Chapter 45: Not even giving me 100 yuan

  Does he mean to say that the map I sold him got his friend killed?

  How is this possible? That map was just something I had trampled at home for some years, and the route on it I also studied, but it shouldn't be fatal, should it?

  That map is about a small village, very simple, with only one river on it. There are some red and yellow dots on the river, which are densely packed. Except for the obvious ones on the river, there are no other signs.

  At that time, I didn't care about the map either, thinking it must have been left by Grandpa or someone.

  It was actually sold for 5,000 yuan when I took it to the store.

  "At that time, it was you who insisted on buying, and I didn't force you to buy. If the map is fake, as a buyer, you can't tell what's real or not, and if you get cheated, it's your own fault." I'm not someone who can be easily bullied either, especially when it comes to issues of authenticity. It's like two people wanting to fight each other, and it has nothing to do with me: "Besides, since you want to go on an adventure, you should know there will be a price to pay."

  "Damn it." Jason heard and wanted to pounce on me again, fortunately Tiebu Li was holding him and didn't dare let go.

  Just then, a voice came from upstairs on the stairs, a flat voice: "This little brother, you are too impulsive."

  I don't need to turn around to know that this voice belongs to the old professor, only he speaks with such elegance and refinement, just like eating cotton candy.

  I wanted to break free, but Yu shook his head, indicating that I shouldn't make any sudden moves.

  "As a matter of fact, you should recall that you didn't actually witness your friend's death, but only saw him enter that place, right?" The old professor had already descended the stairs and was smiling at Jason with an air of leisure, like an old cat sizing up a little mouse.

  But his words indeed stunned Jason, who was originally violent. The muscles on his face twitched twice, and he looked at the old professor tensely: "How did you know so clearly? Who are you?"

  The old professor looked at us two people and didn't show any sign of apology, then said:

  "I would certainly know that, because at that time last year your actions were personally instructed by us, it's just that we didn't expect you to find them so quickly." He had a warm smile on his old face.

  Jason's face showed a suspicious expression, and he asked: "If it was you who let him go, then have you seen my friend?"

  "In the year following your failed action, someone under me saw him. If I'm not mistaken, his name was Rocco."

  "Where is he now?" Jason asked impatiently.

  The old professor shook his head and walked up to Jason, saying, "This is confidential, I can't tell you. All I can say is that someone has seen him before."

  Jason's face fell as he muttered, "What's going on? Someone has seen him, which means he's still alive."

  The old professor patted Jason on the shoulder and said, "Young brother, I like your skills and character. I hope you can join me because I'm about to go in there soon. Of course, you'll be helpful to me, but don't worry, I won't let you return empty-handed. This time, you'll definitely gain more. If possible, I'll try my best to help you find your friend. If we really can't rescue anyone, as long as we enter that place, the things inside will follow our Chinese rules: whoever sees it gets a share. What do you say? Think about it carefully."

  The old professor went on and on, and actually started recruiting soldiers. He seemed very confident that this foreigner named Jason would agree.

  "Don't worry about it, I'll definitely go with you." Jason agreed to the old professor's proposal without hesitation: "I came this time just to find my friend. No matter if he is alive or not, I will take him back to America. As for other things, I don't want them."

  "Good." The old professor nodded in satisfaction and lazily stood up, "Then, let's set off together later and follow us on the road."

  Everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming departure, and I was still in a daze. The old professor walked over and said, "If you want to thank me, let's go together. I know you all want to know where Dr. Tang and his team are."

  "Bullshit." I couldn't help but curse, restraining myself from the urge to strangle him to death. As soon as this old man appears, nothing good ever happens.

  "Give me back my money." Tiebu Li stretched out his hand towards him, shouting with an angry face.

  The old professor's face fell as soon as he heard it, and he said, "It's just a hundred yuan, I don't have any cash on me now. Is there a bank around here? Can't you wait until I get back to give it to you?"

  Yu Gang couldn't help but burst out laughing, he patted the shoulder of Tiebu and started singing a song in a carefree manner.

  Not giving 100 yuan, all talk and no action

  What a shameless cheapskate!

  The sky is vast and the earth is wide, you are a white-eyed wolf.

  Not even giving me 100 yuan, what else can you say?

  Not even 100 yuan was given to me, don't think of escaping easily.

  Not even giving 100 yuan is really being stingy.

  Damn it.

  This guy suddenly brought out this song and I laughed so hard that my stomach hurts a bit.

  This is so fitting for the current situation.

  However, the more Yu Gang sang, the darker Professor Lao's face became. The guy in the iron cloth was also laughing uncontrollably, and finally he said, "Forget it, you're poor enough as it is."

  Upon hearing Tie Bu Li's words, the old professor's face slowly regained its composure, but Tie Bu Li suddenly changed his tone and curiously asked him: "Didn't you take the map with you? How did you come back?"

  The old professor let out a long sigh and said, "They've returned, but they were one step ahead of me. I don't know what's become of them now."

  My heart suddenly skipped a beat as I asked in confusion, "Did you see them? Where are they?"

  "I inquired from people in the village, and some villagers saw outsiders heading deep into the village. I repeatedly confirmed it, and was quite certain that it was Dr. Tang and his group. Judging from their footprints, they were walking very hastily, but I don't know what happened. That's why I had this little brother find a rough map of the village, but as soon as we stepped out, something unexpected came up..."

  "It's strange to say, I was clearly following their footsteps, but suddenly there were no more footprints, and I didn't know where they were. So, I came back. I think you should still be here."

  "When driving alone, why didn't you think about what else to say, where the car was." I couldn't have imagined that someone like Professor Lao would not only fail to apologize but also be so self-righteous.

  The old professor shook his head and said firmly, "I've thought about it long ago. However, I'm on a different path than you all, and you don't even know what you're looking for. Even if you did, you'd be powerless to do anything."

  "Your excuses are quite numerous." I said disdainfully, with a hint of vigilance in my eyes.

  In short, no matter what this old man says, I don't believe him much. Once bitten by a snake, always beware of it, and the old professor is that fierce snake.

  He was able to pursue his own beliefs, doing things that I would never dare to do, driving the car away, which is equivalent to killing us, at least that's what I thought at the time.

  "You're still young, you haven't experienced many things, for you, this is an excuse, and I'm indeed very selfish, but if it were you? Would you sacrifice your own family to exchange for that loyal hat on your head?" The old professor sneered coldly: "Don't talk to me about grand principles, I've always thought that sacrificing one's own kin is the most shameful behavior. If a person can disregard even their own family's life, how can they be expected to be loyal to friends or their country?"

  "All I can say is that everything I did was out of desperation. To be honest, before I abandoned you all, I really couldn't bring myself to do it. But if I didn't drive away, the ones who would have died would have been my own loved ones, so I had to steel myself."

  My expression tensed up, how did things suddenly exceed my own initial thoughts, I just felt that my thoughts were a bit childish.

  "Is someone threatening you?" I asked him suspiciously, this series of actions is not something everyone can do, it's only necessary when weighing options.

  No matter when, choice is the most important thing. Abandoning what was originally insisted on will slowly change a person's faith over time.

  Choice is indispensable, and also the most cruel and terrifying.

  The old professor heard this and a hint of terror flashed in his eyes, then he just smiled faintly: "It's not so much a threat, but rather, it was voluntary from the start. Of course, the people who hired me to do things will see you as long as you're lucky enough to stay alive."

  I am very clear in my mind, when the old professor reached this point, he would not reveal more to me.

  At this time, Jason walked towards us with a backpack in his hand and asked somewhat surprisingly: "Perhaps you're right, Luo Ke didn't die, Mr. Chen, I offended you just now."

  This American Jason's Chinese is actually "pretty" good, I guess he has been living in China since he was a kid.

  And I'm a born curious person, once I have questions, I just can't hold back.

  "So you're only coming to look for your friend now?" If the person was missing at that time, why didn't they go looking then and instead waited until two years later?

  Jason moved his lips, a flash of pain in his eyes, recalling everything from that year.

  "A few of us came to this desert following a map, and by a river, we found a stone house. We opened the 'door' of one of the stone houses, and out came a huge number of venomous snakes, scorpions, blood-sucking bats, and all sorts of poisonous insects - too many to imagine. We all had to run for our lives, and at that time, no one cared about what was around us until we reached a safe place. The space there was very large, with huge words painted on the stone-cut walls. My friend Roko found someone inside, which piqued his interest, so he wanted to take a closer look. But then, out of nowhere, a strange creature appeared and dragged him away... Later, I returned to America, but since then, I couldn't forget everything that happened in that desert. I kept having nightmares, and in my dreams, I often heard Roko crying and shouting at me: 'Jason, don't leave me here alone, please take me away from this place!'"