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墨書 Inktalez
"Be good, make sure to take care of them, don't let Captain Xiao and the others lose their way," Liu Squad Leader said, stroking the glossy surface of the box.
It was still the same military camp. From a distance, I could see the high wall that spanned between the ground and the sky. A Colonel with a dark face welcomed us into this vast military compound.
"Welcome, it's great to see you again."
This officer, who had once intimidated me, remembered me, and of course, I remembered him even more vividly.
"You're still stuck in this godforsaken place? Aren't you thinking of moving somewhere else?" I shook his hand.
The Colonel forced a smile. "No one wants to come here. I have my share of responsibility for what happened last time. I won't be at ease until this matter is resolved completely. I hope you all succeed this time."
"Let's hope so," I sighed, unable to muster a smile.
Our group began to disembark from the vehicles. When a big guy with one arm jumped down from the third vehicle, I realized that Fatty had dragged Da Zhang into this mess.
I was so angry that I didn't even greet Da Zhang. Instead, I pulled Fatty aside and whispered, "Why did you drag Da Zhang into this? You're putting him in danger."
Fatty frowned. "There was no way around it. Once he found out about our plan, he was determined to come along. I couldn't talk him out of it."
"I'll handle it if you can't. He shouldn't be following us. He can barely take care of himself with just one arm; who will look after him if things go south?"
Fatty shook his head at me. "Forget it. You don't understand him; he's stubborn as a mule. He won't back down until he hits a wall. Besides, once we go down there, I can't expect to carry the box alone; it'll wear me out."
"Let him carry it for a bit then."
"I'll carry it; we can take turns as long as we get it down there. There's no need to carry Eternal Gate like that."
"Are you stupid? Do you think we can just drop the box there and say, 'You all go do your thing; I'll guard the box'? It doesn't work like that! We have to carry the box forward with the main group. We need to find Xiao Guolin. Once everyone has retreated or at least started pulling back, then we can think about detonating the bomb."
"You can't know the specifics if you don't follow the main group, can you? Can you even be sure when to detonate the bomb? And can you even move that box on your back? Why don't you give it a try?"
"I'll give it a try!" I said defiantly, but then felt guilty; I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of so many people. "How heavy is that box?"
"If we don't count the spare batteries, it's exactly three hundred pounds."
I swallowed hard and fell silent.
The military had provided us with a two-story building for our use, though it wasn't just for the few of us; a larger group would be resting here later. However, since we arrived early, we could choose the rooms we liked best.
Each of us got our own room. Although it wasn't as comfortable as a hotel, having our own private space was still satisfying. But I knew this was only temporary. Given the size of the building, once the main group arrived, it would be impossible for everyone to have their own room.
After a few days of comfort, the large group led by Cao Mingzhe arrived. Just as I had anticipated, our private space was significantly reduced. I, Fatty, Jack, and a European expert in Spatial Physics shared one room. This was still better than the Scientist Group, where six people were crammed into one room.
Fortunately, we all understood that our time for rest wouldn't last long. There was always a possibility of heading underground into Lop Nur at any moment. I didn't mind being together for a bit of fun.
In fact, Fatty and Jack didn't mind sharing a room with me either, but they found it difficult to coexist peacefully and always managed to find points of conflict. When Cao Mingzhe and his team first arrived at the military camp, they had already clashed once.
During room assignments, Fatty suggested he share a room with Xiao Ting. The problem was that Xiao Ting was standing right in front of us, and Jack was busy trying to impress her. Xiao Ting didn't oppose Fatty's suggestion.
I knew about Fatty and Xiao Ting's relationship; I knew they were getting close. But I hadn't expected it to have progressed this far. Seeing them exchange glances made me feel a bit sour inside.
When Jack saw this situation, his face turned pale with jealousy. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.
Of course, Fatty didn't achieve his goal, and Xiao Ting had no objections either; the main issue was that there weren't enough rooms.
The rooms were assigned by Cao Mingzhe, and with no major complaints, everyone went to their respective rooms. Jack had disappeared somewhere, and the experts from Europe were unaware of the situation; they certainly wouldn't oppose sharing a room with Jack.
After tossing my backpack into the room, I had no desire to stay inside. Watching Fatty strut around proudly made me feel uneasy. It seemed he was oblivious to the fact that his actions were not only hitting Jack hard but also affecting me negatively.
There was no bar in the military camp, but there was a restaurant specifically set up for the Expedition Team. There, I saw Jack sitting alone at a table, drinking quietly.
It wasn't mealtime yet, so the restaurant was empty and desolate. Jack stood out particularly at a window-side table.
I first walked over to the bar and glanced at the bottles on the shelf. Most of them were white spirits, with very few varieties of red wine, all domestic brands.
I ordered a bottle of dry red wine and asked a middle-aged woman who clearly belonged to the military family, "How much?"
She replied politely, "It's free; everything here is free for you."
"Then I'll have another bottle."
Carrying two bottles of dry red wine, I approached Jack's table. The bottle in front of him was nearly empty. I opened one bottle and filled his glass before pouring myself a cup. "Cheers!"
Jack didn't look up at me; he simply raised his glass and downed it in one go. I could see he was intent on getting himself drunk. However, I had no intention of stopping him; today, I wanted to get drunk too. I was feeling quite frustrated.
It wasn't because of Xiao Ting and Fatty; I considered myself lacking in competitiveness regarding that matter. I just felt rather pathetic—almost thirty years old and still single, likely to end my life as a virgin. How could I not feel down about that?
After finishing my glass of dry red wine, I sat down across from Jack and smacked my lips. "The wine isn't great. It's not as good as what I had at a bar in Beijing a few days ago; the flavor is too monotonous, and the alcohol hits hard."
Jack nodded. "I still have a few bottles of wine left; I should have brought them along. Who knows if I'll get the chance to go back and drink them. What wine did you have in Beijing? How does it compare to my private collection?"
I thought for a moment. "Lafite, I think it was from 2004. It had a great taste, very smooth, with a unique oak flavor."
Jack rolled his eyes at me. "Of course, if a 2004 Lafite doesn't taste good, then nothing will satisfy you. Zhang, using today's popular slang, you're a tycoon."
"Don't be ridiculous, what tycoon? You haven't tried it, right? When I get back, I'll treat you to some at that bar; I even have an appointment for a fight there."
Jack was drinking heavily and had already downed nearly two bottles in no time. His tongue was starting to feel numb, and his mind was getting sluggish. "What fight?"
I slurred my words as I explained it to him. He finally understood. "Oh, got it. You want me to help you fight."
(To Be Continued...)
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