"What did you just mean by that?" Uncle Diao snapped back to the present, pulling himself from the surge of emotion.

"Twelve years ago, the tour expedition went to the Golden Ancient City for archaeology. Weren't you leading the team?" Wang Feifei's expression had also settled into calmness.

The moment Wang Feifei uttered those words, Young Master Liu saw Uncle Diao's entire body tremble slightly, his tension immediately returning; cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

"What is the meaning of this?" Uncle Diao managed to force out the phrase with great effort.

Upon hearing this, Wang Feifei frowned, seeming unconvinced by Uncle Diao's denial.

Young Master Liu, feeling sidelined and useless standing there, couldn't help but feel a bit glum: "You two are playing games of suspicion—what exactly is going on? Uncle Diao, you’ve been to the Golden Ancient City?"

"This little girl is lying! I haven't even set foot in the desert a single time in my life, so how could I have been to the Golden Ancient City?" Uncle Diao explained to Young Master Liu.

"Master Diao, please stop denying it. I am a senior executive at tour. Whether you have entered this desert or not, I know perfectly well. Moreover, I have solid proof." With that, Wang Feifei pulled out a photograph and laid it before both Young Master Liu and Uncle Diao.

It was a yellowed, black-and-white photo, not laminated, its contents blurry, but it clearly appeared to be a group picture of an archaeological team. Since archaeological teams always take commemorative photos upon arrival, Young Master Liu recognized it immediately.

The figures in the photo were mostly indistinct, with only the four people in the center allowing for a faint recognition of their features. In the background, dimly visible, was a cluster of triangular shapes—shapes Young Master Liu had seen just days ago and was familiar with: the symbol of the Taklamakan Desert, the "Sand Pyramids."

Young Master Liu pondered for a moment, then flicked on the flashlight in his hand, shining the beam onto the photograph, hoping for clearer visibility.

Indeed, it worked. As the beam of Young Master Liu's flashlight hit the picture, the appearance of the four figures in the middle sharpened considerably.

Young Master Liu stared intently, gasped in surprise, and involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. The figure standing dead center among the four in the photo was none other than Uncle Diao. To his left crouched a man and a woman; the man was quite handsome, but the woman's face was severely blurred. It seemed Young Master Liu's initial assessment was wrong; only three faces were clearly distinguishable. Even so, he could make out that both the man and woman were Chinese, and their relationship seemed distinctly intimate.

To Uncle Diao's right crouched a French man, who bore a slight resemblance to Jackson.

Seeing this, a cold sweat broke out on Young Master Liu's brow. Uncle Diao had clearly been to the Taklamakan Desert; why was he denying it? Yet, the tone in which he answered Wang Feifei didn't sound like a lie. What on earth was happening? Young Master Liu’s mind raced into chaos, feeling as if it might explode from the pressure.

Young Master Liu turned back to look at Uncle Diao, whose reading glasses had fallen onto the floor, his face a mask of disbelief as he stared fixedly at the photograph. For a long time, not a single word could be forced from his lips.

"Feifei, what exactly is going on here?" Young Master Liu asked, trying his best to remain composed.

Wang Feifei paused, then pointed a finger at the couple in the photo: "These are my mom and dad." She then pointed to the French man: "This is Jackson's father."

Hearing this, Young Master Liu's heart leaped again, his surprise escalating. He distinctly remembered Feifei telling him that her parents disappeared while excavating the Golden Ancient City, along with a Chinese Feng Shui master. Now it seemed the Chinese Feng Shui master she mentioned was Uncle Diao. If that were the case, Uncle Diao should have met the same fate as Feifei's parents; how was he standing alive before them now?

Thinking this, Young Master Liu glanced at Uncle Diao, who was still lost in a daze. The surprise Young Master Liu felt was now replaced by a creeping sense of dread. Looking at Uncle Diao, he couldn't help but shiver.

"Feifei, can you explain things a bit more clearly?" Young Master Liu asked Wang Feifei.

Wang Feifei nodded and said, "I don't know much either. This archaeological operation was sealed off by the company until my father's body was discovered. Only after his body was found were the company directors suddenly urging everyone to return to the Golden Ancient City. Ten years ago, the tour expedition collaborated with a joint venture company from China for the excavation. The key figures then were Master Diao, Jackson's father, and my parents. Something happened between them—my parents and Master Diao disappeared—so that entire expedition was called off. Jackson's father and my father were deep friends; he took care of me after my parents vanished."

After Wang Feifei finished her account, Young Master Liu nodded, beginning to mull things over. Since the tour expedition had sealed off that excavation, why were they now being urged to enter again? Furthermore, Young Master Liu knew Uncle Diao's character well; he was a man who took responsibility for his actions. He would never deny having been to this desert if he had, nor did he have any reason to lie now. Could this be connected to his earlier mention of needing to "clarify one thing," which caused him to lie?

"Master Diao, whatever happened back then, please just tell us!" Wang Feifei pleaded softly.

Uncle Diao had finally pulled himself out of his stupor. "Miss Wang, this is not the time to speak," he said, casting a subtle glance toward the group of people facing them.

Wang Feifei was sharp enough to grasp the meaning behind Uncle Diao's maneuver. "Then, what is the situation now?" she asked.

"I'll make arrangements," Uncle Diao replied, walking toward the crowd. Young Master Liu and Wang Feifei exchanged a look, remained silent, and followed him.

Arriving before the group, Uncle Diao spoke with a tone of command: "Everyone has been working hard all night. Rest where you are now. We will resume work after we've reorganized."

As Uncle Diao gave the order, Old Wu immediately started shouting, and everyone began setting up camp.

Uncle Diao and his people’s gear was not lacking; though not as refined as the others', it was plentiful and varied. In no time, the entire tomb chamber had been transformed into a makeshift outdoor canteen.

Fan Debiao and Jackson were ecstatic, singing mountain ballads as they rounded up Wang Zhicai, Kelama, and Lin Miaoke to join them.

Truthfully, Young Master Liu hadn't eaten anything for a day and a night. Seeing this 'canteen' instantly whetted his appetite. At this point, he stopped worrying about other matters; filling his stomach was the priority.

Young Master Liu, Wang Feifei, and Uncle Diao joined the impromptu feast, eating without restraint.

Fan Debiao, Jackson, and Old Wu were the most unrestrained, drinking from beer bottles for a long time despite only having just met.

After he was full, Young Master Liu began making small talk with Wang Feifei. It was then he noticed the person who had sparred with Fan Debiao earlier—the man currently wrapped up like a tamale. This individual seemed to be one of the quiet type; while the others had been celebrating wildly, he had spent ages just staring into the campfire.