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墨書 Inktalez
The Kingdom of Tanzania is a coastal country located in Southeast Africa, situated on the eastern slope of the Drakensberg Mountains along the southern edge of the South African plateau. The borders are mostly mountainous, with rivers often featuring rocky shores, and it has a typical subtropical climate. The flight that Zhang Qiu took landed in the capital of Tanzania, Bam. Bam can be considered a modern city, which is rare in Tanzania, where agriculture is the main export.
After retrieving her suitcase, Lucia immediately opened it and began pulling out clothes while reminding Zhang Qiu, "Put on something warm; it's winter in Africa now."
Zhang Qiu took out a gray fleece-lined windbreaker and put it on over his outfit. Previously dressed in a cool style, he now wore a jacket that was clearly one size too big for him, along with a black knit hat on his head. He removed his sunglasses, making it difficult for anyone to recognize him.
Stepping out of the terminal, they could see the endless mountains in the distance. The outside temperature was not as low as Zhang Qiu had imagined; even in winter, Tanzania's subtropical climate was not as cold as northern China.
Before arriving in Tanzania, Lucia had already prepared thoroughly. She pulled up her notes on her phone and, matching them with the downloaded map, pointed to a street corner. After confirming several times, she said, "Let's go this way; we can reach the nearest Ematien Hotel. I can book it at a discounted rate."
Zhang Qiu followed Lucia but was suddenly pulled back by K. Turning around to see K's serious expression, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'm responsible for finding accommodation," K said flatly, with an air of authority that brooked no refusal.
Zhang Qiu disliked K's self-righteous demeanor and replied, "We've already found a place to stay."
"I need to ensure your safety; you can't just stay anywhere."
"Do you think that's really necessary?"
"Absolutely necessary."
K's gaze was fixed on Zhang Qiu, who could feel the pressure from K. However, Zhang Qiu stated firmly, "Don't forget that I make the final decisions regarding our actions here. Right now, my decision is to stay at Lucia's hotel."
"What are you two arguing about?" Lucia asked helplessly from the side. Watching Zhang Qiu and K exchange heated words, she could tell from their expressions that there was a disagreement even though she couldn't understand Chinese.
"It's nothing; we're going to your hotel now," Zhang Qiu replied in English to K. "This country was once a British colony; English is widely spoken here. During our time here, we will use English unless there are special circumstances. The special forces soldiers should be familiar with English."
"I am proficient in English, Japanese, and German."
Zhang Qiu noticed that despite his expertise, K still maintained a cold demeanor. Zhang Qiu couldn't help but ask, "You can speak so many languages, then let me ask you, can you smile?"
The corners of K's mouth twitched slightly, and the smile that emerged looked more painful than joyful.
Unable to refuse Zhang Qiu, K agreed to follow them to Ematien Hotel. Ematien Hotel was three blocks away from the airport, and it took Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K half an hour to arrive with their luggage. When they finally saw Ematien Hotel, Zhang Qiu realized that it was not the kind of hotel he had imagined; its luxury could rival most hotels back home.
The hotel was built against a mountain, a two-story building with an attic. The yellow brick walls were covered in climbing plants that appeared slightly wilted due to the season. Outside the main entrance was a large swimming pool filled with light blue water, bordered by beige marble tiles. The light brown wooden floor extended to the entrance, with sun umbrellas and lounge chairs nearby, and potted plants thriving with greenery.
As they hurried past the pool, Zhang Qiu noticed a young couple with blonde hair and blue eyes playing in the water. He guessed they were probably tourists from Europe or somewhere nearby. Following Lucia into the lobby, the female receptionist greeted everyone with a smile and quickly processed their check-in. She handed Lucia the room keys and dining vouchers.
"Thank you," Lucia said as she received the room keys and handed one to K. "The two rooms are next to each other; you can contact us anytime in case of an emergency. You’ll stay in one room while Zhang Qiu and I share another."
K nodded and accepted the room key and dining voucher without objection. Zhang Qiu felt awkward about sharing a room with Lucia; it seemed more appropriate for him to stay with K instead. He pulled Lucia aside and whispered, "Shouldn't it be the two men sharing a room?"
"No, no, no, that's definitely not the case," Lucia replied while cautiously watching K walk ahead. She deliberately created some distance before continuing, "I don't feel safe with him; I feel secure staying with you. If something unexpected happens, we can discuss strategies together."
"But is it really okay for just the two of us to share a room?"
"I'm a girl; it's not a big deal for me. Can't you handle it?"
Zhang Qiu was speechless and had no choice but to agree. Lucia had a point; after all, they were on the same side. This trip to Tanzania Kingdom was primarily about those who held the jade pendant.
There was no elevator in the hotel; Lucia had specifically booked a room on the second floor. K walked ahead with his backpack and surprisingly offered to help Lucia carry her suitcase upstairs. Zhang Qiu casually asked, "Are you only helping her and not me?"
"He's a woman, are you one too?"
"Do you talk to your captain like this in the special forces?"
"You," K shook his head, "cannot be compared to the special forces."
"Put away your arrogance. It's not us begging for your help; it's your direct superior, Professor Bai, who asked me. That's why I agreed to bring you!" Zhang Qiu had never intended to ask K for help; he had already brought his suitcase to the second floor. However, Zhang Qiu could not tolerate K's attitude while speaking. From the very beginning, K had been so arrogant, and whether it was intentional or not, Zhang Qiu did not like it.
Zhang Qiu looked at the silent K and continued, "I don't want anything from you, just show the attitude you should have towards a partner. Remember, no one owes anyone anything. We are here to work, to complete the mission and return home as soon as possible, understand?"
K quietly looked at Zhang Qiu and after a long pause said, "I understand."
Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K each took their luggage to their respective rooms. Lucia placed her room card against the door lock, and with a beep, the door opened. Zhang Qiu pushed the door open, and Lucia asked, "What's wrong? Why are you standing at the door?"
"Oh, nothing much," Zhang Qiu said as he pulled his suitcase inside. Lucia followed him in, placed her suitcase aside, and immediately flopped onto the bed with her arms wide open, exclaiming, "Oh yeah, we finally made it! This journey has been exhausting!"
Zhang Qiu remained standing in place; the layout of the room exceeded his expectations. The room was about twenty square meters; upon entering, there was a cream-colored carpet. The walls were covered with light yellow wallpaper, and there was an ornate chandelier on the ceiling. Against one wall stood a large maple-colored bed with a thick mattress on top; gray and white sheets covered the entire bed surface, and at the foot of the bed was a long bench with soft cushions. Framed black-and-white art pieces adorned the walls, and in one corner sat a single sofa with sunlight streaming in through the window onto it.
Lucia sat up from the bed and looked at Zhang Qiu standing there with a smile. "Aren't you tired? Why are you just standing there?"
Zhang Qiu set his suitcase down and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. He smiled and said, "I didn't expect our accommodation to be this nice." He recalled previous trips where he had stayed in dingy motels that cost fifty yuan a night—dark and damp rooms with no TV signal and poor soundproofing that made it impossible to sleep at night due to various noises.
Seeing her choice of hotel praised, Lucia tossed her golden hair back lightly and puffed out her chest proudly as she said with a smile, "I specifically chose a highly-rated hotel; it seems that friends' reviews were quite accurate."
After lying on the bed for a while, Lucia got up and said, "I'm going to take a shower first. There's satellite TV in the room; if you're bored, you can watch it. I just don't know if they have any Chinese channels here."
Lucia took a bath towel out of her suitcase, dressed in her clothes, and walked into the bathroom. After wrapping herself in the towel, she came out and tossed her clothes onto the bed. The towel was wrapped around her chest, revealing an enticing deep cleavage. Lucia smiled lightly at Zhang Qiu and walked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water could be heard from inside.
Zhang Qiu took out his phone, logged into his email, and sent a message to Jiang Xue to let her know he was safe. After sending the email, Zhang Qiu still held his phone in his hand, calculating what time it was back home when a reply came in from Jiang Xue, reminding him to stay safe.
Zhang Qiu smiled, put away his phone, and turned on the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. He flipped through a few channels; aside from English, there was a strange-sounding language that was probably the local language of Tanzania. As he continued switching channels, he stumbled upon some fascinating programs. Due to the loud volume, Lucia shouted from the bathroom, “Zhang Qiu, what are you watching?”
Zhang Qiu bit his lip, feeling a bit embarrassed, and stammered, “Nothing much, I’m just looking for something to watch.”
Lucia laughed from the bathroom but didn’t say anything more. Having learned from his earlier experience, Zhang Qiu lowered the volume and continued searching for a program. After browsing for a while without finding anything interesting, he finally settled on a movie channel. The film playing was something he had never seen before; with English dialogue and subtitles, it made Zhang Qiu feel drowsy. He turned off the TV and pulled out a book he had brought from home, lying down on the bed to read it with great interest.
Just as Zhang Qiu was engrossed in a tense scene, Lucia called from the bathroom, “Zhang Qiu, can you help me get a towel?”
Huh? Zhang Qiu froze for a moment; wasn’t that a bit awkward? He asked, “Isn’t there a towel in there?”
“There is one, but I don’t want to use it. I brought my own towel but just forgot to take it in with me; it’s in my suitcase, you’ll see it if you open it.”
Zhang Qiu walked over to Lucia's suitcase and squatted down to open it. Inside was a dazzling array of items. He was surprised at how much could fit in such a suitcase. He pulled out a towel and asked, “I found the towel, but how do I give it to you?”
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