258: Chapter 258 The Secret Beneath the Island

Chen Fan looked at the photos on the screen. The black double-headed eagle emblem was very conspicuous.

"Boss, the construction team has stopped working." Chen Haoyu stood before the desk. "The detectors show a massive magnetic field response inside. It might be an unexploded ordnance depot or chemical weapons left over from World War II."

Chen Fan stared at the photos. The lingering intuition in his mind told him that what was buried below was definitely not a bomb.

"Cut off all external communications on the island." Chen Fan flipped the tablet face down on the desk. "Notify the Huihuang Academy of Sciences to dispatch a heavy transport aircraft. Bring the best metal detection experts and plasma cutters, and fly there overnight. Blockade the surrounding twenty nautical miles of the island; sink any ships that dare to approach."

"Understood." Chen Haoyu turned and went out to make the calls.

The Pacific Ocean, Private Island No. 07.

Late at night. Heavy excavators had completely cleared the soil above the metal vault.

A thirty-meter-long cylindrical metal vault was exposed under the searchlights.

Experts from the Academy of Sciences donned hazmat suits and started the plasma cutters.

Sparks flew everywhere. A large hole was forcibly cut into the two-meter-thick metal door.

There was no poisonous gas, only a strong musty smell.

An expert walked inside with a high-intensity flashlight.

The space inside the vault was enormous, with rows of preservative-treated wooden crates stacked to the ceiling on both sides. Many of the crates had rotted and cracked.

The expert walked to the nearest wooden crate and used a crowbar to pry open the lid.

The flashlight beam shone inside, revealing a sight full of yellow reflections.

They were gold bricks, stacked neatly. Each block was stamped with a double-headed eagle.

The expert took two steps back and took a deep breath. He proceeded to pry open a dozen more crates behind it. They were all filled with the same gold bricks.

Imperial Capital, Longwan No. 1 Courtyard.

Chen Haoyu ran all the way into the study, holding the confidential report that had just been sent back.

"Boss, we've struck gold." Chen Haoyu handed the report to Chen Fan, his voice dry. "It's not weapons. It's looted gold that was secretly transferred by submarine by a certain country before its defeat in World War II."

Chen Fan opened the report.

"A preliminary count puts the total at over six thousand tons," Chen Haoyu said. "At current international gold prices, the present value of this gold exceeds five hundred billion dollars. We've hit a massive jackpot."

Chen Fan tossed the report onto the desk. He didn't smile.

"Five hundred billion dollars' worth of heavy metal was buried underground. Now that the metal vault has been excavated, the magnetic shielding is broken." Chen Fan tapped the desk. "The military satellites in the sky aren't blind. With such a large magnetic anomaly, someone is bound to have noticed."

Chen Haoyu's satellite phone rang. He picked it up, listened for a few moments, and his expression immediately darkened.

"Boss, something's happened." Chen Haoyu hung up. "In the reef area on the Northwest side of the island, radar detected four midget submersibles. Armed personnel are landing on the island. Judging by their equipment, it's an agent squad from an overseas intelligence agency."

Five hundred billion dollars in unclaimed gold was enough to drive established capital and intelligence agencies insane.

"Let the Shadow Guard take action." Chen Fan leaned back in his chair. "Leave no one alive. Tie stones to the bodies and sink them into the sea."

The edge of Island No. 07.

More than forty foreign agents in tight black wetsuits were wading through the seawater onto the beach.

They held assault rifles equipped with silencers and made tactical hand signals, preparing to surround the construction camp ahead.

The moment their feet stepped onto the dry sand...

Dozens of red laser dots lit up from the shadows, locking directly onto their foreheads and hearts.

Heavy machine guns mounted in the tree canopies opened fire.

Dense rounds of bullets struck the beach, instantly shredding the dozen or so agents at the front.

The Shadow Guard rushed out from behind cover. There were no warnings, only precise shots.

In less than three minutes, the gunfire stopped. The beach was covered with bodies.

The captain of the Shadow Guard walked over to the lead agent and delivered a finishing shot. He then waved for his team members to come and clear the scene.

Courtyard House study.

Chen Haoyu finished reporting the results. "Boss, they've all been dealt with. But this batch of gold is a ticking time bomb on the island. Should we send ships to bring it back?"

Chen Fan stood up. He walked to the corner of the study and opened the safe containing the red secure telephone.

"Five hundred billion dollars in physical gold." Chen Fan picked up the receiver. "Bring it back to the country to smuggle it? If it stays on the island, people will come looking for trouble every day. I'm holding a wedding for my son, not fighting a war on the front lines."

Chen Fan pressed the speakerphone button and dialed the top priority line directly.

The call connected after just one ring.

"Mr. Chen, calling so late—has something happened in Europe again?" asked the old man on the other end.

"Europe is fine. I bought an island in the Pacific and am preparing to hold a wedding for Muyang." Chen Fan's tone was calm. "The construction team was digging the foundation and unearthed a metal vault left over from World War II. Inside are six thousand tons of physical gold."

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end.

Six thousand tons of gold. This figure was more than double the entire gold reserves in China's national treasury. This was a colossal amount of wealth that could influence the global monetary system.

"This money is unclaimed property," the old man spoke.

"I don't want this money. I'm donating all of it to the country to fill the national treasury." Chen Fan stated his condition directly. "I have only one request. Before the sun rises tomorrow, the Chinese Navy's Pacific Fleet must take control of the fifty nautical miles surrounding Island No. 07. From today on, that island will be the country's temporary overseas supply station."

The old man laughed, his laughter loud and resonant.

"A clever calculation," the old man said. "Using five hundred billion dollars to buy the national fleet to guard your home. Chen Fan, the country accepts this deal. In one hour, a carrier strike group led by three Type 055 destroyers will set sail. I'll serve as your son's chief of security for once."

The call ended.

Chen Fan put the receiver back and closed the safe door.

The study door opened. Su Wanqing walked in carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup.

Chen Fan walked over, took the bird's nest soup and placed it on the desk, then naturally took her hand.

"Let's take a walk in the courtyard." Chen Fan led her outside.

The moon was very bright tonight, making the gray bricks of the Courtyard House appear white.

"I heard just now from outside the door." Su Wanqing leaned against Chen Fan's shoulder. "Five hundred billion dollars, just given away like that. Doesn't it hurt?"

Chen Fan put his arm around her waist.

"When money reaches this level, it's just a string of zeros in an account; you can't spend it all." Chen Fan looked at the Guest-Greeting Pine in the courtyard. "Those old-money syndicates are watching us every day. Handing over this gold is equivalent to tying the country completely to our chariot. Paying for peace—this money is well spent."

Su Wanqing didn't say anything, she just held Chen Fan's arm tighter.

Three days later. Private Island No. 07 in the Pacific.

In the outer waters, three massive Chinese guided-missile destroyers were anchored side-by-side. Their huge phased-array radars were operating at full power, and anti-aircraft missiles were raised.

No spy ship from any country dared to come within a step of these waters.

The island was covered with flowers flown in from the Netherlands.

A massive roar came from the sky.

The first batch of private charters, emblazoned with the emblems of various top syndicates, pierced through the clouds and began queuing to request landing.

At the end of the runway, Chen Muyang, dressed in a pure white custom suit, watched the fleet of planes circling in the sky.

"All departments in position." Chen Haoyu spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Notify the kitchen to start the fires and welcome the guests."