I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

A gentle sea breeze blew, and sunlight filtered through gaps in the clouds onto the shimmering sea. The salty, damp air brushed Zhang Wanqing's face. Standing on the deck of the ghost ship, Zhang Wanqing gazed through the gradually subsiding storm toward the mysterious island in the distance.

The island loomed in the morning light, like a mirage, mysterious and unreachable, like a phantom from a dream. Her heartbeat quickened with every beat of the boat, and an inexplicable premonition crept through her. She clutched the yellowed map tightly in her hand. The island marked on it seemed to hold endless secrets.

Fu Siyuan bustled about in the cabin, his eyes glued to the various instruments, ensuring the boat reached its destination safely. His fingers raced across the keyboard, entering navigation data and adjusting the course. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, but his eyes betrayed determination and focus.

Li Wei stood at the bow, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, warily scanning the sea. He clutched a telescope, constantly scanning the surrounding waters to ensure there were no traces of pursuers. His face wore a hint of nervousness, but his body remained as steady as a rock.

Li Wei's brows were furrowed, his hand holding a pistol, ready to deal with any possible danger at any time.

"We have to hurry, the pursuers won't give us much time." Fu Siyuan's voice broke the silence, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Zhang Wanqing nodded, then returned to the cabin and began preparing her equipment. Her fingers gently ran over each pocket, making sure all the tools were in place.

As the boat slowly approached the island, Zhang Wanqing's heartbeat quickened. She remembered her father's mention of this island, his eyes always etched with a mysterious smile. Her heart was filled with nervous anticipation, knowing that the secret they were about to uncover could change everything.

The boat cut a white trail across the sea, rapidly advancing toward the island. The waves gently rocked the boat. Zhang Wanqing gripped the rudder tightly, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Her heart was filled with anticipation for the upcoming adventure, yet a hint of unease lingered.

As the boat approached, the outline of the island gradually became clear. Dense jungle covered the island, and a few ancient stone buildings loomed among the trees. Zhang Wanqing's heart raced, knowing that these ruins might hold secrets about her father or clues to a criminal organization.

The boat finally reached the island, and Zhang Wanqing was the first to jump onto the beach. The sand was fine and warm, and her feet felt like they were stepping on soft clouds. She looked around. The island was covered in a dense jungle, with tall, ancient trees, their lush branches and leaves blotting out the sun.

They hid the boat in a secluded bay and began their hike deeper into the island. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects echoed through the forest, but these natural sounds didn't relax Zhang Wanqing; instead, they made her more alert.

They walked along a hidden path, which was obviously opened by humans, but was already covered with weeds and vines, making it look desolate and mysterious. Zhang Wanqing walked in front, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, looking for possible clues and dangers.

Suddenly, she stopped and raised her hand to signal the others to stop. Not far ahead, she spotted some strange tracks. She crouched down and examined them carefully. They looked like the marks left by a heavy object being dragged, and they were quite fresh.

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei approached quickly, their eyes also focused on these traces. Li Wei touched the ground with his fingers and then smelled it. "There is blood here, and it's still fresh."

Zhang Wanqing's heartbeat quickened, knowing this meant they might be approaching a criminal organization's area of ​​activity. "We need to speed up, but we must also remain vigilant."

They continued along the trail, and soon an ancient temple came into view. The temple's door was tightly closed, but there were obvious pry marks on it.

"It seems we are not the only ones who know this place." Fu Siyuan whispered.

Li Wei gently pushed open the door, and they cautiously entered the temple. It was dark and silent inside, with only their footsteps echoing in the empty space.

Suddenly, Zhang Wanqing's intuition told her that they were not alone. She motioned for the others to stop and then slowly walked to a corner.

There, she found a hidden room with the door slightly ajar. She took a deep breath and pushed it open.

Behind the door was a secret room filled with documents and computer equipment. In the center of the room, a bound figure lay huddled on the ground.

"We found him." Zhang Wanqing whispered.

She approached the man cautiously, her fingers gently touching the hot computer chassis. Suddenly, a line of code appeared on the server screen, scrolling rapidly, as if conveying some message to them.

Fu Siyuan quickly opened his laptop and began to trace the source of the code. "This is an encrypted message. We need to crack it."

Li Wei inspected the server's physical connections and discovered a hidden data transmission line. "There's a line directly connected to overseas, and that's where the data is being transferred."

Zhang Wanqing's heart raced. She knew these findings would cause a huge stir. "We must make this information public."

Zhang Wanqing continued walking through the island's jungle, followed closely by Fu Siyuan and Li Wei. They scanned the jungle for clues. Their footsteps left deep prints on the beach, but as the waves washed them away, they gradually disappeared, as if they had never been there.

As they ventured deeper into the jungle, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects echoed through the forest, but these natural sounds did not relax Zhang Wanqing; instead, they made her even more alert.

Suddenly, Zhang Wanqing stopped, her eyes drawn to a half-buried stone tablet. She walked over and pulled away the weeds and dirt surrounding the tablet. Carved into the tablet were ancient characters related to the ancient civilization her father had studied.

"What is this?" There was a hint of curiosity in Fu Siyuan's voice.

Zhang Wanqing's fingers gently stroked the words on the stone tablet, her voice low and respectful. "These are the characters of the ancient civilization my father studied. They record an ancient legend."

Li Wei frowned, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Is this legend related to the truth we are looking for?"

Zhang Wanqing nodded, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Yes, the legend speaks of a hidden treasure that is connected to an ancient secret."

As they continued to go deeper into the jungle, Zhang Wanqing became more and more nervous. She knew that this secret might be related to her father's secret or the secrets of the criminal organization.

Finally, they came to a large open space with an ancient altar in the center. The altar was covered with moss and vines, but in the center of the altar, there was a clear new mark, as if someone had been here recently.