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4.42% My life as a Tomb Raider in Nanyang / Chapter 5: Pontianak

Chapter 5: Pontianak

"You have three days here before we move to Pontianak, Indonesia. Equipment and supplies will be provided. Be prepared to stay in the jungle for over a month.

"On this trip, I hope you follow my instructions. Do not wander off on your own. If I haven't told you to touch something, don't touch it. You might not make it back alive if you don't listen.

"We'll meet up with the other team members when we reach Pontianak. Here are some documents for you to go through."

Sea Snake Fang tossed a manila folder, and I caught it.

Inside were flight tickets and approved visa documents for an extended stay of six months.

Looking at the purpose of the visit, Bobby and I were now listed as oil expedition crew members.

That was the excuse to get us into the jungle and stay for a prolonged period.

Bobby and I weren't too thrilled about the prospect of staying in the jungle.

It brought back bad memories of our time in the Army.

Even though Sea Snake Fang mentioned that equipment and supplies would be provided, I decided to get some gear on our own.

It's best to have a backup plan—never rely on others, especially when your life depends on it.

That's what Shifu had taught me.

Back then, there was an Army market on Beach Road, near Shifu's antique shop.

I'm not sure if it's still around.

After paying the price for my crime, I've lost touch with some of the things in Singapore.

We bought some compressed biscuits, a compass, and maps.

Bobby wanted to buy a jungle survival knife for defense but decided against it.

Getting through customs with that would cause a ruckus, and Sea Snake Fang wouldn't like it.

After that, we rested for the day.

That night, I had a strange dream.

I was in the jungle, by the river.

In front of me was a huge crocodile, at least two meters long.

It growled, making the water bubble.

Then it came at me.

I tried to run, but I couldn't move.

At the crucial moment, a white tiger appeared and fought the crocodile.

The white tiger skillfully baited the crocodile, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

However, I couldn't see who won; at the critical moment, I woke up drenched in cold sweat.

I called my mom and asked her what the dream meant.

She directed me to go to Loyang Tua Pek Kong temple and pray to Datuk Gong there.

Datuk Gong is a local guardian spirit that resides in trees, anthills, caves, and riverbanks.

In Malaysia and Singapore, if you dream of a white tiger or an old man in white, it's advised to pray to Datuk Gong for spiritual protection and luck.

I did as she told me. With the uncertainty surrounding this expedition, it was comforting to pray for luck and protection.

Did it work?

I can only tell you what happened on the trip; the rest is up to your interpretation.

After that, for the next two days, Bobby and I went around Singapore having fun.

We took a ride on the Mount Faber cable car.

We explored Sentosa like tourists.

We partied all night long in Clarke Quay.

Both of us knew these might be our last few days in Singapore.

Soon, it was time to leave, and after a few hours' flight, we landed at Supadio International Airport.

After getting through customs, we were greeted by a young man holding a brown cardboard sign with our names on it.

He was all smiles, helped us with our luggage, and loaded it into a jeep.

"My name is Kurnawan. I'll be joining you on the expedition. Miss Amy will be glad to see you."

"You look young; have you just graduated?" I tried to tease out some information from him.

"Yes, I've just graduated from the University of Indonesia. I came back to join the expedition.

"As you can see, most of us in Pontianak aren't rich. I need all the money I can make to pay off my debt."

Bobby and I looked out of the car window, and the scenery was telling.

There were low-rise buildings all along the road. From what we're used to, much urbanization could be done.

Most importantly, Kurnawan was like us—he was in it for the money.

After half an hour's drive, we arrived at the hotel.

We saw two other jeeps parked right in front of the hotel.

I assumed they belonged to our expedition team.

The hotel felt like it was stuck in the 80s, with décor and furniture frozen in time.

Heck, they still had those calendars with red plastic on top, with white and green colored pages for the dates.

Kurnawan led us to Amy's room, where all the other members were present.

There was Amy, Sea Snake Fang, and another tanned, Chinese-looking man.

Amy was now wearing khaki pants and a t-shirt, her long hair tied up in a ponytail.

The perfume smell was gone.

It felt normal to see her without the scent; I no longer had the urge to conquer her.

"Come, let me introduce you. Sam and Bobby, this is Firecracker Tan," Amy said warmly.

Firecracker Tan, with a stout body, had his arms folded across his chest, just nodded at us.

Amy then briefed us on the schedule and our duties.

Today would be for rest, and tomorrow we would move to Mandor.

Sea Snake Fang would lead the team and make decisions to ensure our survival.

Firecracker Tan, as his name implies, would handle detonation if required.

Kurnawan would be the ground guide in the jungle, as he was most familiar with it.

Bobby would mostly contribute through labor, digging through the soil, carrying backpacks, etc.

I was tasked with identifying possible tomb sites and figuring out the best way to get in.

After we were dismissed and returned to our room, Bobby couldn't contain his excitement and asked, "Sam, since it's a rest day, let's walk around and explore the place."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
ShinyZebra ShinyZebra

Collect this book to your library so you can find it again. Any comments is greatly appreciated.

Chapter 6: First Tomb

"Sure, why not?" I was twenty years old back then, still curious and eager to explore new places.

After all, what could go wrong with a stroll around a small town?

We went for lunch and had Bebek Goreng (Fried Duck Rice).

It was the best meal I had ever had.

After the sumptuous meal, we decided to look for a snooker parlor.

We booked a table for a few hours, and the boss gave us a nice discount seeing that we were tourists.

The snooker parlor was filled with cigarette smoke, and an Indonesian DJ mix was playing in the background.

We were minding our own business and enjoying our game when Bobby's snooker cue accidentally hit one of the guys at the table next to us.

The fellow came up to Bobby and started shouting at him.

Bobby wanted to rage back, but I pulled him aside.

I apologized profusely and offered the guy a cigarette.

The parlor owner also came over and said something to the guy.

The man took my cigarette, mumbled to himself, and stared at Bobby.

I ushered Bobby out of the place, taking a careful look at the guy.

He had a Dayak tattoo on his arm, and I figured he might be Dayak and someone of importance.

The Dayak are one of the native groups on Borneo Island.

They are excellent jungle trackers and are most notorious for their headhunting practices.

"Why did you stop me?" Bobby asked.

"We're not here on holiday. Better to stay out of trouble. Come, let's go back to the hotel."

Bobby and I made our way back to the hotel, but somehow, I felt we were being followed.

I dismissed it as anxiety in a foreign place.

...

The next day, Amy Lee instructed us to get some supplies like water and compressed biscuits.

After loading up the supplies, the team moved on to Mandor.

Mandor, the capital of the LanFang Republic, isn't too far from Pontianak; we reached it within the same day.

This time, however, we didn't check into any hotel.

Our jeep stopped at an area on the edge of Mandor, near the jungle but still close to a village.

"All right, everyone, let's wait for nightfall," Amy instructed us.

"Why are we here?" Bobby asked.

"Well, maybe Sam can let you know why."

I thought for a while and looked around.

There were two mountains ahead, and the clearing we were at was like a bowl.

In terms of burial sites, this would be a perfect spot to catch nature's chi and nurture the deceased.

The clearing was void of tall grass, indicating there was a tomb below.

The different layers of soil and materials used to prevent break-ins cause a lack of nutrients, hence crops wouldn't grow well.

"There is a tomb beneath us," I said, explaining what I saw.

"Bingo! I knew Groundhog Liu's disciple wouldn't disappoint.

"This is where my last lead points to. The tomb beneath us most likely belongs to the wife of Lin Ah Sin, the last president of the LanFang Republic. One of the burial treasures should give us the location of the gold," Amy Lee explained.

"What are we waiting for? The faster we get the location, the faster we get the gold," Bobby said impatiently.

"You want to rot in an unknown Indonesian prison? The village is not too far. It's safer to wait for nightfall," Amy replied.

So, we had to keep a low profile and stayed in some bushes nearby, waiting for nightfall.

Finally, it was time to act.

Kurnawan would keep a lookout and warn us if anyone approached.

Bobby and I would be digging, while Amy Lee and Firecracker Tan would transport all the soil out of the hole.

Sea Snake Fang would coordinate everything and be ready for any emergencies.

With everyone in place, we started digging.

But there's an art to it.

First, you dig out soil from the four corners of the site.

Check the layers of soil and try to identify any white-colored soil.

This would be the first layer used to prevent break-ins.

If there aren't any, you can then slowly decrease the size of the four corners.

This process is done until you pinpoint the actual site of the tomb.

"Sam, have a look—is this what you meant?"

Bobby showed me the soil he had just dug up.

I shone my torchlight, and bingo—we'd hit the jackpot.

After an hour of digging, we finally pinpointed the tomb.

We continued to dig down from that spot.

After reaching three meters down, Bobby hit something hard.

"Look, I hit some bricks."

I took a look, and it was dark green-colored bricks, used for the cover dome of the tomb.

"Pry open the bricks, and we can get into the tomb."

We switched to using picks instead of spades.

Very quickly, the bricks were cleared, and all of us, except Kurnawan, entered the tomb.

"Bobby, let them go first," I whispered to him.

"Why?"

"Never leave your back to others. You never know when they might want to keep the spoils for themselves."

He nodded, and we were the last among the team.

After walking about ten meters, we reached a more open area.

On the ground were some porcelain vases lying around.

"Sam, are these valuable? Maybe we should keep some," Bobby asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought of making money.

"No, they would be if they were at least from the Song Dynasty or earlier. What's inside is usually daily items prepared for the deceased to use in the afterlife.

"There might be jewelry in the main chamber. Let's wait for that."

Just as I finished speaking, Amy Lee halted everyone.

In front of us was a wall.

It was made from a whole slab of rock.

Bobby tried hitting the wall with a hammer, but it didn't do much.

Amy Lee frowned, and after some back and forth with Sea Snake Fang, she used the walkie-talkie and said, "Kurnawan, is the coast clear? We might need to get loud, over."

"Coast is clear. Over."

Amy Lee then looked at Firecracker Tan and said, "Time to do your job."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
ShinyZebra ShinyZebra

Collect this book to your library so you can find it again. Any comments is greatly appreciated.

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