Chapter Forty-Four: Unraveling the Bermuda Enigma

The sharp sound of "tick-tock, tick-tock!" suddenly shattered the heavy silence—my phone had received a text message. Almost at the same time, the phones of Ren Tianxing and Yue Yue chimed as well.

We exchanged glances, each of us wearing an expression of disbelief. Yue Yue and Ren Tianxing each stepped into a corner to answer their calls.

I checked my phone; the message was from Qu Weiye, and it included a photo. The image showed more than a dozen people sprawled across a street, blood pooling around them. Underneath, a line of text read: "Three members of the Yamaguchi-gumi have escaped. Gu Lao wants you to be extra careful." I stared at the image, taking a deep breath. I wasn't surprised that the dead were from the Yamaguchi-gumi. This was the price for crossing the Hongmen. To dare to chase us with guns through the streets of Guangzhou, while we had deep ties to the Hongmen boss Qu Weiye—how could they ever expect to get away?

But the three who escaped were what truly mattered. Gu Jing had warned me to be doubly cautious, which meant these fugitives were anything but ordinary—otherwise, how could they have slipped through the Hongmen's grasp? And if they were just common thugs, Gu Jing would not have bothered to issue a warning.

Ren Tianxing and Yue Yue returned, likely having received the same news. Yue Yue pursed her lips and smiled at me. "Brother Changfeng, you truly are formidable. An eye for an eye, and in less than a day. Luckily, I’m not your enemy." As soon as she said this, she seemed to recall Ren Tianxing’s presence, and a trace of concern flickered across her face.

Ren Tianxing lit a cigarette and remarked coolly, "If you don’t pull up weeds by the roots, the three who escaped will become a hidden threat."

"Ah, Officer Ren, what about the mastermind behind all this? Why don’t you arrest him—are you turning a blind eye?" Yue Yue looked at Ren Tianxing, then at me, puzzled.

Ren Tianxing laughed. "Miss Yue Yue, you jest. If you could personally deal with the Yamaguchi-gumi, I believe every Chinese would pretend not to see a thing—perhaps even step aside out of respect." He took a swig of liquor. The hatred between China and Japan is too deep to be described in a few words. Even if the dead Japanese were to return as ghosts, their grievances unsatisfied, their repentance absent—crimes like the Nanjing Massacre, Unit 731’s human experiments, and countless other atrocities cannot be so easily forgotten.

The Yamaguchi-gumi, as a subordinate to Japanese right-wingers, not only engages in shady dealings internationally, but also specifically targets Chinese people, stirring up endless trouble. Although these days, with economic development, many advocate looking to the future and building friendly ties with Japan, hatred is still hatred—and it is a hatred rooted in nations. Chinese hearts are broad, but the Japanese may not be so; they even fear that a strong China might threaten them, so they make things difficult at every turn. To treat a villain with a gentleman’s heart is to invite loss.

Ren Tianxing’s words carried a profound implication.

Whether Yue Yue understood or not, the glance I shared with Ren Tianxing only strengthened the conviction we both held.

Yue Yue’s curiosity was piqued. "Who are those three who escaped, that they could slip away right under the Hongmen’s nose?"

"They are from the Chrysanthemum Nine," Ren Tianxing sighed, and I nodded in agreement.

"Chrysanthemum Nine? What does that mean?" Yue Yue pressed on.

"The most powerful right-wing department in Japan is the Yamaguchi-gumi, and everyone knows their assassin squads are formidable. But the true terror lies with the Chrysanthemum Nine," Ren Tianxing explained, seeing the confusion on Yue Yue’s face. "The Chrysanthemum Nine is to Japan what the AMK (Abnormity Koradji) is to the United States."

AMK is a mysterious American organization, much like the Dragon Fang group. Nearly every nation is secretly researching individuals with extraordinary abilities, hoping to exploit them for government work. America, being such a powerful country, began its secret research long ago. Ren Tianxing’s mention of AMK startled Yue Yue. With her status in the Supper Organization, she could hardly be unaware of AMK—she might even be very familiar with it. To learn that the Chrysanthemum Nine is Japan’s version of AMK was astonishing indeed.

No matter how formidable the Yamaguchi-gumi or the Chrysanthemum Nine, they could not derail the conversation among the three of us. From Yue Yue’s lips, we learned that the Supper Organization had unraveled the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle—a revelation that amazed us. According to Yue Yue, the Bermuda incident seemed somehow connected to that gun.

When Yue Yue spoke about Bermuda, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Ren Tianxing and I exchanged silent glances: Why was that report sealed away and hidden from the public?

Once that report was discovered, it immediately drew attention, with all available resources devoted to it. Countless agents and experts were dispatched to investigate the people mentioned in the report.

After investigation, there were fifteen scientists involved, but only seven survived in the end. Of those, two belonged to the Supper Organization—an Italian, two Koreans, and two Germans.

Following this thread, both the report and the entire case file were locked away, known only to a select few. But finally, the answer was found.

After reaching shore, the seven survivors stayed together in a nearby hotel for four days, likely discussing and exchanging information among themselves.

Four days later, they each returned to their own countries. Although science knows no borders, how could envy and suspicion not exist?

After returning home, the two German scientists died suddenly and mysteriously. Then one of the Koreans, the Italian, and an American followed. One after another, five of the seven died in bizarre ways, leaving only the author of the report and the Korean scientist, Kim Tae-jong.

The Supper Organization, by various means and with the backing of the United Nations, formed a special investigative group. Yet all five deaths were ruled natural, despite their uncanny circumstances. Healthy people suddenly dying of heart attacks, one dying from a withered brainstem, another whose breastbone grew so long it ruptured his heart—such strange and unnatural deaths.

After that, there was no further news. While continuing their investigation, the Supper Organization began a renewed inquiry into Bermuda.

It was no small feat to get Yue Yue to recount the story this far; as we listened, we ate and drank, losing track of how many beers we’d consumed or how many plates of oysters we’d ordered. The summer was hot, but the gentle night breeze and chilled beer made us feel comfortable in body and soul.

Yue Yue ate a mouthful of rice noodles, chewing delicately, every gesture exuding the poise of a refined lady—a stark contrast to Ren Tianxing and me, who wolfed down our food and raised our glasses between bites, listening to Yue Yue’s mysterious tale and admiring the allure of a beautiful woman.

But just as she reached the heart of the story, Yue Yue would pause to eat, and neither Ren Tianxing nor I had the heart to rush her while she was eating. Yet we both understood—her hesitation was deliberate, weighing how best to share such secrets with us, given her position and the sensitive interests involved.

After a sip of wine and a satisfied pat to her chest, Yue Yue continued.

When the Supper Organization resumed its exploration of Bermuda, the United Nations dispatched military forces for security and confidentiality, providing maximum support.

After a year of surveys, experiments, and recordings, the mystery of Bermuda was finally deciphered.

Yue Yue spoke lightly, "After more than a decade of research and debate, we finally identified the source of Bermuda’s gravitational anomaly."

"The seabed topography around Bermuda forms a perfect circle. Topographical analysis showed it to be a true circle in every measurement," Yue Yue said with certainty. A circular landform might seem coincidental, but sensing our skepticism, she explained this was no ordinary circle. Not an ellipse or a sector, but a true circle.

What was more, when the moon makes its closest approach to Earth in its orbit, its axis passes directly over the very center of the Bermuda Triangle.

At this, I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. Such a phenomenon would go unnoticed without meticulous investigation. That the Supper Organization had tracked down even this detail attested to their capabilities.

From geology to celestial mechanics, the range of expertise required must have been enormous. Such data was a precious resource—top-level secrets of the United Nations. For Yue Yue to reveal such classified intelligence to me put immense pressure on my shoulders.

She would never barter such secrets lightly. What did Yue Yue hope to learn from me, to be willing to trade away information of this magnitude? What did I possess that made it worth her risk?

Ren Tianxing, too, sensed something was amiss, but he was in high spirits—after all, whatever Yue Yue wanted, it wasn’t from him.

"I understand now," I said quietly. The origins of Bermuda’s mysterious forces became clear.

Piecing together Yue Yue’s explanation, I analyzed, "By your account, the Bermuda Triangle’s mysterious power is a magnetic effect. The perfect circle of the sea floor is odd enough, but when coupled with the moon’s motion, the gravitational interactions create a kind of magnetic phenomenon."

Ren Tianxing glanced at me. "A magnetic phenomenon?"

"Exactly. When the moon passes closest to the Earth, directly over the Bermuda Triangle, it likely creates a powerful tidal force. In extreme cases, this can trigger tsunamis. However, the perfect circle of Bermuda’s seabed deflects these forces into a vortex that spins beneath the sea, creating a powerful suction—pulling down anything above, whether ships, planes, or even birds."

I couldn’t be certain, but it was a plausible hypothesis based on what I knew. Ren Tianxing nodded approvingly, and I glanced at Yue Yue, who seemed to appreciate the analysis. Yet I couldn’t understand what this had to do with the Terracotta Warriors incident.

Ren Tianxing pondered, then turned to me, "Wait—if your theory holds, there’s still one condition unmet. If this force is caused by the moon and the unique topography, then how do you explain the underwater pyramid?"

I was stunned, speechless before Ren Tianxing’s incisive question. Both of us turned to Yue Yue.

She smiled and continued, "The Bermuda anomaly is indeed tied to the moon and the topography, but that’s not the whole story. Changfeng’s hypothesis is excellent, but it doesn’t account for how the force vanishes."

Indeed, if a circular landform traps such power, it should take days, weeks, or even longer to dissipate. But records show Bermuda’s disappearances happen in an instant. Search parties dispatched afterward did not meet the same fate—clearly, the force was not lingering.

Yue Yue went on, "The main force at Bermuda aligns with what Changfeng described, but according to our analysis, while Earth’s gravity is well understood, few consider whether the moon has a unique gravitational property of its own. Based on our research, the moon possesses a distinct gravitational pull, though we lack the means to study it directly at present—we can only hypothesize."

"In the cosmos, countless balancing forces exist. On a grand scale, these include the mutual constraints between all elements and celestial bodies—forces that hold the planets in their orbits, attracting and repelling at once."

"On a smaller scale, every element in the universe harbors its own forces, such as Earth’s north and south poles—what the Chinese would call yin and yang. This forms a magnetic field. At the moon’s closest approach, a force arises that disturbs the equilibrium around Bermuda, creating a powerful current beneath the sea. Unlike ordinary forces on Earth, which are reciprocal—drop a cup, and both the cup and the floor are affected—this force is singular, acting only in one direction, like a cup shattering without disturbing the floor."

This assertion shook me to my core. That forces are reciprocal is basic knowledge—yet the Bermuda force was said to be singular, a notion that would be dismissed as sheer fantasy anywhere else.

Yue Yue ignored our shock, as if expecting it, and pressed on.

This one-way force, spinning in a circle beneath the sea, behaves like a submarine tsunami. The Supper Organization hypothesized that if this force is truly singular, it would not affect the sea surface. In reality, there are no surface warnings before a Bermuda incident—then, in a blink, the sky changes, and the force erupts.

After many years of research, a breakthrough came by tracing reports of sudden atmospheric changes. The force, moving in a circle on the sea floor, should not dissipate so quickly. Yet it triggers dramatic changes in the sky and sea—the source of this force is above, in the air.

The moon’s movement, from the outset, disrupts the equilibrium around Bermuda. That force should not be immediately apparent, nor should it have any effect at first. But when the old balance is broken, a new equilibrium forms at Bermuda, while the old force strives to restore itself, clashing with the new. This causes the spinning force underwater to break through to the surface. Within three thousand meters above the sea, clouds are drawn down, gathering rapidly and sucked toward the sea—a bizarre sight.

The swiftly accumulating clouds, colliding in the rush, generate thunder and lightning—just as the report’s author described. During this window, a tremendous force arises, devouring any ships or planes within a three-thousand-meter radius.

Yue Yue paused. "This explains how the mysterious force is generated, but how does it vanish? And what does it have to do with the gun?"

She cast a meaningful glance at me—I knew she was about to turn the conversation in my direction, and indeed, her next words astonished us once again.

The Supper Organization’s hypothesis explained how the force was produced, and by following the clues, they also discovered how the force was dissipated—though they had not yet fully unraveled the mechanism.

Yue Yue revealed that while researching how the force disappeared, they made a startling discovery: within the perfect circle of Bermuda’s seabed, there were two identical cylindrical rocks, standing opposite each other. Data showed that the distance from each rock to the circle’s boundary was identical.

The appearance of these rocks was no coincidence.

A vague but familiar image flashed through my mind, but I couldn’t quite grasp it.

Suddenly, inspiration struck—I blurted out, "It’s the Duality Diagram!"

Ren Tianxing was taken aback. "The Duality Diagram?"

Who could be more familiar with it than us? From the Taiji arises duality, from duality comes the four forms, and from the four forms the eight trigrams. The Duality Diagram and Eight Trigrams are treasures of Chinese Daoist thought. A circle divided by an S-shaped line, with two centers—one black and one white—mirrored above and below. That is the Duality Diagram.

Yue Yue nodded. "Exactly. The underwater topography of Bermuda forms a perfectly complete Duality pattern. The force is instantly dissipated by the diagram’s focal points."

"The story I want you to tell is connected to this Duality Diagram—and to what lies within those rocks," Yue Yue said, fixing her gaze on me.

Ren Tianxing fell silent, his mind working with the sharpness honed by a life on the edge. Yue Yue’s account had nearly made me forget my earlier questions, but Ren Tianxing pressed on, "The seven scientists—five died under mysterious circumstances. Are their deaths connected to all this?"

"And what of the gun’s disappearance, and the Terracotta Warriors—how do these relate to Bermuda?"

Yue Yue stared at Ren Tianxing in astonishment, then spoke gravely, "Beneath Bermuda lies a pyramid larger than the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The terrain forms the Duality pattern. We have long studied these phenomena. The discovery of modern technology from two thousand years ago among the Terracotta Warriors—do you truly think these events are not connected?"