Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 364 Departure
"You know each other? Yes, according to the information we found, Hu Ming, you also went to Tamutuo with Chen Wenjin's group ten years ago."

Seeing Hu Ming and Dingzhu Zhuoma greeting each other warmly, Aning raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully.

As she spoke, Ah Ning sat cross-legged on the stall, took out the things that the young man and the blind man had brought out of the sanatorium, and placed them on the low table.

It was a flat mahogany box. Inside was a broken blue-and-white porcelain plate, missing a piece about the size of a palm.

This thing was a clue that Chen Wenjin deliberately left there.

Upon seeing this, Dingzhu Zhuoma examined it closely for a few moments, nodding repeatedly, while whispering a few words in the Xinjiang language to Hu Ming.

Immediately, everyone turned their expectant gazes toward Hu Ming.

Of everyone present, only Wu Xie was completely bewildered, staring blankly at everything.

Beside him, Wu Si, a subordinate of A Ning from the Celestial Empire who had gotten along well with Wu Xie at the Cloud Palace, lowered his voice and explained the current situation to Wu Xie.

"Zhuoma said that with this plate, she can lead us back to the mountain pass from back then!"

"And once we reach that mountain pass, if the timing is right, we will definitely be able to re-enter Tamutuo!"

Hu Ming nodded and translated the Xinjiang language into Chinese.

It's worth noting that Hu Ming spent a considerable amount of time in Xinjiang over the past decade, so he naturally learned the Xinjiang language.

While I wouldn't say it's at a professional level, it's perfectly fine for everyday communication.

Immediately, everyone perked up, stirred with excitement, and their faces lit up with joy.

"When do we set off?" Black Bear asked.

"Let's do it today, at noon sharp!"

"You all have no objections, right? My dear leader, Hu Ming?"

After thinking for a moment, Ah Ning made her decision, and finally, she asked Hu Ming with a pout.

Although the main organizers of this operation were Hu Ming, Xiao Ge, and Hei Xiazi.

However, it's clear that the young man is taciturn and uninterested in these things, while Hei Xiazi always has a carefree and irresponsible demeanor.

Ah Ning understood perfectly well that the three of them had a good relationship, and since Hu Ming had made the decision, the other two should have no objections.

Most importantly, it was Hu Ming who used this excuse to cause trouble before.
Aning remembered this very clearly.

That woman is petty and holds grudges!
"Of course, Miss Aning, your arrangements are flawless! Your professional skills are superb!"

Hu Ming smiled and nodded.

Hu Ming glanced back at Chen Wenjin, who was sitting calmly in place, then turned and walked out of the tent with the others.

This place is too crowded and noisy; it's definitely not a place for reminiscing.

Chen Wenjin wore a human skin mask and disguised herself as Dingzhu Zhuoma's granddaughter-in-law in order to guard against any possible "him" in the group.

It's always better to be careful than not.

At noon, the convoy, now fully prepared, headed into the depths of the Gobi Desert.

The convoy of jeeps sped across the vast, desolate Gobi Desert. The climate was dry, and the jeeps kept a great distance from each other to avoid the clouds of yellow dust kicked up by the previous vehicle.

It's worth mentioning that Hu Ming, Xiao Ge, Hei Xiazi, and Aning were in one car.

Wu Xie, however, was abandoned by A Ning and relegated to the back car. He was accompanied by Wu Si, with whom he had a fairly good relationship, and the driver was a Caucasian.

These two were both acquaintances of Wu Xie, and they were companions to chat with along the way, so he wasn't too lonely.

What Aning didn't know was that far behind their convoy, another convoy was trailing behind. Those were Wu Sansheng's men.

Hu Ming and his group had a simple plan for this trip: to follow the route taken by the original team.

Starting from Dunhuang, we passed through Dachaidan and entered the area of ​​Chaerhan Lake.

Then leave the highway from that place and enter the uninhabited area of ​​the Chaidamu Basin.

For the rest of the journey, Dingzhu Zhuoma will be the guide.

This speaks volumes about Aning's exceptional professional skills.

She discovered all this information in a short period of time after receiving the videotape.

Even Dingzhuo Ma was someone she found, but this was also part of Chen Wenjin's plan.

The convoy replenished its supplies along the way and soon arrived in Dunhuang as planned.

Hu Ming knew that the route before reaching the Chaerhan area was essentially a self-driving tour route, and relatively safe…

But if we continue forward, we'll be in a dangerous no-man's land.

The long and tedious journey made everyone lose interest in talking, and apart from the necessary exchanges, everyone fell silent.

After the car entered the Gobi Desert, it quickly left the highway, and Zhuoma began to lead the way.

It is worth mentioning that, in addition to Chen Wenjin, Dingzhu Zhuoma also brought her grandson.

The granddaughter-in-law is fake, but the grandson is real.

After all, Dingzhu Zhuoma is old, and her grandson Zaxi took care of her daily life along the way.

After Dingzhu Zhuoma started leading the way, the roads became increasingly difficult to travel, consisting of either gravel beaches or dry riverbeds in river valleys.

On the evening of the fourth day after setting off, the convoy arrived at a small village called "Lancuo".

"I've come here again...tsk, seeing this familiar village, I'm actually feeling a little nostalgic?"

After getting off the bus, Hu Ming lit a cigarette and looked at the small village with its rising smoke, sighing with emotion.

"Nostalgia my ass! You're not some seventy or eighty-year-old man, why are you reminiscing about the past?"

"Let's go, let's find a place to take a hot bath and relax. Damn, this journey has been really tough."

Black Bear chuckled, patted Hu Ming on the shoulder, and strode straight toward the village.

"You blind fool. Can't a man over a hundred years old be a little more composed?"

With a shrug, Hu Ming said helplessly.

That makes sense; after enduring wind and rain all the way, we can finally get a good night's rest here.

As we continue forward, the real dangers become even more apparent. Forget about getting a proper rest; even a chance to take a nap becomes extremely rare.

Too lazy to deal with the trivial matters in the team, these things are all taken care of by the professional, Aning.

Immediately, Hu Ming put his arm around Xiao Ge and caught up with Hei Xiazi. The three of them went off to find a place to take a bath.

Hu Ming is familiar with this place!
Of course, the young man refused, but he couldn't resist Hu Ming and Hei Xiazi's enthusiastic invitation.

As for Wu Xie, let him be. It's his own choice. Adults have to be responsible for their own choices and can't always rely on others. Besides, it seems that his nephew gets along quite well with Wu Si and the Caucasians.

(End of this chapter)