"Hehehe…" Wei Fat sneered, "Looks like your fight with Basna and his men left you pretty battered. What's the matter? Out of bullets? Why don't you shoot back?" This jungle fox, with his keen instincts, had already sized up the situation. For the first time, he spoke in English to the encircled group. Zhang Li and Yue Yang, pinned down and unable to offer even symbolic resistance, watched as shadows flitted through the jungle, the enemy closing in from all directions.
Under the oppressive firepower, Wei Fat's psychological offensive continued unabated. "We know exactly why you're here, what you're after. Trying to steal wealth from another's land? A foolish choice. Surrender now, and not only can I guarantee your safety, but… we can cooperate. If it all goes well, I'll personally escort you out of this jungle and share a handsome portion of the spoils with you. So, what do you think? Tempting?"
To most, such an offer would be hard to resist, but to Zhang Li and his group, it was utterly baffling. "What's he even talking about?" Zhang Li muttered, glancing at Yue Yang, who seemed equally perplexed. Even Basang, slumped against a tree, frowned in silence.
Seeing no response, Wei Fat pressed on, "Don't make unnecessary struggles. With just the few of you, you can't possibly handle a prize this big. Do you even know who—"
Suddenly, the jungle shifted. An arrow whistled through the air, striking down a lookout perched above. The man fell like a sandbag, hitting the ground with a thud.
"What's going on?" Panic rippled through the drug traffickers. A subordinate reported urgently, "It's the Kukur tribe!"
Wei Fat's face turned pale. "What? The Kukur tribe? This isn't their territory. What are they doing here?"
In an instant, shadows with feathers began to appear in the jungle, on treetops, and in low-lying areas. Wei Fat, momentarily abandoning his threats, shouted in Kesa dialect, "Who is it? Claw? Three? We're under Baron's protection! Baron signed a non-aggression pact with your tribe. Why are you attacking us?"
A voice echoed from the forest, "Basaka! You injured our leader in Putumayo. Blood for blood!"
Wei Fat shot a furious glare at the hulking Basaka beside him. Under the sharp gaze, Basaka lowered his head in guilt. "It wasn't us! It was an old snake charmer who used his snakes to bite your leader. We didn't know he was from Claw. If we'd known—"
"Shut up!" Wei Fat barked at his subordinate, then called back into the forest, "It was a misunderstanding! A terrible misunderstanding! We deeply regret and apologize for what happened to your leader. We hope he has recovered fully, and may the Jungle God watch over him. Baron himself will personally offer his apologies."
The forest offered no reply, only a chorus of beast-like howls expressing the tribesmen's unyielding resolve for vengeance. Basaka whispered nervously, "It seems Baron's name won't deter them. Should we invoke that other name?"
"Idiot!" Wei Fat slapped Basaka hard, drawing blood at the corner of his mouth. "When these savages go berserk, no treaty matters. Tell the men to stay alert. These people move through the jungle like ghosts."
Another arrow flew out of nowhere, felling a trafficker. Wei Fat roared in fury, "Fight back! Show them our firepower!"
But the battle quickly tilted in the Kukur tribe's favor. These indigenous warriors, masters of the jungle, moved like monkeys, leaping effortlessly through the trees. Every arrow found its mark, and though the wounds weren't fatal, the poison on the tips was. Downed traffickers barely managed a scream before succumbing to death. Meanwhile, the traffickers' powerful firearms were rendered useless under the cover of massive trees. Rounds of blind gunfire only shook branches, never finding targets.
Primitive weapons—arrows, spears, slings—overwhelmed the modern force, leaving the traffickers scattered and desperate. Realizing the dire situation, Wei Fat ordered a retreat. "Fall back! Regroup and break south!"
As he fled, a bone-crafted boomerang slashed through the air, narrowly missing Wei Fat before doubling back to slice a bloody gash across his ample belly. Enraged, he bellowed, "Cover me! Where the hell are you all running off to?"
Amid the chaos, Zhang Li, Yue Yang, and Basang found themselves miraculously untouched in the center of the encirclement. To Zhang Li and Yue Yang, unaware of Tashi Damba's brief alliance with the Kukur tribe, it felt like divine intervention. The tribal warriors didn't pursue the retreating enemies. Instead, a melodic voice called out from the forest, like the Jungle Goddess herself: "Quickly, come with us. Leave before their helicopters arrive."
Four or five warriors, their faces painted with totems and adorned with feathers, stepped forward, wielding primitive weapons. Zhang Li and Yue Yang, more frightened than before, hesitated, unsure of these strangers' intentions. Fortunately, Basang retained enough clarity to give the order: "Go with them."
Two warriors quickly lifted the unconscious Tashi Damba and darted into the forest. Another pair supported the injured Basang, while Zhang Li and Yue Yang had no choice but to follow.
Meanwhile, Wei Fat and his battered group stumbled through the jungle, escaping the Kukur's pursuit, only to arrive at the site where Basna's men had fallen. The sight was horrifying. Each corpse was grotesquely swollen, their twisted postures frozen in agony. Some had torn at their own flesh, their faces unrecognizable, while others had died by suicide, their mouths filled with broken teeth.
Using his gun to prod one corpse, Wei Fat discovered a yellow-spotted bee crawling out of its nose. His face darkened. "Killer bees! Damn it, how did they provoke a swarm this size? Are there more in the area? From the looks of these bodies, the numbers must have been enormous."
Glancing around, he muttered bitterly, "Those four Chinese escaped again. In all my years, I've never been this unlucky. Basaka, are you still alive? If you are, get over here, you idiot! How could you antagonize the Kukur? You know we need to keep peace with them to move through this jungle!"
Terrified, Basaka stammered, "It was… a mistake. I… I know my error."
Wei Fat spat, "Knowing your error is worthless. Figure out how to fix it!"
Basaka nodded repeatedly but knew retrieving the hostages from the Kukur was as good as bargaining with death itself. Still, curiosity got the better of him. "But, Captain, we had the chance to kill them earlier. Why didn't we?"
Wei Fat smirked, lowering his voice. "You fool. General Gule specifically wants them alive." Leaning closer, he added, "They know the entrance to the City of Gold."
Basaka gasped audibly, his excitement barely contained. "The City of Gold?"
Wei Fat nodded grimly. "Do you think we'd go through all this trouble otherwise? Now, keep an eye on the Kukur. Sooner or later, they'll leave their territory, and when they do…"
Unbeknownst to them, their entire conversation was overheard by Sores, who had been nearby collecting samples. At the mention of the City of Gold, his hand trembled, nearly letting the queen bee escape. "The City of Gold? Impossible. Could this be true? Or is it a ploy?" He couldn't tell if the rumor was real but knew one thing: Tashi Damba and his group were oblivious to this so-called treasure.
Unexpected Awakening
"Darkness… endless darkness. Where am I? Is this hell? Let me think… what happened? We were attacked… but by what? What was that buzzing sound? Oh, no! Killer bees… it was them, it's them again!"
Tashi Damba's eyes snapped open. He tried to move, but an overwhelming pain coursed through his body, as if every bone had been crushed. After several failed attempts to sit up, he gave up. His gaze shifted to the ceiling above him. It was made of palm leaves and raw timber, a crude construction. The walls were simple wooden planks adorned with animal heads and deer skins. There was no door, only a curtain seemingly woven from straw.
The sweltering heat and the familiar calls of jungle birds reminded him that he was still in the tropical rainforest. But… what was this place?
"Ah, you're awake! You've been sleeping for a day and two nights!"
A familiar voice, speaking English, caught Tashi Damba's attention. He turned his head toward the curtain with great effort, barely managing to call out, "Ba—Babbit—" before the words died on his lips.
Standing there wasn't the elegant, tropical-styled Babbit he remembered from Putumayo. Instead, she appeared as a fully transformed indigenous woman of the jungle. Her long black hair was braided into twin pigtails draped over her shoulders. She wore no accessories and—much to his astonishment—absolutely nothing on her upper body. Her only garment was a simple nylon skirt tied around her waist.
Her sun-kissed skin radiated a healthy glow, accentuating her figure in the most primal and natural way. Despite his years of experience and composure, Tashi Damba found himself stunned, unable to speak.
Babbit noticed his wide-eyed, fiery gaze and felt a faint blush on her cheeks. However, she quickly composed herself, showing no hint of shyness. In contrast, it was Tashi Damba who felt utterly embarrassed. Babbit's skin was covered in intricate tribal tattoos: dragons with simplified, fortress-like patterns climbed up her arms; her lower abdomen bore a design resembling a sacred gate with a deity inside; even her chest displayed lotus-like motifs. It was an elaborate piece of human art.
Cursing himself internally, Tashi Damba thought, Damn it, why am I staring so hard? This isn't what I should be focusing on right now. Stay calm, Tashi Damba. This is just a part of their ancient culture. Nothing extraordinary. But… why is she standing so close? And why can't I move?
Seeing Tashi Damba's flushed face and sweat-soaked brow, Babbit let out a charming laugh. "No need to be so shocked. I'm from an indigenous tribe after all. Even in civilized cities, places like Germany or France have nudist camps. It's all about the mindset—nothing to be embarrassed about. Or… could it be… are you having improper thoughts?"
Tashi Damba, utterly mortified, shut his eyes tightly, hoping to purge his mind of all distractions. Babbit's silvery laughter rang out like bells in the small room. After a while, the laughter stopped, and Tashi Damba felt a tickle on his nose, causing him to sneeze. Opening his eyes, he found Babbit crouched by his bed, face inches from his own, twirling a colorful feather in her hand as she traced patterns on his face.
This time, prepared for her antics, he managed to suppress the primal surge within him. As his mind cleared, he asked gratefully, "Did you… save me?"
Babbit smirked, "For someone so strong, you sure scare easily. Yes, we saved you. My brother owes his life to the snake balm you gave him, and our entire tribe is grateful. When we heard rumors of guerillas fighting four yellow-skinned people in the jungle, we suspected it might be you. So we ventured deep into the forest to find you. Turns out, you ran into killer bees. Normally, their venom isn't so deadly, but you and that grumpy-looking uncle of yours are allergic. That's why you were hurt so badly."
"What about the rest of my team?" Tashi Damba asked.
"They're safe," Babbit replied casually. "As long as you're in the Kukur tribe's territory, even the guerillas won't dare step foot here. Now, let's see…" She reached for the reed mat covering Tashi Damba.
"What… what are you doing?" Tashi Damba asked nervously.
Babbit gave him a sly smile. "Treating you, of course. I've been looking after you this whole time."
"You're a doctor?"
"No," Babbit replied, "but I've been using the Kukur tribe's special healing methods. You're recovering quickly, aren't you?"
Tashi Damba's head buzzed as he imagined what her "special methods" might entail. What kind of treatment is she talking about?
With a playful slap on his chest, Babbit feigned annoyance. "What are you thinking about? Why is your face as red as a monkey's butt?" She then instructed, "Turn over. Come on—one, two, three! Put in some effort. One, two, three…"
With great difficulty, Tashi Damba managed to lie on his stomach, grateful to avoid further awkwardness. He hissed as sharp pain radiated from the stings on his back—a mix of itching, tingling, and nerve-wracking stabs.
"You're not… cutting open the bites, are you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Of course not," Babbit said, amused. "I'm just breaking the scabs and letting the blood flow again. That's the only way the Enze spirits will treat you."
"The what? Enze spirits? What are those?" Tashi Damba asked, his curiosity piqued despite the pain.
"The Enze spirits are our jungle healers," Babbit explained. "When we're stung or fall ill, they take care of us. Want to see them?"
"Sure… I suppose I should thank whoever—or whatever—they are," Tashi Damba replied.
Babbit handed him a clay jar. Peering inside, Tashi Damba froze. Crawling in and out of the jar were black ants, each about a centimeter long and moving with astonishing speed.
"These… are the Enze spirits?" he stammered.
Babbit grinned mischievously. "They're eating your blood right now. Their saliva contains special enzymes that neutralize toxins and stimulate cellular repair. Pretty amazing, right?"
"Are you sure about this?" Tashi Damba asked skeptically.
"Of course!" Babbit said matter-of-factly. "The Kukur tribe has relied on the Enze spirits for centuries. Thanks to them, we've never suffered any major illnesses. Now, rest up. I'll bring you some corn porridge and honey later. You've gone too long without food, and even the strongest man needs sustenance."
As Babbit left the room, Zhang Li and Yue Yang, lounging idly on a wooden platform outside, let out their 107th synchronized sigh.
"This is so unfair!"
"It's an injustice! Why can't we get this kind of care?"
"If I'd known, I'd have let those bees sting me a few more times!"