"Miss Swan is quite an amusing person." A middle-aged woman spoke meaningfully after Bella finished her day of "academic discussions."
The cheerful Bella turned to look. The middle-aged woman's clothing seemed ordinary but was actually all custom-made high-end goods. Her expression was gentle, yet Bella sensed heavy calculation beneath.
Anyone who could conceal their emotions so completely—Bella had only met someone like that before: the future Marvel unit of measurement, current super-powerhouse Professor Charles. Compared to the old baldy, this middle-aged woman's skills were far inferior.
This was no simple woman. Kindness and gentleness were disguises. Everything she did had strong purpose. Bella's first instinct toward such people was to keep her distance.
Unaware Bella had glimpsed some of her thoughts, the middle-aged woman gestured toward the ruins. "This is a great place, and you, Miss Swan, are also a great explorer."
Bella waved dismissively, rejecting the flattery. "You're too kind. I just had good luck."
The middle-aged woman handed her a business card. "If you have new projects, Croft Holdings is willing to provide funding. Full funding, no strings attached."
The middle-aged woman turned elegantly and left. Only then did Bella look down at the card. Ana Miller, Executive President of Croft Holdings.
Over the next two days, Ana Miller remained present at the archaeological site.
Research teams from various countries seemed accustomed to her presence. The middle-aged woman also had an all-around interpersonal style, handling various flattery, praise, and compliments with ease. Occasionally she provided some rather insightful opinions on excavation and preservation.
The archaeological site had many men but few women. Ana Miller gradually became somewhat familiar with Bella's small team.
"This may be presumptuous, but this question has troubled me for a long time. Miss Swan is a professional—could you help interpret this ancient book?" She produced something extremely worn that could barely be called a book.
Bella hesitated, then after confirming the book had no curses or similar supernatural effects, she accepted it with some curiosity.
The text on the pages was quite archaic, but she recognized it—ancient Latin.
In the lower right corner was a name: Justinian.
"Emperor Justinian I?" she asked Ana Miller. The name was easy to recognize—anyone who'd studied Latin should know it. If she claimed ignorance, that would be too fake.
Ana Miller shook her head firmly. "Probably not."
Bella continued reading. The first few pages seemed normal, just recording the author's daily routines.
The paper was very rough—probably the papyrus used in the ancient Mediterranean. Unlike Eastern papermaking, this wasn't strictly paper but more like a natural writing material. After papermaking techniques spread from Arabia to the West, it had been phased out.
She speed-read, using Comprehend Languages to identify unfamiliar words. Her eyes were lowered anyway—others couldn't see them shining brighter than usual.
After over an hour of reading, she returned the ancient book to Ana Miller.
"This book seems to record a prophet who was exiled by the Byzantine Empire and led his followers eastward seeking a new homeland. The chronicler was probably a scribe who experienced these events. I can't tell much more."
Ana Miller showed neither joy nor sorrow, as if already familiar with this answer. She extended another invitation. "Is Miss Swan interested in this story? Croft Holdings can provide full support."
Bella thought briefly. The book vaguely mentioned immortals, which did interest her. Finding a few more immortals could crew the Flying Dutchman!
But she really didn't have time recently. The book's clues were too sparse—just one line about a prophet leading followers eastward. East was huge! Where specifically? Like finding a needle in a haystack—too much effort.
"Miss Miller... honestly, I'm a bit interested, but I still need to continue my studies, and..." Bella jerked her chin toward the group of expert professors. "I'm not finished with them yet. After returning to the U.S., I need to keep fighting that debate. I don't have time for new projects right now."
This reason left Ana Miller both amused and exasperated. A young woman combining beauty, courage, wisdom, and luck—plus genuine capability as a scholar and explorer—how could she be so childish?
Adults should learn to compromise. Why fight with these people?
But thinking of a certain girl she knew, she accepted it. Maybe all young female explorers had this quirky personality.
Bella had no time for new projects, and Ana didn't force it. They agreed to contact each other via email if new leads emerged, and Ana politely took her leave.
---
Due to different international circumstances, the Jordan Lead Codices in this timeline weren't going to be treated as a Jordanian matter.
Of course they wouldn't be called the Bella Codices either. This strongly religious item wouldn't be named after an individual. Never mind her—even the Pope wouldn't dare. Ultimately, the lead codices containing Jesus's image were named the Galilee Codices.
Using the Sea of Galilee's name could downplay the positions of the U.S., Israel, even Palestine, Jordan, and Syria in this matter.
Where the books would be displayed and which country would house them required negotiation and communication between various powers.
At this point, the whole affair had nothing more to do with Bella. From *The Da Vinci Code* to the Galilee Codices, in the world's eyes, though she wasn't particularly devout, she was absolutely a young explorer with deep knowledge of religious studies plus courage and insight.
Once her credentials deepened and she published more books, calling her a renowned scholar wouldn't be excessive.
The archaeological expedition bid farewell to Sam Wilson and his group in Haifa.
Sam's contribution this time was significant. Though inflated, outsiders didn't know! Promoted two ranks, with superiors recognizing his individual combat ability, they planned to train him as a paratrooper. Being valued upon returning to base was foreseeable.
The other three U.S. soldiers also each gained one rank promotion. They enthusiastically bid farewell to the archaeological team.
Bella's team also gained considerably. She herself received Stanford's waiver of four years' tuition plus a $200,000 reward. The other three teammates also had tuition waived and each received $100,000. Everyone came out ahead.
Their four-person squad boarded a U.S. military helicopter returning to Tel Aviv.
The three teammates each returned to their rooms to rest. Bella secretly went to the hospital to visit 006.
After being away for over half a month, she wondered if 006's injuries had healed.
---