51: The Secret Notes of the Exhibition Hall

The sunlight in Brasília was so fierce it felt like it could melt a person.

Lin Feng stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the five-star hotel, watching the air outside distorted by the heat waves, his brow furrowed tightly enough to crush a mosquito.

He didn't like this kind of climate—too hot, too noisy, people everywhere.

"Brother Feng, look how luxurious this hotel is!" Wang Dalong emerged from the bathroom, his hair still dripping. "This bathtub could fit three of me! And this toilet, it's actually smart—it automatically sprays water before your butt is even settled, scared the hell out of me!"

Lin Feng glanced at him but didn't respond.

His attention was entirely on his phone—Jiang Wanqing had just sent a message saying the Cultural Relics Bureau hoped he could take the opportunity during his stay in Brazil to investigate the local cultural heritage protection situation, preferably bringing back some footage.

"Another task," Lin Feng sighed inwardly.

He was beginning to understand now; the so-called "international award" was just another way to push him into the spotlight.

"Brother Feng, what are we doing this afternoon?" Wang Dalong asked, drying his hair as he approached. "How about going to the beach? I checked; we're not far from Copacabana—"

"No," Lin Feng cut him off. "We're going to the Exhibition Center."

"Exhibition Center?" Wang Dalong was puzzled. "What exhibition?"

"The maya Golden History Exhibition," Lin Feng replied, putting away his phone and picking up his jacket. "Let's go."

Wang Dalong scratched his head. Although he didn't quite understand why Brother Feng was interested in an exhibition, he still trotted along eagerly.

The Exhibition Center was right next to the hotel—a modern glass building with a huge promotional poster on its exterior wall: a golden maya mask gleaming under the sun.

Lin Feng bought two tickets and entered the lobby.

A blast of cool air hit him, finally offering some relief.

The exhibition hall wasn't too crowded. Small groups of tourists wearing headphones followed the audio guide slowly. Lin Feng scanned the surroundings and headed straight for the innermost exhibition area.

"Brother Feng, how do you know where to go?" Wang Dalong asked, jogging to keep up.

"Look at the map," Lin Feng said, pointing to the guide sign at the entrance.

Wang Dalong: "...Right, I'm just stupid again."

The exhibition hall was meticulously arranged, with dim yellow lighting creating an air of mystery. Inside the glass display cases were various gold ornaments—masks, necklaces, earrings, scepters—each intricately carved with patterns that shimmered seductively under the lights.

"Holy crap, so much gold!" Wang Dalong's eyes widened. "Brother Feng, how much do you think this whole case is worth?"

"Priceless," Lin Feng said flatly. "These are cultural relics, not commodities."

"I was just saying..." Wang Dalong mumbled, pulling out his phone to start taking pictures.

Ignoring him, Lin Feng's gaze drifted across the display cases as if searching for something.

Just then, a gentle female voice came from the side:

"Welcome, everyone, to the maya Golden History Exhibition. I'm today's docent and will now introduce the stories behind these precious cultural relics."

Lin Feng turned and saw a young woman in a professional suit leading a small group of tourists toward them.

After a moment's hesitation, he followed them.

Seeing this, Wang Dalong quickly put away his phone and squeezed into the crowd.

The docent's voice was pleasant, with a slight Spanish accent, but her Mandarin was very clear.

"The maya civilization is one of the most mysterious in human history, achieving great heights in astronomy, mathematics, and architecture. In maya culture, gold not only represented wealth but also symbolized divine power..."

Lin Feng listened attentively, occasionally jotting down a few keywords on his phone.

The docent led the group past one display case after another, finally stopping before a separate exhibition area at the very back of the hall.

This area was different from the others—there were no glittering gold ornaments, only a lone glass display case containing a worn-out notebook.

The notebook lay open, its yellowed pages filled with scribbled text and hand-drawn maps. On the adjacent wall hung high-resolution copies of each page.

"This is the most special exhibit in this exhibition," the docent's voice grew solemn. "The owner of this notebook was the famous 18th-century explorer—Pedro de Álvarez. He once led a team deep into the Amazon jungle in search of the legendary El Dorado."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"El Dorado?" a tourist asked. "Isn't that just a legend?"

The docent smiled. "To most people, yes, it is a legend. But Pedro firmly believed in its existence and gave his life for it. This notebook is the only clue he left behind for the world."

She paused, her tone tinged with regret:

"Unfortunately, over the centuries, countless explorers and scholars have studied this notebook, yet no one has been able to unravel its secrets. Now, everyone treats it as nothing more than a beautiful legend."

The moment her words fell, Lin Feng's mind buzzed.

A shimmering, ice-blue screen unfolded before his eyes, visible only to him.

"[Main Quest Triggered: Find the Lost El Dorado]"

"[Quest Description: Based on Pedro de Álvarez's notebook, locate the legendary El Dorado]"

"[Quest Reward: 200,000 Reputation Points]"

"[Reward Skill: Beast Affinity (Passive)—Wild beasts will not actively attack you in the wild]"

"[Warning: This quest has no trial period; rewards are only granted upon completion]"

Lin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

Two hundred thousand reputation points.

This was the highest-reward quest he had ever received.

And that "Beast Affinity" skill made it explicitly clear—the place he was about to go was no scenic tourist spot.

"Brother Feng, what's wrong?" Wang Dalong noticed Lin Feng's complexion looked off. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine," Lin Feng whispered. "Keep listening."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then discreetly pulled out his phone and aimed it at the copies on the wall, photographing them page by page.

The shutter sound was soft, drowned out by the docent's voice and the murmurs of the crowd.

No one noticed that behind the surveillance camera in the corner of the exhibition hall, a pair of eyes was closely watching Lin Feng's every move.