893: Chapter 888 Go early and return early

He stood up, moved away from the lively crowd, and walked alone to the other end of the beach.

The waves crashed against the reefs, emitting a rhythmic roar, like the pulse of the earth.

Shen Yan lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and the pungent smoke swirled in his lungs, instantly clearing his mind.

"System."

He murmured silently in his heart.

There were no flashy light effects, only the familiar, cold blue interface unfolding on his retina.

[Host Current Status: Extremely Relaxed.]

[Asset Evaluation: Excellent.]

[Influence Evaluation: Industry Leader Level.]

[Do you wish to consume currently accumulated Emotion Points to exchange for one session of advanced wealth intelligence?]

Shen Yan looked at the flashing button without the slightest hesitation.

"Exchange."

He had been spending money lavishly on this island, not just for enjoyment, but also to make the System judge his "wealth control ability" as peak.

The logic of the tycoon system was simple: the better you were at spending money, the better you were at making money; the higher your current status, the more explosive the intelligence it provided.

[Searching global high-value information streams...]

[Filtering out low-return items...]

[Target Area Locked: African Continent.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a rare-grade wealth intelligence: The Silent Treasure.]

Shen Yan's pupils contracted slightly, and lines of detailed, appalling data flowed before his eyes.

The intelligence's coordinates pointed to a remote mining area in the southern part of Country C in Africa.

That area was currently a lawless zone plagued by warlord conflicts, outwardly appearing as a derelict site abandoned due to copper ore depletion.

Even on the international mining transaction network, this mining area named "Kataria" was listed for sale at scrap metal prices, marked at only fifty million US dollars, yet drew no interest.

After all, no one wanted to buy a pile of scrap rock in a place where an AK47 was cheaper than bread.

However, the System's scanning layer revealed a completely different truth.

Three hundred meters beneath this so-called "abandoned copper mine" lay a massive associated mineral deposit.

It wasn't copper, nor gold.

It was an ultra-high purity symbiotic ore of Beryllium and Tantalum.

These two metals were indispensable strategic resources for manufacturing next-generation quantum computer chips and high-precision Artificial Intelligence sensors.

According to the System's estimation, the reserves of this deposit were sufficient to influence the global AI hardware market for the next decade.

Its potential value started at ten billion US dollars, and that was a conservative estimate.

What made matters worse was that the intelligence indicated that an exploration team from a certain country, disguised as Doctors Without Borders, had already discovered clues and were secretly raising funds to intercept it.

Shen Yan had less than 72 hours left to act.

If he didn't move, the cornerstone that could support the Shenlan Group's entry into the field of Artificial Intelligence would fall into someone else's hands.

The sea breeze suddenly turned somewhat chilly.

Shen Yan's fingers holding the cigarette paused in mid-air for two seconds, then he tossed the cigarette butt to his feet and stomped it out forcefully.

That tiny red spark struggled briefly in the black sand before finally extinguishing completely.

Fifty million US dollars to buy hegemony for the next decade.

The profit margin on this deal was high enough to make one trample upon all human laws.

But he didn't need to trample on the law; he just needed to be faster than others.

Shen Yan turned around and glanced at the crowd still laughing in the distance.

The bonfire illuminated everyone's faces, making them rosy, full of hope and happiness.

He would not disturb their mood.

As the alpha wolf, some paths were destined to be explored alone.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number that absolutely should not have been dialed at this hour.

It was the private line left by the old man who had driven him to the military airport earlier.

The call was answered after just two rings, and a steady, authoritative voice came through, showing no sign of sleepiness.

"Little Shen? Calling at this hour, it seems it's not to invite me for tea."

"Elder Zhao, I need to go to Africa."

Shen Yan's voice was light, but the sea breeze carried it far.

"Now?"

"Immediately, right away."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by the sound of paper turning.

"What do you need?"

"I don't need the army, nor do I need an escort."

Shen Yan looked at the pitch-black sea, as if seeing the smoke of war and the treasure on that distant continent.

"I only need a legitimate identity, a backing that ensures no country dares to harbor ill intentions after I purchase that mining area."

"The reason?"

"For the next decade of the Shenlan Group, and so our country no longer has to look to others for the quantum computing field."

After he finished speaking, the other end of the line was silent for a full five seconds.

"In half an hour, a transport plane will pass through your airspace. It will take you where you wish to go."

"As for the backing... as long as you bring the resources back, wherever the flag of the Shenlan Group is planted, that place becomes an area of our national interest."

"Beep beep beep..."

The call ended.

Shen Yan tucked his phone back into his pocket, straightened his collar, and turned toward the villa area.

When he returned to the bonfire, Chen Guangke had just finished singing a song and was slumping in his chair, catching his breath.

"Brother Yan! Where did you go? Come on, have a drink!"

Chen Guangke swayed over, shaking a bottle of liquor.

Shen Yan smiled, took the bottle, and tilted his head back for a long gulp.

The ice-cold beer flowed down his throat but failed to extinguish the wild fire that had just ignited in his heart.

"Guang Ke, I need to leave for a few days."

Shen Yan leaned close to Chen Guangke's ear, his voice low enough that only the two of them could hear.

Chen Guangke instantly sobered up halfway, his eyes immediately becoming clear.

"Something happened?"

"No, just going to pick up some goods."

Shen Yan patted his shoulder, his tone as casual as if he were talking about buying cigarettes at the convenience store downstairs.

"I'm leaving this to you. Let everyone have fun; the budget is unlimited."

"Also, if anyone asks, tell them I went to the neighboring island to check out a real estate project."

Chen Guangke stared at Shen Yan for a few seconds; he was too familiar with that look.

Every time Shen Yan showed that expression, it meant someone was about to suffer, or the ranking of the world's richest man was about to change.

"Taking a few people?"

"No need, I'm going alone."

Shen Yan waved his hand and turned toward Liu Hui.

Liu Hui was covering the sleeping Shen An with a small blanket. Seeing Shen Yan approach, she seemed to sense something.

A woman's intuition was sometimes more accurate than the System.

"Leaving?"

She didn't ask why, nor did she ask where he was going.

"Yeah, a small business matter I need to take care of."

Shen Yan squatted down, kissed his sleeping son's forehead, and gently hugged his wife.

"Three days, three days at most, and I'll be back."

Liu Hui reached out and helped him tidy his collar, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze, her movements gentle and meticulous.

"Be safe, and come back early."

"If you miss the final group photo for the team building, Youyou will definitely cry."

"Don't worry."

Shen Yan stood up and took one last look at the joyful beach.