Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 7

Suren bit her perfectly white teeth, then suddenly looked up and sighed, "Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it. I just... I'm just a little worried about you... Huh? What's that?" She suddenly pointed quickly behind me.

Behind me, there was only the cold, hard tower. What could possibly surprise her like that?

I whirled around, simultaneously focusing all my attention on defense, channeling all my inner strength into my right arm, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment. Unexpectedly, there was nothing behind me, and the tower showed no abnormalities whatsoever.

As I lowered my guard and turned back, I suddenly heard Suren shout, raising both palms high and flashing something bright in front of me. In her palms were two blood-red agate stones, spinning rapidly like two tops. My gaze was completely drawn to these two red dots, and I suddenly forgot where I was.

This is a sophisticated form of hypnosis—they never considered guarding against Suren, which is why they fell for her trick so easily.

The following dialogue was told to me by Suren later—

“Tell me what you see from the tower?” she asked.

"I saw... a silver light..."

Where did the silver light come from?

"The Great Pyramid of Giza... halfway up..."

"Anything else?"

"And... I have a feeling that at some point, stomping my foot will allow me to enter the tower... because it's alive... it's alive..."

The hypnosis session lasted only a minute, and then my "deleted memories" came back.

"I saw a silver light emanating from the middle of the Great Pyramid of Giza to the north. Its relative height was the same as the top of the Pyramid of Tsar and my height combined. Tomorrow, let's go over there and see what's there!" The thought that the mysterious silver light could erase someone's memory sent a chill down my spine.

It's only trying to erase a few minutes of my memory now. What if it were to erase all my memories from the past twenty years? Or, if it could erase the memories of everyone on Earth, it would undoubtedly become the new ruler of the planet.

I should thank Suren; she helped me regain my memories and find other clues.

Throughout my explanation, Suren kept giving a cold, bitter laugh. When I finished speaking, she took out her phone, dialed the number for "Scalpel," and succinctly summarized what I had just said.

"I'll send people over to check right away, immediately!" Scalpel couldn't contain his excitement as he loudly arranged for people to gather the latest information about the Great Pyramid of Giza over the phone.

I always felt a bit depressed. First, my memories were erased by the silver light, and then I was hypnotized by Su Lun. I felt like the most useless piece of trash in the world, being played with and manipulated by others.

As the car began its journey home, I said sullenly, "Suren, I'd like to ask for a few helpers. Do you think we should notify Mr. Scalpel beforehand?"

Suren laughed: "Help? Sure, but I have to warn you, according to the latest news from the tomb raiding underworld within the last 24 hours, the infamous 'Seven Ghost Thieves' of Italy were ambushed by the Mafia overnight. After a four-hour battle, all seven perished under TNT. If you're looking for their help, you'll probably have to go to the underworld to find a solution..."

She laughed unrestrainedly, but I felt like crying.

The Seven Gentlemen were my good friends in college. The seven of us only studied until our second year before dropping out to start our own businesses.

Experts in the Italian tomb raiding world admire these seven young men, whose average age is under twenty-one, calling them the future "Kings of Tomb Raiding." This small group has the technology, the financial resources, and the official support. Each member also has a large family business as a backing, and countless US dollars and British pounds in their accounts.

They are all my good friends, and they invited me to join the Seven Gentlemen more than ten times, turning our small group into the "Eight Gentlemen"...

Now, it's all over. I turned my face away and quietly wiped away a tear from the corner of my eye.

The camp was quiet. After asking the special forces soldiers on duty, I learned that all the technicians had gone down into the mine.

"Down in the well?" Suren's eyes lit up immediately, and he was eager to go down into the well. Unfortunately, at the wellhead, four heavily armed special forces soldiers blocked our way: "Without Mr. Gu Ye's orders, no one is allowed to go in."

A deep, distant clanging echoed from the shaft, like someone hammering a section of iron pipe. That Tanino guy, so meticulous; even if there were some new discoveries down there, he wouldn't tell me everything—it's infuriating. Thinking about it, the Scalpel siblings have kept even more from me; there are so many suspicious points.

Just as they were at a standoff with the guards at the well, Scalpel called.

Volume One: The King of Tomb Raiders

The First Egyptian Tomb

— Chapter 16 — A Sea of Suspicion —

"Huh? What?" Suren's voice sounded extremely shocked, and he turned his gaze to me, not bothering to argue with the guard.

The night in the camp suddenly became strangely cold and desolate. On a slightly distant high platform, the special forces soldiers' submachine guns, tanned blue, gleamed eerily in the moonlight. I looked up at the sky; the moon had risen, distant and indifferent, illuminating the chaotic world of the desert.

The fear I felt about losing my memory has vanished, replaced by immense bewilderment: "What on the Great Pyramid of Giza could emit such mysterious light?"

My mentor once taught us: "Never hold a preconceived negative attitude towards the strange and wonderful things in the world. You must accept and analyze them with an open mind. This is the scientific research attitude." It is by following my mentor's words that I can calmly deal with everything that happens in front of me.

Suren hung up the phone, walked closer to me, and whispered, "My brother's men found a silver coin at the location of the Great Pyramid of Giza." She pulled my hand and walked towards the jeep, took a military-grade Sharp laptop from the toolbox, turned it on in the driver's seat, quickly connected the various cables, and then pressed the switch. The computer immediately entered wireless network mode.

The screen flashed, and I received an email notification.

She tapped the touchscreen, and the email opened, revealing an exceptionally clear photograph of a silver coin.

"This is what my brother was talking about, the silver coin from the pyramids—" Below the picture, a detailed analysis of the coin's composition is listed: silver, nickel, and chromium, each accounting for 90%, 5%, and 5%, respectively. The design on the silver coin is the Sphinx, a sight that anyone with a little travel knowledge can recognize—something unique on Earth.

"A silver coin? What does that signify? What's the other side of a silver coin?"

As everyone knows, a coin has two sides, and this has always been the case.

"There's no other side. It seems to have been completely split in half, with a smooth cut on the back, without any patterns or writing. Brother Feng, don't you think its appearance is a bit strange?"

Of course it's strange. The Great Pyramid of Giza is visited more than 5,000 times a day. If there were such a coin embedded in the pyramid, wouldn't it have been pried off by tourists long ago? The coin is two centimeters in diameter, the same size as a Chinese coin called "Yuan Datou". It is very new, without a trace of dirt or grime, and has a shiny appearance.

"Surren, do you mean it emits light that can erase human memories?" I placed my hand on the computer screen. It's a pity I didn't have a physical object, otherwise I might have sensed its magical power a second time.

“I don’t know, so my brother hopes we can rush back to the villa tonight and sit down to make some plans. Also, someone has already accepted my brother’s invitation and will be arriving soon—” At this point, Suren tilted her head and revealed a relaxed and playful smile: “Guess who this person is?”

I frowned slightly. There are fewer than a hundred people in the world who can command the scalpel's "please." There are no more than ten who can solve problems that even the scalpel finds difficult and challenging, and no more than five who can be genuinely invited and entrusted with important tasks by the scalpel. I mentally listed these five people one by one, and gasped: "Could it be the legendary Vietnamese eccentric master, Elder Tianying?"

Suren chuckled, "Brother said you'd guess it, and sure enough, you did. But there's one more person who came with him. Can you guess who it is?"

I gave a wry smile: "Of course I could guess. When Elder Tianying is on the move, how could his confidante Yue Jiaohong be absent?" Those two have become legendary figures in the martial arts world, always inseparable.

Suren slammed her laptop shut, a mischievous smile on her face: "You guessed right, shall we go now?"

A sudden creaking sound of a motor winch rang out, and the support structure erected above the wellhead began to sway, indicating that the makeshift elevator at the bottom of the well was ascending.

I held down Suren's hand, signaling her to calm down.

Three minutes later, four heads emerged from the well: Gu Ye, Bancha, Yelan, and Turner. Turner was the first to jump off the elevator, staggering before grabbing the support frame to steady himself. Bancha looked flustered, hurrying towards his tent with his head down. Gu Ye and Yelan both paused at the well's edge, exchanged a blank glance, and then slowly separated, each returning to their own tent.

Unable to receive any new orders, the guards could only stand there dumbfounded, staring at the empty elevator.

I had a premonition that something was going to happen, otherwise the old fox Tanino wouldn't have acted so distraught.

Suren's eyes darted around rapidly, her fingers slowly tracing circles on the laptop lid, seemingly hesitant. Almost simultaneously, we all spoke in unison: "No, there's definitely something wrong down there."

In any tomb raiding operation, new and ever-changing problems will almost always arise; it can be said that no two ancient tombs are exactly alike. However, for top masters like Gu Ye and Ban Cha, any unexpected event becomes "within their expectations," easily resolved without any ripples.

What on earth happened down in the mine that could have gotten them into this state? Especially Bancha, who fled as quickly as if he were a refugee, as if some kind of murderous demon was lurking in the mine.

"I want to go down and take a look!"

"Call my brother to report!"

Two sentences came out of my mouth and Suren's mouth at the same time. I had a bold idea: "Take down the guards and go down the well to investigate. To know the taste of a pear, you have to taste it yourself." From the preliminary information provided by the scalpel, I had already learned some things about the shaft, so it wasn't entirely unfamiliar.

"Go down? Should we ask my brother for permission?" Suren hesitated.

Influenced by the four men's emotions, the guards at the wellhead retreated to a distance of twenty meters from the well. Special forces soldiers are human too, and they are all afraid of death. Within sight, there were only two people; with my and Suren's skills, knocking them unconscious in an instant would be no problem.

"No need. The situation in a fighter jet can change in an instant. Let's take a gamble!"

This statement actually contradicts my usual principle of being steady and reliable. If I hadn't been inexplicably frustrated by that silver light, I would definitely have obediently consulted with the surgeon before taking any action. The brief amnesia made me feel like I had lost face in front of Suren, and I was eager to do something to prove myself. Or perhaps, every man is prone to impulsiveness in front of a beautiful girl he likes?

Suren hesitated for a moment, then gently took the crossbow from the trunk and drew two short arrows with blue feathers. They were clearly powerful tranquilizer arrows used for hunting, and I couldn't help but admire her thoughtfulness. After all, this wasn't a life-or-death battle between enemies; she absolutely couldn't kill innocent people.

“I’ll shoot those two guards, then you go into the elevator and press the button. Don’t worry, I’ll guard this place,” Suren said in a low, wary voice as he handed me a powerful military pistol.

Volume One: The King of Tomb Raiders

The First Egyptian Tomb

— Chapter 17 - Crisis Zone —

Suren's competence far exceeded my expectations. Two minutes after she crouched and disappeared behind the tents of varying heights, I saw the guard closest to the well suddenly clutch his shoulder and collapse. Those powerful tranquilizer arrows, capable of instantly taking down tigers, lions, and other giant beasts, were simply overkill for a strong, middle-aged man.

I sprinted for over forty meters with my head down, reaching the edge of the well. Suddenly, an indescribable chill seeped out from the shaft, enveloping my entire body. I couldn't help but pause, turning my head to look down into the well. Countless guide lights were embedded in the stainless steel casings of the well walls, extending all the way to the deepest depths.

That chill wasn't the kind of "cold" in the sense of weather, but rather a sixth sense instinctive reaction when facing some unknown danger.

Suren poked his head out from where the second sentry was standing and gave me an "OK" sign.

I steadied myself, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the green button. The elevator shook violently, then the steel cable twisted, and it slowly descended.

The air in the shaft was fairly fresh, and it didn't feel particularly stuffy, thanks to the expensive ventilation system that the workers had installed beforehand. The elevator descended very smoothly, so I had the opportunity to carefully observe the details of the four walls.

The shaft is constructed like a well shaft excavated before the concrete is poured into a large bridge pier. It is five meters in diameter and its four walls are supported by a tight protective casing to prevent quicksand from flowing in.

Every three meters, a powerful spotlight is installed on the cave wall, its silvery-white light shining brightly, making one feel as if they are about to perform in a packed National Centre for the Performing Arts, rather than walking through a deep shaft.

I took a deep breath, trying to relax the tense muscles in my face, and simultaneously pressed the pistol tucked into my belt. My rapid-fire technique had earned me a record of 99 points out of 10, and I could fire ten rounds in quick succession. My fundamentals were solid, and my accuracy was excellent. Therefore, with a gun in hand, I wasn't afraid of any impending danger—if it came from "human" danger.

Looking up, all that could be seen in the dim yellow sky was a small, round hole – it truly felt like "looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."

"What exactly happened down in the well? What caused Tani and Bancha to be so panicked?" Tani's bewildered expression left a deep impression on me. A master like him wouldn't be moved even if the sky collapsed, the earth caved in, or a mummy came back to life. What was going on...?

I was suddenly horrified: "So quiet? The workers who are working day and night should make some noise, right?" Apart from the creaking of the winch, I couldn't hear any human voices or the sound of machinery.

I leaned over the railing and looked down, but could see nothing but the bright lights. Unfortunately, what I had hidden in my collar was just a one-way transmitting eavesdropping device; I couldn't communicate with anyone. I'd rushed down too quickly; if only I'd brought a walkie-talkie from the camp.

The elevator descended for ten and a half minutes, then slowed down and stopped automatically with a "click".

A horizontal tunnel appeared before me, pointing towards the Pyramid of Turks. At this point, I still couldn't hear any sound, but I could see four extremely thick cables, like four mysterious giant serpents extending into the depths of the tunnel.

I hesitated. As it stands, apart from the unusual tranquility, I couldn't see any signs of a problem.

The surface passages were simple, made of poured cement concrete, while the transverse tunnels were naturally supported by stainless steel casings. This was an extremely large underground project, which must have cost a fortune and required some kind of "tacit approval" from the Egyptian government's powerful figures. Only a super-tycoon like Scalpel could have accomplished it.

The tunnel was brightly lit, which restored my confidence. After getting off the makeshift elevator, I kept my hand on the gun handle and slowly walked into the tunnel. The hard ground and excellent ventilation made me feel as if I wasn't in a real scene dozens of meters underground in the desert, but rather in a virtual game at an amusement park.

The surgeon meticulously crafted such a massive passage; this time, he must be aiming to break the mystery of the Khaganate's pyramids in one fell swoop. Everyone has ambition, but the ambitions of great figures are usually like the numbers in their bank accounts, growing ever larger, exponentially.

My pace quickened as I couldn't see any danger in the current situation; in the end, it felt like I was running through a tunnel. It was unbelievable that the tunnel remained completely empty. There should have been over forty workers at this spot. Even if they weren't talking to each other, there should have been the sounds of jackhammers, shovels, and conveyor belts carrying soil, right?

I ran forward for another five minutes, then paused briefly, but ultimately couldn't resist my curiosity and kept running.

According to my estimate, I traveled about 300 meters from the tunnel entrance to where I finally stopped, at most no more than 320 meters.

There was no one there, not a single tool; at the end of the tunnel was a huge stone monument. It was described as "huge" because it blocked the tunnel's path horizontally, and only a portion of it, obstructing the entrance, was visible.

The stone tablet has a strange silvery-white color, and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs are engraved on it in black ink.

"Anyone who takes another step forward will be killed without mercy!" That's the meaning translated from those words. Of course, that's only a small part of what's visible at the cave entrance, perhaps one-tenth or one-hundredth. I reached out and touched the stone tablet; it was icy cold to the touch, like pressing against a huge block of iron.

The ground was spotless, without a trace of sand or soil, without any tools left behind by the workers, and without a single trace of the workers. The stone tablet was wiped clean, even though it had been buried dozens of meters underground and there should have been some sand or dirt left in the engravings—but now it was so clean, as if someone had sprayed detergent on it and then carefully wiped it with a cloth.

"What happened? Where are the workers?"

I don't believe that Tanino and the other three were terrified after seeing this warning stone. Such warning stones have appeared more than once during the excavation of the Egyptian pyramids; they were merely a means for ancient pharaohs to frighten their people. Therefore, there must be something else that they discovered and destroyed before my arrival—

I searched carefully in front of the stone tablet and even reached out to push it, hoping for a miracle.