181: Chapter 181 Gale-Splitting Ice - Encirclement from Multiple Sides

At midnight, Li Xin stepped out.

The sky was pitch black; there was no moon, no stars. There was only wind and snow. The wind blew from across the lake, carrying ice shards that stung his face painfully.

He pulled up his windproof mask, leaving only his eyes exposed. Frost formed on the mask, and the white mist from his breath condensed into water droplets inside, then froze into ice.

He walked east along the lakeshore, moving slowly, making sure every step was firm. The snow was deep, reaching his calves. It crunched with every step, the sound loud in the night. After walking for nearly an hour, he reached the spot he had scouted during the day. There was the small pier, the wooden shed, and the small boat frozen in the ice. No one was on the pier; the door of the wooden shed banged against the wind.

He stepped onto the ice. The ice layer was very thick; there was no sound when he stepped on it. He walked over a hundred meters to the center of the lake. Everything was pitch black; he couldn't see anything, only the biting wind and flying snow.

"AI System, confirm location."

[Location locked. Seven kilometers away, in a hidden crevice about 78 meters under the lake, extractable quantity: 500 tons. Current environment: Force 7 northwest wind, Force 9 gusts, temperature minus 35 degrees. Ice layer stress is normal.]

"Good, start Extraction."

[Extraction started. Countdown: 9:59:59.]

The progress bar began to jump.

Li Xin looked around; the lake surface was a hazy gray, and he couldn't see the opposite shore. The wind blowing across the lake grew fiercer, carrying swirling snow that pelted his face.

Within the sound of the wind came the crisp cracking of the ice, the snaps coming from afar and drawing closer. The ice beneath his feet trembled slightly; the movement wasn't large, but he could feel it clearly.

"AI System, can the ice hold?"

[The ice thickness is about 1.5 meters; the vibrations caused by the gusts are within the safety range. However, continuous Extraction may cause changes in local ice stress. Current stress is 72%. Safety threshold is 85%.]

The progress jumped to 11%.

A sound drifted from the distance—not the howling cold wind, but the voices of a crowd drifting from the shore.

He looked up. Several flashlight beams were swinging wildly across the snow on the shore, and people were shouting from time to time. The wind carried their voices, making the content indistinguishable.

"AI System, what are they doing over there?"

[Various treasure-hunting groups are busy setting traps. One group is digging pits with shovels, another is pulling tripwires, and others are burying nets, all to guard against competitors seizing exploration sites. The Chinese team is guarding the east bank, having dug three pits and covered them well with dead branches and snow; the Russian side is entrenched on the south bank, setting up thin steel tripwires that are extremely hard to spot at night; the European group is stationed on the north bank, driving in wooden stakes and laying fishing nets underground.]

"How far from here?"

[The closest site is about 300 meters away. They are mainly distributed on the east and south banks. Your current position is in the center of the lake, not within their trap range. However, if you head east when evacuating, you may enter the trap zone.]

The progress jumped to 23%.

The wind grew stronger. The sound of cracking ice on the lake became more frequent, snap, snap, like firecrackers. The ice surface under his feet was shaking, with a greater amplitude than before. Li Xin pressed his face against the ice and could hear the sound of water beneath the ice, bubbling like it was boiling.

"AI System, what is the ice stress?"

[78%, still within the safety range. However, it is recommended to remain stationary and not make any major movements.]

He hid himself well and remained motionless. The wind swept over him, carrying snow particles that pelted his windproof mask with a rustling sound. A thick layer of frost formed on the mask, making it difficult to breathe.

The progress jumped to 36%.

Suddenly, a burst of cursing erupted from the shore; they had already started fighting. The clashing of wooden sticks and cries of pain and anger blended together.

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs: "They ran that way! Chase them!"

Beams of flashlight light swept wildly across the snow. Several people rushed down the bank onto the ice, sprinting toward the center of the lake. Their heavy boot soles pounded against the ice, creating a continuous, muffled thudding sound.

Li Xin's heart rate accelerated. He lay on the ice, not moving. His hands were pressed against the ice, ready to stand up at any moment.

That person ran for a few dozen meters and stopped. The flashlight beam swept across the ice, circling once, then again.

"Is anyone here?" the person shouted, panting.

"No, let's go," another voice replied.

"What about over there?"

"Nothing there either. Let's go back. It's freezing to death; my hands are about to freeze off."

"Wait, let me shine the light again."

The flashlight beam swept around again, passing over Li Xin. He held his breath. The beam moved away, and the footsteps faded as they walked back.

He waited until the sounds were gone before exhaling.

The progress jumped to 48%.

The sky slowly began to brighten. There was no sunrise; the gray-white, faint light peculiar to the polar night spread across the east, dim and hazy.

The light was dim and the distant scenery was still blurry, but at least the outline of the entire lake could be traced.

He unscrewed his water bottle. As the ice water went down his throat, a chill shot straight into his stomach.

He unwrapped a frozen energy bar and took a bite. It was cloyingly sweet and hard, and he slowly chewed and swallowed the hard object.

"AI System, how much longer?"

[Current progress is 52%, estimated 4.8 hours remaining. Ice stress is 81%, still within the safety range.]

The progress jumped to 63%.

There was movement on the shore again, with the roar of several engines coming from the south. Headlights lit up in the wind and snow; there were four off-road vehicles, slowing down as they pulled up to the shore.

Car doors opened one after another. Over a dozen people dressed in camouflage and carrying firearms got out. Someone spoke loudly into a walkie-talkie, the sound piercing through the night with exceptional clarity.

"Attention everyone, there may be an abnormal signal on the lake surface. Headquarters says the equipment detected energy fluctuations in the center of the lake. Search in groups. Start from the east bank and advance westward. Assign one area to each group; don't miss anything."

"Group 1 received."

"Group 2 received."

"Group 3 received."

The flashlight beams swung wildly on the ice—over a dozen of them—spreading from the shore toward the center of the lake. The footsteps were chaotic, crunching on the ice.

Li Xin lay on the ice, motionless. His hands were pressed against the ice, his palms sweating.

The footsteps grew closer, and the flashlight beam swept over him. He held his breath. The beam moved away. The footsteps passed by him, less than ten meters away. One person, then another; boots stepped heavily on the ice. A gun butt knocked against the ice with a clang.

"Is there anything here?" one person asked.

"No, there are no marks on the ice."

"How about over there?"

"Nothing there either. Let's go."

The footsteps faded away.

He waited until the sounds were gone before exhaling.

The progress jumped to 76%.

Day had broken. The gray-white light shone on the ice, its reflection blinding. He lay on the ice, not moving.

"AI System, how much longer?"

[Current progress is 78%. Estimated 2.2 hours remaining. Ice stress is 83%. Approaching safety threshold; it is recommended to remain stationary.]

The roar of rotor blades drifted from the horizon. It wasn't a military model; a helicopter swept in at a low altitude from the south.

The roar of the rotor blades was deafening; even the ice beneath his feet trembled slightly.

The helicopter hovered over the lake, circling once, then again. The searchlight beam swept across the ice—very bright, blinding.

Li Xin lay there, motionless. His face was buried in the crook of his arm.

The helicopter circled three times and flew off to the north. The sound grew more and more distant.

The progress jumped to 89%.

He stared at the progress bar, counting every second.

92%... 95%... 98%.

[Ding... Extraction complete. Cape Tolstoy lake sunken gold, 500 tons. Accumulated gold: 5830.2057 tons.]

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

He turned off the system panel and didn't move. He lay on the ice, waiting for nearly an hour.

The sky had completely brightened, with gray-white light shining on the ice. He stood up; his legs were numb, and he couldn't stand steadily, so he steadied himself against the ice for a few seconds. He cleared the traces on the ground. Footprints, handprints, and indentations on the ice were all filled with snow. Then he used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off the ice.

He walked back from the center of the lake. He walked slowly, making sure every step was firm. Reaching the shore, he took a wide detour and entered from the other side of the village.

Returning to the wooden cabin, the old man was busy in the kitchen. The stove was burning, something was stewing in the pot, and the aroma drifted out. Seeing him, the old man asked: "Out so early?"

"Yeah, just went out for a stroll."

The old man chuckled. "This place, what's there to see? In the dead of winter, it's freezing to death."

Li Xin didn't respond.

He went upstairs, lay on the bed, and opened the system panel.

5830 tons.

He stared at the number for a few seconds and turned off the panel.

His phone vibrated. Chen Hu sent a message: "Boss, where are we going next?"

Li Xin thought for a moment and replied with one word: "Kazan."

He placed his phone on the nightstand.

He pulled the curtains shut, closed his eyes, and soon drifted off to sleep.