四、神秘物种

　　一阵冷静过后，艾瑞丝笑着摇了摇头：“Mr· Francisco franco!Do you think we will believe what you say?（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！你认为，我们会相信你所说的话吗？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥双手一摊：“Of course, I know you won't believe it, at least not yet, but I'll make you believe it.（当然，我知道你们不会相信，最起码，现在还不会相信，但我，会让你们相信的。）”他抬眼打量了一遍萧问天、高晓飞、凯丽和布莱特，笑问道，“Iris!Are these all your friends?Would you mind introducing me?（艾瑞丝！这几位都是你的朋友吗？不介意给我介绍一下吧？）”
　　艾瑞丝也笑了笑，指着问天介绍道：“This is my Chinese friend, Mr. Xiao Wentian.（这是我的中国朋友，萧问天先生。）”
　　“Xiao Wentian, China.（中国，萧问天。）”问天礼貌地伸出手和弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥相握。
　　艾瑞丝跟着又介绍了高晓飞、凯丽和布莱特。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥说道：“I admire your courage and your faith and your mission, but you know what?In Brazil alone, in the amazon region, many people die each year defending the environment, up to hundreds in some years, but this is only a small amount of data that can be collected.（我非常佩服你们的勇气，还有你们的信仰和使命。但你们知道吗？仅仅在巴西，在亚马逊流域，每年都会有很多人因为保卫环境而被杀害，有些年多达上百人，但这也只是能调查到的很少量数据而已，更多的环保牺牲者，都是因为调查、阻止闯入者侵占土地而被杀害。）”
　　艾瑞丝毅然说道：“I know, but the human environment is urgent, our sense of mission does not allow us to stop, to protect the earth, everyone is responsible!Air quality not only concerns the living space of human beings, but also affects all living things on earth;Environmental protection, is a war on the survival of mankind!My assistant died during this investigation!（我知道，但人类的生存环境刻不容缓，我们的使命感不允许我们停下来，保护地球，人人有责！空气质量不仅关乎人类的生存空间，而且也影响着地球上所有的生物；环境保护，更是一场关乎人类生死存亡的战争！我的助手也在这次调查中死去了！）”她一想到大卫，不由自主地又暗然神伤。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摊了摊双手，说道：“I'm sorry that the fatwa came from me, but I didn't give the order to hunt you down.（我很抱歉，追杀令是从我这里发出去的，但下令追杀你们的，并不是我。）”
　　艾瑞丝十分震惊，疑惑地问道：“There's someone up there?（你上面还有人？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥长叹一声，慢慢地走到办公桌前坐了下来，挥手让大家坐下，又叹了一口气，这才说道：“Well! It's a long story!（嗯！一言难尽啊！）”
　　米里亚娜让佣人给各人上了一杯茶，她自己也在红木沙发上坐了下来。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥做了一个“请”的手势，对着问天说道：“This is the only black tea in China. I hope Mr. Xiao will like it.（这是中国独有的红茶，希望萧先生喜欢。）”
　　“Thank you for your hospitality.（谢谢款待！）”问天捧茶相敬，但巴西人的名字实在是太长太难记了，也就只是礼貌问候了一下。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥喝了一口茶，清了清嗓音，缓缓地说道：“I spent my whole life building the lumber company, it was all I had, but it was all legal;Eight years ago, in order to expand exports to all countries in the world of business, I need a large amount of working capital, but that one year just met the financial crisis, is busy I burn, a big shareholders have aided me, promise to give me the company into a large amount of capital to expand the export business, you can also share the cut this piece of management, good let me to do a good job in exports;I cannot find any reason to refuse such an offer;Company after the reorganization, the other reason is correctly has become the largest shareholder, but the company's all did not change, I still or the boss, how to do it before, now is how to do, and the wood continuously carry out for me, there is no I stepped in to cut down the business, this means that I pay only a small amount of freight, you can get a lot of wood resources, so the business would be bigger.（木材公司是我花了一辈子心血创建出来的，可以说是我的毕生心血，但我的公司一切都是合法的。八年前，我为了拓展向世界各国出口的业务，急需要一大笔周转资金，可那一年刚好就遇上了金融危机。正在我忙得焦头烂额之际，一个大股东向我伸出了援手，承诺可以给我的公司注入一大笔的资金开拓出口业务，还可以分担砍伐这一块的管理，好让我腾出手来搞好出口。这样的条件，我找不出任何的理由来拒绝。公司重整之后，对方顺理成章就成了最大的股东；可公司的一切都没有变化，我仍然还是老板，以前怎样做，现在也就怎样做，而且木材源源不断地给我运出来，根本就不用我插手砍伐的业务。这就等于，我只需支付少量的运费，就可以得到大量的木材资源，所以生意也就越做越大了。）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥又喝了一口茶，继续说道：“The third year after the reorganization, cut down the business is more and more big, the supply of goods is continuously being shipped out, then I have to check that they have cut down to the depths of the deep into the forest, like to selectively cut, and cut down the present status of burning forestland after more and more, and indirectly caused the forest fire more and more, this is beyond the scope of company cut down license;When I began to realize that their real intention was not to do business, it was too late, and for three years I had given away all the cutting, and had no hand in it, or even in it;They are major shareholders, and they can use the name of the company and all the procedures in the company to cut down and destroy the rainforest in a wide range of areas throughout the amazon basin, causing tens of thousands of forest fires every year;Of course, some of the fires are just natural disasters, and some are caused by the development of various places, but the fires deep in the rain forest are basically arson, and the source of this fire is to find an ancient millennium treasure in the rain forest!（在公司重整之后的第三年开始，砍伐业务越来越大，货源更是源源不断地被运了出来。后来我还查到，他们把砍伐场深入到了雨林的深处，好像在有意选择性地砍伐；而且砍伐后烧毁林地的现状越来越多，间接引起的森林火灾也越来越多，这已经是超出了公司砍伐许可的范围。当我开始意识到，他们真正的意图并不是做生意的时候，可一切都晚了。那三年来，我把砍伐这一块的业务都分发出去了，根本就无法插手，甚至于无法过问；他们是大股东，可以利用公司的名义，利用公司上一切的手续，在整个亚马逊流域广泛选地砍伐，破坏雨林，每年都造成了数以万计的森林火灾。当然，有一些火灾只是天灾，还有一部分是各地方开荒拓地而引起的；但雨林深处的火灾，却基本上都是人为地纵火。这一火灾的源头，就是为了在雨林中寻找一座古代的千年宝藏！）”
　　问天问道：“Mr. Francisco franco!Have you investigated this legendary treasure?弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！那你调查过这座传说中的宝藏吗？”名字太长，问天也只有含糊着拼了出来。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摇了摇头，说道：“The legend has always existed, but this is only considered a legend, no one knows true or false, but some people take the legend seriously, and still do, this has to make people think!（传说一直都存在，但这也仅仅被认为是一个传说，谁也不知道真假，可有人把传说当真了，而且还在做着，这就不得不让人深思了！）”
　　高晓飞忍不住问道：“For a few years, they've got so much money for this?（好几年的时间，他们哪来的这么一大笔资金用来折腾？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥又摇了摇头：“I could not find the source of their funds, and they seldom used the funds from the sales, but I felt in the investigation that the members of their consortium were basically from the government, or even the high level of the country, so that they dared to do so recklessly.（我根本就查不到他们资金的来源，销售得来的资金他们也很少用；但我在调查中感觉到，他们这个财团中，成员基本上都来自于政府，甚至是国家的高层，所以，才敢这样肆无忌惮地大搞砍伐！）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥缓缓地舒了一口气，感叹道：“Now, do you know why the amazon rainforest is being destroyed in this way?Who can control the tens of thousands of forest fires every year?Who dares to do that?Protecting the environment, protecting the lungs of the earth, this is not easy!（现在，你们该知道亚马逊雨林为什么会被破坏成这个样子了吧？每年几万起的森林火灾，谁能管得了？谁又敢去管？保护环境，保护‘地球之肺’，这谈何容易啊！）”
　　布莱特问道：“Mr. Francisco franco!You're a shareholder of the company, so you can investigate directly?（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！你是公司股东，可以直接去调查啊！）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摇头道：“Can, of course, but did not find the real root inside the truth, they also can't let me go to deep check, they seldom use the company's sales, it is to want to buy I turn a blind eye, it holds shares, timber companies most certainly set around me there are a lot of eyeliner, whenever I have to move against them, you can always put me out of the door, or, just get rid of me.（当然可以，但根本上就查不出真正的内幕真相，他们也不可能让我往深处去查。他们很少动用公司的销售资金，这一点就是想买我睁一只眼闭一只眼。他们占有木材公司多数的股份，肯定也在我周围布下有很多的眼线，只要察觉我有做出对他们不利的举动，随时可以把我扫地出门，或者，干脆把我除掉。）”
　　艾瑞丝问道：“Isn't there any way to look it up?（难道，就没有一点办法可以去查吗？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥点了点头：“There were ways, but none of them worked. I couldn't find them, but I secretly sent two groups of people into the rain forest to investigate.The first group went in from the air, but were shot down before the plane reached them. None of the five men came back alive;Is the second batch of eight people, two of my right-hand man, with six heavily hired mercenaries, I gave them the configuration with the best weapons and communications equipment, armed to the teeth, eight people sneaked into the amazon rainforest to investigate, but also died eight people, and still no word, now in the past eight years, I find it really only, no truth!（办法是有，但都不成功。我明里调查不到，但暗中却派出过两批人深入到雨林中展开调查：第一批是从空中进去，可没等飞机飞到他们的上空就被击落了，五个人，一个也没有活着回来；第二批八个人，是我的两个得力助手，带着六个重金聘请的雇佣兵，我给他们配置了最顶尖的武器和通讯装备，八个人全副武装，秘密潜入亚马逊雨林去调查，可八个人同样也是无一生还，毫无音讯。现如今八年就快过去了，我只查到这件事的确实之外，毫无真相可言！）”
　　众人都禁不住倒抽了一口凉气：“Do they have an army?（难不成，他们派了军队把守？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“The army should not be, but they will certainly mobilize the armed forces to guard and control, as long as they are not their people, they will be destroyed, leaving no survivors!（军队应该不至于，但肯定招集了武装力量来严防布控，只要不是他们的人，一概消灭，不留活口！）”
　　“Then whoever you send in there will just die!（那你派什么人进去都只是送死！）”布莱特忽然抬头看着弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥，疑惑地问道，“So you came to us just so we could go into the amazon and die for you!（原来你找我们来，就是想让我们进去亚马逊替你去送死！）”
　　高晓飞笑道：“You just thought of that?Otherwise?Do you think he was so kind as to invite us over for tea and a chat?（你才想到啊？不然呢？你以为他真这么好心，只是把我们请过来品茶聊天吗？）”
　　布莱特哼了一声，一拍茶桌站了起来：“As I told you, he's not at all happy.（我早就说过，他根本就是没安好心。）”
　　高晓飞连忙把他拉住：“Feed!What are you so excited about?This tea is so expensive, don't just throw it away!（喂喂喂！你这么激动干什么？这茶好贵的，不要随便就浪费了！）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“Young man!I'm not forcing you to die. You can choose not to. But I need the truth, and you need the truth.（年轻人！我并没有逼你们去送死，你也可以选择不去。但我需要真相，你们也需要真相，我们只是合作。）”
　　凯丽说道：“But as soon as we go in, it will turn into a war. If anyone goes in, they are going to die!（但这只要一进去，就会演变成为一场战争，谁要是进去了，那都是去送死！）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摇了摇头道：“No, you are not. You have faith, you have a sense of mission, you can risk for the survival of the human race, and you are not like those mercenaries who only get paid.Of course, I can also pay you under the premise of cooperation, the price depends on you.（不，你们不一样，你们有信仰，有使命感，可以为了人类的生存而去冒险，和那些只拿酬金的雇佣兵是不同的。当然，我也可以在合作的前提下付给你们酬劳，价钱随你们开。）”
　　高晓飞摇了摇头：“This is not an adventure. This is war.（这不是探险，是战争。）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“I'm just a businessman. I need the truth to protect my business interests.Iris has put a big hole in me again, and I need to make up for it with the truth about the whole thing;And you, too, need to know the truth, which is the premise of our cooperation;Of course, I will not put oneself flaunt so high, because, I just in the protection of their own hard work for a lifetime to get the effort, this is just selfish, and you are not the same, you are for the survival of the human race to take the risk!（我只是个商人，需要用真相来保护我的商业权益；艾瑞丝又给我捅了这么大的窟窿，我需要用整件事的真相去弥补；而你们，也要知道真相，这就是我们合作的前提。当然，我不会把自己标榜得这么高，因为，我只是在保护自己拼搏了一生才换来的心血，这只是私心；而你们不一样，你们是为了全人类的生存大计而去冒险！）”
　　萧问天一直都没有说话，此刻他慢慢地喝了一口茶，这才问道：“Mr. Francisco franco!If we don't agree to cooperate with you, are you going to kill us?（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！如果我们不答应跟你合作，那你是不是就会杀了我们？）”他说不准确这一大串名字的发音，只是含糊说出来而已。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥一摊双手，摇头笑道：“I've killed people, but I don't kill people, because I hate to kill people, and the premise of our cooperation is sincere, and if you don't agree, I won't kill you.（我是杀过人，但不会随便杀人；因为，我讨厌杀人。我们合作的前提是真诚的，如果你们不答应，我也不会杀了你们。）”
　　布莱特冷笑道：“It's still Brazil. It's still Brasilia. You're really going to kill us. Can we get away?（你说得倒好听，这里还是巴西，还是在巴西利亚，你真要杀我们，我们逃得了吗？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“Of course, in Brasilia, it would be easy for me to kill you, but I won't.（当然，在巴西利亚，我要杀你们很容易，但我不会这么做。）”
　　问天笑道：“Mr. Francisco franco!In that case, how do you explain that there are so many people outside?（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！既然这样，那外面布置了这么多的人，又作何解释？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥一怔，随即笑道：“Now that Mr. Shaw sees it, I have no secret, but these guards are not against you, because they are always there.（既然萧先生看出来了，那我就更没有什么秘密了，但这些警卫倒不是用来对付你们的，因为他们一直都在。）”他摆了摆手，米里亚娜随即走出门口，解除了别墅周围的暗哨。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥看着问天说道：“Mr. Shaw: good eye! Prove that I am not wrong!（萧先生好眼光！证明我并没有看错人！）”
　　艾瑞丝道：“（So do you think we still have something to offer?（那你是不是觉得我们还有利用的价值？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“I didn't use you because you wanted to know the truth, right?Protecting the environment is not just a slogan. If this is not stopped, the fires in the amazon rainforest will burn forever, until the lungs of the whole earth are cut and burned.Is that what you want to see?Is that what the whole human community wants to see?（我没有利用你们，因为你们也要知道真相，难道不对吗？保护环境，不仅仅只是一句口号。如果这件事得不到制止，那么用不了多久，亚马逊雨林的森林大火就会永无止境地继续焚烧下去，直至把整个地球之肺全部砍光烧光！这难道是你们想看到的吗？是整个人类社会想看到的吗？）”
　　艾瑞丝道：“But how can you prove that everything you say is true?（但你又怎么能证明，你所说都是真的？）”
　　布莱特道：“Even if it is true, but this is the cost of life, we do not have to pay so.（就算是真的，可这是用生命做代价，我们也没有必要这样去付出。）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥道：“I'm just a businessman, and there are a lot of money, I just want to protect my soul is not destroyed by once, but I'm different from those politicians who play with political power, they play the power game, can not put the people seriously, but I can't do that, but they did had gone too far, has been far beyond the scope of the interests of the human existence, if one day they play not bottom go to, that I have to accompany them was nailed on the monument in the history of human existence.So, I need this truth to protect my interests.（我只是个商人，而且有很多钱，我只想保护我的心血不被一朝摧毁，但我和那些玩弄政治权力的政客不一样。他们玩的是权力游戏，可以不把人当回事，但我做不到。可是他们做得太过份了，己经远远超出了人类生存的利益范围。如果有一天他们玩不下去了，那我就得陪着他们被钉在人类生存历史的耻辱柱上；所以，我需要这个真相来保护我的利益。）”他站起来走到侧面，打开一个保险柜，从里面拿出了几份文件资料，递过去交给米里亚娜。米里亚娜接过文件，拿过去交给艾瑞丝。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥指着文件说道：“This is the contract information signed by the capital injection eight years ago, and the documents of all the equity of the company. This is the top-secret file of the company, which is not allowed to be made public. However, in order to prove the truth of what I said, I can make all the top-secret files of the company public in front of you.（这就是八年前注资所签订的合同资料，和全部公司股权的文件。这是公司的绝密档案，本来是不允许公开的，但我为了证明我所说事情的真实性，可以把这所有的公司绝密档案公开在你们面前。这足以显示我的真诚了吧？）”
　　米里亚娜对着艾瑞丝说道：“These documents are related to the future and destiny of a multinational corporation. You can easily find them by following the code inside.（这些文件关系着一家跨国集团公司的前途和命运，你们只要按照里面的代码去查，很容易就可以查到。）”
　　艾瑞丝抽出一份文件看了看，又把它装了回去，转手把文件递过给萧问天。
　　问天伸手接过，但并没有抽出来看。他心里已经感觉到这份文件的重要性和绝密性，也同时显示出了弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥的真诚和他所说事情的真实性；他更知道，如果这份文件一旦泄密，对于公司将会意味着什么。
　　问天微笑着轻轻地拍了拍文件，双手拿起来递交给米里亚娜，说道：“I have every confidence in the sincerity of Mr. Francisco franco, but going into the amazon rainforest is not an impulse, or you would have succeeded in your two investigations, right?（我完全相信弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生的真诚，但深入亚马逊雨林可不是一时的冲动，不然的话，你两次的调查就肯定成功了，对吗？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥连连点了几下头，忍不住站了起来，说道：“Mr. Xiao! Thank you for saying that! Thank you very much!（萧问天先生！谢谢你能够这么说！谢谢！）”
　　问天一转话头，说道：“But we still can't agree to work with you.（但我们，还是不能同意跟你合作。）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥点头道：“I totally understand that. You can go anytime, and I won't hurt you.（这个我完全理解，你们随时可以走，我也不会伤害你们。）”
　　布莱特道：“Mr. Francisco franco!We can't make it, but you can hire another mercenary.（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！我们去不了，但你还可以再次聘请雇佣兵进去的。）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摇头叹道：“Mercenaries are brave, but they have no faith, no sense of mission, and only fight hard. But you don't have to answer me so soon. I can wait, because I'm sincere.（雇佣兵虽然骁勇，但他们没有信仰，缺乏使命感，只会硬拼，但你们也不用这么快就答复我，我可以慢慢等，因为我是真诚的。）”
　　问天站了起来，说道：“Mr. Francisco franco!Then we'll take our leave. You won't stop us, will you?（弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥先生！那我们就先告辞了。你不会拦着我们吧？）”
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摇头说道：“No, no, but it's very dangerous for you to be in Brasilia, so you can't stay where you are, and each other is full of spies, and if you find out iris is back, the consequences will be terrible.（不会，绝不会，但你们身处巴西利亚是非常危险的，所以，你们不能够再住原来的地方了。对方到处都是眼线，如果一旦知道艾瑞丝回来了，后果不堪设想。）”
　　问天知他所言不假，他们一行五人半夜进入巴西国境，可以说是神不知鬼不觉，但是随着他们激烈打斗，汽车追逐，大闹巴西利亚，虽然也是在天刚亮之间，但难免也会传闻出去，当下的处境，肯定就是处处危机。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥摆了摆手，说道：“I'll ask Miriana to take you there. It's one of my private clubs. It's safe and quiet.（我让米里亚娜送你们过去，那是我的一处私人会所，很安全，也很安静。）”
　　“Thanks!（谢谢！）”问天伸手相握。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥说道：“Miriana is my best woman. Tell her anything you need. She can represent me.（米里亚娜是我最得力的助手，你们需要什么就尽管跟她说，她可以代表我。）”
　　“Thanks!（谢谢！）”问天起身走出，高晓飞、凯丽、布莱特和艾瑞丝紧跟其后。
　　弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥送到楼梯口，却见米里亚娜换了一身便装出来，秀发飘扬，身材惹火，更加凸显得性感迷人。
　　“Take my car.（坐我的车。）”米里亚娜走入车库，开出的却是一辆雷克萨斯总统级豪华防弹商务车。
　　问天对着众人点头示意，大家把各自的背包装备拿过，一齐上了商务车。
　　米里亚娜发动汽车，缓缓地驶出了大门。
　　汽车刚刚驶出大门不到一百米，前面道路的树木顶上突然一阵狂风刮过，一团巨大的黑影从头顶的上空飘过，飞行中发出嗡嗡的声响，逆光下却看不清楚是什么东西，只觉得巨大无比，却似是活物。
　　“Bad!（坏了！）”米里亚娜心里大吃了一惊，猛一踩刹车喊道，“Sit tight.（坐稳了。）”档位一挂，汽车快速倒档后退，将到门口，米里亚娜猛地一踩刹车，汽车“吱啊”两声尖啸，车身一个漂移横转了过来。
　　米里亚娜伸头出去，大喊一声：“Protect the boss.（保护老板。）”一拉手刹之间，人已窜出了车门，手枪已经拿在手上，闪身冲进了别墅。身手敏捷，灵活异常。别墅里十几个警卫从周围闪身出来，一齐举枪对着天空。
　　“What's going on?（什么情况？）”布莱特吃惊地问道。
　　“Go down there. Watch out.（下去看看，大家小心提防。）”问天当先下车，来到园子里，问道，“Miss Miriana!What happened?（米里亚娜小姐！发生什么事了？）”
　　米里亚娜双手举枪向上搜索：“Unknown creature attacks.（有未知生物袭击。）”
　　“Unknown creature?（未知生物？）”众人同时吃了一惊，一齐抬头看向天空。
　　“It at that!（它在那。）”一个警卫大喊一声，“咔”地拉上了枪栓。
　　“Don't shoot.（别开枪。）”只见弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥从二楼的阳台上走出，“Don't shoot. It didn't hurt me.（别开枪，它并没有伤害我。）”
　　米里亚娜双手举枪冲上二楼，问天等五人也随着冲了上去。
　　时值午时，阳光明媚之下看得清楚，只见在别墅阳台对面三十米左右的树木顶上，站着一只半人半兽、长着一对大翅膀的人型生物，似乎没有头，胸前却长着一双探照灯似的大眼睛，折射出刺眼的红色光芒，其它部分和人类几乎相似，全身却长满了灰黑色的细毛，半飞半站在树木顶上，随风摆动，非常骇人恐怖。
　　萧问天、高晓飞和凯丽三个人历探秘境，见过的神秘生物并不在少数，但如此怪物，却还是见未所见，闻未所闻，一时间竟也想不出到底是什么神秘物种。（未完待续）