Looking at the golden, strangely shaped object partially exposed at the bottom of the pool, Li Haochen couldn't help but think of native gold, a miraculous product of nature.
Although he had an idea, he wasn't certain, so he decided to dig it out first before making a final judgment. Even if it wasn't native gold, it would be nice to have a shiny decoration.
Li Haochen ran into his space to get a shovel and a crowbar, but the water was still a considerable problem.
Looking towards the source, Li Haochen used the shovel to dig a shallow channel, as thick as an arm, on the side to divert the water elsewhere. Although some water still flowed into the pool, it was much less than before.
He then used a bucket to scoop out the water from the pool and began digging along the edge of the golden stone. Fortunately, the surrounding stones were not large and were not deeply embedded in the mud. It only took Li Haochen half an hour to turn the pool into a pit half a meter deep.
The golden metal revealed a football-sized, cratered, round object. Under the light, it shone with a dazzling golden hue, making it appear even more noble.
Li Haochen wanted to try biting it, but he feared that if it was indeed gold, damaging its original form would be a loss outweighing any gain. Native gold valued its natural state; any trace of human intervention would significantly reduce its price.
However, there was a cylindrical section connecting the golden sphere to the bottom, preventing it from being pulled out directly. After clearing away the accumulated water again, Li Haochen continued digging.
As he dug, the pit was almost a meter deep, and the golden metal showed signs of loosening. Li Haochen was overjoyed and quickened his pace. Dawn was approaching, and he had to hurry.
Just as the sky began to show the first light of dawn, Li Haochen finally unearthed the golden metal, and he was stunned. The shape was unmistakably a larger version of the Hercules Cup.
If it was confirmed to be native gold, such a miraculously crafted divine object would likely be worth hundreds of millions. Even if sold purely by its gold weight, it would fetch tens of millions, as forty to fifty pounds was no small amount.
Li Haochen hugged the golden object and instantly appeared in his space. Looking at the metal in his hand, he couldn't help but smile. "It's a good thing I brought it in. If it exceeded the weight limit and I couldn't bring it in, I would have had to wrap it in cloth and carry it out."
It hadn't seemed so dazzling outside, but now, inside his space, the bright light illuminated the metal with blinding brilliance. Coupled with its miraculous shape, even if it wasn't gold, it was worth the effort of digging it out all night.
Stepping out of his space, the morning light was already breaking. Li Haochen decided he should fill in the pit. As he was carrying stones to throw into the pit, he unexpectedly discovered two more golden metal objects, each about the size of a fist.
After placing them into his space, Li Haochen began to ponder, "If this is truly native gold, then this mountain..."
The thought made his heart pound. If his assumptions were correct, this mountain likely contained a gold vein, and a substantial one at that.
However, his excitement soon waned. Gold mine? What did that have to do with him? That was a national resource. Ordinary people wouldn't dare touch it, and he certainly wouldn't report it. Otherwise, what would happen to his Niuwei Bay?
After filling the pit and double-checking the site to ensure nothing was left behind, he left. As he was about to drive away from the village entrance, Lu Yingshan approached him.
"Boss Li, you're leaving? Why not have lunch before you go?"
"Next time. You've worked hard these past few days. Our construction team might be coming over in a few days, and I'll need your continued support."
Leaving Niuwei Village, Li Haochen drove to the city center. He wanted to find Zhang Zilin to confirm whether these golden metals were indeed native gold.
Arriving at Huiyue City, Li Haochen went to the jewelry store owned by her husband's family. Zhang Zilin was already waiting for him inside. Seeing him arrive, she smiled and said, "Go on, you don't come to my door for nothing. I don't believe you're here to invite me to dinner, haha!"
"As expected of the class monitor, you can't hide anything from me. I need your help to appraise this metal to see if it's gold. I bought it to use as a gift, and it would be embarrassing to give a fake one."
As he spoke, Li Haochen handed over a red pouch he had prepared, containing the smallest of the three metal pieces, only about the size of a young man's fist.
"I knew you needed my help. Remember to treat me to a meal later." Zhang Zilin took the pouch and went into the studio. About twenty minutes later, she came out.
"Well? Real or fake?"
"How much did you buy it for?"
"Twenty... twenty thousand? Fake?"
"What, twenty thousand?"
Seeing Zhang Zilin's exaggerated expression, Li Haochen's heart sank. He sighed inwardly, "Looks like it's not gold. All that work for nothing, sigh!"
"You lucky dog, how can you be so fortunate? This is native gold! I weighed it just now, and it's a full 1350 grams. Although the purity isn't very high, based on the gold price alone, it's worth over three hundred thousand. Plus, this shape is excellent. As a work of art, it's worth at least a million."
"Just this little bit is worth a million?"
Zhang Zilin's words sent waves through Li Haochen. He knew the price of gold, which was over five hundred yuan per gram, but this gold nugget, weighing just over two and a half pounds, was valued at a million? That meant each gram was worth eight to nine hundred yuan, more than triple its intrinsic value.
Thinking that he had two more pieces in his space, Li Haochen was overwhelmed with excitement. The piece slightly larger than the one he brought for testing was one thing, but the massive piece resembling the Hercules Cup, weighing tens of pounds, was another. Its value was undoubtedly in the hundreds of millions. The thought made Li Haochen's heart race.
Since he had confirmed the metal was native gold, he could deduce that the mountain must contain a gold mine. Li Haochen shook his head with a sigh, "A treasure mountain that I cannot possess."
"Alright, stop daydreaming and treat me to a meal. I want a feast."
"Aren't you afraid your husband will get jealous?" Li Haochen teased.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'll just invite him along. This is a rare opportunity to strike it rich, and our family of three shouldn't miss it, hee hee!"
"You haven't changed at all, still so clever and mischievous, haha!"
Li Haochen initially thought Zhang Zilin was joking, but she actually called her husband. However, this was for the best, as it would prevent any misunderstandings.
Strangely, Wang Zijun was very polite to Li Haochen this time, acting like a completely different person from before, which Li Haochen found a little unsettling.