Chapter 33

The whole way, Fatty kept an eye on Professor Chen, hoping the old man would get so exhausted that he'd call it quits and head back. Then they could earn those US Dollars without breaking a sweat.

But Professor Chen didn't oblige him.

Hearing Fatty's words, Hu Ming shook his head with a smile. Fatty was being far too naive. These archaeologists were so passionate about their work that they'd crawl out of their coffins just to keep digging.

They weren't going to give up. "Miss Yang, we can't rest. We have to push ourselves and cross the mountain in one go. Otherwise, this place is dangerous. The snow and wind are so fierce that everyone could be at risk." Hu Bayi spoke to Yang Xueli with a serious expression.

But in his heart, he was thinking that he'd have to find a way to make Professor Chen and the other archaeologists realize how difficult this was and turn back.

Yang Xueli had already seen through Hu Bayi and the others' intentions. She said helplessly, "Mr. Hu, I'm tired. We need to rest." With that, she turned around and called for everyone to sit down.

At last, they could rest. Professor Chen, Ye Yixin, and the others were delighted and promptly lay down in the snow.

Hu Bayi had no choice but to shoot Fatty a helpless look. After counting heads to make sure no one had fallen behind, he went over to Professor Chen and crouched down. The old man was lying in the snow, panting heavily.

Hu Bayi couldn't help giving a wry smile. "Professor Chen, if you can't go on, you should give up. You're getting on in years. Going home to lie down and get some sleep is the way to enjoy life. Why come all the way to this bitterly cold place to suffer?"

"Huff, huff... Comrade Hu, I don't have much time left. I want to complete this meaningful journey."

Professor Chen spoke between gasps, then sat up.

Yang Xueli hurriedly crouched down and helped Professor Chen sit upright. She took the small leather backpack off her back, pulled out an oxygen bottle, unscrewed the cap, and attached the mask. Then she covered Professor Chen's mouth and nose with it. "Uncle Chen, take in some oxygen."

Professor Chen grabbed the oxygen bottle and took several deep breaths. His complexion soon improved. After resting for just ten minutes, they set off again.

As the leader, Hu Bayi still walked at the front. This time, though, he'd changed his ways and started looking out for Professor Chen and the others. Whenever he saw someone struggling to keep going, he called for a rest.

Fatty complained to him, pulling him and Hu Ming aside. "Come on, Old Hu, you can't play it like this. We need to find a way to wear them out and send them packing. Those tens of thousands of US Dollars would be nice to take home."

Hu Ming frowned. "We should at least explore a bit. Don't forget, our main reason for coming here is to help Old Hu overcome the shadow in his heart."

At Hu Ming's words, Hu Bayi looked toward the distant snow-capped mountains. Fatty fell silent too.

Even Fatty found the vast snow-covered mountains miserable. The thin air was bad enough, and even taking a piss was difficult. They were bundled up like dumplings, after all, and it was terribly inconvenient.

Yang Xueli wore a red leather parka that kept her warm. A pretty red wool hat covered her head, keeping her toasty. The wind and snow didn't bother her at all; she actually enjoyed it.

She took off her goggles to admire the scenery in the distance. Just then, she spotted Hu Ming and the other two huddled together, clearly whispering about something.

It was obvious they were up to no good. She'd grown wary of the three of them and didn't believe they were ordinary people. She was just about to go over to them.

Crunch, crunch—

Footsteps sounded in the snow. It was Shirley Yang, walking straight over with a red badge in her hand. A line of small characters was written on it.

"Mr. Hu, I found this in the snow. I suppose one of your comrades left it behind?"

She stopped in front of Hu Ming and the others, pointed to a spot not far away, then handed the badge to Hu Bayi.

"Serve the People!" Those words were stamped on the red badge. Hu Bayi stared at it for a long, long time, tears welling in his eyes before he knew it. It had been nine years, and now he'd found a comrade's keepsake again. His heart was heavy.

"Thank you, Miss Yang." After speaking, he stood and went to the spot she'd pointed out. Crouching down, he started digging through the snow, working at it without pause.

"Fatty, go talk to him," Hu Ming said, giving Fatty a gentle nudge on the shoulder. He'd never been good at comforting people.

Fatty went over, but didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled out a cigarette, shielded it from the wind and snow with his clothes, and lit it. He stuck it into the snow, then began muttering to Hu Bayi.

Somehow, that did the trick. Hu Bayi stood up and called for everyone to get moving. Watching him, Hu Ming couldn't help sighing. "Sure enough, Fatty's pretty good at comforting people."

"Mr. Wang may seem boorish, but he's actually quite thoughtful. Mr. Hu Ming, you're lucky to have a brother like him." Shirley Yang glanced at Hu Ming.

Throughout the journey, Hu Ming hadn't spoken to anyone unless they approached him first. The only exceptions were Hu Bayi and Fatty—and, of course, the annoying Sa Dipeng.

Hu Ming was a man of few words. He'd also noticed Yang Xueli making a point of talking to him, but he knew she was just trying to get information out of him, then recruit the three brothers to help her find a way to break the Ghost Eye Curse.