144: Chapter 144 Top Secret Docking (Part 1)

Li Xin had been staying in Dubai for a while, living a hedonistic life day and night, hopping between various venues and having a blast.

However, one thing was bothering him. While he would still go out and drink, whenever he was idle, he would constantly reflect on himself.

"I have more money than I can spend, and all my living expenses are top-tier. I have nearly seven thousand tons of gold alone. Honestly, if I were to sell these abroad for cash, it wouldn't be a problem at all; it would take just a minute. But..."

As the saying goes, "When poor, improve yourself; when prosperous, help the world."

He was a Chinese citizen, a fact he never forgot. Having grown up under the red flag and the spring breeze, everyone said, "I have no regrets entering China in this life, and I will be a member of the Chinese family in the next." This was also his sentiment.

"Now that I have no worries about food or clothing, I want to do something within my power for my country. For example, I have five thousand tons of gold that I need to sell. The country needs it too, so why should I let those foreigners benefit?"

"It would be better to give it to the motherland. Even if I sell it for a lower price, at least it's going to my own people. If the country's foundation is stronger, it's good for everyone."

These things were easy to say, but the problem bothering him now was how to give it.

Five thousand tons of gold is not five thousand bricks. If this stuff suddenly appeared, and people asked where it came from, he couldn't explain it. He couldn't exactly say the Gold Search and Refining System 2.0 gave it to him, right? That would be asking for trouble, and he was worried about being captured and sliced up for research.

He couldn't put himself in danger; he needed to think of a safe method.

He pondered for a long time. Previously, he had searched online and even asked Chen Hu to contact people back in China, but the results weren't ideal. They treated him like a scammer and dismissed him in a few words.

The formal channels were not working; the procedures were too troublesome and the risks were too high. He had to think of another way.

He holed up in his room for a few days, thinking over and over again, until he finally steeled his heart and made up his mind.

He gave Chen Hu a call.

"Chen Hu, help me book a ticket to Beijing."

The person on the other end of the line was clearly stunned. "Boss, aren't you supposed to go to Europe?"

"Put that on hold for now," Li Xin interrupted. "Let them know I have an urgent matter and will postpone it for a few days. I'm going to Beijing first to handle some business."

"An urgent matter? Boss, do you want me to go back with you? You're going alone..."

"No need, just help me book the ticket. I'll go back myself."

Chen Hu hesitated for a moment but agreed. "Alright, then... take care of yourself over there. When should I book the ticket for?"

"Tomorrow or the day after is fine, whichever flight you think is appropriate."

"Got it, Boss. I'll check and send you a message in a bit."

"Hmm."

After hanging up, Li Xin took out a pen and paper from his space. After thinking for a moment, he wrote a line:

"I possess a thousand tons of gold and am willing to transfer it to the national strategic reserve at market price. Requesting a single-line, covert liaison — Feitian."

It was just a brief line on the paper, with no name, no address, and no contact information. He folded the letter and put it into a white envelope.

He flew to Beijing early the next morning.

After landing, he didn't stay in a hotel. Instead, he went to a place Chen Hu had arranged in advance, located in an old residential area in Chaoyang District. The house wasn't big, but it was quite hidden.

He disguised himself as an honest, ordinary person again, quietly delivered the letter to the reception, and slipped away. No one noticed him the entire time, and even the security cameras wouldn't have detected anything unusual.

Normally, he would definitely have been discovered, but thanks to Li Xin having a system, his disguise skill was mastered, so others couldn't detect anything abnormal.

Even more outrageously, the system could interfere with the memories of those around him, blurring any memories related to Li Xin.

Every time Li Xin traded with Mr. Hassan, they had long been suspicious and kept investigating Li Xin. However, the Li Xin they found was a different person. It didn't match the image and appearance of the Li Xin in their memories; it could be said that the person didn't exist. This made them very wary, and in the end, they could only give up and focus on cooperating well.

This was also Li Xin's greatest life-saving skill. Without the system's secret interference and patching, with Li Xin selling gold and antiques in such large quantities, he would have been dragged off to be sliced up long ago, and the grass on his grave would have grown several meters high.

Getting back to the story, after Li Xin delivered the letter, he returned to his residence and sat in the room waiting for news.

He was also gambling, betting that the state would take this line. With their capabilities, as long as they received the information, an investigation wouldn't be too difficult.

He had spent quite a bit of effort to find that address; it was the reception of a classified unit, specifically for receiving applications that were inconvenient to process through formal channels.

This letter would either sink into the ocean without a trace, or it would succeed.

He waited in Beijing for three days.

During these three days, he barely left the house. When he was hungry, he took food from his space. He kept his phone gripped in his hand, afraid of missing a call, but not a single strange number called.

He couldn't help but feel a bit anxious and discouraged. He felt like the whole thing might be hanging in the balance.

As it turned out, on the evening of the third day, while he was sitting there in a daze, his phone suddenly rang. It was an overseas number, and it hung up after three rings.

He instantly became tense. He understood this; it was a code.

He quickly picked up the disposable encrypted satellite phone he had prepared on the table, took a deep breath, and dialed back as agreed. It rang twice and then connected.

A deep, flat voice with no discernible emotion came from the other side.

"Feitian."

Li Xin suppressed his nervousness and replied: "Feitian."

The other side was silent.

Li Xin gripped the phone, hearing no sound; he almost thought the signal had cut off.

"Contact again in three days."

"Alright."

Before he could say anything else, the other side had already hung up. From start to finish, it was less than ten seconds.

Li Xin sat there staring at the satellite phone for a good while, then slowly exhaled.

The first step was a success.

Three days later, at exactly eight o'clock in the evening. That overseas number called again, ringing three times.

He immediately called back.

It was the same voice.

"Is the resource authentic?"

"It is authentic."

"You had better think clearly before answering. The consequences of deception are not something you can bear."

Li Xin took a breath, trying to keep his voice steady: "I have thought about it very clearly. If I were just looking for trouble, I wouldn't need to use this method, and I certainly wouldn't take this risk."

"I believe these words. An ordinary person would never take such an action, nor would they be willing to bear such risks. This shows your intentions are genuine and you are definitely not causing trouble for no reason." The tone on the other side softened a lot.

"I only ask that the items be put to good use, to let this batch of gold be incorporated into the national strategic reserve. I just want to do my part."

Li Xin's mindset relaxed at this moment.

"Such patriotism is truly rare. We will definitely handle the handover matters securely and will never let down your sincere dedication." The other party spoke with a bit more approval and asked,

"I wonder, what is the specific volume of the gold you intend to transfer this time?"

"Five thousand tons, all pure gold. I am handing it all over at market price, not taking a single cent of extra profit."

There was no sound from the other side.

Li Xin thought the signal on the other end was bad and was just about to ask when he faintly heard someone speaking beside him. It was very quiet, but he could tell it wasn't just one person, and they were speaking very quickly. He pricked up his ears but couldn't hear what they were saying.

About seven or eight seconds later, that voice sounded again: "Five thousand tons of high-purity gold, willing to hand it all over at market price, not seeking a single cent of private profit—it is truly admirable."

"You flatter me! As a child of China, this is what I should do."

"Hmm, very good. We will immediately arrange for someone to come and meet with you in person."

"Alright, this is my address..." Li Xin gave the other party a backup address. He needed to confirm there were no issues before meeting with them.

---

Not long after, Li Xin saw someone arrive at his designated location. After confirming everything was correct, Li Xin came out to meet them.

After some pleasantries, they proceeded to discuss the delivery plan...

"...Choosing the high seas as the delivery location is the most secure. You can decide the specific time, and I will cooperate fully throughout the process," Li Xin said in a steady tone.

"The high seas..." The other side paused for a moment. "This method is proper and thorough. We will immediately coordinate and arrange this matter, and notify you as soon as the date is set."

Li Xin nodded calmly: "Alright, I will follow all arrangements and wait for the news."

"Very well, keep this phone on. In a few days, I will send you the coordinates and the time."

"Understood!"

Then they quietly left, and no one knew what they had talked about.

Li Xin returned to Dubai to make preparations.

Five days later, past eleven o'clock at night, his phone rang.

He answered the phone, and a voice with a thick southern accent came from the other end.

"Three days from now, we will meet in the international waters of the Indian Ocean. I will send you the coordinates later. We will move at night, scheduled for exactly midnight local time."

Li Xin listened quietly and replied in a deep voice: "Understood. International waters of the Indian Ocean, midnight local time, nighttime exchange. I will wait for you to send the coordinates and will be in position on time."

The other party replied in a deep voice: "Good. Remember to keep your movements strictly guarded, act with low-profile secrecy, and do not let even the slightest word slip out. Wait quietly until the time comes to complete the exchange successfully."

"Good, rest assured. My side is absolutely secure."

...

After hanging up the phone, Li Xin went straight to the pier.

At the Dubai pier, he found a small boat rental company, paid the rent in cash, and signed a standard contract. The destination written was a port in Europe: Malta.

The captain was a Greek man in his fifties named Nikos. He was wearing a faded dark blue work uniform, leaning against the ship's rail with his hands in his pockets, smoking while looking Li Xin up and down.

"Are you traveling alone on this trip?" Nikos tilted his head to look at him.

Li Xin's expression was calm as he spoke indifferently: "That's right, just me. You don't need to worry about any of that; just make sure you and your crew sail the boat well."

Nikos nodded immediately, his tone crisp: "Fine. I will just make sure the boat is ready and we arrive on time; I won't ask about anything else."

Nikos flicked his cigarette butt into the sea and let out a low chuckle. He clapped his hands and turned to look at Li Xin.

"Li, I've been sailing for most of my life and have seen all kinds of people. This whole thing feels wrong. To be honest, if you are planning to do something shady..."

"You can rest assured, there will be absolutely no danger. It's just that it's a bit inconvenient, which is why I came to you. Besides, what could be more important than US dollars, right?"

Li Xin smiled faintly and handed over a bag containing one million US dollars in cash.

Nikos took the bag and unzipped it to take a look. He raised an eyebrow, not rushing to close it, but instead weighing it in his hand before pulling out a stack at random to flip through it.

Then he zipped it back up, tucked the bag under his arm, and looked at Li Xin.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take the money and sail off? This is Dubai, after all, and that contract of yours won't hold me."

Li Xin smiled: "Will you?"

Nikos met his gaze for a few seconds, his smile deepening. He locked the bag securely in a cabinet inside the cockpit, put away the key, clapped his hands, and spoke readily: "This ship and its crew are at your disposal. When do we set sail?"

Li Xin's tone was crisp and decisive: "We leave now."

"Now?"

Nikos glanced at his wristwatch and raised an eyebrow. "It's already evening. You intend to sail at night?"

"Yes, we'll set off in the evening and travel through the night to save time."

Nikos tapped his fingertip against the watch casing and pondered for a moment. "Traveling through the night like this is a bit too rushed, but for the sake of the US dollars, let's go."

Li Xin was very satisfied. He smiled, boarded the boat, and they set off.

He turned off his mobile phone and all positioning devices, carrying only an encrypted satellite phone and a walkie-talkie. He had nothing on him that could reveal his identity.

Nikos poked his head out of the cockpit to look, saw Li Xin stuffing things into his pockets, didn't ask, and pulled his head back in.

The boat left the port of Dubai and headed east.

Li Xin stood at the bow, watching the lights of Dubai grow more distant until they were no longer visible. The sea breeze was strong, making his clothes snap loudly.

To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie. Five thousand tons of gold, one man, going to the high seas to meet people from the state. If this got out, the whole world would be watching him. But he had no other choice.

The boat sailed for two days.

During those two days, Nikos didn't talk to him much. Occasionally, he would ask if he wanted to eat or if he needed to take a turn on watch. Li Xin said no, so he just stayed in the cockpit, listening to the radio, smoking, and drinking coffee.

On the evening of the third day, a message popped up on the satellite phone: "05°12′ N, 68°30′ E, midnight local time the next day, turn off all signals."

Li Xin copied the coordinates onto a crumpled piece of paper and went to find Nikos.

Nikos was at the helm with a cigarette in his mouth, and Greek music was playing on the radio.

"Captain, turn off the radio," Li Xin said with a calm expression.

Nikos looked at him and turned off the radio.

"Change course now and head this way..." He handed over the paper, his tone firm.

Nikos took the paper and looked at it, his brows furrowing. He held the paper up to his eyes to look at it again, then raised his head to look at Li Xin.

"Li, there is nothing in this sea area. International shipping routes don't go through there. Are you sure?"

"Just head there." Li Xin lifted his eyes indifferently, his tone firm and without a hint of hesitation.

Nikos looked at the line of coordinates again and again, remaining silent for a dozen seconds. He folded the paper, placed it on the dashboard, and turned to look at Li Xin.

"To be honest, this sea area is on the edge of pirate activity zones. Although it's not on the main shipping route, pirate skiffs appear here often. You must have heard about that bulk carrier being hijacked here last year; it was all over the news."

"I am naturally aware of that. You just need to sail there; I will take care of the rest."

"You know?" Nikos stared at him. "Since you know it's dangerous, why are we going there?"

Li Xin didn't speak.

Nikos waited for a while. Seeing that he wouldn't say anything, he put the cigarette back in his mouth, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly.

"Li, to tell you the truth, at my age, I really don't want to lose my life at sea. If you are planning to go there to conduct a deal or meet someone in private..." Nikos said with a serious expression.

"Rest assured, nothing will happen," Li Xin said. "Once we arrive, just stay in the cockpit and don't come out; there will be no danger to your lives. I will give you some extra compensation after we return, alright?"

"We stay in the cockpit?" Nikos spread his hands. "What if pirates come? We just wait here to die?"

"It's not pirates."

"Then what is it?"

Li Xin looked at him but still didn't answer.

Nikos met his gaze for a few seconds, then looked away. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, turned around, and pulled the helm.

"Fine, you're the boss, you call the shots," he muttered. "Who can resist the temptation of US dollars."

The boat turned around and headed deeper into the high seas.

At eleven o'clock at night, the boat arrived at the designated sea area.

The sea was pitch black; nothing could be seen. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds. Only the waves slapped against the hull, making a dull sound.

Li Xin stood at the entrance of the cockpit.

"Captain, turn off all the lights." He pointed to the lights on the deck and both sides of the hull. "Don't leave a single one on."

Nikos looked at him without a word, bent down, and turned off the light switches one by one. The entire ship immediately went dark, with only a few small lights remaining on the cockpit dashboard.

"And these too." Li Xin raised his finger and pointed to the dashboard in front of him.

"These need to be turned off too? Then how am I supposed to operate..."

"Turn them all off; you can turn them back on after a while."

Nikos hesitated several times, but in the end, he complied and shut down the various pieces of equipment one by one.

"And your phone, your walkie-talkie, put them all away and turn them off." Li Xin ordered in an unquestionable tone.

"Li, what exactly are you trying to do?"

He leaned back in his seat, his tone full of helplessness. "I've been sailing the seas for thirty years, and this is the first time I've had all my electronic equipment confiscated and shut down by someone."

"Don't ask."

Li Xin took out a thick cloth bag and placed it gently on the dashboard. "This is for your compensation."

Nikos opened the bag and took a look; good heavens, it was all US dollars.

"How much is in here?"

"Two hundred thousand US dollars."

Nikos quickly put the bag away, lit another cigarette, leaned back against the chair, and closed his eyes.

"Fine, I won't ask another word. I'll rest easy from here on out; even if the sky falls, don't call me."

Li Xin nodded faintly to show he understood, then walked out of the cockpit and stood at the bow.

The sea breeze was strong at this moment, making it hard for him to keep his eyes open. He checked the time; the luminous hands on his watch pointed to 11:40.

Twenty minutes left.

He lit a cigarette, stood at the bow, and smoked it slowly, his gaze fixed on the pitch-black sea in the distance...