The next morning, early.
As the sky was just turning pale, everyone got up and set off again.
This time, Ada was sitting in the passenger seat, holding an old military map in her hand and acting as a navigator.
Lu Hao and Ilsa sat in the back seats, using binoculars to look around, avoiding a head-on collision with Adolf's mercenaries.
"Ilsa, are you nervous!?"
Lu Hao lowered his binoculars, suddenly noticing Ilsa's anxious expression. He thought for a moment and understood her conflicted state of mind: she hoped her grandfather was alive, but she was afraid to see his body. And she was also afraid that her grandfather was alive, having been hiding in the shadows for all these years, plotting to seize the gold.
Under Ilsa's surprised gaze, Lu Hao took her hand and said with a smile, "You can tell from your grandfather's belongings that he was a true soldier. He wouldn't do anything to disappoint you."
"Yeah, I believe in my grandfather too."
Listening to Lu Hao's comforting words, Ilsa solidified her trust in her grandfather. Her anxious heart finally settled down, and a smile spread across her face. She said gratefully, "Lu Hao, thank you~"
She felt the warmth radiating from his hand, and unconsciously, she developed a slight fondness for Lu Hao.
From the moment she met Lu Hao, he always appeared when she needed help the most, lending a hand to solve her problems.
She was being followed and harassed in Madrid, she encountered mercenaries at the desert inn, and now, he was comforting her when she was at a loss.
It made her feel refreshed and at ease.
In the front seat, Jack and Ada exchanged glances. Wow, we're scouting ahead, and you guys are making out in the back!?
Publicly flaunting your affection!?
Don't you care about our feelings!?
Vroom!!
In a fit of anger, Jack slammed down on the gas pedal, and the off-road vehicle shot forward like an arrow, kicking up a cloud of dust in the desert.
"Left turn 300 meters ahead!!"
"Go straight! Go straight! I told you to go straight!!"
Ada shouted from the passenger seat, directing them.
Their group sped along, finally reaching the Bukki Lao Qi base marked on the military map near noon.
However, as soon as they got out of the car, they were stunned. As far as the eye could see, there was only endless yellow sand. There wasn't a trace of a military base.
"Ada, did you get the directions wrong!?"
They drove around the supposed Bukki Lao Qi base, but they still couldn't find it.
All they could see was sand, and more sand.
"What are you shouting about!? I followed the map to get here," Ada retorted rudely. "If you don't believe me, look for yourself."
She slapped the military map into Jack's hands. Jack raised his wristwatch and carefully compared it. He closed his eyes in pain. This really was the location indicated on the map.
Colonel Byrd and Colonel Banner also came over to verify, and the results were as expected.
This was indeed the Bukki Lao Qi base marked on the map.
Ilsa said disappointedly, "Could it be that the desert wind is too strong, and the base from back then has been buried under the sand?" They traveled a long distance to reach the Bukki Lao Qi base, only to find that their target had vanished, leaving her with a sense of frustration.
Grandpa, where did you go!?"
She looked at the yellow sand in the sky, her eyes full of confusion.
"Could it be that the map is wrong!?"
Jack flipped through the military map, questioning its accuracy. Ada shook her head, "What are you thinking? This is a military map. It wouldn't be wrong. The maximum error is no more than three kilometers."
"What!? Three kilometers?"
Jack put on a mask of pain. "This area? Three kilometers of error would mean it's miles away. Unless a miracle happens, who can find the Bukki Lao Qi base?"
Lu Hao leaned against the car door, watching these people busying themselves with an air of leisure, not at all in a hurry. He was scheming how to maximize his own interests using the detailed information about the Bukki Lao Qi base.
Seeing that Jack and the others were getting nowhere, he simply suggested, "Jack, the midday sun is too harsh. Let's find a shady spot to rest for a while. We'll talk about it later. Otherwise, we won't find the Bukki Lao Qi base, but we'll all get sunstroke."
"You make a good point."
Jack glanced at everyone's flushed faces. He nodded in agreement. "Let's ask the guides to find a shady spot. We'll rest for a while and then discuss this further in the afternoon."
After all, they had already found the designated location. They could discuss other matters later.
So, under the guidance of the local guides, they successfully reached a place with tall palm trees for shade.
It had to be said that it was worth hiring these four locals as guides. At least they could always lead everyone to shady spots, making it easy for them to set up camp.
Everyone started to get busy. They set up tarpaulin to block the sun and took out food and drinking water to solve their hunger and thirst.
After eating, Ilsa sat under a palm tree, taking out her grandfather's belongings and flipping through the documents and photos her grandfather left behind, trying to find clues about the Bukki Lao Qi base.
"Ilsa, have some water!" Lu Hao saw Ilsa looking through the documents and photos, filled a cup of water and handed it to her. He said with a smile, "Don't worry. We'll find the Bukki Lao Qi base and uncover the truth about your grandfather's disappearance."
"Lu Hao, thank you."
Ilsa took the water and gratefully thanked him. Then she dived back into the pile of documents.
Lu Hao shook his head, picked up his water, and walked over to Jack and the others. It was time to come clean.
"I've never been so unsuccessful."
Ada looked at Ilsa's unwillingness in the distance and sighed with the same reluctance. She couldn't find the Bukki Lao Qi base even with the military map from World War II. So, it was highly likely they would never find the base's location in their lifetime.
"It's okay to fail once in a while."
Jack gulped down a mouthful of water. He had already accepted the fact that this mission had failed. As a treasure hunter who went around the world, he had failed many times, so he could easily accept reality.
"Jack's right. Failure is always a part of life. It's the norm."
Lu Hao chuckled in agreement with Jack's words. Most things in life don't go as planned.
It's the nature of life.
"Lu Hao, you're hiding something!?"
Looking at Lu Hao, Jack always had this feeling that he was keeping something from him.
"Jack, you're right. I do have something to tell you."
Lu Hao pulled a small chair over and sat down. He rested his arm on the chair, angled towards Jack. He chuckled, "Jack, about this treasure, I have good news and bad news. Do you want to hear it?"