566: Chapter 561 Let's Talk with Scimitars and Bullets

Displayed on the screen was the capital flow of Haidong Trading's frantic expansion over the past month.

Every single transaction was as precise as a scalpel, slicing into the market's weakest links.

A secretary in a professional skirt suit stood behind him, her voice tinged with a hint of unease.

"President Li, Wang Haidong's movements are too abnormal."

"It's like he's a different person. He didn't have this kind of boldness before, much less the brains."

"Several of our lines have been preempted by his people, resulting in significant losses."

Li Ze's gaze did not leave the screen.

He extended a finger and made a phantom stroke in the air.

"He is just a shell."

"Behind the shell, there is a hand pushing."

The secretary was somewhat puzzled. "Then should we... strike back?"

"Strike back?"

Li Ze smiled.

He closed the data stream, and the screen reflected his refined yet dangerously sharp face.

"Why strike back?"

"Let him run. The faster he runs, the better."

"Once he has played all his cards, I will tell him who sets the rules for this game."

He stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city beneath his feet.

"Notify Jack in Country M."

"Tell him the Victor Family's patience is limited."

"The fish on his end are ready to be netted."

"Yes, President Li."

The secretary bowed and withdrew.

Li Ze picked up a glass of red wine from the table and swirled it gently.

The crimson liquid left streaks along the walls of the glass.

"Wang Haidong..."

He murmured the name softly.

"Let me see exactly who is behind you."

The next morning.

Shen Yan had already returned to his own city.

Sunlight spilled over him through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse apartment.

He had just finished his morning workout, and his body was still covered in a light sweat.

On the virtual screen before him was his daughter Youyou's brilliant smiling face.

In the video, Liu Hui was patiently teaching her how to assemble a complex starry sky puzzle.

"Daddy, look! This is Orion!"

Youyou pointed to a corner of the puzzle and shouted excitedly.

A rare softness appeared on Shen Yan's face.

"Youyou is so smart."

"Daddy will come back to be with you as soon as I'm done with work."

"Pinky swear!"

"Okay, pinky swear."

After hanging up the video, the warmth on his face quickly faded, replaced by his usual calm.

At that moment, a voice that only he could hear rang out in Li Ye's mind.

[Ding!]

[Today's Wealth Intelligence.]

Shen Yan's consciousness sank into the system.

[Location: Continent S, Desert City, Black Gold Desert, 10 kilometers northwest of Scorpion Tail Rock]

[Details: An underground bunker left over from an old-era war. It contains three tons of weapons-grade enriched uranium and a full squad of power armor (in hibernation).]

[Risk Assessment: Extremely High. The outer perimeter of the bunker is guarded by the local tribe 'Sand Vipers' for generations; they consider it a sacred site and are extremely xenophobic.]

Desert City.

Continent S.

Shen Yan's brow twitched slightly.

This place name sounded somewhat familiar.

He pulled up the system warehouse.

His fingertips slid across the virtual interface, and soon, he found his target.

An emblem emitting a faint glow.

This was the intermediate intelligence he had obtained after completing the Victoria Family mission last time.

He hadn't checked it yet.

[Do you wish to unlock 'The Jewelry Queen's Revival' (Intermediate Intelligence)?]

"Unlock."

The emblem shattered, transforming into new golden text.

[Location: Continent S, Desert City, Black Gold Desert]

[Details: Three hundred meters underground, an ultra-high-grade lithium deposit has been discovered. Estimated recoverable reserves are over three million tons, with incalculable market value.]

[Risk Assessment: Extremely Low. This plot is a non-sovereign disputed zone. Extremely High. The outer perimeter of the bunker is guarded by the local tribe 'Sand Vipers' for generations; they consider it a sacred site and are extremely xenophobic.]

Shen Yan's eyes narrowed instantly.

The same location.

Scorpion Tail Rock.

Underground was a lithium mine worth a kingdom.

Not far away was a military legacy sufficient to subvert the balance of an entire region.

This was no coincidence.

The system was using a special method to link the two pieces of information together.

One was bait; the other was the true treasure.

The lithium mine would allow him to intervene in Desert City legitimately.

And the things underground were what he truly needed—trump cards sufficient to contend with any capital tycoon.

Shen Yan did not hesitate for a moment.

He picked up his phone and dialed Chen Guangke's number.

"Guang Ke."

"Yan Zi, so early?"

"I'm going out for a while. My return date is uncertain."

"Keep an eye on company matters with Wu Ya. Have Wu Ya email me the design framework for the artificial intelligence project within three days."

Chen Guangke on the other end of the line was stunned for a moment.

"Business trip again? Where to?"

"A place where gold is everywhere, but so are graves."

After Shen Yan finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

He then dialed another number.

"Prepare a plane for me."

"Destination: Continent S, Desert City."

Five hours later.

The gulfstream g650 tore through the cloud layer and landed at Desert City International Airport.

The moment the cabin door opened, a heatwave mixed with dust and the scent of fuel rushed toward him.

Unlike the humidity back home, the air here was dry and scorching, as if it wanted to evaporate the last trace of moisture from one's lungs.

Outside the airport, a modified black off-road vehicle was already waiting.

The car's body was covered in fine scratches, like the claw marks of some beast.

The driver was a local with dark skin and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He only nodded when he saw Shen Yan and pulled open the back door.

The car started and drove into Desert City.

This city, built on the edge of the desert, presented a fragmented beauty.

On one side were glass-curtain wall skyscrapers soaring into the clouds, reflecting the piercing sunlight.

On the other side were low adobe houses, ancient and silent.

On the streets, one could see wealthy merchants in white robes roaring past in limited-edition supercars.

One could also see mercenaries carrying old rifles, moving in small groups, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Wealth and danger were intertwined here.

The car did not drive toward the luxury hotels in the city center but stopped in a chaotic old district.

The driver pointed to an inconspicuous bar.

"Boss, Mr. Kade is waiting for you inside."

Shen Yan pushed the door open and entered.

The bar was dimly lit and filled with smoke.

The air was thick with the smell of cheap alcohol and sweat.

At the bar counter, a one-eyed man was wiping a glass.

His remaining eye was like cloudy amber, yet it held a sharp light that seemed to see through everything.

He grinned when he saw Shen Yan, revealing a row of yellow teeth.

"So you're the Easterner who wants to go to Scorpion Tail Rock?"

His voice was raspy, as if it had been polished with sandpaper.

Shen Yan sat down across from him.

"I need a guide."

"And I also need someone who can speak with the 'Sand Viper' tribe."

Kade set down the glass and leaned forward.

"Young man, Scorpion Tail Rock is not a tourist attraction."

"That is the Sand Vipers' forbidden land, the place where their god sleeps."

"They don't talk to outsiders; they only speak with scimitars and bullets."