The two returned to the hotel parking lot, Zhang Zheng gestured to Luo Zheng to wait a mont while he went to the bank next door to withdraw so cash, handed it to Luo Zheng, and said, "I'll go back and pack up to seek asylum at the embassy, just follow your instructions and make sure not to expose myself. Take the car; I won't need it anymore. You can use this money to grease the wheels on the road. According to the rules, each checkpoint requires a hundred ters of gold. Here, gold is hard currency, very valuable, and the checkpoint people love it; a hundred is equivalent to a month's inco for them, enough to buy many things. Once they have the money, they won't give you a hard ti."
Luo Zheng looked deeply at the other person. This guy, though timid and afraid of death, was slick and handled things thoroughly, making him quite a talent. So he said, "Go back and tell the group the car was requisitioned by , and I also asked for this money. The higher-ups won't bla you; they'll reward you. Trust , you better hurry up and get out of it. The rest is not sothing you can be involved in."
"Understood, I won't ask more, and don't tell either. It's the way of the world; the more you know, the faster you die. Let's part here. If we et again, I'll buy you a drink." Zhang Zheng's face turned serious as he spoke earnestly, looking deeply at Luo Zheng before turning and quickly leaving.
After getting off the car, Luo Zheng went to the guest room and called Ghost Hand and Madela over, briefly explaining the situation. Upon hearing that they got the transit pass, the two felt relieved. Luo Zheng took out the parchnt, laid it flat on the table, but found only one line of text and a peculiar symbol. There was a circle in the middle, surrounded by tadpole-like things. Luo Zheng couldn't understand it, and Ghost Hand shook his head. Madela glanced several tis and also shook his head, saying, "Can't understand it; it seems like so tribal symbol or soone's mark."
"Can you read the words on it?" Ghost Hand curiously asked.
"The words are fine; it says we are jewelry buyers and requests passage and reception along the way," Madela explained.
"As long as the words are fine, it's okay. That symbol might be Mumu's unique sign; ordinary people cannot forge this; it's too peculiar. The car is downstairs; we'll set off overnight and expect to enter the eastern tribal territory by tomorrow morning. You two okay with that?" Luo Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and asked.
"No problem for ." Ghost Hand was eager to get there early, so naturally, there was no issue.
"I'm good too; if I wear a silicone mask, they won't recognize . I'll try not to speak to avoid exposure. Let's pack up and go." Madela also wanted to rescue people quickly and urged.
Everyone packed up, carried their luggage downstairs in a hurry, and got in the car. Ghost Hand drove, Luo Zheng sat in the passenger seat, while Madela sat in the back. They wore sunglasses and used scarves to cover their faces to minimize exposure as much as possible, heading east quickly.
On the road, Ghost Hand activated the signal, connecting with Lan Xing through the earpiece to get satellite support, taking shortcuts and speeding. Everyone took turns driving, resting the person rather than the car. The night passed quickly, and at dawn, Luo Zheng sat quietly in the driver's seat, watching the rising sun with its soft and warm rays spreading over the surrounding mountains.
The mountains showed slight desertification, with no tall trees growing, not even shrubs, just low, withered grass and sandy soil. The colors were monotonous, and the surroundings were desolate. Ahead lay only a dirt road, but it's still passable. Everyone knew that soon they'd reach a certain tribe's territory.
Driving forward for over ten minutes, they encountered a makeshift checkpoint, with over a dozen locals ard standing on the road. A simple intercepting bar made of trees was set up in front, alongside a rudintary wooden house with soone inside smoking.
Seeing others approaching, these ard personnel cocked their rifles to aim, neither stepping forward nor shouting. Luo Zheng parked the car and glanced at Ghost Hand, who understood, holding the transit pass and a hundred ters of gold, got out of the car, slightly raising his hand to indicate no hostility, while walking forward.
The person in the rudintary wooden house ca out, stretched his neck, adjusted his clothes more straight, spat to the side, and cautiously walked towards Ghost Hand. His triangular eyes narrowed slightly, with a full beard and a pistol, he used a harsh international lingua franca to shout: "Stop."
Ghost Hand cooperatively stopped; the person surveyed Ghost Hand cautiously and, perhaps sensing no hostility, walked up, seized the transit pass from Ghost Hand's hand, stepped back a few paces, opened it, glanced a few tis, looked at Ghost Hand in disbelief. Ghost Hand quickly handed over the hundred ters gold.
The other party accepted the hundred ters gold, showing a satisfied smile, handed the parchnt back to Ghost Hand, impatiently waved to signal others to let them pass. Ghost Hand rejoiced, hurried back to the car, and Luo Zheng started the car to rush forward, successfully passing the checkpoint. Ghost Hand said with relief, "Zhang Zheng is still decent; he didn't cheat us. We indeed passed smoothly; these guys acknowledge money but not people."
"That's because we have the transit pass; otherwise, you'd never get through. I heard from Zhang Zheng that without the transit pass, you can't move an inch in this area, even with money. Eastern tribes are nurous; although they internally wage war and battle, they have one thing in common: any businessman with a transit pass won't be offended, they are welcod," Luo Zheng also said with relief, smiling.
"With so many tribes, who do we buy from and who don't we buy from? Will other tribes have no issues?" Ghost Hand curiously asked.
"I don't know about this either; let's ask Madela." Luo Zheng said with a smile.
Ghost Hand then explained the question to Madela in the international lingua franca, and Madela laughed: "It's not complicated; it is true that there are many tribes, but each tribe has its familiar buyers; they'll invite buyers to visit. Everyone does this; who knows who invited us to the door? As long as along the way the bribes are handled well, there won't be trouble; otherwise, it's like being hostile to another tribe."
"You make a lot of sense. Everyone has their invitees; if they interfere, the business can't be done. The tribes nearest the entrances have the advantage, setting up checkpoints; whoever cos by gets forced sales, rendering tribes within the mountains unable to live. It seems everywhere needs to consider balance; if this balance is broken, for example by being attacked by all other tribes, then it's a good thing; we can exploit the gap and go directly to Kanbus." Ghost Hand said with relief, rembering three years ago, they went in naive, recklessly rushing in, and faced continuous ambushes without knowing the reason.
Upon hearing Madela's explanation, Luo Zheng also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and soon contacted Lan Xing through the earpiece. This country being poor and chaotic ant there was no worry about satellite signals being monitored. Once connected, he asked, "Help us check how long it will take to get there."
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