The Lost Tomb : Tibetan Sea Flower

Chapter 42: Zhang Haixing

"Now let me introduce our future plans." She took out a hand-drawn map and spread it out in front of me and Fatty. "In a few days, the three of us, as well as one of the Germans, will start a real trip to the snowy mountain. We will find the place where our patriarch stayed before, understand what happened there, and take out what he left there. I think everyone has no objection to this plan."

I looked at her and asked, "Germans... do the Germans also need it?"

"Yes." Zhang Haixing said, "We've reached a consensus with them. My brother knows the specific situation better, but for now, I need to give you a basic understanding of the whole route. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Haixing and I'm a special mountaineering coach. This time you must listen to everything I say and follow my actions, because this is a snowy mountain and no-man's land. This place is completely different from what you've been to before. There's no rescue, no chance of being saved, and a little mistake will lead to death, so you must listen to every word I say."

I motioned with my hand to get her attention. I really wasn't the Wu Xie who was pushed around before, so I said to her, "We're equal partners that can cooperate, so there's no reason for anyone to have the final say in this matter. This is the first point. The second point is that we need to have a formal understanding of everything before we can consider whether we'll go with you. No matter what we said before, the conditions have changed now, so I can clearly tell you that no matter what you say, I won't listen to it at present. We just want to hear what we want to know. Please tell me, what's going on? How did you talk to the Germans and who are they? If you can't say, tell your brother to come here immediately."

Zhang Haixing looked at the door and Zhang Haike came in. He had apparently been eavesdropping from outside.

Zhang Haixing said to him, "This guy isn't as obedient as we thought."

Zhang Haike walked up to me and said, "You're better off not knowing about the Germans. They're a non-existent organization and their purpose here is different from ours. We each take what we need. They've studied us for a long time. I think you should have met Qiu Dekao and know about his company. After his death, his company was reorganized, its shell was auctioned off, and all the information was obtained by investors. I can tell you frankly that we've maintained our relationship with these Germans for a long time. Both sides have done a lot of little tricks in the dark, but they have nothing to do with you. We've just reached a settlement with them to ensure your safety. If you must embarrass us and want to know everything, you may not be able to bear the consequences. Maybe you'll have to follow us for the rest of your life."

I asked Zhang Haike, "Are you threatening me?"

Zhang Haike said: "Sometimes there's a fine line between stating facts and threatening, but you know, I've imitated you and studied you for a long time. I've seen all your changes with my own eyes. I know that you aren't likely to be fooled under such circumstances, but please understand that all your past sufferings were caused by your probing, and these problems have nothing to do with you. You're now trapped in a big mystery related to you, and unless you don't believe it, keep pursuing it instead of getting strange and frightening information. I can clearly tell you that this information has nothing to do with you wanting to prove yourself. The smartest thing you can do at this time is to treat the Germans and us as a group."

Fatty still wasn't fully awake. He looked straight at the hexagonal bell in Zhang Haixing's hand. She shook it in his ear again before he slowly recovered.

I said to Zhang Haike, "Can I choose not to go? If this isn't a threat, I should have the freedom to choose."

Zhang Haike said: "You know from the past that I can easily hold you hostage, but many things require everybody cooperating with each other. Any unfriendly relations can often cause disasters, so I'll persuade you and do everything possible to persuade you to go, even tell you many secrets. If you promise, you can ask me any questions you like. As long as it's within the scope I'm able to answer, I'll answer truthfully."

I said, "I always feel that all the questions I ask belong to the category you can't answer."

Zhang Haike shook his head and said: "You're wrong. I'm different from those people you've contacted before and can tell you a lot of things directly. Take for example, your friend. I can tell you all about the man you call Poker-face— our patriarch— and his affairs, because those things mean nothing to us and there's no reason to be conservative."

I looked at Fatty, who said, "You're not making this up, are you? Little Brother basically said nothing, so how could you know all his things so easily?"

Zhang Haike said: "He didn't say it because of his own reasons. For us, his life experiences aren't a secret. Do you want to hear it?"

The temptation was too great. I took a deep breath and scratched my head: I wasn't sure if this guy had a perfectly created story waiting for me, but after thinking about it, I didn't think this was the case. Based on my knowledge of Poker-face, if they wanted to make up a story, I should be able to find a flaw. I thought for a moment, nodded, and then said to them: "Yes, yes, if I can really get the information I want, I'll be very cooperative, help you do everything, and promise not to ask more."

Zhang Haike nodded: "You are indeed a reasonable person. Now I see your face is a little pleasing to the eye. Well, what do you want to know?"

I asked, "Do you know Little Brother?"

Zhang Haike nodded: "Yes, of course. We used to live together for a long time."

I was shocked. This first answer caught me by surprise and I asked, "How long was it? Did you and Little Brother live together as long as I've lived with him?"

Zhang Haike smiled: "I met your so-called Little Brother when we were two years old. Do you know how many years ago that was?"