Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

At 8:30 in the morning, the sky was already bright.

In the courtyard, Wu Xie was squatting on the ground examining the crossbows, while Fatty fiddled with a bundle of climbing ropes beside him. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" stood by the courtyard wall, one adjusting his wrist guards and the other tying his shoelaces. Both moved quietly but efficiently.

"Is this rope any good?" The fat man tugged at it; the rope was taut. "I hope it doesn't break halfway through."

"Military-grade static rope, with a load-bearing capacity of two tons." Wu Xie didn't even look up. "If you can break it, I'll change my surname to yours."

"It's not that bad," the fat man chuckled.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu walked in. Xie Yuchen was wearing a light gray thin jacket today, which looked quite casual, but the material looked expensive. Behind him were two men in work clothes, carrying two large insulated boxes.

"What is this?" Wu Xie stood up.

"I'll get you some more supplies." Xie Yuchen gestured for the two men to put down the boxes. "We're leaving tomorrow, and we can't afford to eat badly on the road."

The box was opened, and a blast of cold air rushed out. Inside, various items were stacked in layers. The top layer contained sealed cooked food—braised beef, braised goose feet, and smoked fish, all cut and vacuum-sealed. The middle layer contained energy bars, protein powder, and electrolyte drinks, all packaged in foreign languages. The bottom layer contained fruit—apples, oranges, and some tropical fruits, all fresh.

"Wow!" The fat man's eyes widened. "Master Hua, you're... going all out?"

"Of course," Xie Yuchen smiled. "Once you're in the rainforest, it's hard to find something hot to eat. This will last for a while."

"How much does this cost?" Wu Xie picked up a bag of braised beef. There was no price tag on it, but the packaging alone suggested it wasn't cheap.

"Not many," Xie Yuchen said casually.

"How much is 'not much'?" the fat man pressed.

Huo Xiuxiu smiled and said, "Boss Xie specially ordered it from Dingfenglou. Their braised beef is 380 yuan per catty."

The fat man's hand trembled, almost dropping the beef: "How much? Three hundred and eighty? Per pound?"

"Yes." Xie Yuchen nodded.

"Where are the braised goose feet?"

"Two hundred and twenty."

"Smoked fish?"

"One hundred and sixty."

The fat man counted on his fingers, his eyes widening: "This...this whole box...it must cost close to ten thousand, right?"

"More or less," Xie Yuchen said. "The other box contains medicine and emergency supplies, which are a bit more expensive than this one."

Wu Xie was also stunned: "Master Hua, this is too extravagant."

"It won't cost you anything." Xie Yuchen looked at them. "Life is more important. Eat well, have enough strength, and you'll be able to handle anything."

Zhang Qiling walked over, looked at the contents of the box, picked up a packet of braised beef, squeezed it, and put it back. He looked at Xie Yuchen and nodded, "Thanks."

Zhang Qiling also came over, looked at it, and nodded in agreement.

"You're welcome," Xie Yuchen said.

The two staff members put down the boxes and left. The group in the courtyard began dividing up the belongings. The fat man, while stuffing his backpack, muttered, "I've really seen something amazing this time! Burying Dingfenglou's braised beef while tomb raiding! If word gets out, won't people in the martial arts world say we went on a picnic?"

"A picnic is better than starving to death," Wu Xie said.

As they were dividing the materials, the television in the room was on, and the midday news had begun. The anchor was announcing: "The highly anticipated fifth joint archaeological expedition has officially announced its six finalists today."

Everyone looked up at the television.

Six photos are displayed on the screen, along with basic information.

The first one is Jiang Xun Gu, male, around thirty years old, with a buzz cut, and a sunny smile. The background is a training ground. His introduction is "Former special forces combat instructor, proficient in various fighting techniques."

The second person is Xiao Shou-chou, male, 27 or 28 years old, wears glasses, and is very refined. He is described as a "PhD in Animal Behaviour, who advocates nonviolent exploration."

The third one is Chen Wangshan, male, around fifty years old, with a thin face and sharp eyes. He is described as a "folk feng shui master with over thirty years of experience in geomancy".

The fourth one is Meng Qinghe, a woman in her early twenties, who is beautiful and is making a peace sign at the camera. Her bio says she is an "outdoor adventure blogger with over ten million followers."

The fifth one is Aning, a woman in her late twenties with short hair and a cold expression. Her description is "professional explorer who has ventured into uninhabited areas many times."

The sixth person is Wen Jingshan, male, around forty years old, with a square face, standing ramrod straight. He is introduced as a "Senior Advisor in the Special Affairs Office".

The photos flashed by, and the host began to introduce each person's "special skills" and "expected contributions".

"Jiang Xun Gu is in charge of team security, Xiao Shou Zhou is in charge of communicating with natural creatures, Chen Wang Shan is in charge of terrain and feng shui analysis, Meng Qing He is in charge of recording and dissemination, A Ning is in charge of wilderness survival guidance, and Wen Jing Shan is in charge of coordination and logistics."

The fat man watched TV and scoffed, "Pretty impressive cast. But that Xiao something-zhuo... a PhD in animal behavior? And nonviolent exploration? Can those things in the tomb communicate with him?"

"Maybe he thinks he can," Wu Xie said.

"That Meng Qinghe, the internet celebrity?" Hei Xiazi had arrived sometime earlier, leaning against the doorframe watching TV. "Taking an internet celebrity into a tomb, is the government prioritizing traffic over lives?"

"Maybe they really are capable," Huo Xiuxiu said.

"Whether you're capable or not, you'll only know once you get inside," Xie Yuchen said.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" were also watching TV. Zhang Qiling's gaze lingered on Chen Wangshan and Wen Jingshan's faces for a couple of seconds, but he didn't show any expression. "Zhang Qiling" also glanced at them, then looked away and continued packing his backpack.

After the news broadcast ended, he switched to Google. The fat man turned off the TV, and the yard became quiet.

"That Wen Jingshan," Wu Xie said, "is an official. He was specially arranged to be there."

"They're monitoring us," the fat man said. "But it's okay, we're not going with them."

"But since we're all going to Snake Coil Mountain, we'll run into each other sooner or later," Xie Yuchen said.

"If we run into each other, we run into each other," said Zhang Qiling.

"That's right." Zhang Qiling nodded. "Don't cause trouble, but don't be afraid of trouble either."

The meaning is clear: it's best if everyone goes their own way and lives in peace. But if things get restless, don't back down.

"That Chen Wangshan," Black Bear suddenly said, "I've heard of him. He's somewhat famous in the southwest, and he's definitely skilled at feng shui, but his reputation isn't very good. It's said that he only cares about money when taking jobs, regardless of the consequences."

"It would be a disaster to have someone like that in the team," Huo Xiuxiu said softly.

"The authorities only care about his abilities; they don't care about anything else," Xie Yuchen said. "We just need to be careful ourselves."

After finishing their conversation, they continued packing. Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu left first, saying they had some things to take care of and would come back before leaving tomorrow. Hei Xiazi stayed behind to help.

By the afternoon, everything was mostly packed. Each person had a large backpack, crammed full. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling's" backpacks were the lightest, but contained the most valuable items—ropes, rock spikes, a dagger, medicine, and a small amount of high-energy food. Their bags were almost identical, except for slight differences in color.

"These two bags of yours," the fat man lifted them, "must weigh at least twenty kilograms, right?"

"Eighteen," said Zhang Qiling.

"I'm almost thirty," the fat man said with a bitter face.

"Throw away what needs to be thrown away," Zhang Qiling said.

"What should we throw away?" the fat man asked, protecting his bag. "These are for survival!"

"No need to bring snacks." Zhang Qiling glanced at the half-bag of beef jerky peeking out of his bag.

The fat man chuckled, "Just having a snack on the way, a snack."

Zhang Qiling said no more, picked up the bag, tried it on, and adjusted the shoulder straps. "Zhang Qiling" also picked it up, walked a few steps, felt it fit, and put it down.

In the evening, the group sat in the courtyard for dinner. They ate the braised beef and braised goose feet that Xie Yuchen had brought, which they heated up and served with rice. It was indeed delicious; the meat was tender and the flavor was rich.

"There's a reason why it's expensive." The fat man ate with his mouth full of oil.

"Master Hua really went all out this time," Wu Xie remarked.

Zhang Qiling ate quietly, at a decent pace, but with refined manners. "Zhang Qiling" did the same. Both of them took several extra pieces of beef.

"The flight is early tomorrow morning," Hei Xiazi said. "I'll get to Kunming, then transfer to another bus. The journey will take two days."

"There's enough time." Xie Yuchen sent a message in the afternoon, saying that the car and guide had been arranged.

"Is that director reliable?" Wu Xie asked.

"The local elders have been to the outer perimeter of Snake Coil Mountain a few times," Black Bear said. "They don't dare go any further in, but they can lead us to the entrance."

"That's enough," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded.

After dinner, it wasn't dark yet. The fat man, rubbing his belly, strolled around the yard and suddenly said, "Hey, what do you guys think the official team is up to right now?"

"They're preparing for it too," Wu Xie said.

"It's definitely not as good as what we eat," the fat man said smugly.

"Not necessarily," Hei Xiazi laughed. "The government isn't short of money; they might even be eating better."

"No way," the fat man said. "Dingfenglou's braised beef isn't something you can just order if you have money. You have to queue and you need connections. Master Hua is really going all out."

Wu Xie looked at Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling". The two sat on a stone bench, one wiping his knife, the other resting with his eyes closed. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, gilding them with a layer of gold.

"Brother," Wu Xie walked over, "if we really find the Muchen Pearl on this trip to Snake Coil Mountain and the curse is lifted, what are your plans afterward?"

Zhang Qiling paused in wiping his knife, then looked up at him: "Continue."

"Continue with what?"

"Find it." Zhang Qiling opened his eyes.

"What are you looking for?"

Zhang Qiling was silent for a few seconds, then uttered two words: "The answer."

"What's the answer?"

Zhang Qiling also remained silent, then said, "Many."

Wu Xie understood. The bronze gate, amnesia, this world, and themselves. There were too many answers to be found.

"Then...we'll go with you," Wu Xie said.

Zhang Qiling glanced at him and nodded.

Zhang Qiling nodded as well.

The fat guy leaned in: "We have to go together! The Iron Triangle... what's the Iron Triangle now? Anyway, we're all in this together!"

Black Bear laughed, "Count me in. It's exciting hanging out with those mute Zhangs."

The atmosphere in the courtyard was relaxed. The sound of a television could be heard in the distance; a neighbor was watching the news, another follow-up report on the archaeological recruitment.

The live stream link isn't available on the official website. But online discussions about the roster have already exploded.

The prophet posted an analysis of the backgrounds of the six individuals, pointing out Wen Jingshan's official status and Chen Wangshan's reputation issues, and reminding "fellow civilians" to be cautious.

The expert, unconvinced, replied: "Is that Xiao Shouzhou a joke? Nonviolent communication?"

The fan club on social media was flooded with comments like, "Ignore them, let's just focus on our idol!"

It was getting dark. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" got up and slung their bags over their shoulders.

"Where to?" Wu Xie asked.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Zhang Qiling said.

"See you tomorrow morning," said Zhang Qiling.

The two went out and crossed the street. The streetlights had just come on, casting long shadows.

Wu Xie stood at the door for a while, then turned and went back into the courtyard. Fatty was clearing away the dishes, while Hei Xiazi lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall.

"We'll set off tomorrow," Wu Xie said.

"Hmm." Black Bear exhaled a puff of smoke. "A new tomb, a new thrill."

"I hope it goes well." Wu Xie touched the red spot on his neck.

"With Zhang Men, the mute ones, around," Black Bear laughed, "how difficult could things get?"

Wu Xie smiled, feeling a little more at ease.

Night has fallen, and the city remains bustling. But some people are already preparing to leave.