Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

Sabah.

The upper reaches of the Labu River.

December 30th. 3 PM.

There are no roads in the rainforest.

Palm trees grow densely, their canopies blocking out the sky.

The ground was covered with ferns and decaying leaves, making it soft and spongy underfoot, and you would sink into the mud with every step.

Gu Xidong walked in the middle of the group.

Six people. Captain Lin led the way, two team members brought up the rear. The remaining two stood on either side, maintaining a ten-meter distance.

The air was hot and humid. Thirty-four degrees Celsius, ninety-five percent humidity. Sweat streamed from his forehead into his eyes, stinging them so much he could barely open them. He raised his hand to wipe it away; the back of his hand was covered in a mixture of sunscreen paint and mud.

My left knee is stabbing.

The pain intensified starting yesterday. The dampness from the rain caused the old injury to swell, making my knee appear larger than normal. With every step, it feels like needles are pricking my bones.

He took out painkillers from his pocket.

Two pieces.

Swallow it dry.

The pill scraped down my throat, leaving a bitter taste all the way.

Captain Lin stopped ahead.

Raise your fist.

Everyone stopped.

Squat down.

Gu Xidong crouched behind a palm tree and looked ahead through the gaps in the branches.

There is a sentry post fifty meters ahead.

It was a wooden plank structure, two meters off the ground, and covered with palm leaves on all sides. A person sat inside, holding a gun, nodding his head.

Dozing off.

Captain Lin turned around and gestured: "Two people, go around and resolve this silently."

Gu Xidong nodded.

Captain Lin and another team member approached from the left and right sides.

There was no sound.

Only birdsong, cicada chirping, and the muffled sound of the river flowing in the distance.

three minutes.

Captain Lin appeared below the sentry post, looked up, and waved in this direction.

solve.

2

Gu Xidong walked over.

Two people lay beneath the sentry post. Blood was still seeping from the knife wounds on their necks. The blood seeped into the rotting leaves, its color indistinguishable from the soil.

Captain Lin squatted down to inspect their equipment.

AK. Two magazines. Walkie-talkie. Cigarette. Lighter.

He handed the AK to the teammate behind him and put the magazine into his backpack.

stand up.

Pointing ahead.

"Two kilometers to go."

Gu Xidong looked at him.

Where is the entrance to the underground fortifications?

Captain Lin pointed to a small hill in the distance.

"Over there. Inside the mountain. Built by the Japanese during World War II, it was later occupied and reinforced by the Sea Serpent Gang. Cement walls, steel gates, easy to defend and difficult to attack."

He paused.

"There are only two entrances. One is at the foot of the mountain, disguised as a tomb. The other is at the top of the mountain, a converted ventilation shaft, only wide enough for one person to climb in at a time."

Gu Xidong looked at the hill.

It's lush and green, covered by palm trees. There's no trace of human intervention.

"Is Ye Shen inside?"

Captain Lin nodded.

"It was confirmed yesterday. They went in and didn't come out."

Gu Xidong gripped the gun tightly in his hand.

The stock was cool. In the rainforest at 34 degrees Celsius, the metal was surprisingly cool to the touch.

"Walk."

3

Six o'clock in the evening.

it's getting dark.

The twilight in the rainforest is short. As the sun sets, darkness presses down from the treetops, engulfing the entire world in just ten minutes.

They stopped about 200 meters from the hill.

Captain Lin ordered everyone to disperse and find sheltered places to rest. The operation was scheduled for 3:00 AM, so there were still nine hours left.

Gu Xidong leaned against a big tree.

The tree trunk was rough and pressed against his back. He placed his backpack under his waist and straightened his left leg.

The knees were swollen more than the lower limbs.

He rolled up his trouser leg and touched it with his hand.

The patient has a high fever. It hurts even with light pressure. There should be fluid buildup in the joint cavity.

He took out his painkillers.

I ate two more pieces.

Captain Lin walked over and squatted down next to him.

"How long has it been?"

Three years.

Captain Lin looked at his knees.

"No. I asked how long the pain had lasted today."

Gu Xidong thought for a moment.

"It starts as soon as I get off the plane."

Captain Lin took a syringe out of his pocket.

"Do you need a nerve block injection?"

Gu Xidong looked at him.

"Where did it come from?"

"It's a regular part of the team. Everyone has old injuries from rainforest warfare."

Gu Xidong took the syringe.

Roll up your trouser legs.

The needle was inserted into the outside of the knee.

The medicine was pushed in.

It's cold.

Tingling.

Then it slowly went numb.

He pulled out the needle and pressed it with a cotton swab.

Captain Lin stood up.

"The medication will be effective for three hours. That should last you until the operation is over."

He walked away.

Gu Xidong leaned back against the tree trunk.

Close your eyes.

4

8 PM.

The rainforest was completely black.

The tree canopy blocked out the moonlight, making it pitch black. Only the sound of the river flowing in the distance and the calls of some unknown animal nearby could be heard.

Gu Xidong opened his eyes.

I couldn't fall asleep.

His knee pain has subsided. The injection worked. But he can't sleep.

He took his phone out of his pocket.

No signal.

There was her picture on the screen.

This photo was taken at a clinic in Switzerland. She's standing by the window, wearing a hospital gown, looking back at him. Outside, there's snow, and the Alps are in the distance.

He stared at it for a long time.

Put your phone back in your pocket.

Close your eyes.

She's in the safe house over there. It must be afternoon now. What is she doing?

do not know.

5

Two o'clock in the morning.

Captain Lin woke everyone up.

"Get ready."

Gu Xidong stood up. His left knee wobbled slightly when it hit the ground, but he steadied himself. The injection was still working; he couldn't feel anything in his knee.

He inspected the equipment.

A pistol. Two magazines. A dagger. A flashlight. A walkie-talkie.

Captain Lin divided the people into two groups.

One group attacks the entrance at the foot of the mountain. Another group climbs up the ventilation shaft.

Gu Xidong is in the second group.

Climb up the ventilation duct.

Captain Lin looked at him.

"Only one person can enter the ventilation shaft at a time. Once you're inside, nobody knows what's going on. You might run into Ye Shen, or you might run into thirty armed men. It's up to you to decide what to do."

Gu Xidong nodded.

"Ten minutes. If you don't come out in ten minutes, we'll launch a full-scale attack from the foot of the mountain."

Gu Xidong looked at the hill.

It was pitch black; you couldn't see anything.

"Walk."

6

2:40 a.m.

The ventilation opening is at the top of the mountain.

Behind a large rock, hidden by weeds, a round hole about sixty centimeters in diameter was revealed. An iron fence was welded to the entrance of the hole, and a rusty lock hung on the fence.

Captain Lin took out a pair of pliers.

Cut the chains.

The iron fence was pulled open with a creak.

Gu Xidong squatted by the entrance of the cave.

Look down.

It was pitch black. Nothing could be seen. A musty smell mixed with the stench of blood rose up from below.

He turned on his flashlight.

Take the picture.

Below is a vertical passage, about five meters deep. Iron ladders, rusted and worn, are embedded in the passage walls. The floor is concrete, covered with footprints.

He clipped the flashlight to his shoulder.

Grab the iron ladder.

Climb down.

One square. Two squares. Three squares.

The light overhead was getting dimmer.

The darkness beneath my feet grew ever greater.

Five squares. Six squares. Seven squares.

Step on the ground.

He squatted down.

Turn off the flashlight.

The eyes gradually adjust to the darkness.

7

This is a corridor.

It was built by the Japanese army. The walls and floor are made of cement, and there's an emergency light every ten meters. The lights are dim, illuminating only a small area.

He walked forward, hugging the wall.

The footsteps were very light. But in this enclosed space, the echoes could still be heard.

Walk twenty meters.

The corridor forks.

Left side, right side.

He squatted down to look at the ground.

The footprints went to the left. They were fresh, and the tread pattern on the soles was clear.

He walked to the left.

Walk another twenty meters.

A door.

The iron gate, rusty and ajar, was slightly ajar. Light shone through the crack.

He stuck it to the door.

listen.

There is sound inside.

Life. A somber conversation. Russian.

He recognized one of the voices.

Ye Shen.

8

He pushed open the door.

The door opened a crack.

Inside was a large room, about fifty square meters. It might have originally been a Japanese command post, but it had been converted into dormitories. There were several cots, a table, and a few chairs. Maps hung on the walls.

Ye Shen stood by the table.

With his back to the door.

Two men sat in front of him. They were armed men, dressed in camouflage and carrying guns.

Ye Shen is speaking.

Russian.

"...Withdraw before dawn. The ship will wait at the dock."

One person nodded.

"What did Volkov say?"

Ye Shen remained silent.

"He didn't say."

The man stood up.

"You believe him?"

Ye Shen turned around.

Facing the door.

Gu Xidong saw his face through the crack in the door.

She's thinner than in the photos. Her cheekbones are prominent, and her eye sockets are sunken. Her eyes lack luster.

"I don't believe it," Ye Shen said, "but I have no choice."

9

Gu Xidong pushed open the door.

Go inside.

The gun muzzle was aimed at Ye Shen.

"Don't move."

The three people in the room turned their heads at the same time.

Two armed men raised their guns.

Ye Shen raised his hand.

"Don't shoot."

He looked at Gu Xidong.

three seconds.

"You've arrived."

Gu Xidong remained silent.

The gun was pointed at his forehead.

Ye Shen smiled.

It's very light.

"Volkov said you would come. He was right."

Gu Xidong took a step closer.

Where is the key?

Ye Shen looked at him.

"What key?"

"The USB drive's key. Volkov's list."

Ye Shen shook his head.

"I have no idea."

Gu Xidong tightened his grip on the trigger.

Say it again.

Ye Shen looked at him.

three seconds.

"I don't know. Volkov never gave me the key."

10

Gu Xidong looked at him.

Ye Shen's eyes did not dodge.

"He sent you to Malaysia to chase me as a diversionary tactic. He's waiting for Ling Wuwen in Monaco."

Gu Xidong's heart tightened.

"What did you say?"

Ye Shen took a step closer.

"Your woman is in Monaco now. Volkov has her. The key is on her. But she can't open it because it doesn't have my fingerprints."

He extended his right hand.

His thumb was wrapped in a bandage.

"The fingerprints are here. He can cut them off and stick them on his own hand."

Gu Xidong looked at him.

Why are you telling me this?

Ye Shen smiled.

"Because I hate him."

He paused.

"He made me do dirty work for fifteen years. Now he wants to kill me to silence me."

Gu Xidong remained silent.

Gunshots were heard outside.

Towards the foot of the mountain.

Captain Lin's men launched a full-scale attack.

11

Ye Shen looked at him.

"You only have thirty seconds. If they attack from outside, this place will explode."

Gu Xidong didn't move.

The gun was still pointed at him.

Ye Shen took something out of his pocket.

Silver. USB flash drive size.

"This is the key."

He threw it over.

Gu Xidong caught it.

"Where are the fingerprints?"

Ye Shen extended his right hand.

The bandage on the thumb has been removed.

The fingerprints are clear.

Gu Xidong took a transparent film out of his pocket and pressed it on his thumb.

three seconds.

Fingerprint copying complete.

Ye Shen withdrew his hand.

The gunfire outside was getting closer and closer.

"Let's go," Ye Shen said. "Let's go back the way we came through the ventilation shaft."

Gu Xidong looked at him.

"And you?"

Ye Shen smiled.

"I stayed."

12

Gu Xidong turned around.

He ran out of the room.

Run along the corridor.

Twenty meters. Fork in the road. Turn right. Twenty meters.

The air vents are overhead.

The iron ladder is still there.

He grabbed the iron ladder and climbed up.

One square. Two squares. Three squares.

An explosion was heard behind me.

The entire underground fortification was shaking.

He continued climbing.

Five squares. Six squares. Seven squares.

There was a hole overhead. Moonlight leaked down from the hole.

He climbed out.

He rolled down in the grass.

He was panting heavily.

Captain Lin ran over.

Are you alright?

Gu Xidong was lying on the ground.

Looking at the sky.

The moon is very bright. It's crescent-shaped and thin.

He took the silver USB drive out of his pocket.

Hold it in your palm.

13

Four o'clock in the morning.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life.

The sound of ravens.

"Gu Xidong?"

He picked up the walkie-talkie.

"exist."

"Did you get the key?"

"Got it. The fingerprints have also been copied."

The raven remained silent for three seconds.

"Something happened to Ling Wuwen."

He sat up.

"What is it?"

"Volkov locked her in a secret room. She signaled to come out, and then lost contact."

He gripped the walkie-talkie tightly.

"How long has it been?"

Three hours.

He looked at the moon.

Curved and thin.

Like the first mark left by an ice skate cutting across the ice.

"I'm going back."

The ravens remained silent.

"Too late. Monaco is too far. And Ye Shen's situation—"

"Ye Shen is dead."

There was no sound from the walkie-talkie.

He stood up.

My left knee was in excruciating pain when I put weight on it. The effects of the nerve block injection have worn off.

He ignored it.

Looking into the distance.

Monaco is in that direction.

Ten thousand kilometers away.

He gripped the USB drive tightly in his hand.