Chapter 1248: Conflict

The team set off again, the morale of the team having grown significantly. One is due to meeting the group of cute fennec foxes, helping everyone realize that they aren’t alone in this vast, dry desert. Secondly, setting off two hours late meant that they would be able to suffer two hour lesser in this hellish heat.

At 10 a.m., the convoy stopped for a rest.

Everyone used the aluminium frames and white cloth to set up a simpleThe team set off again, the morale of the team great significantly. One is due to meeting the group of cute fennec foxes, helping everyone realize that they aren’t alone in this vast, dry desert. Secondly, setting off two hours late meant that they would be able to suffer two hour lesser in this hellish heat.

At ten am, the convoy stopped for a rest.

Everyone used the aluminium frames and white cloth to set up a simple cover, letting the exposed jeeps were able to get some rest too, so that they will not be running over-capacity under the high heat. Everyone spread out to rest too as well then.

The solar-powered rechargable batteries were set faced towards the sun, with countless usb lines linking out from it, charging all kinds of electrical devices, from phones to notebooks, tablets, cameras, portable cargers, ecetera.

Zhang Zian wanted to charge his drone, phone and notebook as well.

With the strong sun of the desert, the charging efficiency was really high, and all their electronics revived with full health soon after. Sadly, they didn’t get the internet buff, so something still seemed to be lacking.

With the urge to get onto the internet scratching at their brains, everyone watched Peter Lee with intense desire in their eyes. If eyesights were lasers, Peter Lee would be cooked through by now. They all hoped he could bring out the satellite receiver, so that they could satisfy their addiction.

Peter Lee finally caved into their looks, and ordered someone to set the device up under the tarp. The signal under the tarp isn’t as good as when it’s exposed, but they would rather a weak signal than a dead receiver.

Everyone cheered in glee, their tiredness from travelling for so many days seemed to have flown to space, as though they finally had rain after years of drought.

Zhang Zian opened his notebook too, planning to upload the few chapters that π had written for these past few days onto the website, and to schedule it for future postings.

Everyone relaxed under the tarp as they surfed the web in all kinds of positions, even Salim, after being exposed to the wonders of modern technology, was no exception. Throughout the whole camp, only Nabali and Peter Lee didn’t have electronics on their hands.

Peter Lee held a map in his hands, discussing something with Salim as they walked about, the two of them pointing at some far distance in the desert as they chatted.

The internet was slow, and the ;website was famous for having a horrible server too, Zhang Zian’s several tries all failed to up load, so he’s refreshing and trying again almost mechanically.

Peter Lee and Nabali walked near him, and he looked towards the location that they had pointed as well. Other than miles of sand, there’s nothing.

But, Peter Lee’s map did catch his attention, as that isn’t a standard map, but instead one that he had printed out himself. It even has some strange symbols on it. On the flipside was a standard modernized map, with a scale ruler. He pointed the maps at the sun, and both maps overlapped each other.

Was this a copy of the sheep skin map that he had?

Peter Lee and Nabali seemed to disagree on something in their conversation, and their conversation turned aggressive shortly after, even with hand gestures and stronger words.

“No! No! That’s too dangerous! We absolutely cannot!” Nabali waved his hands as he insisted.

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His voice was loud. Not only Zhang Zian, but the few other people nearby heard it too. Only some of them wearing earpieces, watching movies, or playing handheld games didn’t hear it.

Peter Lee, with his tea-coloured crystal spectacles, seemed to have guessed Nabali’s reaction already, and instead simply said a few words. Even though Zhang Zian couldn’t hear what he said, but he guessed that it was most likely an offer of repaying his efforts with cash. Many a brave soldiers only step up after there was adequate rewards after all.

But, Nabali was not swayed at all, only shaking his hands, refusing to agree no matter what Peter Lee said.

After finally uploading π’s script successfully, Zhang Zian could no longer ignore the whole situation, since it could endanger the whole team. He closed his laptop, before standing up to ask, “Mr. Nabali, what’s going on?”

The others also put down their items in their hands, crowding over in curiosity.

Nabali shook his head, “Up until now, we have been following the ancient smuggling routes. This is also a proven one. But, Mr. Leader here wants me to deviate from the proven road and head towards the Devil’s Sea. That is where countless devils scour the area, and where even Gods have abandoned. My apologies, but I cannot accept this request, I cannot bring you there, as that’s just a one way ticket to heaven. Legend says that not a single person that has been in there has been able to come back out…. Jeff, help me to convince him?”

Everyone looked at Peter Lee, waiting for his next words.

Peter Lee smiled, not thinking much of it, “Mr. Nabali, I respect your tribe’s legends and customs, but you also know that my team has the most comprehensive set of equipment. I believe that no matter is it the Devil’s Sea or the Sea of Death, they’re nothing to us.”

Zhang Zian frowned, “Why do you have to go there?”

Peter Lee raised the map in his hands, “Because that is our final destination. Here, haven’t you been wanting to see the sheep-skin map? You can look freely at it now.”

He generously gave Zhang Zian the map then.

Zhang Zian took the map into his own hands, flipping it back and forth. Honestly, he doesn’t see anything special from it. On the modern map, there is only a blank space, with longitudinal lines running through it to show their current position. On the ancient map though, things similar to oases and lakes were drawn on it. But, whether this map is real or fake, and whether the oases and lakes still exist in modern days are both mysteries to be uncovered.

“What is it? What happened?”

Weikang realised that a few people were gathered here after sending Cairo University’s colleagues emails, and they seemed to be fighting with how loud they have gotten too.

Zhang Zian passed the map to Weikang, and simply explained the situation to hinm as well.

Weikang was silent for a few moments before asking, “Mr Nabali, you said that you have seen cats similar to Fina before in the desert. Are you able to tell me how far away is the place that you had seen those cats from here?”

Nabali’s face twitched, hesistating to answer, “If I didn’t remember wrongly, it’s near the Devil’s Sea, but not in it. Back then, my father had insisted on not getting near the Devil’s Sea too, but the place that the tourists wanted to go to needed us to go through the Devil’s Sea. If we were to take a detour, we might run out of water and food. In the end, my Father felt that as long as we didn’t enter the Devil’s Sea, there shouldn’t be much problem, so we embarked on the journey. In the end….”

Weikang believed in science, and he doesn’t believe in the “legends” of the Bedouin tribe either. But, he was respectful enough to not express that.

Besides, since the place where they found the cats were on the outskirts of the Devil’s Sea, the expedition team does not need to brave the danger of going in.

He took a look at Peter Lee, “Mr Peter Lee, Mr Nabali is extremely against going into the Devil’s Sea, I feel that we shouldn’t force him against his own will, isn’t it?”

Peter Lee’s words were determined, “I will not force him to do something he doesn’t want to. I’m fine as long as Mr Nabali brings us near the Devil’s Sea. The expedition team can stay outside to fulfill your mission that you have come here for, while we enter the Devil’s Sea. We can arrange a time and date to meet outside, then leave the desert together, what do you think?”

That certainly is a viable way.