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墨書 Inktalez
The other four gathered around, and Zhang Tong was clearly captivated by the four jars, staring at them intently and unable to resist reaching out to touch them.
I quickly stopped her.
Zhang Tong was startled by my loud shout, looking at me with an innocent expression.
I realized I might have overreacted and added, "Don't touch things randomly; it's safer this way."
But to my astonishment, I saw Zhang Tong pull out white gloves, a brush, and a magnifying glass from her backpack.
Our attention was immediately drawn to her. The other three were just as intrigued as Zhang Tong.
Although I had no idea what they were planning, their familiarity with the tools hinted at something. This was in stark contrast to their earlier panic when they encountered bandits. Watching them put on the white gloves reminded me of the Old Mountain Master from the Northern Faction.
In a way, I felt like I had been tricked.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Cleaning the site," Zhang Tong replied succinctly.
Fat Ma nearly exploded in anger upon hearing this, ready to curse. I managed to calm him down.
"What exactly are you up to?"
After organizing her tools, Zhang Tong said, "We're actually part of the National Archaeological Team."
Hearing this and seeing these not-so-old adults left me momentarily stunned and surprised.
"An archaeological team?"
"Yes," Zhang Tong confirmed.
I fell silent at that revelation, while Fat Ma appeared displeased, and the mud man remained expressionless throughout.
Fat Ma held the salvaged firearm with a look of dissatisfaction. "Why is the archaeological team here? You should be focusing on your own work!"
Zhang Tong had completely shed her previous tearful demeanor, now appearing competent and concise.
"We've made this decision after careful consideration, and we hope for your cooperation."
"Damn it, just because you say you're the National Archaeological Team, I'm supposed to believe you?"
Zhang Tong quickly produced evidence for Fat Ma to see. Reluctantly, Fat Ma accepted it, grumbling, "I've really hit rock bottom to end up dealing with you all."
To be honest, in that situation, I truly didn't know how to handle things. Given the peculiar and restrictive nature of the times, I had no choice but to acquiesce.
I couldn't just take these people down! When faced with life and death, we were merciful.
Zhang Tong's gaze was fixed on us, seemingly waiting for a definitive answer. I was momentarily taken aback by her sudden transformation and shifted my gaze away.
The mud man ignored everything entirely.
Only Fat Ma glared angrily. "What is going on here?" I sighed and lit a cigarette, choosing not to respond.
"Let's wrap it up and go home," Fat Ma said stubbornly.
"Can we really return empty-handed after working in our line of work?" the mud man suddenly remarked.
Fat Ma was taken aback and ultimately had to concede.
Seeing our silence, Zhang Tong finally said, "You will receive appropriate compensation!"
"How much?" Fat Ma asked bluntly.
This time it was Zhang Tong who hesitated before replying, "Ten thousand each."
"Deal."
Zhang Tong's mouth was still open when Fat Ma turned his back. If you were to ask why Fat Ma agreed so readily, it was because ten thousand yuan was a reasonable price; after all, there weren't many so-called millionaires back then. Moreover, in the midst of chaos, one could take advantage of the situation.
Fat Ma turned away with a lewd grin, choosing not to intervene and letting them handle things themselves.
He lit a cigarette and called me and the Mud Man over, distributing a cigarette to each of us, saying we should talk about life.
I took the cigarette but didn’t light it; the Mud Man refused as he had completely quit smoking.
The first rule of archaeology is to protect the site.
Who could take money without working? After finishing one cigarette, Fat Ma was called to work again. Although he was reluctant, others had promised him payment.
Zhang Tong handed out gloves to the three of us. I put mine on, feeling quite awkward. This was my first time being so meticulous; Fat Ma had already been through it once.
“Isn’t it just a few jars and pots? Is it really necessary to be this particular?”
“These items have precious cultural value and are crucial for our understanding of past history,” Fat Ma replied.
The Mud Man and I fell silent, letting Fat Ma do the talking.
“What’s the use of understanding the past? The Chairman has urged us to look forward; you’re going down a path of capitalist regression.”
Zhang Tong was momentarily speechless at Fat Ma's words. He shot an angry glance at Fat Ma but didn’t respond, instead quickly attending to the site. In truth, we couldn’t help much; we weren’t bored enough to pick up a small brush and scrub at a jar endlessly when we could just rinse it off with water.
Zhang Tong used a magnifying glass to examine the designs on the jar, continuously jotting down notes.
I watched from the side, feeling bored. After an hour passed with nothing happening, I found myself staring blankly for that entire time.
Next came the moment we had all been waiting for: opening the jar. Fat Ma had already stretched his neck and hurriedly walked to the front.
“Leave this heavy work to me; you all must be tired.”
Zhang Tong looked at the eager Fat Ma with some surprise. He was genuinely uneasy about handing over the task but eventually relented due to Fat Ma's persistence.
"Don't be reckless; we must be extremely cautious," was the only request made by Zhang Tong.
Fat Ma nodded in agreement.
When I first saw the jar in front of me, I thought it was meant for storing items. However, when the jar was opened, it completely shattered my expectations—inside lay a body.
Though I was somewhat shocked, I didn't panic; after all, I had seen my fair share of things.
Zhang Tong and the others nearly lost their composure and looked like they might vomit. It seemed they were novices as well! But I had to admit, their skills were impressive.
Fat Ma chuckled to himself. If there was ever a time to act, it was now. Taking advantage of their discomfort, he quickly reached into the jar to retrieve the treasure. In his haste, Fat Ma didn't take a good look at what was inside and just plunged his hand in. After a flurry of grabbing, he came up empty-handed.
Suddenly, his expression changed, and he quickly became flustered. His chubby hand recoiled like a spring, and he stumbled back a few steps, shouting, "It's alive!"
A chill ran down my spine as I realized I hadn't had time to assess the body inside. If what Fat Ma said was true, then it certainly wasn't just a skeleton.
The clay figure rushed over to the now-open jar and peered inside with the help of the light beam. His pupils dilated and contracted rapidly before he stepped back.
"A zombie?" Seeing the clay figure's reaction made me doubt my own eyes. Just opening the lid had unleashed a zombie? Damn, that probability was like winning the lottery.
"Yes," the clay figure confirmed after adjusting his breathing. At that moment, I felt a tingling sensation on my scalp.
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