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墨書 Inktalez
Along the way, they could not find any gas stations, and when they ran out of fuel, everyone had to abandon their vehicles and walk into the jungle. The officials, who had complained about the bumpy ride, stumbled through the jungle, reminiscing about the time spent in the vehicle. Azure Hawk led everyone deeper into the jungle and stopped at a sheltered slope.
"Rest here, do not move," Azure Hawk instructed. He then turned to a team member carrying a portable radio and said, "Immediately contact the palace for the latest news."
"Understood!"
The Special Forces Operator turned on the radio to establish communication. Azure Hawk stood by waiting while others took positions with their rifles to keep watch. Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat down next to the slope, feeling exhausted from the long trek. Lucia smiled helplessly and said, "Zhang Qiu, don’t you think this situation feels just like when we first arrived in Tanzania?"
"It's a bit better than that time; now we have people, weapons, and hope for victory."
"Hope for victory," Lucia repeated Zhang Qiu's words, "I like your description."
"Report!" The Special Forces Operator responsible for contacting the palace stood up to report to Azure Hawk after successfully establishing communication. "The palace has communicated with Wang Jin and preliminarily confirmed that this attack is an isolated incident and not directed by the king. Furthermore, the king claims that the police and military who arrived on-site were indeed dispatched by him to protect Your Highness."
"What should we do next?" Prince Banan asked, unable to contain his emotions.
"The palace suggests that we wait temporarily; the king's words may be true or false. An assassination attempt against Your Highness has already occurred, and danger lurks nearby. The palace has ordered all nearby New Army units to rush to our location. Once they arrive, we will reveal ourselves, and the New Army will take over security from the National Defense Force."
"How long will it take for my troops to arrive?"
"The fastest units will take at least a while to get here."
"Are we going to spend the night here?" an official with a protruding belly questioned as he sat on the ground.
"Yes," replied the Special Forces Operator expressionlessly.
Ignoring the officials' dejected expressions, Azure Hawk addressed his team members, Zhang Qiu and Lucia: "Do not go beyond twenty meters; gather some sticks and dry leaves. Winter nights can be very difficult to endure; we've already experienced that upon our arrival."
"Won't the fire be detected?" Azure Hawk's implication was clear; Zhang Qiu was concerned that the flames would attract enemies.
"What's wrong, don't you believe me?"
Zhang Qiu was taken aback and said, "I believe you, I'll go pick some up."
Azure Hawk smiled lightly. Spending the night in the jungle had become inevitable, and he could find a spot sheltered from the wind. The members of the White Wolf Special Assault Team could easily spend a night here, but others were different. Especially those officials; despite their pretentiousness, their physical condition was a factor. Staying deep in the jungle, Azure Hawk, who understood the strength of the National Defense Force, was confident that no one would track them down.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia teamed up to gather branches while Prince Banan sat with a group of Civil Officials on the slope, seemingly engaged in conversation. As dusk approached, the sunlight barely penetrated the dense jungle, casting dim light all around. The sound of crunching dry leaves underfoot mixed with the rustling of leaves stirred by occasional breezes created an eerie atmosphere in the jungle.
Zhang Qiu casually picked up a fallen dry branch when suddenly Lucia grabbed his left shoulder. "What’s wrong?" Zhang Qiu asked.
Lucia surveyed their surroundings and hesitated, "Um, have we gone a bit too far from where we came out?"
Zhang Qiu also looked around; he had been so focused on picking up branches that he hadn’t noticed the distance. Turning back to look, he realized they could no longer see the camp. "Let’s head back," Zhang Qiu said.
Lucia nodded, and the two began retracing their steps. However, after walking for quite some time, there was still no sign of the camp. Lucia looked at the identical bushes surrounding them and said gloomily, "Zhang Qiu, we’re not lost, are we?"
Although Zhang Qiu wished it weren’t true, Lucia was right; they were lost. The light was fading quickly as darkness enveloped the jungle. Zhang Qiu tried to remain calm and closed his eyes to recall the path they had taken.
"Lucia, follow me."
Zhang Qiu took Lucia's hand and began to step backward slowly. Just as Lucia was about to ask why they were walking backward, she suddenly noticed that Zhang Qiu's eyes were tightly shut. She opened her mouth slightly but then closed it again, quietly following Zhang Qiu. When Zhang Qiu stopped and opened his eyes, Lucia asked, "Where are we?"
"If I'm not mistaken, this is where we got lost. More precisely, it's because you told me we had gone too far."
A hint of joy appeared on Lucia's face as she hurriedly asked, "Can you close your eyes like before? Can we find our way back to the camp?"
"I'll give it a try."
Zhang Qiu closed his eyes again, focusing his energy and slowly operating the ancient Mind Method that Grandpa Pingchuan had given him. After a moment, Zhang Qiu felt a sense of comfort throughout his body, and his organs became sensitive and agile. He took Lucia's hand and began to step backward. Lucia dared not disturb him; several times when she saw Zhang Qiu about to bump into a tree, she hesitated whether to call out to him, but Zhang Qiu managed to turn in time.
Finally, Lucia shouted, "Zhang Qiu, there's light over there!"
Zhang Qiu opened his eyes and saw Lucia excitedly pointing not far away. He looked over and indeed saw a glimmer of light among the dappled shadows of the trees. Just as Lucia was about to step forward, Zhang Qiu pulled her back. Lucia turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Qiu took out his gun from his waist, tightly gripped the barrel, and struck the nearby tree trunk forcefully. The birch tree was dented by Zhang Qiu's blow, with bark peeling off and splinters flying everywhere. Lucia asked, "What are you doing?"
"Making a mark."
Lucia pointed at the distant firelight and said, "But we've already found the campsite!"
"What if it's not?"
"That can't be!"
"It's better to be cautious. There's an old saying in China: 'A cautious heart can steer a ship for ten thousand years.'"
"You Chinese have so many proverbs."
Zhang Qiu smiled and walked toward the direction of the firelight, gripping his gun tightly.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia arrived at the source of the firelight, peering through the bushes to see a forest cabin. Lucia covered her mouth in surprise and exclaimed, "It's really not our campsite!"
"I wonder how a house could suddenly appear here."
"It must be transformed by a monster to eat us," Lucia replied.
Zhang Qiu, surprised by the familiar storyline, looked at Lucia and asked, "Is yours 'Journey to the West'?"
"Yes."
"Lucia, you’ve actually read 'Journey to the West'!"
"I love Chinese culture. There is an English translation of 'Journey to the West,' but I find it lacking. I dream of being fluent in Chinese like you so that I can understand the original text."
"There will be a chance. You can come to China every holiday, and I'll cover all your meals and accommodation."
"No, no, that would be too much for you."
"I have money now," Zhang Qiu said. "Alright, let’s first see what the situation is with this house."
"You mean we should go inside?" Lucia surveyed the wooden cabin that was no more than a hundred meters away. Remembering the horror movies she had seen, she couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. "Zhang Qiu, I think we should leave and go back to where you marked our location to continue searching for our campsite."
"If this place is safe for the night, wouldn’t it be great if we could keep them from coming here?"
Zhang Qiu thought about the wooden cabin that appeared in the jungle. The cabin wasn't large but could accommodate a dozen people without issue. Light flickered from the windows, indicating that someone lived there. He couldn't see what was outside due to the distance and dim light.
"Zhang Qiu, let's not go there."
Seeing Lucia mention not going twice, Zhang Qiu asked, "What’s wrong, Lucia? Did you notice something?"
"No, it's not that I noticed anything; it's just a thought," Lucia shook her head vigorously to dispel the terrifying ideas in her mind. "Zhang Qiu, don’t you think this Forest Cabin is strange? I've secretly watched many adult-themed horror movies where there’s often a hidden house where all sorts of bizarre things happen inside. There might be a strange person living in that house."
Zhang Qiu found Lucia's thoughts amusing but also understood; he had been scared watching Hong Kong zombie films and often hesitated to go out at night. He took Lucia's hand and placed it on his chest, saying, "With me around, nothing will happen. Trust me."
"Have you decided to go?"
Zhang Qiu nodded.
"Alright then," Lucia nodded vigorously, gritting her teeth, "I'll accompany you!"
Lucia's concerns were not unfounded, so Zhang Qiu did not rush over. He led Lucia around the bushes, slowly approaching the Forest Cabin, hiding behind a half-meter thick tree, peeking out. A hemp rope was tied to the trunk, with the other end secured to a pillar of the cabin, and there was nothing placed on the rope.
They were on the side of the house, which had no windows. In the corner, stones and broken cardboard boxes were piled up, along with a large jar of indiscernible color sitting beside the rubble. Zhang Qiu and Lucia tiptoed closer to the house, pressing against the outer wooden boards. The sounds coming from inside made both of their faces flush instantly.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia looked at each other; Lucia squinted and whispered, "I think I shouldn't have come. What do we do now?"
"Um... I guess we should just leave."
Zhang Qiu also felt awkward; the sounds inside clearly indicated that a man and a woman were engaged in some interesting activities, and no one would want to be disturbed at such a moment.
As Zhang Qiu and Lucia circled to the other side of the house, they saw that something was hanging on the wall—animal pelts. Zhang Qiu recognized only a tiger; its familiar pattern was unmistakable. As for what other pelts belonged to which animals, Zhang Qiu could not tell. But this discovery was enough to dispel his thoughts of leaving.
"Lucia, let's wait outside until they finish before we go in to visit."
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