At this point, Weiland's breathing became rapid.
Stafford took over his words: "I am responsible for this operation and the safety of the overall personnel. I will not ask you to do anything extra. Protecting Mr. Weiland is your only responsibility."
Luke smiled and nodded: "Very good, I will also abide by the team's rules and regulations."
Stafford finally smiled.
Both of them are action-oriented, so they do things in a decisive and direct manner, clearly defining responsibilities and reaching consensus face to face.
The next moment, Weiland stood up: "Luke, can I call you that?"
Luke smiled and nodded: "Sure, Mr. Weiland."
Weiland: "Although you just arrived, you are a good guy, and you have rested for three days in Ushuaia. Now we need to enter the ruins and catch up with the team that has already set out. Do you have any suggestions?"
Luke was stunned, but nodded immediately: "No problem. But can you let Mr. Stafford explain the ruins to me on the way there?"
Weiland: “No problem.”
Stafford also stood up: "Luke, you can call me Stafford. What equipment do you need?"
Luke shrugged. "Weapons that can be used here? After all, I don't have time to prepare these."
Stafford pressed the intercom directly: "Send a medium-sized standard equipment over, immediately."
Then, the middle-aged black man helped Weiland put on his clothes and equipment for going out, and said to Luke: "Mr. Weiland is not in good health. You have to keep an eye on him at all times."
Luke walked over and helped get Weiland's equipment ready.
This wealthy man is old and frail, and seems to be ill. He can't do many things by himself. I really don't know why he wants to come to Antarctica for adventure.
Luke's equipment was also delivered quickly.
The entire set of equipment is specially configured for the harsh polar environment, such as tactical vests, walkie-talkies, guns, magazines, flashlights, glow sticks, ropes, some medical supplies, etc.
Compared to Weiland's extremely difficult movements, Luke's movements were extremely fast, and he finished getting ready in two minutes: "Let's go, Mr. Weiland."
Three people pushed the door open and walked out.
Stafford walked ahead, keeping an eye on Luke, and found that his movements were quick and steady.
And Luke was not just walking by himself, he also supported Wilander with one hand and moved forward easily, not much slower than Stafford.
Well, at least this young man is strong! Stafford gave Luke a thumbs up in his heart.
A strong body is a basic requirement for expeditions, and it is better to have one than not.
A few minutes later, the three of them arrived under a large shed in a wide area. It was formed by pulling a tarpaulin diagonally from the wreckage of a house.
Looking at a straight passage that sloped downward, Luke couldn't help but be surprised: "How deep is it? Did you dig it out?"
Stafford glanced at Weyland and pointed at a house. "We have a professional drilling team that came here to work ahead of time. It leads directly to the ruins under the 600-meter ice layer."
"So deep?" Luke was even more surprised when he heard the depth, and solemnly suggested to Weiland: "Mr. Weiland, the underground environment at this depth is not very good, do you still insist on going down?"
Weiland took two steps forward, climbed onto a crane at the entrance of the cave, and motioned for the two men to stand on it.
After the two men caught up, Weiland entered the password and activated the descent button.
There was a special plate with a fence on the crane, which served as a simple lifting platform, and the three people were lowered down.
Weiland's voice came out from the mask, a little unclear: "Detective Luke, I want to go down myself."
Luke frowned: "Why?"
If a super-rich man, an old man at that, really loved adventure so much, he would have been famous all over the world long ago.
But in people's memory, Weyland is not known for his love of adventure.
Weiland coughed twice: "I am sick. Maybe in these few months, the doctor will announce my death. Do you know what will happen?"
Luke was stunned and speechless. He looked at Stafford and found that the security director had a calm expression.
Obviously, he had known the news for a long time, and he was definitely Weiland's close confidant.
"Except for the company's stock price falling by 12-18%, nothing else." Weiland did not wait for Luke to answer, and continued indifferently: "I am also afraid of death, but I am more afraid of dying in obscurity like an ordinary person."
Luke sighed, not knowing what else to say.
Weiland looked at Luke. "Are you still having any questions now, Luke?"
Luke looked at the cave entrance that was gradually moving away and exhaled, "Let's go, Mr. Weiland. It's best to go quickly and come back quickly."
…
At this moment, a huge battleship was floating quietly in the space.
A message in alien language was sounding: "The hunting operation has been approved by the high-level guardian of this planet."
"During the hunting operation, the warship will monitor the entire process to ensure that no prey escapes from the hunting area and affects the normal order of the planet."
"The hunting operation is an independent action. No one except the contestants may interfere in the battle."
"The hunting sacrifice has entered the incubation chamber."
"The hunt begins."
"The hunting operation time limit is 24 hours."
"There are three people involved in the hunting operation."
"Hunter landing ship ready to launch."
"The hunting landing ship will be automatically recovered in twenty-four hours at the latest."
"Good luck, hunters."
…
On a small island in Antarctica, in an ice cave.
The small platform descended at a fairly fast speed and reached the bottom after a while.
The two people who stayed behind were standing by the crane. When they saw Weiland and his two companions, they greeted them respectfully.
Compared to the windy and snowy weather above, the temperature here has risen a lot, from dozens of degrees below zero to more than ten degrees below zero.
Everyone also took off their masks.
Luke stopped Weiland from doing so: "You are not a young man, you'd better not inhale too much cold air."
Weiland coughed lightly, with a smile on the corner of his mask, and was satisfied: "OK, you have the final say."
When they came down, Stafford was already telling Luke about his previous discoveries.
The main force of Weyland's expedition team did not arrive much earlier than Luke.
Due to safety considerations and the need to transport a large number of personnel and material equipment, they arrived here early this morning on an icebreaker.
Now, it has been less than an hour since the first expedition team entered the ruins.
It was only after Willand received the news that Luke had already left Ushuaia by plane that he and Stafford stayed there temporarily, waiting for his arrival.
"How many of you went in?" Luke asked as he carried Willand forward.
Stafford: "The security team consists of 20 people, 25 external experts of various types, and 38 auxiliary staff."
Luke clicked his tongue in his heart: just for Weyland's wish of leaving a name for himself after his death, he brought nearly a hundred people to a remote island in Antarctica in just a few days.
Being rich and willful is indeed an epidemic among the wealthy class.