52: The Secret of Notebooks

By the time they returned to the hotel room, it was already evening.

The setting sun spilled through the floor-to-ceiling window, dyeing the entire room a warm yellow.

Wang Dalong plopped down on the sofa, turned on the TV, switched to a sports channel, and muttered, "I'm exhausted. We spent the whole afternoon just looking at gold; my eyes are practically crossed..."

Ignoring him, Lin Feng went straight to the desk, opened his laptop, and began transferring the photos from his phone one by one.

High-resolution copies unfolded on the screen. On the yellowed pages were diary-style writings in ancient Spanish, interspersed with numerous hand-drawn maps and sketches.

Thanks to his Proficiency in Minor Languages, he could clearly understand the meaning of these diary entries.

He began to read them word by word.

"August 12, 1743, clear. We departed from Manaus, traveling upstream along the Negro River. The fleet consisted of three wooden boats, forty-two crew members, and ten local guides."

"August 19, overcast. Entered a tributary. The river channel narrowed, and the jungle on both banks was dense and impenetrable. The guides said that ahead lies the 'Devil's Territory.'"

"August 27, rain. The boats could go no further. We decided to go ashore and trek through the jungle. The guides grew restless; some said they heard strange sounds."

"September 3, clear. Found an abandoned stone temple. Its walls were covered in inscriptions I had never seen before. I am certain we are not far from El Dorado."

Lin Feng's fingers flew across the keyboard as he compiled the key information into a document.

Manaus — Negro River — tributary — stone temple — El Dorado.

This was a clear route. The problem was that the hand-drawn maps in the notes were too simplistic, and after several hundred years, the terrain and landscape must have changed dramatically.

He opened Google Maps and typed in "Manaus."

On the satellite map, the city was located at the confluence of the Amazon River and the Negro River, surrounded by an endless expanse of green—the world's largest tropical Rainforest.

Lin Feng zoomed in on the map, trying to locate the tributary and stone temple mentioned in the notes.

But soon, he gave up.

The Amazon basin has thousands of tributaries; satellite imagery simply cannot determine which one Pedro had taken. As for that stone temple, it was completely swallowed by the dense jungle, not even a shadow visible.

"It seems we'll have to figure it out once we're there," Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Brother Feng, what are you researching?" Wang Dalong had sidled over at some point, peering at the screen. "What's this stuff? A diary?"

"Mm-hmm," Lin Feng nodded. "The explorer's notes."

"You can understand it?" Wang Dalong's eyes widened.

"I can," Lin Feng answered curtly, then turned off the screen. "Go get ready. We're going to Manaus tomorrow."

"Manaus?" Wang Dalong was stunned. "Where's that?"

"The gateway to the Amazon Rainforest," Lin Feng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the darkening sky in the distance. "I've found a new target."

Wang Dalong opened his mouth to ask something, but seeing Lin Feng's expression that screamed "Don't ask, it's confidential," he ultimately swallowed his words.

At eight in the evening, the award ceremony was held in the multi-purpose hall of the exhibition center.

Lin Feng changed into a suit and stood backstage, feeling completely out of place.

This kind of occasion was what he hated most—harsh lights, noisy crowds, and having to face countless eyes and camera lenses.

"Mr. Lin Feng, are you ready?" a staff member approached and asked politely.

"Yes," Lin Feng nodded, taking a deep breath.

Music started playing, and the host fluently introduced the achievements of the award winners in English.

Lin Feng heard his name called, mechanically walked onto the stage, accepted the heavy trophy and certificate, and offered a stiff smile to the crowd below.

Camera flashes lit up in a flurry.

"Mr. Lin Feng, a few words, please," the host handed him the microphone.

Lin Feng held the microphone, remained silent for two seconds, then spoke:

"Thank you. I will continue my efforts to protect humanity's cultural heritage."

Brief, direct, no unnecessary words.

Polite applause sounded from below the stage.

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped down.

After the award ceremony ended, he returned to the hotel room and turned on his live-streaming equipment.

Bullet comments instantly flooded the screen:

【Brother Feng is awesome! An international award!】

【I knew it! Our Brother Feng was bound to go global eventually!】

【By the way, Brother Feng, that suit looks really handsome on you. Wear it more often!】

Lin Feng glanced at the comments and cleared his throat:

"I received an award today. Thank you all for your support. Next, I plan to stay in Brazil for a while to look around. I won't be streaming during this time. After I return, I'll edit the footage I shoot into videos and post them."

The comments exploded instantly:

【What? No streams?】

【Brother Feng, what are you up to?】

【You're not going on another adventure, are you? Last time in the Caribbean you almost got wiped out; be more careful this time!】

Seeing that last comment, the corner of Lin Feng's mouth twitched.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," he said. "That's all for now. Ending the stream."

With that, he directly shut down the live stream.

Wang Dalong watched from the side, stunned. "Brother Feng, you're..."

"The lesson from last time was profound enough," Lin Feng said calmly. "No streaming this time, to avoid attracting unwanted attention again."

Wang Dalong thought for a moment and nodded. "Right, those bastards last time almost took us all out. It's better to keep a low profile this time."

Lin Feng said nothing more. He just walked to the window and looked out at the brightly lit city.

Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the globe, in a secluded manor somewhere in South America, a huge screen was playing the live stream he had just ended.

Osiris sat on a leather sofa, holding a glass of red wine, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"No live stream?" he said softly. "A smart choice. But unfortunately, Lin Feng, in my territory, not a single move of yours escapes my eyes."

He pressed a remote, and the screen switched.

Surveillance footage from the exhibition hall showed Lin Feng photographing the note copies. The image was zoomed in and frozen.

"You've taken the bait after all," Osiris raised his glass and gently clinked it against the screen. "Welcome to the second stage of the game, my Treasure-Hunting Master."

He drained his glass, then pressed a button on the desk.

The study door opened, and the impeccably dressed Secretary walked in.

"Boss."

"Notify our people in Manaus to be ready," Osiris said. "Our guest will be arriving soon."

"Understood." The Secretary bowed and exited.

The room fell quiet once more.

Osiris gazed at Lin Feng's face on the screen, his eyes as deep as an abyss.

"El Dorado, the Golden City..." he murmured the name. "For centuries, countless have been driven mad by it, have died for it. And you, Lin Feng, will you be the one to unveil its veil?"

"I look forward to it."