Chapter 181: Secrets and Preparations
Liang En, while dismantling the box, found solace in the fact that it was a replica, easing any sense of regret while opening it up.
Swiftly, using a small chisel alongside a saw and pliers, he pried open the wooden panels, uncovering a slightly tattered thread-bound booklet from the reinforced base of the box. Its cover read "Verification of the Ancient Buddha's Innocence Dragon Flower Sutra."
"Seems like a Buddhist scripture, but why keep it so clandestine?" Liang En pondered after glimpsing the title, then carefully unfurled the handwritten manuscript on the nearby workbench.
Though the booklet appeared somewhat yellowed and slightly worn, the quality of the paper used back then was better, coupled with its not-so-distant age, allowing for its relatively good preservation.
Flipping through the booklet, Liang En realized that despite its title resembling a Buddhist scripture, its contents were far from it. The incantations at the beginning seemed more akin to Taoist practices.
With this suspicion, Liang En delved further and found references to the birth of an ancient Buddha and the establishment of primordial existence.
"Wow, now I understand what this is." As he spotted the term "primordial existence," having previously read numerous online novels, Liang En suddenly grasped the nature of this particular scripture.
"Turns out this is a White Lotus scripture. No wonder it was concealed in a box. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, White Lotus leaders faced execution upon discovery, even for mere association, facing flogging or exile for thousands of miles."
Upon confirming the scripture's content, two cards appeared in Liang En's mind—a 'Detection (N)' card and another labeled 'Legendary Power (N)'.
Seemingly, religious-related items like this were more likely to yield Legendary Power, hence even this White Lotus manual could offer a valuable dose of it.
However, as there were no cards directly related to the item itself, Liang En could only ascertain its relative worth, but it didn't qualify as exceptionally precious.
Since Liang En had amassed ten Destiny Points by now, he intended to activate the ring he had earlier. Yet, upon placing his consciousness onto the ring, a new condition surfaced.
"To activate the power within the ring, one must permanently possess ten points of Legendary Power and enter Historical Projection to complete a task. Do you wish to enter Historical Projection to complete the task? Yes/No."
"Permanent possession of ten points of Legendary Power and the need to enter Historical Projection." Reading the new inscription on the ring, Liang En felt a pang of disappointment.
He'd thought amassing ten Destiny Points would resolve this long-pending issue, but now, an unexpected hurdle emerged.
Soon, Liang En adjusted his mindset. He knew the more hassle involved, the greater the eventual reward. Just like when he last unlocked the extraordinary profession, despite the inconvenience, the memories of Shang Boliang had been immensely beneficial, particularly in his archaeological achievements.
Due to the changes in the cards, Liang En decided to make preparations before activating the ring. After all, delving into Historical Projection posed considerable risks from any perspective.
Simultaneously, on another front, permanently holding ten Destiny Points would render him unable to utilize various extraordinary powers, leading to a significant negative impact for quite a while.
Thus, in the following days, Liang En stored away the White Lotus manuscript and planned to use the 'Restoration (N)' card to mend three visibly grimy carpets.
Unlike the previous restoration of clay tablets, this time, the spell required significantly more materials, including dozens of different raw substances apart from silk, cotton, a bit of gold, and silver.
Most of these materials comprised minerals, herbs, with a sprinkle of precious metals. Evidently, the golden and silver threads on these top-notch palace carpets were genuine gold and silver.
Consequently, the dyes used were likely the most superior natural ones of that time, possibly fetching a price no less than their weight in gold.
This wasn't favorable for Liang En as although the Restoration card's effects were excellent, its material requirements were demanding. Hence, he had to gather the precise items listed on the card.
Thankfully, the card wasn't excessively stringent, allowing for substitutes, averting the possibility of unavailable materials.
Promptly, Liang En called Fan Meng, detailing a shopping list for minerals and herbs, seeking help in purchasing them from Chinatown, before heading to his parents' place for dinner.
Over the next evening and morning, Liang En cleared the wooden furniture and received the items from Fan Meng, who rushed over in the family delivery van.
"Finally, it's coming together." Liang En sighed with relief, consecutively using three 'Restoration (N)' cards to meticulously restore the three dirty and aged carpets.
The entire restoration process bore a striking resemblance to the previous clay tablet restoration, albeit this time it exuded an even grander, more magnificent aura.
As Legendary Power infused the cards, all the spell materials by Liang En reverted to their original states, gradually flying into the carpets.
Simultaneously, all the accumulated dirt lifted off the carpets, settling on the cleared area around them.
With the application of extraordinary powers, the state of the carpets visibly improved. After half an hour, all three were completely rejuvenated, resembling the work of top-tier carpet restoration artisans.
The restored carpets regained their former splendor, effectively reversing their overall deterioration, aiding significantly in their preservation.
Upon stowing these carpets into a special storage box, Liang En let out a long sigh of relief. However, he couldn't rest yet due to the earlier issue with the ancient Egyptian dictionary, requiring discussions with historians and archaeologists.
Thankfully, in this digital era, extensive international travel was mostly unnecessary. All he needed was a computer with internet connectivity for most of his work.
Regarding academic matters, apart from rare exceptions, communication remained paramount. Therefore, no matter how troublesome, these discussions were imperative.
Especially for Liang En himself, his knowledge stemmed from the memories of Shang Boliang, resulting in an initial sense of detachment.
Fortunately, with continuous utilization of this knowledge, the sense of detachment gradually faded, allowing him to absorb and transform that information into his own.
Discussions, especially with high-caliber scholars, furthered this process. This was why Liang En found joy in these exchanges.
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Chapter 182: Discussion and Permission
"I think you're wasting too much time on other explorations. It's not a good idea," Professor Jacques, who had previously accompanied Liang En to Egypt to find the Rosetta Stone, expressed puzzlement about Liang En's recent actions.
"Frankly, if you were fully dedicated to Egyptology, your contributions would surpass what they are now. For instance, if this book you compiled could have been released a month earlier, it would have propelled Egyptology forward by a month."
Liang En responded, "Your words are a bit exaggerated. After all, I've only found a key. And with this key, I believe others should be able to continue down this path."
"But they don't have your genius in this field," Professor Jacques stated firmly. "Even if they had prepared extensively beforehand, I don't believe others could compile an Egyptian dictionary in such a short time."
He continued, "For instance, our experts at the Louvre used this dictionary immediately to translate numerous inscriptions and epigraphs, finding no errors."
Due to historical limitations, the book compiled by Commercially Bo Liang back then had some errors. While Liang En wasn't sure of these errors' locations, using his skill in "Cipher Decryption (R)," he smoothly corrected them.
Different from his previous decryption attempts, this revision process yielded significantly more translated text per legendary point, indicating his mastery of ancient Egyptian language.
"I'm delighted by your praise, Professor Jacques," Liang En addressed the webcam on his computer. "Especially for this book receiving such high acclaim from you."
Unlike the past, where he solely accessed memories belonging to Commercially Bo Liang, Liang En poured a lot of his own effort into this book. Hence, receiving compliments now filled him with a different sense of pride and accomplishment.
"But I don't think exploring other fields is a bad thing; it gives me a mental break," Liang En said, smiling at the camera.
"Besides, evidence shows that my endeavors in other areas aren't too shabby. For instance, I found the legendary Viking Vinland this time and decrypted the secret of the Greek Fire in history."
"That's why I call you a genius," Professor Jacques muttered gloomily. "Like me, spending a lifetime in Egyptology, but achieving far less than you."
Soon, the conversation shifted. Dr. Louis, the curator of the Louvre's Egyptian Department, joined the discussion, bringing exciting news.
"The Egyptians have now opened excavation permits for the Sinai Peninsula," Dr. Louis exclaimed as he joined the conversation. "This is the first batch of permits since the 1950s!"
"The Sinai Peninsula, is it safe now?" Professor Jacques inquired immediately. "You know, much of the previous news about that place involved explosions and attacks."
"Security cannot be guaranteed entirely. While the area is generally safe, specific locations might be precarious," Dr. Louis stated seriously.
"But due to this reason, the difficulty in applying for archaeological excavation permits is lower than usual. So, each person needs to weigh their options."
Naturally, not all applicants could obtain such permits. Dr. Louis mentioned this because the Louvre Museum's backing allowed them to apply through its channels.
As for Liang En, aside from acquiring permits through the Louvre, he could also apply personally, owing to receiving Egypt's First Republic Medal and Honorary Citizen title after the Rosetta Stone excavation. With these honors, obtaining permits wasn't too challenging.
After everyone went offline, Liang En also logged off and began contemplating matters related to the Sinai Peninsula's archaeological exploration. Honestly, the opening of the Sinai Peninsula was good news for archaeology.
Due to the fifty-year-long blockade and chaos from conflicts, most relics in the region remained largely untouched.
The majority of these relics were in desolate, uninhabited deserts or mountainous areas. Lack of water was the primary reason for abandonment.
Water, ancient or modern, was fundamental to survival. Hence, places lacking water sources usually remained uninhabited, safeguarding the relics from war and looting.
Even artifact thieves hesitated to enter because these relics weren't unique; obtaining them in Egypt itself posed fewer risks than risking their lives in the Sinai Peninsula.
Considering the surge in illegal excavations post-World War II due to technological advancements, the remnants in the Sinai Peninsula held a strong allure.
However, Liang En knew the risks. Considering potential dangers like leftover explosives and mines, excavating there was perilous.
Despite the risks, Liang En decided to spend 10,000 euros applying for an archaeological permit from Egypt. These permits lasted for five years and could prove useful in the future.
However, given Egypt's bureaucratic efficiency, approval might take three to four months. During this time, Liang En planned to engage in other tasks.
One of these tasks involved compiling the "Dictionary of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs" based on Commercially Bo Liang's memories and his own research. Unlike the previous book, this type of dictionary required substantial time to complete.
Though Liang En could swiftly extract memories, validating them with modern archaeological findings and card skills demanded considerable time and effort.
Additionally, creating a dictionary or similar reference material required ample time for anyone. Thus, Liang En knew he couldn't rush this.
According to his analysis, the best strategy for the next two to three years was periodically releasing portions of the dictionary content, even controversial knowledge points, and finally unveiling the finished product.
While the final version would take time, reproducing Commercially Bo Liang's written version wasn't as time-consuming. Having a template made the revision process far more convenient than relying solely on memory, motivating Liang En to work on it.
For the next three days, Liang En remained secluded in his room, diligently working on the dictionary until a call from the Philippines interrupted him.
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Chapter 183: Clues
A call came from the Manila hemp plantation on the Mianlan Island. The reason the plantation manager called at this time was that there were decisions he couldn't make as the manager, needing Liang En's final say.
According to the manager, this year's typhoon season might be larger than usual, as predicted by the weather forecast. Hence, some extra funding was required to refurbish the plantation's channels and reinforce the buildings.
Considering Liang En hadn't visited the estate since acquiring it, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to inspect the specific situation there and survey his property.
As the permit from Egypt might take months to come through, Liang En planned to engage in other interesting activities before then.
Compared to a potential trip to the Sinai Peninsula in the future, the Philippines seemed significantly safer. The plantation was near the Sanbao Yan City, the best-developed area in the whole Mianlan Island region.
Moreover, intelligence gathered by Liang En from various sources indicated the plantation and its surroundings were notably peaceful, with reliable employees.
With a rough idea of the destination, Liang En spent a day packing his luggage and, together with Fan Meng, boarded a flight to London. From there, they transited in Phnom Penh before heading to Manila. Then, they'd catch another flight to Sanbao Yan.
Unlike previous trips, Liang En didn't bring his three ravens this time. It was just an inspection of the plantation, no need to carry the adorable creatures around.
Of course, the urgency of this trip was another reason; there wasn't any time to manage the necessary procedures for animal entry and exit.
Regarding the ravens' well-being during this time, Liang En was quite confident. These three birds had significantly higher intelligence than their counterparts, and he had asked the people at his ranch to cut small portions of raw meat daily and place them in specified spots.
After a day of travel and commotion, Liang En smoothly landed in the Sanbao Yan City airport after circling half the globe. Following the plantation staff's guidance, he entered the plantation and spent a day recuperating in the guest room.
What pleasantly surprised Liang En was that the plantation's manager was a traditional Chinese person, similar to himself and Fan Meng. This made communication much easier than anticipated.
"Your budget is 14,200 euros?" On the third day of staying at the plantation, after reviewing the budget presented by the other party, Liang En raised his head from behind the desk, looking at the plump middle-aged man sitting on the other side of the table, and inquired.
"Yes, because we need to hire additional workers and purchase some cement and even steel bars for a comprehensive overhaul of our irrigation system," explained Huang Tao, the manager.
"Hiring workers doesn't cost much, but the raw materials would be quite expensive. Besides, we need to prepare extra supplies."
Huang Tao's budget had little padding because, before Liang En's arrival, he had also conducted investigations into various local conditions and spent a day inspecting the entire plantation's water supply and drainage system.
As Huang Tao had mentioned, many of these channels had been neglected for years, with some not even hardened, merely ditches dug into the land.
While this situation might have sufficed under normal circumstances, this year's potentially severe typhoon season would undoubtedly exceed the drainage system's capabilities. Serious flooding was highly likely.
This predicament arose because this plantation was a peripheral industry for the prominent Skoode family, mainly involved in maritime businesses. Hence, it had mostly been left to its own devices.
"What would you usually do in the face of such adverse weather?" Liang En inquired, recalling that it seemed like the Philippines faced typhoons every year.
The plantation's location was indeed excellent, surrounded by some small hills that could shield it from certain typhoons. However, during particularly intense typhoons, chances were high that it wouldn't be spared.
"We'd clean up the aftermath after each typhoon, and that year's income would noticeably decrease," Huang Tao said somewhat helplessly.
"Fortunately, Mr. Skoode doesn't particularly care about the income from this side, so as long as we report the losses, it's acceptable."
"Understood. I'll allocate 20,000 euros to you," nodded Liang En. "Apart from the channels, I want you to deepen the reservoir inside the plantation and fix the uneven cement road."
"Thank you. That would be fantastic," Huang Tao's face lit up with happiness upon hearing Liang En's decision.
For him, having taken over his father's position, he had almost dedicated his entire life to serving this plantation, even owning a 5% share of the profits. Naturally, he hoped the plantation would improve.
With the money transferred to the plantation's account, Liang En no longer needed to oversee the subsequent tasks. He and Fan Meng headed to a nearby village, prepared to explore and see if they could find anything intriguing.
Considering the plantation's proximity to Sanbao Yan City, and with the city established during the Spanish colonial period, the surrounding villages held significant historical value.
Additionally, being off the tourist routes, most residents lived off agriculture. Aside from electricity, the entire village maintained a style reminiscent of decades or even centuries ago.
Therefore, Liang En speculated he might discover something valuable in these ancient villages. So, he and Fan Meng drove in the plantation's old pickup truck to a nearby town.
After parking, Liang En and Fan Meng immediately started exploring the town. Soon, they stumbled upon some intriguing items.
For instance, beside the town square's hand-operated well, there was a metal tank resembling a shuttle that caught Liang En's eye. At first glance, he recognized it as an auxiliary fuel tank from an aircraft, split in half.
More interestingly, as Liang En approached this tank, he unexpectedly noticed the corner bore the inscription "Showa 19," which translated to the year 1944.
Apart from this, Liang En discovered more traces left behind by the Japanese occupation in the village.
For instance, a farmer's cooking pot was unmistakably made from a Japanese soldier's helmet, and through a window, he glimpsed a Type 99 rifle hanging on a resident's wall.
Fortunately, several villagers knew English, so after buying a few bottles of beer, they were more than willing to share everything they knew with Liang En.
From these villagers, Liang En learned that this area had once housed a field airbase belonging to the Japanese during World War II. However, before the defeat, the airbase was left without any planes, and only about a platoon of Japanese soldiers remained.
But just three days after the defeat, the remaining Japanese soldiers stationed here vanished overnight, leaving behind an empty airbase stocked with numerous supplies.
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Chapter 184: Tracking
"I think the reason those Japanese soldiers vanished might have been to hide something," Fan Meng told Liang En after finishing a conversation with an elder and bidding farewell.
"According to the locals, those soldiers only drove away in a truck. But they didn't follow the only road back to Sanbao Yan City," Liang En nodded.
"Yes, that's indeed suspicious," Liang En agreed. "I suspect they took the truck to transport something."
"Considering a truck couldn't hold a whole group, I believe the place they truly disappeared to might not be too far from this town," Liang En speculated.
Both Liang En and Fan Meng were excited at this point. Legend had it that during World War II, the Japanese leader, Yamashita, plundered a vast amount of wealth in Southeast Asia and intended to send it back to headquarters under orders.
However, by the time this aggressor attempted to transport the loot back to their homeland in 1942, Japan was already retreating in the Pacific.
Especially with the substantial infiltration of the American naval submarine force into the Japanese rear lines, employing tactics similar to the German Navy against Japan.
Due to the effective tactics of the American naval submarine force and the apparent lack of importance the Japanese navy placed on anti-submarine warfare and escort, American submarines intercepted a significant number of Japanese transport ships, significantly increasing the risk of Japanese maritime transport.
The exact contents of these sunken ships remain unknown to this day. Prior to their defeat, the Japanese destroyed almost all records concerning this matter.
However, from the sinking of the Awa Maru in April 1945, people in later years gained some insight into the plundering by the Japanese in Southeast Asia: the ship carried 40 tons of gold, 12 tons of platinum, industrial diamonds weighing 150,000 carats, around 40 crates of jewelry and artifacts, 3,000 tons of tin ingots, 3,000 tons of rubber, and several thousand tons of rice.
Due to the excellent combat capabilities of the American naval submarine force, from the latter half of 1942, the Japanese navy significantly reduced transporting precious metals and treasures looted from Southeast Asia back to their homeland.
Thus, until mid-1945, the Japanese in Southeast Asia mostly transported various industrial materials and food back to Japan, without much transportation of valuable items.
As a result, when Japan announced its defeat, a considerable amount of treasure remained in Southeast Asia. Yamashita started hiding these treasures in various locations.
According to legend, after the successful landing of American forces in the Philippines in early 1945, the Japanese military in the Philippines concealed these treasures in 175 secret locations.
To maintain secrecy, the Japanese conducted a massive cover-up operation, targeting not only the forced laborers in the area but also a significant number of Japanese.
However, after the war, several surviving informants disclosed the locations of many of these treasures to the US military and subsequently to the Philippine authorities, and most of these riches were taken by the Americans and former Philippine President Marcos.
However, based on the information Liang En had found, he suspected that the others might not have found all the treasures. He strongly suspected that the missing Japanese soldiers might be connected to these treasures.
Over the next few days, Liang En and his team began researching various documents and summarizing the information they found.
From these materials, Liang En learned that the airstrip nearby had been a makeshift field airport, primarily used for emergency landings of damaged planes or temporary operations.
However, just over two weeks before Japan surrendered, a transport plane from Kalimantan landed here and left without leaving any departure records.
According to the records found by the US military, the receiving party at this airstrip received an intact Japanese transport plane.
In other words, if that plane indeed carried something, it hadn't been transported through the air route to another location.
However, considering the cargo capacity of the transport plane at the time, Liang En believed that what was hidden might not solely be what was on the plane but possibly other items already present in the local area.
The critical clue came from detailed maps of the surroundings. Considering the off-road capabilities of Japanese trucks during World War II, there were only a few routes they could have taken.
After a simple elimination process, Liang En quickly narrowed down the several routes that World War II trucks could have traversed and began analyzing each one.
"We can exclude these three roads leading to the seaside," Liang En pointed at three passages. "The heap of items gathered in Sanbao Yan City couldn't have been transported by a specific boat from this place."
"Do you think the items on that plane were so important that they sent a submarine or a fast boat to take them away?" Fan Meng proposed a possibility.
"It's unlikely. At the time, the US had a fleet of destroyers and anti-submarine aircraft active around Sanbao Yan City. If the Japanese had a submarine, they probably couldn't have escaped," Liang En analyzed.
"Moreover, if they truly used a boat, even with our current capabilities, it would be impossible to find those items. So, for now, it's more fitting to assume they were hidden in the surrounding mountainous areas," Liang En continued.
"You're right," Fan Meng nodded. "If we eliminate these three roads, then the remaining four suspicious roads, which do you think they might have taken?"
"I believe we can exclude these two routes," Liang En pointed to two roads on the map. "One leads to a small village 6 kilometers away, and there's no trace of destruction or massacre in that village from the war."
"With the brutality of the Japanese soldiers, if they were hiding something there, they would have surely massacred everyone in that village that lay in their path," Liang En remarked.
"And the other road on that side has terrible conditions, it's a primitive tropical rainforest in the mountainous area. Even modern individuals would need specialized equipment to navigate it; it's as good as a death trap for non-experts."
"Remember, the Japanese airport defense unit had been stationed in this area since the occupation of the Philippines. The personnel had hardly moved, so these people familiar with the terrain wouldn't foolishly take a lethal path," Liang En added.
So, the next morning, Liang En and Fan Meng headed towards the road closest to home for their search.
Different from the other road deeply entrenched in the mountains, this road merely led to some hills, with scattered plantations around and signs of human activity in what was once an uninhabited valley during World War II. For instance, a road had been constructed through the previously desolate valley.
This coal-tarred road was somewhat crude, marked by small pits caused by overloaded vehicles. As they reached the end of the road, they unexpectedly spotted something strange on the outer wall of a plantation building.
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Chapter 185: Clues
"Hello, sir. I'm a traveler," said Fan Meng as he observed an elderly man sitting outside the room, smoking. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the man, then asked, "Could you tell us about the thing hanging above the door frame?"
"Marlboro, good cigarettes," the elderly man glanced at the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear, responding in the same Min Nan dialect as Fan Meng. "That's our Chinese Feng Shui mirror, don't you folks recognize it?"
"Of course, I know about Feng Shui mirrors, but yours seems quite old," Liang En remarked, looking at the round mirror on the door frame, slightly fogged. "And it doesn't look like a regular mirror."
"It's definitely not your everyday mirror. I found it in a small swamp nearby," the elderly man chuckled, revealing smoke-stained teeth.
"This used to be a worn-out rearview mirror from a Japanese military vehicle, quite ominous. But hanging it on the door frame acts as a deterrent against calamity."
"A military vehicle!" Liang En and Fan Meng exchanged glances, then quickly inquired, "Was that vehicle a truck? Because we heard that a truck was taken from the nearby airport."
"Indeed. It's stuck in the mud, but now it's just a frame left," the old man replied after Fan Meng relayed Liang En's words in Min Nan.
"The vehicle got stuck in a swamp, usually invisible under the mud, only visible when the water dries up during the dry season."
"Luckily, the first typhoon hasn't arrived yet, so the water level in that swamp shouldn't be too high. You might catch a glimpse of the car's part sticking out of the mud."
After bidding farewell to the elderly man, Liang En and Fan Meng followed his directions through the valley and finally reached the not-so-large swamp, where they spotted the heap of scrap iron in the muddy pond.
Indeed, it was just scrap iron. The car seemed devoid of any semblance to a vehicle; most passersby would have missed the bit of scrap iron if not for the elderly man's advice.
"This doesn't quite match what I imagined," Fan Meng remarked, eyeing the wreckage about seven to eight meters from the shore.
"I remember seeing videos where various equipment retrieved from swamps appeared well-preserved, some mechanical parts even functional," Liang En recalled. "Videos? You must be referring to the Russian Mud Diggers," he guessed after Fan Meng's description.
"Not entirely sure, as the videos had music, so I couldn't understand what they were saying," Fan Meng shook his head. "But your guess seems accurate. Thinking back, those dragged-out vehicles should belong to the Eastern Front of Europe."
"If that's the case," Liang En nodded, "Russia's soil primarily consists of neutral black earth, which, when sealed off from oxygen, can preserve metal products for a considerable time."
"Meanwhile, Southeast Asia's soil is acidic, compounded by high humidity. Frankly, surviving for so many years here is quite remarkable."
After explaining to his companion, Liang En surveyed the surroundings, then asked, "Do you have a way for me to access that truck?"
"Let me see," Fan Meng pulled out a multi-purpose knife from his shoulder and cut a few branches, tying them together. He cautiously probed the swamp.
"No major issues," after testing with the makeshift pole in the swamp, Fan Meng confirmed. "But we'll need some basic tools; it could get tricky if we sink."
Over the next half hour, they crafted makeshift footwear from branches and vines resembling snowshoes.
Subsequently, to lighten their load, Liang En and Fan Meng left their backpacks at the swamp's edge and used a long tree branch as a makeshift cane to approach the car wreckage.
Upon closer inspection, Liang En noticed the vehicle's wreckage hadn't deteriorated solely due to time; the exposed parts bore clear signs of deliberate cutting. Apparently, besides the old man, others had also removed components from the car.
Considering the scarcity of items, particularly industrial goods, in the area, scavenging usable parts from abandoned vehicles was evidently common practice.
"I don't think we'll find any clues from this car," Fan Meng concluded after a brief inspection of the vehicle. "It's too extensively damaged."
"Not necessarily," Liang En laid his hand on the car wreckage, then combined four 'Appraisal (N)' cards into one 'Appraisal (R)' card and used it.
Given Liang En's precise knowledge of the Japanese soldiers' retreat from the airport, he swiftly set that day as the reference point and perused the events the car experienced in the subsequent three days.
Soon, he observed the car traveling through the empty valley from afar, accompanied by a large group of Japanese soldiers carrying rifles.
After the vehicle stopped, the soldiers unloaded various boxes and gasoline drums. However, regrettably, both the boxes and drums seemed relatively light, manageable by two or three individuals.
At this point, Liang En noticed a crucial detail. Because there was quite a bit of cargo on the car, coupled with the challenging terrain nearby, the undermanned group had to make two to three trips per person to move everything elsewhere.
Their departure and return averaged between two to two and a half hours. Considering the soldiers hadn't noticed anyone around, they likely hadn't consciously concealed their travel time.
Meaning, the items on the car most likely got transported to a location roughly two hours away from this swamp. Factoring in the necessity for heavy lifting, the actual distance might be closer.
After the soldiers had transported everything from the car, a driver struggled to maneuver the vehicle into the swamp. Following this, together with the last group of transporters, they disappeared into the jungle.
As the last group departed, the forest fell silent. However, just as Liang En was about to fast-forward through this tedious scene using the card, he suddenly witnessed movement in the trees surrounding the swamp:
Two heavily wounded Japanese officers crawled out from the nearby jungle, collapsing not far from the swamp.
Within a minute or two of their collapse, several individuals in assorted attire, carrying various weapons, emerged from the surrounding forest.
They used melee weapons they carried to confirm the deaths of the Japanese officers, then pilfered weapons and personal belongings from the corpses before discarding them into the swamp.
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