After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui suppressed his nausea, put on a pair of gloves, and threw all the bones on the ground into the lake.
However, Zhuang Rui couldn't move the corpses of the prehistoric crocodile and the python. After sweating profusely, he could only move a part of the two enormous bodies into the lake.
After the flesh and blood entered the lake, the calm surface of the lake suddenly became lively. Fish that were usually hiding somewhere all came out and began a sumptuous feast.
"Damn it, there are giant crocodiles here, and fish this big too..."
Zhuang Rui scanned the lake with his spiritual energy and discovered that among the fish that were devouring the corpses, there were quite a few large fish that were three or four meters long. In this remote place, there were indeed many mysterious things that could not be understood by people.
After circling around to the other side of the lake, Zhuang Rui went into the water to clean the blood off his body and washed his clothes as well. He wrung them out and put them on, estimating that they would dry in less than 20 minutes under the sun.
Although he knew where the castle gate was, Zhuang Rui didn't want to struggle with the vines that had been growing for who knows how many years, so he simply climbed over the vines and went inside.
The castle, which had previously echoed with the calls of gorillas, had become even more silent. A cough could be heard with a huge echo. The sound of Zhuang Rui's footsteps on the ground was the only sound in the castle.
"The purity isn't very high, but these images are enough to make up for it..."
Zhuang Rui did not go directly into the main hall of the castle. Instead, he carefully observed the area along the city gate. In some damaged places, the gold-plated walls had peeled off, revealing the brick and stone walls underneath.
Although Zhuang Rui's appraisal revealed that the gold contained various metals and its purity was not very high, exquisite images were still engraved on the nearly one-kilometer-long walls of the Golden Fortress.
Lifting the vines that conceal the city walls, the scenes are so exquisite and detailed, depicting grand battle scenes from medieval Europe, with generals wearing golden masks and hundreds of soldiers, all vividly portrayed.
Not only are there scenes of war, but also many scenes reflecting the lives of ordinary Europeans. Judging from the tools, carriages and daily necessities used by those people, their handicrafts were already quite advanced.
"What era of civilization does this belong to? Why would they build such a magnificent golden castle here?"
Zhuang Rui's sensitivity as an archaeologist resurfaced, but he didn't have much knowledge of European history, and these images alone were not enough to reconstruct the truth of history.
"Damn, this project is huge..."
Looking at these exquisite murals, Zhuang Rui shook his head and took out his phone. This matter was too complicated, and only trustworthy people could get involved.
"Brother Zhuang, where did Peng Fei take you? Your wife has been urging me to come back and find you these past few days..."
Li Zhen's voice came through the phone.
"I'm fine, Li Zhen. Has your sister-in-law gone home yet?"
Zhuang Rui asked.
"I'm back now. I've basically got everything sorted out here. In another seven or eight days, all the equipment I ordered will be delivered. Brother Zhuang, I promise I'll make this island look like a battle castle..."
Because of the large number of animals on the island, the monitoring facilities in the primeval forest need to be specially manufactured to prevent damage from wild animals. Orders placed also require a waiting period before delivery.
In addition, many defensive weapons orders have to be placed through the international black market for arms, and the delivery is not so quick. Therefore, Peng Fei stayed on the island for more than a month and only just managed to sort out all the relationships.
"Alright, put those matters aside for now. You need to... I mean, fly back immediately. Once you're back, select thirty, no... fifty trustworthy people from the ship. They'll follow my instructions. Oh, and bring Hao Long with you too. For now, leave the island's security to Hu Rong..."
Apart from the bearded captain and a few honest and loyal foreign sailors, the crew of Zhuang Rui's "Xuan Rui" were mostly retired soldiers from various domestic fleets. The ship was under military-style management, which was always handled by Li Zhen.
"Brother Zhuang, what's up? You want to fight someone? They're no good. Do you want me to find you some mercenaries? They're all capable of taking on a hundred men each..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Zhen on the other end of the phone became excited. Like Peng Fei, his early life-and-death experiences were ingrained in his bones, and he had no immunity to that kind of thrilling life.
"What nonsense are you talking about? There's no war to fight. We've found some treasure in the African jungle. We need to find some trustworthy people to transport it out. Make sure you choose the right people. After it's all done, each person will get a reward of 500,000. Alright, hurry up and come over. I have something to discuss with General Li..."
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then reluctantly dialed Li Shaohua's number again.
Whether it's smuggling those forty-odd gorillas or dismantling and moving the Golden City out, Zhuang Rui needs Li Shaohua's help to complete both tasks.
"Brother Zhuang, you're really not being fair! Your disappearance has put so much pressure on me. I'm currently coordinating with various parties, and the plane probably won't arrive at your location until tonight..."
Zhuang Rui and Song Jun had already contacted General Li after speaking on the phone. However, after the call was connected, Li Shaohua still complained. As he himself said, the pressure these past few days had been too great. Even the big shot from the Ouyang family in the central government had personally called to inquire about the situation.
"Hehe, Brother Li, things have changed a bit. This time, my call wasn't about the gorilla. No, no, the gorilla still needs to be shipped out, but... I have a huge fortune to give you..."
Zhuang Rui laughed awkwardly upon hearing this. He knew he had done something wrong, but he had already come up with a plan to compensate Li Shaohua. After all, if what he did this time were to be leaked, Li Shaohua would not only be under pressure, but it would also directly ruin his military career.
It's important to understand that whether it's smuggling gorillas or the treasure in this golden city, if the local government or international animal protection organizations find out, it will cause a huge uproar that Li Shaohua, with his status, absolutely cannot suppress.
"Alright, just don't cause any trouble, kid. I wouldn't dare take your money..."
Li Shaohua misunderstood Zhuang Rui's meaning. He thought that Zhuang Rui would give him some money as compensation because he helped him smuggle the gorilla.
"It's not about that, Brother Li. Do you know who I found in the forest?"
"Who is it? Why do you always beat around the bush? Speak quickly, I need to meet with a minister from Congo right away, otherwise our helicopter won't be able to get over there."
Li Shaohua really didn't have time to chat with Zhuang Rui, so he interrupted him directly. He explained that even if a helicopter on a warship was entering a sovereign country with a chaotic government, there was still a lot of work to be done.
"I caught David, who was with Markram, in the forest. He's the mastermind behind the American heist..."
This time, Zhuang Rui didn't mince words and got straight to the point. He knew Li Shaohua would understand because it was Li Shaohua who showed him the bounty notice.
Chapter 1271 Smuggling
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Shaohua, who had been sitting in a chair answering the phone, suddenly stood up and asked anxiously, "Is it David, the one wanted by the US government? Brother Zhuang, are you sure you haven't mistaken him?"
"It can't be wrong, right? Peng Fei is interrogating him; it's almost certainly him..."
Zhuang Rui couldn't say it was 100% certain, since the man's appearance was completely different from the one on the wanted poster. If they wanted to confirm his identity, they would still need to do a DNA comparison. David had been imprisoned multiple times, so that wouldn't be difficult.
"If it really is him, brother, you've done a great job..."
Li Shaohua knew that although Zhuang Rui was young, he was still very steady in his work. In addition, he was the person involved in that kidnapping incident. Since he was almost certain, it was basically David.
As the situation in Libya has become increasingly tense, the number of US, UK and NATO troops stationed in Africa has increased, and even Central Africa has a significant number of NATO troops stationed there.
This will inevitably have some impact on the domestic fleet. China is currently negotiating with the US and UK regarding its interests in Africa. Having David, a guy the Americans hate to the bone, is like having a good hand.
David's actions in the United States have crossed the line that this "international police" can tolerate, and the US government is sparing no effort in its pursuit of him.
Therefore, by capturing David, the United States can be forced to make concessions on certain issues, which would be of great benefit to the country's various interests in Africa.
"Make a contribution? What contribution? Wait, Brother Li, I wanted you to hand this man over to the US government. After we get that two hundred million dollars, we'll split it 50/50..."
Zhuang Rui was somewhat puzzled by Li Shaohua's words. His original intention was just as Li Shaohua had said: to give Li Shaohua a sum of money. After all, the other party was also taking a great risk in helping him smuggle the gorilla.
"How much? Give me a hundred million US dollars?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Shaohua fell silent. He hadn't expected that Zhuang Rui's so-called windfall was actually like this. After a long while, he said with a wry smile, "Brother Zhuang, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't accept this money. I doubt I'll even get your share..."
Even though Li Shaohua held a high position, he was startled by Zhuang Rui's words. That was a hundred million US dollars! Zhuang Rui actually said he would give it to him personally. Given his position, if he dared to accept the money, he would probably be invited to investigate by the relevant departments when he returned to China.
Moreover, even if the people are handed over to the state and the relevant departments negotiate with the US, the money may not be obtained. Negotiations at the national level are not something that can be resolved with a few hundred million dollars.
If the United States is willing to make concessions on certain issues, China will gain even more. For example, if an agreement can be reached on the extradition of some corrupt Chinese officials, the recovered funds could amount to tens or hundreds of billions of US dollars.
Of course, how to do it specifically is a matter for the relevant departments. Li Shaohua also knew some of the ins and outs, so he reminded Zhuang Rui first.
"Hey, Brother Li, this won't do. My little brother has a share of this money. If it's going to be handed over to the government, I might as well just give it to the Americans..."
It wasn't that Zhuang Rui was being pretentious; David was indeed captured by Peng Fei, and handing him over to Li Shaohua was already a bit much. If he didn't get a single penny, even though he and Peng Fei were as close as brothers, he was afraid the other party might have some thoughts about it.
Upon hearing this, Li Shaohua laughed and said somewhat shamelessly, "Too late. I know about this now. If you don't want Song Jun or your family to call you, just hand it over to the Americans..."
Seemingly realizing his words were somewhat unreasonable, Li Shaohua paused on the phone before continuing, "Brother, if this is handled properly, you won't suffer any losses. Don't worry, Peng Fei should give him some compensation, or you can pass it on to him..."
"Alright, but Brother Li, there's something else I need your help with. Could you find some soldiers who are tight-lipped to help me disassemble some things? It would be best if they brought plenty of specialized tools. Li Zhen will be there soon; you can have him lead the team then..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Peng Fei wasn't a money-grubber; if he was dissatisfied, Zhuang Rui could just subsidize him out of his own pocket. He could afford to pay several hundred million RMB.
However, having done Li Shaohua such a great favor, Zhuang Rui still had to make some demands. It would be too inefficient to dismantle the golden city with just the few dozen crew members and sailors on the "Xuanrui" ship, so he turned his attention to Li Shaohua.
In a modern military, the navy's logistics support system is even more complete than that of the air force, it has the most technical workers, and it has an abundance of tools. So as long as Li Shaohua agrees, Zhuang Rui is confident that he can dismantle this golden city completely within three days.
More importantly, soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders, and there is absolutely no need to worry about any rumors spreading to the international community if these people in the military are used. Moreover, Zhuang Rui doesn't even need to pay them a single penny.
"Disassemble something? What do you want to do?"
Li Shaohua didn't know what Zhuang Rui was planning, but he didn't dare to agree rashly. He knew that his every move abroad was being watched, and the slightest mistake could cause a diplomatic incident.
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, and said, half-jokingly, "Ahem, Brother Li, I discovered an ancient ruin in the Congo forest. There are some extremely valuable artifacts inside. As you know, this is what I'm into, so of course I have to bring them back to China..."
"Hey kid, you want me to smuggle for you? Alright, I agree. Here are a hundred soldiers and some cutting tools..."
Upon hearing this, Li Shaohua felt relieved. Helping Zhuang Rui smuggle the gorilla was actually a form of smuggling, and transporting some antiques and artworks was not a big deal.
Although Li Shaohua served in the military, he frequently traveled abroad and dealt with all sorts of people. He knew that there was an unwritten rule in international relations.
Even if a civilian or privately organized expedition finds precious treasures in another country, as long as that country has not declared the treasures as its property, if you have the ability to transport them out, generally speaking, the country in question can only accept its misfortune.
Just like the "Golden Lake" in Colombia, which attracted countless adventurers in the last century to search for treasures, many of whom reaped great rewards.
It wasn't until the 1970s and 80s that the Colombian government declared martial law there, deployed the army to protect the golden lake, and nationalized it. However, they were unable to recover the treasures that had been salvaged earlier.
Therefore, if Zhuang Rui discovers any treasure in the Congo forest, even if he transports it out and announces the location of the treasure, the Congolese government can at most raise a few lukewarm protests, but they can do nothing about Zhuang Rui.
Of course, all of this is on the premise that your treasure hunt does not alert the country in question, and it is also closely related to the country's laws and regulations on the protection of such activities.
If this happened in China, it would be considered illegal excavation, and foreign adventurers caught doing so would be deported even if they weren't sentenced. However, in the chaotic environment of Central Africa, it's not a big deal.
"Brother Zhuang, that kid confessed. He's David. Hehe, even if we hand him over to the US government, we'll still get two hundred million US dollars..."
Zhuang Ruigang had just finished his phone call with Li Shaohua when Peng Fei climbed in from outside the castle, clinging to the vines.
"Where is he? Didn't I tell you to drive him properly?"
Seeing Peng Fei enter alone, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel anxious; that kid wasn't concerned about money anymore.
"It's okay, I knocked him out and tied him to a tree, he can't escape..."
"Uh, the government has taken over this matter, so I guess we won't get those two hundred million dollars. Fei Zi, I'll make up the difference for you..."
As the saying goes, even close brothers should keep clear accounts. No matter how good their relationship is, Zhuang Rui still needs to be upfront about things. Whether or not Peng Fei agrees is up to him.
Peng Fei curled his lip upon hearing this, saying dismissively, "Brother Zhuang, I knew you'd report this to higher authorities. Forget about compensating me; running into that kid was pure luck. By the way, I found out the whereabouts of that Xuande incense burner you've been longing for, but there are still a few armed men guarding it..."
The torture and interrogation techniques that the Chinese have inherited for thousands of years are far superior to those of foreigners. In just half an hour, Peng Fei even managed to extract information from David about how he was three years old and had secretly watched his dead father having sex with a prostitute.
"Haha, this David really is a money-giving boy..."
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. He had indeed been eyeing that Xuande incense burner for a long time, and to have it back in his possession was an unexpected and delightful surprise.
With Li Shaohua's strong support, Zhuang Rui's plan to smuggle the gold city was almost halfway complete.
That evening, three large, unmarked manned helicopters arrived at Zhuang Rui's designated location and transported all forty-one gorillas back to the "Xuan Rui".
The bearded captain had already received Zhuang Rui's call and had converted more than a dozen temporary rooms in the hold to house the gorillas. He was an old-timer on the ship and had no psychological barriers to smuggling animals. Coming to Africa and not smuggling something back would be abnormal.
Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei returned to the "Xuanrui" with David and handed him over to Li Shaohua late that night. As for how much of a role David could play in negotiations at certain levels, that was not Zhuang Rui's concern.