yumo, everyone else will stay in the Hakka People's habitat and wait. I'm firm on this; I need someone to handle the others' tasks."
With that, I looked at Fatty.
(To Be Continued...)
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