"We fled from here back then. The enemies from The Mummy, Imhotep and his legion of undead priests! We were incredibly lucky to escape all the way here. You have no idea how terrifying the situation was.

That long street was absolutely jammed with the zombies Imhotep had summoned. We managed to hijack a bus and just drove like mad out of the city. You wouldn't believe it; our ammunition was almost completely depleted. That was true misery.

When we finally reached this spot, it was purely down to my own and Zhao Yingkong's melee skills that we barely made it through. See that rock formation kicking up dust over there? Hahaha! I can’t believe that rock is still standing!

The bus actually flew over that rock, leaped across the river, and landed right on a massive ferry! Hahaha!" Zheng Zha kept chattering away to Chu Xuan the entire journey. If he had previously harbored significant grievances about Chu Xuan's callous disregard for human life, hearing about Chu Xuan's past had shifted his perspective entirely. He now felt this man was truly deserving of sympathy—though perhaps ‘sympathy’ was an insult to someone so powerful.

It was more akin to pity, perhaps, stemming from the man’s complete lack of desire for anything, save for that faint whisper of wanting to possess feeling and desire. More often, Chu Xuan simply forced himself to do things or compelled himself to acquire more knowledge, for him. Perhaps the attainment of new knowledge, or the slight anticipation of what changes the fourth stage of the Gene Lock unlock might bring. "Foolish." After listening to Zheng Zha's account, Chu Xuan stated flatly, "Did it really need to be that difficult?

Based on the mission parameters you told me, you had absolutely no conflict with Imhotep before he knew you intended to kill him. In other words, even if you had passed right in front of him at that moment, he would have had no reason to attack you without provocation, right?" "His target then was strictly the Americans. So. Why didn't you simply let the Americans draw his attention and flee in the opposite direction?

While you were at it, why not rig their vehicles with explosives? Imhotep hadn't fully recovered his magical power yet! By destroying their vehicles, you could have obliterated the Americans along with Imhotep simultaneously. First, it would have taken him a long time to recover, and second, absorbing all those shattered pieces of flesh and blood would have consumed significant time as well.

Wouldn't that have made your escape much easier?" His tone was level, as if discussing what to have for dinner, yet he was calmly detailing a savage plan involving dismembering people, seemingly oblivious to the brutality of his own suggestion. (This truly is Chu Xuan’s style—devoid of emotion, focused solely on the purest combat strategy. Everything is designed for the highest probability of victory.) Zheng Zha pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket with a wry smile, lit one, took a drag, and then said, "While that's true in theory, how could we simply abandon people in that situation? They were plot characters!

We still needed O'Connell and the others to dig up the Book of Thoth. If we made them wary, or worse, if they turned their weapons on us, how do you think we would have managed to bury Imhotep afterward?" Chu Xuan replied instantly, "At that point, you should have knocked them out and used the opportunity to deal with those few Americans—" Zheng Zha quickly wiped sweat from his forehead and cut him off, "Stop, stop! We're here to fish today, not debate how to carve up bodies! Take your rod." With that, Zheng Zha practically fled toward the small boat docking area, while Chu Xuan stood silently holding his fishing rod.

Money talks. A sizable stack of British pounds made quick work of securing a relatively decent little yacht. The middle-aged Caucasian man piloting the vessel seemed quite surprised to see two Asian men renting a yacht for fishing, but the solid pounds stuffed in his pocket spoke louder than his surprise, so he kept quiet and steered them upriver on the Nile. "The water here is nearly ruined.

There are several textile mills and other factories just downstream from Kiro. They dump all sorts of sewage right into the river. The Nile isn't as clear as it was ten years ago," the middle-aged man grumbled, quite loquacious, as he continued, "Go further upstream; you can still hook Nile Perch weighing forty or fifty pounds up there. Hahaha!" Zheng Zha made small talk with the captain while Chu Xuan meticulously inspected his rod and hooks.

After traveling for more than half an hour, they both baited their hooks. Zheng Zha cast his line out first. "You've never fished before? Haha!

I used to go fishing frequently with colleagues from the company. I'd say my angling skills are top-notch." Chu Xuan cast his hook, then stated calmly without turning around, "I have never fished, true. But I read rough descriptions in a few books. Outside the military base, there was only lawn.

If I wanted to fish, I'd have to go far beyond the base perimeter. Applying for leave from the Gene was extremely troublesome, and fishing held no practical significance; nets or other methods could catch fish far more easily. Thus, I never practiced the methods described in those books." Zheng Zha laughed heartily, "What a shame! Today I'll show you why people call me the Fishing Prince—" Before Zheng Zha could finish, Chu Xuan suddenly flicked his hands upward gently, and a silvery-blue fish landed neatly on the deck.

The fish flopped around, but the white captain reacted fastest, snatching it up, removing the hook, and tossing it into a bucket. He roared with laughter, "Good heavens, a massive tilapia! You two are in for a treat today!" Chu Xuan calmly reeled in his hook and slowly re-baited it. Zheng Zha's mouth twitched; he chuckled, "Just watch.

I wasn't bragging; people call me the Fishing Prince because I'm never the first one to hook a fish, but my technique—" Chu Xuan had barely cast his line a short distance when Zheng Zha’s sentence was interrupted by Chu Xuan yanking back sharply, and another fish landed on the deck. "Hahaha, boys, that’s an African lungfish! What a monster! That’s getting rare!" The white captain's voice boomed again.

Zheng Zha’s mouth hung open slightly. He muttered in a quieter voice, "My fishing skills aren't a boast. While I might not catch the fastest or the most, I usually land the massive specimens that everyone else misses." Chu Xuan pulled back hard, hauling a fish nearly half the size of a man onto the boat. The captain reacted instantly, grabbing a large net to catch it before tossing the massive catch onto the deck.

"My God, that’s a huge Nile Perch! Look at its teeth! Hahaha, this fish is a delicacy for the table!" Chu Xuan then turned to Zheng Zha and said, "What were you saying just now? I didn't hear clearly." "Nothing, let's keep fishing," Zheng Zha mumbled.

Though he hated to admit it, he had failed. After a full day of fishing, he had only managed to catch a few small African tilapia, whereas Chu Xuan’s catches were so numerous the bucket could no longer contain them. More critically, Chu Xuan’s fish were trending toward larger sizes. Eventually, both Zheng Zha and the captain began urging Chu Xuan to stop, both using the same excuse: it was getting too late.

Even though it was only dusk, their persistent nagging finally convinced Chu Xuan to cease. He looked as if he hadn't had enough fun yet. "Honestly, if he kept fishing, I’d truly fear he’d reel in a shark," the white captain whispered to Zheng Zha, wiping sweat from his brow. "A shark?

I was hoping for a whale," Zheng Zha replied in a similar whisper. Regardless, Zheng Zha and the captain agreed to rent the boat again the next day, asking him to take them further up the Nile or into other tributaries. One crucial added condition was to find spots that were explicitly not known for large fish. After finalizing the arrangement with the captain, Zheng Zha turned around to see Chu Xuan coolly packing away the fishing gear.

He paused, then immediately asked, "You seemed quite happy fishing! It’s an enjoyable activity, isn't it? Hahaha! When you feel tired in the future, just fish for a rest." "I don't know." Chu Xuan replied without looking up.

"You don't know? What do you mean?" Zheng Zha asked, surprised. "I don't know if I'll catch a fish in the next second, I don't know what kind of fish I'll catch next, and I don't know why I can catch fish so easily. This element of the unknown makes me want to keep fishing.

Fishing isn't bad." Chu Xuan said calmly. Zheng Zha lit another cigarette, took a drag, and then clapped Chu Xuan on the shoulder. "That's it exactly. There are countless things in this world worth doing.

Even if you can't feel them now, it doesn't mean they don't exist. You'll be able to feel them once you unlock the fourth stage of the Gene Lock in the future. But now isn't the time to give up just because you can't feel it; you can keep searching for those countless things. Hahaha!

Shall we come fishing again tomorrow?" Chu Xuan fell silent without looking up. After a long moment, he finally said, "I need about seven days of quiet time to analyze the Green Goblin Glider. If it’s just tomorrow, fine." Jump to