Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 881 Cooperation

, with a large cross scribbled next to it. "Another drink." He raised his empty glass to the bartender, his voice hoarse like sandpaper polishing a rusty iron plate. The bartender was a middle-aged man with a full beard. He wiped the glass with a rag stained with water, and cast a sympathetic and slightly mocking look. In this city full of frustrated explorers, Jack's downfall is nothing new. Just then, the door of the bar was pushed open, and a wave of heat rushed into the room. Jack looked up and saw a sturdy woman standing against the light. She had long hair as black as night, casually tied into a ponytail, and the broken hair was stuck to her neck by sweat. The dark work jacket was stained with mud, and there was a shining saber on her waist. Her every move revealed a sharpness that did not belong to a woman. The woman walked straight to Jack's table and sat down opposite him. Her movements were crisp and clear, as if she had already seen through the person she was looking for sitting here. Jack smelled the scent of gunpowder and herbs mixed on her body, which was the unique smell that only people who have lived in the wild for a long time would get. "Jack Morrison?" The woman asked, her voice was crisp and powerful, with a barely perceptible South American accent. Jack narrowed his eyes alertly. He didn't remember knowing anyone in Manaus, and he didn't understand why this strange woman could call out his name accurately. "It's me, who are you?" His hand quietly touched the folding knife hidden under the table. This was an instinctive reaction developed after years of exploration. The woman seemed to see through his vigilance, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. She stretched out her hand and said, "My name is Ava Rodriguez." Her palms were covered with calluses, and there was a fresh scar at the base of her palm, which was obviously left recently. "I have something that you are interested in." As she said, she took out an object wrapped in layers of oilcloth from her backpack and carefully unfolded it. The moment the yellowed parchment was spread on the table, Jack's pupils suddenly contracted - the lines and symbols drawn on it were surprisingly similar to those parts of the map in his hand that were considered to be wrongly marked! Even more shocking was that there was a clear mark on the upper right corner of the parchment, pointing to an unknown area deep in the Amazon rainforest, and next to it was written in ancient characters: the location of the lost city. "Where did you get this?" Jack's voice unconsciously rose, and he leaned forward, almost putting his entire face on the parchment. He noticed that there were some scorch marks on the edge of the paper, as if it had been through a fire, and the color of some symbols had faded, showing its age. Ava frowned slightly, and a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes: "This is what my grandfather left behind." Her fingers gently stroked a symbol on the parchment, as if touching a long-lost old friend. "He was once an explorer, like you, who spent his life searching for the legendary lost city. Unfortunately..." Her voice suddenly choked, "Three years ago, he went deep into the rainforest alone and never came back." Jack leaned back in his chair, his heart surging. He knew too well the feeling of losing oneself in the pursuit, and he also knew the dangers of the Amazon rainforest - poison dart frogs, man-eating ants, turbulent rivers, and those primitive tribes that have not yet been discovered by modern civilization. But the clues on the parchment were too tempting, just like a traveler who had been trekking in the desert for many days suddenly saw an oasis. "I found this when I was sorting out his relics." Ava continued, "I consulted all the information I could find and consulted many experts until I saw the map you drew in a report about your failed expedition." Her eyes became firm, "The lines you marked as wrong are actually exactly the same as the description in my grandfather's notes. I know you are very experienced in this area, and I think we can work together." Jack's fingers tapped the table unconsciously, making a regular "click" sound. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind: on the one hand, this might be the opportunity he had dreamed of, which would allow him to regain his reputation in the exploration community and prove that he was not "out of ideas" as the outside world said; on the other hand, he knew the dangers of the Amazon rainforest, and there were too many unknowns in working with a stranger. Who can guarantee that this is not another carefully designed trap? "Why me?" Jack asked suddenly, "There are many explorers in Manaus who are more famous than me, you can go find them." Ava was silent for a moment and took out a yellowed newspaper clipping from her pocket. Jack recognized it at a glance. It was the report of his first successful discovery of the Mayan ruins ten years ago. He was full of vigor and energy in the photo, and his eyes were full of desire for the unknown. "Because my grandfather mentioned you in his diary." She said softly, "He said that you are a rare explorer who respects ancient civilizations and is not afraid of challenges. And..." She paused, "You are in your current situation, there should be no reason to refuse." This sentence was like a sharp knife, piercing Jack's pain. He remembered the sarcasm of the sponsor, the gloating of his peers, and the disappointed eyes of his teammates who once trusted him. Maybe this is really his last chance. "Okay, let's cooperate." Jack finally spoke, his voice low and firm, "But we have to be fully prepared. There are more than beautiful scenery in the rain forest." He reached out and picked up the parchment, carefully observing every detail on it, and found that some symbols seemed to be related to astronomy, and the mark pointing to the lost city was located at the intersection of two hidden rivers. In the next two weeks, they began to prepare for this expedition in full swing. Ava used her family connections to get the most advanced communication equipment and medical supplies; Jack, with his connections accumulated over the years, found a local guide, Carlos, who was familiar with the rainforest environment. When they first met, Carlos squatted on the ground and used a branch to draw the terrain of the rainforest on the sand. There was a wild cunning in his eyes: "I have lived in this rainforest for forty years. I know where there are poisonous mushrooms that can kill people, and I also know where there are secret passages that are not even on the map." The morning of the day of departure, the sky was just turning pale, and the city was still immersed in silence. Jack, Ava and Carlos stood at the Manaus dock with heavy bags on their backs. In the distance, the Amazon River sparkled like a winding dragon, disappearing into the depths of the dense jungle. Jack took one last look at the city behind him and carefully stuffed the worn map and parchment into the waterproof bag, feeling both nervous and expectant - would he be able to uncover the mystery of the lost city this time, or would he disappear forever in this green maze like countless predecessors?