Непревзойденная наследница

Глава 1

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In a dark room, a tall man sat behind a swivel chair. The light was too dim to see his face clearly. A short man stood in front of him, looking very respectful.

"You found her?" the tall man asked slowly.

“Yes, young master,” the short man said, his voice hoarse and seemingly very old. He took a CD from the safe, put it in the notebook on the table, and then pushed it in front of the tall man. “Young master, please take a look.”

A video popped up on the computer screen. On the street, the camera's focus remained on a girl in her early twenties. Although she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she was still pretty and charming. She wore a sun hat, her long hair flowed down her back, and her figure was undeniably graceful.

Are you sure she's the one?

"Yes. I searched for a long time before I found her, there's no mistake."

"Very good." The tall man's lips curled into a strange smile. "To obtain that treasure, we'll have to rely on her."

I. Kidnapping

"Miss, may I buy you a drink?" A male voice rang out beside her. Qin Wen rolled her eyes. Here we go again. When will these men ever stop? She just came to the bar to have some fun.

"Sorry, I already have a boyfriend." Qin Wen didn't even bother to turn her head, taking a sip of lemonade at the bar. The man seemed persistent, "But I didn't see any male companion with you..."

Unable to bear it any longer, Qin Wen grabbed Yin Li, who was sitting next to her drinking a cocktail, turned around abruptly, and said to the young man dressed in rock attire, "She is my lover."

The young man stared at the two of them in surprise. Yin Li's forehead was covered in cold sweat. Qin Wen smiled and said, "I know what you're thinking. That's right, I am a lesbian, commonly known as a lesbian or LES!"

Yin Li's face slowly turned ashen.

"Sorry to bother you," the young man said hastily, disappearing without a trace as if avoiding a plague. Qin Wen breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away a cold sweat. "Luckily I reacted quickly. These men are so annoying." Before she could finish speaking, she felt two murderous glares. She shivered and turned to look at Yin Li, who was hovering on the verge of a volcanic eruption.

"Don't you think you should explain this to me?" Yin Li said with a dark face. "When did I become a lesbian?"

Qin Wen chuckled foolishly twice and said, "I suddenly remembered, we forgot to lock the door when we came out. You play, I'll go back and check if anything's missing." Before she finished speaking, she had already jumped up and sprinted towards the dance floor at top speed. The area was filled with a wildly dancing crowd, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Yin Li gritted her teeth in hatred. "You ran fast, huh? How dare you ruin my reputation today! Wait till I get back to the hotel and see how I deal with you!"

"Miss." A male voice sounded in her ear. Yin Li turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a protruding head and a big belly grinning lewdly at her. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Yin Li's face darkened, and she said to the bartender, "Bring me a bottle of Golden Crown XO. He said it's on me."

Before she could finish speaking, the man had vanished, even faster than Qin Wen. Yin Li rolled her eyes. "Luckily you ran fast. If you had really invited me to drink Golden Crown XO, I would have drugged you and made you regret it."

Qin Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief as she left the noisy bar. Xiao Li was really scary when she got angry; she should avoid using her as a shield in the future.

Night had fallen, and the streets were nearly deserted. The dim streetlights were somewhat murky. She looked up at the star-studded night sky. This was Karamay, the famous oil city. Half a month had passed since she left Yecheng, and even now, thinking back, she still felt a lingering fear.

The eerie princess's tomb, the dead and surviving tomb raiders, the archaeological team members, and the undercover police officer Situ Xiang—it all feels like yesterday.

Over the past two weeks, she and Xiao Li have traveled north from Kashgar, passing through Aksu, Korla, Urumqi, and Shihezi. Now they have arrived in Karamay. Along the way, they visited many historical sites, but compared to the Princess's Mausoleum, these were like stones on the riverbank, utterly devoid of novelty and value.

So she suggested going to Karamay, and then to the Urho mining area downstream of the Jiamuhe River, 100 kilometers away, the infamous Devil City, where perhaps the nightmares that haunted their dreams every night could be appeased.

It was already 10 p.m. when they returned to the 'Future Hotel' where they were staying. The clerk sitting behind the counter greeted her with a smile: "Miss Qin, you're back?"

"Jemila, is there hot water tonight? I want to take a shower," Qin Wen said. Water resources are extremely scarce throughout Xinjiang, and the water supply here is even more intermittent. As a result, Qin Wen has not showered for three days. In this hot weather, it is simply torture for her.

"The water supply will end at 1 a.m. tonight, so you'd better hurry." Jamila nodded to her. Qin Wen was so excited to hear that she could take a shower that she immediately ran to her room. But when she opened the door, she suddenly froze.

On the beautiful sofa covered with velvet cushions sat a young man, about twenty years old, of East Asian descent, holding a glass of scarlet liquid in his hand. On the table beside him was a bottle of red wine, marked with the year 1986.

Qin Wen frowned, stepped back to check the door number. She hadn't gone to the wrong place. Who was this man?

"Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" Qin Wen said rudely, becoming more vigilant. "If you've just entered the wrong room, please leave immediately."

The young man slowly raised his head. It was an extremely handsome face with fair skin, overly delicate features, and a pair of deep black eyes, which reminded Qin Wen of the legendary evil yet noble vampire.

"Are you Qin Wen?" the young man asked.

Qin Wen was taken aback: "You know me?"

A strange smile curled at the corner of the young man's lips as he reached for the expensive bottle of red wine: "HAUTBRION, interested in a glass?"

"Who exactly are you?" Qin Wen took a slight step back, a Taekwondo starting stance, ready to attack at any moment. The young man still didn't answer her question directly. "Petrus is supposed to be the king of liquors, but it has a very beautiful Chinese name—'Red Beauty.' When meeting a beautiful woman, you still need to bring this liquor to win her heart. Don't you think so, Wen?"

Qin Wen's lips twitched twice: "Such sweet words, but they won't work on me. If there's nothing else, please leave. I need to take a shower, don't waste my time!"

"Before you send me away, take a look at what I brought." The young man took a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket, and with a flick of his finger, the paper landed steadily in her hand. Qin Wen's heart skipped a beat. This man not only knew martial arts, but he was extremely skilled. She probably didn't even have a one percent chance of winning.

Sweat began to slowly seep from her forehead. Qin Wen flipped open the white paper in her hand, her expression suddenly changed, and she couldn't take her eyes off it anymore.

On the paper was a strange drawing, seemingly a pagoda, very similar to the pagodas popular in countries like Thailand and Cambodia, yet with subtle differences. Behind the pagoda were a pair of beautiful, outstretched wings.

“Futu…” Qin Wen’s lips moved slightly as her memory returned to three years ago. She was a sophomore in college and the captain of the school’s women’s basketball team. When that incident happened, she had just finished practicing and was resting on the sidelines when a boy playing basketball suddenly collapsed, twitched twice, and lost consciousness.

Blood flowed from beneath the boy, spreading across the plastic turf floor. But the blood was very strange; it was just a thin line that spread into the shape of a tower, with a pair of huge wings spreading out behind it.

Chaos erupted on the court. The school doctor arrived quickly, provided first aid, and evacuated everyone from the court. Qin Wen returned to her dormitory, filled with doubt. She recognized the boy; he was Zheng Hao, a key player on the boys' team, and always appeared healthy. How could he have suddenly collapsed?

Seeing that she was sullen, Yin Li asked her what had happened. She told her friend everything she had seen. Xiao Li's face suddenly turned very pale, and she said that he was either cursed or poisoned by a Gu, and that he probably wouldn't survive.

At the time, she didn't believe it, after all, curses and poisons were too far removed from her. But the next day, news of Zheng Hao's death came. The school compensated his parents a lot of money and, as usual, suppressed all the news. No newspaper reported the incident.

His death became a legend at C University, with many different versions circulating. The most famous one is that Zheng Hao was cursed by the Western Regions because he had traveled to Karamay during the previous summer vacation.

Why did the strange pattern drawn with Zheng Hao's blood end up in this man's hands? Could his death be related to this man?

"Who exactly are you?" Qin Wen, clutching the piece of white paper, rushed up to the young man and grabbed his collar. "Did you kill Zheng Hao?"

“He has desecrated the sacred cemetery.” The young man extended his slender fingers and gently traced the back of Qin Wen’s hand. “Wen, I need your help.”

Qin Wen felt nauseous and pulled her hand back: "What do you want me to do?"

“Come with me to the sacred Buddhist cemetery.” The young man had a seductive smile on his face, but Qin Wen was not tempted by him. Instead, she turned and ran.

A glint of light flashed in the young man's eyes. He leaped up and grabbed her arm, but she retaliated with a swift strike, shouting angrily, "Don't mention graves to me! I'm still young, I don't want to die so young!"

The young man easily grasped her fist: "I've heard your story. That princess's tomb under the desert is indeed terrifying, but there are unimaginable treasures beneath the pagoda tomb. Don't you want to go and see them?"

"No! Not at all!" Qin Wen answered decisively, raising her foot to kick his face. He dodged to the side, a strange smile spreading across his eyes: "Since that's the case, I have no choice but to offend you."

Qin Wen's body went limp, as if all her strength had been drained away. She stared in astonishment at the dangerous and handsome man who looked like a vampire.

It's a sleeping potion!

But when exactly did he administer the drug?

The young man seemed to sense what she was thinking, and turned to look at the glass of red wine. He hadn't even taken a sip.

“HDM-230, a new type of volatile date rape drug.” He still smiled seductively. “I don’t want to fight you here.”

"That despicable scoundrel!" Qin Wen thought through gritted teeth. "When I wake up, I'll tear you to pieces!"

Darkness collapsed, and she fell backward. The young man caught her back and said with a smile, "You're really not a smart girl. You didn't even ask why I came to you."

II. Undercover

When Yin Li returned to the Future Hotel, she felt a little drunk. She yawned and walked into the lobby. Jamila still had her signature smile: "Miss Yin, hot water will be available tonight. I'm sure you'll need it."

Huh? Yin Li was stunned for a moment, then sniffed her armpits. Did she already smell bad?

Reaching the elevator, she pressed the button for the fourth floor. The door opened with a ding, and a man dressed as a cleaner pushed a garbage cart out, brushing past her.

She suddenly felt uneasy. She turned around and looked at the cleaner's back, wondering if he was ugly because he was pulling his hat brim down so low.

The elevator doors slowly closed in front of her, and the cleaner and garbage truck disappeared from sight. She rubbed her aching temples. She really shouldn't have drunk so many cocktails today; she didn't expect the alcohol here to be so strong.

She opened the door in a daze and said, "Xiaowen, have you finished showering? I feel terrible."

No one answered.

Yin Li paused, then continued calling her friend's name, pushing open the bathroom door to find it empty. She seemed to suddenly realize something, a chill running down her spine.

She searched every corner of the room but still couldn't find her friend. Could it be that Qin Wen hadn't returned?

The answer is no, because lying peacefully by the door are the white high heels Qin Wen wore when she left.

She's gone! Her Qin Wen is gone!

Fear overwhelmed Yin Li in an instant. She rushed to the front desk, her pale face startling Jamila: "Miss Yin, what happened?"

"Xiaowen... Xiaowen is missing." Yin Li's voice trembled, and Jamila's expression changed. "Didn't Miss Qin come back? Isn't she in her room?"

"No! Her shoes are still in the room, but she's gone!" Yin Li's voice was already trembling with tears. Jamila realized the seriousness of the situation and hurriedly called the manager.

The manager arrived ten minutes later. He was a steady middle-aged man. He glanced at the anxious Yin Li and said, "Could Miss Qin have gone out again?"

“Manager, Miss Qin didn’t go out,” Jamila said. “I’ve been at the front desk the whole time and I haven’t seen her go out at all. And our hotel doesn’t even have a back door…” Before she could finish speaking, the manager’s sharp gaze fell on her, and she quickly stopped talking, standing awkwardly to the side.

“Miss Yin, please don’t worry,” the manager reassured her. “Miss Qin has likely gone somewhere else in the hotel. We’ll go find her for you right now.”

After saying that, he led the staff to search every corner of the hotel. Yin Li was like an ant on a hot pan, waiting for a full hour, but what she received was still bad news.

"I'm calling the police!" Yin Li's face grew darker and darker. She took out her phone and dialed 110. The manager looked at her coldly, waved his hand, and called all the waiters out.

The police arrived twenty minutes later. The two officers, both locals, spoke to Yin Li in broken Mandarin to inquire about the situation. They then called over the manager and Jamila, and asked with long faces, "Did the person really disappear here?"

"There must be some misunderstanding here," the manager said with an apologetic smile. "Miss Qin may have gone out..."

"Nonsense!" Yin Li exclaimed urgently, "Jemila said he didn't see Xiaowen leave at all!"

The police officers' eyes were fixed on Jamila, the receptionist who was pale and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I...I saw Miss Qin leave."

At that moment, Yin Li felt a chill run through her chest. She rushed forward, grabbed his collar, and shouted, "That's not what you said just now! You said you didn't see her leave at all!"

“No, I saw it.” Jamila avoided her gaze. “She said she wanted to go to the bar for another drink…”

"You're lying!" Yin Li lost her temper and frantically shook the waiter. The police officers quickly pulled her away. "Miss Yin, please calm down!"

"He's lying! He must be lying!" Yin Li screamed hysterically. The police officers' faces were cold. "You heard it all. Your friend went out drinking and will probably be back soon. Don't waste our time on things like this again."

After saying that, the two walked out the door, no longer bothering her. She bit her lower lip hard, turned around and grabbed Jamila's collar again: "Tell me! Why did you lie! Did you kidnap Xiaowen?"

"Miss Yin, please don't be unreasonable!" The manager also put on a cold face and winked at the security guards behind him. The two Uyghur security guards, who were over 1.8 meters tall, immediately rushed over, grabbed one of her hands, and dragged her out the door.

"What are you trying to do!" Yin Li shouted angrily. The manager moved his finger, and a female waitress threw two large backpacks in front of her. "I'm sorry, Miss Yin, we're not doing business with you anymore."

"I hope you won't come looking for trouble again," the manager said coldly, turning and walking into the hotel, locking the door behind him.

The night was already very deep. The dim streetlights made the quiet street look unusually deserted, as if a thin layer of frost had been spread on the ground.

During the sweltering heat of midsummer, Yin Li experienced a bone-chilling cold for the first time.

She bit her lip until it bled profusely, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth and making it impossible for her to think. Xiaowen…where…where did you go?

She didn't know how long she stood there when the hotel door suddenly opened. Jamila looked around to make sure no one was there before running out. Yin Li felt a surge of anger rising in her chest. She rushed over and grabbed him, about to question him, when he made a shushing gesture: "Miss Yin, I came out without telling them. Please don't be angry, listen to me first."

Suppressing her anger and resentment, Yin Li asked, "Why did you lie?"

Jamila hesitated for a moment and said, "We had no choice. Miss Qin was most likely taken away by people from an international prostitution ring."