We lingered for a long time on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, and finally found the highway where Fatty and Rouyi had been sent out. We asked Lao Pi to take us west along this road into the depths of the desert to find the place where Fatty and Rouyi came out of the desert.

At the same time, we agreed with Lao Pi that after finding a nearby village, buying several camels that could travel in the desert, and replenishing the supplies needed to enter the desert, our deal would be officially concluded, and Lao Pi could leave. Lao Pi agreed readily.

In the end, there were only six U.S. dollars left. I didn't want to bother, so I just gave them all to Lao Pi. The accounts were settled.

There were almost no hotels or similar places to stay on the highway at the edge of the desert, so we had to drive the car out of the desert to find nearby villages and towns for lodging.

We finally found the nearest village, which was dozens of kilometers back and forth, but there was no other way.

Rouyi spoke Uyghur and could communicate with the villagers without any obstacles.

With Rouyi's help, we found a camel seller near our accommodation. The five of us would each ride a camel, and we would add two more camels to carry supplies. So, we five people needed a total of seven camels.

After determining the number of camels, we ran into trouble when it came to payment.

The camel dealer didn't accept U.S. dollars, and Daoqi only had U.S. dollars, so he couldn't pay.

As the two sides were at a stalemate, I took out the bank card Liu Wei had given me from my bag and handed it to the camel dealer, and asked Rouyi to tell him that there were still fifty to sixty thousand yuan left in this card (this money was originally for emergencies, and it really came in handy this time), which was definitely enough for his camels. The remaining money would also be used to prepare thirty days of drinking water and rations for us.

After a year of twists and turns, there was only this much money left in this bank card. This was all my savings.

After receiving the card, the camel dealer immediately sent someone to the bank in the city to confirm the amount on the card. After withdrawing the cash, he agreed to our request and promised to arrange a car to transport us and the camels to the designated location.

We agreed with the camel dealer that he would arrange for a car to transport the camels over early the next morning. Since we had paid in advance, the few of us stayed directly at the camel dealer's house.

Lao Pi insisted on sleeping in a hotel. He said that it was his first time in Xinjiang and he must enjoy some "exotic customs."

We no longer cared about Lao Pi. He had traveled so far, it was his freedom to do whatever he wanted.

However, I told Lao Pi that he had to drive us to the designated location tomorrow to complete the mission, and Lao Pi readily agreed.

The camel dealer's guest rooms were very spacious. As honored guests, we lived no worse than in a hotel. The others went to bed early, but I couldn't sleep.

As I tossed and turned in bed, that feeling of unease reappeared, and I suddenly jumped up.

"Damn it, something's up!"

It seemed something was wrong.

At first, I thought the camel dealer had run off with the money, so I quietly sneaked into the camel dealer's bedroom, only to find him sleeping soundly. Then, I glanced at the yard behind his house, and the camels were all there, not a single one missing.

Strange.

In other words, the problem wasn't with the camel dealer.

This feeling of unease was making me more and more distressed.

At this moment, I suddenly thought of Lao Pi.

"Damn it, that old bastard is up to something!"

I didn't have time to wake Fatty, so I quickly put on my clothes, grabbed my small bag containing the gun, and rushed out, going directly to the hotel where Lao Pi was staying.

Just as I was about to go in, I saw Lao Pi walking out of the hotel leisurely, pulling up his pants, and then sneaking towards his van, not knowing what he was going to do.

Could it be that he was going to get something from the car? But there was nothing in his broken car.

Every step Lao Pi took towards the van, the feeling of unease in my chest grew stronger.

I endured the discomfort in my chest and observed carefully for a while before realizing that Lao Pi was trying to run away—the unease told me that if Lao Pi ran away at this time, I would surely die.

So, clutching my chest, I took out my gun and rushed forward, pinning Lao Pi hard against the car door the moment he opened it.

"Ouch..."

This was not light. Lao Pi groaned in pain.

I pointed the gun at his head: "Don't move."

Lao Pi used the faint light to see who was pinning him against the car door—it was me.

"Bo... Boss... What's going on?"

Lao Pi stammered.

I shouted sternly: "You want to run, don't you?"

Lao Pi was a little guilty. He replied: "How... How could I? I'm just here to get something..."

"Get what?"

Lao Pi was stunned when he heard my question. After reacting for two seconds, he replied: "The girl I slept with wants a tip. I don't have any money on me, so I came here to get it."

"Don't try to lie to me. If I find money on you, I'll shoot you immediately. Tell me—do you want to run? This is the last chance to answer my question honestly. It's up to you." My voice was cold, without any emotion.

Dear readers, I wish you a happy Chinese New Year in 2023!