"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."