Tomb raiding live stream: Starting as the mute Zhang

It was still dark and the streets were quiet.

The gate to Fatty's house opened, and several figures emerged, carrying large bags. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" were the first to come out, both dressed in black, their bags slung over their backs, carrying little in their hands. Wu Xie followed behind, adjusting his glasses, still a bit sleepy. Fatty was the last, locking the door behind him, muttering, "Don't let any thieves in, all my treasures are still inside."

Across the street, in front of the hotel, Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" paused, glancing at the window of the third-floor room. The light was off, and the window was closed. The two turned and caught up with the group.

Two cars were parked at the alley entrance. They weren't SUVs, but modified minivans, black with dark tinted windows. Xie Yuchen stood next to the cars, wearing a light gray outdoor jacket and looking at his phone. Huo Xiuxiu stood beside him, carrying a small backpack.

"Hey, Mr. Flower!" the fat man grinned. "This car's pretty good!"

"It was a last-minute arrangement." Xie Yuchen put away his phone. "Make yourself comfortable; the journey is still long."

Black Bear leaned out from the driver's seat of the car behind: "Mute Zhang, get in!"

Zhang Qiling opened the sliding door of the first car and glanced inside. The interior was spacious, with genuine leather seats that could be reclined flat. There was a small table in the middle and a refrigerator underneath. He paused, then turned to look at "Zhang Qiling." "Zhang Qiling" also glanced inside, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly.

The two didn't speak, but exchanged glances, the meaning being: This is so comfortable.

"What are you standing there for? Get on!" The fat guy squeezed in from behind, threw his bag in first, then climbed onto the bus. "Wow, these seats are like first class!"

Wu Xie got into the car and touched the seat: "Master Hua, how much does this car cost per day?"

"Not much." Xie Yuchen got into the passenger seat. "Let's go, we're in a hurry."

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" got into the car last and closed the door. The car started, very quietly, and drove smoothly out of the alley.

As dawn broke, the streets filled with cars. The morning rush hour hadn't started yet, but some people were already getting there early. The car drove onto the main road, heading out of the city.

The car was quiet. Fatty slumped in his seat and fell asleep almost immediately, snoring. Wu Xie leaned against the window, watching the street scene rush past. Xie Yuchen looked at a map in the passenger seat, occasionally answering a phone call in a very low voice.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" sat in the last row, neither of them asleep. One was looking out the window, the other was resting with his eyes closed. There was a fist's distance between them.

After driving for two hours, we got on the highway. As the speed increased, the scenery outside the window changed to fields and hills. Sunlight streamed in, making the car warm.

"Are you hungry?" Huo Xiuxiu turned her head from the front row. "There's food in the fridge."

"What?" The fat man woke up, rubbing his eyes.

"Sandwiches, fruit, and drinks," Huo Xiuxiu said.

"On a whim, on a whim." The fat man got up and opened the small refrigerator. Inside, everything was neatly arranged: sandwiches in transparent boxes, washed and chopped fruit, juice, and mineral water.

"Pretty." The fat man took two sandwiches, tossed one to Wu Xie, tore open the wrapper, and took a big bite. "Mmm! Chicken, delicious!"

Wu Xie also tried it, and it did taste really good, no worse than what you buy in the store.

Zhang Qiling glanced at the refrigerator but didn't touch it. Zhang Qiling himself didn't move either.

"Hey bro, aren't you guys eating?" Wu Xie asked.

"I'm not hungry," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling shook his head.

The two continued to sit like that, like two Buddhas.

After driving for another hour, we pulled into a service area for a rest. Once the car was parked, a few people got out to stretch their legs. The service area was quite crowded, with tour buses and trucks. There was a queue for the toilets.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" didn't go to the restroom; they stood by the car. Both were wearing hats, obscuring their faces, but their upright posture attracted the attention of many.

"What are you looking at?" the fat man muttered. "Never seen a handsome guy before?"

"That's rare indeed." Black Bear got out of the car behind, his sunglasses reflecting the sunlight. "Two handsome guys who look exactly alike, even rarer."

Zhang Qiling glanced at him. Zhang Qiling glanced at him back.

Black Bear grinned and said nothing more.

After resting, we continued our journey. Around 2 PM, we exited the highway and turned onto the national highway. The road narrowed, the traffic thinned, and mountains and forests lined both sides. The air became noticeably more humid.

"We've entered southern Yunnan," Xie Yuchen said, looking out the window.

"How much longer?" Wu Xie asked.

"We should be able to reach the border by tomorrow afternoon." The driver was one of Xie Yuchen's men; he was a man of few words, but he drove steadily.

In the evening, the car stopped in a small town. The town was small, with only one main street lined with three- or four-story buildings on both sides. The car drove into the backyard of a hotel and stopped.

"We'll stay here tonight." Xie Yuchen got out of the car. "We'll head into the mountains early tomorrow morning; the roads ahead are getting rough."

The group got off the bus to collect their luggage. The hotel was basic but clean. After checking in, they went back to their rooms to put their things away.

Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" shared a room at the end of the corridor. The room wasn't large, with two single beds and a bathroom. After putting their bags down, Zhang Qiling walked to the window and looked out. Outside the window was the back mountain, densely wooded, with the outline of even higher mountains visible in the distance.

Zhang Qiling also came over, stood side by side with him, looked at him for a while, and said, "We're getting closer."

"Mm," Zhang Qiling replied.

We had dinner at a small restaurant downstairs from the hotel. We ordered several local dishes: stir-fried mushrooms, cured pork, and wild vegetable soup. The flavors were strong, but they went well with rice. Fatty ate three big bowls.

As we were eating, the television on the wall of the restaurant was broadcasting the news. It was the departure ceremony for the official archaeological team, held at some training base. In the footage, Chen Jianguo was speaking on a stage, and below him stood six people, the six on the list. They were all wearing matching outdoor gear and carrying backpacks.

Jiang Xun Gu smiled brightly and waved at the camera. Xiao Shou Zhou adjusted his glasses, his expression serious. Chen Wang Shan stood ramrod straight, his eyes sharp. Meng Qing He made a peace sign and blew a kiss to the camera. A Ning stood expressionless, arms crossed. Wen Jing Shan stood at the very edge, looking ahead.

The camera pans back, revealing dozens of people in camouflage uniforms standing behind them—soldiers, fully armed.

"Forty," Xie Yuchen said in a low voice.

"Quite a show of force," Black Bear said.

The news broadcast ended, and the camera cut to the next scene. Other diners in the restaurant were also watching, and someone murmured, "Are they going to dig up graves again?"

"There are even more people this time."

"Will we find any treasure?"

"What does this have to do with us? Let's eat."

Zhang Qiling quietly finished his meal and put down his chopsticks. "Zhang Qiling" also finished eating, and the two got up almost at the same time.

"Let's go for a walk," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded.

The two left the restaurant and strolled slowly along the town's streets. It wasn't completely dark yet, and there weren't many people on the streets; some shops had their lights on. They passed a small shop with an old television outside, broadcasting news—a follow-up report on the archaeological team.

"Breaking news from our station," the host said, "the archaeological team departed this afternoon and is expected to arrive at the target area in three days. This entire operation will be broadcast live, allowing viewers to experience the expedition up close..."

The television footage cut to a convoy of SUVs driving out of the base gate, each bearing the emblem of the Special Affairs Office. The convoy was long, numbering over a dozen vehicles.

Zhang Qiling glanced at it but didn't stop. "Zhang Qiling" didn't stop either, and the two continued walking forward.

At the end of the town, there was a small square with an old banyan tree and some stone benches under it. The two sat down on the benches and looked at the distant mountain shadows.

"They're fast," Zhang Qiling said.

Zhang Qiling nodded: "There are many people and many cars."

"Let's take it slow."

"Um."

In a few simple words, it was decided. The implication was that the official team, with its larger numbers and better equipment, would move faster, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. The smaller, more agile team would be slower and more stable.

After sitting for a while, it became completely dark. A few lights flickered on in the town, and the distant mountains became black silhouettes. A breeze blew by, carrying dampness and the scent of plants.

"Let's go back." Zhang Qiling stood up.

Zhang Qiling also stood up.

The two walked back. When they reached the hotel, they saw Wu Xie and Fatty standing at the entrance, looking up at the sky.

"What are you looking at?" Wu Xie asked.

"Stars," the fat man said, "the stars here are so bright, much clearer than in the city."

Zhang Qiling looked up. The night sky was clear, and the Milky Way was faintly visible; it was indeed brighter than the city.

"Brother, we're heading into the mountains tomorrow," Wu Xie said. "Do you think we'll be able to find the Muchen Pearl this time?"

"I'll do my best," Zhang Qiling said.

One word was added to "Zhang Qiling": "Able".

Wu Xie smiled: "With you all here, I have faith."

The group went upstairs to their rooms. Zhang Qiling and "Zhang Qiling" entered the room and closed the door. The room was dark, with only moonlight streaming in from the window. They washed up and then lay down.

The two beds were more than a meter apart. In the darkness, they could hear each other's breathing, which was very steady.

After a long while, Zhang Qiling suddenly spoke up: "That A-Ning."

"Hmm?" Zhang Qiling replied.

"look familiar."

Zhang Qiling paused for a few seconds, then said, "Yes."

Neither of them spoke. But they both had a vague recollection, as if they'd seen that face somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. The effects of their amnesia made it impossible to grasp the fragments of memory.

As night deepened, the town quieted down. A dog barked in the distance, but quickly stopped.

Somewhere in the mountains, an official convoy was traveling through the night. Inside the car, Wen Jingshan looked at the tablet in his hand, which displayed a satellite map, with the Snake Coil Mountain area marked in red. He swiped his finger across the screen, stopping at a point.

"This place," he said to Chen Jianguo beside him, "is most likely the entrance, according to Chen Wangshan's calculations."

Chen Jianguo nodded: "Speed ​​up and get ahead of them."

The two knew perfectly well who "they" referred to.

The convoy sped through the night, its headlights piercing the darkness.

A levitating live-streaming sphere followed the convoy overhead, capturing its movement on camera. The live stream was already running, and despite it being late at night, there were quite a few viewers online.

The prophet commented: "The authorities acted very quickly this time."

The expert's response to dissent was: "What's the use of speed? The key is to find the right place."

The fan club flooded the screen with messages like, "Go, amateur team!"

The night is still long, and the road is still far.

But for some, it's already close.