68: Chapter 68 Something terrible has happened!

Early the next morning, the horizon was just beginning to be tinged with a pale white.

Inside the iveco, the group woke up one after another.

Zheng Jing had developed a certain immunity to the "symphony" at night, so he had slept soundly all night long.

"Ah～" He stretched, feeling completely refreshed!

Guo Jianjun rolled down the car window. The thin mist over the distant mountains had not yet dispersed, and the breeze from the wilderness, laden with the scent of damp forest vegetation, poured into the cabin, instantly sweeping away the stuffy, stale air that had accumulated overnight.

Everyone got out of the car to stretch their limbs. Suddenly remembering something, Boss Zhao looked at Zheng Jing and asked with a mischievous smile, "Jingzi, did you have a wet dream last night?"

Zheng Jing was stunned, his face full of confusion.

"Ah, no? What do you mean?"

Boss Zhao's smile became even more playful. "Still pretending? While you were asleep last night, you kept muttering intermittently, something about 'Beauty, don't go,' 'Lü Dongbin,' and other nonsense. You were at it for half the night."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zheng Jing froze.

He had absolutely no memory of Boss Zhao saying he was talking in his sleep.

However, thinking back to last night, he did seem to have dreamed that Lin Ran was crying and begging to marry him...

"Damn, it really was a dream."

Zheng Jing muttered quietly, his ears instantly burning, and his face flushed bright red.

Could it really be that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night?

Coughing twice in embarrassment, Zheng Jing quickly waved his hand to change the subject. "Alright, alright, stop spouting nonsense. You guys were snoring loud enough to shake the sky last night, and you could still hear me talking in my sleep? Hurry up, go wash your faces!"

Seeing this, Boss Zhao chuckled and stopped teasing him.

But his eyes held a playful look, as if to say, "I'm an experienced man, I understand."

Today was Guo Jianjun's turn.

He didn't go to wash up with the others, but instead crouched beside the simple stone stove Zheng Jing had built the previous evening. He pinched a handful of dry cedar leaves, lit them with a lighter, and used the rising flames to start a fire in the stove.

After successfully lighting it, he placed the iron kettle filled with water on top.

By the time Zheng Jing and the others returned from washing up, the spring water in the iron kettle had already started to bubble.

Wiping the wood ash from his palms, Guo Jianjun straightened up and said casually, "The water is about to boil. I'm going to the stream to wash my face and brush my teeth. You guys throw some tea leaves in later."

"Okay, you can go with peace of mind." Boss Zhao waved his hand in agreement.

Guo Jianjun: "Screw you, what do you mean by 'go with peace of mind'?"

Boss Zhao was stunned, then immediately realized what he said and quickly waved his hands to apologize. "No, Old Guo, that's not what I meant."

When out and about, especially for Gold Panning folk like them, one shouldn't say unlucky things early in the morning.

The luck for the day is very important!

Guo Jianjun naturally couldn't be truly angry, so he rolled his eyes at him in mock anger. "If I don't find any gold today, I'm blaming you."

"Hehe..." Boss Zhao gave a foolish grin.

Zheng Jing and Zhao the Second also smiled knowingly, and the group packed their toothbrushes, basins, and other items into the car's storage compartment.

Boss Zhao walked over to the center console, pulled out his jar of dried white tea, grabbed a large handful of the old leaves, and threw them all into the bubbling iron kettle. As the dry tea leaves were scalded by the hot water, the curled tea strips slowly unfurled, and a rich, lingering tea fragrance drifted out with the steam.

In no time, the entire campsite was enveloped in the soft fragrance of tea. Everyone was invigorated by the scent, their spirits completely awakened.

Not long after, Guo Jianjun returned from washing up.

The group gathered around the hood of the car, eating bread and dry rations with the warm tea, making do with a simple breakfast.

Gold Panning in the mountains is not about luxury, so being able to have a cup of hot tea early in the morning was truly satisfying!

After filling their stomachs, Guo Jianjun picked up the iron kettle and filled everyone's water bottles with tea, then the group split up to check their respective Gold Panning tools.

Guo Jianjun seemed to suddenly remember something and walked over to Zheng Jing in a few steps.

"Jingzi, where are those strong magnetic plates you had Old Zhao buy yesterday? Get me some."

Zheng Jing glanced up at him, immediately guessing his plan: "Brother Jun, are you planning to go dig near the border where Boss Zhou and his group are today?"

Guo Jianjun nodded gently and said: "I thought about this yesterday. You aren't familiar with Boss Zhou's group, and you don't even know the boundary line between the two hills, so it's not appropriate for you to go. You should just stay in this hinterland and search. Leave the matter you're planning to me."

Zheng Jing pondered for two seconds, "Alright, I'm indeed not familiar with the area. If I accidentally cross the border and cause trouble, that wouldn't be good. Brother Jun, you go, but be careful."

Guo Jianjun waved his hand dismissively: "I'm not as easy-going as Kuizi, and I'll be Gold Panning on our side of the border. I doubt Boss Zhou and his people will dare to do anything."

Boss Zhao, who was standing to the side, took over the conversation: "That's hard to say. As they say, wealth stirs the heart. If you really dig up a big haul at the border, there's no telling what kind of trouble Boss Zhou's group might stir up."

After thinking for a moment, Boss Zhao continued: "How about this? Since Gold Panning on any hill is just a matter of luck, I'll go with you! We'll separate at the border of the hills. You search to the east, I'll look to the west, and we'll each dig on our side. If we do run into their people, we can look out for each other and feel more confident."

Guo Jianjun nodded: "What you say makes sense. Alright, let's do that."

With that, the two of them each took a small stack of magnetic plates, shouldered their backpacks and water bottles, and prepared to set off for the hill that bordered the territory of Boss Zhou's group.

Zheng Jing and Zhao the Second finished packing up, exchanged a few words with them about staying safe, and then, with their full set of equipment, went their separate ways, heading into the depths of the forest.

...

In a mine pit overgrown with low shrubs, Zheng Jing, drenched in sweat from the scorching midday sun, felt completely irritable.

He never would have thought that his luck would be this bad today!

From entering the mountains early in the morning until now, it was already twelve noon. After searching around for so long, let alone valuable gold, he hadn't even seen a speck of silver!

The System Radar in his mind had been almost completely silent the whole time. Occasionally, it would give some slight reactions, but those were just tin, wire, or screws.

"Damn it, this is the worst morning since I started Gold Panning."

Having zero harvest all morning made Zheng Jing, who always emphasized maintaining a steady mindset while Gold Panning, start to lose it.

Tired from walking, he simply walked toward a lush, leafy old tree and hid in the dense shade to rest for a while.

Whether he made money in the morning or not, it was lunchtime, and he had to fill his stomach.

After hastily finishing his lunch, Zheng Jing's stomach suddenly cramped violently.

The churning sensation came fast and fierce, without any warning.

"Damn, this box of self-heating rice must be bad."

Zheng Jing subconsciously looked around. Fortunately, this wilderness was remote enough that there wasn't a soul in sight.

So, he quickly hurried into the nearby bushes, pulled down his pants, and squatted, all in one smooth motion!

By the time he finished his business, Zheng Jing suddenly realized something?

"Damn!"

He seemed to have forgotten something very important.