Just as I was trying to figure out what was going on, Jin Qiaoyue checked her watch, her lips moving, as if she were waiting for something.
Could it be that bodyguard A Yuan, who went to kill the Wolf King, was coming?
On this plateau, surrounded by mountains and with no roads, even if he did come, how could Jiang Ye and his wife be sent to the hospital that same day?
Did he have wings?
The more I thought about it, the more far-fetched Jin Qiaoyue's explanation seemed. Had she tampered with the agreement?
I walked over and looked at her, asking, "Miss Jin, may I see the agreement?"
She nodded, appearing indifferent, and said, "Of course."
I took the agreement and began to read. The content was simple: the expedition slots for Jiang Ye and Zhao Xuezheng would be transferred to Jin Qiaoyue.
The expedition being organized this time required a significant amount of money for each slot. For example, the reason Song Bing was able to join was that Wu Tingxiu had paid a substantial registration fee on his behalf.
Besides Song Bing, Fatty, Li Chuang, and myself, everyone else who came had paid a hefty sum. 138 Reading Network.
This was also why they each possessed a treasure map.
It had to be said that Guan Zhenwan and the organization behind her were indeed skilled at making money.
If the treasure map were sold separately, without being exclusive, its value would be greatly diminished.
Consider this: if you didn't possess this treasure map exclusively, would you be willing to pay a high price for it?
Obviously not.
But if the treasure map was integrated with the expedition, meaning you paid for the map and also had guides to take you to the destination and ensure your treasure hunting went smoothly, would you pay?
Everyone who had come had signed a contract and paid the fees, which was why each slot was so expensive.
Now that Jiang Ye had transferred his slot to Jin Qiaoyue, it meant that even though he hadn't found the treasure, he still had to settle the fees for the expedition slot.
It was truly taking advantage of someone's misfortune. Jin Qiaoyue's move was quite cunning.
However, I still couldn't figure out how she could guarantee that Jiang Ye and his wife would be sent out today.
I returned the agreement to her. She smiled faintly at me and said, "Mr. Xiang, you've worked hard on this trip."
I smiled and didn't say much more. After all, I couldn't interfere in matters between her and Jiang Ye; their negotiations and actions were their own business.
To put it nicely, I was the expedition's manager. To put it bluntly, I was just a guide.
After lunch, everyone gathered around the campfire to rest. Although the sun was high, the temperature on the plateau was very low.
Jiang Ye took the warmed sugar water to his unconscious wife and drank some. Upon returning, he became increasingly restless.
"Miss Jin! Didn't you say you were going to send us to the hospital?"
Jin Qiaoyue glanced at her watch, not answering, but instead walked to a small mound not far away.
On that mound was an instrument resembling a radio, propped up by two antennas.
It looked like a device for positioning and sending signals.
She adjusted the instrument, then walked back, gazing leisurely into the distance, saying, "They should be here soon..."
I followed her gaze and only saw a few towering snow-capped mountains. I thought, even if that bodyguard A Yuan found his way here, he couldn't have come from that direction.
What riddle was Jin Qiaoyue playing?
Fatty also asked me in a low voice, full of doubt, "Mr. Xiang, do you think she's telling the truth?"
"What?"
"Didn't she say she was going to send that couple to the hospital today?"
I shook my head, "I'm not sure either."
"How many days did it take us to get here? Even if someone drove here, they couldn't possibly get people out today," Fatty said.
I gave a wry smile, "Drive? Do you think a car can make it to this place?"
There were no roads here at all. Much of the surrounding area consisted of sandy paths prone to sinking. Even the most capable off-road vehicles couldn't navigate in.
I still held my original thought: unless they could fly, it was impossible to get them out that same day.
As this thought resurfaced, a gust of wind suddenly blew towards us. I saw something emerge from behind a distant mountain peak.
Squinting, I was stunned!
A helicopter was flying towards us over the mountaintop!
I was completely taken aback!
I never expected them to actually have wings!
"Whirrrrrr..."
The wind noise grew louder, and the helicopter quickly arrived overhead. Then, I saw someone lean out and glance at us. That person was none other than the bodyguard A Yuan, who had gone to kill the Wolf King!
As the helicopter landed on a flat area a hundred meters away, four people gradually jumped out.
Due to the distance and the fact that they were all wearing hats and windbreakers, I couldn't see their faces clearly. I only recognized the bodyguard named A Yuan.
The sudden appearance of the helicopter caught everyone off guard.
That wealthy man, who had suffered from altitude sickness and was resting in the county town, now also appeared.
My gaze didn't linger on him, but rather on the two men behind him.
Following Fu Kui were two men, one older, and one in his thirties.
The reason I was staring at them was not for any other reason, but because I actually recognized both of them!
The older one was Qu Chuan, the leader of the Armor-Piercing Sect, whom I had encountered by chance in Mohe—Old Man Qu!
And the younger one, I was all too familiar with. It was Fu Honglang!
Fu Kui appearing with two familiar faces to me left me somewhat bewildered.
When Old Man Qu saw me and Fatty, he was also taken aback. Fu Honglang, however, seemed unfazed. He smiled and waved at me, "Brother Xiang, we meet again!"
Why were they here?
While I was still confused, Fu Kui beckoned Jin Qiaoyue over and said a few words to her.
Then, Jin Qiaoyue came over and introduced us, "Let me introduce everyone. These two gentlemen are tomb-raiding experts invited by my uncle. This is Master Qu of the Armor-Piercing Sect, and this is Mr. Fu of the Gold-Sniffing Sect."
Did she still need to introduce them?
Looking at the two men before me, I then looked at Fu Kui nearby.
Gradually, I began to understand something.
Were Jiang Ye and his wife's slots intended for them?
Was all of this planned in advance?
If that were the case, then what about Jiang Ye's wife's accident...
Thinking of this, I cast a meaningful glance at Jin Qiaoyue, who was young and appeared like an innocent girl next door.
When she met my gaze, she didn't look away but met my stare directly.
Her bright eyes blinked twice, as if she were saying to me, "Mr. Xiang, now that you know, please don't spread the word."
I took a deep breath, my heart filled with complex emotions. This woman was truly a woman of great depth...