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墨書 Inktalez
The minibus left the Mountain Region and, after two hours of travel, entered Dawn City. Dawn City is the most peaceful city in the Eternal Sphere, with a main population of over two million and a total population exceeding eight million. It is a major city on the Eastern Continent of the Eternal Sphere, known for its thriving agriculture, commerce, and shipping industries. Inside the minibus, passengers gazed at the tall buildings and attractive people, whispering among themselves. A stunning woman noted that the Warden's aura was too strong; otherwise, they would have shamelessly flirted with the beautiful women on the street.
After traveling five kilometers within the city, the minibus turned into a warehouse. The security guard opened the iron gate, allowing the vehicle to enter. Ten armed security guards rushed out from the buildings on either side and surrounded the minibus.
The stunning woman glanced back and said, "We're here. Get out."
Among the guards, one man stood out. He was 1.85 meters tall, with soft golden hair falling over his forehead. Dressed in white trousers and a suit, he elegantly walked through the guards, opened the door for the stunning woman, and extended his hand. She seemed accustomed to this gesture; she placed her left hand on his hand while using her right hand to grab a cloth bag as she exited.
The handsome man offered her a bottle of mineral water with a smile and said, "You've worked hard. The Classical Boss is waiting for you; I'll handle everything else."
"Okay." The stunning woman nodded and walked toward the main building with her cloth bag in hand.
The main building had two floors, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the second floor. A man in his thirties held a cup of coffee while looking down from behind the glass. He waved at the stunning woman, but she ignored him and continued on her path at her own pace. The handsome man observed this and snapped his fingers, saying to himself, "This is really troublesome."
Ten security guards escorted fifteen prisoners to a nearby warehouse where grass mats had already been laid out on the ground. Sleeping bags were placed on top of them along with thirty sets of thick olive-green coarse fabric clothing and trousers.
The handsome man clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention and casually addressed them: "My name is Ding Ze, Vice President of Beiyue Agency. At the request of Classical Exploration Company, I have hired you all to travel to the desert in search of a lost ancient city. If all goes well, one month should be sufficient, with a reward of thirty thousand yuan for each person. There is a form at each position; please fill it out with your information and submit it to your leader. Those who follow orders during this expedition can reduce their sentence by ten years. However, those who slack off will face consequences they know well. Tomorrow morning we will take a train to Kama Town; after half a day's rest, we will head into the desert. Alright, everyone can rest now; do not leave this warehouse."
With that, Ding Ze left, while four armed guards stood at the entrance of the warehouse to monitor every move of the fifteen individuals.
Cui Ming casually chose a spot to sit down and picked up a form to fill out while lying on the grass mat.
A guy around twenty-five or twenty-six years old from a nearby mat leaned over and asked, "Bro, how do I fill out this type of identification?"
After getting their jobs, Cui Ming and others retrieved their belongings, including their identification cards. Cui Ming glanced at his ID card and replied, "Square."
"I am Xiao Jiang," the man said, extending his hand.
"Cui Ming."
The two shook hands, chatting as they continued filling out forms. Emergency contact address: if you die, a reward of thirty thousand along with a hundred thousand in insurance compensation will be sent to your emergency contact. If you do not fill out an emergency contact, this money will go to the Chuxiao charity after your death. Noticing that Cui Ming's section was blank, Xiao Jiang asked, "Don't you have a mom?"
"Chuxiao is my mother," Cui Ming chuckled, glancing at Xiao Jiang's emergency contact and casually asked, "Ex-girlfriend?"
"Yeah." Xiao Jiang gave a self-deprecating smile, not wanting to delve into that topic. "Cui Ming, how did you end up here?"
"Fraud."
"Fraud? That's quite a mental game," Xiao Jiang admired. "Turns out you're quite skilled."
Cui Ming felt embarrassed. "I got caught on my first try."
"Haha." Xiao Jiang laughed for a moment before his expression turned somber. "I was caught for robbery. I had only seven bucks left in my pocket on Valentine's Day. It was also my first time..."
"Birds of a feather," Cui Ming said as he shook hands with Xiao Jiang.
After completing the forms and handing them to the giant, Cui Ming and Xiao Jiang sat on the grass mat, chatting idly. Xiao Jiang hoped that through this act of atonement, he could reduce his sentence. He had only been in prison for half a year; although his girlfriend had never visited him, he believed deep down that she was still waiting for him, which was why he signed up.
Listening to the conversations around him, everyone avoided discussing the dangers of their work. Though they all knew the answers, they were unwilling to think about or discuss it. After a simple lunch, fifteen people sat in a circle. Under the giant's leadership, they each vowed to help their companions in distress no matter the circumstances and to stick together through thick and thin.
In the afternoon, Classical Company delivered dog tags, requesting that they be worn around the necks of the deceased. This way, even if the bodies were unrecognizable, the owners could still be identified, a matter of insurance that the company did not want to take lightly. Dinner was quite lavish, featuring lamb soup, braised pork, white-cut chicken, and several seafood dishes. Someone jokingly remarked that this meal was no worse than a Death Row Inmate's last supper, which instantly chilled the atmosphere.
Seeing the mood drop, Cui Ming clapped his hands and said, "Let me tell you a historical story."
Everyone turned to look at Cui Ming.
Clearing his throat, Cui Ming began, "Once upon a time, there was a man named Yugong who had two great mountains blocking his way. So he kept digging at the mountains, trying to move them."
Xiao Jiang raised his hand and asked, "Why didn't he just move?"
Cui Ming was momentarily taken aback by the question. Laughter erupted among the group, and the Giant kindly urged him to continue.
With a resigned smile, Cui Ming continued, "When the Jade Emperor learned of this situation, he was quite displeased. So he sent two gods to sit on top of the mountains. Yugong couldn't move them and sought advice from a wise man. The wise man smiled slightly and tossed out a bean from his pocket; suddenly, the two gods were lifted into the air and disappeared. Yugong was greatly impressed and asked what kind of treasure was so magical. The wise man replied leisurely: 'Coffee; coffee can invigorate.'"
"Wow, what a cold joke!"
Though the joke was indeed cold, it lightened the mood considerably. As everyone chatted and laughed, Cui Ming quietly asked the Giant, "Is that beauty going to the desert?" As the leader of their group of fifteen, the Giant surely had insider information. If the beautiful woman wasn’t going, then there would be no point in him going to the desert.
"She is," replied the Giant. He added, "Brother, don’t think too much about it; we’re not enough for her to notice."
Those willing to exchange their sins for freedom while choosing to join forces with a violent beauty were considered relatively kind-hearted prisoners. Cui Ming responded to the Giant's answer with a smile. The fifteen of them were friendly with one another; however, their camaraderie stemmed not from kindness but from recognizing each other as part of the same group. In an unknown danger, unity was essential for survival.
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