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墨書 Inktalez
The Truck finally came to a stop, swaying slightly, and a line of soldiers surrounded it. The soldiers inside the truck stood up one by one, aiming their guns at Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K, who were seated in the cabin.
"Get up and get out!" a soldier ordered the three of them.
Under the aim of numerous guns, Zhang Qiu and his companions exited the Truck. Throughout the ordeal, they found no opportunity to escape. As they stepped onto the solid ground, Zhang Qiu turned back to see that the Truck had brought them right in front of the palace. The wish he had when he first arrived in Bam was now fulfilled, though it was under such dire circumstances that he could observe the palace up close.
The palace was imposing and grand, with tall white marble buildings, massive archways, gilded glass windows, golden domes, and various animal sculptures standing on the eaves. Only by standing close could one truly feel the weightiness emanating from the architecture. Zhang Qiu did not know the exact date of its construction but sensed that it was certainly not a modern creation.
"What are you looking at? Move!" a soldier shoved Zhang Qiu from behind.
His admiration was interrupted, and he shook his head helplessly; he was not a traveler but a prisoner deprived of his freedom. Under the escort of soldiers, Zhang Qiu and his companions arrived at the main entrance of the palace, where someone was already waiting. A short, stout man with graying facial hair stood at the entrance; his suit looked ill-fitting on him, yet an air of authority emanated from his gaze that made others hesitant to meet it.
The soldiers saluted the White-Bearded Man, and Zhang Qiu guessed that this might be the superior they had mentioned. Just as he was speculating about the man's identity, the White-Bearded Man spoke: "Follow me; someone is waiting for you."
Zhang Qiu paused slightly; it seemed he had guessed wrong. He took Lucia's hand and stepped forward; her hand felt as cold as if she had just taken it out of snow. "Don't be afraid," Zhang Qiu reassured Lucia. K followed closely behind them, seemingly casual but actually observing their surroundings.
Under the massive archway of the palace, two golden doors swung open. Attendants dressed in luxurious garments lined both sides, and a bright red carpet with golden edges covered the floor of the palace. All of this gave Zhang Qiu an illusion that they were guests rather than prisoners. The interior of the palace was decorated so lavishly that words could hardly describe it; everywhere sparkled with gold. If all that gold were real, then this palace would be worth an immense fortune.
The soldiers escorting Zhang Qiu stopped automatically at the palace doors. Four robust men in suits wearing sunglasses and earpieces approached to replace them as guards. The four suited men flanked Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K in between them; their presence alone conveyed that they were not ordinary individuals and must possess greater strength than those soldiers.
Lucia looked around curiously before asking, "Where are they taking us?"
Zhang Qiu glanced at one of the suited men; he was focused ahead with an air of seriousness that did not resemble those rough soldiers who forbade conversation.
"Who knows where they're taking us? This is a palace; could there possibly be a prison inside?"
"Ugh," Lucia sighed. "If my parents never see me again, they will surely be heartbroken."
"Maybe things aren't as bad as they seem. Cheer up; we are heirs to the jade pendant and have a mission waiting for us," Zhang Qiu comforted Lucia as a bold idea suddenly emerged in his mind.
This is the palace, and perhaps Prince Banan is inside. If I can catch the prince's attention, maybe things will take a turn for the better. With this thought, Zhang Qiu excitedly stood in the open space of the palace and shouted in English, "Prince Banan! Prince Banan!"
Lucia instantly understood Zhang Qiu's intention and joined in the shouting. The White-Bearded Man, walking at the front, turned around as two suited men approached Zhang Qiu and Lucia. K moved swiftly to separate the two men trying to get closer to them, buying time for both of them.
One suited man pulled a gun from inside his jacket and aimed it just as K snatched it away. The other three suited men drew their guns, but K had already leaped forward, taking control of the White-Bearded Man, pressing the gun against his temple. K recognized the White-Bearded Man's status; he was an excellent choice for a hostage.
"Drop your weapons!" Both parties shouted almost simultaneously.
At that moment, alarms blared within the palace, rising in intensity as heavily armed soldiers stormed in from outside, surrounding everyone. Zhang Qiu pulled Lucia closer to K, and the three of them stood back to back.
"What do you want?" The White-Bearded Man maintained his authority despite having a gun pressed to his head.
"Prepare a helicopter for us immediately, and fill it with fuel!" K demanded like a king.
"There are no helicopters here!"
"Nonsense! I saw helicopters flying into the palace with my own eyes!"
"I'm not lying to you; there are very few helicopters in the country, and the king took them all away. Right now, you won't find a single helicopter in the entire city."
"Then give me an armored vehicle—no!" K suddenly remembered that there were tanks stationed outside the palace for security. He quickly added, "Give me a tank filled with fuel."
"That's impossible; this is the palace! We can't hand over a tank to you!"
"You have ten minutes; you have no choice!" After saying this, K shouted at the soldiers, "Everyone step back and lower your weapons!"
The soldiers remained unmoved, their guns still aimed at Zhang Qiu and the others. K fired a shot into the air and roared again, "Lower your weapons!"
"Drop your weapons!"
The soldier received the order and slowly lowered his gun. Zhang Qiu was not satisfied and emphasized, "It's not about lowering the gun; it's about putting it on the ground!"
The soldiers bent down again and placed their guns on the ground. Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged glances, immediately understanding each other's intentions, and both stepped forward to pick up an AK-47 assault rifle. K was very pleased with their actions and nodded in appreciation. Zhang Qiu felt relieved; at a critical moment, Lucia had shown great courage, but he did not know that her underwear was already soaked with sweat due to nervousness.
Holding a gun gave him confidence, especially now that they had three guns. Zhang Qiu's mind raced as he calculated the distance from the palace to the embassy. Since they could not get a plane, the only viable option left was to drive to the embassy. Once inside the embassy gates, Zhang Qiu did not believe that the Tanzanian soldiers would be foolish enough to rush in and capture them. In the twenty-first century, China had developed into a world power that could shake the earth with a stomp.
Zhang Qiu explained his plan in Chinese to K, who immediately agreed and changed the conditions, shouting to the crowd, "Get us a car with a full tank of gas."
Someone in the crowd responded, "Don't act impulsively; we will prepare it right away!"
"Don't try any tricks. I will only give you ten minutes. If we don't see a car with a full tank within ten minutes, don't blame my bullets for being indiscriminate!"
K was a soldier trained rigorously and had participated in countless hostage rescue operations. He understood that agreeing to the criminals' demands was merely a way to buy time; any vehicle provided would likely be tampered with. K could not let them succeed.
K pushed the White-Bearded Man step by step toward the palace exit, while Zhang Qiu and Lucia held their AK-47s at the ready on either side, forming a triangular formation with the hostage. Wherever they went, soldiers scattered; after Zhang Qiu and his group passed by, the soldiers quickly followed.
The three moved extremely slowly, taking each step cautiously. Time passed second by second; beads of sweat dripped from Zhang Qiu's forehead onto the carpet, staining its bright red color into a deep crimson.
"Only one minute left!" K's voice echoed throughout the hall.
Suddenly, the alarm inside the palace stopped abruptly, and clear applause resonated within. Zhang Qiu looked up to see a young man in striped clothing standing on the second-floor platform surrounded by several men in black suits; the applause he heard came from this person.
"Prince Banan!" Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K all recognized that the person standing on the second floor was indeed Prince Banan.
"Great!" Lucia cheered, lowering her gun's muzzle. But seeing that Zhang Qiu and K still looked tense, she exclaimed, "Why are you still holding your guns?"
"It's too early to celebrate now; after all, we have harmed him," Zhang Qiu replied while maintaining eye contact with Prince Banan on the second floor. Seeing Prince Banan equally excited made Zhang Qiu realize that there might be a turning point. Until he clarified whether Your Highness was friend or foe, he dared not let his guard down. If they easily put down their weapons now, they might never get such a good opportunity again.
Lucia listened to Zhang Qiu's words and found them reasonable; she raised her gun once more.
The figure of Prince Banan disappeared from the second floor. Two minutes later, Your Highness descended from the second floor surrounded by a crowd. Prince Banan was not very tall, had dark skin, brown hair, and brown eyes, with thick lips resembling sausages. From the way the prince walked, it seemed that his left leg was injured.
The prince's guards formed a human wall to block the guns aimed at Your Highness. Prince Banan pushed through the crowd and stepped forward to stand in front of Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu lowered his gun and made eye contact with Prince Banan. All eyes in the palace were on Prince Banan and Zhang Qiu, while Lucia watched Zhang Qiu, feeling anxious for him.
"I am Banan Muwadis, the prince of the Tanzania Kingdom, and I am now the supreme leader of the northern metropolis," Your Highness introduced himself in fluent, pure English without any local accent.
"I am Zhang Qiu, and these two are my friends."
"Perhaps we should put down our guns and talk?"
Zhang Qiu shrugged slightly. Prince Banan ordered the soldiers, "Everyone withdraw from the palace!"
The soldiers did not move at all. Prince Banan ordered again, "Everyone obey my command and withdraw from the palace!"
A clattering sound of guns being picked up echoed through the ranks as the officer organized them, and the soldiers gradually withdrew. K also lowered his gun but still held tightly onto the white-bearded man's clothing.
Zhang Qiu turned to look at the White-Bearded Man and said, "Let him go!"
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