Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 594 A Single Dog's Night

"My dear Professor Hu, do you, a highly educated person like yourself, always carry a gun when you go out?"

"You said it yourself, I'm just a weak scholar with no strength to even kill a chicken. When I'm out and about, I'm surrounded by tigers and wolves. For my own safety, it's only natural to carry something for self-defense, right?"

"Surrounded by tigers and wolves? Professor Hu, are you implying something to me? I'm just a rough man and don't quite understand what you're saying. Let's be frank and speak openly."

"Miss Su, you're overthinking it. I was just saying it casually. How could a woman as dashing and spirited as Miss Su possibly be a wicked and malicious person?"

After simply and forcefully driving away the film crew, the convoy set off again.

Along the way, Hu Ming and Su Nan in another car chatted idly over the walkie-talkie.

In a sense, the two of them knew each other very well.

They both knew the other wasn't some simple, third-rate character, yet they both pretended to be clueless, naive fools.
All I can say is that the tedious and boring journey was so dull that we just chatted tacitly to pass the time.

After all, it's not the time to turn against each other before we arrive at Gutongjing.

At least, that's what Su Nan thought.

"That Su Nan... is she connected to our enemy?"

Seeing that Hu Ming had finished the conversation, Wu Xie stopped instructing Li Cu, pondered for a moment, and tentatively asked.

"Maybe, who knows."

"Also, Wu Xie, Wang Meng, and Su Nan's subordinates are no pushovers; several of their faces were on the front page of newspapers a few years ago."

"If I'm not mistaken, these people are basically murderers on the run. Taking them for self-defense is a good way to protect yourself in case something happens."

Hu Ming gave a vague reply, while simultaneously pulling out two pistols and several magazines and handing them to Wu Xie and Wang Meng.

No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, you're still afraid of a kitchen knife. Having a gun in hand gives you a great sense of security.

"And what about mine?"

Seeing this, Li Cu's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together expectantly as he asked.

After all, he was a restless young man. Even before Hu Ming threatened the crew with a gun, Li Chu had been eyeing the pistol in Hu Ming's hand.

Seeing Hu Mingda's apparent transformation into an arms wholesaler, Li Chu couldn't resist any longer. Guns! These are genuine handguns!
Which man didn't dream of owning a handgun when he was young?
"You? A little brat, what do you want a gun for? Isn't your left and right sauce delicious enough?"

Hu Ming turned to look at Li Cu, and it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head. He also glanced at Li Cu's hands with a playful veiled meaning.

"Damn it! Fine, don't give it to me then, who cares!"

"And why are you looking at me like that? Let me tell you, I'm super popular at school, tons of girls chase after me. Don't joke around with 'So-chan'!"

Li Chu instantly understood Hu Ming's words, his face flushed red, and he leaned heavily back in his seat, not wanting to pay attention to the few experienced drivers who were laughing at him.

For young people, on lonely nights when there's no school beauty, can't they just rely on fantasy to cope?
The law doesn't cover this area, does it?
"Seriously, Li Chu, you should go find a girlfriend. Relying on your hands alone is too much for your health."

Wu Xie put away his pistol, patted Li Cu on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.

Come to think of it, Wu Xie hasn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

Actually, Hu Ming really wanted to say that Wu Xie, a perpetual bachelor, had no right to mock Li Chu...
"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore. I'm not giving you a gun for your safety, and for our safety as well."

"A newbie like you, in an emergency, in a panic, could easily hurt yourself or your comrades if you grab a gun."

"Besides, you've never handled a gun before, your aim is terrible, giving you a gun would be a waste of bullets," Hu Ming explained patiently, his smile fading.

"Who's your comrade?"

"I'm just a hostage you've kidnapped. I don't want to, and absolutely cannot, become partners with dangerous individuals like you!"

Li Cu snorted lightly and stated the relationship between the group in a rather indifferent manner.

"That might not be so good. Let's stop talking nonsense and take a good rest now."

Wu Xie smiled with a touch of nostalgia. Back in his youth, he looked remarkably like the boy before him.

Long treks through the desert are undoubtedly tedious and boring. After the initial sense of wonder at seeing the desert for the first time, the golden sand dunes that fill the entire field of vision can only bring restlessness and nausea.

Two days later, led by Wu Xie, the convoy finally found a desolate and dilapidated ruin in the heart of the desert.

"Look to the left! That's Gutongjing! Look, that's Gutongjing, we've found it!"

Excited shouts came from the walkie-talkie placed on the dashboard.

"Stop the car! Stop the car now!"

Startled awake from his sleep, Ma Rila repeatedly called for a stop, jumped out of the car, and, surrounded by onlookers, dug into the desert, scooped up a handful of deep, damp sand, and held it under his nose for a deep sniff.

"Yes, this is the place!"

Without making a sound, Ma Rila exchanged a glance with Hu Ming and Wu Xie, who were standing to the side, and nodded firmly.
"But I don't see any of those lakes you mentioned here!"

The novice Li Cu had no idea about the intricacies involved. Looking around, he couldn't see a single thing related to water.

“Child, this is what you don’t understand! The lakes in the desert change according to the direction of the groundwater flow. Wherever the groundwater flows, the lakes will appear.”

“Look, the sand here is wet inside, except for the very top layer! The lake you’re looking for was here three days ago.”

Ma Rila kicked up the damp sand and shouted a greeting at Su Nan and his group.

"Su Nan, have we really arrived? Did we really find the legendary Gutongjing so easily?"

Mr. Ma got out of the car with the help of his young girlfriend. Looking at the ruins in the distance, he asked incredulously in a low voice.

"We don't know, we know too little about Gutongjing! All we can do now is trust the professionals!"

"However, according to relevant records, only by following Hai Zi's trail can we find the legendary ancient Tongjing."

"Ma Ri La is right. There must have been underground water flowing through here recently. And there just happens to be an ancient ruin in front of us. Maybe this really is the ancient city of Tongjing!"

Su Nan also scooped up a handful of damp sand and looked at the distant ruins with surprise and uncertainty.

All of this came too easily, which made Su Nan doubt its authenticity, but all the evidence pointed to this place as possibly being Gutongjing.

Su Nan frowned as she glanced at Hu Ming, who was waving at her with a smile, and her frown deepened.

"Old Ma, Old Ma, look over there, isn't that a sandstorm?!"

Just as Mr. Ma and Su Nan were still hesitating, Mr. Ma's girlfriend suddenly pointed to the horizon and exclaimed.

The direction from which the convoy had come from had inexplicably kicked up a sandstorm that blotted out the sky!
"Get in the car, let's go! We're heading to those ruins to escape the sandstorm!!"

The group was immediately startled. Without thinking twice, they urged everyone to get in the car and head to the ruins. Regardless of whether it was the ancient city of Gutongjing or not, the dilapidated ruins were undoubtedly the only place to escape the sandstorm!
The people here all know that encountering a sandstorm in the desert is the most dangerous thing; a slight mistake can lead to total annihilation.