I mused, on the gate, for reasons unknown, stood countless red-eyed flying squirrels. It was then I realized these were no ordinary squirrels.
Flying squirrels, also known as gliders or flying foxes, are a collective term for species within the tribe Pteromyini of the family Sciuridae. There are 34 species in 13 genera worldwide, with 16 species in 7 genera found in China, three of which are endemic: Petaurista philippensis, Eupetaurus cinereus, and Biswamoyopterus laozi. Most of these animals are distributed in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, with only a few species found in the temperate and boreal forests of northern Eurasia and North America.
These creatures were nothing like the rats we usually saw. Furthermore, Cao Yushu must have used some method to make them exceptionally ferocious. We had to be careful.
It wasn't just me; everyone had the same thought when they saw these flying squirrels. Gao Mingqiang gripped his gun and asked, "Aren't they afraid of light?"
"Hard to say. The entire palace is like this. I'm curious, when was this palace built? Could it be that Cao Yushu built it himself?"
"Yu Ning, it's possible. With the financial resources of these criminals, they should be able to build it!" Gao Mingqiang replied, already leading the way. The scene was unbelievable. He, who always used to hide behind us, now seemed like a completely different person.
Seeing him charge forward, we had no reason to hesitate. We all advanced stealthily with our guns. Amidst the barking of police dogs, the flying squirrels began to dive down relentlessly. We shouted and simultaneously pulled our triggers, firing directly at them. No matter what the creature, accurate marksmanship could be intimidating. However, their numbers were indeed overwhelming. Despite many falling mid-air after our initial volley, a significant number still reached us. We then resorted to our stun batons, and with crackles and pops, the flying squirrels fell one by one. It seemed there was no weakness to exploit, and we could only fight head-on.
After a fierce struggle, with the special police and armed police by our side, the flying squirrels could not do much to us for the time being. Seizing the opportunity, we had already charged into the Pharaoh's palace.
There were no countless obstacles like before. Before us lay an expanse of open desert. The surrounding buildings were incredibly dilapidated, showing signs of collapse everywhere. Furthermore, there were many small tornadoes in the desert, and stone tablets, weathered by untold centuries, stood erect. As we walked into the desert, we suddenly felt the environment around us was wrong. I turned to look in a certain direction and saw a huge pile of wind and sand surging towards us!
"It's bad! A sandstorm!"
"Everyone, find shelter quickly!"
Now I finally understood why Cao Yushu chose this place to hide. This location was abnormal. This scientist was indeed using natural barriers to impede our capture operation!
Before the sandstorm swept over us, we reached the base of a dilapidated building not far away, narrowly avoiding the dense dust. At this moment, I suddenly noticed that a stone tablet was inscribed with many characters. At that time, Liu Yuning, He Xin, and I moved closer.
But I couldn't understand these characters. Dao Zhi Yong and He Xin stood together, engrossed in them.
After a while, Dao Zhi Yong said, "These characters, could they be..."
"Hebrew, or rather, Aramaic. Their reading direction is from right to left, so you should start from the right."
He Xin said, and Su Ya Xin also walked over.
"That's right. It seems your knowledge is indeed vast, He Xin."
"It's nothing. I just read a few more books before. Alright, you two calligraphy masters, please translate them!"
Dao Zhi Yong and Su Ya Xin did not reply. They took out magnifying glasses and began examining from right to left. The remaining members of the Punishment Squad stood behind them, holding flashlights to provide illumination.
After a moment of concentration, Su Ya Xin, as if the most devout guardian beside Solomon, leisurely opened her mouth: "Hebrew" means "one who comes from across the river" and belongs to a branch of the Semitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic language family. It has no vowels, only 22 consonants, and its script is written from right to left. The Third Middle Eastern War broke out in 1967. Israel, with strong support from the United States, launched a fierce attack on the Allied forces of Afghanistan, occupying the Sinai Peninsula in just six days. Although this area was barren desert, it was the only land route from Eurasia to Africa, making its strategic significance immense. Subsequently, to secure this vital artery, the Israelis built a massive sand barrier 175 kilometers long on the Suez Canal..."
Dao Zhi Yong then continued: "This was during the reign of Emperor Solomon. Troops were stationed in the Arabian Desert, with the Nile behind them, the Sinai Peninsula in front, and the Suez Canal before their eyes. However, under the attack of the Egyptian army, the last line of defense was breached..."
"Solomon's Polaris Knight Legion was brutally slaughtered. Most of them were Jewish. It is said that this nation is the most intelligent race in the world, yet they are considered enemies by Western nations. Finally, during the Holocaust of World War II, nearly 6 million Jews were massacred... There are some more characters behind this. It turns out this palace was called the City of Lost Ashes, and it was once a sanctuary built by Jewish tribes who fled to China," Su Ya Xin continued.
At this point, I quickly interrupted them: "Hurry up and say something we can understand!"
"In fact, this stone tablet records the history of Emperor Solomon and the Polaris Knights. Do you all understand now what Polaris is?" Dao Zhi Yong explained.
We were all somewhat shocked, but Liu Yuning was the first to voice a question: "So, is the Polaris criminal organization composed of descendants of the ancient Jews?"
"They should be their descendants. They want to rise again, and that's why the Polaris organization exists!" Su Ya Xin continued.
He Xin said, "No wonder their reach is so vast, all over the world. Then who are the Guilty and other criminal organizations?"
"They are likely all under their jurisdiction, much like the principles of the Xuanmen world. They regard Polaris as their king. Recently, for some reason, the Guilty actually wanted to compete with them. They must be crazy!" Liu Yuning said.
As we discussed, Gao Mingqiang discovered an elevator. We took photos of the stone tablet as evidence, then got into the elevator. He pulled the switch, and all members of the Punishment Squad proceeded upwards into the dangerous building...