Chapter 14 Chapter 12 Mountaineering

The call hasn't come. It was nearly eleven o'clock in the morning. Fukamachi and Hanyu were waiting for the call in their room together. At nine o'clock in the morning, Hanyu came to Fukamachi's room. Since then, the two have stared in mid-air in silence for two hours. Hanyu sat on the edge of the bed, his lips were tightly pressed into a line.Fukamachi asked him: "Are they serious?" Hanyu was dressed exactly the same as last night. The unruly long hair, the beard, and the mottled and peeling skin are still the same.Only the eyes are bright and full of life, always looking at a certain point.His gaze turned to Fukamachi.

"What's coming for real?" "Those guys. They kidnap foreigners, and then they get that camera, and how are they going to convert it into money?" "I don't know that kind of thing." "Even if that camera and this incident were to enter the black market, they would not be worth a lot of money. You can only make money by making it public and spreading it under the sun. Assuming that there is a crime in the process, it cannot be made public... ..." "—" "Could it be that they want to kill all the people involved? If the meat ticket is a foreigner, the risk is too great."

"—" "Besides, the camera is only valuable because I heard that Bisalu sap got the camera. In this case, the other party just wants to make an enemy of you." "You know it very well." "Why do you think so?" "I should have said, I don't know." "Then, let me ask you what you know. You got that camera, right?" Fukamachi asked. Today, it is impossible for Hanyu to escape from this place.Regardless of whether he answered Fukamachi's questions or not, he had to listen to Fukamachi even if he didn't want to. "yes."

Hanyu had already turned his eyes away from Fukamachi and looked towards the window. The hustle and bustle of the street came into the room from the window. The sound of a car's engine. Horn sound. and vocals. It seems that a house is being built somewhere, and the sound also ran into the room. "Where did you find it?" "There's no need to tell you that." "That can only be obtained at the 8,000-meter Mount Everest. Mr. Hanyu discovered it, which means you have gone to a place higher than the 8,000-meter Mount Everest, doesn't it?" "—"

"That camera should have negatives in it. Where is the roll of negatives now?" "—" Hanyu didn't answer. He silently glanced at the phone. Fukamachi stared at Hanyu from the side, thinking. I know. I do know! You want to go to Everest alone - the only place in the world. I don't even have a sponsor, I have to rely on my own strength—— Have you done that already? Already done it. So, you have that camera. You own that camera, it means you have been to that mountain above 8,000 meters, doesn't it? As a result, what happened? Have you reached the summit yet?

Still haven't reached the top yet? You're still in Nepal because you didn't make it to the summit. Staring at Hanyu's profile, various thoughts piled up in Fukamachi's mind one after another. Those thoughts came to Fukamachi's mind only now.However, it turned out that each thought had been flickering in Fukamachi's mind several times before.Today, they are perfectly put together one by one. Fukamachi felt a strong excitement surge from his body. "Mr. Hanyu, what you want to challenge is to be the first to climb Mount Everest solo without oxygen from Nepal, right?"

Fukamachi said bluntly. After speaking, he looked at Hanyu's profile. Hanyu's face remained unchanged. He stared at the sky without saying a word. soon-- His face slowly turned in Fukamachi's direction. "How do you know that...?" Hanyu said in a stiff, suppressed voice with ups and downs. Fukamachi was silent this time. "How do you know that?" Hanyu asked again. Fukamachi didn't answer. "Only Angarin and I knew about that. We didn't tell anyone. Why would you know about that?" "Someone said it." Fukamachi said. "Who said that?"

"you've said." "I said that?" "That's right." "When and who did I tell?" "With Hase Changxiong." Fukamachi said. It's a bet. Although it was a bet, Fukamachi was confident. Hase and Hanyu must have met and chatted in Nepal. "Did you meet Tsuneo Hase in Kathmandu in 1990?" Hanyu's eyes, which were originally staring at Fukamachi, suddenly seemed to focus on a distant object, floating in mid-air. After a while of silence, Hanyu muttered: "It turned out to be Zhang Gu." "Have you met?"

"Well, we met." Hanyu nodded. "Haste told you?" "no." Fukamachi shook his head lightly. "Then why do you know?" "I deduced it." "inference?" "After 1990, Tsuneo Hase suddenly became interested in climbing the 8,000-meter peak alone without oxygen. To be more specific, it was after he came to Nepal for filming a TV commercial. Did Hase Did Nepal get that idea?" "That's all, how do you know he met me?" "Chang Gu saw An Jialin in front of 'Ganesha'. I also saw you with An Jia Lin in Kathmandu. In this way, I can fully associate whether you have met Zhang Gu."

"and then--?" "You and Zhang Gu often have a little coincidence." "According to mean?" "It means there is something in common." "what does that mean?" "That means, whatever you do, Changgu will do too; whatever Changgu does, you will do too." "—" "The ghost rock is like this. When you climb the ghost rock, Zhang Gu also climbs the ghost rock; once Chang Gu climbs the ghost rock, you also climb the ghost rock again..." "—" "Changgu climbed the Great Cholas Peak, and you also climbed the Great Cholas Peak. When you went to the Himalayas to climb the southwest face of Mount Everest, Chang Gu also joined another team of the same team. The traditional route..."

"..." "So I'm guessing, Zhang Gu wants to challenge the 8,000-meter peak without oxygen alone, does it mean that you also have to challenge the 8,000-meter peak of the Himalayas alone without oxygen...?" While Fukamachi said this, Hanyu silently looked at Fukamachi's face. There was a silence. Fukamachi suppressed his quickening breathing, waiting for Hanyu to speak. "I see……" Hanyu uttered those words as if spitting out a small stone. "Using your words, just like Hase died in K2, I will die too, right?" A cold and stiff tone. Hanyu made an expression that sent shivers down the spine. He smiled. A calm and cold smile. "That's not the case—" "When did Hase die—?" "October 1991." "You've been investigating carefully..." "—" "According to the situation, besides this, you probably also investigated a lot of things about me. That's why you brought Ryoko to Kathmandu." "—" "Is this fun?" Hanyu asked Fukamachi in a low voice: "Hey, let me ask you, is this fun?" For a moment, Fukamachi couldn't understand what Hanyu's question meant. "You investigate other people's past without authorization, and shamelessly come to a place as far away as Kathmandu. Not only that, but you even brought women here to end up in this situation." "—" "Hey. Whatever I want to do, it's none of your business. Nothing at all. You don't interfere with what other people want to do! You listen to me. If you concentrate on your business, you won't have time to spare. Mind other people's business..." Fukamachi was speechless. He had nothing to say, just when he was about to speak—— The phone rang. Fukamachi picked up the microphone. "Are you waiting for the call as promised?" The same voice as yesterday came from the microphone. "Where's Ryoko?" Fukamachi asked. What Fukamachi was holding was the telephone receiver on the desk.The other phone is on the bedside table.Hanyu had already picked up the microphone and put it against his ear. "Let me talk to her. Other things later." "The Japanese are really quick-tempered. It's clear that the business will go smoothly if you take your time—" "Let her answer the phone!" "OK. She is here now, let her answer the phone. But even though she is on the phone, I am the one holding the receiver. The call time is twenty seconds. After twenty seconds, I will be on the phone again." After a brief silence— "Hey--" Ryoko's voice came from the microphone. "Miss Ryoko. Are you okay? Are you injured?" "No. At least not yet." "What happened—?" "A man approached me on Xinlu, saying that Bisalu sap was looking for me. He said that Bisalu sap had something to say to me alone. I asked him, did Bisalu sap not want to see me? He said, Bisalu sap didn't want to see me, I just don't want to see another man, if we can be alone, he wants to see me. So, I was brought here in a car." "Here? Where is there?" "I don't know. Near the river..." When she said this, Ryoko's voice suddenly became farther away. "It's useless to ask the location. How can a foreigner who has only wandered around Kathmandu once or twice know where to go by car. And we deliberately moved in complicated ways—" Fukamachi understood the meaning of the man's words very well. "That way you know the woman is safe and sound. Can we talk business with confidence?" "What do you want to do? Tell me your conditions—!" "You are not qualified to negotiate terms with me. Bisalu sap is next to you, right? Ask that man to answer the phone—" Fukamachi glanced at Hanyu who was sitting on the edge of the bed opposite him, holding the microphone to his ear. Hanyu nodded. "I'm here." Hanyu said. "So you are here." "State your terms!" "Listen well, what we want is that camera, and the film in it. Also, information about the process of your getting that camera. However, our conditions have changed a little—" "How did it become?" "Just pay." "money?" "Cash. One million yen in Japanese yen. Ten thousand yuan in U.S. dollars. You can pay whatever you want. We want to exchange commodities with you for whatever currency we raise first." "—" "For the Japanese, this amount is not that big. I won't ask you to raise it immediately today. I will call again in the evening. Remember to be ready tomorrow. If you call the police, the goods will fall into the ice crevasse, and we The relationship will end here—” After the other party finished speaking, he hung up the phone without waiting for a response. "Hey!" Hanyu moved the microphone away from his ear and smacked his lips. "There must be something strange in it." As Hanyu spoke, he hung up the microphone. "What's so strange?" Fukamachi said while hanging up his own microphone. "I don't know. They probably want cash more than cameras all of a sudden. Don't know why." "They probably think that cameras won't bring them anything of value." "I don't know. Anyway, I just know that Liangzi is safe and sound." "For asking for a million, is it?" "Fortunately, the other party didn't have a big mouth to ask for 10 million yen." One million yen is the amount that the average Japanese can probably raise. For tourists, some people probably bring that much money abroad. As for 10 million yen, it is not the amount that any cat or dog can raise.Even if it can be raised, it will take time if the location is abroad.If the 10 million yen cannot be paid, the family members of the meat ticket will call the police. Thinking about it this way, the figure of one million yen is quite realistic. Fortunately, Liangzi's voice was calmer than expected, but the other party threatened: If they don't follow their wishes, they will kill Liangzi.Ryoko probably knew what kind of transaction she would be used for. Thinking of Ryoko's heart, there is a sense of uneasiness that seems to be torn apart by an invisible hand, and it rushes to Fukamachi. "How to do it?" Fukamachi asked. "What do you mean?" "I mean, should we call the police?" Fukamachi began to think that calling the police would be the best policy. The amount of one million should be raised.However, even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that Ryoko will come back safe and sound.Things have come to this point, as a foreigner, I am powerless. "don't want." Hanyu said briskly. "why?" "No reason." "Don't you trust the police? Or are the police in Nepal not to be trusted?" "neither." "In this case, why?" "Then, let me ask you, do you trust the police? Speaking of the police, do you think they will do something for us?" "—" "If you ask me if I trust the police, my answer is I don't trust the police. It's not that I don't trust the police or the police in Nepal, it's that I don't trust anyone outside. That's all." A strong sentence. "Furthermore, I don't believe in fate, I don't even believe in myself. I don't want to be anyone's rope mate, and I don't want anyone to be my rope mate. Even if I was left alone, I don't intend to be My own rope friend." As if his whole body was engulfed by flames, Hanyu said with a distorted expression. Fukamachi was at a loss for words. The silent blade stabbed Fukamachi's skin vigorously. Fukamachi seemed unable to bear the silence and said: "In that case, what are you going to do?" This time Hanyu was silent. "How to do it?" Fukamachi asked again. "Wait a moment." Hanyu whispered as if meditating. "You tell me to wait, what are you waiting for?" "Yesterday, later I took countermeasures." "Countermeasures?" "Angarin is investigating, spying on people around Manikumar and Naradar Rachandra." "Did they do it?" "It is not known which of them did it, or if the two conspired. However, the only ones who know about the camera are people close to Manikumar or Naradar Rachandra. If the prisoner is among them, sooner or later he will was picked out." When Hanyu said that, the phone rang again. Fukamachi picked up the microphone that he put down not long ago, and held it to his ear. "This is An Tuerin." A familiar voice—it was An Jialin. "Are you Fukamachi-san?" Angarin asked in English. "Yes, I'm Fumachi." Fukamachi also answered in English. "Did Bisalu sap go to your place?" "He's here." "Can I ask him to answer the phone?" "OK." Fukamachi replied and glanced at Hanyu. "It's Angarin calling." Fukamachi held out the microphone in his hand. Hanyu took the microphone from Fukamachi and held it to his ear. "How about it?" Hanyu asked. I don't know what Angarin answered to Hanyu's question, but Hanyu nodded "Oh, oh", and became an audience for a long time. "and then?" "Well, since this is the case..." "That's it." Hanyu made this sound from time to time. Soon after-- "I see……" After Hanyu finished speaking, he put down the microphone. Hanyu stared directly at Fukamachi. "What happened?" "Many Kumar is coming." "Coming? Manikuma coming?" "Well, come here." "come here?" "He seemed to have something to say." "What are you talking about?" "We'll know when he comes. It's probably about Ryoko." Manikumar and Angalin came together, about fifteen minutes later. They knocked on the door, and as soon as it opened, Angarin stood in front of the door, and Manikumar stood behind him, still wearing that nasty smile on his face. Angarin and Manikuma slowly entered the room.It was Angarin who closed the door. Manikuma stood in the center of the room and looked around everyone as if he had brought Angarin. "It seems that something extraordinary happened this time." Manikumar said so. He was hardly speaking to three people, but to a larger audience. "Even if the tiger An Jialin didn't come to me, I originally planned to ask for advice on this matter." There was a humble-looking smile on the corners of Manikuma's mouth. "He seemed to be asking people around me everywhere, so I took the initiative to ask him what he was doing. It turned out, as I expected, that it was for Miss Ryoko's affairs. In this case, I asked An Jialin to bring me here." "Did you know that Ryoko was kidnapped?" Hanyu asked. "Well, I know. Because it was my friend who kidnapped her." "What did you say!" Hanyu got up from the bed. "Hey, can you please listen to me first—?" As if wanting to stop Hanyu's movement, Manikuma got up and tried to escape. "I'm a businessman, and I'm always thinking about what kind of goods and information I want to buy, and how to sell them to make money. In my opinion, it's unwise to kidnap Miss Ryoko this time. It's a loss-making business." Hanyu was sitting on the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees and listening to Manikuma, his expression was as rigid as a stone, and Fukamachi couldn't tell what he was thinking. "Did you order him to kidnap?" Fukamachi asked. "No, No——" Manikuma shook his head. "You also know the person who kidnapped Miss Liangzi. It's Meng Han from the Majia tribe." "Monghan?" Fukamachi said the name. The man who showed me the way to Naradaar Rachandra. "In addition, this person is probably not the first name you have heard of. The one who kidnapped Miss Ryoko with Meng Han was the one who stole the camera—" "—" "There's one more person who called here called Taman Mugel. I think there were a few other people who helped, but as far as I know, it's these three." "Who is that Taman Mugel?" Hanyu asked. "Refugees from Bhutan." An Jialin, who had remained silent before that, said. "From Bhutan?" "yes." Angelin nodded. During this period, one of the headaches for the Nepalese government was the ethnic dispute with Bhutan. The origin of the matter is the democratization movement in Nepal that has been active since 1990. Initially, in 1989, the year before the democratization movement, India imposed an economic blockade on Nepal as the Nepalese government revised the agreement on trade and customs clearance.Therefore, oil and other fuels and daily necessities cannot enter Nepal. As a result, prices in Nepal have skyrocketed. Against this historical background, the activities of the Communist Party in Nepal became active. In April 1990, a parade dominated by the Communist Party and students took to the streets of Kathmandu. The parade numbered about 100,000 people. Many of the members are young people in their twenties, and there is a strong demand for democratization of the royal family. Police officers opened fire on the parade, resulting in more than 50 dead and more than 200 injured.At this time, including two Italian journalists, seven foreign journalists and photographers were shot and beaten to death by police officers. In May 1991, for the first time in 32 years, the election of the House of Representatives with the participation of political parties was held. The Nepal National Congress Party (NCP) won more than half of the seats, and the Koirala regime was born. The political forces of the Nepalese government can be roughly divided into three major parties. First, there is the Nepalese National Congress Party, which holds power. Second, there is the United Communist Party. and the National Democratic Party (NDP), arguably the old royal wing. In short, from May 1991, the highest authority in Nepal is no longer the royal family.The king became the symbol of the country of Nepal. What is in danger of this is Bhutan, a neighboring country that is regarded as a monarchy. Bhutan has countless Nepalese residents who have immigrated to the country in the past. The democratization movement in Nepal spread, and these residents began to criticize the monarchy of Bhutan. Concerned, the Bhutanese government ordered Nepalese residents to leave the country. As a result, a large number of refugees flooded into Nepal.The ever-increasing population of Nepal suddenly exploded, and problems such as material shortages, energy shortages, and food shortages became more serious. Among these Nepalese residents, a group of people emerged to launch an armed struggle against the Bhutanese government. In order to ban these radicals, the Bhutanese government attempted to involve India in this trouble. In 1993, floods occurred during the monsoon season, and 2,000 people died in Nepal. During this period, Nepal can indeed be said to be in chaos centered on Kathmandu. "Monghan is also a refugee from Bhutan, and it appears that Mugel and Monghan are the masterminds behind this kidnapping." Manikumar said. "As far as I'm concerned, Monghan used to be a radical, and Naradar Rachandra seems to be in charge of dispatching funds. In the underworld, it's an open secret that Naradar Rachandra is doing that kind of thing." Angelin said. "Of course, I've also heard a little about what Naradar Rachandra is doing." Manikumar affirmed Angarin's speech. "So, it was Naradar Rachandra who planned this?" Fukamachi asked. "Then I don't know. What I want to say is that I am a passive person relative to them." "passive?" Fukamachi asked. "The day before yesterday—that is, the day I came to see you at this restaurant. That evening, Monhan and Mugel came to see me. They asked me how much I would pay them if I got the camera and the negatives." purchase--" "and then?" "Menghan asked me what the camera was about. Once I told him, he understood why Japanese journalists wanted it. Depending on how it was marketed, it would bring in a lot of foreign currency for the country." "—" "I said: Of course, I guarantee that the amount will not disappoint you. They asked me how much, and I said: I can't make any promises until I see the real thing. But anyway, I will use better than anyone So, the next time they came to see me was last night. They said: The goods have arrived. I asked: Is it the camera and negatives? Meng Han replied: No, only half of it.” "half?" Fukamachi asked. "He said that the one who got it was a woman. Next, the woman will be exchanged for cameras and negatives—that's how I found out that they kidnapped Miss Ryoko..." "—" "After listening to him, I immediately said: I can't trade with you—" "why?" "Think about it. It's a crime. Negotiations are with foreigners and the success rate is extremely low. So, they want to use my organization. It's a small organization, but I'm more or less in the underworld in Kathmandu. In India, England China, Bhutan, and China also have small contacts. Although small, if I lose my organization because of the crimes they committed, wouldn’t I lose my wife and lose my army—” "—" "I told them. There was nothing I could do to help it. It didn't happen. It would be fine if they got the camera without my knowledge, but now that I know how they got it, I can't help it." assist." "Why? You want that camera so badly—" "It's fine if you got it through a legitimate business. How much money can you make from that camera that you got by kidnapping foreigners?" "—" "The camera and negatives have to be released to the world to make money. If they are sold on the black market, they can't be sold for much money. They have to be released to the world and cause a media commotion, so that they can make money. If in the process of getting that camera, Using kidnapping as a method, how can it be made public——?" Fukamachi was taken aback. Manikumar actually said exactly the same thing as he had said not long ago. If, as Manikuma said, he made this judgment at the moment when the two men mentioned this matter to him and told him what happened. "Honestly, let's get this out of the way. Properly speaking, the reason why I refrain from this matter is not because there is a crime in it." Manikuma looked at Fukamachi and Hanyu successively, grinning. "It was because the crime was clearly going to come out. I knew it wasn't going to go well." "If you knew things were going to run smoothly without anyone noticing—" When Fukamachi asked, Manikuma shook his head. "Do you want me to speak so plainly?" He showed his white teeth. "I told them: let the woman go now, take all the money and flee to India to avoid the limelight, and after two or three years, come back and observe the situation—" "I think so." Hanyu nodded. "If they are released like this, I may also be regarded as an accomplice when their kidnapping case comes to light. So, I am determined to tell you." "I see. So I understand." Hanyu clasped his fingers between his knees. "No wonder they suddenly ask for money." "Oh, money?" "one million." "Yen?" "That's right." "I see……" Manikuma nodded in admiration. "Naladhar Rachandra may have had something to do with it?" Hanyu asked. "Probably irrelevant." "why?" "Because that man is not smart enough to understand what I just said." "The three of them and Ryoko, where are they now?" "I don't know. Rutam seems to be somewhere with her, Monhan and Mugel come to my store. Even if I know, I can't say that. If I say that, I am in this society I can’t do business anymore. I’m forced to do this because I want to continue this kind of business. However, I can’t speak up enough to say where they are or what they are thinking. But, as I said just now , I don't know that either. It's true. I feel lucky I don't know." Manikuma glanced at Fukamachi and asked: "By the way, have you called the police?" "not yet." "What are you going to do?" "—" "If they accidentally let them know, her life will be in danger. However, even if they are given the money they demanded, there is no guarantee that she will be safe. After all, she saw the faces of the three of them." "—" "Oh, what a pity. I originally wanted to discuss a business with you, but under the circumstances, the atmosphere really doesn't allow me to do that." Manikuma looked around at the three of them and said: "I have finished my sentence. I shall take my leave, then." After speaking, he turned around.Not long after, he turned to face the three of them again and said: "Ah, yes. If the police asked me why I didn't call the police and caused problems, I would say: I think if I call the police, it will endanger her personal safety. Is that okay?" When Manikuma was about to turn around again, Hanyu said to him: "Just now you said that Naradar Rachandra probably didn't know about it, did you?" "I mean. To be precise, he probably didn't plan, order, or know about the plan in advance, but didn't stop it. Now, if you ask him if he knew about it, I have no comment. But I think , there is a high probability that Naradar Rachandra is now aware of this." "I see." "So, may I say goodbye?" "Ok." Hanyu nodded, Manikuma bowed respectfully again, turned around and left the room. After closing the door, Hanyu stared at the wall after confirming that the sound of Manikuma's footsteps had disappeared, and said: "Have you decided what to do now?" "Things to do?" "Meet Naradar Rachandra at once." "What did you see him for?" "Ask Naradar Rachandra where the down-and-out militants live, where they might be hiding. Near the river—" "Where's the phone?" "There is still time before night. Depending on what people think, it can also be said that there is only time before night." Hanyu had already stood up. "I'll go as well." Fukamachi stood in front of Hanyu. Hanyu looked at Fukamachi with narrowed eyes. "Anyway, there's no need to wait for the phone call before night." "Ok." Hanyu said. Fukamachi always felt that he could smell the smoky stench of beasts.