That night, the four of them returned to Jalinda's hotel, and Ho Zihong convened a meeting in his room.

In Anne's eyes, today's meeting is significantly different from previous ad hoc meetings.

That is, everyone's identity and aspirations are clearer than before.

In fact, Lin Shuo's appeal has not changed, that is, to kill the hooked snake and track down the truth of the Kunlun Mountain incident six years ago. But now, another one has been added to find Xiaoba.

Yang Tuo finally lifted his mask and showed his identity as the Chinese representative of this operation, and the purpose of his visit to Waixinganling was to find out the final whereabouts of the 73 missing Chinese lumberjacks.

He Zihong was originally very persistent in the scientific research project of the hooked snake, but after experiencing He Yong's sacrifice and Yang Tuo's hole cards, the old man suffered a major blow. His current pursuit is to conduct scientific research on the premise of ensuring everyone's personal safety.

Wei Xingshan, as the representative of the security force this time, naturally hopes that everyone will get out of the Great Xing'an Mountains alive.

For Anne, as the leader of the team, adding up the goals of all these people is what she wants to accomplish on her own trip.

Among other things, she had to take into account the increasingly sensitive international situation in the Far East.

So, when the team's backbone, for the first time in days, came together to start the meeting, Anne clearly felt the pressure on her shoulders.

She straightened her waist, sat up straight with her upper body, and made a report to her superior, Professor He Zihong:

“...... Professor Ho, that's all we have experienced before. ”

"Hmm. He Zihong nodded, "The research committee has also notified me, let us do our best to cooperate with the excavation work on the south bank of the Heilongjiang River." But this is obviously nonsense, we are on the north shore, how can we cooperate? Go to them and shout cheers on the shore?"

Ho Zihong's joke made the atmosphere of the meeting a lot more relaxed.

Then the old man looked at his student Yang Tuo: "Xiao Yang, when will the construction of the south bank be carried out?"

"It took two days for the equipment and personnel to be in place. Yang Tuo said calmly, "Construction will start the day after tomorrow, and I suggest that Miss Anne also come over when the time comes." ”

"This time, China is indeed more responsible than Russia. He Zihong sighed with emotion and said, "Xiao Yang, thank you for your hard work." ”

Yang Tuo's originally indifferent expression moved slightly, he looked at his teacher, and said in a rare tone of sincerity: "Teacher, thank you for your understanding. ”

"Don't talk about that. He Zihong looked at Lin Shuo again and asked, "Actually, I'm still confused about some things until now." Mr. Lin, can you help me solve my doubts?"

Lin Shuo nodded.

"Do you think the Dragon King's envoy is reliable?" I listened to Miss Anne's account, and I felt that this person seemed to be a little capricious. ”

"This man, of course, is unreliable. Lin Shuo shook his head, and then looked at Anne, "Miss Anne, I want to know, did your International Biological Research Society ask the informant for information when you received this commission from Russia?"

"Not really. Anne shook her head, "The Russian side just gave us a briefing on the scene and the number of missing people. ”

"That's weird. Lin Shuo said, "We went to the scene, and then we found out that these people who disappeared were actually not local residents. From the description of the old hunters of Longxinggou, we can know that not only are they not local residents, but they are not even treated well by the locals.

Imagine that this group of nasty strangers suddenly disappeared overnight, and then the locals thought it was the manifestation of the dragon king.

So, will the locals go to the police?

I don't think so. ”

Listening to Lin Shuo's analysis, everyone couldn't help but nod their heads again and again.

"Definitely. "Not only will they not report the crime, but they will even celebrate it." ”

"I remember when Miss Anne found me, it was only two weeks after the time of the crime. Lin Shuo continued to ask Anne, "Then when did your International Biological Research Society receive this commission?"

"Mr. Lin, you're actually hard to find. "We were commissioned four days after the incident, and it took 10 days to find you. ”

"Jalinda, who is closest to the scene of the crime, is a drunkard, and it is impossible for him to go on patrol himself. Even if he learns the news, he will go to the scene very responsibly to check it, and then report it to the Russian authorities, and then Russia will send someone to verify it, and then report it up to the next level, and then consult with the high-level, and finally entrust you. Lin Shuo said slowly, "Do you think four days is enough?"

"It's definitely not enough, we have walked the road from Jialinda to Longxinggou, and it takes three days to go back and forth. Wei Xingshan shook his head and said, "And that old drunkard, three days may not be enough for a round trip." ”

"It's certainly not the process. In this way, not to mention four days, ten days may not be enough. Yang Tuo said, "There must be a reporter who reported the incident to the Russian government as soon as the incident occurred." ”

Lin Shuo looked at Yang Tuo and nodded, and said, "Now the question is, who is this reporter?"

"Mr. Lin, you are suspicious ......"

"Yes, I suspect that this informant is Liu Shunfu, the envoy of the Dragon King. Lin Shuo said.

"But why did he report the crime?" Wei Xingshan asked, "They have worked hard here for generations for so many years, and the Black Water Dragon King is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Doesn't he poke this out to increase the risk of the Black Water Dragon King being captured or killed?"

"But the Black Water Dragon King is injured. Lin Shuo reminded.

Yang Tuo quickly understood: "It should be the invasion of the hooked snake that seriously threatens the Black Water Dragon King. The Dragon King's envoy felt that instead of sitting back and waiting to be killed, it was better to break the net and introduce a third-party force,"

"It's not just that. Anne added, "He predicted the situation very accurately, and he knew that although the Far East usually does not love his father and mother, the international situation is very sensitive, and the Russian government may not take direct action." Isn't that what we're going to do? This should be the best outcome for him, because we won't do anything to the Black Water Dragon King. ”

"Or let's think differently. Lin Shuo said, "What if it is not the Black Water Dragon King who is really threatened, but the Black Water Dragon Nest?"

Lin Shuo's words were thrown out, and Yang Tuo and Anne lit up almost at the same time.

He Zihong frowned slightly and asked, "Mr. Lin, is there any basis for your idea?"

"Three bases. Lin Shuo said slowly, "The first one is the conversation that the Dragon King's envoy talked to us after he was injured before. He said that the place of the Black Water Dragon Nest has been visited by the Liu family for several generations, and only his father has been there. And when his father returned, he also made him swear that he would not step into the Black Water Dragon's Lair in this life. I think it's a strange statement. The Liu clan of Water Pasture, in order to find a place for the Black Water Dragon King, has migrated repeatedly for hundreds of years.

It is human nature that the homeland is difficult to leave. Since they were willing to leave their homeland in order to find a nest for the Black Water Dragon King, they finally found the Black Water Dragon King's new home under the Heilongjiang River, how could they not go to investigate it themselves, but wait until his father's generation to go? This is impossible. ”

"Yes. Anne nodded, "I didn't think he was credible before. ”

"He said he hadn't been there himself, and I didn't believe it. He didn't even go to see the lair of his own shepherd, how could he be embarrassed to say that he was a shepherd. Lin Shuo shook his head and said, "So, he has been to the Black Water Dragon's Lair and knows what is going on inside." And he deliberately hid this fact from us before. This shows that the Black Water Dragon's Nest is not just an underground cave.

Moreover, between his words, he packaged the Black Water Dragon's Nest in a mysterious way, obviously deliberately asking us to find this place.

So I think it could be that the Blackwater Dragon's Lair is threatened by him that he can't solve, and he wants us to intervene.

This is the first basis. ”

Lin Shuo paused when he said this, glanced at Professor He Zihong, then looked at Wei Xingshan and said, "The second basis is Wang Yong's death. ”

Wei Xingshan's face darkened and he sighed.

"There were several snipers lurking outside that I couldn't even notice. Lin Shuo said, "And they didn't kill me at the beginning, they didn't kill Anne, they didn't kill Wei Xingshan, they just killed Wang Yong, why?"

"It's a warning. Yang Tuo said.

"Yes. Lin Shuo nodded, "It can also be understood as a kind of procrastination." In fact, they did delay us, and this delay did not end until the Black Water Dragon King made a move and the snipers were killed one by one. Subsequently, the Black Water Dragon King lost control, and the Dragon King's envoy was seriously injured. This is obviously a process of back and forth, and the two sides are playing. And at this time, Wei Xingshan, you were attacked. ”

"Yes. Wei Xingshan nodded, "My whereabouts were exposed, and they followed me halfway." ”

"Why did they attack Wei Xingshan at that time, if they wanted Wei Xingshan's life and the bullet that killed Wang Yong, why didn't they hit Wei Xingshan?" Lin Shuo asked rhetorically.

"Because it was a warning and a delay before, now for them, the time is ripe, and they are not afraid that we will find the Black Water Dragon's Lair. Yang Tuo speculated.

"Then what is the sign that the time is ripe? What happened at the same time as Wei Xingshan was attacked?" Lin Shuo asked again.

"Earthquakes. Yang Tuo patted the table lightly.

"Yes, earthquakes. Lin Shuo looked at He Zihong again, "The earthquake is the third basis. I think the earthquake was caused by some kind of movement in the Blackwater Dragon's Nest, and what they have accomplished. ”

"But if you speculate like that. Yang Tuo frowned, "It seems that our opponent does not exclude us from finding the Black Water Dragon's Nest." It's just that we came too fast before, so they have to delay a bit. ”

"It's not just not rejection. Lin Shuo shook his head, "This is obviously after you are ready, please enter the urn." ”

"Well, that's a trap. He Zihong frowned and said, "And the envoy of the Dragon King may not be in the same camp as us." This person is capricious, and I find it very untrustworthy. Mr. Lin, do you think the Dragon King's envoy is playing a bitter trick with us, but in fact, the Black Water Dragon King is not out of control?"

"If that's the case, it would be good. Lin Shuo smiled bitterly, "At least Xiaoba is safe in this way, because he will definitely use Xiaoba to negotiate conditions with me in the future." ”

"Mr. Lin, is it really possible for the shepherd's beast to get out of control?" asked Anne.

"Of course it's possible. Lin Shuo said, "You see that the herdsmen on the grassland are grazing sheep now, if the wolves come, will the sheep get out of control, will they run away?"

"Hmm. Anne nodded.

"It's the same with the shepherds. Lin Shuo said, "They are also afraid of predators. As soon as a natural predator appears nearby, they will be scared and will naturally lose control. ”

"But the snake is so big, even the hooked snake dares to fight. Wei Xingshan was surprised, "There are still its natural enemies in this world?"

"Big is not necessarily strong. Lin Shuo shook his head, "There are many strange creatures in this world that are stronger than the Ba snake. ”

"You mean, maybe there was a strange creature that was stronger than the snake nearby?" asked Anne.

"Probably not. Lin Shuo denied, "If there are other strange creatures, I should be able to detect them." ”

"That's ......," Anne was a little confused.

"In fact, if you want the snake to be frightened and escape, you don't need this strange creature deity to appear, just a few hairs are enough. Lin Shuo explained, "The hair of this powerful and strange creature is also called a pastor. Taking advantage of the beast's fear of natural predators to tame the beast was a method of the former herdsmen. The smell of a few hairs was very small, a little farther away, and I couldn't detect it. ”

"I see. Anne understood.

"So now, I've actually received two invitations to the Blackwater Dragon's Lair. Lin Shuo said, "One was given by the Dragon King's envoy with his own half-life. The other was given by another group of people in the form of an earthquake. I know it's a trap, but it doesn't matter, wait for news from the South Shore side. ”