45: Chapter 45 Arrival in Messo Town

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Li Xin woke up.

After washing up, he went downstairs to check out and ate a bowl of Thai rice noodles at a small restaurant next to the hotel.

The soup was fresh, the rice noodles were smooth, and with the bean sprouts and lime juice, it tasted quite good.

After finishing breakfast, he got into his car and continued driving north.

The navigation showed that there was less than 100 kilometers left to reach the Tak city area.

The road conditions were better than yesterday; it was a four-lane, two-way road, and there weren't many cars.

Li Xin increased his speed to 100, and the scenery outside the window receded rapidly.

After driving for less than an hour, a fork in the road appeared ahead.

The navigation prompted that to the left was the Tak city area, and to the right was Mae Sot.

Mae Sot. That was the place he was looking for.

Li Xin turned the car onto the road on the right.

The road became narrower, changing from a four-lane, two-way road to a two-lane, two-way road.

The scenery on both sides changed from farmland to hills, and the hills were covered with lush, green forests.

The road surface began to have potholes, and he had to slow down.

After driving for about twenty minutes, a checkpoint appeared ahead.

Two policemen stood by the side of the road, signaling him to stop.

Li Xin stopped the car and rolled down the window.

"Hello, please show your passport and driver's license," a policeman walked over and said in English.

Li Xin handed over his passport and driver's license.

The driver's license was an international one he had obtained in advance, and all the paperwork was in order.

The policeman looked at the passport and then at him: "Are you Chinese?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing in Thailand?"

"Traveling."

"Where are you going?"

"Mae Sot."

The policeman stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded and returned the passport and driver's license to him.

"Drive carefully."

"Thank you."

Li Xin rolled up the window and continued driving forward.

He glanced in the rearview mirror; the two policemen were still staring at his car.

He remained calm, maintained a steady speed, and kept driving forward.

After driving for about ten minutes, confirming that he couldn't see the checkpoint anymore, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had arrived in Mae Sot.

The town was not big, with only one main street, and most of the houses on both sides were two or three-story buildings.

There were not many pedestrians on the street, and there were a few restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels.

The town looked a bit desolate, but it had everything it needed.

In the distance, one could see rolling hills, with their peaks shrouded in mist.

Li Xin parked the car in front of a hotel that looked reasonably clean and walked inside.

The front desk was staffed by a young girl with a ponytail who was playing on her phone.

"Need a room?" She looked up at him.

"How much for one night?"

"Four hundred baht."

"I'll take one."

Li Xin paid, took the key, went upstairs, and found the room.

The room was not big, with a bed, an air conditioner, and a bathroom.

The bed sheets were white and looked reasonably clean.

He put down his backpack, washed his face, and then went downstairs.

The girl at the front desk was still playing on her phone.

Li Xin walked over and asked in Thai: "Hello, I'd like to ask, are there any interesting places nearby?"

The girl looked up and glanced at him: "Are you Chinese?"

"Yes."

"Here for tourism?"

"Yeah, I like hiking and want to find some routes with mountains and water."

The girl thought for a moment: "There aren't many tourists here. The scenery in the mountains is nice, but it's close to the border, and there are military patrols; outsiders aren't allowed in."

"Military patrols?"

"Yeah, often. A few days ago, someone was caught in the mountains, accused of illegal entry. As a foreigner, don't go running over there."

Li Xin frowned: "Then are there any locals who can lead the way? I won't go to the border, just wander around the nearby mountains."

The girl thought for a moment: "You could look for Somchai. He has been running around in the mountains for many years and is very familiar with the roads there. However, he is not easy to talk to, and his fees are expensive."

"Where is he?"

"I haven't seen him today. You can go to the vegetable market tomorrow morning and ask; he often drinks tea there."

"Thank you."

Li Xin walked around the town again but didn't find the person named Somchai.

It was getting late, so he decided to go back to the hotel first and look for him again early tomorrow morning.

Returning to the hotel, he lay on the bed, took out his phone, and noted down the information he had gathered today in his memo.

"Mae Sot, checked into a small hotel. The mountains are close to the border, with military patrols. Locals suggested finding a guide, Somchai; will go to the vegetable market to look for him tomorrow."

He turned off his phone and walked to the window.

Outside the window, Mae Sot was very quiet, and the setting sun dyed the distant mountains a golden yellow.

In those mountains, gold was hidden.

But entering the mountains was not easy.

He needed to find a reliable guide, someone familiar with the terrain and who knew how to avoid the Patrol Team.

Somchai.

He must find him tomorrow.

Li Xin went downstairs and ate a bowl of fried rice at the small restaurant next to the hotel.

While eating, he planned his schedule for tomorrow.

Early tomorrow morning, he would first go to the vegetable market to find Somchai.

If he found him, he would negotiate the price and strive to enter the mountains as soon as possible.

His equipment was all in the space, ready to be taken out at any time.

In his small backpack, he would put a bottle of water, a few biscuits, and a camera—just for show.

The real equipment was in the space, and he would find a chance to take it out before entering the mountains.

As for the reason for entering the mountains—he would just say he was a hiking enthusiast who loved the pristine mountain scenery.

This reason was very reasonable; the mountainous regions of northern Thailand were already a paradise for hiking enthusiasts, and many Western backpackers would hire local guides to lead them into the mountains.

A Chinese person coming to hike wouldn't arouse suspicion.

If the guide asked, he would just say he didn't dare to enter the mountains alone for fear of getting lost, so he was looking for someone familiar with the roads to lead him.

Li Xin went over the plan in his mind and confirmed there were no issues.

After finishing his meal, he returned to the hotel and lay on the bed.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Chen Hu: "Arrived in Mae Sot; will look for a guide to enter the mountains tomorrow."

Chen Hu replied instantly: "Boss, be safe. There is no signal in the mountains; remember to bring the satellite phone."

"I brought it."

He also sent a message to Luo Maifa: "Arrived in Mae Sot; will enter the mountains tomorrow, might not have a signal."

Luo Maifa replied: "Be safe, call me when you come out."

He sent messages to Yang Hong, Qiang Zi, and Li Jiayi, respectively, to delegate some work.

Li Xin put his phone on silent and placed it on the bedside table.

He turned off the light and closed his eyes.

Outside the window, Mae Sot was quiet, with the occasional sound of dogs barking.

The night breeze blew by, and the leaves rustled.

Tomorrow, he would find a guide.

Then enter the mountains.

He turned over and quickly fell asleep.