48: Chapter 48 In-Depth Search

Li Xin walked north along the stream alone, not moving fast, silently instructing the system to Scan the surroundings in his mind as he walked.

Li Xin was a little disappointed. He had been walking for nearly an hour, crossing several small hills and passing through patches of woods, yet there was still no reaction from any gold mines.

He stopped and found a place to sit down to catch his breath. Taking out a bottle of mineral water from his backpack, he drank while sizing up his surroundings. There were hillsides on both sides, with the stream running down the middle. The stream was slightly wider here than downstream, the current gentler, and the crisp sound of flowing water reached his ears.

Li Xin walked to the edge of the stream, squatted down, scooped up a handful of river sand, and examined it closely. He shook his head, stood up, and continued walking forward.

After walking for about another hour, the system suddenly rang.

[System: Weak gold reaction detected. Approximately 3.2 kilometers in the northeast direction. Gold content unknown, further scanning required.]

Li Xin's heart rate quickened. There was a reaction!

He looked toward the northeast. It was a dense forest with no visible path. Looking at the map, that direction was indeed closer to the border.

"System, can you determine the exact gold content?"

[System: The current distance is too far to determine the exact gold content.]

Still three kilometers away. Li Xin looked at the sky. The sun was already sinking to the west, with about three or four hours left before dark. If he continued northeast, scanned upon arrival, and then returned, there should be enough time.

He gritted his teeth and continued forward.

He pushed through the woods. The bushes were very dense, and the branches scraped against his clothes, making a rustling sound.

After walking for about an hour, he used the system to Scan the surroundings again.

[System: Gold reaction detected in the northeast direction, about 1.8 kilometers ahead. Estimated gold content: approximately 50-100 kilograms.]

Fifty to one hundred kilograms. Although it wasn't a large deposit, it was still a significant amount. At current gold prices, it was worth over ten million.

Li Xin quickened his pace, almost jogging forward.

After walking for about another forty minutes, the system prompt sounded again.

[System: The gold deposit is about 800 meters ahead. Estimated gold content: approximately 120 kilograms.]

Eight hundred meters. It was getting closer and closer.

Li Xin passed through a bamboo forest, and his vision suddenly opened up. This was a relatively flat clearing covered in wild grass, with a dry riverbed in the middle. The riverbed was filled with stones of various sizes, their surfaces bleached white by the sun.

The system showed that the gold deposit was right beneath this riverbed.

"System, run a precise Scan again."

[System: Precise scanning in progress... Scan complete.]

[The gold deposit is distributed about 1.5 meters directly below. Approximately 30 square meters. Estimated gold content: approximately 125 kilograms.]

One hundred and twenty-five kilograms. Although it wasn't a massive mine, it was still a considerable fortune.

Li Xin looked around to confirm there was no danger, then pressed his hand to the ground and muttered, "Collect."

[Collecting... Collection complete. Gold obtained: 125 kilograms.]

[Cumulative refined gold: 20.0507 tons.]

Li Xin stood up and patted the dust off his hands. Finally, some harvest.

He looked at the sky; the sun was about to sink behind the ridgeline. It would take at least two hours to return to where Somchai was waiting for him. The mountain paths would be hard to navigate after dark, so he had to hurry back.

He turned around and headed back the way he came.

After walking for about half an hour, he casually had the system Scan the surroundings again.

[System: Gold reaction detected. To the front right, a straight-line distance of about 1.2 kilometers. Estimated gold content: approximately 80 kilograms.]

Li Xin hesitated. It was getting dark, and if he took a detour, there might not be enough time. But if he didn't collect it, who knew when he would be able to return.

Gritting his teeth, he decided to collect it first.

It took about forty minutes to push through the woods to reach the location marked by the system. This was a hillside covered in bushes. The gold deposit was beneath the bushes, about two meters deep.

Li Xin squatted down, pressed his hand to the ground, and collected it.

[Collecting... Collection complete. Gold obtained: 82 kilograms.]

[Cumulative refined gold: 20.1327 tons.]

The two combined were over two hundred kilograms. Though still far from his target of 30 tons.

Li Xin checked his phone; it was almost six o'clock. The sky was starting to grow dark, and the light in the woods was fading fast.

He quickened his pace, almost running back.

Night fell completely.

Li Xin turned on his headlamp, navigating through the mountain woods by its faint light. The path was already difficult to walk during the day, and at night, it was even harder. He nearly misstepped several times and was tripped by branches more than once.

He pulled out his phone, opened the GPS, and located the spot where Somchai was waiting for him. It was still about five kilometers away.

"System, activate Night Vision Assistance," he muttered in his mind.

[System: Night Vision Assistance activated. Host's night vision has been enhanced.]

The world in front of him became a bit clearer. Although it was still dark, he could at least see the uneven ground and the surrounding trees.

Li Xin continued forward.

As it neared eight o'clock, he finally saw Somchai's campfire.

Somchai was sitting by the fire, roasting some food. Seeing him return, he stood up.

"You're still alive?" Somchai's tone carried a hint of surprise. "I thought you'd been caught by the Patrol Team."

"No, I just walked a bit far." Li Xin sat down by the campfire, took out his water from his backpack, and took a sip. "Have you eaten?"

"I have." Somchai handed him a roasted sweet potato. "For you."

"Thanks."

Li Xin took the sweet potato, peeled it, and took a bite. It was very sweet and piping hot; eating it warmed his entire body.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Somchai asked.

"Yes," Li Xin smiled. "I took some good photos."

Somchai glanced at him but didn't ask further.

"Are we continuing tomorrow?" Somchai asked.

"Yes," Li Xin said. "Tomorrow I'll head in another direction. I want to cover this entire area."

Somchai was silent for a moment. "Then you should go by yourself tomorrow. I'll wait for you here instead of going with you. It's too far; my legs can't take it."

"Sure."

The two sat by the fire, neither speaking. The firelight shone on their faces, warm and cozy.

Li Xin leaned against his backpack and looked up at the starry sky. The sky here was very clear, with far more stars than in Shenzhen, densely packed like a handful of scattered diamonds.

He opened the system panel and glanced at his data.

[Gold Search and Refining System 2.0]

[Host: Li Xin]

[Current Level: Level 10]

[Detection Range: 3990 meters]

[Cumulative Refined Gold: 20.1327 tons]

[Gold Required for Next Upgrade: 50 tons]

Still nearly 30 tons short. Today he had only found over two hundred kilograms, far from his target. But the system's detection range was only four kilometers; perhaps a larger vein lay just beyond that four-kilometer mark, which he hadn't reached today.

Tomorrow, he would head in another direction.

Li Xin closed the panel and shut his eyes.

The campfire burned brightly, crackling. Beside him, Somchai's snoring sounded like thunder.

Li Xin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

His mind was busy planning tomorrow's route. Today he had gone northeast; tomorrow he would go northwest. That direction was closer to the Myanmar border and was uninhabited, so there might be a larger vein there.

As his thoughts drifted, he slowly closed his eyes.

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