OBS Chapter 318 Gold Mine
Chapter 318 Gold Mine
The leader's face was ashen, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, yet he still refused to speak.
"Speak!" Wang Ergou increased the pressure on his foot.
"Chengye, we can't beat them, so why don't we..."
Seeing that the two were truly determined to kill, one of them spoke timidly.
"shut up!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Chengye roared and struggled to get up, but Wang Ergou stomped him back to the ground.
Li Xiangyang walked up to him, looking down at him condescendingly: "You'd better confess honestly, otherwise..."
He didn't finish speaking, but the threat in his eyes was clear enough.
Shen Chengye gritted his teeth, a struggle flashing in his eyes, but finally sighed as if resigned to his fate: "Fine, I confess."
He composed himself, his voice low and deep: "I admit attacking you was wrong. But you also have to understand, because we discovered gold. Each additional person means a share to be taken, and it's understandable that everyone was blinded by greed."
"Gold?" Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, their eyes widening in unison.
"What gold?" Li Xiangyang pressed, his voice already tinged with urgency.
Shen Chengye gave a wry smile: "Since you already know, you'll find it sooner or later anyway, so let me take you to see it."
Under the close watch of Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou, Shen Chengye led them to an inconspicuous cave behind the camp.
The cave entrance was hidden by several large rocks and withered branches, and it would be quite difficult to find without someone leading the way.
“It’s inside.” Shen Chengye pointed to the cave entrance.
Li Xiangyang cautiously pushed aside the obstruction and carefully entered the cave with Wang Ergou.
Upon entering the cave, a damp smell hit us, but as we went deeper, the cave became dry and the temperature rose noticeably.
The cave was not dark; faint metallic glints occasionally reflected off the walls.
Li Xiangyang took a closer look and couldn't help but gasp.
The entire wall was inlaid with metal particles of varying sizes, which shimmered with a dazzling golden light under the torchlight!
"This is... gold?" Wang Ergou asked incredulously, his voice trembling slightly.
Shen Chengye nodded: "Yes, it's a gold mine with very high purity, and it's a shallow gold mine. You can find it with just a little digging. Just use charcoal and a blower to melt it into nuggets of gold."
Wang Ergou reached out and touched the metal particles, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Xiangyang, this...this is a gold mine!"
"Yeah, brother, this is a gold mine! Come on, I'll show you. It's been refined these past few days. Although it still has impurities, its value is absolutely immeasurable."
Shen Chengye proudly introduced the gold bars they had recently mined, leading the two deeper into the area.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou stared at the pile of gleaming gold nuggets, speechless with awe at the incredible wealth.
Just then, Shen Chengye's voice rang out, tinged with a hint of probing: "Gentlemen, with so much gold, why don't we divide it up privately and keep quiet? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Li Xiangyang did not answer immediately. He squatted down and picked up a gold nugget.
The gold felt heavy in my hand, radiating an unparalleled charm, silently enticing everyone who touched it.
"So much gold..." Wang Ergou's eyes gleamed with a strange light. He couldn't help but reach out and pick up a piece, muttering to himself, "So much... Xiangyang, agree. Even if we only get one piece, we'll be set for life..."
Seeing Li Xiangyang remain silent for a long time, Shen Chengye's eyes flashed with anticipation. He said in a low voice, "How about it? Think about it? So much gold, one share would be enough to live on for several lifetimes."
Li Xiangyang's hand slowly caressed the gold nugget, feeling its weight and warmth.
Wealth is a powerful motivator, and he is no saint; how could he not be tempted?
He looked up and glanced at the gold mines around him.
Gold is readily available in this cave, like a dreamlike fortune within easy reach.
In an instant, all sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind.
With this gold, he could not only live the most luxurious life with Li Xiaoyun, his mother, and his sister, but even his unborn child would enjoy unparalleled wealth and honor.
Seeing Li Xiangyang remain silent, Wang Ergou became even more excited and whispered, "Xiangyang, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Think about it, how much money do we usually earn hunting, risking our lives? But here, just one piece of gold is enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives!"
Seeing this, Shen Chengye pressed his advantage: "That's right! Deep in these mountains, nobody will know. We have the technology; we'll melt it all down, secretly divide it up, and nobody will know!"
"Without anyone noticing?" Li Xiangyang finally spoke, his tone unusually calm. "Are you sure?"
Shen Chengye was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Of course! So many days have passed, and we haven't seen a single person. If you hadn't come looking for us, this mountain of gold would be ours."
Li Xiangyang looked at him coldly: "You really think so? Sure, you have the skills, but the furnace is already up and running. Right now, the two of us have the upper hand. In this deep mountain forest, it's not difficult to kill someone and cover it up."
Shen Chengye's smile froze, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Indeed, I admit it, but there are seven of us and only two of you. Are you so confident you can kill us all without leaving a trace..."
"That's right, I don't have that confidence. Even if we could actually do it, there's so much gold; Er Gou and I can't possibly carry it all away."
“Once we come out of the mountains, we'll have to explain your whereabouts to the outside world. My brother and I came here to find you; if we can't find you, what will the Forestry Bureau think?”
Li Xiangyang approached Shen Chengye step by step as he spoke: "Do you think the Forestry Bureau sent us to find the missing survey team simply out of concern for your safety? They didn't send more people or make a big fuss because they didn't want the situation to escalate. If we go back and lie and say we couldn't find you, do you think they'll let it go?"
Shen Chengye's expression grew increasingly grim; he had clearly realized this as well.
Li Xiangyang continued his analysis: "Moreover, in this day and age, even if you have gold, it's not so easy to spend it. Unless you plan to smuggle yourself out of the country, how can you spend that gold? Where can you spend it? Taking out just one piece could bring you to your death."
"Forget about dividing it up; the gold belongs to the state, that's only right. I must report the situation here truthfully."
"No!" Shen Chengye suddenly roared in fury, lunging at Li Xiangyang. "This is my gold! Mine! Since you want to die, then I..."
Li Xiangyang was prepared and easily dodged the attack, then delivered a side kick that knocked Shen Chengye to the ground. Seeing this, the others also became eager to join in.
"Don't move!" Li Xiangyang shouted coldly. "Haven't we learned our lesson yet?"
The group looked at each other, and finally reluctantly raised their hands.
Shen Chengye struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with hatred and resentment: "You're cutting off our livelihood! This is gold we risked our lives to find!"
Li Xiangyang ignored his complaints and turned to Wang Ergou: "Ergou, tie them all up."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou didn't act immediately. He hesitated for a moment, then walked to Li Xiangyang's side and whispered, "Xiangyang, are we... are we really just going to hand it all over like this? Not keeping a single thing?"
Li Xiangyang frowned slightly: "Ergou, we can't take him with us, and even if we did..."