In the detective agency in Shanghai, Mofan, Old Dog and Qitian were each doing their own things aimlessly.
Suddenly, the old dog shouted loudly, "It's so boring! If he keeps doing this, sooner or later he will become so bored that he might even commit suicide."
At this point, Qi Tian chimed in, "If you're really bored, go out for a walk. I'm so annoyed by you that I almost want to commit suicide."
The old dog turned to Mo Fan and said, "Old Mo, the detective agency hasn't been open for three months. Recently, Shanghai has been truly very quiet. So quiet that not even a single customer came to us to solve their problems."
At this moment, Mo Fan did not pay any attention to the old dog's words. Instead, he continued to read the newspaper in his hand, carefully examining the content inside.
The old dog said impatiently, " Old Mo, have you actually heard what I said? "
Mofan then replied, "You'd better come and take a look at this report right away."
So Qi Tian and the old dog came over to Mu Fan and together they looked at the newspaper in his hand.
Qi Tian read the content of the newspaper and said, "These people seem to be from the archaeological team in Xinjiang. Every year, there are hundreds and thousands of archaeological teams in Xinjiang. What's so special about that? "
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Mofan explained that," their location was in the northwest of the Luobopu area in Xinjiang, roughly in the northeastern edge of the Tarim Basin and the lower reaches of the Kele River. You may not be aware of this, but according to ancient records, there used to be an ancient country here called Loulan."
Qi Tian said, "So that's how it is. It is said that in the Han Dynasty, Loulan Kingdom was a remote and wealthy small country. It was also a transportation hub for trade between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. Therefore, the people there were said to be extremely wealthy. However, for some unknown reason, this country mysteriously disappeared. For thousands of years, no one has found any records regarding the disappearance of this country. It seems as if this country vanished overnight for some reason. The existing ancient books merely sporadically mention the approximate location of this country, but no one has ever been able to accurately determine its position."
Mofan chimed in, "Exactly. Precisely because of this, over the years, this place has continuously attracted numerous archaeological teams to explore, hoping to uncover this vanished kingdom. Of course, there are also many people who firmly believe that once this vanished place is discovered by the people, it will mean that the vast treasure hidden in this country has been found."
The old dog said dejectedly, "According to what you're saying, this is no different from gossip news. Such kind of news, not only in China, but probably all over the world, is reported every day. A lot of it is just a group of people creating some news to draw attention from others."
The old dog said to Mo Fan, "Old Mo, when did you start wasting your time like this, reading all this sensational news?"
Mofan said, "what attracted me to this report was not the content of the news, but the photos taken on the spot."
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Mofan looked at the two people with curious eyes and asked, "What are the special features of these people in the photo that you noticed?"
Qi Tian and Lao Dog shook their heads.
Mofan explained that, "At that time, a group of archaeologists were discussing the location while holding a pile of ancient books. From the photos, I can guess that they might be discussing the location for excavation. Perhaps they believe that this ancient country of Lianghua must be buried somewhere in this desert. And the work of these archaeological teams also attracted many local residents to come and watch."
The old dog chimed in, "These don't need to be reported. We already know about them."
Mofan said, "Brother, don't worry. What intrigued me in the photo was an elderly man. After saying that, Mo Fan pointed with his finger at an emaciated old man in the photo, who was wearing clothes made of linen fabric."
Mofan continued, "At that time, everyone was listening attentively to the archaeological team's work plan. I think it's because the local residents believe that if the archaeologists' judgment is correct. Perhaps they could also dig out something from it and share some of the treasure. I think this is quite normal for the local residents. The strangeness lies in the fact that this old man wasn't really paying attention. Have you noticed, by any chance? His eyes have been constantly looking elsewhere. And if my intuition is correct, this kind of gaze of his is not like a curious one; rather, it seems more like a gaze of familiarity and eagerness for something. I think the fact that this old man stands out so conspicuously from the others suggests that there must be some secret hidden within him. As for what this secret is, that's what intrigues me."
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Qi Tian suddenly understood and said, "You mean this old man might be hiding some kind of secret on him? Maybe it's about the secrets of the ancient Loulan Kingdom."
Mofan said, "Yes. If my intuition is correct, or perhaps this old man can lead us to discover the ancient city of Loulan and uncover the truth behind its disappearance."
The old dog excitedly chimed in, "And there are countless treasures as well."
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The old dog said, "In that case, there's no time to lose. We packed our bags and set off to look for this old man."
Mofan said, "You are the one who is in a hurry. This time we are going to the desert. The environment there is extremely harsh, so we must plan everything carefully."
The old dog said, "Yes, yes, yes. You're right. However, we don't have any local connections either. For many things, we simply can't find anyone to help us."
At this moment, a sound was heard, "Have you forgotten about me?"
At this moment, the three of them raised their heads and saw that the person who had come was indeed Lin Jing.
Mofan excitedly said, "When did you arrive? Nor did he call us by name."
Lin Jing smiled and said, "I've been here for quite a while now. You were so absorbed in your discussion. They completely didn't hear my footsteps. And I really don't want to interrupt your train of thought."
Mofan smiled and said, "So you now know everything that happened just now."
Lin Jing smiled and said, "This time you want to go to the Lop Nur in Xinjiang. I actually am also very interested. Maybe if I go there with you guys to explore the secrets of the ancient Loulan Kingdom, it will be of great help to my future academic research. Moreover, my father and my elder brother can also help us build connections there. After all, the environment there is harsh. Entering the desert area without strong support might lead to unforeseen dangers at any time. And I think, in case we come across ancient texts that are difficult for you to read, I believe I would be the only one who can decipher them. "
Mofan said, "So in that case, I no longer have any reason to dissuade you from joining us on this adventure." Otherwise, I will lose a powerful assistant.
Lin Jing smiled and teasingly said, "What do you think?"
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The old dog quipped, "You two should stop flirting with each other. Let's quickly discuss the next plan."
Mofan replied, "OK. Let's get back to the main topic."
In the following period of time, Mo Fan and the others had a detailed discussion about the plan for this trip to Xinjiang. Lin Jing also, through her father's connections, quickly got in touch with the police authorities in Xinjiang.
In this way, the four people reached an agreement and prepared to set off for Lop Nur in Xinjiang three days later.
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