Chapter 5: Gold in Hand

2 a.m.!

As a third-tier city with a rather limited nightlife, Baihe City had long since fallen silent at this hour.

Even in the city center, only the occasional passing car broke the stillness.

On the outer ring road of Baihe City, it was even quieter—sometimes not a single vehicle would pass for ten or twenty minutes.

Only darkness and silence prevailed.

At this moment, on the western section of the outer ring road, a figure carrying a backpack was speeding along the roadside on a shared bicycle.

Because tonight, Cao Kun was going to unearth the batch of gold hidden by Lei the Third.

The fewer people who knew about this, the better.

So, to be cautious, he hadn’t even taken a taxi; instead, he rode a shared bicycle all the way here.

Shortly after, when he reached a fork in the road on the west side, Cao Kun stopped.

He glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then proceeded on the fork riding the shared bike.

After about two hundred meters, he stopped again in front of a boundary marker labeled Hezi Village.

The base of the marker was a stone nearly two meters long and about seventy to eighty centimeters wide.

The marker itself was a stone over a meter tall and about thirty to forty centimeters thick, inscribed with the origins of Hezi Village.

This time, Cao Kun did not move elsewhere. He first concealed the shared bike in the nearby woods, then pulled out a military shovel he’d bought earlier that afternoon in the city.

He began digging about a meter behind the Hezi Village boundary marker.

It was the dead of night; the West Outer Ring Avenue was deserted, let alone this small side road.

After thirty minutes of toil, digging over a meter deep, Cao Kun struck something with a distinct sound.

Hearing it, his spirits lifted, and he hurriedly dug with his hands beneath.

Soon, he unearthed a tattered cloth bag.

Inside the ragged bag were irregularly shaped gold bricks.

Seeing the gold bricks, a smile involuntarily spread across Cao Kun’s lips.

"Damn it, Lei the Third, you sneaky bastard, burying it this deep. I almost thought I’d dug in the wrong spot. Good thing I persevered."

He opened his backpack and loaded all the gold bricks inside.

Having finished, Cao Kun climbed out of the pit, scanned the surroundings once more, found it still quiet and empty, slung on his backpack, and rode away on the bicycle.

...

3 a.m.!

An inconspicuous Didi car departed Baihe City.

Sitting in the backseat was none other than Cao Kun.

With Lei the Third’s stash of gold now in hand, there was no reason to linger in Baihe City.

Next, he needed to liquidate the gold.

To accomplish this, he had to travel to another city.

He chose the Didi car because he was carrying over fifty kilograms of gold—taking the train or plane would have been impossible due to security checks.

...

Two days later!

In Miyang City, over 1,700 kilometers from Baihe City, a black Volkswagen pulled up in front of an antiques street.

The driver in the front seat had bloodshot eyes and a weary expression.

After all, driving continuously for two days is no easy task.

Of course, the pay was quite generous.

Besides the standard fare, Cao Kun had given him an extra two thousand yuan as a tip.

Worth it!

"Brother, we’ve arrived. You better get out; I really can’t hold on much longer. I need to find a place to sleep properly. My backside’s gone numb."

Hearing this, Cao Kun sympathized; after all, he had been in the car for two days as well.

It was indeed uncomfortable.

"Alright, driver," Cao Kun said with a smile as he opened the door and stepped out. "You should find a hotel and get some rest."

"Will do. You take care too."

They exchanged goodbyes, and the driver pressed the accelerator, leaving promptly.

Watching the car drive away, Cao Kun turned and faced the antiques street behind him.

It was already 4 p.m., and the street was mostly empty.

Seeing the time, Cao Kun didn’t linger and entered the street, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Passing stall after stall, he soon reached the deeper part of the antiques street.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a shop called Wenbao Studio.

Pointing to a painting, he asked, "Boss, how much for this painting?"

The shop owner, seeing a customer, hurried over.

Noticing the painting at the entrance Cao Kun pointed to, the owner immediately wore a look of admiration.

"Oh, young man, sharp eyes indeed. You’ve immediately spotted the pride of our shop. To be honest, this painting is by Zhang Daqian..."

Before the owner could finish, Cao Kun raised five fingers, cutting him off.

"Five hundred yuan. Take it or leave it."

The owner’s expression turned slightly awkward, smiling as he said, "Well... maybe you could add a bit more. It’s a high-quality replica, with a seal."

"Five hundred, no more," Cao Kun replied. "If you won’t sell, I’ll check elsewhere."

Seeing Cao Kun’s firm price, the owner gave up and sold it to him.

After purchasing the painting, Cao Kun didn’t stop; he continued deeper into the antiques street.

Finally, he halted again in front of a shop specializing in buying back jewelry, gold, and antique paintings.

The shop was small and modestly decorated—nothing flashy, quite plain even.

The only distinctive feature was the signboard: black with a white lotus flower painted at its center.

If not for the shop’s name written above, one might mistake it for a funeral supplies store.

Cao Kun looked up at the sign briefly, then pushed open the door and entered.

Inside, the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Only a man in his forties sat behind the counter.

The man wore rimless glasses, was slender, and exuded a refined, scholarly air.

Seeing Cao Kun enter with his backpack, he immediately stood up with a broad smile.

"Young man, are you here to buy or sell something?"

The shop not only bought items but also sold them, though buying was their main business.

Cao Kun glanced at the man, then at the surveillance camera in the shop, and said,

"Boss, a friend recommended you. If it’s convenient, maybe we could talk somewhere more private?"

He gestured toward the door behind the shopkeeper.

The man looked surprised but said nothing. He came around the counter, locked the shop door, and hung the ‘closed’ sign.

Then he approached Cao Kun with an elegant gesture, inviting him in.

Without another word, the man led the way through the door behind the counter.

Cao Kun followed, still carrying his backpack.