He's alone, but he's a tomb raider!

Qin Yun finally relented and tacitly agreed to let the archaeological team accompany them, and Shirley Yang also didn't want things to get complicated.

Taking advantage of the momentum, a special banquet was held that evening in the hotel's banquet hall to arrange a meeting for the expedition team.

This is partly to familiarize everyone with each other so that they won't be completely out of sync when they take action later.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity to finalize the date of the operation.

The roasted lamb is rich and flavorful, and the fruits are fresh and sweet—all top-quality local specialties.

It was also at this dinner that Qin Yun officially met all the people accompanying him on this trip.

In addition to Professor Chen's archaeological team, Shirley Yang had already invited a desert guide, Anliman, to accompany her as soon as she arrived in Urumqi.

Although it's no longer the 1980s, off-road vehicles are more suitable for crossing the desert than camels.

However, vehicles are easily replaced, but guides are not so easy to replace.

Anliman, translated as "Living Map of the Desert"!

Having lived near the desert since childhood, he can smell the way out even with his eyes closed!

Having learned that the other party possessed such abilities, Shirley Yang naturally had no reason to let the opportunity slip by, just in case!

only……

It is currently the desert wind season, with raging sandstorms and unpredictable strong winds.

It was originally a dangerous time of year that was absolutely unsuitable for desert exploration, let alone the fact that this trip would take us deep into the Black Desert, which is rarely visited by anyone.

Based on Anliman's years of experience traversing the desert, he originally said he would never set foot in the Black Desert during this season.

Unfortunately, Shirley Yang Pingyi is very close to people!

First, they offered him a large sum of money, then promised to fully fund the construction of a large-scale camel ranch for him afterwards.

Anliman: But then again...

Anliman spent half his life making a living by guarding camels in the desert. When he was young, he was in danger and was once saved by a white camel with supernatural powers.

From then on, Anliman devoutly worshipped the desert and tamed camels.

Establishing a camel ranch was also a lifelong obsession of his.

The promise of high returns and the guarantee of fulfilling his dream instantly convinced An Liman to agree to the mentoring job.

Actually, Shirley Yang isn't a foolish or rich person.

The reason for fully funding the establishment of the ranch is that, in addition to Anliman's excellent technology, he can properly domesticate the animals.

During her time in Urumqi, Shirley Yang did conduct research on related industries.

Even if Anliman was unwilling to kill the camels, the rest of the camel's body, with a little processing, could be worth real gold and silver.

Camel milk, camel hair...

For Shirley Yang, who excels at packaging and sales, this is the way to make money!

If she just waits until it goes abroad for a while, gets a gilded makeover, and then sells it back to China for ten times the price, then she'll be considered to have a conscience!

Getting back to the main point, the room was brightly lit and filled with the aroma of wine.

The fat man was naturally outgoing and seemed to be able to chat with anyone. He immediately pulled Anliman aside to drink with him.

After a few glasses of strong liquor, An Li's face turned bright red, and he waved his hands and laughed repeatedly.

"We're friends, after all."

"Friend, do you think I'm the kind of person who can refuse drinks? Give me a break~"

"Friend, I've never asked anyone for anything in my life, could you bring one for me?"

When two people from northern China meet, aside from their less-than-ideal drinking habits, they are quite straightforward and honest.

Although Anliman was somewhat timid and cowardly, he also had a slight tendency to be greedy.

However, this person did have some faith after all.

People with faith, as long as they don't worship evil gods, can't be too bad no matter how bad they are.

Now all you need to do is go to the Demon Tower under the glacier and find White's notebook.

Then, guided by Anliman, one can go straight into the Black Desert to search for traces of the ancient city of Jingjue.

As for the other team, unlike Anliman's enthusiasm and fun, the archaeological team members were quite aloof.

Professor Chen had the air of a traditional scholar; he was thin, with sparse hair, and wore a pair of reading glasses.

Perhaps it's because he suffered losses and lived in a cowshed when he was young.

Now, when he speaks, he is gentle and modest, and has extremely high emotional intelligence.

He was somewhat puzzled as to how the rough and unruly fat man had managed to infiltrate the elite expedition team.

But despite my curiosity, I always maintained respect and never asked him directly.

They assumed the fat man had some special ability.

Facing Qin Yun, whose aura was cold, aloof, and unapproachable.

First, Shirley Yang vouched for him, and then, seeing that Qin Yun didn't want to say much, Professor Chen was sensible enough not to engage in much conversation throughout the entire process.

On the contrary, Professor Chen held Old Hu, who came from a military background and had rich experience, in high regard.

Judging from his words, Professor Hao, who was traveling with us, should be Professor Chen's student.

He is upright and has many sharp edges, looking completely defiant against the harsh realities of society.

Professor Hao has always despised the hypocritical social niceties at banquets for the powerful and wealthy, so he barely touched his chopsticks tonight, only drinking a few sips of tea.

People with real skills can't stand fat people who seem to have no special skills, just making jokes and acting like they got in through connections.

His eyes revealed an almost undisguised rejection and hostility towards the fat man.

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Professor Chen keeping him in check, he probably would have already gone too far in front of everyone.

As for the three accompanying students, each of them had their own unique characteristics.

Xiao Jian is lean and capable, with a physique like that of a professional long-distance runner.

According to his self-introduction, in addition to his love of archaeology, he also enjoys mountain climbing and hiking all year round.

Their strength and endurance far exceed those of ordinary students, making them outstanding among average people.

Xiao Sa wears glasses and has a simple and naive personality.

Not only are they obsessed with aliens, but their eyes also hold a unique clarity and naiveté characteristic of contemporary college students.

His mind is pure, almost without any guile.

The last person, Xiao Ye, has a beautiful and outstanding appearance, with lively and clever eyes. Her looks are almost as good as Liu Yan Yan's when she is wearing glasses.

Xiao Ye was the typical docile student girl, which made her very popular with the two professors.

Moreover, judging from the details of the meal, aside from being simple-minded, Xiao Sa, who is somewhat of a straight man, showed no feelings at all.

The lean Xiao Jian looked at Xiao Ye with a subtle hint of affection in his eyes.

However, everyone else was deceived by Xiao Ye's well-behaved appearance.

Qin Yun, however, couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

Even though Xiao Ye restrained her aura and behaved gently, her steady and regular breathing rhythm and the sharp glint in her eyes proved that she was not an ordinary person.

"Does the change in identity occur because of global integration?"

I just don't know which side she's on.

Just to be on the safe side, it seems I'll have to find an opportunity to try it out later!

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Shirley Yang and Anliman made a promise that once everyone returned, they would immediately prepare to head to the Black Desert.

Nothing was said that night, and everyone rested and awaited orders.

……

The next day at dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Outside of Urumqi, the Kunlun Mountains stretch across the land, a landscape of ice and snow covering thousands of miles.

The snow-capped mountains stretch endlessly, glaciers stand in layers, the cold wind blows across the wilderness, and the frost is biting.

The ice walls are rugged and steep, a pure white wonderland that is both magnificent and dangerous.

Fully armed, with special operations training uniforms for warmth and cold protection, and close-fitting bulletproof protective gear, the group followed Lao Hu as they climbed ice and trudged through snow, advancing into the heart of the deep mountains and glaciers.

As we walked, the snow under our feet was up to our boots, and on both sides stood icy cliffs with icicles hanging upside down like knives.

After trekking for several hours, the group finally arrived at their destination.

A deep, dark crevice in a giant iceberg!

The crack looked as if it had been cleaved by a knife, its opening deep and dark, leading straight to an unknown depth underground.

A chilling aura surged and billowed from the cracks, posing a deadly threat.