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墨書 Inktalez
Looking at Cao Mingzhe's deliberately mysterious expression, the figure of Jack appeared before me along with the information he had once shared.
Back then, in the Underground Cavern of the Hakka People, when Jack and I exchanged information, he chose his words carefully, making each one count. It turned out that this information was so precious that even my country's military and the Academy had not grasped it yet. It seemed I needed to ponder over what he had said and see if I could glean any further insights.
"I think you should avoid contact with the Scientist Group from now on. I initially wanted you to build a rapport with them to ease the tension within the Task Force, but I didn't expect you to stir up a bigger mess. It's fortunate that you haven't leaked more information; otherwise, even if this investigation goes smoothly, what awaits you upon your return could be imprisonment."
"You are more optimistic than I am. I thought the military would directly revoke my qualification to go to Lop Nur. I've already prepared myself for a stint in a dark room."
"That won't happen. Even if you make a bigger mistake, you'll still appear on the list for Lop Nur. That's a prerequisite for me leading the team, and this has already been agreed upon with the military."
"Old Cao, why do you insist on having me go? Now that we've reached this point, you must give me an explanation. I'll make my position clear: without a reasonable explanation, I'm withdrawing from this investigation team. If I leave, I won't be able to enter the Eternal Gate; you have the key, and I'm not irreplaceable."
"You are." Cao Mingzhe sighed. "Do you think they would hand over the key to me? Two groups have gone down already, and each time has been worse than the last. At least we managed to come back alive; Old Xiao and his team went and never returned. Do you think the military and Academy would let me take that piece of iron down?"
"What about that piece in your office?"
"That one is real, but it cannot leave my office. The security work of the Task Force is not only aimed at outsiders but also at internal threats, especially those who possess that piece of iron—namely, me."
"So the iron you took to the Hakka People's stronghold was fake?"
"Does it make a difference? Would they recognize a real one if given it?"
“Old Cao, you really know how to deceive people. You’ve got the Hakka People spinning in circles with a fake item. Aren’t you afraid they’ll come after you? And now you’ve even tricked their saintess into working for you. Unbelievable.”
“Zhang, you underestimate me too much. Am I that kind of person?”
I nodded seriously. “I didn’t understand you before, but now I do. You’ve even deceived me; I let you deceive me.”
Cao Mingzhe’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. “Isn’t it all for work? My deal with the Hakka People isn’t about giving them that piece of iron; it’s just letting them use it once. How is that deceiving them? Now their Eternal Life gate has lost its value. Leading the few remaining awakened ones in their Village into the Lop Nur underground Eternal Gate is our new deal and a compensation for the unfinished transaction.
I didn’t deceive them; this new deal has gained the Hakka People’s approval, which is a win-win situation.”
“If we fail this time, that piece of iron will be their last hope. Whether it’s the military or the Academy, investigations into the Lop Nur underground won’t stop. They will send more people and stronger armed forces, and ultimately, they will uncover the secrets of the Lop Nur underground. Zhang, this time we must do everything we can to succeed, at least achieve some level of success and allow some people to come out alive.”
I nodded. In truth, my whole body was trembling, and my head bobbed like a chicken pecking at grains, completely out of control. It was so cold that I could barely speak.
“Old Cao, if we stand here any longer, it won’t just be about whether we can survive; we’ll freeze to death.”
Cao Mingzhe looked at me in surprise. “Is it really that cold? Alright then. You should head back; I’ll quickly contact the military and the Academy. Don’t give me these kinds of cleanup tasks in the future.”
After saying this, Cao Mingzhe turned to leave. I also headed back to the hotel to drive, following behind him, though my steps were not as swift as his. I was shivering as I walked. At that moment, I remembered that Cao Mingzhe had issues with his sensory nerves; even if he froze, he wouldn’t feel the cold.
“Who was it that saved me from the military back then?” I shouted after Cao Mingzhe.
Cao Mingzhe glanced back at me. "Captain Zhou, you’re one of the veterans from JD. Others don’t have that kind of energy or connections."
With that, Cao Mingzhe turned and walked briskly out of my sight.
I was momentarily stunned before I dashed back to the hotel lobby. After warming up for a while, I finally felt alive enough to drive back to my shop.
I hadn’t expected that it would be Captain Zhou who pulled me out. Among the several captains from the Archaeology team back then, I was least familiar with him; I was closer to Song Guilong. However, I knew it was he who transferred me from the Southwest Archaeology site to Lop Nur. Perhaps because of this, I always harbored some resentment towards him.
At the moment, my brain felt as stiff as my body; when I tried to think, my mind was a jumble, making it impossible to focus on anything.
In my room, I lay on the radiator like a gecko, trying to warm my stiff body. It took a long time before I regained control over my body from the cold.
Winter nights fall early, and the streetlights were already on. Huang Hai hadn’t returned yet; it seemed he was having a great time at the hotel. I didn’t turn on any lights and simply burrowed under the covers to continue warming up.
Just as I settled into bed, my phone rang. It was on the table, quite far from the bed. If the ringtone hadn’t been so loud, I might have ignored it; at that moment, nothing was more important than maintaining my body heat. But this damned ringtone was deafening. Weighing my options, I decided that staying alive was more important than keeping warm, so I jumped up to grab the phone and crawled back under the covers.
It was another unfamiliar number, and an international call at that. Taking a deep breath, I swiped across the touchscreen.
"Zhang, it's Jack."
"What the hell have you been? Calling me at this hour."
"I'm still in the hospital; the surgery went very well. I should be able to get up and move around in a few months. How are you?"
"I'm in trouble. It's been a disaster; I got into a fight as soon as I got back and have been lying in bed for days. I almost got my face ruined."
"Heh heh." I heard Jack chuckle happily a few times. "I heard the opposite, though. It seems like you took out your opponent; that person is still lying in a hospital bed. Zhang, you're getting stronger."
"I was never weak to begin with; otherwise, how could I have brought you all out?"
"Thank you, Zhang."
"Is that why you called me? Alright, I accept your thanks, but I also want to remind you that you owe me your life again."
"Zhang," even though I was filled with joy and excitement from our reunion, I could still hear Jack's voice suddenly turn somber and uneasy. "Don't mess with that Sand Table Model anymore."
To Be Continued...
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