175: Chapter 175 Night of Battle in the Blizzard - Holding Your Breath All Night

At 1:00 AM, Li Xin stepped out.

The sky was pitch black, with no moon. The wind was stronger than during the day, blowing across the lake, carrying ice shards that stung his face. He pulled up his windproof mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Walking north along the lakeshore, the ground wasn't covered in snow, but ice shards. They crunched loudly under his feet, the sound echoing in the night.

After walking for about an hour, he left the lake area and plunged into the mountains. The trees were sparse, mostly larches that had shed all their leaves.

The snow was deep enough to reach his calves, making each step heavy. Li Xin didn't walk fast; he had to ensure each step was firm before taking the next.

After walking for nearly two hours, he reached the vicinity of the target location.

It was a gentle slope covered in low shrubs, their branches bent by the weight of the snow. At the top of the slope, a few large rocks were piled together, resembling a natural bunker.

He climbed up and crouched behind the rocks.

He took a sleeping bag out of his space and spread it on the ground. He also took out a thermos and took a sip of goji berry tea; he had brewed it before leaving, and it was still warm.

"AI System, confirm the location."

[Location locked. Southern vein of the Natalka mining area. Extractable amount: 598.8 tons. Extraction rate: 50 tons/hour. Estimated time: 12 hours.]

"Start."

[Extraction initiated. Countdown: 11:59:59.]

The progress bar began to tick.

He leaned against the rock, silently staring at the panel. The rock was slightly cool, pressing uncomfortably against his back.

Immediately, he took a reclining chair out of his space and lay down, feeling relaxed. It was fortunate that the system had a temperature control function; otherwise, he would have really suffered in this godforsaken place.

The wind grew fiercer, with no fixed direction, swirling in place. It whipped up snow, pelting him in the face.

Li Xin instinctively lowered his head, tucking his face into the crook of his arm.

The progress jumped to six percent.

A sound drifted from the distance—not the whistling mountain wind, but the roar of engines.

Several vehicles were driving over from the mining area, their engines rumbling deafeningly.

He lifted his head and looked in that direction.

Headlights lit up in the snowy curtain—three, no, four vehicles. Off-road vehicles, driving fast, skidding on the snow but not stopping.

The cars stopped at the foot of the slope. The doors opened, and over a dozen people got out. Some carried shotguns, some held machetes, and some were empty-handed.

Someone was shouting in Russian with a local accent. It was a bit far, so Li Xin couldn't hear clearly, but he could tell they weren't saying anything pleasant.

There were two groups: one from the first vehicle, and one from the two vehicles behind. They stood face-to-face, about a dozen meters apart.

One person in camouflage, holding a shotgun, pointed it at the opposite group while cursing.

Opposite him, a person in a black leather jacket also held a gun. He wasn't pointing it, but it hung at his side, his finger resting on the trigger guard.

The atmosphere was tense.

When Li Xin realized vehicles were approaching, he immediately put everything into his space, erased his tracks, and then curled up behind the rock, motionless.

The one in camouflage shouted again, and this time, he heard it clearly.

"This is our territory. You've crossed the line."

The one in the leather jacket replied, "This vein we found isn't yours. Whoever digs it up gets it."

"We haven't settled the score from yesterday, and you're here again today?"

"Settle the score? Do you have the ability to do that?"

The one in camouflage didn't speak. He took a step back, and the people beside him took a step forward.

A gunshot rang out.

It wasn't the one in camouflage who fired; it was from the leather jacket's side. A single, short, crisp sound.

Someone on the camouflage side fell to the ground and cried out.

Then all hell broke loose.

Gunshots, shouts, and curses mixed together. Bullets flew wildly through the night air; some hit the rocks, sending stone fragments flying. Others hit the trees with a thudding sound.

Li Xin quietly hid in his spot, trying to stay as concealed in the snow as possible.

A rock fragment flew over his head and struck the rock behind him with a clang.

His heart was racing, but he didn't move.

The gunfire became more intense. Someone threw an improvised explosive; the sound was muffled, and the ground beneath his feet shook. It was clearly not proper military ordnance.

"Thud."

A corpse rolled down the slope—it didn't walk, it rolled. It tumbled all the way from the top and finally stopped less than five meters from Li Xin. It was face down, lying dead in the snow, and the blood beneath it had stained a large patch red.

Li Xin kept his gaze fixed on it, remaining motionless, his breathing extremely shallow.

The gunfire continued, and suddenly someone shouted, "They ran that way! Chase them!"

"Over here! There are more over here!"

Chaotic footsteps suddenly erupted, and someone ran frantically past him. Heavy boots stomped hard on the snow, producing a teeth-gritting crunch.

In the panic, someone's gun butt slammed heavily against the rock, emitting a harsh, crisp "clang" that sounded exceptionally jarring in the snow.

They ran past.

Another explosion, closer. It shook the snow off the rock, which fell onto his head.

He lay prone, motionless, his face buried in the snow. The bone-chilling cold drilled into his nostrils, stinging and painful. He held his breath, enduring it with all his might.

The gunfire gradually thinned, and the shouting faded into the distance.

Someone was crying. Not wailing, but sobbing, the sound muffled in their throat, a whimpering noise.

Someone was cursing, their voice weak and intermittent.

Footsteps faded and then approached, then faded again.

Li Xin lifted his head and looked around.

Several people were lying on the slope; some were moving, others were not. The snow was trampled into a mess, covered in footprints, blood, and shell casings.

The leather jacket group was gone. The camouflage group was also gone.

Only those lying on the ground remained.

He slowly shimmied backward. Keeping close to the ground, he retreated bit by bit.

After retreating a dozen meters, he reached behind the rocks.

He leaned against the rock, gasping for air.

The progress on the panel was jumping. Twenty-three percent.

Still early.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. His hands were shaking—not from fear, but because the adrenaline was wearing off.

He took water out of his space and took a sip. The water was icy, leaving his stomach feeling cold.

He also took out an energy bar, tore it open, and took a bite. It was sweet and cloying. He chewed slowly.

A sound drifted from the distance again. This time, it wasn't gunfire, but the sound of engines. Vehicles—several of them—driving over from the south.

He huddled behind the rock and looked in that direction.

Headlights lit up in the snowy curtain—three vehicles. They weren't off-roaders, but military vehicles. There were yellow lights flashing on their roofs.

The vehicles stopped at the foot of the slope. Over a dozen people got out, wearing body armor and steel helmets, holding automatic rifles.

A loudspeaker blared.

"Everyone drop your weapons! This is the Federal National Security Department!"

In Russian, the voice was loud, echoing in the valley.

No one responded.

The military police spread out and searched up the slope. The beams of their flashlights darted wildly across the snow.

Li Xin lay down, his face buried in the snow. He wrapped his thermal blanket tightly around him.

Footsteps grew closer and closer. The flashlight beam swept over the rock.

"There are footprints here."

"Chase them, they shouldn't have run far."

The footsteps headed in another direction.

He lay there, motionless.

The progress jumped to forty-one percent.

The military police searched the slope for nearly an hour. They caught a few of the ones lying on the ground and carried some away. Then they withdrew.

The sound of engines faded, and the headlights disappeared into the snowy curtain.

Li Xin lifted his head and looked around.

There was no one left on the slope, only the traces on the snow—footprints, blood, and shell casings.

He leaned against the rock and stared at the panel.

The progress jumped to fifty-eight percent.

The wind was still blowing, and the snow was still falling.

The progress jumped to seventy-four percent.

The sky began to brighten. It wasn't sunrise, but the reflection of the snow, a grayish haze.

The progress jumped to eighty-nine percent.

There was a sound in the distance again. This time it wasn't a car, but footsteps. One person was walking up from the bottom of the slope, walking very slowly.

Li Xin huddled behind the rock, motionless.

The footsteps grew closer. Crunching on the snow.

A person walked past the rock. Wearing camouflage, holding a gun, the muzzle pointed down. There was blood on their face, making it hard to see.

He walked very slowly, limping.

He walked to the slope and stopped. He looked around.

Then he crouched down and sat in the snow.

Head bowed.

Li Xin held his breath.

The person sat for a while, then stood up. He continued walking up the mountain. The footsteps faded into the distance.

The progress jumped to ninety-five percent.

He stared at the progress bar, counting every second.

Ninety-seven percent. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine.

[Ding... Extraction complete. Southern vein of the Natalka mining area, 598.8 tons. Cumulative gold: 4963.2057 tons.]

[System entering cooldown mode. Countdown: 11:59:59.]

He turned off the panel and didn't move.

He sat behind the rock, waiting.

After waiting for nearly an hour, it was already noon. The sunlight shone on the snow, the reflection blindingly bright.

He stood up, put everything into his space, and then cleaned up the traces on the ground.

Then he went down the other side of the slope, took a wide detour, and headed south.

After walking for nearly two hours, he reached the place where he had parked.

Victor was not there, the car was not there, and there was only snow on the open ground.

He stood by the road and waited for over ten minutes.

The sound of a car horn rang out in the distance, and Victor's off-road vehicle drove over.

Victor rolled down the window.

"Get in."

Li Xin pulled open the door and got in.

Victor glanced at him; there was an injury on his face, and mud on his clothes.

"Ran into trouble?"

"No."

Victor didn't ask again, started the engine, and drove back.

Li Xin leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

598 tons, secured.

Cumulative 4963 tons. Only 37 tons away from 5000 tons.

"Victor, are there any other gold mines nearby? I want to take a look at them too."

Victor thought for a moment.

"Yes, head north. There's an abandoned mining site that was opened during the Soviet Union era and closed later."

"Take me there."

Victor glanced at him.

"Now?"

"Now."

Victor didn't speak, made a U-turn, and drove north.