In the blink of an eye, two days had passed, and during this time, Qi Yun and the others had mostly stayed in the camp and didn't wander around.

Although they occasionally heard a few wolf howls at night, possibly because of the bonfire or the abundant food for the wolves, there was no attack on the camp.

The camp under the poplar forest was quite comfortable, and people would chat or play cards to pass the time.

However, there was some bad news: they were running out of fresh water.

"Including the consumption for the return trip, the remaining fresh water will only last us for a maximum of two days," Mamati leaned over to remind Qi Yun.

"It's okay," Qi Yun reassured him, "I called this morning, and they left yesterday. According to the time, they should arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

"If they don't arrive by tomorrow evening, we won't wait any longer."

Mamati was relieved to hear him say this and nodded confidently.

On the morning of the next day, a large convoy arrived deep in the desert. At a glance, there were at least twenty vehicles.

Besides the regular off-road vehicles, there were also several military trucks at the end.

Leading the convoy was a Toyota Prado with a provincial government F pass.

The convoy drove directly to Qi Yun and their camp.

Three people got down from the leading car, two men and one woman, all around fifty years old.

"Excuse me, who is Comrade Qi Yun?" One of the slightly plump men asked.

Qi Yun took two steps forward, "Hello, I am Qi Yun."

The man warmly extended his hand, "Hello, Comrade Qi Yun, I am He Qihua from the S Cultural Department. You can call me Old He."

"This is Director Luo from the S Prefecture Office and our country's archaeology expert, Professor He."

Qi Yun smiled and shook hands with them, "Hello to the leaders."

He wasn't too surprised by the visitors from S, as this indeed was a major national event.

"We've heard Professor Wei's account regarding the ancient city ruins. The S Prefecture attaches great importance to this, so we came specifically for on-site protection and investigation," He Qihua said, sighing as he patted Qi Yun's arm, "Qi Yun, you've made a great contribution this time! If this can indeed be confirmed as the ruins of a Satellite City of Loulan, it would fill a significant archaeological gap in the Western Regions."

Qi Yun modestly smiled, "The leaders are too kind. We were just lucky to find a clue. The credit mainly goes to Doctor Zhan and those experts involved in the research."

Then he waved to Zhan Hongbo to introduce him to the others, "This is Zhan Hongbo, a student of Elder Wei."

Qi Yun did not take all the credit himself but also mentioned Zhan Hongbo along the way. This was crucial for Zhan Hongbo, who was still pursuing his doctorate, as it would help him in his future career in research institutions or staying on as faculty.

Zhan Hongbo gave Qi Yun a grateful look, stepped forward to shake hands with He Qihua and others, "Hello, leaders. I am studying the history and culture of the Western Regions under Elder Wei. I owe this opportunity to discover the site to Brother Qi's guidance."

Professor He seemed to have a good impression of Zhan Hongbo, holding his hand and chatting for a while, "I haven't seen your mentor in over ten years. Please convey my regards to him."

"Sure, Professor He," Zhan Hongbo nodded with a smile.

After some pleasantries, He Qihua glanced at the convoy behind, then turned to Qi Yun and said, "Qi Yun, why don't you lead us to the site of the ruins first?"

"Alright, leaders, let's go. My car will lead the way," Qi Yun replied, gesturing to Mamati, who understood and jogged over to drive the car.

More than half an hour later, the mighty convoy arrived at the sand pit, and people got off the vehicles one after another, numbering fifty or sixty. More than half were archaeological research personnel here to participate in the excavation, with the remainder being logistical support staff.

The group descended along the sand slope to the bottom of the pit and excitedly gathered around the black altar, starting discussions.

Professor He squatted down, stroking the patterns on the altar's surface, his face full of joy, "Indeed, it's the altar of the ancient Loulan people. This carving style of sun patterns is identical to the Sun Sacrificial Plate unearthed at the Niya Ruins."

Standing beside him, Director Luo from the office crossed his arms, glanced at the altar, and didn't pay too much attention, "Professor He, can we confirm that there are ancient city ruins here?"

"Yes! The ancient Loulan people would build altars in the center of the city, so confirming this altar can basically affirm that this is an ancient city site!" Professor He focused on examining the altar, responding without raising his head.

Director Luo nodded, asking again, "Is it the Satellite City?"

"It can't be confirmed yet; we still need further excavation for evidence. However, there is a significant possibility that the ruins discovered here are those of the Satellite City," Professor He patiently explained.

"Let's first take some video footage," Director Luo said, waving to a young man above the pit, "Xiao Wang, come and take some photos."

Professor He frowned slightly but sighed and instructed the nearby research personnel, "Go get the surveying equipment and collect data within two kilometers around. We will discuss the specific range later."

The crowd responded and left, making the sand pit spacious again, with only four or five people remaining inside.

Qi Yun stood above, smoking, not going down, watching them take photos.

"Qi Yun, come over here and take some photos too," Director Luo beckoned to Qi Yun from beside the altar.

"Me?" Qi Yun responded politely, "I don't think it's necessary for me to take photos."

Director Luo shook his head, "Hey! You are the one who discovered the ancient ruins, and you will surely be the main figure in future reports. Come on."

"That's right, come on, and let Xiao Zhan take a few photos too," He Qihua agreed from the side.

Qi Yun stubbed out his cigarette and stepped down into the sand pit.

The young man responsible for taking photos first snapped a few shots of Qi Yun alone by the altar, and then followed with a group photo. Qi Yun stood in the middle, with Director Luo and He Qihua on either side, followed by Professor He and Zhan Hongbo.

After taking the photos, Director Luo asked Professor He, "Professor He, how long do you estimate this excavation will take?"

Professor He's gaze once again focused on the altar: "Based on my experience, it will take at least three months, at the fastest. It really depends on the size and preservation of the site, and it may take even longer."

Director Luo nodded: "Alright, the follow-up work will be left to you. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact me or Old He."

Professor He gave a slight nod, not saying much more.

Director Luo turned and patted Qi Yun's arm: "Let's go up and have a chat."

Qi Yun responded and followed him to the car.

"Want a smoke?" Director Luo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one.

"Thank you." Qi Yun took it without hesitation and obligingly fetched a lighter to light it for him.

Director Luo exhaled a smoke ring and spoke slowly, "Qi Yun, the discovery of this ancient site is of great significance. Once it's successfully excavated, it will become a scenic spot full of Western Regions cultural characteristics."

"It can greatly boost the tourism economy for the local area and even the entire province, so you've done a great service this time."

It's often said that one's position influences one's perspective.

In the eyes of researchers like Professor He, they focus more on the historical and cultural aspects of the ruins, whereas people like Director Luo—or those he represents—are concerned with the impact and economic benefits of this ancient city site.

Both are aiming to accomplish their respective goals.

"Haha, you're too kind, leader. I just did some minor work." Qi Yun smiled and lit his cigarette.

Director Luo nodded in satisfaction, raising his hand to pat his shoulder: "Mm, it's good that young people stay humble. Once this is all settled, there will certainly be recognition for your efforts."

After a few more words, Director Luo and He Qihua from the Cultural Department left first, having completed their work here.

After they left, Qi Yun returned to the sand pit to consult with Professor He about the text on the stone tablet near the altar.

"Professor He, could you help me translate the text on this stone tablet? I'm quite curious about it."

Professor He was examining the altar's carvings with a magnifying glass. Upon hearing Qi Yun's request, she went to the stone tablet and sighed: "These characters are uncommon and not within any known writing systems I'm familiar with. It's the first time I've seen them."

"Although this stone tablet was found in the city of the Ancient Loulan people, it's very likely to have come from another country."

"In the early Han Dynasty, there were over fifty countries and tribes in the Western Regions. Larger ones like Qiuci Kingdom had populations of over ten thousand, while smaller tribes might have only a few hundred people."

"Almost all these countries and tribes had their own written languages, but many of these have been lost."

"So I'll have to first test its material composition to determine its age before attempting to decipher its meaning."

Qi Yun nodded in understanding, knowing this process couldn't be rushed.

That afternoon, apart from Zhan Hongbo, who insisted on staying to participate in the excavation, the others left the desert to return.

As it was an official excavation, Professor He and the team were well-equipped, even having satellite communication terminals to provide weak signals while in the desert.

It's good that Zhan Hongbo stayed, as he could communicate any updates to Qi Yun in a timely manner.

...

Two days later, at noon, four off-road vehicles returned to Ruqiang County Town.

The group found a local Uighur restaurant and enjoyed a hearty meal of rice pilaf and grilled meat.

After the meal, they prepared to go their separate ways.

Qi Yun was very pleased with Mamati and the other two's work this time and paid them an additional guide fee of eighty thousand yuan.

Originally, Mamati asked for seventy thousand, but because they helped with several days of work and everything went smoothly, Qi Yun added another ten thousand.

"Thank you, Boss Qi!"

"Thank you, boss!"

Qi Yun waved from the business car: "Alright, contact me if you need anything in the future. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Boss Qi."

"....."

Chen Wei started the car slowly, and Qi Yun took out his phone to let Zhao Qing know he was safe and would be home that night.

Then, he made a call to Ignacio.

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