177: Chapter 177 Aurora Chase - Aerial Reconnaissance

Heading north from Magadan, the road became increasingly terrible.

After driving for two consecutive days, they finally reached the border of Chukotka.

There was no asphalt, just gravel roads; the road was intermittent, alternating between decent patches and ruined sections, with large stretches of permafrost in between.

The tires rolled over it, resulting in a bumpy ride all the way.

Sitting in the car, one's whole body felt sore from the jolting, as if the bones were being taken apart and put back together.

Li Xin leaned back in the passenger seat, closing his eyes to recharge. Victor focused on driving, remaining silent.

On the afternoon of the third day, the car drove into a small town.

The town was adjacent to the Anadyr River, with only a few dozen households. The houses were built from a mix of wood and cement.

The streets were desolate, with few pedestrians, and a handful of children were crouching by the roadside building snowmen.

Victor parked the car in front of a two-story wooden building.

"Rest in this hotel today; I will come back to take you tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you. How much?"

Victor waved his hand. "No need, Chen has already paid."

"He paid for other expenses. Because of me, your car was damaged today, so I must compensate you for your losses." After saying this, Li Xin gave him enough money to buy a new car as compensation.

He then got out of the car and walked into the hotel. The landlady was a plump young woman wearing an apron, who was wiping a table. She glanced at him and handed him a key.

"Second floor, third room on the left. Breakfast is at seven."

"Thank you."

The room was on the second floor, with a window facing the river. The river surface was frozen, greyish-white, stretching to the horizon. The mountains in the distance were hazy, their peaks covered in snow.

He washed his face and lay on the bed.

His phone vibrated, and Chen Hu sent a message: "Boss, the data on Kupol and Dvoinoye has been sent to your email."

He opened his email and read through it.

The Kupol gold mine was in the central part of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, with reserves of about 320 tons. The Dvoinoye gold mine was north of Kupol, with reserves of about 200 tons. Both mines were being mined, with security and patrols.

His Scan radius was 50 kilometers; by finding a spot on the periphery of the mining area, he could cover both mines.

The problem was that the area was inside the Arctic Circle, where winter temperatures could reach minus 60 degrees. There were no roads, and one could only enter by helicopter.

He had inquired and learned that there were regular flights to the mining area, but they only transported miners; outsiders could not get on.

He had to find another way.

Early the next morning, Victor came to pick him up.

"Today, I can only take you to the periphery of the mining area. You'll have to walk the rest of the way; the car can't easily get through there."

"Okay, thank you!"

Li Xin got into the car after saying this, and Victor started the engine and drove north.

Once they left the town, the road disappeared. There was only snow and tire tracks. Victor didn't drive fast, but he was steady.

After driving for nearly two hours, they arrived at an open area. Victor stopped the car.

"From here on, you have to go on foot. Head north, cross that ridge, and you'll be in the direction of the mining area."

Li Xin got out of the car. The wind was strong, making his clothes flap loudly.

"I will come back to pick you up in the afternoon. Don't go too far; there are bears in this area. Be careful."

"Okay, I will be careful."

Victor made a U-turn and drove off.

Li Xin put on his backpack and headed north.

This was a permafrost zone. The ground wasn't covered in snow, but in ice shards that crunched underfoot. After walking for an hour, he crossed a ridge. Looking ahead, he saw an open valley. At the end of the valley were mountains, and at the foot of the mountains were factory buildings and chimneys. The Kupol mining area.

He crouched down and pressed his hand to the ground.

"AI System, Scan Kupol and Dvoinoye."

[Scanning... This will take a few minutes.]

The wind gradually picked up, howling as it blew in from the mountain pass. Yet he seemed completely unaffected, feeling no cold—all thanks to the system's ability to maintain a constant temperature.

He just casually pulled up his windproof mask to cover half his face.

A few minutes later, the AI System reported the results.

[Kupol mining area, located 18 kilometers away, underground ore veins run east-west, main ore body depth 150 to 400 meters, total reserves about 320 tons.

Dvoinoye mining area, located 17.5 kilometers away, underground ore veins run north-south, main ore body depth 100 to 350 meters, total reserves about 200 tons. Totaling 520 tons. 60% can be extracted, which is 312 tons.]

Li Xin stood up and brushed the dust off his hands.

Just as he was about to leave, the sound of an engine came from afar. It wasn't a car; it was a plane. It was flying at a low altitude, and the sound was very loud.

He looked up.

A grey military plane emerged from the clouds, flying very low, the red star emblem on the fuselage clearly visible. The plane swept over his head, and the wind it stirred up made his face sting.

He crouched down and hid behind a rock.

The plane flew toward the mining area. It circled the valley and flew back. This time it flew even lower, almost brushing against the ridge.

He lay flat on the ground, burying his face in the snow.

The plane flew overhead, the sound making his ears buzz. After a few minutes, the sound faded away.

He lifted his head and looked at the sky. The plane was gone.

He stood up and brushed the snow off his body.

He continued walking forward.

After walking for a while, the system popped up a notification.

[AI System: Zhuzi... approximately 500 meters to the northeast, a large mammal has been detected. It should be a Polar Bear. You're on your own.]

Li Xin stopped and looked in that direction.

He saw a white shadow moving in the snow. It wasn't snow; it was a bear, a Polar Bear.

It was large, covered in white fur, and difficult to distinguish against the snow. It lowered its head, sniffing the air with its nose.

Li Xin stepped back, one step at a time, very slowly.

The Polar Bear raised its head and looked in his direction.

He stopped.

The Polar Bear stood still, looked at him for a few seconds, then turned and walked in another direction.

Li Xin waited until it had gone far away before turning around.

He continued walking north.

He reached the ridge and glanced toward the mining area. The factory buildings and chimneys were very conspicuous in the snow. The chimneys were emitting white smoke, which was blown away by the wind.

He quietly crouched down.

"AI System, confirm the Extraction point."

[Point locked. South side of the Kupol mining area, west side of the Dvoinoye mining area. About 9 kilometers from current position. Both mining areas are within a ten-kilometer range.]

"Good."

He stood up and started walking back.

He reached the foot of the mountain, and in front of him was an expanse of ice. It wasn't a river; it was a lake. The surface was frozen, greyish-white, and he couldn't see the other side.

He stepped onto it; the ice was hard but slippery, so he walked very slowly.

He hadn't walked many steps when a crisp sound came from under his feet.

Crack.

He stopped and looked down. There was a crack on the ice surface, extending forward from his feet.

He didn't move, standing there.

The crack didn't expand.

He slowly backed up until he reached the shore.

He took a wide detour, walking around the edge of the lake.

Returning to the parking spot, Victor was smoking in the car. Seeing him, he stubbed out his cigarette.

"How was it? Did you see the mining area?"

"I saw it. It's quite large."

"There are Patrol Teams over there. You didn't run into them, did you?"

"No, I only saw a military plane."

Victor frowned. "A military plane? Flying at a low altitude?"

"Yes, grey, with a red star emblem."

"That's a border patrol plane; they often fly in this area." Victor started the engine. "You weren't spotted, were you?"

"I lay on the ground; they shouldn't have spotted me."

Victor nodded. "That's good. Are you coming back tomorrow?"

"Of course I am." Li Xin answered without thinking.

Victor glanced at him.

"Are you really going to enter the mining area? They check strictly over there."

"I won't go in. I'll just take a look from the perimeter."

Victor didn't ask any further.

Back at the hotel, it was getting dark.

Li Xin went upstairs and lay on the bed.

He opened the system panel.

The cooldown still had two hours left.

"AI System, we act tonight."

[It is recommended to start at 1:00 AM. 312 tons, estimated time 6.2 hours.]

"Good."

He closed his eyes and lay there for a while.

His phone vibrated. Li Jiayi sent a message: "The trust structure in Singapore has been approved; the licenses for the three private banks have also been obtained. When are you coming back to sign?"

He replied: "Soon."

Luo Maifa sent a voice message in the group: "Brothers! I'm getting married next week! Everyone come! If you don't come, I'm cutting ties with you!"

Li Xin listened twice, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

Qiang Zi also sent a voice message: "Brother Xin, where are you? Zhuzi is asking when you're coming back; he wants to treat you to a meal."

Li Xin replied: "In a few days."

He put his phone on the bedside table.

At 1:00 AM, he went out.