Chapter 9 The Unexpected Encounter

"I heard from my mother that some of the people dispatched by my father's unit also mysteriously disappeared during the search. Shortly after, although some of them returned, they either committed suicide or went insane. Another group of people had an even stranger experience. They wandered in the mountains for over a month, and when they returned, most of them had lost their memories, with numerous wounds on their bodies as if gnawed!"

"This is too bizarre!" I exclaimed in shock. "What happened later?"

At this moment, Mile fell into deep silence. After a while, he sighed and said, "Later, the unit sent compensation money, and arranged for my mother to work in the unit. Since then, there has been no further information about this matter."

"Where did your father disappear?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

"In the Laihai Mountains of Guizhou!" Mile said each word deliberately.

"Laihai Mountains..." I mumbled to myself.

"Buddy, for many years, I've been having a strange dream that has never stopped. I dream that my father didn't actually die but was trapped somewhere. That place is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with roads crisscrossing in all directions, but no matter what, one can't get out." Mile continued, "I always feel like that dream is hinting at something. Now that it turns out that the place has Mo family secret language, there should also be some kind of mechanism. So..."

"So, I want to go to Laihai Mountains myself..." Mile gathered his courage and said.

"You want to go to Laihai Mountains?" I asked in astonishment.

"I've thought it over. I won't give up unless I go there myself!" Mile said decisively.

"When are you planning to leave?" I inquired.

"The sooner, the better!" Mile said firmly.

"Okay, I'll book the plane ticket now, and we'll depart today!" I said while checking the flight options.

"Good, I'll be waiting for you in Laihai Mountains!" Mile said calmly.

"Laihai Mountains? You're already there?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I just arrived not long ago!" Mile's voice was solemn. "And I encountered something strange..."

"What strange thing?" I asked eagerly.

"Never mind, let's talk about it when you arrive!" Mile sighed and continued, "I've sent the location to your WeChat. If you come tonight, we should be able to meet up tomorrow night!"

After saying that, Mile hung up the phone. At the same time, I received a WeChat location. I opened it, and the map showed a location deep in the mountains of Guizhou, named Yunju. After hanging up the phone, I looked at the photos on my phone and fell into deep contemplation. The characters in these photos must be tadpole characters, never a mistake. But how did they appear in the deep mountains of Guizhou? And is Mile's father's disappearance really related to the Mo family mechanisms? If it is, what kind of mechanism would it be, and who would be the builder? Also, what is the strange thing Mile hesitated to mention?

With numerous questions in my mind, I booked an evening flight to Guizhou. The time left was an endless torment. Although there were only a few hours until the plane took off, it felt like an eternity. My heart was pounding like a deer. Three hours before the flight, I arrived at the airport terminal. After completing the check-in and checking my luggage, I grabbed a quick bite and entered the waiting hall.

Sitting in the hall, I listened to music while focusing on the content of the "Eighteen Fragments." The information recorded here was vast and profound. Despite reading for so long, I only grasped a fraction of it. Perhaps because I was too absorbed, time seemed to pass quickly. It wasn't until a pleasant female voice pulled me out of the book.

"Is this seat taken?" The girl's voice was light but very pleasant.

I was suddenly stunned, hurriedly lifted my head, and saw a girl in her twenties with long hair and a smiling face standing in front of me. After glancing around, I finally confirmed that the girl was indeed talking to me. I cleared my throat and said, "No, not taken!"

"Oh, thank you!" The girl nodded slightly, sat down next to me, put on her headphones, took out a book, and started reading. I glanced at the girl beside me with the corner of my eye. She was in her early twenties, about 1.7 meters tall, dressed in well-fitted sportswear with a baseball cap. Her skin was delicate, and the sportswear perfectly showcased her figure's curves. Moreover, she had an almost devilish figure with an angelic face, yet there was a hint of uncommon charm between her eyebrows.

The girl continued to listen to music, attentively reading her book titled "Cryptography." I glanced at the book and couldn't help but marvel at how unexpected her choice was. I had assumed she was reading a novel, but it turned out to be a highly specialized book.

Since the girl sat next to me, I couldn't concentrate on reading anymore. I kept checking the time, and strangely, I wished time would slow down a bit. However, time, being the tormentor it is, seemed to drag when you wanted it to pass quickly and raced when you wished it would slow down.

When the boarding announcement came, I stood up disappointedly, heading towards the front to join the queue. I casually glanced at the girl, and to my dismay, she was still quietly sitting, engrossed in her book. This made me even more disappointed, as I thought she might be taking the same flight as us. I slapped my forehead, thinking, even if she were on the same flight, what difference would it make?

The queue moved quickly, and I walked forward while turning back to look at the girl's figure. After the ticket check, I looked again but found that she had disappeared. I sighed deeply and proceeded towards the aircraft.

The plane was crowded with passengers. I took the window seat, put on my headphones, leaned back, and gazed out the window. The sky outside had already turned completely dark. I checked the location Mile had sent to my WeChat and furrowed my brows. What could this place called Yunju be like?

Soon, the airplane engines roared, and I curiously glanced at the empty seat next to me; there was no one. I had hoped for a pleasant chat with a beautiful girl during the journey, maybe even a chance encounter. However, not only was there no beautiful girl, but even an old lady didn't sit next to me.

I sighed deeply and tilted my head back, looking out the window. Suddenly, a familiar fragrance wafted into my nostrils. I furrowed my brows and turned my head to find the source. There, just moments ago, the girl who sat beside me was now seated in the next row. As our eyes met, she stared at me in surprise. I was hesitating about how to greet her when she smiled and said, "What a coincidence, it's you!"

I was utterly astonished and replied with a stiff expression, "Yeah, what a coincidence!"

"You're going to Guizhou too?" she asked while fastening her seatbelt. Her openness made me feel a bit shy. I nodded in response, saying, "Yeah."

"For a vacation?" she inquired, placing her book on her lap and smiling at me.

"Um... sort of," I said, feeling awkward.

"Hehe, what does 'sort of' mean?" she laughed openly.

"I'm actually going to meet a friend," I explained briefly.

"Girlfriend?" she guessed, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, turning the tables and said, "How about you? What are you doing in Guizhou?"

The girl shrugged and said, "Traveling. I've always been fascinated by those remote places in Yunnan and Guizhou. I want to see them before starting work!"

"Did you just graduate?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah!" The girl nodded, took out a pack of chewing gum, handed me a piece, and then put one in her mouth, saying, "Just graduated and about to enter the tiger's den. Finally done with university, and now it's straight into work!"

"Hehe!" I chuckled. The plane was about to take off, and I looked at the book on the girl's legs, asking, "Are you studying cryptography?"

The girl quickly nodded and said, "Yes."

"Isn't that boring?" I asked curiously.

"In fact, cryptography is like a girl. If you really like her, you'll find that she exudes endless charm!" The girl said, stroking the book. I smiled helplessly, thinking that for someone who struggled with math since childhood, this thing was like an ugly monster.

At that moment, the plane started to move towards the runway. The girl suddenly extended her hand and said, "Jiang Mingyue!"

I was taken aback for a moment. The girl, with her charming eyes forming crescent moons, smiled and said, "I'm Jiang Mingyue!"

I quickly shook hands with the girl, my face heating up, and said, "I'm Shen Tuo!"

Just then, my phone rang. Glancing at it, I saw Mile's number. I hurriedly answered, and Mile shouted from the other end, "Buddy, are you on the plane?"

"Yeah, it's about to take off. I..." Before I could finish, Mile interrupted, "Don't come, absolutely don't come... he..."

Mile's words made my face pale. I immediately asked, "What happened? What's going on?"

"Don't come, please don't come... he..." At this point, Mile's call suddenly hung up.

I quickly redialed Mile's number, but now his phone was unanswered. Just as I was about to call Mile again, the flight attendant approached me smiling, and said, "Sir, the plane is about to take off. Could you please turn off your phone?"

I looked at the flight attendant, hesitated for two seconds, and then turned off my phone.