49: Chapter 49 Finding the Gold Mine

Before dawn, Li Xin woke up.

The bonfire had already gone out, leaving only a pile of ashes emitting a faint trail of blue smoke. Morning in the mountain forest was very cold; the air was thick with damp mist, and the leaves were covered in dew.

Li Xin took out some food, eating as he watched the eastern sky. At this moment, the stars in the sky were slowly fading, a fish-belly white was appearing on the horizon, and the distant mountains gradually emerged from the darkness like an ink wash painting.

He opened his system panel and glanced at his data.

[Gold Search and Refining System 2.0]

[Host: Li Xin]

[Current Level: Level 10]

[Detection Range: 3,990 meters]

[Cumulative Refined Gold: 20.1327 tons]

[Gold Required for Next Upgrade: 50 tons]

Still nearly 30 tons short. Hopefully, he could find a big one today.

Li Xin stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body. He briefly packed his backpack, then walked over to Somchai and gently patted his shoulder.

"Somchai, I'm heading out."

Somchai only let out a groggy grunt and went back to sleep.

Li Xin smiled, turned around, and walked toward the northwest.

The mountain forest in the early morning was extraordinarily quiet, with occasional birdsong accompanied by the rustle of leaves blowing in the breeze. A stream flowed slowly among the rocks, making a crisp sound.

Li Xin walked forward at an unhurried pace, silently letting the system Scan the surroundings as he walked to see if there were any gold mines.

An hour later, there was still no news of any gold mines.

Li Xin was not discouraged; he just stopped briefly to drink some water before continuing forward. The stream grew narrower, but the rocks on the riverbed became larger, and in some places, he even had to use both hands and feet to scramble over.

The slopes on both sides became even steeper, and the trees grew denser. Sunlight could only filter through the gaps in the canopy, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

After walking for about another hour, the system did not disappoint him this time, indeed discovering news of a gold mine.

[System: Major discovery... A large amount of gold reaction detected!]

[Approximately 2.8 kilometers to the northwest. Gold content unknown, highly likely to be a large-scale gold mine. Host, please approach and investigate as soon as possible.]

Li Xin's heart suddenly raced. Standing on a large rock, he looked toward the northwest. There was a deeper, denser forest with steep slopes and no visible path. Mist swirled along the distant ridgeline, as if hiding some secret.

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

[System: Judging by current information, the gold content may exceed 50 tons. A closer approach is required for precise calculation.]

Over 50 tons.

Li Xin took a deep breath to calm his excited heart. He then checked the time; it was just past nine in the morning. If he continued northwest, collected it upon arrival, and then returned, there should be enough time.

He quickened his pace, almost jogging forward.

Since there was no path, he pushed through the woods. He didn't care about his clothes rustling against the bushes. When he encountered vines blocking the way, he pushed them aside with his trekking pole, moving forward with difficulty. No one could stop his steps to secretly collect the gold.

After walking for about another hour, he couldn't help but Scan again.

[System: Judging by the current situation, it is approximately 1.2 kilometers to the northwest. The gold content is estimated to exceed 55 tons.]

Over 55 tons. Li Xin's hands began to shake, not from fatigue, but from excitement. Clenching his teeth, he continued to charge forward.

After walking for about another forty minutes, good news from the system arrived once more.

[System: The gold mine is approximately 400 meters directly ahead. Estimated gold content exceeds 60 tons.]

Four hundred meters. Getting closer and closer.

Li Xin quickly passed through a bamboo forest, and his vision suddenly opened up. This was a small mountain depression, surrounded by mountains on three sides with an opening on one side. The depression was overgrown with wild grass and low shrubs, and there were some exposed rocks on the ground, yellowish in color with a layer of rust on the surface.

The entire depression was no longer quiet. From time to time, birds could be seen chasing and frolicking in the woods, their pleasant, melodious songs drifting over. The sunlight was not to be outdone, shining down from the mountaintop and illuminating the depression brightly.

Li Xin looked very excited. He came to the middle of the depression and looked around carefully, his heart pounding wildly with excitement, his very breath trembling.

After observing his surroundings for a moment, his expression gradually calmed. He thought to himself, "System, precise Scan."

[System: Precise Scan in progress... Please wait.]

This Scan took longer than any previous one. Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds.

[Ding... Scan complete.]

[The gold mine is located directly beneath your current position, at a depth of approximately 12-18 meters.]

[This is a high-grade quartz vein gold mine, with a vein width of approximately 2.8 meters, an extended length of approximately 840 meters, and an estimated gold content of 61.2 tons.]

[Note: This gold mine has not been discovered by any geological exploration agency, has no mining records, and belongs to unclaimed property. The host can perform 100% Extraction, with no need to worry about legal disputes.]

61.2 tons.

At the current gold price of 270 million per ton, 61.2 tons is 16.5 billion RMB.

He slowly stood up, his hands still shaking. He took a deep breath, feeling a bit lightheaded. This was a gold mine worth 16.5 billion! Adding his existing assets of about 2.6 billion, plus the 20 tons of gold in the system worth about 5.4 billion, his total assets would exceed 24.5 billion. He was thoroughly a rich man now.

He squatted down, stood up again, and walked a few laps around the depression. He then confirmed there was no danger in the surroundings.