The helicopter went thud thud thud.

Joseph’s survival tools clanged bang bang bang.

Zheng Rong's mood was in chaos, swept away by the wind.

He had never felt this bad before, so much so that even Xiang Yu didn’t dare to scold him. Inside the military helicopter, seated on two facing benches, were:

Zheng Rong, Xiang Yu, Lance, Joseph, the Polish man Ugos, the Korean woman Kim Puae, and the female doctor Lenny.

Lance’s two comrades were in the cockpit. After a brief greeting, they didn’t speak further to the expedition team members.

“You’d better explain this clearly…” Zheng Rong said, unable to bear it any longer. After a moment, he added, “Forget it, just shut up, all of you.”

Lenny yawned and said, “Zheng Rong, I’m so happy to be here, saving all of humanity with you.”

Zheng Rong’s face darkened, and Lance earnestly explained, “I thought having a doctor on the team was essential. Without one, it could be very dangerous. Lenny was more than willing to help us.”

Zheng Rong remained silent. He knew Lance made a valid point, but he still didn’t feel like talking, maintaining his silence throughout.

Joseph said, “Hey, Lenny! Long time no see! How have you been? Found a boyfriend yet?”

Lenny gave a flirtatious smile and replied, “The stars that have shone for five thousand years are leading me on a journey to find love.”

That was an Australian folk song. Zheng Rong’s face turned even darker. Lenny leaned closer to Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu, embarrassed, scooted over, nearly pushing Ugos off the bench.

Xiang Yu awkwardly touched his nose and said, “Joseph… perhaps we should switch seats?”

Lenny’s expression soured, but Joseph said, “No problem. I’d be happy to look after the lady.”

Relieved, Xiang Yu got up and sat next to Zheng Rong, casually putting an arm around his shoulder and crossing his legs. Lance and Ugos pulled the helicopter door shut, and the group officially set off.

Whenever Zheng Rong was present, the atmosphere would turn awkwardly silent. From the moment he boarded the helicopter until takeoff, the previously lively expedition team fell quiet.

Xiang Yu looked around, trying to start a new conversation to break the tense atmosphere caused by his younger brother.

“Anyone want some instant noodles?” Xiang Yu politely asked in Chinese.

“Instant noodles,” Lance repeated.

Xiang Yu nodded. “Beef-flavored noodles, but I searched for a long time and didn’t find any beef. I don’t get it.”

Kim Puae smiled and said, “Our Korean Shin Ramyun is very good, and there’s plenty of kimchi. Mr. Rain, you might want to try it.”

Zheng Rong: “...”

Ugos chimed in, “It’s too spicy. We Poles can’t handle Eastern flavors.”

Joseph added, “Speaking of flavors, chili peppers originally came from South America…”

Zheng Rong was on the verge of tears. No topic could be more idiotic than this.

“Chili peppers originally came from Korea,” Kim Puae corrected politely. “Our ancestors started cultivating them five thousand years ago.”

“Oh, so your history is five thousand years old? That’s quite the… major discovery for archaeology!” Zheng Rong sarcastically retorted.

“No, no,” Joseph quickly interjected in a flattering tone, “I believe it. After all, a Chinese person once said history is like a young lady, easily dressed up however people please.”

Lenny lazily asked, “Does anyone actually know where we’re headed?”

Most people had switched to speaking Chinese for Xiang Yu’s benefit, though Ugos’s Chinese was still halting and not very fluent.

“Egypt,” Ugos replied. “The Arab Republic of Egypt, south of the Sahara Desert and west of the Suez Canal. I’ve input the terrain map into the navigation system. We’ll need to land twice, once at a military base and once at a human outpost for energy refueling.”

Lance added, “It’s now called the Egyptian ruins, but according to the last military survey, there are still a lot of natives there. Zheng Rong, explain to everyone why we’re heading to Egypt first.”

Zheng Rong was finally rescued from the discussion about instant noodles, chili peppers, and Koreans. He said, “This is the route Joseph and I planned.”

Zheng Rong was hostile towards outsiders, but when it came to intellectual discussions, he was patient, like a mentor guiding graduate students.

“At the start of our expedition, we may find nothing,” Zheng Rong said. “But I believe it won’t be in vain.”

“All scientific research is like that, we understand,” Lance commented.

“No, they may not understand,” Zheng Rong replied, glancing distrustfully at Lenny. Ugos interjected, “So, what’s our objective in Egypt?”

“The Sphinx,” Zheng Rong said bluntly.

Everyone was visibly moved. Joseph grinned and said, “Raise your hand if you need a primer on that.”

Kim Puae, Lenny, and Lance raised their hands, while Ugos hesitantly said, “I know some of its secrets.”

Zheng Rong ignored Ugos’s words and instead looked at Xiang Yu in surprise. “You know about the Sphinx?”

Xiang Yu said with interest, “In the morning, it walks on four legs; at noon, two legs; in the evening, three legs. I saw a statue of it on your bookshelf. There’s also a book about it.”

Zheng Rong was somewhat surprised. It was quite impressive for someone from ancient times like Xiang Yu to know the riddle of the Sphinx.

However, he dismissed it and said, “That’s my brother’s souvenir and translation. What you mentioned is related to the Sphinx, but it’s not the reason Egypt is our first destination.”

“The question about recognizing humanity and the philosophy of reality is just one of the countless riddles posed by the Sphinx. It’s part of Greek mythology, not Egyptian. It was created by the poet Sophocles in the tragedy Oedipus Rex.”

Joseph nodded. “The Sphinx is tied to many philosophical legends in ancient Egypt. The most famous isn’t the question ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ or ‘which came first, light or shadow?’—it’s the question of its existence.”

“There are three versions of the Sphinx, found in the tombs of three different pharaohs. This hypothesis was put forward by our expert in historical mysticism, Zheng Rong, so I’ll let him explain.”

Zheng Rong said, “Oh, I don’t mind.” Though he said that, he happily began speaking to the group. “In the earliest pharaoh’s tomb, the Sphinx had the head of a ram, not a human face, and its name was translated from ancient Egyptian as ‘Guardian’.”

Lance seemed uninterested in Zheng Rong’s explanation. He wasn’t an impassioned orator, nor did his voice rise and fall dramatically like a military leader’s. In fact, he was a poor speaker.

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Still, Lance pretended to be interested since it had been so hard to get Zheng Rong to talk about anything. “So, its true form is a ram-headed lion?”

Zheng Rong shot Lance a look that said “you’re an idiot.” After a moment of thought, Xiang Yu asked, “What does it guard?”

“It guards the Wheel of Fate,” Zheng Rong said. “That’s what we discovered from the rubbings submitted by a team of archaeologists.”

“Yes, the Wheel of Fate,” Joseph added with a mysterious smile.

Xiang Yu frowned, not understanding.

Lenny yawned and said, “The Wheel—like the tarot card…”

Zheng Rong continued, “It’s pretty boring, right? Next to the Sphinx in the mural is a round disc. Since we don’t have a projector, you can all pass around this photo.”

He reached into his travel bag to retrieve it. Lance said, “No need. You can just tell us.”

But Zheng Rong insisted, “You should all take a look. Oedipus’s story teaches us that ignorance is the greatest tragedy.”

Though they were used to Zheng Rong’s sarcastic nature, Lance still found himself at a loss for words. Lenny, bored, glanced casually at the photo while filing her nails.

Lance noticed a line of text at the bottom right corner of the photo: “SS-Class Confidential Document from the Human Relics Research Institute.”

“SS-class confidential? This is the first time I’ve encountered one. What’s so unusual about it?” Kim Puae asked.

She flipped the photo back and forth and found that the “Wheel of Fate” next to the Sphinx had markings like clock hands, with strange symbols in each segment.

Xiang Yu counted them and said, “There are twelve segments, and the characters are very vivid.”

Zheng Rong nodded. “The characters were painted with a special kind of oil, making them stand out on the mural. They almost seem to glow. Now look at this one.”

He pulled out another photo, but the group was already losing patience. Out of basic politeness, they passed the photo around.

The photo showed a pitch-black disc with glowing symbols, almost identical to the “Wheel of Fate” guarded by the Sphinx.

Only Xiang Yu studied it seriously, while Lenny casually asked, “Was this created using computer technology?”

“No, does no one recognize this?” Zheng Rong asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

Joseph rubbed his nose and said, “That’s the mothership of the Mayan aliens.”

Lance grabbed the photo, incredulous. “What?!”

Zheng Rong explained, “From the upward angle, this is the bottom of the Mayan aliens’ saucer-shaped mothership.”

“The glowing parts are particle cannons. They charge for three seconds and can pulverize an entire nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.”

Lance: “...”

Now, everyone was intrigued. Ugos adjusted his glasses and said, “I proposed the imaging theory of the Sphinx seven years ago.”

“We’ve read your paper,” Zheng Rong said. “We found it very convincing.”

Ugos mumbled something quickly in Polish before realizing no one understood him and switched to English. “But they thought it was absurd! I can’t believe the results of years of hard work could be dismissed so unfairly.”

Joseph patted his shoulder, urging him to calm down.

Zheng Rong said, “According to your theory, the entire body of the Sphinx was once submerged by the flooding of the Nile.”

Ugos, feeling like he had found a kindred spirit, said, “Yes! When the Nile flooded, it reached the base of the Sphinx, but that only happened more than ten thousand years ago.”

Zheng Rong nodded. “Ten thousand years ago, that happens to be when two of the most primitive tribes in China fought their first battle.”

Ugos excitedly continued, “At that time, no civilization had yet emerged! All of history was passed down through myth! The pharaohs only renovated it in later years. At least two pieces of evidence support my hypothesis—carbon-14 dating shows that the construction of the Sphinx’s tail was completed six thousand years before the head was renovated! Do you know what that means? Six thousand years!”

Zheng Rong replied, “Calm down, are you crazy?”

Ugos gave a bitter smile. “They treated my paper like trash! No one understood me! Where did you find it?”

Zheng Rong sarcastically replied, “I found it in a trash bin while cleaning the windows on the first floor, helping my professor with spring cleaning. Don’t feel too bad—nobody understands me either.”

Ugos chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Lance translated the conversation between Zheng Rong and Xiang Yu.

“Is the paper still around?” Xiang Yu asked, genuinely curious.

“I used it to wipe the windows after I read it,” Zheng Rong said, giving Ugos no face.

“Ahem,” Joseph coughed, clapping his hands and gathering the photos. “So, our first objective is to find the Sphinx…”

Suddenly, Lance said in Chinese, “No one understands me either.”

He looked seriously into Zheng Rong’s eyes, but Zheng Rong ignored him completely.

“I understand you all,” Xiang Yu nodded sympathetically.

Zheng Rong: “...”

The group landed at the United Arab Oil Base for refueling before taking off again. This time, the military helicopter retracted its rotor blades and unfolded massive alloy jet wings, soaring out of the troposphere, skimming the clouds at high speed.

The sealed cabin was closed tight, but the cold air at high altitudes still made everyone shiver.

At 6 AM, a radiant golden beam of sunlight streamed in from the east, brushing Zheng Rong’s hair with a layer of glittering dust as he slept.

Lance had only slept for two hours. He had been watching Zheng Rong all night.

“We’re about to cross Mount Sinai,” Ugos said, glancing at the electronic map. “The place where Moses received the Ten Commandments, according to legend.”

The expedition members began to wake up, yawning.

Xiang Yu asked, “What did he say?”

Zheng Rong stretched and quietly explained it to Xiang Yu. The two whispered to each other, their faces close, their noses nearly touching.

As Zheng Rong gazed at Xiang Yu’s lips, he felt a strange sensation.

Xiang Yu seemed to sense something too, but after hearing the story about Moses and the Ten Commandments, he didn’t turn away. He simply replied, “Hmm.”

They stared at each other. After three seconds, Zheng Rong coldly said, “Smoking before bed without brushing your teeth is a bad habit, dear brother.”

Xiang Yu was mortified.

Lance burst out laughing, took off his coat, and handed it to Zheng Rong, who accepted it without hesitation, curling up in it.

Joseph handed out chewing gum, and everyone chewed as they moved to the window to look out.

“We’re at an altitude of thirteen thousand meters,” the cockpit radio reported.

Zheng Rong said, “I suggest we lower the altitude when we reach the top of Mount Sinai.”

Lance asked, “To what height?”

Zheng Rong replied, “To a visible range.”

Joseph asked, “You want to see that pillar?”

Zheng Rong didn’t answer. Lance removed his headset, and the cockpit acknowledged.

Lenny woke up, staring blankly at the breathtaking sunrise. The sun, like a ball of fire, rose in the east and set in the west, indifferent to who ruled the Earth for thousands or millions of years.

Kim Puae heated several portions of packaged meals in the microwave and opened a trash bag for the team members to dispose of their chewing gum.

Xiang Yu and Zheng Rong exchanged glances.

Xiang Yu: “...”

Zheng Rong: “...”

Zheng Rong suddenly said, “Did you swallow your gum? You’re not supposed to swallow it; otherwise, your intestines will stick together. Ten minutes later, you’ll be writhing in pain… and within an hour, you’ll die.”

Xiang Yu froze.

Zheng Rong said, “Prepare the scalpel. Sterilize it. We’ll have to operate on him.”

Xiang Yu: “...”

Sweat broke out on Xiang Yu’s forehead, his eyes filled with fear. After a moment, he stammered, “H-here?”

Zheng Rong nodded gravely. Joseph was the first to crack, laughing out loud.

Xiang Yu realized he’d been tricked and felt a wave of embarrassment, his face darkening. Zheng Rong chuckled and reached out to pat his head, while Xiang Yu looked furious.

Each person received a meal tray. Xiang Yu finished his in a few quick bites but still seemed unsatisfied.

Zheng Rong ate only a little before casually passing his tray to Xiang Yu.

Lance quickly said, “Why not eat more? It’s not limited. We can heat up another box.”

Staring out the window, Zheng Rong replied, “No, I just don’t feel like eating.”

Joseph leaned towards the window, looking tense.

Lance asked, “What’s wrong?”

The helicopter gradually lowered its altitude. The rotor blades extended from the top, and the familiar thud thud thud sound resumed as they glided closer to the mountain.

“Main peak,” Zheng Rong said briefly.

The snow-covered summit of Mount Sinai appeared, the thick snow that had covered the peak for thousands of years blown away by powerful convective winds, revealing the dark, bare rock beneath.

The helicopter hovered in mid-air, and no one spoke.

At the top of the mountain stood a massive white pillar pointing towards the sky, easily the size of ten men’s arms wrapped around it.

“Moses’ miracle,” Joseph muttered. “This is the first time I’ve seen it in person.”

“I’ve only seen it in photos before. Dr. Ugos,” Zheng Rong said, “can you tell what material the pillar is made of?”

Lance, Ugos, Xiang Yu, and the others unbuckled their seat belts and crowded towards the window, causing the helicopter to tilt dangerously. The alarm sounded, and Zheng Rong snapped, “Everyone not involved, sit back down and buckle up!”

Ugos and Xiang Yu switched places, and Ugos said, “It looks like granite. The age can’t be determined without a sample.”

“Turn it around,” Zheng Rong instructed.

The helicopter slowly circled the shadowed side of the pillar, and Zheng Rong, Joseph, and Ugos all froze.

In the shadow of the pillar stood a human figure, surrounded by six Mayan alien mechanical harvesters.

“Ascend!” Joseph was the first to react, shouting, “We have enemies!”

The six mechanical harvesters, previously dormant, instantly powered up, their energy cores glowing blue. Twelve missiles spiraled towards the helicopter.

“Seat belts on! What’s happening?!” Lance yelled.

He lunged towards the window as the helicopter ascended at a steep ninety-degree angle, throwing everyone towards the rear. Two women screamed, and Xiang Yu grabbed the iron ring by the cabin door with one hand, holding Zheng Rong with the other. “Hold on!”

The helicopter, now a hundred feet above the icy peak, ascended through the clear blue sky. The missiles, trailing smoke, zoomed toward the nearly vertical aircraft, while six energy beams shot at its flight path.

The helicopter ejected flashing metal chaff, intercepting the missiles. The explosion’s shockwave sent the massive alloy craft rolling through the air before it stabilized, wings extended, and jets blasting as it sped away.

A beam shot from the distance, grazing the edge of the wing, and the jet propulsion engine exploded.

The accelerating helicopter immediately lost balance. Amid Lenny’s terrified screams, it trailed black smoke as it plummeted toward the valley.

Zheng Rong heard a loud crash, and then everything went black. He knew nothing more.