Chapter 507
"If you understand, you can go now."
The White Dove remained perched on its perch, peering through the window at the jeep gradually driving away from the Hexagonal Building. Its eyes remained as clear as ever, its thoughts unknown.
Shi Lei sensed some resistance from the Columbia officials, but he didn't care. He figured if things could be negotiated, they would be; if not, so be it.
If these politicians dare to say one thing to your face and another behind your back, and only start causing trouble after building up Cross-border Communication Network, don't blame them for being ruthless then.
Shi Lei took a jeep to the entrance of the Hexagonal Building campus to meet Kristen, and then transferred to her car to return to the headquarters building of Rhine Lab.
He has taken care of everything he needed to do in Columbia. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should head to Sami next. Considering it's getting late, he can stay in Trimon until tomorrow morning before setting off.
At 9:00 AM on August 3rd, Kristen learned that Shi Lei and the others were leaving and hurriedly came out to see them off.
As they parted, she suddenly asked:
"Mister Zhongli, if I may ask, are you going to enter the Endless Icefield on your trip to Sami?"
At the northernmost point of the border between Ursus and USA, another 500 kilometers north lies the Endless Icefield. This place is sparsely populated, and the environment is so harsh that it is difficult for ordinary people to survive. The location where the Fire Giant is sealed is precisely in the latter half of this plain.
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
Kristen reached out and pulled the head of the Ecology Department, Muelsyse, closer. She patted her subordinate's shoulder lightly twice as she made an additional request:
"Mister Zhongli, could you please take her with you?"
"Huh???"
Muelsyse, completely unaware of the situation beforehand, looked blankly at Kristen, hoping for an explanation:
"Director General, what are you doing...?"
Noticing the gazes directed at her, she continued:
"To be honest, Muelsyse's race is an extremely rare elf. Before she joined Rhine Lab, she had been searching for companions. Although we have sent countless research teams to the Endless Icefield, the search efficiency is too low. The weather there is frigid, with an average temperature of around minus fifty degrees Celsius. Researchers have a hard time even walking, let alone helping her find elves."
Please be sure to bring her along when you lead your group into the Endless Icefield; she might bring unexpected rewards. If you don't find any elves, that's alright. Just Muelsyse it a research expedition to the Endless Icefield, and return her here when you come back. Thank you very much."
At this point, Kristen had someone bring out the research equipment that had been prepared earlier. It was originally intended for use in dealing with extremely harsh environments when flying into space. This time, he would give it to Muelsyse and prepare new equipment himself.
Kristen's abacus beads were practically flying into Shi Lei's face; her intentions were far too obvious.
It must be said that she, like herself, is a very pragmatic person. After receiving his divine promise, she still wanted to seize this opportunity to travel to the Endless Icefield and collect precious scientific samples.
As Kristen said, in such extreme conditions, normal people would have difficulty even walking. But it was different with him; he could wear short sleeves even in temperatures of minus forty or fifty degrees Celsius.
Shi Lei didn't think it was a big problem; he'd already brought so many people, one more wouldn't make a difference. Out of consideration for his friendship with Kristen, he nodded in agreement.
"Sure, I don't mind. But this Miss doesn't seem to know anything about this. You'd better go over there and clarify things before making a decision."
"Okay, then I'll take a little while."
Kristen nodded to Shi Lei in thanks, then pulled Muelsyse aside for a private chat about twenty meters away.
"Muelsyse, listen to me. This trip to Sami with Mister Zhongli is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Besides searching for our elven kin, we will also collect samples."
"Go to the Far North Land of Sami and see if you can find a Mega-structure Gate. If you do, take lots of pictures and bring back samples from the vicinity of the gate."
This is what Trevor Friston, the preserver of Pre-Civilization, told her about the secrets of Alien Civilization.
Legend has it that at the edge of the Endless Icefield lies a Mega-structure Gate connecting to the outside world. Friston didn't elaborate further; his exact words were...
Don't overlook the door that's left open; if necessary, push one open and you'll find a Vast Sky view.
As a scientist, Kristen was extremely interested in the door and what lay behind it. This intense curiosity was second only to her fascination with the universe.
"The Mega-structure Gate?"
Muelsyse looked somewhat bewildered, her eyes filled with even greater confusion as she tried to understand her intentions:
"I'm sorry, Director General. I'm a little confused. Do you want me to investigate or something else?"
Kristen knew very little, but possessed a strong thirst for knowledge about the unknown.
"It would be best if you could open the door, but if not, that's fine too. If you find anything after opening the door, bring it all back. The specific itinerary is still up to Mister Zhongli. If he doesn't mind going to take a look, he can ask for help."
Muelsyse reluctantly accepted the task, as Rhine Lab currently had no better candidate than her.
Normally, this should be the responsibility of Mariam Marie, the head of the scientific expedition department. However, she is busy with other scientific expeditions and will not be back for a while.
With Mister Zhongli about to leave, it's unrealistic to ask him to wait here for two weeks, so we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go.
"Yes, Director General, I understand. Will you miss me in my absence?"
"Stop joking, Muelsyse. Whether Rhine Lab can achieve a technological breakthrough based on what's behind that door depends entirely on your performance on this trip to the Endless Icefield."
Seeing the Director General's serious expression, she first nodded solemnly, then playfully stuck out her tongue:
"Okay, okay, I understand."
Muelsyse returned, behaving like a refined Eldest Daughter, and bowed deeply to Shi Lei in gratitude.
"Mister Zhongli, the Director General has already assigned the tasks for the scientific expedition. We'll leave the rest to you."
Shi Lei smiled and nodded, then raised his right hand to create an even larger Rock platform, making it easier to load Rhine Lab's various scientific research devices and other unidentifiable instruments.
A short while later, he carried everyone into the air. They disappeared above the clouds from Kristen's sight.
We set off around 9 a. m. and arrived at the Sami border around noon. Despite the blazing sun, it didn't warm us at all.
Given the uneven terrain below, which was not suitable for driving, the land vehicles they purchased in Syracuse became mobile warehouses for storing supplies.
Shi Lei hovered a thousand meters in the air, soliciting the others' opinions. "So, should we walk slowly in from here, or take you directly to our destination?"
Lisa, lying on the edge of the Rock platform, stared at the snow-covered landscape below and took the initiative to speak:
"Big brother, I'll listen to you."
Texas chimed in agreement, and Mudrock and Xi followed suit, echoing her sentiments:
"I'll follow your arrangements."
Me too.
Muelsyse was there with the tour group, and spread her hands to indicate that she would follow everyone's arrangements.
Shi Lei, not wanting to be the sole decision-maker, turned his attention to Exusiai. The latter scratched her head awkwardly and offered her opinion:
"It's only the beginning of August, and Lisa's school starts in September a long time away. If we fly straight to our destination, it'll be so boring to spend the rest of the month in Lungmen."
Lappland didn't want to go back so soon either; she hadn't had enough fun yet, and chimed in:
"Yes, isn't this a family trip? The most important thing about a journey isn't the destination, but the experience."
After discussion, the group adopted a compromise: they would first walk to the Endless Icefield, then fly directly to their destination in mid-August, and return to Lungmen afterward.
Land vehicles and scientific research equipment can be raised to a height of several thousand meters using Rock platform, and then brought down when needed.
There's no need to worry about food and water; Shi Lei prepared enough to last until September before setting off. Even with one more person, it won't make any difference.
Sami is geographically remote, with few traces of human intervention. The various cedar trees and majestic mountains that come into view are more natural and picturesque than Ursus.
However, the pleasant mood, like that of a spring outing, began to change after three hours of walking.
The once breezy Snowfield scenery has turned into a howling, fierce snowstorm. Although the two places are less than 20 kilometers apart, their climates are worlds apart.
The raging storm, as if under a command, slowly advanced. If it weren't for the Jade Shield protecting me, wearing short sleeves would definitely not have been enough to withstand the low temperatures here.
There are people ahead.
Shi Lei deployed his Psychic Scan, and was still able to grasp the surrounding situation even in the snow-covered environment.
He noticed that the other person was walking towards them, and that Feng Xue seemed to be deliberately avoiding her. This strange discovery prompted Shi Lei to lead the group to meet her.
Considering the Sami legends about the Snow Woman), whether she is a human or Snow Woman, we'll only know after seeing her.
As the two sides drew closer, the raging storm around them began to disperse to both sides. A mature woman with white hair and golden eyes, wearing a white Cossack Hat, carrying a black Halberd Staff, and black over-the-knee boots, Feline approached.
Staring at her tall figure and the white attire resembling that of a priest, Muelsyse asked uncertainly:
Are you... Simona?
In the middle of last year, she boarded the This Ship in order to track down Saria.
I had met this Sami People, codenamed Hantan, who intensely hated Ursus, back then.
I heard that her homeland was destroyed in Ursus, which is why she lingers on the border between Sami and Ursus. If she encounters Ursus soldiers, she will eliminate them at all costs.
Because there were many Ursus people on the This Ship, Hantan left after receiving treatment. He had heard from others that he had returned to Sami, but he never expected to meet him here.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Muelsyse. We met on the This Ship last July, don't you remember?"
I remember you.
As soon as those words were uttered, the wind and snow seemed to lessen. By the time Simona reached them, the howling wind and snow had vanished without a trace.
"Hello, Miss Muelsyse. You're dressed so lightly; you probably won't last a day in Sami. Please come with me, have a cup of hot tea, and leave as soon as possible."
After saying that Hantan turned and walked away into the distance, seemingly very familiar with the terrain of the area.
"Wait for me, Simona!"
Shi Lei and his group were tourists, and having a local guide would have prevented them from missing the famous attractions.
They trudged through the snow and caught up with it, soon arriving at a wooden cabin of about twenty square meters halfway up the mountain.
Space is limited here; there is a four-square-meter pit in the center. A triangular iron frame is built above it, allowing firewood to be added under the iron pot for boiling water and cooking.
There was no furniture inside, not even bedding or pillows for sleeping. There was a hole in the roof, which was fortunately filled by the trunk of a large tree behind the wooden house. The door was also dilapidated, with claw marks from wild animals on it.
Simona picked up the cup from the corner, rinsed it with hot water from the iron pot, and added a pinch of yellowish-green leaves.
After steeping it in hot water, I handed it over with both hands:
"I'm sorry, I don't have enough cups to serve you. Please finish your drinks and leave as soon as possible."
Exusiai looked around the room and felt it was very shabby; she never imagined that people could live here.
"La Signora, we are indeed leaving. But not leaving Sami; we are preparing to venture deeper into the Endless Icefield."
Simona's expression turned strange upon hearing this. In her eyes, going to the Endless Icefield was out of the question. Even staying in Sami in short sleeves would be tantamount to suicide.
Moreover, are they going to their deaths as a group?
"Are you all crazy? Life isn't meant for you to waste like this! Get out of here!"
Shi Lei was about to explain when Lappland preempted him, responding in the same vein:
"I know that wearing short sleeves in the frigid Sami environment is like being an oddity. But we Originium Arts protection, so there's no need to worry about getting frostbite. If you'd like to be our guide and take us to all the major attractions in Sami, you can experience that feeling too."
Simona was about to refuse when the Old Tree that passed through the roof suddenly shook violently. Two snow-covered branches fell straight down next to the iron pot.
This startled her, and she picked up a branch and placed it in the crease on her chest, as if trying to communicate with it.
"Jitia, please don't be angry, I won't be a guide... Huh? What did you say?"
Simona's pupils dilated suddenly, and she stared in astonishment at the young man standing at the door of the wooden house. Snowflakes occasionally drifted down from the roof, but none landed on him.
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Chapter 582 Sleeping in the Shadow of Trees (4K)
Everyone was surprised to see Hantan interacting with the tree branches.
Simona ignored the outsiders and continued to press the branches as close to her heart as possible. She found the Old Tree's arrangement incredible and incomprehensible.
Most Sami people, or even the trees, dislike these despicable fellows. They would never allow a group of unknown outsiders to enter the forbidden 'Endless Icefield'.
But that was the Old Tree's arrangement.
Trees don't lie.
Trees have their own profound meaning.
Simona still couldn't believe what she was hearing, and hugged the branch tightly as she asked:
"No, this isn't true. Jitia, do you know what you're saying? That's the Endless Icefield, they're outsiders, and you're making me..."
The Old Tree's answer remained unchanged.