Sumu wood in the quadrangle welcomes spring

"Let's discuss our next plan while we rest."

Hu Bayi called everyone together and sat in a circle.

First, Chu Jian was asked to report on the team’s water storage situation.

"If we use our stored water sparingly, it will barely be enough to get back to where we last replenished our water supply, provided we continue to draw salt water from the desert every day..."

Dig a hole, bury the plastic sheet, and wait for distilled water.

Otherwise, the current reserved water would not be enough to support everyone back to the Prince’s Tomb.

Of course, except Sumu, no one present knew that the undeveloped cemetery was the prince's tomb.

"All large cities must be built near water sources, just like the one we encountered last time."

Shirley Yang noticed that someone wanted to back out and immediately added.

She had gone through so much trouble and was definitely the last person to want to retreat.

"Old man, tell everyone your bad news."

Hu Bayi hesitated for a moment, then turned and said to An Liman.

Everyone looked over.

An Liman hesitated for a few seconds and said slowly: "The track of the Zidu Dark River has disappeared. I can't find it anymore."

"If I keep going like this, it will be hard for me to find my way back~"

"Brother, since when have we been unable to find any traces of the Zidu Dark River?"

Professor Chen asked urgently.

"Half a day ago, when I took a rest and set out again, I couldn't find it anymore."

At this point, everyone fell silent.

Faced with a difficult choice.

"Fatty, what time is it now?"

Shirley Yang suddenly spoke.

"What did you call me?"

Wang Kaixuan was stunned.

But isn’t his focus a little off?

only……

The fat guy is a person who only cares about what he likes. Originally, he didn't like the American girl. After all, they were not from the same country. Normally, he just didn't bother with her for the sake of Brother Sumu's face.

But when Shirley Yang took the initiative to call him "Fatty", he suddenly had the urge to treat Shirley Yang as "one of his own", and even wanted to call her "sister-in-law".

"what?"

The fat man subconsciously raised his wrist to look at his watch.

The same is true for Satipeng.

But they were all dazed.

"My...my watch doesn't work."

The pointer is obviously wrong and the time is messed up.

"My watch won't work."

"mine too."

"And I……"

"How is this going?"

Hu Bayi turned his head and looked at Shirley Yang.

Shirley Yang took a deep look at Su Mu before she uttered two words firmly: "Cishan."

"According to the notebook, the ancient city of Jingjue is located in a basin surrounded by a magnetic mountain. I just discovered that my watch has a problem. Not only the watch, but also the compass has a problem."

Shirley Young explained.

Hao Aiguo was so excited that he could hardly sit still. He said loudly: "This shows that we are very close to Cishan, which means..."

He turned his head and looked at Professor Chen, his eyes full of joy and excitement: "Teacher, we are just one step away from the Jingjue Ancient City. We are about to find it!"

"Ahem, don't be too happy yet. How close it is depends on the situation. Since it's a magnetic mountain, it means it's huge and can be used for watches and compasses... It can be said to be half a day or a day. Also, you have to know that this is a desert and there is no sense of direction..."

Magnetism also has no sense of direction.

The scientific expedition team was unable to find the magnetic hill by following the direction of the magnetic force.

"But we're very close, Sumu, please help me."

Shirley Yang stared at Su Mu with a look of longing.

Su Mu couldn't help but feel soft-hearted.

But some places are getting harder and harder.

It was because he had been exposed to the desert wind and sun for so many days that he felt very dirty.

Otherwise, some things would have been done long ago.

"Xiaoye, Xiaoye?"

Suddenly, Satipeng exclaimed, interrupting the eye contact between the two people.

Everyone looked over.

But I saw Xiaoye lying on the sand, already unconscious.

Just now she was sitting between Professor Hao and Satipeng, a little further back, on the periphery of the circle.

Su Mu stood up and came to Ye Shuxin's side in two steps.

He lifted her up and held her against his chest.

The fat man untied the kettle and handed it over.

Su Mu picked it up and put it to Ye Shuxin's mouth.

Ye Shuxin was completely unconscious and had no intention of opening her mouth to drink water.

Su Mu picked up the kettle, took a sip, and forced the water to Ye Shuxin.

In public, no one raised any objection.

Shirley Yang lowered her eyes slightly and saw that Ye Shuxin's fingers hanging on the sand trembled slightly, then bent slightly and clenched into a fist.

Xiaoye finally woke up.

Su Mu told Professor Chen: "Xiaoye has a fever. His temperature is very high and he is a little dehydrated."

"We have cold medicine with us. Xiao Chu, go get the medicine from the luggage..."

Hao Aiguo's legs and feet are not as nimble as those of young people, but he is genuinely anxious.

Su Mu's opinion of him changed slightly.

But the situation of the scientific expedition team became more serious as Ye Shuxin caught a cold and had a fever.

On one side is the elusive and hard-to-find ancient city of Jingjue, and on the other side is the current situation where water resources are about to be cut off.

Now there is another patient with fever.

Getting sick in the desert is completely different from getting sick normally, and it can be life-threatening if you’re not careful.

How to do?
What we are facing now is an extremely serious problem that tests human nature.

"I think the situation we are facing now requires everyone's opinion. There are two choices: moving forward or going back. Let's all vote."

Hu Bayi suggested.

At this time, Su Mu was taking care of Ye Shuxin in the back, and the rest of the people gathered not far away.

If you don’t count old man Anliman, there are exactly seven people.

If everyone votes, there will definitely be a decision.

Su Mu didn't want to disturb them, but he watched from the sidelines, really wanting to know the answer.

Especially the answers from Hao Aiguo and Chen Jiuren.

Because this determines what Su Mu will do next.

First, here is Professor Chen Jiuren’s opinion.

According to usual practice, the head of the scientific expedition team must give a long speech before announcing the results.

"I have spent my entire life studying Jingjue culture and devoted my life's efforts to the Jingjue Ancient City. To be honest, I personally am extremely reluctant to return empty-handed. But..."

After Professor Chen's opening remarks, he continued: "As the leader of this scientific expedition team, I need to be responsible to the country and give an explanation to the families of each of you present here, so..."

Professor Chen hesitated for a few seconds and gave a slightly surprising answer to Su Mu: "I agree to return the same way."

"I disagree."

Hao Aiguo said excitedly: "Teacher, I have seen how much homework and preparation you have done for this scientific expedition. Now that Cishan is within reach, the cost of giving up at this time is too high. If you miss this opportunity, you may never have the chance to visit the Jingjue Ancient City again..."

Hao Aiguo's suggestion was not advisable. He proposed that the team be divided into two groups, one of which would consist of everyone except Professor Chen and himself, and the other would be led by Hu Bayi to return along the original route.

And they continued forward led by Anliman.

Putting aside its feasibility, who did Mr. Anliman offend that he didn't even have a chance to express his own opinion.

"Professor Hao, I will go forward with you."

Satipeng raised his hand to speak.

Logically, he should support returning the original route.

But in certain special circumstances, after being influenced by everything along the way, Satipeng couldn't help but develop obsession.

"I……"

The fat man hesitated.

He wanted to return the same way because it was safer and he could earn $10,000.

But if we really find the ancient city of Jingjue, then we will have twice as many people for nothing.

The combined budget for him and Lao Hu is 20,000 US dollars. Not only can they lay the electric wires for Ganggangyingzi, they can also probably repair most of the winding mountain road.

"I listen to Lao Hu."

Hu Bayi thought seriously.

Forward or backward.

At this time, Ye Shuxin recovered.

"Brother Su, what are they discussing?"

"We are discussing whether to continue forward or return the same way. We will most likely return the same way, since you have such a severe fever that you can't go forward."

"I, I feel much better, Brother Su, can you help me over there?"

"Do you want to participate in the vote? If you vote and I vote, it's the same as not participating."

"Brother Su, I know you are very capable. Can you support me? I don't want the entire expedition team to return because of me. That would put too much pressure on me."

Ye Shuxin is a very smart girl.

Terrible.

If the scientific expedition team returned along the same route and were asked about the situation, Ye Shuxin's cold and fever would be the best excuse.

Don’t blame anyone, blame Ye Shuxin’s body.

A girl insisted on following the team into the desert, and ended up forcing the team to turn back halfway.

If it weren't for Ye Shuxin, they would have already encountered Cishan and found the Jingjue Ancient City very quickly...

Words like that could kill her.

"Okay, I support you."

Su Mu thought about it and nodded in agreement.

And everyone's discussion is coming to an end.

Hao Aiguo's opinion was not adopted, and in the end he had no choice but to return the same way.

Faced with the choice between human life and obsession, Hao Aiguo ultimately chose human life.

So he is not inhumane.

To some extent, he is still a harmless talent who can be saved.

"Professor Chen, Professor Hao, I, I have a different opinion."

Ye Shuxin snuggled in Su Mu's arms and came in front of everyone.

"I am also a member of the scientific expedition team, and I want to vote. I choose to move forward."

Ye Shuxin finished speaking in one breath, panted for a while, and continued: "Professor Chen, don't worry, everyone else please don't worry, I know my body, there is no problem, I can hold on and I just fainted from the heat. After resting for a while, I feel much better and I can continue to move forward."

"Professor Hao, we have persisted for so long and are about to find Cishan and the ancient city of Jingjue. We must not give up just yet."

Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan looked at Su Mu.

Su Mu pondered for about ten seconds, looked down at Ye Shuxin, and then looked at Shirley Yang.

"Don't forget, there is a group of tomb robbers ahead of us who are wantonly destroying the city. If we give up and they find the ancient city of Jingjue first, we don't know what kind of destruction it will eventually become."

This sentence touched the hearts of Professor Chen Jiuren and Professor Hao Aiguo.

Even Chu Jian and Satipeng felt restless.

"At first, I came here just to make US dollars, but after going through all these things with everyone, I now really want to see what this ancient city of Jingjue looks like, and I also want to catch up with the tomb robbers ahead and save the people's wealth..."

Hu Bayi knows how to publicize. By praising and demoting himself, his intention is immediately elevated.

The crowd was excited and their spirits were greatly boosted.

"Huh? What, what is that?"

Su Mu pretended to be dazed and pointed to a distant place that no one could see.

Everyone then stood up.

The place where they were standing just now was the leeward side of a sand dune, with a limited height from the sand peak, and Sumu could barely see far away from where he was standing.

Everyone climbed up two steps and looked together.

In the distance, covered with yellow sand, a black corridor suddenly appeared.

From a distance, it looked like the spine of a black dragon lying on the edge of the sky.

however……

Who can deny that it was the spine of a black snake shaped like the Chinese dragon?

Although there is a saying that a horse will die if it is chased to the top of a mountain, the appearance of this ridge also gives the scientific expedition team a clear direction and goal.

Let them make a firm choice to move forward.

"Why didn't I see that ridge just now?"

"Maybe the wind just blew it out of the sand..."

That's all we could say.

But Su Mu actually has a different opinion.

But he didn't mention it, nor did he dare to say it.

It feels like all of this is under the control of some mysterious master.

When everyone wanted to leave, a water source appeared.

When everyone wanted to leave again, the ridge of Cishan suddenly appeared...

It wasn't luck, it was more like traction.

It's like the carrot hanging in front of the donkey on the donkey cart. You want to eat it but you can never get it.

Going forward again, the only ones feeling guilty and uneasy were the strong, calm and composed Sumu and old man Anliman.

Perhaps he also noticed something unusual.

But his influence was insignificant and he was not given the opportunity to express his opinion during the discussion just now, let alone now.

He is a part of the masses, an unimportant A, B, and C who can be easily represented by others.

You can only be more cautious and observe the surrounding environment carefully, so that you can choose the correct path and direction when returning home or escaping.

The camel continued to travel all the way from high in the sky when the sun was high in the sky until late at night.

Finally we arrived not far from the ridge.

"I thought we could get there in the evening, but I didn't expect it to be so far away. I guess it will take us until the late night to get there."

Wang Kaixuan complained.

We haven't reached the ridge yet. Once we get there, we still have to go around the only gap.

Although the distance seems not far, who would have thought that it would take so many twists and turns and climb over and over again sand dunes.

The difference between a straight line and a curved wavy line is more than several times.

Sudden.

The camel stopped moving forward.

Everyone was shocked.

Especially old man Anliman, his eyes revealed panic for the first time.

"Hey, this, Captain Hu, my camels have never encountered anything like this before. It's too late to go forward. Let's turn back quickly."

"Don't panic, old man. Maybe something scared the camel ahead. I'll go ahead with the leader to check the situation."

Shirley Yang hurried forward to comfort her.

When she mentioned the leader, it was not just Hu Bayi, but also Su Mu, who was also the leader. (End of this chapter)