章節 461: Arrival in Jerusalem
編輯: Dragon Boat Translation
In the early morning, at half-past two,
A roar echoed from the sky. On the grassy ground and within the forest, a short-tailed monkey was startled by this sound, screeching a few times, and leaped into the depths of the treetops.
In the wilderness, the roaring sound gradually faded away.
A Tidal Warplane descended from the sky, but it used stealth mode. Under optical invisibility, the entire aircraft seemed like a massive and transparent piece of glass. If one were standing a hundred meters away, it would be almost impossible to notice.
After the jet's vertical landing, the strong airflow gradually subsided.
Inside the cockpit,
Roddy removed his headphones and glanced at the instrument panel and the display above: "Safe landing, no abnormal signals on radar; we're very safe."
Chen Xiaolian pondered for a moment, "Did we just intrude into Israeli airspace?"
"If we were discovered, then yes," Lun Tai chuckled as he stood up from his seat.
Roddy also smiled, "Indeed, the technology of this jet is very advanced. At least, with the current state of technology, I don't believe the Israeli military radar can detect us."
Chen Xiaolian turned around and looked inside the cabin.
Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo had already stood up, while Xia Xiaolei excitedly gazed out the window. However, Qimu Xi seemed a bit queasy – this girl surprisingly had some motion sickness.
Chen Xiaolian glanced at Lun Tai, who nodded, "Since this trip is for training, let's all stay alert."
Chen Xiaolian smiled and then shouted, "Xiaolei!"
"Ah?" Xia Xiaolei jumped up.
"Get ready for alert. Lun Tai, take you and Qimu Xi, and disembark first to be on guard."
Lun Tai picked up the rifle next to him, pointed it towards the ground, and walked over to Xia Xiaolei, "Let's go, kid!"
When the cabin door opened, Xia Xiaolei was the first to jump out. His landing posture was quite good, kneeling on one knee, then holding the rifle to guard in all directions, with a thermal sensor on his head.
Lun Tai jumped down second, followed by Qimu Xi.
The three of them formed a T-shaped formation, crouching as they moved forward, then quickly spreading out.
A few minutes later, messages came through the guild channel.
"Safe."
"Safe."
"Safe... Oh, boss, there are monkeys here!" – This was Xia Xiaolei speaking.
Chen Xiaolian immediately jumped off the plane and walked over to Xia Xiaolei, lightly kicking him, "Stay serious; we're not here for a vacation."
Qiao Qiao and Roddy were the last to disembark.
Chen Xiaolian gave everyone fifteen minutes to get organized.
After stowing the tide fighter in their wrist storage units, two jeeps were released.
"We are currently located approximately eleven kilometers north of Jerusalem," Roddy checked the GPS.
Chen Xiaolian also glanced at the map, "The landing site is on target."
"Yes, so we can drive south along the highway. The nearest densely populated area to us is Mount Scopus. If we drive, it'll take us less than fifteen minutes to get there. It should be enough to reach Jerusalem city center in just over half an hour from here."
Chen Xiaolian nodded, "Two cars, Roddy, Qiao Qiao, and Soo Soo in one; Lun Tai, Xia Xiaolei, and Qimu Xi in the other. Keep a safe distance on the road and follow the backup plan if anything unexpected happens. Let's depart now."
In the darkness of the night, the two off-road vehicles entered the road from the wilderness one after the other, heading south along the highway.
In the lead vehicle, Roddy was driving, and Chen Xiaolian was in the passenger seat. He noticed in the rearview mirror that Qiao Qiao was gazing out the window at the night scenery.
"What's wrong?"
Qiao Qiao forced a smile, "I feel... it's a bit strange."
"Is it because it's your first time in this place?"
Qiao Qiao thought for a moment, "It's my first time... but it's not related to that. I just have this feeling..."
As she spoke, she pointed in the direction to the south, "I just feel that the closer we get to that place, the more peculiar it becomes, I just can't put my finger on it."
Chen Xiaolian turned to look into Qiao Qiao's eyes, and after a few seconds, he smiled gently, "It's okay; this Instance doesn't seem too difficult. I don't think we'll encounter any problems. The system notifications are always truthful."
Qiao Qiao stared at Chen Xiaolian and soon a smile brightened her face, "You're right."
About an hour later, the two vehicles entered the city of Jerusalem, arriving at Jaffa Gate via the city roads.
In fact, the ancient city was still shrouded in darkness, and the dawn had not yet broken.
In the darkness, the contours of the ancient city were faintly visible.
The David Citadel Hotel was a top-tier luxury hotel located next to Jaffa Gate.
Both vehicles entered the hotel, and despite the early hour, they received impeccable hospitality from the hotel staff.
Of course, Chen Xiaolian did not present his passport... they didn't have legal entry procedures to begin with.
However, with the universal access badge that had been given to them by the Phoenix, while they might not be able to enter government secret facilities, staying in a hotel posed no problem.
Two luxury suites were quickly opened, and the two rooms were interconnected.
This uniquely designed hotel allowed guests to see the contours of the ancient city from their rooms.
Qiao Qiao stood on the terrace, looking into the distance, and sighed softly, "If there's ten parts of beauty in the world, nine of them are in Jerusalem."
Chen Xiaolian stood behind Qiao Qiao, his arm around her waist, and chuckled softly, "Is that from the Talmud?"
Qiao Qiao turned to look at Chen Xiaolian with surprise in her eyes.
Chen Xiaolian smiled faintly, "After all, I'm a writer too."
Roddy's voice came from behind them, "After all, we're all living beings! If you want to show affection, can you consider the feelings of the single dogs around you?"
Chen Xiaolian laughed heartily, released Qiao Qiao, and immediately began to allocate tasks.
"We have less than thirty hours left until the Instance starts. Now... Roddy, I need a detailed road traffic map of Jerusalem."
"No problem, leave it to me," Roddy nodded immediately, "I'll get the most detailed and up-to-date information from the city's municipal system."
Chen Xiaolian nodded and then turned to Lun Tai, "According to our plan, gather intelligence. Based on the experience of the London Instance, before the Instance begins, we should collect as much local information about Jerusalem as possible. I believe... it's very likely that this Instance will be set against one of the classic historical landmarks in Jerusalem, just like the London Instance. So..."
"Understood," Lun Tai immediately nodded, "We'll take a break in a moment and then head out separately. The hotel has tourist recommendation maps for Jerusalem. We'll divide the city based on the maps, with the southern part assigned to me and the northern part to you. Xiaolei and Qimu Xi will come with me. We'll stay in contact at all times."
"Pay attention to hiding your identities. The Instance is about to start, and there will surely be many Awakened arriving. I don't want to engage with other guilds before the Instance officially begins."
Lun Tai chuckled.
"Our guild's primary goal in this Instance is to ensure our own safety first! Building on that, we'll try to complete the Instance's tasks as much as possible. But safety remains our top priority. Let me emphasize once again, everyone should be cautious. Don't underestimate the Instance's difficulty just because it might seem easy." Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath.
"The Wailing Wall, the Temple Mount, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... these are all potential locations," Lun Tai picked up a classic tourist recommendation map from the hotel room, "Time is running out, and there are so many places to cover. We need to make the most of our time."
"Rest for fifteen minutes, then depart. Everyone... also prepare your clothing, try not to attract attention," Chen Xiaolian added.
...
Tel Aviv Airport.
As they walked out of the corridor, Tian Lie was stretching.
Nicole frowned, looking at the sky outside the corridor.
"I'm sure we're behind schedule," she said.
"Don't complain," Tian Lie shook his head. "I've checked all the flights, and there are no names matching Chen Xiaolian and his guild. These guys must have found another way to get here. Maybe we're behind, but so what?"
"I guess Chen Xiaolian must have arrived early, conducted some on-site investigation, and collected information. He's young but handles things very maturely. He doesn't act like a teenager at all; he's more like a middle-aged man with an old-fashioned demeanor."
Tian Lie chuckled as he walked, "Enough talk. We're already here, so let's hurry to Jerusalem. It's your fault for not buying plane tickets; now we have to drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after leaving the airport."
"Is this your first time here?" Nicole raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tian Lie. "Don't you know that Tel Aviv is less than an hour's drive from Jerusalem?"
Tian Lie was momentarily taken aback.
"Fool, Israel has a very narrow territory. Although Tel Aviv is a coastal city, it's very close to Jerusalem," Nicole curiously looked at Tian Lie. "Even though I don't know your true identity, I'm sure you're an old hand. How could it be your first time here?"
Tian Lie suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Nicole seriously, "And you? How many times have you been here?"
Nicole blinked her eyes, "Are you trying to pry into my background? Don't forget our agreement, you can find out if you defeat me."
Tian Lie shrugged, "It really is my first time here."
"So, that's why I find it strange. Every time the system brings an Instance to this place, it's a significant event in the Awakened world. You... have never been here before?"
Tian Lie smiled, "Well, now it's you who's prying into my business."
Nicole smiled subtly.
Tian Lie looked into Nicole's eyes, furrowing his brow, "Okay, I'll tell the truth. I've heard about the excitement here before, but... I've never chosen to come because of those troublesome local guys. I'm not afraid of them, but I also won't come looking for trouble for no reason."
"Why?" Nicole asked.
"Because..." Tian Lie thought for a moment, "those local guys are troublesome. Although I'm not afraid of them, I also won't come looking for trouble for no reason."
Exiting the airport, Nicole rented a compact car at a car rental counter inside the airport.
It was a small car with a 1.4-liter engine – the kind of compact car that's popular in Europe for its fuel efficiency.
Tian Lie didn't hesitate and went straight to the passenger seat.
"You really have no manners," Nicole frowned but reluctantly took the driver's seat. "Letting a lady be your chauffeur?"
"I don't have a driver's license," Tian Lie looked at Nicole unapologetically.
Nicole was taken aback.
Tian Lie had already picked up a promotional pamphlet from the car, "Alright, you drive. I'll take a look at where we're staying in Jerusalem. By the way... you should have enough money with you, right? I've been wanting to try out a few of the famous top-tier luxury hotels here for a long time. But I don't have much money... don't look at me like that! Hey! Don't forget, I'm just a security guard in a residential area. How much salary do you think I make?"
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