183: Chapter 183 Amber Palace Treasures: The Deadly Battle in the Castle

The second batch of Extraction in Kazan went more smoothly than expected.

There was no Patrol Team, no gold-stealing gangs, not even anyone to ask questions.

Li Xin lay on the river surface for eight hours; apart from being numb with cold, nothing happened.

When the second batch of 400 tons was stored, dawn had just broken.

[Cumulative Gold: 6630.2057 tons.]

He closed the system panel and walked back from the river.

His legs were severely numb, so he held onto the railing and stood for a while.

Fog had risen over the river, gray and white, obscuring the factory on the opposite bank.

The wind blew across the river; it was cold, but not biting.

Back at the hotel, he took a shower.

The water was hot, and steam filled the air.

He stood under the showerhead, letting the hot water run down his back.

He stood there for a long time.

After washing and drying off, he lay on the bed.

His phone vibrated.

Chen Hu sent a message: "Boss, everything is arranged in Kaliningrad; a guide will meet you at the airport."

"Good, thank you for your hard work."

He sent another message to Victor: "Victor, I'm leaving today. Please take me to the airport."

Victor replied instantly: "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Li Xin packed his things.

The backpack was the same old one, stuffed with a few changes of clothes, his passport, and a charger.

Although there were over 6,000 tons of gold in his space, his backpack was light, making him look like an ordinary tourist.

He went downstairs, checked out, and Victor was already waiting at the entrance.

He was leaning against the car door, smoking, but extinguished the cigarette when he saw Li Xin come out.

"Let's go."

The car doors locked, and Victor started the engine.

The car drove out of the city and onto the highway.

Outside the window was a grayish-brown wilderness, dotted with patches of residual snow.

Smoke curled from the chimneys of distant villages, instantly dissipated by the breeze.

"Kaliningrad?" Victor glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

"Yes."

"That's very far; you'll need a connecting flight."

"I know."

Victor stopped asking and casually turned on some music.

A low, melancholic Russian folk song flowed from the speakers.

The car arrived at the airport, and Li Xin pushed the door open and stepped out.

"Thank you, Victor. Thank you for your hard work during this time. We'll meet again."

Victor waved his hand. "It's nothing. If you come back, remember to look for me."

"Sure."

Li Xin walked into the departure hall and bought a ticket to Kaliningrad.

He had a layover in Moscow and waited for four hours.

The waiting hall was crowded and noisy.

He found a random corner to sit in, took some bread from his backpack, tore off a piece, and chewed it slowly.

By evening, Li Xin finally arrived in Kaliningrad.

The sky was darkening; the airport was small, with only one runway.

Walking out of the terminal, a young man was waiting at the arrival gate, holding a sign with Li Xin's name on it.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, thin, and wrapped in an old down jacket.

"Are you Mr. Li?"

"I am."

"My name is Sergei. Mr. Chen sent me to pick you up."

Sergei took the backpack and led him outside.

An old sedan covered in mud was parked in the parking lot.

The two got into the car, and Sergei started the engine.

"I'll take you to the hotel first, and we can go into the city tomorrow."

"Alright."

The car drove away from the airport.

The road was not wide, and both sides were lined with low, grayish-white concrete buildings.

There were few pedestrians on the street, and very few vehicles.

The distant sea was covered in a gray mist, where the sea and sky blended, making it hard to distinguish the boundary.

Sergei was a skilled driver, and the car drove smoothly and steadily.

As he drove, Sergei introduced the area: "Kaliningrad used to be called Königsberg. Before World War II, it belonged to Germany, but later it was ceded to the Soviet Union."

"There are many old castles left here, all built during the Prussian era."

"Have you heard of the Amber Room?" Li Xin asked casually.

Sergei paused for a few seconds and replied: "Of course I've heard of it. It was looted by the Nazis during World War II and has been missing ever since. Many people speculate that it's hidden in one of the old castles in Kaliningrad."

"Has anyone ever found it?"

"No, they've been looking for decades and haven't found anything." Sergei chuckled, "You aren't here for the Amber Room, are you?"

"No, just here for the scenery. I just heard about it on the way and got a bit curious."

Sergei didn't press further and focused on driving.

Arriving at the hotel, Sergei stopped the car.

The hotel was only three stories tall and unremarkable, but its warm yellow exterior walls were striking, and the Russian sign above the door was clearly visible.

"I'll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning," Sergei said.

"Alright, thank you for the trouble."

Li Xin got out and walked into the hotel.

The receptionist was a slightly plump woman, looking down at her phone. She glanced up at him and handed him a room key.

The room was on the second floor, and the window faced the street.

Across the street was a park with trees planted inside and a few benches set out.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights turned on one by one, casting a dim yellow glow.

He washed his face and lay on the bed.

He opened his phone to look up information about Kaliningrad.

Kaliningrad, an exclave of Russia, is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

Before World War II, it was called Königsberg and was the cultural center of Prussia.

The Amber Room, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," was crafted with tons of amber, gold, and gemstones.

It was stolen by the Nazis during World War II, and no one knows where it's hidden.

Legend has it that the Amber Room contains a massive amount of gold, with several tons of gold leaf inlaid in the walls alone.

There are also statues, candlesticks, and vessels crafted from pure gold.

He turned off his phone and lay there for a while.

The next morning, Sergei came to pick him up.

"Where are we going today?"

"To the old castles, those built during the Prussian era."

Sergei nodded and started the engine.

The car drove north.

Leaving the city, the road was lined with forests, mostly pine trees with dark brown trunks.

After driving for nearly an hour, they arrived at an old castle.

The castle was on a hill, built of stone, grayish-white.

The outer walls had cracks and were covered in moss.

A stone tablet stood at the entrance, written in German, which he couldn't really understand.

Sergei parked the car below the castle.

"This is the ruin of Königsberg Castle. It was destroyed during World War II, and this is all that's left."

Li Xin got out of the car and walked toward the castle.

The steps were made of stone and creaked when stepped on.

The castle was not large, just a few ruined walls and an archway.

The ground was covered with rubble and weeds.

Li Xin stopped and crouched down, muttering to himself.

"AI System, Scan."

[Scanning. Metal signal detected about 15 meters underground, 6 kilometers away. Estimated gold treasures present. Suspected hiding spot of the Amber Room.]

"How much?"

[The signal is scattered. There are pure gold statues, gold leaf, gold vessels, and gemstones. Total weight is about 2.3 tons. Confirmed ownerless, full Extraction possible.]

2.3 tons. Not much, but the value of the Amber Room's treasures cannot be measured by gold alone.

He subconsciously clapped his hands.

Just as he was about to order the Extraction, a sound suddenly came from the distance.

It wasn't the wind; it was human voices.

Many people were walking over from the other side of the castle.

He crouched down, hiding behind a ruined wall.

Seven or eight people, wearing mismatched clothes, were holding sticks and machetes.

There were white people and Asians. They were noisy, seemingly arguing over something.

"We found this place first! Get lost!"

"Found it? What proof do you have?"

"We were here last year!"

"Been here? Then why didn't you find anything?"

People were shoving, raising sticks and then lowering them.

Li Xin backed away.

He stood up from behind the ruined wall, took a wide detour, and walked in another direction.

After walking a few steps, he stepped on a stone slab.

The stone slab sank, making a clicking sound.

He instinctively dodged to the side.

A stone slab fell from above, smashing into the spot where he had just been standing.

Gravel splattered, hitting his legs, causing sharp pain.

A trap.

He crouched down and looked around.

There were a few stone slabs on the ground with different colors and gaps at the edges.

There was a hole in the wall, pitch black, and he couldn't see inside.

"AI System, Scan the surroundings. Detect traps."

[Scanning. There is a trapdoor trap three meters ahead, about five meters deep with spikes at the bottom. There is a tripwire two meters to the left connected to a crossbow. There is a rockfall mechanism on the right, with the trigger point on a stone brick in the corner.]

Li Xin backed away slowly.

He made sure of his footing before taking each step.

He retreated to a safe area and stood up.

He took a wide detour and exited from the other side of the castle.

Walking to the foot of the hill, Sergei was in the car smoking.

Seeing him, he extinguished the cigarette.

"How was it?"

"It was okay."

Getting into the car, Sergei started the engine.

"Are we going to other castles?"

"Yes. Head north."

Sergei nodded.

The car drove on a dirt road. It was very bumpy.

After driving for nearly an hour, they arrived at another castle.

It was larger than the previous one, with higher, more intact walls.

There were two stone statues at the entrance, so weathered that their faces were unrecognizable.

Li Xin got out of the car and walked toward the castle.

Just as he reached the entrance, shouts came from inside.

It wasn't talking; it was fighting. The sounds of sticks, cursing, and screaming were mixed together.

He stopped. Standing at the entrance, he didn't go in.

A person ran out from inside, face bloody, clothes torn.

Seeing Li Xin, he was stunned for a moment, then kept running.

Another person ran out. He was holding a knife, and there was blood on the blade.

Li Xin stepped aside.

They were still fighting inside. Someone shouted: "Don't let him get away! Chase him!"

Footsteps came from inside, getting closer and closer.

He turned around and walked toward the car.

"Let's go," he said to Sergei.

Sergei didn't ask and started the engine.

The car turned around and drove away.

Li Xin leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes.

"AI System, is the location of the Amber Room confirmed?"

[Confirmed. It is underground at the first castle. There are about 2.3 tons of gold treasures. Currently, gang fighting is intense; we must leave now. I suggest coming back for the Extraction at night.]

"Alright, then we'll do the Extraction tonight."

Back at the hotel, it was almost dark.

Li Xin went upstairs and lay on the bed.

He opened the system panel. The cooldown had two hours left.

"AI System, we act tonight. 2.3 tons, estimated time: three minutes."

[Gang fighting is ongoing; I suggest waiting until 1:00 AM for the Extraction. Current weather: cloudy, force 2 northwest wind, temperature minus five degrees.]

"Good."

At 1:00 AM, he went out.

Sergei was waiting for him in the car.

"Where to?"

"The castle from the daytime."

Sergei glanced at him, didn't ask, and started the engine.

The car traveled through the night. The road was narrow with no streetlights. The headlights illuminated a short stretch of the road ahead.

After driving for nearly an hour, they arrived at the castle.

Li Xin got out of the car. It was very dark, with no moon. The wind blew from the sea, carrying a salty scent.

He walked up the steps and pushed open the iron gate. The gate was rusty and creaked.

It was very dark inside, and he couldn't see anything. He turned on his flashlight, the beam swaying against the walls.

He crouched down and placed his hand on the ground.

"AI System, confirm the location."

[Location locked. 15 meters underground, Amber Room hiding spot. 2.3 tons of gold treasures. Extraction possible.]

"Start."

[Extraction initiated. 2.3 tons, estimated three minutes.]

The progress bar started to move.

He crouched in the darkness, staring at the system panel.

There was a sound in the distance. Footsteps, several of them, coming from outside the castle.

He turned off the flashlight and huddled in the corner.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Someone was talking in Russian.

"Over here, take a look."

A flashlight beam shone in from the doorway, sweeping across the walls.

Li Xin held his breath.

The progress jumped to 60 percent.

The footsteps entered the castle, crunching on the rubble.

The flashlight beam swept past the corner.

"Is anyone there?"

"No. Let's go."

The footsteps faded away.

The progress jumped to 100 percent.

[Ding... Extraction complete. Amber Room gold treasures, 2.3 tons. Includes pure gold statues, gold leaf, gold vessels, and various gemstones. Cumulative Gold: 6632.5057 tons.]

He closed the system panel and didn't move.

He crouched in the corner and waited for over ten minutes.

Confirming that there was no one outside, he stood up.

He exited from the other side of the castle, took a wide detour, and returned to the car.

"Let's go," he said to Sergei.

Sergei started the engine.

"Back to the hotel?"

"Yes."

The car traveled through the night. Li Xin leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes.

2.3 tons, the Amber Room. It was his.

"Sergei, take me to the airport tomorrow."

"Good."

Back at the hotel, he went upstairs and lay on the bed.

He opened the system panel.

6,632 tons.

He stared at the number for a few seconds.

He closed the system panel.

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

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

He put his phone on the nightstand.

He closed the curtains.

He closed his eyes.

He fell asleep quickly.