Jeu de meurtre de la Ivy League

Chapitre 12

After driving for almost another hour, we arrived at Chuanshan Villa. As we entered the gate, several tall, burly men in suits surrounded us and asked for our invitation codes. Lao Fu and I quickly handed over our phones and ID numbers. The men busied themselves for a while, doing something I didn't understand, before finally saying that our codes were correct. They gave each of us a name tag to hang around our necks and said we could go in. After parking our car and entering the villa's lobby, we found it incredibly deserted. Apart from Lao Fu, me, and a few staff members, we couldn't see a single living creature. I started to feel uneasy. Was this really a scam?

As Lao Fu and I were sitting there blankly, a waiter came over and warmly asked if we were participating in the event. We quickly nodded, and the waiter looked at our name tags. Then he led us upstairs and told us that after we packed our things, we could go to the restaurant for lunch. I quickly said that I had already eaten. The waiter smiled and said that participants could move around freely within the resort before dinner, but should not leave the resort because it would be difficult to contact them if needed, as the cell phone signal was poor here. After dinner, there would be a detailed introduction to the event, and he urged us not to miss it.

I quickly asked how many people were attending the event. The waitress smiled and shook her head, saying she didn't know; the event was organized by the Mulin Group, and they were only responsible for reception. I then asked about the people from the Mulin Group. The waitress said we would meet them that evening, and then politely said goodbye before closing the door behind her.

Notes VII: The Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Chapter Two: Familiar People

After the waiter left, Lao Fu kept saying that he hadn't made a mistake in coming here, that all the waitresses were like angels, and that he was almost in tears. I shook my head, turned on the TV, and then thought of Lai Bao. I asked Lao Fu if we should tell Lai Bao, since we'd kept it a secret for so long. Lao Fu said he had no energy at work all day and night. At work, he was thinking about Mi Dou, and after get off work, he was surrounded by Mi Dou. He didn't even ask about my long leave, and he was too lazy to contact me.

But then Lao Fu was secretly sending a text message. I glanced at it and saw it was for Mi Dou, wishing her happiness. He said he had already left for another place to find a new beginning... It made me feel nauseous. Lao Fu turned to look at me, and I thought he had found out, so I quickly sat up straight and pretended to watch TV. But Lao Fu asked me, "You wrote one of those stories before, what was it again, the one that made a lot of girls cry? What was that part again? The really touching one?"

I shook my head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

After muttering to himself for a while, Lao Fu hung up the phone and started to stare blankly. I knew he was overthinking things, so I thought I'd go in and take a shower first. Just as I reached the bathroom door, someone knocked. I opened the door and saw a man in camouflage standing outside, holding a cigarette and smiling at me. I asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"You're participating in the event, right? Me too. Can I come in and chat?" the man in camouflage said to me. Before I could answer, he squeezed in, shook my hand, and said, "My name is Liu Chao. Nice to meet you."

After Liu Chao came in, he offered cigarettes to Lao Fu and me. I never smoke cigarettes from strangers, but out of politeness, I accepted them without lighting them and just put them on the table. Lao Fu, on the other hand, took the cigarettes and started smoking without paying any attention to anything. As soon as Liu Chao came in, he asked us what we did for a living. In short, this guy talks a lot and likes to tell jokes, especially corny ones.

Liu Chao is an archaeology enthusiast, and he repeatedly emphasized that he is not a professional and it is just a hobby. One day, he inexplicably received such an invitation. Thinking that he usually has nothing to do and his wife is in charge of his shop, he packed his things and came. Moreover, Liu Chao is actually a local of J City. He has always been curious about the legend of Biyun Cave, so of course he would not let go of such an opportunity.

I was wondering to myself why this person had so rashly barged into someone else's room without even asking if they wanted to. Liu Chao even said he was the first one there and had already looked around and found that there were only the three of us guests in the entire resort; no one else had arrived yet.

I casually asked, "Do you know how many people participated in this event?"

Liu Chao shook his head, indicating that he didn't know. He had just seen two vehicles with small containers in the back parking lot of the resort. The containers had the logo of Mulin Group printed on them. He didn't know what was inside. Based on his observation of many people who looked like security guards around, he guessed that they were probably carrying equipment or something similar, or something quite expensive.

The three of us chatted inside for a while, but we got really bored, so we decided to go outside to soak up some sun and have some tea. As we walked out, we saw nothing but a few waiters and some tall, burly men in suits carrying walkie-talkies, seemingly on patrol. I wondered if this was a kidnapping. What kind of company is Mulin Group? Why go to such lengths for an event? Other companies usually make a big fuss about their events; this is the first time I've seen one so secretive.

When we arrived at the rooftop tea room, a waiter immediately came over and enthusiastically asked what we wanted to drink. He then rattled off a bunch of tea names, some of which I'd never even heard of before. Old Fu, being a bit eccentric, wanted Sparrow Tongue tea with Snowflake tea. Liu Chao ordered Biluochun tea. I was even more eccentric than Old Fu; I asked for a cup of flower tea with lemon. The waiter looked bewildered but had no choice but to comply. After we ordered, I deliberately asked how much it cost. The waiter quickly replied that it was all free.

After the waiter finished speaking, he left. Lao Fu and I exchanged a glance, while Liu Chao was looking at the information about the resort on the table. I turned my head and looked at the surrounding tables. There were information on three tables, but nothing on the other tables. I noticed that each table could seat four people, so three tables would seat twelve people. Since there were information on only three tables, did that mean there were twelve participants in this event?

Otherwise, what's the point of leaving it there?

Less than an hour later, the door to the tea room opened, and two people walked in, a man and a woman. When Lao Fu and I saw them, we immediately stood up. I pointed at the man and couldn't say anything for a long time. The man was also surprised. He then pulled the woman next to him. The woman was also stunned. After giving an awkward smile, she sat down at the table next to us.

Old Fu muttered under his breath, "What a pair of adulterers!"

The fact that the two people who came in were Lai Bao and Mi Dou already surprised me, but what surprised me the most was that the person who came in next was Zhong Sheng. Zhong Sheng smiled at us slightly, then greeted Lai Bao and Mi Dou and sat down at our table.

The group of people who suddenly arrived were all acquaintances. I didn't know what to say. For a moment, the thoughts that had been swollen in my mind seemed to be blocked, completely blocked, and I couldn't remember anything. No one at either table spoke. Even when the waiter came over to ask Zhong Sheng and Lai Bao what they wanted to drink, he was stunned by the atmosphere…

Actually, I was in the most awkward position. I was completely caught between Lai Bao, Mi Dou, and Lao Fu. I didn't know what to say to Lao Fu, and I was afraid that Lao Fu, that petty man, would overthink things if I turned to talk to Lai Bao. But if I didn't talk to Lai Bao, I was afraid that he would really think that I had broken off all ties with him. Helpless, I could only turn around, chuckle stupidly, and then say, "You guys received the invitations too?"

Lai Bao snorted, which was a nod to me. Mi Dou smiled at me, as if to say something, but was silenced by a glare from Lai Bao. I stood up, patted Lai Bao on the shoulder, and said, "Come out here for a moment, I have something to tell you."

As we stepped out of the teahouse, before I could even speak, Lai Bao said, "You guys received the invitations and didn't even tell me? Don't you really consider me a brother?" I looked at Lai Bao without saying a word, holding back for a while, but finally couldn't help but say, "You received it too, but did you tell Lao Fu and me? Did you tell Lao Fu about what happened between you and Mi Dou? You kept us all in the dark? Are you going to give us a surprise and a happy ending?"

Chapter 34 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Chapter 34 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Author: Tang Xiaohao

Lai Bao retorted, "I was planning to tell you when I got back, but you all know what happened back then. How could I explain it to Lao Fu? Especially about the invitation... never mind, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Also, I wasn't planning to bring Mi Dou with me this time, but she got an invitation too, so I had no choice but to come with her."

I was a little surprised: "Mi Dou received it too?" Lai Bao nodded. Just then, the elevator door opened in the hallway, followed by the sound of high heels on the floor. A moment later, the owner of those high heels appeared before us. The instant the elevator doors opened, I almost had a premonition of who it was, and to my surprise, my intuition was spot on. It was Shi Ping'er… Shi Ping'er was wearing a full black business suit, her hair tied up, carrying a stack of folders, and wearing red-rimmed glasses. She stopped in front of me, looked at Lai Bao and me for a second or two, and then nodded. But I could tell her gaze wasn't on me, and I suddenly felt a little disappointed. Along with the disappointment, I was also a little nervous. After all, after the disguise incident, Zhang Aimin and Shi Ping'er were now a wanted person and a key target of investigation, respectively, and Chen Zhong said they couldn't find any information about her no matter what.

Shi Ping'er then opened the door and went inside. Lai Bao and I quickly followed and sat down in our respective seats. I knew that no matter what we asked Shi Ping'er at this point, she wouldn't answer. Shi Ping'er leaned against the counter in the tea room, took out a stack of folders, looked them over, and then took out a booklet to call out our names. After she finished, Shi Ping'er said, "Your Group A members are all here. Please gather in the restaurant in 30 minutes for a meal, and then we'll discuss business."

After Shi Ping'er left, Liu Chao was the first to get up and leave. Without saying goodbye to anyone, he went straight out of the tea room. I glanced at Lao Fu and then got up as well. Zhong Sheng also got up and left with us. When I reached the door of the tea room, I looked back at Lai Bao. Lai Bao was still sitting at the table with a cup of tea. Lao Fu tugged at me and said, "Let's go!"

In the 30 minutes before we arrived at the restaurant, I spent almost all of it discussing the event with Zhong Sheng. Zhong Sheng kept repeating that his body couldn't handle it and that he wouldn't participate if there was too much exercise. He would at most provide support for Lao Fu and me. Lao Fu and I nodded in agreement.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Lai Bao and Mi Dou were already sitting at a table. There was only one table in the middle of the restaurant, with a metal sign on it that read "Group A". I sat down and thought to myself, Shi Ping'er said we were Group A, so there must be other people here. Why didn't I see them?

After we sat down, the waiter started serving the food and told us that there was no time limit for dining, but if we didn't arrive at the conference center by 7:50, we might miss some things. As soon as the waiter finished speaking, the people at the table started wolfing down their food, but I put down my chopsticks after only a couple of bites. I looked at Lai Bao, who had also put down his chopsticks, and smiled helplessly.

Notes VII: The Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Chapter 3: Strange Documents

Just as I expected, the conference center had only six chairs, each with a small table in front of it. Shi Ping'er sat at the back, standing next to a laptop. Behind her stood two men on either side of her. One man sat in a corner chair, clipping his nails with nail clippers, while the other stared straight ahead. Shi Ping'er was engrossed in cleaning something. The only thing these three men had in common was their clothing—all black business suits… Damn, SWAT officers in sunglasses? Did they call us here to capture aliens?

After we were all seated in the conference room, one of the men in black closed the door and stood in the doorway. Shi Ping'er walked forward, smiling, and said, "You all should know the purpose of our visit, right?"

After Shi Ping'er finished speaking, only Liu Chao nodded. Perhaps Liu Chao had no idea what we had been through with Shi Ping'er before, so he thought he really understood. After seeing the words Shi Ping'er wrote to me on the paper that came with the invitation, I knew that things were definitely not that simple.

Shi Ping'er turned on the computer and started showing slides. The first slide showed a mountain. Shi Ping'er looked at the screen and said, "What you see now is what Chuanshan looked like in the late Qing Dynasty. The next one is what Chuanshan looks like now. You can compare them."

Shi Ping'er's opening remarks left me completely confused. I looked around and saw that everyone else seemed to be watching intently. Bored, I turned back to the screen. A second slide appeared on the screen, and Shi Ping'er said, "This is the current one. Compare them and see what the differences are."

I stared at it for a long time but couldn't see anything different. Liu Chao, who was next to me, leaned against the table, resting his chin on his hand, gesturing in the air. After gesturing for a while, he muttered to himself, "It seems like the mountain has moved." Although he spoke softly, Shi Ping'er still heard him. Shi Ping'er gave Liu Chao an approving smile: "Yes, the mountain has moved. According to our company's observations over the years, we have found that the mountain has been moving continuously, but it moves eastward by about one centimeter every year. Although one centimeter is not a long distance in our eyes."

At this point, Zhong Sheng seemed to want to say something, but then swallowed his words. I raised my hand and asked, "May I ask Miss Shi a question? What does your company do, and why are you researching this?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Liu Chao looked at me with some surprise, as did Zhong Sheng. They were surprised that I knew the surname of the woman standing in front of me. Although I had told Zhong Sheng about Shi Ping'er, I hadn't told him that the woman in the tea room was Shi Ping'er.

Shi Ping'er didn't answer my question directly, only saying that she would tell everyone in a while, and that we should just hurry up and tell us the information and data we needed. I've omitted some information we already knew, and I've compiled the other information Shi Ping'er gave us during the meeting:

Through long-term observation by Mulin Company, Chuanshan Mountain has been found to be moving eastward at a rate of 1 centimeter per year, but it also moves back 5 centimeters every 30 years. They couldn't figure out the reason for this. Shi Ping'er also showed everyone a photocopy of a record from the local cultural center from 30 years ago. The record stated that in 1974, a local farmer accidentally discovered a cave on the west side of Chuanshan Mountain while herding cattle. Although the cave entrance was small, it was large enough for three large yellow oxen to walk side-by-side, and the farmer was about one and a half times his height. He was very frightened because this was a place he frequented every day for herding cattle, and he had never seen such a large cave before. He immediately returned to the village to report it to the village leaders. When the village leaders came to investigate, they found something amiss. The entrance to the cave appeared to have been smashed open, and they even worried that it might be a hideout chosen by foreign spies. They reported the matter up the chain of command, and the higher authorities took it very seriously. Initially, they simply dispatched militiamen to garrison near the cave entrance, while awaiting the dispatch of personnel from the Public Security Bureau and local troops. However, two days later, the cave vanished overnight before the eyes of all the militiamen. All the militiamen present said that on the night before the cave entrance disappeared, they felt the ground shaking. They initially thought that spies inside the cave had come out and were preparing to launch an attack. They then organized a search, but found nothing. The cave remained intact, but the next day, they discovered that the entrance was gone.

After discovering this classified matter at the time, Shi Ping'er's company suspected that the cave was the entrance to Biyun Cave. However, they wondered why it had suddenly appeared. After long-term observation, they also discovered that the mountain had moved. So they continued to collect data before 1974, paying special attention to whether a similar event had occurred in the area in 1944. However, 1944 was the end of the Anti-Japanese War, and the Anti-Japanese War ended in 1945. Japan surrendered, so research on Chuanshan by both the public and the local Nationalist government had long since ceased. No research-worthy data remained. All that could be found were records about the folk culture around Chuanshan.

In 2003, the head of Mulin Company saw a landscape painting by the late Ming Dynasty painter Shi Tao being auctioned by a British collector at an overseas auction. This painting was immediately identified as a forgery by an expert, clearly not by Shi Tao himself, but rather an imitation of Shi Tao's style. Shi Tao never painted this type of landscape. The poem inscribed beside the painting suggested it was set in Sichuan, but research showed Shi Tao never actually visited Sichuan. Furthermore, the poem was incoherent, resembling a doggerel, and the painting depicted both pine forests and peach blossom groves simultaneously—completely impossible. This so-called Shi Tao work was immediately withdrawn from the auction. Subsequently, the head of Mulin Company contacted the collector, offering a high price for the painting, but on one condition: the provenance of the painting. The British collector was overjoyed to see that someone was willing to pay such a high price for this so-called fake. He immediately decided to invite the head of the Clover Company to his home and promised to tell him the whole story of the painting's provenance.

The British collector said the painting was a gift from an American friend of his father's. He wouldn't have sold it if his company hadn't been near bankruptcy, but he never expected it to be a fake. His father's American friend was a US military officer who served as a staff officer in the US military advisory group of the Nationalist government during the Anti-Japanese War and the subsequent Civil War. The head of the Mulin Group specifically asked for the name of this Nationalist government officer, but the British collector said he didn't know, only that it was from his father's friend. At the time, the American officer was in charge of coordinating matters related to the Chinese Nationalist government's obligation to send an army to Japan as a victorious nation after Japan's surrender. Coincidentally, the Nationalist government officer was also a member of the coordination group. Their long-term interaction led to a deep friendship between the two. However, due to the outbreak of the civil war, the Nationalist government ultimately did not send its most elite 67th Division to Japan. The American officer was recalled to the United States. Before his departure, the officer from the 67th Division presented the painting to him. After returning home, the officer discovered he had a serious illness and, before leaving, gave the painting to the father of a British collector.

Chapter 35 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Chapter 35 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Author: Tang Xiaohao

The head of Mulin Company only knew from the British collector that the Chinese officer who gifted the painting was serving in the 67th Division of the Kuomintang at the time; everything else was unknown. After obtaining the painting, the head of Mulin Group returned to China and invited a group of well-known domestic experts to study it. However, they all affirmed that it was definitely not by Shi Tao. At the beginning of this year, 2004, the head of Mulin Group received a person who claimed to be a scholar commissioned by a domestic archaeologist. After arriving, this person laid the painting flat on the table and told the head of Mulin Group that he would know what was hidden in the painting in the afternoon of three days later. The head of Mulin Group found this unbelievable, since he had invited experts to appreciate and speculate on the painting's authorship, and had not announced that he wanted to know the secret of the painting. How could this person know?

The person in charge of Mulin Company recognized the painting as depicting Chuanshan the moment he saw it… and Chuanshan was surrounded by peach orchards. His question was why there was a bamboo forest in the painting? Did the person who painted this really see the bamboo and peach orchards surrounding Chuanshan?

Three days later, a heavy rain began. In the downpour, the man hung the painting on the window and let the rain wash it away. After washing, he quickly laid the painting flat on the glass table. He then had the head of the Mulin Group prepare a camera, and then fixed the painting to the glass table. A solid wooden board, which had been prepared beforehand, was placed on top of the painting. The glass table was then flipped over, and the painting gradually appeared on the other side of the glass. Although it seemed no different from the previous painting, a hole could be seen on the eastern side of the painted boat, with what appeared to be a stone tablet. The poem next to the painting had also changed into the shape of a fish. The head of the Mulin Company was astonished and quickly took a picture…

Shi Ping'er pointed to the photo on the slide and said, "It's the picture you see right now. Based on the information we found before and other sources, we deduce that there is indeed such a cave in Chuanshan, but whether there are any treasures hidden inside is unknown."

I wondered how something else could appear when water was applied, and I even muttered it to myself. Zhong Sheng, who was next to me, told me that there was more than one painting like this. He had seen a painting of seven stars before, and after applying water, the seven stars in the painting would gradually disappear, and a portrait of a person would emerge. However, it had to be rainwater; other types of water would absolutely not work. I asked why, and Zhong Sheng said that someone had studied it, but he didn't know the specific method. He speculated that it might be because rainwater contains nitrogen compounds that are just right, allowing another painting to emerge. Moreover, it had to be rainwater from a thunderstorm; other types of rainwater simply couldn't make the painting emerge.

Notes VII: The Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Chapter 4: Common Points

After Shi Ping'er finished speaking, the entire conference room fell into an eerie silence. No one spoke. I guessed that everyone was thinking the same thing I was: why were we, non-professionals, chosen to find this cave? Why was this time chosen? I was about to raise my hand to ask Shi Ping'er, but she had already turned off the projector and said, "First, I'll tell you the two things you most want to know. The first is why we chose you. The first reason is that everyone here has come into contact with that book. The second is that we predict this cave will appear once every 30 years, and tomorrow is the day we predict the cave entrance will appear. I've said everything I need to say. Tomorrow morning at 6:30, we'll meet at the parking lot on the back mountain. We'll distribute the equipment to you then. The equipment is very easy to use; it's custom-made overseas by our group to provide you with the best protection."

After Shi Ping'er finished speaking, she stepped off the platform. As she walked to the door, she turned back and added, "By the way, I am the leader of your Group A. My surname is Shi." After saying that, she turned around and left the conference room with the two men in black.

After Shi Ping'er left, before I could even ask Liu Chao, he spoke first, asking me, "You...you guys also saw that book? That heavenly book?" I glanced at Lao Fu, and Lai Bao and Mi Dou turned to look at Liu Chao as well. Then everyone nodded at the same time. Zhong Sheng lit a cigarette to the side, and I asked Liu Chao, "How did you come to see that book?"

Liu Chao countered, "How could I not have seen that book? I find it strange that so many people have seen such a mysterious book."

I didn't want too many people to know that the Heavenly Book was with Lao Fu, so I said, "The book has always been in my hands and has never left. You understand what I mean?"

Liu Chao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he almost jumped up to ask me, "The book is on you? It's with you? Really?" I nodded. I never expected Liu Chao to have such a big reaction to mentioning the book.

I patted the chair for Liu Chao to sit down and asked him how he saw the book. Liu Chao shook his head and said, "Actually, I've never seen the original book, only a photocopy. A friend of a friend showed it to me."

Liu Chao had seen a photocopy of the book not long ago. The friend who showed it to him repeatedly warned him not to tell anyone else he had seen it, saying that the person who asked him to make the photocopy wanted him to forge the book, and to make it very similar. Liu Chao's friend was in this line of work, specializing in forging cultural relics. Liu Chao also said that most of the forged cultural relics in the surrounding scenic spots were made by his friend, who had studied this craft with a master craftsman in the north for almost twenty years.

When Liu Chao said this, we were all stunned at the same time. I turned to look at Zhong Sheng, who nodded at me. We all understood that the person who asked Liu Chao's friend to forge this book must be Wang Qiang, and there could be no one else.

I asked Liu Chao, "If, as Ms. Shi said, everyone who has read this book will attend this event, then why didn't your friend attend?"

Liu Chao shook his head and sighed, "My friend died in a car accident not long after he gave me the photocopy. After that, I met another person..." Liu Chao glanced at me, then turned to look at Lai Bao, and didn't continue. I was puzzled and asked him about the other person. He continued, "The other person was your friend who came to see me."

After Liu Chao finished speaking, he pointed at Lai Bao, who was stunned for a moment. Then he turned around and looked at Mi Dou. I almost grabbed Liu Chao and asked him when this happened. Liu Chao gave me a time, and I calculated it in my mind. It was around the time Zhang Aimin reappeared. I then realized that Zhang Aimin had contacted Liu Chao in addition to us. I continued to ask Liu Chao if the man had gotten his hands on the photocopy. Liu Chao nodded and said, "I gave it to him... because he gave me a large sum of money. To be honest, in my line of work, even though I'm an archaeology enthusiast or an antique collector, I just want to make a fortune. But it's not that easy."

But in my mind, I was wondering, since Zhang Aimin had obtained the photocopy, why would he come back pretending he didn't know about the book and ask us about the talisman? My mind was suddenly filled with question marks, exclamation marks, and ellipses…

After leaving the conference room, we realized it was already around 10 PM. Everyone returned to their building. Old Fu followed Zhong Sheng and me, watching Lai Bao and Mi Dou enter a room. Suddenly, he seemed restless. I quickly pulled him inside. Zhong Sheng seemed to understand something and suggested I accompany Old Fu for a walk. Old Fu refused, shouting that he wanted to drink. We tried to persuade him for a while before he finally calmed down, sitting in a chair smoking one cigarette after another without saying a word. Zhong Sheng and I sat on the other side with Liu Chao, discussing the event. We all raised our questions, but the central one remained the same: What exactly does this Mulin Group do? It doesn't seem like the kind of multi-industry business it appears to be. It seems like there's something else involved. And what exactly does Shi Ping'er do for this company? How does she possess such exceptional skills?

Around midnight, Zhong Sheng suggested we get some rest, since we'd have to get up very early the next morning. Besides, if we really managed to get into the cave tomorrow, nobody knew what would happen inside. When Zhong Sheng picked up the phone to call home, he discovered that his cell phone had completely lost signal, and he couldn't make calls from the room either. At that moment, I got a little nervous, so I went out and called a waiter. The waiter said he knew nothing. A little while later, the man in black who had been clipping his nails next to the conference room knocked on the door and came in. He told us that this event was completely confidential, and that we had been cut off from all contact with the outside world since the start of the meeting. No one was allowed to contact the outside world until the event ended.

At that moment, I suddenly thought of Chen Zhong and guessed that this event must be something special, otherwise why wouldn't they have invited Chen Zhong as well? The reason is simple: Chen Zhong is a policeman, and policemen are not suitable to participate in this kind of event. Strictly speaking, this event is already illegal, and it seems unlikely that we can withdraw now.

Zhong Sheng reassured me, saying, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it. We don't know what will happen tomorrow, so let's just take it one step at a time. After all, these people don't seem to have any intention of harming us. They've managed to find so much information about these caves, and their influence is so vast. If they really wanted to do something to us, they would have done it already."

The four of us discussed it for a while, but we couldn't come to any conclusions with evidence, so we had to wash up and go to sleep. Lao Fu suggested that he wanted to sleep in a room by himself, so he went to the front desk to get the key and went to sleep by himself. Zhong Sheng and I slept together, but Liu Chao said that he felt very scared and asked to sleep with us, even if it was on the floor. Zhong Sheng and I saw that Liu Chao looked like that, and we really had no choice but to agree to his request.

Not long after we fell asleep, my phone received a text message. The sender's number could not be displayed, but it was signed by Shi Ping'er. The message simply read: "2 a.m., meet in the parking lot."

After reading the text message, I found that Zhong Sheng had already fallen asleep. Liu Chao was awake, but he was muttering to himself, and I couldn't understand what he was saying. I thought for a while, checked the time, and there was still an hour and a half until 2 o'clock...

Notes VII: The Journey to the Ends of the Earth, Chapter 5: A Solo Date Before Departure

With 2 o'clock to go, I quietly went to the parking lot and looked around. Besides a row of Mitsubishi SUVs, I couldn't see a single person. I wandered around for a bit and finally leaned against the garage door, about to light a cigarette. Just as I took it out, someone snatched it from my mouth, and then a hand grabbed me from behind and pulled me into the garage. I quickly turned around, and as soon as I did, a shadow flashed behind me again, pinning my hands behind my back. A familiar voice said, "A grown man like you doesn't even have this much strength?"

I sighed and said, "Stop playing around, Miss Shi, you almost scared me to death."

Shi Ping'er came out from behind me and said, "Are you such a coward? You still came to participate in this event. What if something happens and you faint from fright?"

I muttered to myself, "I'm only afraid of you. Have I ever been afraid of anything else?"

Chapter 36 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Chapter 36 of "Tangdun Strange Tales Notes"

Author: Tang Xiaohao

"You actually came!" Shi Ping'er pulled me into an SUV, then handed the cigarette back to me. I took it, lit it, and said, "What do you mean I actually came? Didn't you tell me I absolutely had to come?"

Shi Ping'er glanced at me and said, "You can choose not to come if I ask you to. I didn't hold a knife to your throat and force you to come."

I suddenly remembered the text message and asked her, "You can still send a message even when your phone has no signal? That's impressive! What does your company do? Are you some kind of intelligence agency?" Shi Ping'er didn't see it and just tidied her hair, saying, "Mr. Tang, you watch too many movies and you're overthinking things. It's not as complicated as you think. You'll find out in time."

I nodded and said, "Okay, tell me what you want. Tell me quickly so I can go back to sleep. I have to get up before dawn tomorrow."

Shi Ping'er said, "I didn't call you for anything else, I just couldn't sleep at night and wanted to chat with someone. Is that a good enough reason?"

I chuckled and nodded, saying, "I can't refuse that reason. A woman calling a grown man out in the middle of the night, it's obvious there's something going on. Tell me what you want to do? I'm all in."

Shi Ping'er shook her head and looked at me, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to... just wanted to tell you to be extra careful tomorrow. Okay, I should go back now. Goodbye."

After Shi Ping'er finished speaking, she turned and got out of the car. I quickly grabbed her because I felt that this matter was not so simple. Shi Ping'er thought for a long time and then said to me, "There really is something in that cave, but we don't know exactly what it is, so I told you to be careful."

I asked Shi Ping'er why she had called us non-professionals here. Shi Ping'er smiled faintly and said, "You'll find out when the time comes. I can't say now. Besides, Group B consists of people sent by well-known treasure hunting organizations in Asia, or rather, people we invited. One group is professional and the other is non-professional. That's it."

After thinking for a while, I asked again, "So, that professional group has already been inside the cave? Otherwise, how would you know what's inside?"

Shi Ping'er shook her head and said that she had never been inside that cave. However, over the years, her company, Mulin, had used all sorts of methods, such as electromagnetic exploration (a method used in archaeology that utilizes electromagnetic induction and the refraction, reflection, and attenuation of electromagnetic waves during propagation) and ground-penetrating radar (which detects differences in the electrical properties of underground media to understand the condition of relics and artifacts). Only then did they realize that there must be a cave below, and that there was something inside.

After Shi Ping'er finished speaking, she got out of the car and closed the door. I got out of the car as well, but I couldn't see her anywhere. I took a few deep drags on the rest of my cigarette and turned back to my room.

At 6 a.m., Zhong Sheng woke me up. When I got up, I saw Liu Chao and Zhong Sheng packing their things. Liu Chao was hanging all sorts of random things on himself, looking like he was going to war, while Zhong Sheng had changed into a Zhongshan suit, slung a satchel over his shoulder, and was sitting on the edge of the bed. After I got up, I quickly took a shower, and then the wake-up call rang. We answered it, and the waiter told us we could go to the restaurant for breakfast. The three of us went out and ran into Lai Bao and Mi Dou. They looked like they hadn't slept well last night. I told them to go to the elevator first, and I was going to call Lao Fu, but Lai Bao stopped me and said, "He went to the restaurant. The three of us chatted all night yesterday." He smiled at me and then pulled me back, saying, "Lao Tang, aren't we still brothers?"

I nodded and said, "Of course, we'll always be brothers." After I said that, Lai Bao laughed, and Mi Dou also smiled shyly beside him.