Chapter 168: Concealed Secret, Expedition Team
"Is there something wrong?"
Chen Jue frowned slightly when he heard that. Linglong was a martial arts elixir who had walked out of bullets and life-and-death struggles. The other party's observation ability was no weaker than that of Chen Jue, a mortal immortal. Since the other party had a similar feeling, it should not be wrong.
However, Chen Jue's divine sense sensed Zhao Zhen, and it seemed as if the secret of fate was concealed.
As for John, Tom and some other staff members of the scientific research station, Chen Jue could still clearly sense that their physique and willpower were slightly stronger than ordinary people, which enabled them to survive and work in this extremely cold environment.
"Could it be because the other party has practiced Yoga Mahamudra and is able to calm his mind ?" Chen Jue guessed in his mind. When he was searching for exercises on the Internet before, Chen Jue had seen this Yoga Mahamudra static exercise.
It involves a very mysterious spiritual practice , just like Chen Jue measuring the earth to refine his mind in the world.
However, it is very difficult to achieve spiritual effects through this kind of meditation, unless one is truly devout to Buddhism.
"Since you have sensed something, we will just act according to circumstances."
"He's just a yoga master. Even if he knows some fighting skills, he can never be a match for you and me." Chen Jue pondered for a moment and suggested.
Linglong nodded slightly after hearing this: "Since we are here, we should make the best of it. This is the only way."
…
The two chatted in the room for a while, Linglong went back to the room to rest, while Chen Jue left the dormitory and came to the lobby of the scientific research station.
John's arrival brought a batch of supplies, and the staff at the research station were busy sorting and receiving them. They said they would hold a welcome party for the few people in the evening.
Chen Jue did not join in the busy work. Instead, he put on a down jacket, walked out of the research station, stepped on the thick ice and snow, climbed up a nearby low hill, and looked out at the endless white world around him.
Although the sun was high in the sky, Chen Jue could not feel any warmth at all. Moreover, it was now November, and the Antarctic continent was about to enter a long period of polar day that would last until March of the following year.
It was just that Chen Jue had just come out to observe the surrounding environment for a short while when he heard a creaking sound of footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw that Zhao Zhen was also climbing up the hill covered tightly.
"Mr. Chen Jue, are you familiar with Miss Linglong? Can you tell me her story?" Zhao Zhen walked up and asked with a slightly red face, just like an ordinary young person in love.
"Um...you have to ask her yourself. She and I are just ordinary friends. We have met no more than three times and we don't know each other very well." Chen Jue did not expect that the other party would approach him so bluntly to pry into other people's secrets.
And looking at Zhao Zhen's expression, he didn't seem to be lying. The admiration hidden in his eyes made it seem as if he really fell in love with Linglong at first sight.
Chen Jue had watched a lot of overseas film and television works before, and knew that foreigners were not as reserved as the young people in flower-growing countries in pursuing love. They all believed in love at first sight and were straightforward. He didn't expect to meet such a person today when he just arrived in Antarctica.
"Is that so! Then I'd better go ask Miss Linglong directly." Zhao Zhen scratched his head, acting very shy. However, after the other party learned that Chen Jue and Linglong were just casual acquaintances, she seemed relieved. She probably regarded Chen Jue as an imaginary rival in love.
…
The two chatted in the wind and snow on the top of the hill. Chen Jue learned from the other party that there were a total of ten outdoor experts who went out for adventure in the scientific research station.
Zhao Zhen is one of them. His father Tom rarely goes out due to his old age. As for the other nine people, they are divided into three groups. They will set out on time at 6 o'clock every morning in snow sleds and polar off-road vehicles and will not return until around 11 o'clock in the evening. Sometimes they will go deep into the restricted area and rest at the supply stations along the way. They will not return until several days or even half a month.
This needle-in-a-haystack search has been going on for several years, but only a few meteorite fragments have been found.
Fortunately, the Hongmou Scientific Research Station has not been without gain during these years of exploration. In addition to finding more than ten carats of meteorite fragments, it has also accumulated a lot of experience.
Proceeding along the same path of elimination, the search scope is constantly narrowing, and success is not far away.
The arrival of Chen Jue and Linglong adds a special search team. They will face a more severe outdoor environment in Antarctica and need to go to deeper, more inaccessible and untouched places.
As for Zhao Zhen, he is the guide of their special team and is responsible for guiding the two people in the general search direction.
…
After chatting for a while, Chen Jue asked Zhao Zhen where there were seals and penguins to pet. Zhao Zhen said that he would take Chen Jue there when he had the chance. Chen Jue smiled and nodded, and the two of them went down the hill one after another.
Chen Jue returned to the dormitory and carefully checked every corner of the dormitory. After making sure that no one had tampered with the room like a surveillance device, he began to practice the Wudang Golden Toad Kung Fu.
This exercise is very effective in strengthening the internal organs. Chen Jue didn't pay much attention to it before, but after arriving in Antarctica, he found that the oxygen outdoors was very thin, so he took this opportunity to try to practice it, as a targeted exercise to adapt to the environment.
The muffled sounds of "coo coo" and "coo coo" echoed in Chen Jue's dormitory. His room was at the end of the corridor, next to Linglong, with a warehouse on the other side. Moreover, the walls of the dormitory were very soundproof, so the noise of practicing martial arts would not disturb outsiders.
By 5 p.m., Chen Jue had upgraded his Golden Toad Skill by one level, and his physical attribute had increased by 0.02. Feeling a little hungry, and with the aroma of the oven wafting in from outside, Chen Jue stopped practicing and walked out of the room.
When we arrived at the hall, we saw that the staff of the scientific research station had set up a simple buffet party. Various Western-style meals such as baked goods, French fries, hamburgers, steaks, and baked cheese were served on the table.
Chen Jue didn't hesitate to pick up a plate, picked up the food and started eating.
After a while, more and more people joined the party in the hall. John and Tom appeared together and introduced Chen Jue and Linglong, who had just joined the expedition team, to everyone. Warm cheers and applause rang out in the hall.
However, most of these staff members spoke in foreign languages, so Chen Jue could only understand the general meaning. He just ate his Western food with a smile on his face the whole time.
And the love-hungry Zhao Zhen, amid the instigation of a group of foreigners, actually approached Linglong and started chatting with her.
What surprised Chen Jue was that Linglong did not act as distant as before, but instead smiled and communicated with the other person intermittently.
After the party was over, everyone went back to the dormitory to rest. Chen Jue heard the roar of several engines coming from outside the scientific research station. He thought that the teams that went out for exploration had returned.
He did not go out to watch, but practiced the Golden Toad Skill in the dormitory. When it was time to go to bed, he improved his proficiency in the Sleeping Dragon Skill.
As for the small temperature-insulated window, we entered the Antarctic's unique polar day phenomenon. The sky was still bright even at 12 o'clock in the night, just like a day night, which was a unique experience to watch.
…
After a dreamless sleep, Chen Jue woke up the next day and found that his Zhelong Shuidan skill had been upgraded to Lv2 (342/500), and he was not far from another breakthrough.
After washing up, Chen Jue went to the canteen of the scientific research station to have a Western breakfast of bread, milk and eggs. He found that the canteen staff were cleaning up a pile of used plates. Apparently someone had gotten up earlier than Chen Jue and came to have breakfast.
The roar of the engine was heard again outside the house. It was probably the group of people who came back last night went out for adventure again.
"You get up so early, don't you need to rest more? Are you working so hard?" Chen Jue muttered to himself.
After breakfast, Chen Jue went to the same office as yesterday. Since he got up too early, there was no one in the office yet. So Chen Jue picked up the scattered documents and started reading them bit by bit.
One of the maps was fully marked with crosses and circles everywhere, and some deeper locations were marked with question marks, which were obviously places that had not been visited yet.
As he was watching intently, Linglong walked in with an expressionless face. She was probably raised overseas and was more used to Western food than Chen Jue. She was now sitting at the long table with a cup of hot coffee and said to Chen Jue, "Fellow Daoist, have you seen the nine people from the expedition team who came back last night?"
"No, they seemed to have gone out again early in the morning. What's wrong? Did you sense any problem?" Chen Jue looked up at the other party in confusion.
"Nothing, maybe I'm thinking too much." Seeing that Chen Jue didn't react, Linglong didn't ask any more questions. She just drank coffee and started reading the information.
When the two had almost finished looking through the information on the table, John, Tom, Zhao Zhen and others walked in and began to arrange today's preliminary exploration tasks.
Since Chen Jue and Linglong had just arrived in Antarctica and were not familiar with the environment, Tom took the map and circled an unexplored area that was closer to the two of them.
After putting on their equipment and bringing supplies, Chen Jue, Linglong and Zhao Zhen boarded a polar off-road vehicle with the Hongmu logo printed on it and started heading straight for their destination.
