Chapter 221: Arrival
The ship originally had a helicopter hangar, but now it was filled with various supplies instead of the helicopter Liang En had seen in Canada.
The absence of helicopters in the hangar was simple; on one hand, they needed more space due to the multitude of items to be transported. On the other hand, the Sinai Peninsula was not suitable for helicopter use.
Leaving aside how unfriendly the desert environment was to helicopter engines, just considering the presence of dangerous elements in the desert made flying a civilian helicopter, thin-skinned and large-stuffed, perilous.
Most of the items in the hangar were for the upcoming expedition. Liang En quickly maneuvered around the boxes of assorted items, reaching the back of the hangar. Following Skoode's instructions, he moved a box and then used a password to open a small, secure room.
Inside the room were several wicker boxes made of wood. Opening one revealed five brand-new AKM rifles, each accompanied by the scent of gun oil.
This batch of gifts was crucial for the Copts, consisting of 20 AKM rifles, each with 600 rounds of ammunition.
According to Daniel's previous statements and Mr. Sthor's investigations, due to the unrest in the Sinai Peninsula, the Copts were permitted to establish organizations resembling militias or security forces.
However, despite having legal permits, due to the Copts' religious beliefs, it was challenging for them to find suitable weapons in Egypt.
After a brief discussion, Liang En and the others decided to purchase 20 rifles and corresponding ammunition as gifts for the Copts as a gesture of goodwill.
Of course, in addition to firearms, Liang En, after consulting with Daniel, prepared various daily necessities worth £10,000 as gifts.
The reason for this was that, after Liang En expressed his intention to come for excavation work, the Copts voluntarily collected various materials with inscriptions and patterns in their spare time.
Feeling the sincerity of the Copts, Liang En decided to prepare some gifts in return. After consulting with Daniel, he opted for purchasing supplies as gifts instead of providing cash directly.
Unlike the turbulent Atlantic with its fierce winds and high waves, the Mediterranean appeared calm. So, during these three days, most of the time was spent sunbathing on the deck and enjoying the services on the ship.
As everyone anticipated being busy in the coming days, taking advantage of this last bit of free time to relax was considered the accumulated experience of the group of professionals after multiple expeditions.
"To be honest, this feels much lighter than the last Atlantic expedition," Fan Meng said to Liang En while sunbathing. "Especially for newcomers prone to seasickness, the sea conditions here are much more friendly."
"You're right," Liang En agreed, recalling the less-than-pleasant experience of their previous boat journey.
Even though the two of them sailed along the coast of Canada last time, the rocking ship and the fishy smell inside the fishing boat left a bad impression.
The silver lining was that Liang En gained the card "Pirate of the Sea (R)" after that trip. This card would come in handy if they encountered similar problems in the future.
However, it seemed unnecessary for this sea voyage. At least, traveling in the calm waters of the Mediterranean on a luxury cruise provided an overall enjoyable experience, without the need to counter discomfort while on a boat with skills.
As everyone consciously relaxed on the ship, time passed quickly. Three days later, the ship smoothly entered the port of El-Tor and docked at the pre-arranged pier.
El-Tor was a small port city, with a relatively small water area in the harbor, but it was not deserted due to its location along the Red Sea coast.
As they disembarked and used the ship's crane to transport the vehicles to the pier, local customs officials quickly came to facilitate the clearance procedures.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, under Daniel's guidance, Liang En entered the office of the customs chief and began a conversation with the Egyptian official, who was evidently a Copt.
While the Copts were a minority in Egypt, they maintained their traditions tenaciously, driven by pride in their origins and a desire not to be assimilated by mainstream society.
Due to a constant sense of the risk of extinction, Copts worked harder than most Egyptians to attain wealth and status, recognizing that this was the true foundation for survival in modern society.
Their efforts paid off; although comprising only 10% of Egypt's population, the education level of the Copts was higher than the overall average. Many Copts received higher education, becoming highly qualified professionals, especially in fields like medicine, law, and engineering, where Copts had a significant representation exceeding their 10% share.
For instance, Egypt's wealthiest individual was a Copt, and before World War II, 40% of the landowners in Egypt were Copts. Even the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, was a Copt.
In addition to Copts residing in Egypt, those who migrated overseas achieved notable success in various countries. For example, Copts in the United States had the highest overall income among all ethnic groups.
However, their relatively affluent lifestyle often attracted envious glances, making them easy targets for public dissatisfaction, particularly during times of unrest.
Fortunately, in the decades after World War II, the world became more stable than before, allowing Copts to gradually find their place in this country. Now, individuals like the customs chief had risen to significant positions.
"Yes, indeed, some adventurers have arrived here recently," said the customs official, who was Daniel's distant uncle. After Daniel's negotiations, he quickly provided Liang En with some crucial information.
"Most of them, however, disguise themselves as tourists. But I can guarantee that those guys carrying a lot of luggage, driving into the desert, are definitely not regular tourists."
In comparison to the past when only a few tourist spots were open, the current situation had given illegal explorers opportunities to dig around everywhere.
Previously, during a state of emergency, anyone deviating from the roads or leaving tourist sites on the Sinai Peninsula could be arrested or even detained by the military.
More dangerously, due to the remnants of war, this area still had a significant number of landmines and unexploded bombs, which were only recently cleared with the help of the United Nations.
Now, as the overall situation in the Sinai Peninsula began to improve, those individuals eyeing treasures buried in this land naturally caught the scent of money, even earlier than most legitimate archaeologists.
--
Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 222 Unexpected Casualties
"My brothers informed me that recently there have been many suspicious individuals on their side, even mingling with those rebel guerrilla groups," the customs officer said, looking serious as he addressed Liang En and Daniel.
"So, when you go for the exploration this time, be cautious about your safety. I believe those individuals associating with the rebels are unlikely to be ordinary archaeologists."
"I even think that these people may resort to robbery or looting to obtain everything they want. In that case, you will be their biggest opponents."
"Understood. Thank you for the warning." After the official finished speaking, Liang En and Daniel nodded slightly in gratitude and left the office.
Over an hour later, they completed unloading, and the entire team, driving five specially modified large off-road RVs, entered a desert bathed in golden sunlight.
The road had obviously been recently repaired, making it quite smooth overall. Following this road, Liang En's convoy headed rapidly in the northeast direction.
"Our village is one of the oldest on the entire Sinai Peninsula. Although life may be a bit tough, it's due to our remote location that we've been able to preserve our faith and civilization."
On the way, Daniel began introducing Liang En and the others to the situation of his ethnic group and village. As the oldest settlers in the region, these Copts had a knowledge of the area even surpassing the official Egyptian authorities.
For Liang En, this was very fortunate, as outsiders receiving help from the local natives often made tasks much more manageable.
The journey to Daniel's village was mostly uneventful, with only yellow hills and undulating small mounds in sight. If not for occasional road signs and passing gas stations or rest areas, they wouldn't have noticed the change in scenery.
Fortunately, in the last stretch of the journey, the monotonous desert gave way to lush greenery. Sparse bushes and messy bird-nest-like thickets appeared on the ground, gradually transitioning into tall date palms as they continued forward.
"We've arrived." Daniel seemed excited, having not been home for several years due to cost-cutting. Seeing his hometown naturally brought some excitement.
At this moment, the entire convoy turned over a small hill, revealing a person sitting on a two-wheeled cart, whipping the donkey harnessed in front.
"Uncle Abraham." Since the village was now visible to the naked eye, the entire convoy slowed down, and Daniel, sitting in the co-driver's seat, immediately recognized the person driving the cart, waving in greeting.
"Ah, young Daniel is back." Hearing the shout, the middle-aged man on the donkey cart looked over, recognizing Daniel sitting in the car after a moment.
"Hurry back and take a look. Your uncle got injured earlier, and now everyone is discussing what to do next." After the greeting, the man spoke nervously as if recalling something.
Soon, the entire convoy entered the village, stopping in an open space. Liang En, Daniel, and a few others, along with the team's doctor, quickly followed Daniel along a small path to a not-so-luxurious yard.
Entering the yard, a middle-aged woman came out and embraced Daniel. Understanding Arabic, Liang En learned that this woman was Daniel's mother.
After a brief introduction of Liang En's group, they all went to a room on the left side of the main house. When the door curtain was lifted, a strong smell of blood wafted through.
"What exactly happened?" As the accompanying doctor examined the wound on the injured man's leg lying on the bed, Liang En quietly asked Daniel.
"You know, recently everyone has been searching for the ancient Egyptian relics around here. My uncle took the opportunity while tending sheep to look for carvings on cliffs."
After Liang En's inquiry, Daniel quickly communicated with his mother and then spoke in English to the people present, recounting the events that had occurred.
"Because my uncle is a shepherd, he knows some things ordinary people don't. So when he heard you guys were coming, he specifically took his phone to capture images of carvings not known to the general public."
"But unfortunately, that carving site is quite far from our village. So when he went there this morning, he encountered the rebel guerrilla group."
"The guerrillas managed to get so close to the village!" Hearing Daniel's words, Fan Meng immediately became tense.
"This is not the norm," Daniel quickly explained. "Although our militia is not well-equipped, the Coptic people are very united, so those rebels often don't come close to our village."
At this moment, the injured man lying on the bed suddenly spoke up. Although he had a heavy accent, Liang En could discern from the man's narrative the reason the guerrilla group had approached the village.
According to the injured man, he was attacked on the way to the carving site. The reason for the attack was that these rebels had been hired by some antiquities looting organization.
"They mistook me for a local shepherd coming out to graze sheep, so they shot my leg at close range as a warning, telling the surrounding villages not to approach the location they are currently at."
"But they didn't know that in my younger days, I worked as a doorman at the Cairo Hilton Hotel and understood English. So, I overheard their radio communication, notifying an illegal excavation team nearby that they had only encountered a local shepherd from the surrounding villages and not unexpected individuals."
"Please, no more talking." Looking at the injured man, Liang En signaled him to be quiet in Arabic, then turned to the doctor. "How is he now?"
"Not too bad. The bullet penetrated his thigh at close range, so it didn't cause a massive cavity inside, avoiding damage to major blood vessels and bones," the accompanying doctor said, adjusting his glasses.
"But the medical conditions here are too poor. Although they temporarily disinfected the wound with sulfur and alcohol, if it's not quickly taken to a hospital for treatment, there's a high risk of infection."
"But going to the hospital for this kind of wound would cost at least 75,000 Egyptian pounds, which neither my uncle nor our family can afford at the moment," Daniel whispered.
"Anyway, our family has had conflicts with those rebel groups around here. So, this isn't the first time we've encountered gunshot wounds. I think resting at home for a while should help."
--
Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 223: Suspicious Locations
Liang En realized he should have thought of this earlier. After all, Daniel, willing to endure malnutrition in London just to save money for solar panels for his hometown, should have considered the economic conditions of this place as less than optimistic.
"The nearest proper hospital should be in Shamshayek to the south," Liang En first approached Jeanne d'Arc and said a few words, then turned to Daniel.
"Since your uncle got injured while serving me, I'll cover the medical expenses. I'll have the driver take your uncle there shortly."
At that moment, Jeanne, who had just left on Liang En's orders, rushed in from outside, holding an envelope.
Liang En had considered the Sinai Peninsula to be relatively desolate, with few occasions for using credit cards or wireless payments. Thus, he had exchanged Euros specifically for such situations, and it seemed it came in handy now.
"This is 5000. Now find someone to accompany your uncle for treatment," Liang En handed the envelope containing 5000 to Daniel.
"Thank you!" Daniel knew it wasn't the time to be modest, so he expressed his gratitude first, then rushed out of the room, calling a few people to carry his uncle to the beat-up off-road vehicle waiting in the yard.
Following that, two young individuals who seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen years old came running from the side to express their thanks to Liang En. They, along with another middle-aged person, then drove away from the village.
After the car left, Daniel's family and Liang En began chatting. The conversation mainly revolved around the nearby ancient Egyptian ruins and the activities of the active rebels.
However, during the conversation, Liang En noticed that Daniel's family would occasionally glance at the phone placed beside them, indicating their concern for Daniel's uncle's current situation.
In the midst of the conversation, people came in intermittently to express condolences to Daniel's family. They also handed over samples and photos they had collected, all bearing traces related to ancient humans.
Finally, a little over an hour into the conversation, Daniel's father's phone rang. A young voice came from the other end.
"Uncle, my father's condition has stabilized now. The doctor said although there is some infection in the wound and some muscles are torn, timely medical attention will cure it, and it won't affect his mobility in the future."
"That's excellent news." Daniel's father smiled, visibly relaxing. It seemed he had been genuinely concerned about his cousin.
"Thank you so much," Daniel, turning his head, looked at Liang En and expressed his gratitude seriously. "Thanks to you, my uncle can fully recover in the future."
"No problem, as I said before, it's what I should do." Liang En smiled, waving his hand. "Now, let's continue discussing matters related to those rebels."
"Calling them rebels is a bit generous; they're more like a group of bandits." Having set aside the worries about his uncle, Daniel began translating some information about what his father knew.
"Though initially, these people may have had some kind of ideology, after years of chaos, they have completely degenerated into a group of bandits."
"They dare not attack our village directly, but they ambush people on the outskirts. Several villages around us have experienced cases of livestock being stolen, people being kidnapped, and even murders."
"Can you tell us more about the background of the current group operating in the vicinity?" Mr. Skoode asked with interest. "If we have detailed information, we can make more targeted arrangements."
Earlier, when Liang En learned about the rebel activity in the vicinity, he suggested that Mr. Skoode should leave. However, Mr. Skoode insisted that half of the people he brought were security personnel, ensuring their safety.
Having experienced various armed conflicts in his adventurous career, Mr. Skoode believed he had more experience in this regard than Liang En.
"You know, the Sinai Peninsula was in turmoil for a long time in the past, and all sides of the war would hire people for their services. However, with peace prevailing in this land now, those individuals had to find their own way to survive," Daniel explained to Liang En and the others.
"Most people here chose to return to their original civilian lives. For example, some in our village did that. But there's still a portion whose minds were twisted by war, turning them into bandits roaming the desert."
"For instance, the bandits my uncle encountered earlier were likely those operating in the desert. It seems they derive their income not only from robbing us but also smuggling artifacts—"
Daniel made this judgment because, for illegal excavators who came here, the bandits they could hire had to be very familiar; otherwise, they risked getting scammed.
"So, can you make a specific assessment of the situation of these bandits? Their personnel, weapons, habits, anything would help," Liang En further inquired. "For example, if they're using more than ten people in the area, their options for hiding places would be limited. Considering the scarce water sources nearby, only a few places could sustain them for extended periods."
"This is hard to judge because the two who attacked my uncle earlier had their heads covered with a piece of cloth, so we couldn't recognize their identities at all," Daniel shook his head.
Such an answer naturally left Liang En and the others feeling somewhat frustrated, as it meant the enemy was operating in the shadows while they were in the open. Fortunately, Daniel soon thought of something related to this.
"But if the number of people the enemy has operating in this area exceeds ten, then their choices for locations are limited. After all, the water sources nearby are very scarce, so only a few places could meet their needs for long-term activity."
Daniel took out a nearby map and, while talking, drew and wrote on it, explaining the specific situations of those locations to Liang En.
"—This place has a valuable freshwater well, but it usually has a lot of people coming and going. Therefore, the enemy may disguise themselves as occasional merchants getting water at this location."
"And this place is a salt marsh. Normally, almost no one goes there." After introducing the first location, Daniel pointed to another place.
"But considering the enemy are outsiders here for illegal excavation, they might carry certain dilution equipment and take advantage of people's cognitive blind spots to hide in this place—"
Following that, Daniel listed a total of 11 suspicious locations in the surrounding area, spread across a vast area ranging from 5km to 37km from Daniel's village.
As for places farther away, the possibility was low. After all, when Daniel's uncle noticed them, they only had one camel behind them. Two people riding a single camel in the desert couldn't have gone too far.
With this information, Liang En equipped his three crows with miniature cameras and released them, preparing to observe the locations Daniel mentioned earlier.
--
Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 224: Unexpected Adversary
On the way here, Liang En kept boasting about the excellence of his three ravens. These three birds had previously showcased some of their abilities on a certain online program, but others still doubted whether these city-bred creatures were suitable for wilderness operations.
Therefore, after releasing the ravens, everyone gathered to discuss how to investigate those locations. Daniel suggested mobilizing people from nearby villages to join the search.
"It's too dangerous," Liang En shook his head. "The opponents have quite a few bandits, always ready to shoot. Going there is too risky."
"We're not afraid of risks," Daniel smiled bitterly. "Unlike the Copts in the city, our lives here are not easy."
"Especially with the various conflicts before, severely disrupting our lives. To prevent ambushes, we had to allocate a large number of personnel for defense, reducing income from sheep and camel breeding."
"Although peace has now come to this land, the lingering problems continue to affect us. So, for us, we are willing to take certain risks to increase our income."
"One of those big birds has returned." While Daniel explained the situation, a young man outside suddenly shouted. It turned out that at this moment, one of the ravens assigned to investigate the recent points of interest had completed its task and returned.
"Before discussing whether to send people, let's see if my little friends brought back any valuable information in their photos," Liang En said, taking a miniature camera from the raven's neck and connecting it to the computer.
"This is incredibly clear," Daniel exclaimed as he looked at the photos downloaded from the camera. The pictures were much better than he had imagined.
Previously, he had thought that, intelligent as these ravens might be, their abilities were limited. However, with the addition of GPS-equipped cameras, the photos taken by the ravens at the destination were indeed valuable.
"It seems that the opponents are not stationed at these locations." After a simple analysis of the photos, both Daniel's father and the security personnel who came with Liang En made the same judgment.
Although they didn't find the exact location of the group, everyone's morale was suddenly boosted. From the photos brought back by the first raven, it was clear that they were capable of observation.
Indeed, when the second raven returned, they found some traces of a large group of outsiders in the second batch of photos.
"This place is not right." At that moment, they were looking at three photos taken in a dry riverbed. In one photo capturing a cliff, Daniel's father noticed something unusual.
"If I remember correctly, this dry riverbed is usually devoid of people due to its remote location, difficult access, and the desolate surroundings. But now, you can clearly see tire tracks on the cliff edge."
"It can be confirmed that these tire tracks are left by the Taula heavy truck, a type not driven by locals." A security personnel quickly analyzed the photos.
"Judging by the clarity of the tire tracks and other traces in the photos, the vehicle that left these tracks passed through here not more than a week ago. It's very likely our current target."
"Can you have these birds reconnoiter this place again?" After a simple analysis, the security personnel turned to Liang En and asked, "This single photo doesn't reveal much information."
"They need some rest, so the next mission might have to wait until nightfall," Liang En said, cutting the chicken a child had handed him into thin strips to feed the two returning ravens. "Ravens and most birds are different; they can operate at night. So, they can go out after dark, equipped with larger infrared cameras to search this point."
After another forty minutes, the last raven successfully returned. However, like the first raven, it didn't bring any suspicious information.
Now that the suspicious locations were identified, the next step was to see how the nighttime reconnaissance of the only suspicious location would unfold.
While waiting for nightfall, Liang En and Mr. Skoode began examining various items and photos brought by the villagers, trying to filter out valuable information.
"Look at this, this graffiti looks interesting. Do you think it's useful for us?" After looking at the computer screen for a while, Mr. Skoode suddenly exclaimed with excitement.
Hearing the excitement in the other's voice, Liang En immediately approached. On his screen, he saw a very simple graffiti depicting two Egyptian long-horned cattle carrying two sacks on their backs, with someone seemingly shouting behind them.
The more valuable content was a line of very blurry text below the drawing.
"By... order... mine... go to Memphis." Liang En translated the readable text, but unfortunately, due to extensive weathering, only about half of the sentence was discernible.
Nevertheless, even with this limited information, Liang En could make some rough deductions. For example, with the words "mine" and "Memphis" paired with the graffiti, it could be inferred that these items were left by people transporting locally mined goods to the capital.
"Let me see where this is—" Liang En quickly pulled up the location where this photo was taken and marked it on the map depicting the surrounding area.
To his surprise, after marking the location, he found that the site of the ancient graffiti was in the dry river valley. Moreover, it was downstream from the valley where the ravens had previously discovered something unexpected.
If he guessed correctly, the mine from that time should be located in the upstream area of these dried-up river valleys. Workers would transport the mined ore along the flat bottom of the valley to the seaside, and then ship it back to mainland Egypt by boat.
Due to the presence of the Nile River, the ancient Egyptians were adept at using ships to transport various items, people, or fish from the very birth of their civilization.
Although it was challenging for boats made directly from woven papyrus or paper ropes tied to wooden boards to cross the Red Sea, a calm and shallow inner sea, they could still return to the capital along the coast from the west side of the Sinai Peninsula.
Therefore, for the ancient Egyptians who needed to transport heavy ore, besides a small amount of precious ore transported by overland trade routes, most of the goods were transported by a combination of land and water.
This graffiti allowed Liang En and his team to roughly confirm that there might be ancient Egyptian ruins in this river valley. Even the group of looters might have gone there to excavate something they didn't know about.
--
Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 225: Banquet and Investigation
As honored guests in the village, Liang En and his companions enjoyed a dinner that was exceptionally lavish considering the local conditions. To entertain them, the hosts even prepared some pork-filled pies.
Raising pigs in the desert is no easy task, and for the Copts, raising and consuming pork is a significant way to distinguish themselves from mainstream Egyptian culture.
The dining habits of these Coptic people were somewhat similar to those in certain rural areas of China. When there were esteemed guests in the village, everyone would gather for a communal meal.
As they were finishing their meal, Liang En noticed several children walking around him, their faces showing a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Is there something you'd like to discuss?" Liang En waved to the children with a friendly smile and inquired.
"My father told me that you are a group of very powerful scholars who can find ancient civilizations buried under the yellow sands nearby. Is that true?"
Seeing Liang En wave at them and flash a friendly smile, the lead boy, around ten years old, approached cautiously and asked in Arabic.
"I'm just someone who has achieved a bit in the field of history, not as impressive as your father thinks." Liang En smiled at the children.
"But thanks to your help earlier, we did find some clues. Perhaps we could discover remnants related to ancient Egypt nearby—"
"Oh, that's great!" As Liang En was speaking, the children cheered. At this moment, the leading boy explained to Liang En why they were so excited.
Although this village of Copts was somewhat secluded, their education was rigorous. Moreover, the Copts considered themselves direct descendants of ancient Egyptians, so these children naturally had some knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Living in a country where a famous scenic area was less than 100 km to the south, these children, who often sold drinks and snacks to tourists with their parents, understood the benefits of a landmark for the local people.
"Please rest assured, we will do our best to find it." After the young boy explained, Liang En patted his shoulder like an adult and said seriously while looking into his eyes.
"I can assure you, as long as there might be such a relic around your village, we will find a way to uncover it."
"It seems we have another reason to find the nearby relics," Mr. Skoode, who had been listening to the situation, said as he approached.
"To be honest, I have conducted many excavations before, but none of them gave me a sense of mission like today."
"Yeah, I never thought about how our pursuit of ancient relics could bring positive changes to an area." Liang En nodded. "But now I understand."
After dinner, as the night fell and the ravens were well-rested and satisfied, each took off equipped with regular cameras, infrared cameras, and recording pens, heading towards the target location 11 kilometers away.
The size of the infrared cameras was quite large, resembling a handheld flashlight. If Liang En's ravens hadn't grown to a length of 70 cm with a wingspan exceeding 1 m, they might have struggled to carry them.
"We should prepare." Liang En said to the others as he watched his ravens fly into the darkness. "Once my ravens find something valuable, we may need to act overnight."
Realizing that the local armed groups and looters, fallen into banditry, comprised the opposing force, Liang En knew that this matter might require a violent solution.
After all, the territory these bandits occupied was the location Liang En and his team were preparing to search next. Considering the habits of these people, they were unlikely to negotiate or cooperate in developing historical relics.
For these illegal diggers, they would undoubtedly take away anything valuable and destroy what they couldn't take, maintaining the supposed rarity of the loot and leaving behind worthless remains.
Therefore, time was of the essence for Liang En and his team. They had to completely expel the opposing force before they found the relics and took action. This was the only way to prevent a catastrophe for these historical sites.
To ensure the precision of the reconnaissance, Liang En, using the GPS on one of the ravens, connected his soul to it and controlled it to start the search.
Just five minutes later, he saw through the raven's eyes a seemingly artificial light in a valley not far away. According to the information he had received earlier, there should be no human activity in that area.
Sure enough, as the ravens approached the side of the valley, they saw a camp consisting of four RVs, a heavy-duty truck, and two off-road jeeps. Several people with guns were walking around the camp, and not far from them, there was a sizable pit dug in the ground.
Even though there were no people currently excavating inside, Liang En immediately recognized that the group was digging up an ancient relic.
Perhaps due to the desolation of the area or the confidence of the looters and their backers, the camp had no light control measures.
However, if it weren't for Liang En and his group suddenly appearing, the local Coptic people would likely have only defended their homes after being intimidated. They wouldn't have thought of launching an offensive.
After all, the Coptic militia was spread across a dozen villages, totaling just over 120 people with 15 guns and insufficient training. Holding onto their homes was already a significant achievement.
As for the local official forces, whether or not they had been bought off by some hidden power, judging from their usual efficiency, by the time they reacted, the looters would have long disappeared.
Now, this confidence gave Liang En a good opportunity. He controlled the ravens to bypass the sentinels in the dark and quietly approached the vehicles arranged in a circle by the looters.
Perhaps thinking the external perimeter was strong enough, or the location remote enough, these people clearly had little guard. They were all gathered around a campfire, drinking and relaxing.
"Why are there so many women in this group of looters?" As the raven stealthily approached the underside of the vehicles, Liang En, using its vision in the blind spots of the looters, slowly noticed something unusual.
After all, the tasks of looters usually involved heavy physical labor, an area where women naturally lagged behind. Moreover, in criminal organizations like this, the number and ratio of men were typically higher than that of women.
"This is unbelievable—"
When the distance between the two sides shortened to less than 10 meters, the raven, poking its head out from behind the wheels, saw that several women had iron chains tied around their ankles.
--
Table of content - Next Chapter