142: Chapter 142 The Dust Settles

When the plane landed in Dubai, it was raining.

It was strange; this place barely saw rain a few times a year, yet it happened to be raining just as he landed. The rain wasn't heavy, just a fine, dense drizzle tapping against the porthole, blurring the lights outside into a smear.

Li Xin thought to himself rather shamelessly, "It seems even the heavens are moved by my arrival! After all, I've unearthed treasures that have been hidden for hundreds, even thousands of years, letting them see the light of day again, letting them shine once more! Hahaha..." His mouth curled up in a cheeky smirk. One really wanted to give him a good wall slam.

At this moment, he remained seated in his first-class chair, not in a rush to get up.

People around him were packing their things, turning on their phones, and making calls. He, however, leaned back in his seat, quietly waiting for everyone to leave before slowly standing up to retrieve his old backpack from the overhead compartment.

There wasn't actually much in the bag. A few changes of clothes, a passport, and a charger.

The truly important things were all in the system panel space.

He walked out of the cabin door, and a wave of humid heat hit him. Dubai's summer was stifling, even when it rained. Fortunately, the System maintained a constant temperature, keeping his body feeling at a comfortable twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees, neither cold nor hot.

Chen Hu was already waiting in the arrival hall.

"Boss."

"Hmm." Li Xin handed him the backpack. "Where's the car?"

"Outside. Are you still staying at the villa on Palm Jumeirah?"

"Let's stay there. It's quiet, and I just happen to want to get some good rest."

The two walked outside. Chen Hu said as they walked, "Mr. Hassan called to ask that you let him know when you arrived. He said he wants to treat you to a meal."

Li Xin smiled. "He's certainly quick with his information."

"Since you landed in Dubai, he probably has people at customs."

"Alright, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm tired today; let's go back and rest first."

After getting in the car, Li Xin leaned back against the seat, watching the rain outside the window, his thoughts drifting away.

He had been to Dubai many times. He remembered the first time he came; he didn't have much money in his pocket, could only stay in a small hotel, and had to cautiously scout for information just to sell nine kilograms of gold.

Back then, his Gold Search and Refining System 2.0 was only at level one, and the detection range was only fifty meters. He would constantly search Gold Souk for gold lost by others. When he found it, he had to squat down, place his hand against the ground, and quietly collect it. He had been incredibly nervous, his heart pounding wildly.

Yet now, everything was different. Along the way, his mindset had quietly shifted. Earlier on, even finding a small gold ring would make him happy and excited for a long time.

Nowadays, nearly seven thousand tons of gold lay in his System space, along with countless treasures. That single Koh-i-Noor diamond alone was enough for an ordinary person to spend for several lifetimes.

But he still carried that old backpack. Still coming and going all alone.

Some habits just couldn't be changed.

When the car arrived at the Palm Jumeirah villa, the rain had stopped.

Li Xin got out of the car, stood in the courtyard, and took a deep breath. The air was filled with a damp scent, interwoven with the unique fragrance of palm leaves, mixed with the faint saltiness of the sea.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

Half a year ago, he had set off from here, traveling to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, stepping foot in Afghanistan, venturing deep into Iran, and even nearly losing his life on the border of Iraq.

This period of time couldn't be called an ordeal, but it wasn't short either, and he had experienced all sorts of dangers. Yet, in these six months, he had almost gathered all the rare treasures of half of Asia into his possession.

"Boss, I've put your luggage on the second floor," Chen Hu said as he walked out. "What would you like for dinner? I can have someone bring it over."

"Not for now. Go about your business. If I want to eat later, I'll let you know."

Chen Hu nodded, said nothing more, and left.

Li Xin reached out to close the door and slowly walked to the second floor.

After washing away the dust of his travels and changing into dry clothes, he lay lazily on the sofa, resting for a moment, before a thought crossed his mind and he slowly pulled up the system panel.

That line of numbers popped up—

[Total Refined Gold: 6,903.1057 tons.]

He stared at this line of text for quite a while.

Six thousand nine hundred tons.

At current gold prices, a ton is worth about forty million US dollars. Six thousand nine hundred tons would be over two hundred and seventy billion US dollars.

And that wasn't even counting the artifacts, jewelry, and silver.

He closed the panel, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Dubai after the rain had very clear air. In the distance, the Burj Khalifa glimmered in the night, and there were a few yachts on the sea, their lights blinking on and off.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Luo Maifa: "Hahaha... I'm back in Dubai again."

Luo Maifa replied instantly: "Damn... You went to Dubai again? Didn't you just get back from there not long ago?"

"Just here for a stroll, and to take care of some business while I'm at it."

"What kind of business? Needs you to run all the way to Dubai to handle it."

"Hahaha... It's nothing big, just want to sell some things; it's convenient here!"

"Oh~ Now that you mention it, I'm a bit curious about what you're selling? You aren't... you aren't planning on selling yourself, are you?" Luo Maifa followed up with a lewd emoji.

Li Xin, with a face full of black lines, quickly replied, "...Damn it~ Can you think of something decent instead of being so sleazy? If you want to sell yourself, I can help you find a buyer, hehe~."

"Oh, right, mentioning selling yourself reminded me of something."

"What is it?" Li Xin replied, puzzled.

"Do you remember that Wang Ming guy?"

"Hmm, what about him?" Li Xin replied indifferently.

"I heard his family went bankrupt, owing a mountain of debt, and then Lin Wanqing ran off with a bald old man."

"Oh?"

"Hahaha... And the most satisfying part is, his third leg was crippled by who knows who. In the end, somehow or other, he ended up in Thailand for a transformation. Now I hear he's been sent to Africa to sell his ass."

"Hahaha... That's fucking satisfying. Let's see him cause trouble again. I feel so much better now!"

...Li Xin chatted for a while before falling asleep.

The next morning, he slept until he woke up naturally.

He swam a few laps in the villa's pool, then asked Chen Hu to drive him to the Dubai Mall.

He didn't buy anything, just strolled around. He walked around the mall, looked at the windows of those luxury shops, and didn't buy a thing.

He did, however, eat quite a bit at the food court.

He first ate a bowl of Lebanese grilled meat rice, then had a plate of Iranian saffron rice, and finally finished with a serving of Turkish ice cream. With a round, full belly, he walked out satisfied.

Chen Hu was waiting in the car, and seeing him come out, asked, "Boss, where to now?"

"Gold Souk."

"Are you going to see Mr. Hassan, or...?"

"Just going for a walk, we'll see."

The car soon arrived at the entrance of Gold Souk, and Li Xin got out.

It was still the same old place. Li Xin looked around. At this moment, tourists of all skin colors were taking photos and shopping. There were Chinese aunties buying gold bracelets, Indians haggling, and Westerners holding up their phones to record videos.

Li Xin walked among the crowd. No one recognized him, and no one would know that this guy was worth hundreds of billions and carried countless treasures on him.

He passed by the headquarters of the Al Hassan Family. That three-story building was still the same; the facade wasn't big, and it was very low-key. He thought about it, but didn't go in.

After walking around, he came out from the other end and got a cup of Arabic coffee at a small street stall. The bitter coffee, spiked with cardamom, had a strong flavor. He held the small cup, standing by the roadside, drinking it slowly.

Suddenly, his phone rang; it was Mr. Hassan calling.

After connecting, his tone was full of apology: "Hahaha, hello Mr. Li. I am truly sorry. I learned of your arrival in Dubai yesterday and wanted to go meet you, but unfortunately, something came up, and I couldn't get away. It is only today that I am able to contact you."

Li Xin smiled. "Hahaha, Mr. Hassan, you are too kind. I just arrived yesterday and was too tired, so I thought I'd rest first and didn't want to disturb you."

"What do you mean, disturb? Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"At Gold Souk, just finished walking around."

"Oh? You came to Gold Souk, why didn't you come in and sit for a while?"

"Just wandering around. I'll visit you tomorrow."

"Then tomorrow at noon, I will treat you to a meal at the Burj Al Arab, Al Muntaha restaurant."

"You are too kind. The Al Muntaha restaurant at the Burj Al Arab has always been famous. Then tomorrow at noon, I will trouble you."

"This is something I should arrange. I hope you don't stand on ceremony. I will make all the proper arrangements in advance tomorrow and look forward to your arrival at the banquet, Mr. Li."

"Thank you for your hospitality. See you tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Li Xin tossed the cup into a trash can and got in the car to leave.

For the next few days, he didn't go anywhere.

He just lay in the villa, soaked in the pool, and took walks by the beach.

Ate and slept, slept and ate.

He made up for all the sleep he had missed over the past half year.

Then he started hoarding things in his space.

He had been to Dubai several times and had always been fond of the local specialties here. This time, he decided to take the opportunity during his stay to purchase more local delicacies and specialties to stock up and take with him.

He first went to an old shop in the old town and ordered 6 whole camels.

The owner was a chubby Arab man, and when he heard he wanted to order whole roasted camels, his eyes widened.

"Sir, are you sure you want to order so many?"

"Yes." Li Xin said indifferently.

"One camel is enough for a hundred people to eat, you ordered so many..."

"It's fine, I'm packing them up."

The owner looked at him with slight confusion for a few seconds, but still took the order.

"When do you need them?"

"The day after tomorrow in the afternoon."

"Alright. Come pick them up the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Li Xin paid the deposit and left.

He went to another shop and ordered a few whole roasted lambs. He then went to the seafood market and bought dozens of king crabs and dozens of lobsters. He also went to the spice market and bought dozens of types of spices.

He put all these things into his space.

Time in the System space was frozen; whatever he put in, it would be the same when he took it out. A steaming hot roasted camel, if put in for a year, would still be steaming hot when taken out.

He stayed in Dubai for a week and bought every delicacy he could find.

Whole roasted camel, whole roasted lamb, saffron-braised camel meat, lobster Machboos, king crab Machboos, dates, Arabic desserts, grilled lamb chops, grilled fish, grilled pigeon...

Afterwards, he successively purchased various fresh fruits, freshly squeezed juices, and local beverages. Right now, his System space was packed with various foods and pastries, stacked in a dazzling array.

It wasn't to save trouble, but so he could eat better when he went into the mountains in the future.

Before, when he was running back and forth in Afghanistan and Iran, he already had quite a lot of food stored in his space. But because he was out and about for a long time, the food he had stored had gradually been eaten up.

In the past, when staying in the mountains, he could only eat compressed biscuits and self-heating rice every day. After eating that for so long, he was long since sick of it.

This time he came to Dubai, he planned to buy more delicious things to hoard. In the future, when he went into the mountains again, he could eat more comfortably. Even if he was on a mountaintop, he could still eat decent food like roasted camel.

Thinking of that scene, he laughed himself.

On the tenth day, Mr. Hassan called again.

"Mr. Li, when is it convenient for you? That batch of goods we talked about last time..."

"Mr. Hassan, no rush." Li Xin leaned back on the sofa.

"Li, my friend, how can I not be in a rush! Ever since you mentioned it last time, I've been itching with anticipation. I truly hope to see those treasures immediately."

"Hahaha, Mr. Hassan, my friend, the goods this time are quite extensive, so I have to arrange them first. Please wait patiently a little longer."

Li Xin was somewhat amused by him. In fact, it wasn't that he couldn't handle it quickly; with the System, he could get it done in a few minutes. It was just that he wanted to rest now, and his mind wasn't on these things.

"Alright~, a large quantity of goods does indeed require careful arrangement. I wonder roughly how much volume there is this time, so I can have an idea in advance and make corresponding adjustments here."

Mr. Hassan said, with a little disappointment and some anxiety.

Li Xin laughed and replied, "I don't know the specifics yet, I can only say it's more than last time."

Mr. Hassan was silent for a few seconds. "Alright, then I have a rough idea. I will wait for your good news."

Li Xin smiled. "Sure thing!"

He didn't say the specific number. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mr. Hassan, but the volume of this batch of goods was too large, and he was afraid of scaring him if he said it out loud.

Several thousand tons of gold, over a thousand tons of silver, and tens of thousands of artifacts had to be processed in batches through Dubai, Geneva, Monaco, and London. What needed to be sold in bulk would be packed, and what could go to auction would go to auction.

These things couldn't be finished in a short while, so he might as well leisurely eat and drink in Dubai.

Every morning he woke up and went swimming, at noon he went out to taste various delicacies, in the afternoon he went shopping or took walks by the beach, and in the evening he went straight to various luxury nightclubs and beach parties. The ultimate temptation was truly impossible to refuse.

Sometimes he would hold a glass of whiskey, sitting alone on the terrace, staring blankly at the distant sea, quietly watching the Burj Khalifa shimmering in the night.

The sea breeze from the Arabian Gulf blew by from time to time, carrying a hint of saltiness, which also stirred up many memories from the bottom of his heart.

He couldn't help but think of the French archaeologist Durand, the group of people who were excavating ruins north of Persepolis, the guards patrolling outside the Iranian military exclusion zone, and the armed personnel who had once fired at him on the Iraq border—all of them appeared in his mind one by one.

Some of those people were dead, some had been captured, and some were still looking for him.

But who could have known that the treasures they obsessed over had already been taken away by him.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, instantly pulling Li Xin back from his thoughts to reality.

Chen Hu sent a message: "Boss, Geneva has replied. Mr. Pierre asks when you are free."

Li Xin thought for a moment and replied: "Set it for next week. Contact him again when I arrive in Geneva."

"Alright."

He sent another message to De Wilde: "Regarding the jewelry in Monaco. Let's meet to discuss it the week after next."

De Wilde replied instantly: "I will wait for you."

Li Xin put his phone on the table, picked up the whiskey, and took a sip.

The liquor went down his throat, feeling warm.

Once done here in Dubai,

Next, there were still Geneva, Monaco, and London.

After this batch of goods was processed, there was still one big thing to do.

He put down the glass, stood up, and walked into the house.

In two days, he would go see Mr. Hassan.

Talk to him first, let him have an idea.

Then, go to Geneva.

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