The speed of retrieving the first box of gold was very fast.
In about ten minutes, under the eager gazes of the rcenaries, a very obviously last-century iron box was pulled up.
"This is it!"
Everyone exclaid excitedly, and the black captain couldn't help but step forward.
"It's locked, Captain!"
"Get a hamr and smash it open."
The people around talked over each other, trying to open the box.
The black captain pushed everyone aside and had them step back.
He took out a pistol, aid at the old iron lock, and fired a shot.
Click, a sound of tal collision.
The iron lock on the box was shot open.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the black captain kicked the lock off with one foot and removed the latch.
He took a deep breath and suddenly lifted it!
There wasn't the expected glitter of gold, but under the lights, the thing, covered with silt and water stains, glead with a soft golden light.
"Is this gold?"
Soone said eagerly, even wanting to reach for it.
But he withdrew his hand reluctantly after receiving a glare from the black captain.
The black captain had seen so of the world.
He picked up the gold, twisted it hard, and even smashed it twice with the gun butt.
"Captain, are you... performing an exorcism?"
The team mbers didn't quite understand what their leader was doing.
"Damn it, I'm judging if this thing is gold!"
The captain glared viciously at the rcenary who spoke.
He picked up two gold bars and tapped lightly: "It's gold! The purity is not low!"
These words sent all the rcenaries into a frenzy.
Mind you, this box was an extra reward!
The captain, however, said, "Brothers, although I too want to hand this stuff out right now, this is not the right ti."
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
The black captain's eyes shone with greed: "Below, below there are four more boxes of gold just like this one!"
"And there's also the invaluable mine map, that's the real prize!"
Everyone looked at the big box of gold and thought about the four boxes still buried in the silt below.
They couldn't help swallowing.
Even the workers who had no stake showed eagerness in their eyes.
"Continue the retrieval!"
The black captain said, looking at the fifteen workers assisting with the salvage.
He smiled at them and said, "You all did quite well, I personally decide that if you work hard, each of you fifteen will get one kilogram of gold!"
Hiss!
The workers couldn't help but gasp.
Truly giving it?
The black captain didn't care about this small money.
He thought it was a bit ridiculous for him, about to beco a new rich man in the Middle East, to compete for those dozens of kilograms of gold.
"Don't worry, I'm never stingy with those who work for , what's promised is given!"
The black captain said with a laugh, then looked at the rcenaries: "Brothers, you work hard here, I'll transport the gold back first, and once the five boxes of gold are in hand, we'll distribute it imdiately, everyone gets a share!"
When the rcenaries heard this, they were as if injected with adrenaline.
They urged the workers to work faster.
And the workers, motivated by the promise of a kilogram of gold each, also put all their effort into finding and salvaging the second treasure box.
...
Chen Wen listened from a distance to the people's conversations, looking at this rcenary captain with newfound respect.
This guy didn't seem so brutish from the outside.
He even knew to feed the horse to make it run.
That was rather smart.
If not, once these golds were salvaged and he took them all, the other rcenaries might not revolt tonight, but they'd certainly make demands.
By that ti, the gold he'd have to pay out wouldn't just be one box.
"Let's go, judging by their pace tonight, they might not finish retrieving it all."
Chen Wen said, planning to leave first.
Based on the workers' discussions, although these treasures were in one area, they were still quite scattered.
If luck was good, they might finish tonight, if not, it might take until tomorrow night.
So, Chen Wen wasn't in a hurry for now.
He took his three animals back to the shelter to rest.
There was no need to keep watch, nobody would pay attention to Chen Wen's side now.
The Snowy Owl stood by the stove, hesitating, not knowing how to speak.
It roughly gathered from Chen Wen's words that this group of people planned to leave imdiately after obtaining the so-called treasure.
It didn't want to let this group go.
But the weapons in their hands turned its thoughts of revenge into fear.
What to do?
The Snowy Owl shrank its neck, standing by the stove, lost in long contemplation.
...
Early the next morning.
After Chen Wen got up, he first went to find the wolf pack.
The wolf pack was puzzled by this newly appeared leader who brought food and then suddenly disappeared.
What's the deal with this leader?
Chen Wen gathered the wolf pack, signaling the lead wolf to follow him.
He brought the lead wolf near the camp.
The sudden appearance of such a large pack of North Gray Wolves made the lynx hide nervously in the house.
Chen Wen didn't intend for his three animal friends to et the wolf pack.
He placed the dragged moose carcass in the center of the camp, having the wolf pack stay nearby.
Although the wolf pack didn't quite understand, they loyally followed Chen Wen's orders.
With the wolf pack around, Chen Wen felt much more at ease.
This pack of North Arican Gray Wolves was one of his trump cards in competing for the treasure.
Their howling and attacks would make it difficult for the rcenaries to leave the Yukon Territory and even interfere with their normal activities.
These disruptions were Chen Wen's opportunity.
After the wolf pack arrived, Chen Wen decided to go up the surrounding mountains to see how the rcenaries were doing.
...
"Which box are they on now?"
Looking at the busy rcenaries and staff, the fire-tending Yang Feng asked enviously.
"The third box, over three hundred kilograms!"
Jenny's eyes were full of longing for gold, but she still shook her head and said, "From the looks of it, this group of rcenaries hasn't found the most important thing yet."
Naly, the mine map.
"Are you saying that mine map is really still useful? I don't see how a mine map would be the least useful."
Yang Feng complained, "If there really was gold, the country wouldn't seize it and instead let a bunch of businessn go for it?"
Jenny glanced at him: "In the Yukon, businessn are the country!"
That made sense.
"Even if the country didn't go, wouldn't others discover it?"
Hua Yun couldn't help but ask.
Jenny shook her head: "You're thinking too simply. Firstly, the Yukon gold rush was in the last century. At that ti the Yukon was a barren land, and only gold prospectors looking for gold mines ventured over here. Look at the survival environnt here, even for professional survivalists, it's very difficult to survive; most people don't have the courage to look for a mine."
"Secondly, the infamous 'Seven' at that ti was notorious because when they seized mines, they would kill all informants!"
"All those who knew the location of the mines were killed by them. They even, at one point, aroused public anger and were besieged by everyone, yet even in this situation, the 'Seven' survived and stored a lot of mine locations."
"Finally, after Canada was founded, the developnt of the Yukon was not emphasized, resulting in many undeveloped mineral resources in this wilderness. For individuals wanting to search for mines here, the cost would be astronomical and the difficulty high. Most importantly, they'd be watched by others, and even if they did find it, without imnse power, they couldn't keep it."
"So, only the top rchant in the Yukon, Belmont, has the background and financial strength to develop them, and although Pat is an official with a background, he lacks the financial power, hence he can only resort to small maneuvers."
"In this mine map, as long as there's one unexploited mine, this trip is a huge win, and the gold mines that caught the 'Seven's' attention aren't rubbish."
"Besides gold mines, the 'Seven' likely stored locations of other mineral veins, which can also be developed."
"Now, how do you perceive the value of that mine map?"
Invaluable!
Listening to Jenny's words from a distant pine tree, Chen Wen couldn't help but think.
Besides, how did this woman know Chinese?
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