Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

As dawn broke, the small town was still asleep.

The two SUVs had already driven out of the hotel, rolled across the empty streets, and headed deeper into the desolate countryside outside the city.

The scenery outside the car window had completely changed. The flat ground had been replaced by undulating sand dunes and bare, iron-red rocky mountains. Vegetation was pitifully sparse, consisting only of clumps of drought-resistant camel thorn and saxaul grass.

It stubbornly clings to the sand and stones. The sky is a vast, clear blue, without a single cloud, and the sunlight shines down without obstruction, carrying a dry, sandy heat.

The air was filled with the smell of dust and the scorching sun baking rocks.

"This place is a godforsaken place," Fatty Wang said, looking out the window and clicking his tongue.

"Almost there," Black Bear, the driver, said, glancing at the navigation. "Once we turn past that mountain pass, we should see the signs for the resort."

Sure enough, after the car turned a corner along the rugged gravel road past a huge, heavily eroded red rock mountain, a low-key wooden sign appeared ahead, with an arrow pointing to a narrower, clearly man-made dirt road. At the end of the dirt road, a cluster of low buildings, built along the mountainside and whose color almost blended into the surrounding rock walls, could be vaguely seen.

That's the private resort mentioned in the invitation.

As the car drew closer, the outline of the villa became clear. The architectural style was peculiar; it wasn't a traditional Chinese pavilion or tower, nor a Western-style villa, but rather a combination of... a fortress and a research institute.

Square and cold, the exterior walls are made of a grayish material close to the natural color of rock. There are few windows, and those that are set with dark glass, reflecting the glaring sunlight. The entire villa is quiet, exuding an aura of "keep away."

The entrance to the resort wasn't a grand gate, just a simple electric fence. Next to the fence was a small guard post, inside which stood a lean young man in a gray uniform. Seeing the car approach, he raised his hand to signal it to stop.

Hei Xiazi lowered the car window.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Xie Yuchen and his party?" The young man's voice was flat, but his eyes were sharp as he quickly scanned the two cars and the people inside. His gaze lingered for a moment longer when he saw Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" in the back seat.

"Yes." Xie Yuchen handed over the invitation.

The young man took it, scanned it with the device in his hand, and verified Xie Yuchen's identification before nodding and pressing the button. The electric fence slid open silently.

"Please come in. Mr. Wang is waiting in the reception room. The parking lot is on the left." The young man pointed in a direction and then returned to his post without saying anything more.

The car drove into the resort. The interior looked slightly better than the exterior, with simple landscaping, but the plants were all drought-resistant varieties, giving off a deliberately created sense of "nature." Several off-road vehicles of different models were already parked in the parking lot.

Everyone got off the bus and took their few personal belongings. The levitating live-streaming sphere automatically flew out, lit up with a green light, and began operating. The camera panned across the desolate mountain resort environment.

The comments started scrolling:

We've arrived! This place looks so depressing.

The man at the guard post had a fierce look in his eyes.

Is this the Wang family's territory?

It doesn't feel like a good place.

Hey guys, watch out!

A middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit with a standard smile strode out of the main building and came to greet us.

"Mr. Jie, Mr. Hei, everyone, you must be tired from your journey. My surname is Zhou, and I am Mr. Wang's assistant. Mr. Wang has been waiting for us in the reception room for quite some time. Please follow me."

Assistant Zhou smiled amiably, but his eyes, like those of the guard at the post, held a scrutinizing gaze. Especially when he glanced at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," as well as the long, cloth-wrapped object on their backs, a glint of something unfathomable flashed in his eyes.

"Thank you for your trouble." Xie Yuchen nodded politely.

The group followed Assistant Zhou into the main building. The interior was decorated in a cool, modern style, with extensive use of metal, glass, and dark wood, the lines so clean they were almost austere. A faint scent, similar to disinfectant mixed with some kind of high-end fragrance, filled the air; it wasn't unpleasant, but it made people feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The corridor was long, with many closed doors on both sides, none of which had any markings. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

Finally, Assistant Zhou stopped in front of a heavy double wooden door, knocked gently, and then pushed the door open.

"Mr. Wang, the guest has arrived."

Behind the door was a spacious reception room. It shared the same austere, cold decor, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering a desolate view of rocky mountains. A set of dark leather sofas sat in the center of the room. Several people were seated on the sofas.

At the head of the table sat a man who appeared to be in his forties, well-maintained, and dressed casually yet with exquisite craftsmanship. He had a lean face, wore frameless glasses, and a perfectly measured smile played on his lips, giving him a refined and approachable air. But behind the lenses, his eyes were like two deep pools, calm and still, revealing no emotion. This was Wang Cen.

There were six other people sitting on the sofas next to and to his side. Four men and two women. They were all between their twenties and forties, dressed in matching dark outdoor casual clothes, sitting upright, exuding a restrained aura, and with sharp eyes.

They were clearly well-trained, perhaps even combat-ready. They didn't look like researchers; they were more like guards, or... special agents.

Seeing Xie Yuchen and his group enter, Wang Cen smiled, stood up, and took a few steps forward to greet them.

"Mr. Xie, I've long admired your name. Everyone, welcome to my humble abode. You must be tired from your journey." Wang Cen's voice was gentle, with a magnetic quality that was as comforting as a spring breeze.

He shook hands with Xie Yuchen and Hei Xiazi in turn, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Wu Xie, Fatty, Huo Xiuxiu, and others, responding with smiles to each. Finally, his gaze settled on Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," who were standing a little behind.

Her smile remained unchanged, but something seemed to flash rapidly in the depths of her eyes, as if confirming something, or perhaps... a mixture of deep-seated fear and eagerness.

"These two must be the recently rising stars, Mr. Zhang Qiling and Mr. Zhang Qiling." Wang Cen's tone remained gentle, even tinged with admiration. "I watched the live broadcast, and your skills and courage were truly breathtaking. It is my honor to have you two here."

Zhang Qiling looked at him, his face expressionless, only nodding almost imperceptibly in response. His gaze was indifferent, as if he were looking at an inanimate object.

Zhang Qiling didn't even nod; he simply looked at Wang Cen and the six men behind him who were clearly on guard with his calm, unwavering eyes.

There was no hostility or anger in that gaze, only a cold, pure scrutiny, as if assessing a tool, or... a potential threat.

Wang Cen's smile seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second, but then returned to normal, as if he didn't care about their coldness at all. He stepped aside and said, "Please sit down, everyone. Assistant Zhou, bring some tea."

Everyone took their seats. Xie Yuchen, Hei Xiazi, Wu Xie, Fatty, and Huo Xiuxiu sat on one of the sofas. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" didn't sit; they stood on either side of the sofa behind it, like two silent guardian deities. A Ning and Jiang Xun Gu also stood a little further away, maintaining a vigilant posture.

Wang Cen sat back in the main seat. The six people next to him kept their eyes on Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling", especially the long packages they were carrying.

A levitating live-streaming sphere hovered slowly above the meeting room, clearly recording the standoff between the two sides (despite one side's smiling faces). The live chat exploded with comments instantly.

Is this Wang Cen? He looks quite refined.

A smiling tiger? He seems more than he appears.

The people next to him didn't look like nice guys at all.

The two guys, the one who helped him and the one who helped him with spiritual matters, completely ignored him, haha.

The atmosphere is so subtle.

Sister Ning and Xiao Jiang were also on high alert.

"No need for tea," Xie Yuchen said, getting straight to the point. "Mr. Wang, thank you for the invitation. We had a brief conversation on the phone, and you mentioned discovering clues to possible remnants related to the 'ancient door' in the Northwest. Could you elaborate? That would help us assess whether we have the capability to participate, or whether it's worthwhile."

Wang Cen smiled, seemingly unsurprised by Xie Yuchen's directness. He picked up his teacup and gently blew on it: "Mr. Xie is a man of few words. Very well, let's get straight to the point."

He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and his tone became more serious: "About three months ago, a geological exploration team that I sponsored was conducting routine exploration in this area of ​​the Northwest when they inadvertently discovered something... unusual deep in an extremely hidden canyon."

He gestured to a young man next to him who wore glasses and looked like a technician. The man immediately opened his tablet, operated it a few times, and then turned the screen towards Xie Yuchen and the others.

The screen displayed a series of photos. There were aerial views of the canyon terrain, close-ups of the rock walls, and some dimly lit cave scenes that were clearly taken deep inside.

"Look here," Wang Cen pointed to a close-up of one of the rock walls. On the rock wall, there were some blurry, distorted patterns, indistinctly resembling eyes, whirlpools, and the outlines of indescribable creatures. The style was bizarre, somewhat similar to the symbolic system seen in Zhangjia Ancient Building and other tombs before, yet completely different, exuding a more ancient and barbaric aura.

"And here," he said, switching to another photo of the cave's interior. Deep within the cave, a low, square structure entirely built of black boulders was vaguely visible. Its surface was covered with thick, dark red moss or sediment, giving it an eerie appearance. In front of the structure, some white objects lay scattered about; upon closer inspection, they appeared to be… skeletons. Not human, their skeletal structure even larger and more bizarre.

"Our initial investigation revealed strong, unusual electromagnetic interference and some kind of... biofield fluctuations inside the black stone house. Equipment malfunctions when it gets close, and people experience intense dizziness and hallucinations."

"We lost an experienced team member. He suddenly went berserk near the entrance of the stone house, attacked his companions, and then... fell into a bottomless crevice next to the stone house. He has not been found to this day." Wang Cen's voice lowered, carrying a just-right weight and regret.

"Our initial assessment is that this place may be related to some extremely primitive form of worship and ritual concerning 'doors' or 'passages' in prehistoric times. It may even be older than all known related sites."

The secrets hidden inside may overturn many of our perceptions.” Wang Cen looked at Xie Yuchen, then at Zhang Qiling and “Zhang Qiling” behind him, his eyes filled with eagerness.

"I know that everyone's research and understanding of 'the door' far surpasses that of ordinary people. In particular, Mr. Zhang Qiling and Mr. Zhang Qiling seem to... possess some special ability to perceive and even respond to anomalies related to 'the door'."

Therefore, I took the liberty of extending this invitation, hoping we can collaborate to uncover the secrets of this ancient site. This could be of great significance to the academic community and to solving the mysteries of humanity's ancient past.

He spoke with great pomp and circumstance, yet his words were sincere and heartfelt.

But a chill ran through Wu Xie. Wang Cen's words implied that they knew about Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling's" "special" nature, and that their target was clearly that eerie black stone house. This was definitely not just "academic research."

Xie Yuchen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Wang means he wants us to enter that stone house and investigate?"

"Yes," Wang Cen nodded, "we need your expertise and...special abilities to deal with any unknown dangers we may encounter. Of course, our people will fully cooperate and provide all necessary support and protection. We can share any information and findings we obtain."

"That sounds fair," Black Glasses suddenly interjected, his eyes behind his sunglasses fixed on Wang Cen. "But Mr. Wang, your villa, and these...friends of yours, don't seem like people involved in academia. Let's be frank, what exactly do you want? Is it really just an 'academic discovery'?"

Wang Cen's smile faded slightly. He looked at Hei Xiazi, then slowly swept his gaze over the expressionless Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling," and finally sighed.

"Mr. Hei is indeed perceptive. Indeed, we do... have something to ask for." He paused, then slowly said, "We believe that the black stone house may be more than just a place of worship."

It might be an… ‘anchor’ or a ‘beacon’, pointing to a deeper, more dangerous place, but also a place where the true ‘answer’ might be hidden. We want to know what that ‘answer’ is. As for its purpose… please forgive me, I cannot reveal it for now. But I can assure you that it will not harm your interests, and may even be helpful to your pursuit of the truth.”

His words were vague, but their meaning was clearer. What they wanted wasn't the surface-level ruins, but the possible "answers" behind them. Moreover, he seemed to know what Zhang Qiling and his group were searching for.

The meeting room fell silent. Only the faint hum of the suspended live-streaming sphere could be heard.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" remained silent, as if Wang Cen's words had nothing to do with them. But the calm aura emanating from them seemed to have grown even colder.

"We need time to consider," Xie Yuchen finally said.

"Of course," Wang Cen smiled again, "You've all come from afar, please rest first. There are guest rooms prepared at the resort. Later, I will send more detailed information to your rooms. We can discuss the specifics tomorrow, how about that?"

"Can."

Everyone stood up. Assistant Zhou reappeared, ready to lead them to the guest rooms.

As they left the reception room, Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" walked last. Passing Wang Cen, Wang Cen suddenly whispered, in a voice only the three of them could hear, and quickly said:

"The secret that the Zhang family can't keep might be better kept by someone else."

Zhang Qiling's steps did not falter at all, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Zhang Qiling didn't even glance at Wang Cen.

The two walked straight out.

Wang Cen stood there, watching their backs as their smiles faded. Behind his glasses, a sinister and determined glint flashed in his eyes.

The levitating live-streaming ball flew off, and the camera finally captured Wang Cen's expression turning cold in an instant.

The live chat exploded instantly.