97: Chapter 97 Deep in the Gobi Desert

Tonight, the off-road vehicle drove without headlights, moving slowly across the Gobi Desert. Li Xin held the steering wheel with one hand, while the other hand reached into his space and pulled out a golden roasted lamb leg. He bit into it directly; the meat was tender and soft, filling his mouth with savory flavor. After a few chews, he swallowed it, feeling satisfied.

"Eating... eating alone? You'll choke... choke to death later!" The AI System's voice came through, stuttering and glitchy.

"Pfft, you think I'm scared? I've got wine and water in the space, I'm not worried."

"Zhuzi, you're getting... getting cocky."

"Hehe~ I have to eat well. If you crash and become a starving ghost, who would I cry to?"

Li Xin tore off a piece of charred, fragrant lamb, chewed it a few times, swallowed, and took a swig of cola.

The space was filled with a dazzling array of delicacies from land and sea. Braised sea cucumber, garlic abalone, steamed leopard coral grouper, and cheesy king crab exuded a tantalizing aroma. Braised fish maw in abalone sauce, scallops with seasonal vegetables, and crab roe with scallops were rich and delicious. There was also bamboo fungus pigeon soup, matsutake chicken soup, stir-fried morels, braised monkey head mushrooms with vegetable hearts, and stir-fried termite mushrooms. These were paired with fish maw soup, braised sea cucumber with tendon, crispy grouper, red-braised fresh abalone, wild mushroom Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, snow lotus nourishing soup, and supreme mountain and sea stew, along with charred, fragrant roasted lamb and roasted camel meat. Every dish was a luxurious feast of mountain treasures and seafood, rich and flavorful—enough to keep him alive in this godforsaken place for half a year.

But coming here wasn't just about surviving; it was also for his great ideal—secretly hollowing out the world's gold mines.

Before he knew it, he had reached the mountain hollow. He killed the engine and pulled the handbrake in one fluid motion. He surveyed his surroundings; it was pitch black, with only a dark red halo of light in the distance where the mining area was, looking like an eye that couldn't close.

"AI System, there shouldn't be any big problems with the Extraction today, right?"

"AI System: It is currently possible! Stability has increased by 10% compared to before."

"So it won't crash?"

"So the probability of a crash is 10% lower."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"It is not the same. Is a 1% probability the same as a 90% probability?"

Li Xin rolled his eyes, feeling somewhat helpless. "But there's still a chance it could crash, right? I have zero sense of security."

He shook his head and checked the system. [System Status: Repairing. Stability: 46%.]

"Only forty-six?"

"It was thirty-six last time. Be content."

Li Xin sat on the ground, leaning his back against a rock. He pulled a can of Red Bull from his space, cracked it open, and took a sip.

"Heh~ Nervous... are you nervous?" The AI System looked cheeky.

"How can I not be nervous? This is pulling chestnuts from the fire—no... it's dancing on the tip of a knife."

"Then how can you still eat?"

"I need to eat precisely because I'm nervous. Once my blood sugar is up, my brain works faster."

"What kind of twisted logic is that?"

"Survival experience."

Li Xin put down the Red Bull and closed his eyes. "AI System, remote Scan. Locate ore veins below one thousand meters."

A pale blue light surged before his eyes. It was brighter than last time, but it flickered—dimming and brightening, like an unstable heartbeat.

"Why does it feel so unstable?"

"AI System: That is how it is during the repair period; it is unstable."

"This really won't affect the Extraction?"

"It might... it might, or... it... it might not."

"Can you give me a straight answer?" Li Xin felt uneasy.

"I cannot. Setting aside the facts, I have no reason to lie to you."

Li Xin gritted his teeth. "Damn it... 'setting aside the facts' again. Let's just go back. I've already got hundreds of billions anyway. Forcing an Extraction now, if something goes wrong and the system crashes, this is too damn dangerous."

Li Xin thought it would be better to return. He closed the car door and started the engine.

[Warning~ Warning~] [Host detected being passive and lazy. All assets will be recovered... As a side punishment, the host will be impotent for life and have a kidney removed...]

"Holy crap... stop, stop, stop! Can't I just go back and continue?" Li Xin hurriedly shouted for it to stop, breaking out in a cold sweat.

[...Recovery stopped... Host, please be sensible. Hollowing out the world's gold mines is your mission. Giving up at the slightest disagreement is an irresponsible act. Host, you must take this seriously...]

"Fine... I was wrong..."

"Where were you wrong..."

"I was wrong everywhere, okay? I will properly, secretly hollow out the gold mines of every country and region..." Li Xin said, wanting to cry but having no tears, helplessly compromising.

[Alright! You are forgiven. Work hard, Zhuzi, I believe in you... Hahaha~!] The Little Yellow Man jumped up and down.

Li Xin felt a bit depressed and could only resign himself to his fate. As the saying goes, if life rapes you, since you have no power to resist, just close your eyes and enjoy it.

Li Xin shook his head and continued to Scan northward. The scanning range reached the ore processing plant, office area, dormitory, and mining pit. It probed into the bottom of the pit, passed through the rock layers, and went downward. [Scan complete. Depth range of 1,000 to 2,000 meters. Estimated gold content: approximately 600 tons.]

"Start with the deepest part first."

[Extraction in progress..., Progress: 0%.]

2:00 AM. Progress 12%.

[AI System: System is unstable; fluctuations are occurring.]

"What is the reason this time?"

[I do not know. There is signal interference from the mining area; this system is currently susceptible to interference.]

"Can you find out what it is?"

[I cannot find out. I can only analyze the frequency and intensity. This frequency... does not look like inspection equipment.]

Li Xin's fingers tightened. "Then what does it look like?"

[It looks like... I do not know what it looks like. I have not seen it before.]

"There are many things you haven't seen."

[I have seen more than you.]

"You're in the system, how have you seen them?"

[You do not need to know. Just get to work, baby.]

Li Xin was silent for two seconds. "Continue Extraction."

[Progress: 15%, 16%, 17%—]

A "hum, hum, hum-hum-hum..." sound appeared in Li Xin's mind; it was emitted by the system. [AI System: Load is continuing to surge, much faster than expected.]

"Can you hold on?"

[Cur... currently yes...]

"Don't say 'currently'." Li Xin was about to cry.

[I am sorry, I am an honest AI sub-module; I cannot give you the answer you want.]

Li Xin ground his teeth until they creaked. 3:00 AM. Progress 28%.

The Little Yellow Man bounced up and down: [AI System: Someone is coming this way from the north; I have detected a signal source.]

"What kind of signal source?"

[I do not know. The frequency is very strange, the same as the interference signal from earlier.]

"Is it moving toward me?"

[Yes, it is slowly coming this way.]

Li Xin's palms began to sweat. "Have I been discovered?"

[The system is not very stable right now; it leaks some energy while extracting gold. This energy might be sensed.]

"Can it pinpoint my location?"

[I do not know. But they should have discovered that there is something unusual on our side. We can only confirm if we have been discovered once they get closer.]

"How close do they need to be to judge accurately?"

[I do not know. I have not calculated it, and I cannot calculate it.]

"Then what do you calculate?"

[Calculating how long you have before you need to run.]

"..." [Progress: 31%, 32%, 33%—] [AI System: The other party is only twenty-four kilometers away from you!]

"Has it stopped?"

[No. It has been moving at a constant speed.]

"What about the trajectory?"

[It is coming straight toward you.]

Li Xin took a deep breath. "Then speed up the Extraction even more."

[The load is rising sharply now.]

"Just add some more, okay?"

The AI System was silent for a second. The progress jumped faster. The humming sound turned into a roar. [Progress: 41%, 42%, 43%—]

3:20 AM. Progress 52%. Red text popped up on the panel.

[Warning: System unstable. External energy interference intensifying.] [You have been discovered.] The AI System said.

"Can it pinpoint my location?"

[Not certain, but this mountain hollow has been locked onto.]

"Distance?"

[Eleven kilometers.]

"Speed up again."

[Progress: 53%, 54%, 55%—]

At this moment, the system interface flickered violently, as if small orange-red flames were appearing. Li Xin had no choice but to stop and slow down the Extraction speed. He was burning with anxiety, scratching his ears and cheeks, jumping up and down—in short, he was anxious beyond measure.

[Load has decreased; you may continue.]

"How much longer can it hold on?"

[At the current speed—when progress reaches seventy, the Extraction speed must be reduced.]

3:30 AM. Progress 68%. The system interface was shaking more and more violently.

[Load 95%. Signal source is seven kilometers away from you. Direction locked.]

"What does 'locked' mean?"

[The mountain hollow you are currently in has been discovered.]

[Progress: 71%, 72%, 73%—]

[Reduce Extraction speed now?] The AI System said.

"Wait a little longer."

[Load is at ninety-eight!]

Li Xin had no choice but to stop for another minute, staring fixedly at the interface. The load dropped to ninety-two. "Continue..."

The AI System was silent. [Progress: 76%, 77%, 78%—]

As the system load climbed steadily again, the Little Yellow Man visibly turned red. It was no longer a Little Yellow Man; it would be more appropriate to call it a Little Red Man.

"How long can the battery hold on?"

[Theoretical value: nine minutes.]

"That's enough."

[Load surged again to 99%. Progress: 78%.]

The numbers jumped slowly. 78% to 79% took almost five seconds.

"What about that signal source?"

[Five kilometers away. It has entered the mountain hollow range. Movement speed has slowed; it is scanning.]

[Progress: 81%, 82%—]

Load rate 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%—

[Progress: 85%, 86%—]

Load rate 99.4%.

[Progress: 89%.]

Load rate 99.5%.

"Set the Extraction speed to maximum."

[It cannot hold if set to maximum.]

"Set it."

[Extraction speed increased. Progress: 89%, 90%, 91%—]

[Load rate: 99.6%]

91% to 93% took seven seconds.

[Load rate 99.7%]

93% to 98%. Eleven seconds.

[Load rate 99.8%.]

99%—less than half a second [Ding... Extraction complete. This is an owned gold mine; 60% of the gold has been extracted, which is 360 tons. Cumulative: 360.5057 tons. System overloaded. Requires seventy-two hours to cool down.]

Li Xin sat down on the ground with a thud. He pulled a piece of chocolate from his space and took a big bite. "360 tons, this was really hard work. Last time in Indonesia, I extracted over a thousand tons, and it was so easy." Li Xin felt a bit nostalgic for his time in Indonesia.

"Sigh! When will things return to normal? Other people's AI Systems are getting more and more awesome. How come when it gets to me, it's getting more and more decrepit? Family, who understands!" Li Xin had the look of someone hating the injustice of the heavens.

[AI System: Are you stupid? Stop rambling and sighing; you have other things to do.]

"What?"

[That signal source, three kilometers away, has stopped.]

Through the data panel on the rearview mirror, the AI System marked a point. Three kilometers away, motionless.

"What is it waiting for?"

[How should I know!]

Li Xin swallowed the chocolate. He pulled another can of Red Bull from his space and took two gulps. [Do you want to run?] The AI System asked.

"Run from what? It hasn't come over yet."

[It could come over at any time.]

"I'll run when it comes over."

[Zhuzi, it has moved.]

Nothing could be seen in the rearview mirror. But the dot was moving. It wasn't fast, but it was coming toward him.

Li Xin stepped on the gas. The car speed reached one hundred. That dot on the rearview mirror's data panel kept chasing. It chased for a full ten kilometers before stopping.

— Back at the hotel, it was just dawn. Li Xin took a shower, pulled a box of self-heating rice from his space, tore open the packaging, poured water in, and waited for it to heat up.

[You aren't nervous now, right?] The AI System asked.

"I'm hungry. Even if I'm nervous, I have to eat."

He leaned against the headboard, shoveling rice into his mouth bite by bite.

[System cooling down. Remaining time: seventy-two hours.]

At this moment, his phone vibrated. Chen Hu sent a location—Almalyk. It vibrated again. That unknown number.

"You have one more chance."

Li Xin put down his chopsticks and replied: "Who exactly are you?"

The other party didn't reply. A minute later, they sent a photo. The Gobi Desert. Nighttime. The taillights of an off-road vehicle. His car.

"I said, I won't let you run again next time."

Li Xin stared at the photo, his fingers tightening bit by bit.

"You said before that if there were other vehicles within the system's scanning radius, you would be able to detect them." He said.

[AI System: I can!]

"Then what's up with this photo? When did he take it?"

[When you stopped. He took it from outside your system's scanning radius.]

"From that far away, how did he take a picture of my car?"

[Is it not simple to take a photo? Old-fashioned military night-vision telephoto cameras/infrared film reconnaissance cameras can all photograph you.]

"And he's been following me from outside the radius the whole time?"

[This might be a coincidence! Do not think too much.]

Li Xin threw the phone onto the bed. The self-heating rice was still steaming. He picked it up and shoveled two bites in; it had no taste.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" He asked.

[You did not ask...]

"..."

[And I was not sure if he was following the whole time. Only when he sent the photo just now did I confirm it.]

Li Xin placed the meal box on the bedside table. Li Xin lay down, staring at the ceiling.

"AI System." [Mm!] "Can you think of a way to locate him?"

[I can. But he is also moving. And I cannot catch his signal frequency.]

"Didn't you save a sample?"

[I saved it just now. The next time he appears, I can recognize him. But locating him takes time.]

"How long?"

[I do not know. It depends on the distance.]

"I don't know again."

[This system's repair is now even more corrupted; I cannot give an accurate answer.]

Li Xin closed his eyes. It was already light out. The birds outside were chirping. The bakery across the street had opened; everything had returned to normal.

There were still seventy-two hours before he could perform the Extraction again. Outside, there was another unstable factor; that person had photographed his taillights but hadn't made a move yet. What was he waiting for?

Li Xin turned over. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I need to plan where to move to tomorrow. I want to find a place where I can escape in time, but which isn't too far."