27: Chapter 27 Target: Yunnan

Sitting in his seat for a while, perhaps because the air conditioning was set a bit low, he felt a chill. He wrapped his jacket tighter and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes to rest.

Sitting next to him was a woman in her forties, carrying large and small bags, looking like she was visiting relatives. Across from him was a young couple; the girl was sleeping on the boy's shoulder, and the boy was watching a video with headphones on. This public display of affection was completely unexpected.

Everything was normal.

A moment later, Li Xin took out his phone and checked the weather in Yunnan again. The forecast showed: "Rain is expected in the Tengchong and Yingjiang areas over the next few days."

Once it rains, the mountain roads here would surely be difficult to navigate. He couldn't help but frown, but then didn't pay it much mind. With his physique, which had undergone transformation, he could even withstand the high heat of the desert; a bit of rain was nothing.

"Young man, where are you headed?" the woman next to him suddenly asked.

"Kunming," Li Xin replied with a smile.

"Going on a trip?"

"Something like that. Taking care of some business while I'm at it."

"By yourself? Your family is quite trusting." The woman shook her head. "I have a daughter about your age, and I never feel at ease when she goes out alone."

"It's fine, Ma'am. I travel alone often."

The woman nodded, didn't ask further, and lowered her head to rummage through her bag.

Li Xin closed his eyes again and went over today's plan once more. After arriving in Kunming, he would have to transfer to a bus to Tengchong, which would take about seven or eight hours. By the time he reached Tengchong, it would basically be evening, so he would need to find a place to stay and figure out how to enter the mountains the next day.

As for the herbalist's gear—a bamboo basket, straw hat, liberation shoes, and local clothing—he could buy those once he arrived in Tengchong. No rush.

The key was his identity. He had to make himself look like a real herbalist.

Li Xin thought for a moment, took out his phone, and searched for information on the medicinal herb market in Yunnan and what to watch out for. For example, wild Panax notoginseng, Gastrodia elata, Dendrobium, and Paris polyphylla were protected wild medicinal herbs that were prohibited from being harvested; otherwise, he might be invited to "drink tea."

He had to memorize the names and characteristics of these herbs to avoid leaving any evidence, or else it would be very troublesome.

If anyone asked, he would say he was entering the mountains to pick common herbs like Zijinlong, red ginseng, Shi Chan Cao, Tiger Tongue Red, Polygonatum, Asparagus, dandelions, and plantain. That would be reasonable and logical.

The train stopped and started along the way. The cabin became more crowded as more people boarded.

Every time the train stopped at a station, he would glance out the window. People were coming and going on the platform, hurrying along. Slowly, he began to think about the past. He felt even more strongly that he should cherish the present.

He constantly warned himself to keep a low profile and not be too flashy.

The train stopped and restarted again and again. The scenery outside the window changed from cities to farmland, and from farmland to mountains. Tunnels appeared one after another, the light flickering between bright and dim.

At one point, he took out his phone and sent a message to his counselor: "Teacher Zhang, I've arrived at the station and am getting ready to board. Thank you for approving my leave."

After sending it, he felt he was being too deliberate, but then thought it didn't matter; it was only three days of leave anyway.

The counselor probably knew what was going on; these days, as long as students didn't want to attend class, they would just claim to be sick at the drop of a hat. Having been a student once, the counselor still replied: "Alright, take care and get some rest."

He sent another message to Luo Maifa: "Boarded. Arriving tonight."

This time, Luo Maifa replied: "Call me when you arrive. Don't go missing again."

"Got it."

Li Xin put his phone down and leaned against the seat. Suddenly, he thought of someone: Li Jiayi.

Since returning from Dubai last time, the two of them had met a few times. She was now a finance manager at a trading company and was doing well; Li Jiayi's ability was indeed strong.

But their relationship... it was hard to say.

The way she looked at him wasn't quite right.

Li Xin shook his head and stopped thinking about it. Now was not the time for that.

He took out his phone, opened the map, and zoomed in on the terrain around Tengchong and Yingjiang to study it carefully. The county town was to the north, and the mountainous area was to the south, close to the border. From the county town to the foot of the mountains, there were dozens of kilometers of mountain roads with no public transportation; he would have to rent a car or hitch a ride.

Once at the foot of the mountains, he would have to rely on his own two legs.

Li Xin estimated the time in his mind. Entering the mountains would take at least one day, searching for the gold mine would take at least one day, and leaving the mountains would take one day. Three days was just right.

But what if he couldn't find it?

He frowned, then shook his head, as if he could shake the thought out of his mind. There was no need to worry about whether the system would make a mistake; the gold mine was definitely there. The most important thing now was how to find the precise location.

His current detection range was 990 meters—neither big nor small. Regardless of where the gold mine was, he would have to search for it bit by bit. That was the only clumsy way to do it.

Regardless, he had to be prepared to wander in the mountains for several days. After arriving in Tengchong, he would need to buy more dry rations and water, and order some delicious takeout to store in his space—it wouldn't go bad, anyway. He had to be ready for a protracted battle; he couldn't treat himself poorly.

The train entered another tunnel, and it was pitch black outside the window.

Li Xin slowly closed his eyes, continuously rehearsing the scene of entering the mountains in his mind.

He imagined himself wearing local clothes, carrying a bamboo basket, and walking on the mountain paths. If he met anyone, he would say he was there to pick herbs. If he met the Patrol Team, he would say he was a local herb farmer. Fortunately, he was proficient in the local dialect; otherwise, he would be exposed the moment he spoke.

His expression had to be natural, his tone calm; he couldn't be flustered.

The "Mastery of Disguise" skill the system gave him would come in handy at this time. He could change his temperament, gait, and even micro-expressions, allowing him to hide himself in any environment.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

With this skill, he didn't believe anyone could spot any flaws.

The train stopped at another station; some people got off, others got on. The cabin became a bit quieter.

Li Xin opened his eyes and glanced out the window. He suddenly felt a bit hungry.

He took a piece of bread out of his backpack, tore open the packaging, and ate it slowly.

The woman next to him was already dozing off, her head bobbing. The couple across from him were still being affectionate; the girl had woken up and was whispering something to the boy.

Everything was normal.

Li Xin finished the bread, drank some water, and closed his eyes again.

Perhaps it was excitement, or perhaps it was his intense desire to obtain those 50 tons of gold, but his mind was spinning non-stop. He thought about where to stay after arriving in Tengchong, how to rent a car, which mountain road to take, and what to do if he encountered border inspections.

He went through every step in his mind and came up with at least three contingency plans.

This was a habit he had formed in the past; when working on construction sites, everything had to be thought out in advance, or else if something went wrong, a day's wages would be lost.

Even though he was rich now, he couldn't break this habit.

And he didn't intend to.

The train sped on, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

Li Xin checked his phone; it was already past five in the afternoon. At this speed, he would arrive in Kunming in another two hours.

He checked the bus schedule from Kunming to Tengchong on his phone. The last bus was at 7:30 PM, which he might not make. Even if he did make it, it would be the middle of the night by the time he reached Tengchong—too much of a hassle.

It would be better to stay in Kunming for one night and leave early tomorrow morning.

He immediately booked a budget hotel near the train station on his phone.

Then he checked the accommodation in Tengchong, found a guesthouse near the bus station, and booked two nights.

With everything arranged, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The train slowed down and slowly pulled into Kunming South Station.

Li Xin stood up, took his backpack from the luggage rack, and followed the crowd out of the carriage.

People were coming and going on the platform. He took a deep breath; the air in Kunming was drier than in Shenzhen, but it carried a hint of chill.

He followed the signs out of the station and hailed a car to the hotel.

In the car, the driver was a young man with a heavy Yunnan accent: "Boss, here for a trip to Kunming?"

"Something like that. Heading to Tengchong tomorrow."

"Tengchong, huh? That place is fun, lots of hot springs. But there's a lot of rain this season, so the roads aren't easy to travel."

"It's fine, I'm taking the bus."

"That's true, the bus is safe."

When the car arrived at the hotel, Li Xin paid the fare and walked into the lobby to check in. The receptionist was a young girl who glanced at him: "Sir, your ID, please."

Li Xin handed over his ID.

"Staying alone?"

"Yes."

"Room rate is 150, deposit is 100."

Li Xin paid, took the room card, and went up in the elevator.

The room was small but clean. He put down his backpack, took a shower, and lay on the bed.

His phone rang; it was Luo Maifa calling.

"Arrived?"

"Arrived. In Kunming. Heading to Tengchong tomorrow."

"Tengchong? What are you going to Tengchong for?"

"Got some business. I'll be back when I'm done."

"You're so mysterious," Luo Maifa muttered. "Alright then, stay safe. Oh, by the way, Yang Hong said the product progress is faster than expected, and the first version might be out next week."

"Good. Tell him not to rush too much; quality is the most important thing."

"Got it."

After hanging up, Li Xin scrolled through his phone and saw a message from Li Jiayi: "Heard you went to Yunnan?"

He was stunned for a moment: "Who told her?"

He thought about it; it was probably Yang Hong.

"Yeah, out to handle some business."

"Stay safe."

"Okay."

Two short messages, and that was it.

Li Xin put his phone down and turned over.

The night in Kunming outside the window was quiet, not as noisy as Shenzhen.

He closed his eyes and went over tomorrow's itinerary in his mind one last time.

Then he fell into a deep sleep.