Wang Zhicai gave Liu Dashao a rough explanation, but Liu Dashao didn’t quite understand. However, he did catch that this expedition involved a foreign joint venture, with them taking the lead and Wang as second-in-command.
This confused Liu Dashao even more. Foreign capitalists usually didn’t act without value—so why would they think of going to the Taklamakan Desert?
Liu Dashao asked Wang Zhicai, “Old buddy, you’re not so poor that you can’t make ends meet. Why bother going to a place like the desert?”
Wang Zhicai smiled and replied, “Actually, I once organized a trip to Taklamakan with a team, but on the way we encountered a sandstorm. Some died, some were injured, and others vanished. I was lucky enough to escape unharmed. My biggest regret in life is never having made it there. This time, it’s like fulfilling a dream.”
After hearing Wang’s explanation, Liu Dashao nodded. He completely understood this kind of feeling—when there’s something you’ve always longed for but never achieved, no amount of power or money can truly bring happiness.
Wang Dashao then led Liu Dashao directly to the living room, saying that once the joint venture team arrived, they’d hold a meeting and then set off.
In the living room, there were already four people—three men and one woman—all young. Liu Dashao scratched the back of his head and walked over to introduce himself. After all, they’d be working together for a while, so it was good to start building some rapport.
The four then took turns introducing themselves. The girl was named Lin Miaoke, from southern China. She was quite young, around twenty, perhaps having started elementary school early. She wore glasses and looked quite cute. Liu Dashao noticed her petite frame and thought she’d have a hard time in the desert.
The three men were a bit older, with two or three years of archaeological experience. One was a tall guy from Northeast China named Wu Bai. He and Lin Miaoke were from the same university. He must have spent a lot of time in the south, because he spoke in a rather effeminate tone. The other two were from the same school and had just met when they joined the expedition team. They introduced themselves as Sun Li and Tiao Zai.
After the introductions, everyone shared a bit about their universities and experiences in the expedition team.
Liu Dashao, growing a bit impatient, asked Wang Zhicai, “Old Wang, when are those French comrades going to arrive?”
Wang Zhicai replied, “I’m not exactly sure, but I heard they said the desert is unpredictable. Even with accurate maps, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact location of the ancient city of Jinsha. So they brought in a feng shui expert to help with the celestial signs as a consultant.”
Liu Dashao felt a bit down. Foreigners actually believing in Chinese feng shui? That was rare indeed. Still, having a consultant wasn’t a bad idea. Feng shui originated from the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams, and it did have some scientific basis. Perhaps it would come in handy when needed.
As Liu Dashao was pondering this, a loud voice suddenly came from outside the living room: “Damn it, don’t even mention it. These past few years, I’ve had nothing but bad luck.”
As the voice faded, the living room door slowly opened, and three people walked in one after another. Liu Dashao was stunned again and shouted, “What the hell! It’s you?!”
One of the three newcomers was Fan Debiao, the big squad leader. Remember his catchphrase: “This life is just unbearable with my boss.” Yep, that fat guy. Liu Dashao immediately recalled Fan mentioning a big deal he had taken on. Now it was clear—Fan must be the feng shui consultant hired by the French. Liu Dashao blurted it out without thinking.
Fan Debiao was equally surprised when he saw Liu Dashao: “Oh my God, Big Liu! You’re going to Xinjiang too?!”
Liu Dashao nodded, thinking to himself how strange the French taste must be to hire someone like Fan Debiao.
The other two were a man and a woman. The man was French, with a small mustache. The woman was Chinese, with a very attractive figure and a fresh, delicate face.
The Frenchman with the mustache smiled and approached Liu Dashao cheerfully, speaking in fluent Mandarin: “Master Liu, long time no see.”
Liu Dashao was a bit taken aback. When had he ever met this guy? Was this another one of those foreigners who claimed to know you just because they’d seen you once?
Liu Dashao gave an awkward smile and asked, “Sir, have we met before?”
At this, the Frenchman hesitated for a moment, about to speak, when Fan Debiao cut in: “Ah, this is Jackson.”
Upon hearing the name, Liu Dashao was shocked. Looking closer, he realized that if Jackson shaved off his mustache, he really did look like the famous Jackson. Liu Dashao immediately stood up and gave Jackson a warm hug, his eyes glistening with emotion.
Seeing the two like this, Fan Debiao said, “Alright, alright, don’t make it sound like a tearful reunion. People might think you two are a couple.”
The woman walked over and asked Jackson, “Is this the person you met five years ago when you were exploring in China?”
Jackson nodded: “Yes, yes. And he’s better than Fan Debiao.”
Fan Debiao, hearing this, looked a bit upset and anxious.
Liu Dashao glanced at the woman, his heart pounding. He quietly whispered to Jackson: “Hey, not bad. You’ve got yourself quite the delicate girlfriend now.”
Jackson mimicked Liu Dashao’s tone and replied: “Girlfriend? No way. She’s my boss.”
Liu Dashao almost gasped. This woman looked barely in her twenties, yet she was Jackson’s superior? He couldn’t help but question Jackson’s competence.
The woman stepped forward, extended her right hand, and said: “Hello, Mr. Liu. I’m Wang Feifei, originally from Jiangsu, China. I’m Jackson’s boss and also the leader of this expedition. Jackson often speaks highly of you.”
Caught off guard, Liu Dashao quickly extended his left hand to shake hers politely, smiling: “Oh, not at all. He flatters me.”
As Liu Dashao let go, he thought to himself: “This woman looks elegant and charming, but from our brief conversation, I can tell she’s definitely a strong, capable woman. If Jackson told her everything about our past adventures in the Yin Mountain Ghost Tombs, she’d know all about me. That might damage my image in her eyes a bit.” He sighed at the thought.
Seeing everyone getting acquainted, Wang Zhicai was quite surprised and asked Liu Dashao how they had met.
Liu Dashao didn’t quite know how to explain, so he simply said, “It’s a long story—hard to explain in just a few words.”
Everyone was meeting for the first time, so naturally, they exchanged introductions and tried to get to know each other better.
The male members of the expedition team chatted enthusiastically with Wang Feifei, and even Wang Zhicai occasionally joined in. It was clear how charismatic she was.
Meanwhile, Fan Debiao and Jackson were teasing Lin Miaoke. One moment she was laughing heartily, the next her face turned red.
Liu Dashao watched from the side, getting annoyed. “What the hell is this? It’s not a professional exchange—it’s turning into a dating event.”
He leaned close to Wang Zhicai and whispered: “Boss Wang, when are we going to start the meeting?”
Wang Zhicai suddenly remembered the meeting and turned to Wang Feifei: “Leader, shall we discuss the details of going to Taklamakan now?”
Wang Feifei nodded: “Alright.” Then she signaled everyone to return to their seats.
Standing at the front, Wang Feifei said: “This expedition to the ancient city of Jinsha will include all of you here. All expenses will be covered by our company, and the equipment will be top international standard—no need to worry about that.” She then pointed at Fan Debiao and added: “Given the unpredictable nature of the desert, we’ve also specially invited a feng shui expert for safety.”
As soon as Wang Feifei introduced him, Fan Debiao quickly stood up and bowed to the group, clearly very pleased with himself.
To be honest, Fan Debiao wasn’t exactly reliable. Knowing even a little about feng shui was already a lot to ask of him. Liu Dashao couldn’t understand why Wang Feifei would call him an expert. He assumed it must have been Jackson who recommended him. If the maps failed in the desert, relying on Fan Debiao would be impossible.
Wang Feifei explained the departure time and the itinerary, then asked if anyone had objections.
Liu Dashao raised a question: “Miss Wang, from what I know, there’s not much archaeological value in Jinsha Ancient City. Why go through so much trouble to go there?”
Wang Feifei replied: “How can you say there’s no value? A few years ago, one of our Tour Exploration Team members entered Jinsha Ancient City, but due to many limitations, they had to stop the operation. There’s still a lot that’s unknown inside.”
Liu Dashao was puzzled. Since the discovery of Jinsha Ancient City, countless expeditions had gone in and out. He really couldn’t understand what was left to explore.
Seeing Liu Dashao’s confusion, Fan Debiao whispered to him: “Old Xu, when we were coming here, I heard the girl say there was a powerful queen in the sand city, and her tomb has never been found. I bet these people are after that tomb. When the time comes, we can take a couple of things with us.”
Liu Dashao gave Fan Debiao a sharp look and said: “Are you kidding me? You think this is a tomb raiding mission? Besides, with so many eyes watching, do you really think you can get away with taking anything?”
Fan Debiao grinned slyly: “Don’t worry. I’ve got my own tricks.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao almost laughed. Fan Debiao couldn’t even check his surroundings when stealing an apple, yet now he claimed to have a clever plan. Liu Dashao suspected it was probably another case of “stealing bells while covering one’s ears”—a foolish attempt at deception.
Seeing Liu Dashao had no further objections, Wang Feifei said: “Then it’s settled. We’ll take a flight tonight and arrive at the edge of Taklamakan by tomorrow morning. Everyone, please prepare accordingly.”
As everyone stood up to leave, Wang Feifei suddenly stopped them: “Oh, I almost forgot one thing.”
She then took out a piece of paper from her bag and unfolded it in front of everyone: “This is our main archaeological target.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the paper. It was a photocopy showing only a stone coffin.
The image was incomplete and puzzling. Searching for a single object in a vast ancient city without clear directions was going to be extremely difficult.
Liu Dashao asked Wang Feifei: “Miss Wang, we’re here for an expedition. Why are we specifically instructed to find this one item? That doesn’t seem logical.”
Wang Feifei smiled and said: “Mr. Liu, you don’t know the full story. Last time our expedition team went to Jinsha Ancient City, we were almost completely wiped out before even reaching halfway. Three members went missing. Recently, another expedition team found one of their bodies in the desert, and this drawing was discovered on the body. That’s why our team is taking this mission so seriously.”
Wang Zhicai added: “Dashao, don’t complain. The situation is serious. Finding this coffin falls within our responsibilities.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao felt a pang of guilt. His earlier words might have been fueled by his own reluctance to go to Jinsha Ancient City. He realized he needed to reflect on his attitude.
Wang Feifei looked around and, seeing no objections, folded up the paper and said: “That’s all for the meeting. Everyone, assemble downstairs at 8 p.m.”
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