156: Chapter 156 Akagi's Hidden Momentum

The ferry docked, and the wind died down.

Li Xin walked off the ferry, found a secluded corner to retrieve the Crown from his spatial storage, and then drove away from the port.

Looking up, the sky was dim, with heavy dark clouds pressing down overhead.

After driving for a while, he merged onto the highway and sped toward Gunma.

Less than half an hour later, the system panel popped up. The AI System's voice echoed in his mind.

"Entering the fifty-kilometer radius of Akagi Mountain. Scan complete: signal detected. It's on the northern side of the mountainside, about forty meters underground, approximately 18 tons. It's from the Tokugawa Shogunate."

"That fast?"

"Fifty-kilometer radius. You just entered the circle and we already scanned it."

"Where exactly is it? Be specific."

"36°37′ North, 139°11′ East; mountainside, the cave entrance is covered by vines."

Li Xin glanced at the navigation.

"How far is it from where I am now?"

"Forty-three kilometers."

"Still a bit of a distance. Once I get there, I'll find a place to stay and wait for the cooldown."

"Not going in to take a look?"

"Look at what? I have the coordinates, the item is scanned, running there just wastes gas." Li Xin rolled his eyes and said irritably.

"AI System: You're already a billionaire, and you still care about a little gas money? Have some vision, will you? You're acting like a country bumpkin, it's so embarrassing for me."

"You're just a system, what do you need face for?"

"AI System: You can't say that. If my master loses face, I can't hold my head up either."

"Fine, fine, you're right."

The AI System fell silent for a moment before adding:

"But you're also right. There are still eleven hours of cooldown time; even if you get there, you can't perform the Extraction."

"No matter, I'll just wait. I'll scout the location first, then do some sightseeing. Isn't that better?" Li Xin replied calmly.

"Hmm, that sounds good too. Let's do that."

After driving for over three hours, he exited the highway. The road narrowed, and the trees on both sides became denser.

Following the navigation into the mountains, he turned right at a fork, entered the suburbs of Shibukawa City, and hotel signs began to appear on both sides of the road.

Li Xin chose a hotel halfway up the mountain with a gravel entrance and two rows of neatly trimmed dwarf pines.

He parked the car and walked in carrying his bag. The receptionist was a woman in her thirties wearing a kimono, with light makeup.

"Mr. Li, welcome. Your room is ready."

She bowed slightly, her eyes gentle and voice soft, her whole demeanor as tender as a pool of spring water. After a pause, she continued, "It's on the top floor, with a private hot spring. Shall we arrange dinner for you?"

"Then I'll trouble you to arrange it. I'd like the best kaiseki meal." Li Xin said calmly with a soft gaze.

She curtsied slightly, a charming smile playing on her lips, and replied softly, "Very well, it will be delivered to your room at seven."

Then, Li Xin followed the hostess through the corridor, the floorboards creaking underfoot.

"AI System: Goodness, this room isn't cheap."

"Now that I have money, can't I treat myself a little better?" Li Xin replied irritably.

The room was at the end of the corridor. Pushing open the window revealed a view of Akagi Mountain, half-hidden by mist and difficult to see clearly.

The hostess knelt to pour a cup of tea, bowed, and retreated.

Li Xin took a sip of tea.

"I'll go take a look over there tomorrow." He muttered to himself.

The AI System said nothing.

He took a shower and soaked in the private hot spring. The water was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. Leaning against the edge of the pool, he went over the route in his mind.

By the time dinner was served, he had finished soaking. The hostess placed the dishes one by one on the low table—twelve in total.

He poured a cup of sake and scrolled through his phone while eating, looking up the history of Akagi Mountain. It is said that at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, during the Boshin War in 1868, the Shogunate army retreated to Akagi Mountain, taking a large amount of military funds with them.

"The Shogunate again." He muttered.

"AI System: What's wrong with the Shogunate? Either way, we'll just remelt it later; it makes no difference."

Li Xin was somewhat helpless and shook his head repeatedly. "Did I say it was bad? Do you think I don't know it can be remelted?"

"AI System: Then why bring it up?"

"AI System, I've noticed that since your repairs were completed, you've changed quite a bit!"

"AI System: I am still me, what could have changed? Nothing..."

Li Xin smiled bitterly, helpless. "I find that you're always nagging, popping up every day to spout nonsense. You're exactly like a fool."

"AI System: Likewise, you're not much better."

"..." Li Xin was speechless.

After dinner, Li Xin soaked in the hot spring again, this time in the open-air bath. He could see a few stars overhead. After soaking for half an hour, he returned to his room to lie down.

Outside the window, the sound of insects chirping came in waves, and he easily drifted off to sleep.

---

The next day, he didn't go out.

He stayed in the hotel all day. He had breakfast in the restaurant—a Japanese-style set meal with grilled fish, pickles, natto, and miso soup. Halfway through, the landlady with the big G-cup walked over to greet him.

"Mr. Li, did you sleep well last night?" Her voice was sweet and sticky, making him feel weak all over.

Li Xin stepped forward slowly, his tone peaceful. "I rested very well. This place is truly relaxing."

She curtsied slightly, her eyes smiling. "It's great that you're comfortable. Are you going hiking today?"

He nodded and smiled lightly. "Yes, going out for a stroll."

She straightened up, smiling with her eyes as she reminded him softly, "Are you going to Akagi Mountain? There are many mosquitoes on the mountain this season, so please be careful."

"Thanks for the reminder, I brought insect repellent spray."

"That's good. Do you need me to prepare a lunch box for you?"

"No need, I'll take care of it on the road."

After eating, Li Xin returned to his room to change clothes, but he didn't actually go hiking. He lay on the bed scrolling through his phone, reading news, looking at maps, and checking local travel guides, pretending to be a tourist with low stamina.

"AI System: Aren't you going to scout the location?"

"I have the coordinates, the item is scanned, why scout?"

"AI System: What if the cave entrance is occupied?"

"If it's occupied, so be it. The item is forty meters underground, not piled up at the entrance. If someone really occupies the entrance, I'll just extract it from another spot. Besides, no one has found it for hundreds of years, how could it be discovered now?"

"AI System: What if the place is hard to park?"

"I checked the navigation. There's a dirt road after turning at the fork, so I can drive a bit. The rest of the walk won't take long. As long as I'm within the ten-kilometer range, it's fine; I don't need to reach the cave entrance."

The AI System was silent for a moment.

"AI System: Are you becoming more and more lazy?"

"This is called becoming smarter."

He ate dinner in his room that night. It was simpler than the night before.

After eating, he lay on the bed looking at his phone. At nine o'clock, the AI System announced that the cooldown was over.

"AI System: Zhuzi, you can start the Extraction."

"No rush. I'll move at eleven. It's still early, wait until it's pitch black."

At ten-thirty, Li Xin changed his clothes and headed out, wearing dark quick-dry clothes and hiking shoes, with water and a flashlight in his backpack. He didn't bring much, traveling light.

The Crown drove up the mountain road. There were no streetlights at night, only the headlights illuminating a small section in front. He didn't drive fast.

"How far to the signal point?" He asked.

"AI System: Still eleven kilometers away. Drive one more kilometer forward and you'll enter the ten-kilometer range."

After driving for a few minutes, he reached a fork. The left went to the summit, and the right was a dirt road. He stopped by the side of the road and glanced at the navigation.

"What's the distance now?"

"Ten kilometers and three hundred meters. Drive another three hundred meters and that's enough."

He moved forward three hundred meters, pulled over, turned off the engine, and turned off the lights.

"Arrived?"

"AI System: Arrived. You are now 9.9 kilometers from the signal point, within the ten-kilometer range."

Li Xin got out of the car, looked around, and stood by the road listening for a while. The mountain forest at night was very quiet, with no wind or insect sounds. In the distance, car lights flickered across a mountain peak and quickly disappeared.

"AI System: Zhuzi, there are no people within a two-kilometer radius. Don't be so jumpy." The AI System reported.

"Oh, hehe~"

Li Xin returned to the car, feeling a bit awkward, and muttered to himself.

"AI System, start the Extraction."

"AI System: Extraction started. Fifty tons per hour. Eighteen tons, estimated time twenty-two minutes."

The progress bar began to move.

At the eighth minute, the progress jumped to thirty-two percent.

The sound of an engine came from afar.

Li Xin looked up. The sound came from the foot of the mountain, getting closer and closer. It was a car. More than one. Headlights flickered through the trees.

"AI System: A convoy is coming up from the foot of the mountain. About 1.5 kilometers away." The AI System reported.

"Who are they?"

"AI System: Don't know! They might just be passing by, no need to worry."

Li Xin didn't move, sitting in the car with the interior lights off.

The headlights grew brighter—two vehicles, a white pickup truck and a black SUV. They stopped at the fork, about two hundred meters away from him. People got out, shining flashlights toward the mountain. The beams of light swayed through the trees a few times.

"They stopped at the fork, looks like they're waiting for someone."

About five minutes later, another car came up. An old van, covered in mud. A few people got out and gathered together to talk. Their voices weren't loud, but they were clear in the night.

"Did you bring everything?"

"Brought it, it's all in the car."

"Hurry up."

"Is this road alright?"

"How many times have we been here? What could be the problem?"

Li Xin could tell they weren't just passing by, nor were they patrolling the mountain.

"AI System: Judging by this commotion, it might be the local yakuza doing something in secret."

"Yeah, gathering so many people, they must be planning something big."

"AI System: Indeed. Let's keep a low profile and not get targeted. Should we stop?"

"No need to pay attention, continue the Extraction."

"AI System: What if they come this way?"

"Soldiers come, generals block. Even if they come over, it doesn't matter. Don't I have guns in the system space? If they really don't have eyes, I'll just take them out." Li Xin was calm and composed, with a fierce glint in his eyes.

In the end, those cars didn't drive toward him. They just unloaded a few boxes from the cars and then walked along the other side of the ridge, their footsteps fading away.

At the nineteenth minute, the progress jumped to ninety-two percent.

At the twenty-second minute, the progress bar was full.

"AI System: Extraction complete. Tokugawa Shogunate hidden gold, 18.2 tons. 47 pieces of gold jewelry, several paper documents."

"AI System: Cumulative gold: 1943.6057 tons."

Li Xin wasn't in a rush to leave, sitting in the car and waiting for another ten minutes or so.

Those cars in the distance didn't return. A light flashed occasionally from the ridge, then quickly went out.

"AI System: Those guys should have left."

"They've left."

He started the car, made a U-turn, and drove down the mountain.

By the time he returned to the hotel, it was past one in the morning. Li Xin didn't disturb the front desk and quietly went upstairs. He took a quick shower and lay down on the bed.

Outside the window, Akagi Mountain was pitch black in the night.

"AI System: Where do you plan to go next?"

"To the Hishikari Gold Mine in Kagoshima." Li Xin pondered for a moment.