Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Maung Kyaw Zin moved away from the door and gestured for Li Du to enter.
His wife was at the door, looking at the two of them with a worried expression. Li Du turned and smiled. “Don’t overthink. We are just here to discuss a biology problem. Look, I even brought a bottle of wine.”
Saying that, he lifted up the brown bottle.
After entering, Li Du scanned the small house with his eyes. It was simple and clean inside. There was only a bed and a table. On the table, there was a box. Other than those, there was nothing else.
Maung Kyaw Zin said, “Feel free to sit anywhere you like. Usually, nobody comes here. Hence, we have no special seat for you.”
Li Du said, “No need for that, Chief. You are too polite. I’m not here as a guest. I’m here to get an answer.”
Just as he finished speaking, Maung Kyaw Zin suddenly turned impatient. He pulled his hair with both his hands and yelled, “What answer? What answer? I don’t know, I really don’t know. Is money so important? Are you guys willing to do anything for money?”
Li Du said, “I don’t understand what you mean. I’m not here for money.”
Hearing that, Maung Kyaw Zin laughed coolly. “If I believed your words, I’d be a fool! You’re not here for money? Didn’t you come here for that jade mine? You dare say you’re not here for profit?”
Li Du stood straight and said, “No, I’m not here for that jade mine. I’m here to find something. And I want to find that thing not for money. I have to keep the motives secret, but it is definitely not for money!”
He had spoken convincingly and was obviously not guilty. Maung Kyaw Zin froze.
Looking blankly at Li Du, he asked, “You are really not here for the jade mine?”
Li Du said, “Did you see how many bodyguards I have brought with me? You should know I’m not in need of money. I’m at Wooku Town to see if I can find something that is useful for me. I’m not here to start a mine to make money.”
“Besides,” he added, “What use would it be if I find a jade mine? Will the government of your country allow me to run a mine? The government would not allow anyone to get a new mine like this. They would take over its ownership!”
Maung Kyaw Zin looked at him blankly again and said, “Oh, I’m wrong. This time I’m wrong.”
Li Du asked, “What exactly happened? Also, what’s with these big ants?”
Maung Kyaw Zin did not speak. With his hands on his head, he continued to zone out.
When Li Du started to get impatient, he opened the cover on the bottle, wanting to let the ants out.
Seeing that, Maung Kyaw Zin was shocked and shouted, “Don’t let them out in my house, don’t touch them…”
However, it was too late. Li Du had turned the bottle upside down to pour out its contents.
Maung Kyaw Zin let out a scared yell. It looked as though he was extremely afraid of the ants in the bottle.
However, none of the ants were released. Only some turbid, viscous liquid dripped down. It dropped on the table, slowly corroding and making a hole in the wood.
“Where are the ants?” Li Du could not understand.
Maung Kyaw Zin heaved a sigh of relief and sat back down on his bed. He mumbled, “Thank God, thank God. Grandpa was right. Thank God, they can’t be too far from the queen ant…”
Frowning, Li Du asked, “What exactly happened? Please be clear, chief.”
Maung Kyaw Zin waved his hands. “Nothing to do with you, Boss Li. This has nothing to do with you. As you are not here for the jade mine, I suggest that you leave this place as soon as possible. This place has become dangerous.”
Li Du said, “I haven’t found what I am looking for, so I cannot leave.”
“If you don’t leave you will lose your life!” Maung Kyaw Zin shouted.
Li Du looked at him and said, “Please be clear.”
Maung Kyaw Zin stubbornly shook his head and said, “Nothing much to tell. I have said my piece. I cannot do anything if you don’t listen. Hope that when you lose your life, you won’t blame me.”
Li Du said, “I will not blame you. But I’m afraid those people who have died at Dena Mountain previously will.”
Maung Kyaw Zin stood up, wide-eyed and said, “What do you mean?”
Li Du smiled, “I will be direct with my words. You were the one to cause their deaths.”
Maung Kyaw Zin slammed the table hard and said, “No, not me. I have nothing to do with their deaths. Don’t spout nonsense!”
Li Du said, “You cannot run away from the truth. I did not spout nonsense. You and I both know it.”
Just as before, Maung Kyaw Zin looked blankly at him again. Then he slowly sat back down on his bed and said, “What do you mean? What do you know?”
Li Du smiled and said, “You are already guessing what I know. Otherwise, why would I say all that? I’m not sure how you managed to kill them, though.”
“Don’t spout nonsense, I did not kill anyone!” Maung Kyaw Zin interrupted him, agitated. “I did not kill anyone, it’s them who killed themselves, nothing to do with me!”
Li Du said, “Don’t get anxious, chief. I’m not here to pursue responsibility. I’m not the police and have no interest in these cases. I’m just here to get my facts straight. What’s with all these fierce ants? What is it about Dena Mountain?”
Maung Kyaw Zin said, “I don’t know, I don’t know. Don’t ask me, I don’t know anything. You guys better go!”
Li Du said, “If I can’t get the answers, I will not go. If you continue to hide, I will call the cops. Let the police investigate this.”
Maung Kyaw Zin laughed coolly. “Let the cops investigate what? That a new species of ants has been found on the mountain? Or the hopeless cases from years ago? Will the cops care about that? Do you think this is China?”
Seeing that he was fearless, Li Du thought of an idea. “You’re right. The cops will not be interested in these. However, the biologists and entomologists from all over the world should be interested. I can describe the ants to them. Perhaps they will go to Dena Mountain to do a thorough study.”
Maung Kyaw Zin said, “Will they believe that?”
Li Du took out his phone and spun it around. He smiled. “Do you know about the existence of smartphones? They can take photos, videos. The photos of the ants are here. So are the videos. Isn’t that sufficient for them to believe?”
Maung Kyaw Zin’s face froze.
He panted heavily and then said, “Don’t do that. If you do that, you will hurt whoever comes here. Besides, even if they are interested, they will not be able to find those ants. They won’t be able to find them, I tell you.”
“They can do a meticulous search through the mountains and wilderness. Perhaps they might even find the legendary jade mine of Dena Mountain,” Li Du laughed.
Hearing that, Maung Kyaw Zin started to grow agitated again. “There is no jade mine in Dena Mountain, no! Many people have come in search of it. It does not exist!”
After so much happened, looking at how Maung Kyaw Zin was reacting, Li Du was sure of something. “You know that there is a jade mine in Dena Mountain. Do you know where it is? You don’t want others to discover it, right? You want to keep that a secret. Whoever finds out about that secret or is close to finding out, will you kill them?!”
As he continued, Maung Kyaw Zin’s face became more solemn. If that was really the case, then Maung Kyaw Zin was a very dangerous person.
