Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

The living room fell silent for a moment.

"Woof?" Fatty Wang blinked, looking at Xie Yuchen, then at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," "That surname... sounds familiar?"

Wu Xie frowned immediately. In his fragmented memories and occasional snippets of conversation from his third uncle, this surname seemed to represent some kind of trouble, or even... hostility. But he couldn't recall the specific connection at the moment.

Black Bear put down his coffee cup, his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, and the usual roguish smile on his lips faded slightly. "Surname Wang? An archaeologist and occultist? You even know about the 'Ancient Door'? This isn't a topic that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can meddle in."

Xie Yuchen handed the invitation to Hei Xiazi, who glanced at it and then passed it to Wu Xie. Wu Xie took it and examined it closely. The invitation was exquisitely made, with thick paper and polite wording that conveyed a sense of superiority. It was signed with a cursive English signature, next to the Chinese characters "汪岑" (Wang Cen), and a blurry, subtle emblem resembling the outstretched wings of some kind of bird.

"Wang Cen..." Wu Xie murmured the name, still unable to recall it clearly, but instinctively felt uneasy. "He said he discovered clues to ruins in the Northwest that might be related to the 'Ancient Door,' and invited 'friends' with similar interests to attend a closed-door seminar at a private mountain villa next weekend. Could this... be a trap?"

"It may be, it may not be," Zhang Qiling said, unusually speaking for a while. He looked at Zhang Qiling, "but the surname 'Wang' is not simple."

Zhang Qiling nodded, his face expressionless, but his eyes were calm, clearly indicating he had a clear understanding of the surname. "Troublesome."

"What's the trouble?" Fatty Wang pressed. "Just who is this guy surnamed Wang? Young Master, Qi Ling, do you know him?"

Zhang Qiling was silent for a few seconds, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before finally saying only three words: "Old rival."

Zhang Qiling added, "He's been watching the Zhang family for a long time. He wants... what's behind the 'door.' He also wants the Zhang family's life."

These words were quite blunt. The atmosphere in the living room instantly became tense. An old rival? Wanting the Zhang family dead? This was no small matter.

"The Wang family..." Xie Yuchen mused, "I think I saw a few words about them in some very old notes left by my grandfather. They mentioned a very secretive family or organization with a long history, acting mysteriously, and their goals always seemed to be related to some ancient secrets and the pursuit of immortality. But they have almost disappeared in recent decades. I thought... they might have declined, or they might just be a legend."

"He hasn't disappeared," Zhang Qiling shook his head, "he's just hiding even deeper. Now, he probably feels... he has a chance."

"Is it because of the live stream?" Huo Xiuxiu immediately realized, "Our live stream at Zhangjia Ancient Building, although the signal was bad in the core part, the content at the beginning, and the extraordinary abilities we displayed, may have attracted their attention. They saw the clues to 'immortality,' and they also saw the existence of Brother Qi and Brother Qiling."

"Very likely," Hei Xiazi stroked his chin. "This invitation, ostensibly for a seminar, is probably just an attempt to probe our capabilities, or... to lure us to their territory. The Northwest is a vast and sparsely populated area; it's convenient to do whatever we want there."

"Shall we go?" Wu Xie looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling", then at Xie Yuchen.

"Go, why wouldn't we go?" Fatty Wang slapped the sofa armrest. "They've already sent an invitation, it would be disrespectful not to go! Besides, let's see what they're made of! I want to see just how much this Wang family is worth, daring to set their sights on us!"

"Fatty is right," Zhang Qiling actually nodded, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a hint of coldness. "We can't escape it. Why don't we go and see?"

Zhang Qiling hummed in agreement. Their attitude was clear: they knew the other was trouble, perhaps even an enemy, but they weren't afraid; in fact, they seemed to be...actively welcoming them. It was as if they were saying, what's meant to happen will happen.

"Since we've decided to go, we need to prepare properly," Xie Yuchen said, regaining his composure. "First, we need to investigate this 'Wang Cen' and the private resort mentioned in the invitation. Second, the environment in the Northwest is unique, so we need to prepare the appropriate equipment and contingency plans. Third, and most importantly, we need to clarify our objective—are we going to gather intelligence, to issue a warning, or… something else?"

"The main focus is on getting a preliminary understanding," Zhang Qiling said. "To see how much they know and what they want to do."

"Okay." Zhang Qiling agreed.

"Alright, then Xiuxiu and I will be in charge of investigating Wang Cen and the manor's background," Xie Yuchen said. "Hei Ye, A Ning, you two are familiar with the Northwest, so we'll leave the equipment and route planning to you. Wu Xie, Fatty, you guys..."

"We'll take care of eating and drinking well, conserving our energy, and being a strong support!" Fatty Wang answered quickly.

Wu Xie was both amused and exasperated: "Fatty, all you ever think about is eating! We also need to help organize the data and think about the possible situations we might encounter."

The levitating live-streaming sphere slowly floated around the living room, recording the discussion. Viewers in the live stream clearly noticed the surname "Wang," and the chat began to buzz with discussion:

Prophet: The Wang family? A new power?

"A master at silencing experts: Doesn't sound like a good guy, and he's even targeting this guy?"

The male lead's fan club: Husbands, be careful! This might be a trap!

Blackie's eyes changed: Blackie seems to know something.

Tianzhen frowned: Wu Xie also felt something was wrong.

The fat guy exclaimed in domineering confidence: "The fat guy is mighty! He's just too tough!"

Over the next few days, the villa returned to a routine of busy activity. On the surface, it appeared to be a leisurely day of rest and recuperation, but behind the scenes, preparations were proceeding in an orderly manner.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" spent most of their time in the courtyard, either adjusting their breathing or practicing a few moves, but the intensity was low, mainly to maintain their form. They still rarely communicated, but a glance or a subtle gesture seemed enough for them to understand each other. Regarding the "Wang family," they seemed to have a tacit understanding, requiring little discussion.

Wu Xie and Fatty were genuinely "organizing information." Wu Xie wrote down all the scattered information he remembered about the surname "Wang," and then went through the mountains of ancient books and notes in Xie Yuchen's study, trying to find more clues. Fatty, on the other hand, was in charge of "logistics," serving everyone tea and water one moment, and going to the kitchen to see what delicious food Chen Sao had made the next, euphemistically calling it "ensuring combat effectiveness."

Hei Xiazi and A Ning often went out, returning with new equipment lists and detailed maps of the Northwest region. Jiang Xun Gu assisted them and learned quickly.

Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu spent most of their time in the study, with the computer screen lit up and the phone ringing occasionally. They were using their connections and resources to investigate the background of "Wang Cen" and the villa.

The sun was shining brightly that afternoon. Everyone gathered in the living room to drink tea.

"I found something interesting," Xie Yuchen put down his tablet. "This Wang Cen, on the surface, is a multinational art collector and patron, with affiliations in museums and universities in several countries. His background seems clean, even somewhat glamorous. But if you investigate further, you'll find that the final destinations of many of the antiques and artworks he handled are unclear, and the archaeological projects he sponsored often encountered some 'accidents,' but the final reports were always vague."

"That private resort is located in a very remote area in the northwest. It's nominally a high-end eco-resort, but it's hardly ever been open to the public since it was built, yet its security level is ridiculously high," Huo Xiuxiu added. "You can't see anything special on the satellite image, but the electromagnetic shielding around it is very good."

"A typical breeding ground for filth and corruption," Black Bear commented.

"Furthermore," Xie Yuchen looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," "I had someone find some records about the 'Wang family' in some very old, almost destroyed archives. The accounts are very vague, but they mention that they seemed to have been active since the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, their goal always revolving around finding 'immortality' and the 'Gate to Immortality,' using every means possible, and... they were extremely hostile to the Zhang family, believing the Zhang family to be 'gatekeepers who stole divine gifts.' The two sides fought for hundreds of years, with casualties on both sides. From the late Qing Dynasty to modern times, the Wang family seems to have suffered several major blows and went underground, but they never disappeared."

After listening, Zhang Qiling nodded without speaking, but his eyes showed that the information matched his memory (or rather, some kind of intuition).

Zhang Qiling simply took a sip of tea in silence.

"As expected of our old nemesis," Fatty Wang clicked his tongue. "So this time, do you think we took something from the Zhang Family Ancient Building, or know something, and you're trying to steal our thunder? Or do you think the young man is alone and easy to bully?"

"It's possible," said Zhang Qiling.

"Who cares?" Black Bear stretched. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Even the mute Zhangs aren't afraid, so why should we? Perfect, let's stretch our muscles."

Wu Xie, however, was somewhat worried: "Now that they've set their sights on us, this invitation might just be the beginning. Even if we manage to get through this, what will happen in the future..."

"We'll talk about the future later," Zhang Qiling interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying an unwavering certainty. "One comes, we'll fight one. A whole group comes, we'll fight a whole group."

Zhang Qiling glanced at "Zhang Qiling" and nodded almost imperceptibly.

This almost domineering calm and confidence actually put Wu Xie at ease a little. After all, worrying was useless. What had to be faced, had to be faced.

"That's settled then," Xie Yuchen concluded. "We'll depart in three days. To the outside world, we'll say we're going to the Northwest at the invitation of a friend to attend a private collectors' exchange meeting. We'll carry our equipment separately and keep a low profile. Once we arrive, we'll see how things go."

With the matter settled, everyone chatted for a few more minutes before dispersing.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" went to the courtyard again and stood side by side under the old locust tree, looking at the drifting clouds in the distance. The setting sun cast long shadows of them.

"The Wang family," Zhang Qiling said in a low voice, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to Zhang Qiling, "is a very troublesome family in my memory."

"Mm," Zhang Qiling responded, his gaze distant. "This time, let's keep it quiet."

The two stopped speaking and stood quietly, like two silent guardians gathering strength in the setting sun for the impending storm.

The suspended live-streaming sphere captured this tranquil scene. The steady green light seemed to herald the start of a new journey.