124: Chapter 124: Finding Gold from the Sea of ​​​​the Sea

The coastline of Bushehr was very quiet in the middle of the night.

Li Xin crouched behind a reef, watching the waves lap against the shore one after another, making a "swish, swish..." sound.

The moon was exceptionally bright tonight, and the silver-white moonlight shone on the sea, revealing the twinkling lights of fishing boats in the distance.

The system panel flickered before his eyes.

Progress: 68%. Load: 53%. There were over three tons left.

He stared at the panel; the Extraction speed was truly nothing to brag about, jumping only a fraction of a percentage point every minute.

At this rate, he would be able to extract over a ton by dawn, but it would still take two days to finish.

He could only wait helplessly; the shipwreck had been lying on this seabed for thousands of years, so a few more days wouldn't matter.

During the day, he still carried his backpack, held his camera, and wandered around the seaside, taking pictures of rocks, seabirds, and fishing boats.

Sometimes he would squat down, examine rocks with a magnifying glass, and jot down a few notes in his notebook.

When the villagers saw him like this, they all thought he was a legitimate geologist.

Occasionally, someone would come over to ask a question or two, and he would explain a few things in Persian, speaking fluently, though in reality, he didn't even know what he was saying himself.

There was a young man named Ali, seventeen or eighteen years old, The Tall Thin Man, with acne on his face.

He was especially curious about what Li Xin was doing and would run over to watch every afternoon.

"What are you looking for?" Ali squatted beside him, watching him examine a rock with a magnifying glass.

"Looking for ore. Rocks that contain metallic components."

"Metal? Gold?"

Li Xin laughed. "How could there be gold here? It might be copper, it might be iron, or it might be something else."

"Then have you found any?"

"Not yet."

Ali nodded and didn't ask again. He came again the next day, and the third day as well. On the fourth day, he brought a stone and handed it to Li Xin.

"Li... help me check if this is gold ore. I picked it up on the mountain over there."

Li Xin took it and examined it. The stone was only the size of a fist, and part of its surface was a copper-yellow color.

"This isn't gold ore; it's chalcopyrite."

"Is it valuable?"

"It's not worth much. You can keep it as an ornament; it's actually quite nice."

"Oh... alright!"

Ali was a bit disappointed and took the stone back.

"Li, do you know that there is treasure buried here?"

"Oh, what treasure?" Li Xin asked indifferently.

"I heard my father talk about it. It's said that a long time ago, a merchant hid gold and silver in a date palm forest. Later, that merchant died at sea. Many people have gone to look for it, but they all returned empty-handed. No one knows where it was hidden."

Li Xin's fingers paused. "A date palm forest? Which date palm forest?"

Ali shrugged. "I don't know about that. If people knew which date palm forest it was in, the treasure would have been found long ago."

"Oh, that's true. Then how does your dad know about it?"

"My dad heard it from the village elders when he was young. Many people know about it. It's just that it was never found, so later everyone just treated it as a legend and bragged about it."

Li Xin nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

That night, he changed his location. He was no longer at the seaside, but instead used the AI System to Scan the surrounding date palm forests.

Finally, he came to an inconspicuous date palm forest. There were dozens of crooked, withered trees there. The moonlight shone down, casting long shadows on the ground, and it looked quite desolate.

He walked to the middle of the date palm forest and stopped under the largest withered tree.

"AI System, Scan the ground beneath this date palm forest."

"Scanning... Scan complete. Under that crooked date palm tree 5 kilometers away, at a depth of about 5 meters, a group of pottery jars was discovered, totaling 47 jars. Inside are goldware, silverware, gemstones, ancient currency, etc."

"How much gold?"

"Gold: approximately 0.8 tons; silverware: approximately 1.2 tons; gemstones: approximately 0.3 tons; ancient currency: approximately 5,000 pieces."

Li Xin's mouth curled up. 0.8 tons wasn't much, but he wouldn't turn his nose up at it. The key was that this date palm forest was on land, not on the seabed, so Extraction would be easier.

"Start Extraction."

"Extraction in progress. Target: Ancient date palm forest treasure. Depth: about 5 meters. Estimated time: 2 hours."

Pale blue light poured out from the AI System and extended into the ground. The progress bar began to jump, much faster than on the seabed. After all, it was shallow, only a few meters deep, so the AI System didn't have much trouble with the Extraction.

He leaned against the withered tree trunk, took a bottle of water out of his space, and took a sip. He then fished out a pack of beef jerky from his space, tore it open, and stuffed a piece into his mouth.

Time passed bit by bit. Progress: 47%. 62%.

At 2:00 AM, progress was 88%.

Footsteps came from outside the date palm forest.

Li Xin suddenly raised his head. Flashlight beams flickered among the withered trees; someone was walking this way. He stood up, put the water bottle back into his space, and brushed the dust off his body.

The flashlight beam shone on his face. Two figures walked out from behind the withered trees. One was tall and thin, the other short and fat. Both were wearing dark clothes and holding flashlights.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the tall, thin one asked in Persian, his tone very aggressive.

Li Xin raised both hands. "I'm a tourist. I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

"A tourist?" The tall, thin one walked over and looked him up and down. "In the middle of the night, running to this crappy date palm forest?"

"It's hot during the day. It's cool at night."

The tall, thin one scoffed and turned to say a few words to the short, fat one. The voice wasn't loud, but Li Xin heard clearly: "Search him, see if there is anything suspicious."

The short, fat one walked over and rummaged through his pockets. There were only a passport, a wallet, and a mobile phone in his pockets. He also checked Li Xin's backpack, which only contained a camera, water, and a few rocks.

"Where are you from?" the tall, thin one asked.

"China."

"What are you doing on the island?"

"Geological research. Collecting rock samples."

The tall, thin one stared at him for a few seconds. "Do you know whose date palm forest this is?"

"I don't."

"This land belongs to our boss. You have to pay to be here."

Li Xin frowned. "Pay what money?"

"A toll fee." The tall, thin one held up five fingers. "Five thousand US dollars."

Li Xin cursed in his heart. Five thousand US dollars? These people really dared to ask for it. He didn't have that much cash on him, and he didn't intend to pay anyway.

"I don't have that much money."

"Then how much do you have?"

Li Xin took two hundred US dollars out of his wallet and handed it over. "Just this much."

The tall, thin one took a look at the two hundred dollars and shook his head. "Not enough."

"That's all I have."

The tall, thin one stared at him for a few seconds. Then he reached out to search his car. The car was parked outside the date palm forest, dozens of meters away from them. He walked over, opened the car door, and rummaged through the trunk. Inside were only some photography equipment and field gear, nothing valuable.

He walked back, his expression not very good. "Just this two hundred?"

"Just this two hundred."

Progress: 92%. Load: 49%.

The tall, thin one hesitated for a moment, took the two hundred dollars, and stuffed it into his pocket. "Don't come back next time. This date palm forest is not open to outsiders."

"Understood."

The two men turned and left. The flashlight beams flickered a few times among the withered trees and then disappeared. The footsteps grew further and further away until they could no longer be heard.

Li Xin leaned against the withered tree trunk and let out a long sigh of relief.

His palms were full of sweat.

Progress: 94%. Load: 51%.

He stared at the panel. Less than an hour left.

At 3:00 AM, progress was 99.5%. 99.8%. 100%.

"Ding—Ancient date palm forest treasure Extraction complete. Gold: 0.8 tons; silverware: 1.2 tons; gemstones: 0.3 tons; ancient currency: 5,000 pieces."

"Current accumulated gold: 2832.6057 tons."

Li Xin didn't stay long. He stood up, walked out of the date palm forest, and got into the car. He started the engine and drove out of the village.

It was not yet dawn. The road was pitch black, with only the car headlights illuminating the road ahead. He glanced in the rearview mirror; the village was already out of sight.

After driving for almost an hour, he arrived at another village by the sea. The village was a bit larger than the previous one and had a small pier with a few fishing boats docked there. He parked the car under a coconut tree and slept in the car for a while.

When it was dawn, he found a small hotel to stay in. The hotel wasn't large, just two floors, and a small sign hung at the entrance. The receptionist was a young girl with a ponytail who was looking at her phone.

"Need a room?"

"Yes. For one day."

"Twenty US dollars."

Li Xin took twenty US dollars out of his pocket and handed it over. The girl took the money and handed him a key. "Second floor, at the end of the hallway."

He went upstairs and found the room. The room wasn't large; it had a bed, a table, a chair, and a window facing the sea. The bedsheets were white and looked fairly clean. He put down his backpack, took a shower, and lay on the bed.

Counting the batch of gold extracted tonight, the total was now 2832 tons. He needed to find a spot today and continue Extraction.

He took out his phone and opened the map. This coastline was very long, from Bushehr westward, all the way to the end of the Persian Gulf. There were many remote bays and beaches suitable for operating in the middle of the night.

In the afternoon, he drove out for a spin. He drove westward along the coastline, passed a few villages, and found a small bay. The bay wasn't large; it was surrounded by reefs on three sides, and only a narrow road led in. You couldn't see inside from the outside, but you could see outside from the inside. The beach was white, and the sand was very fine.

He parked the car behind the reefs, got out, and walked onto the beach. The seawater was very clear; he could see the rocks and fish near the shore. In the distance, there were a few fishing boats drifting slowly on the sea.

"This is the place."

At night, he drove to the small bay. It was already dark; there was no moon, only stars. The sea surface was pitch black, and no lights could be seen.

He walked onto the beach, squatted down, and placed his hand on the sand.

"AI System, continue Extraction of the Persian Gulf shipwreck treasure."

"Extraction in progress. Remaining extractable amount: approximately 4.2 tons of gold ingots. Estimated time: 3 days. Maximum continuous Extraction for this session: 24 hours."

Pale blue light poured out, extending toward the seabed. The progress bar began to jump.

He leaned against the reef, staring at the panel. The waves lapped against the beach, swish, swish.

The first day went smoothly. He extracted over a ton, and progress was 31%.

The second day also went smoothly. He extracted another ton or so, and progress was 63%.

On the third night, the final batch. He squatted on the beach, his hand pressed onto the sand.

Progress: 78%. 85%. 91%.

At 1:00 AM, progress was 97%.

The sound of a motor came from the sea.

Li Xin suddenly raised his head. A speedboat was speeding from the distance, its bow kicking up white spray. It had no lights on, only the low roar of the motor.

His heart immediately jumped into his throat.

He put the folding chair into his space, and also put the water bottle inside. Then he stood up and retreated behind the reef.

The speedboat got closer and closer. When it was less than two hundred meters away from him, it cut its engine. It drifted on the sea, motionless.

He held his breath.

Someone jumped off the boat and waded ashore. Two figures, both wearing dark clothes, were holding something in their hands. The flashlight beams swept back and forth across the beach.

"There's someone here!" one of them shouted.

They walked toward Li Xin. The flashlight beam shone on his face, blindingly bright. He squinted his eyes and raised his hands.

"Hello. I'm a tourist."

The leader was a middle-aged man with a square face and a Short Beard. He walked up to Li Xin and looked him up and down.

"A tourist? What are you doing by the sea in the middle of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

Short Beard looked around, and then looked at his car parked behind the reef. "You're alone?"

"Yes. A self-driving tour."

"Where are you from?"

"China."

Short Beard turned his head and said a few words to the other person. That person walked over and rummaged through his pockets. There were only a passport, a wallet, and a mobile phone in his pockets. He also checked Li Xin's backpack, which only contained a camera, water, and a few rocks.

Short Beard took the passport and flipped through it. "What are you doing in Iran?"

"Tourism. I'm a self-driving travel blogger."

"A blogger?" Short Beard frowned. "What do you film?"

"Scenery. Rocks. The sea."

Short Beard stared at him for a few seconds. Then he handed the passport back to him.

"Smuggling boats frequent this area. You, a foreigner, being by the sea in the middle of the night is very dangerous. Leave quickly."

"Alright. I'll leave immediately."

Short Beard stared at him for a few more seconds. Then he turned around and said to the other person, "Let's go."

The two men waded into the water and boarded the speedboat. The motor started, the speedboat turned around, and drove away. The sea became quiet again.

Li Xin waited until the speedboat's lights completely disappeared before letting out a long sigh of relief.

His palms were full of sweat.

Progress: 99.2%.

He squatted down again and pressed his hand onto the sand.

99.5%. 99.8%. 100%.

"Ding—Persian Gulf shipwreck treasure Extraction complete. Gold: 7.5 tons; some jewelry; some artifacts."

"Total value of this haul: approximately 4.5 billion US dollars."

"Current accumulated gold: 2840.1057 tons."

Li Xin sat on the ground, staring at this number.

2840 tons. 7.5 tons of gold, 4.5 billion US dollars. Including the previous gemstones and artifacts, the total value was already impossible to calculate.

He stood up and brushed the dust off his pant legs. He walked to the seaside, squatted down, cupped a handful of seawater, and washed his face. The water was salty and astringent, making him shiver.

Then he got in the car and started the engine. The car drove out of the small bay and onto the road.

It was almost dawn. There was a grayish-white light on the eastern horizon, outlining the silhouette of the sea. There were a few fishing boats on the sea, sailing outwards.

He glanced at the sea and stepped on the gas.

By the time he returned to the hotel, it was already broad daylight. The girl at the front desk was eating breakfast; when she saw him come in, she looked up.

"You're back?"

"Yes." Li Xin went upstairs, took a shower, and lay on the bed. He fell asleep quickly.

When he woke up in the afternoon, his phone vibrated.

Chen Hu sent a message: "Boss, where to next? The situation in Iraq is not very stable; I suggest not going."

Li Xin thought for a moment and replied: "We won't go to Iraq for now. We'll stay in Iran for a while longer and see how the situation develops."

Chen Hu replied immediately: "Alright. Stay safe."

Li Xin threw his phone on the bed, stood up, and walked to the window. Looking at the blue sea outside and the seagulls calling happily in the sky, he felt exceptionally cheerful.

The shipwreck was finished, and the date palm forest treasure was also finished. Under the seabed of this area of the Persian Gulf, there were more shipwrecks and more gold.

Those shipwrecks had been lying on this seabed for thousands of years.

Since he had come, none of them would be able to escape his clutches.

Tonight, he would change locations and continue searching.

He glanced at the map and traced the coastline with his finger. From Bushehr westward, to Khorramshahr, and then to Abadan. That area was the widest part of the Persian Gulf, and also the deepest.

Perhaps there were even more shipwrecks there.