Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In fact, when Peter Lee appeared, Zhang Zian had a hunch. Why had Peter come and visited Nabari? Nabari was neither a sleek fashionista nor a skilled healthcare technician. He had no special skills, and his only specialty was being a desert guide.
As expected, Peter also wanted to hire Nabari as a guide.
Peter and Zhang Zian spoke in Chinese so that Nabari and Salem couldn’t understand. However, Nabari observed their tone and demeanor, and he could guess what was happening. Usually he did not enter the desert for a few months, and most of the time he entered in the winter. He had not expected that, given that he would retire very soon, he would still be sought after.
Zhang Zian was angry, but his face remained relaxed and dull. “Mr. Lee, do you mean to ask Nabari to be your guide?” He was asking the obvious but preparing for countermeasures in his head.
Peter Lee nodded. “Yes, I have inquired, and Nabari is the best desert guide. And it is not only me. My companions will also enter the desert.”
Zhang Zian showed a face of regret. To let Nabari understand, he said in English, “Is it? It’s a pity. You came a step too late. Mr. Nabari has promised to be my guide. I am afraid you will have to find someone else.”
Pete Lee was not fazed and asked quietly, “Is that the case?”
“Yes, I have already agreed to Mr. Zhang’s invitation to go with the expedition team as a guide,” Nabari confirmed.
Zhang Zian heaved a sigh of relief, but he was not completely relieved. Where was that look of confidence on Peter’s face coming from?
Peter Lee said to Nabari, “I can pay you double the price.”
Salem was stunned. This newcomer didn’t even know the bid of Zhang Zian’s expedition team, and he’d rushed to double the price?
“Sorry, we Bedouins have no money, but we are very proud of our reputation. This is also the law of survival in the desert. If I am a money-seeker, are you not afraid that I will rob you of your money when we are in there?” Nabari flatly refused his offer.
Zhang Zian listened in secret and nodded. It was a wise choice to choose Nabari as a guide.
The Bedouin people were most familiar with the desert. Nabari could deliberately lure tourists into the desert, rob them of their food and water at night, and return to steal their money and jewelry after they died. That would be really hard to prevent. As for how to explain this to others, he could merely insist that the team had been split up by the sandstorm. It would be very difficult for others to verify his words.
Peter did not seem discouraged. Rather, he gave him a thumbs-up, smiled, and said. “Good! Very good! I like you! I like you very much! Now I am even more certain that I want you to be our guide!”
“But…” Nabari frowned. Was he incapable of understanding human words? He rejected him for the third time, but what Peter said after stunned him entirely.
Peter smiled and said, “Your village chief has already agreed to my request. Are you going to defy the orders of your chieftain?”
Zhang Zian’s heart jumped, and he knew things had gone out of his favor. This was Peter’s trump card!
Unlike Zhang Zian, Peter did not have Salem as an introduction. He felt that approaching Nabari directly was a surefire way to get a rejection, so he changed tactics and first went to convince the village chief first. In this way, with pressure from the top, Nabari would find it difficult to say no.
The group gathering at the chieftain’s shack was probably discussing this matter. As for the method used to persuade the chief, it couldn’t be known. What they did know was that they’d certainly made an offer the chieftain could not refuse.
The Bedouins were a very strange group. Due to thousands of years of customs and historical reasons, they did not recognize any country or regime, nor did they recognize any laws.
Although they lived in Egypt, they still did not recognize the Egyptian government. There were no border customs in the Sahara Desert, and the Bedouins could be in Egypt today and leave for Libya tomorrow. The total number of Bedouins was difficult to estimate when countries sought to do a population census.
The Bedouins in the tribe only obeyed the orders of the chiefs, and the chief’s orders were law. Even though Nabari was unhappy about how things had gone, hearing that Peter had the chieftain’s permission, he did not dare question the orders.
He looked helplessly at Zhang Zian and showed him his palms. It was his way of telling him that he had no choice but to accept the orders of his chief.
In other circumstances, Zhang Zian would certainly not make it difficult for others. Yet there was really no other way. He was unwilling to let a deal that he had already secured fly away.
“Mr. Lee, let’s honor the first come, first serve concept, shall we? I was obviously the first one who invited Nabari,” Zhang Zian argued. He knew that it was unlikely that he could convince these people by logic, especially when they were fanatical mystics. He could only try.
Peter interrupted him. “You are wrong. We arrived first. You should have seen the cars we parked at the entrance to the village.”
Zhang Zian was speechless for a moment. Strictly speaking, Peter was not wrong. They’d come for the chief while Zhang Zian had come directly to Nabari.
Things were at a stalemate, but such a stalemate was only beneficial to Peter. Unless Zhang Zian kidnapped Nabari, he would certainly be the loser. He racked his brain to think of countermeasures while Peter basked in a sense of achievement.
At this moment, Salem, who had been silent for a while, suddenly said, albeit without much confidence: “I have a proposal, but I don’t know if it is suitable…”
“I’m listening.” Zhang Zian gestured to him. At this moment, he was willing to try anything.
Salem looked at Peter and said, “Zhang Zian, since your expedition team has no specific goals, then you might as well cooperate with these people and go into the desert together with Uncle Nabari. What do you think?”
Zhang Zian and Peter shuddered at the same time.
Nabari frowned. These two groups of people were obviously not going for the same thing. Without a common language and goal, wouldn’t there be tons of conflicts after entering the desert? Besides, he had never brought so many people into the desert.
Peter wondered why Zhang Zian wanted to enter the desert without a specific place to go. What was going on here?
Zhang Zian thought about it and couldn’t think of a better way. This was his last opportunity to make something out of a dead deal.
He cast his doubts aside, faced Peter, and gave him the kindest smile he could. “Good idea! I agree! Mr. Lee? Are you willing to travel with us?”
