Currently, the only person who knows the location of the buried treasure is the tomb raider Yao Yuzhong.

Upon seeing this piece of intelligence, Qi Yun's nerves, which had just relaxed, instantly tightened again. Another clue had finally emerged!

The eye of Can Cong, the treasure of Ailao Mountain, the tomb raider Yao Yuzhong... The information is quite overwhelming.

Regarding the treasure of Ailao Mountain, Qi Yun had also come across relevant records online, closely tied to the last chieftain Li Runzhi.

In ancient times, the chieftain's position was roughly equivalent to a sixth or seventh rank, primarily responsible for local administration, military, and judicial affairs, akin to a governor or county magistrate.

In essence, it was no different from a local emperor, and was hereditary without fail.

According to folk tales, from the first generation chieftain, the Li Family accumulated vast wealth, reaching its peak under Li Runzhi's tenure. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Some even say he monopolized Yunnan's most lucrative trades at the time—salt, tea, and opium—while secretly hoarding a large amount of official silver and artifacts, worth as much as half a province's treasury, with gold and silver treasures too numerous to count.

This is evident from his family's enormous mansion spanning 4.2 acres, comprising over 60 rooms including gardens and stables.

Strangely, however, on the eve of liberation, after Li Runzhi was executed, his enormous hoarded treasure vanished into thin air.

For decades, rumors have circulated among the populace, some saying it's hidden in the caves of Ailao Mountain, others claiming it's buried in the secret chambers beneath the chieftain's manor, yet no concrete evidence has ever been found.

Even the ancestral tombs of the Li Family have been visited countless times by tomb raiders.

Who would've thought it was actually hidden in Ailao Mountain...

As for the tomb raider Yao Yuzhong mentioned in the intelligence, he was even more familiar, with even an outsider like Qi Yun having heard his title "First Man Beyond the Pass."

This person can be considered the archetype of a "Hu Bayi" character, relying on inherited skills of mountain survey and dragon-seeking, as well as tomb-raiding techniques, to plunder over a hundred ancient tombs over decades, never having failed once.

Regular tomb raiders are already doing well if they can locate a tomb.

But this First Man Beyond the Pass can not only pinpoint locations accurately but can also deduce the approximate identity of the tomb owner through the surrounding feng shui and geography, almost akin to the tomb raiding scenes in television dramas.

Before the founding of the country, it was hard to evaluate, but after the country's establishment, this person was definitely considered the leader in tomb raiding.

However, he was later caught when the matter was exposed and was handed a death sentence with a reprieve, currently still imprisoned in the northern prison.

Rumor has it that before being imprisoned, he had already hidden many of the precious artifacts he stole in secretive places, leaving behind many clues about ancient tombs and treasures, but no one has been able to decipher them.

Perhaps this is also one of the reasons why he wasn't given the death penalty...

"Even the chieftain's treasure in Ailao Mountain was found by this guy, truly the grandmaster in the tomb raiding world," Qi Yun sighed, deciding to finish his current tasks and then visit the First Man Beyond the Pass in prison.

Quickly finishing his breakfast, Qi Yun changed into a black suit, preparing to head to Skyline Group.

Today was his first day at work, and Yu Wanhe had arranged a group meeting to officially announce his appointment in front of everyone in the company.

After adjusting his tie in the mirror, Qi Yun picked up his briefcase and was just about to head out when there was a knock at the door.

Opening the door, Qi Yun saw Xiao Wu standing outside, with a young man behind him.

"Boss, this person is looking for you, says he's a family member of Ji Kai."

Qi Yun looked toward the young man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, sporting a crew cut and standing in a squared posture.

"Hello, Mr. Qi!"

"Hmm." Qi Yun nodded at him, "Do you have any business with me?"

"Our chief is waiting in the parking lot downstairs and would like to meet with you."

Chief?

After a moment's thought, Qi Yun immediately understood who the chief was: "Alright, let's go."

In the parking lot was an Audi A6 with special license plates. Upon approaching, Qi Yun indicated for Xiao Wu and the others to wait, and he opened the car door and got in himself.

The person waiting to meet Qi Yun was Ji Hongwei.

Without needing an introduction, just from appearance, Qi Yun could tell he bore some resemblance to Ji Kai, so he greeted proactively: "Hello, Uncle Ji."

Ji Hongwei wore casual attire today, and since their meeting wasn't formal, Qi Yun's greeting as Uncle Ji was quite tactful.

Ji Hongwei's previously tense expression relaxed slightly, nodding at Qi Yun: "Hello, Xiao Qi."

"I won't beat around the bush; are you aware that the convoy transporting photovoltaic equipment has lost contact in Zhongdong?"

Qi Yun could guess that this was the reason for his visit. If it weren't for something happening to Ji Kai, given Ji Hongwei's position, he wouldn't have personally come to wait and meet him.

Even if a meeting was needed, he should have summoned Qi Yun instead.

"Wendong's leader called me earlier, already informing me of the situation there."

Qi Yun concisely relayed the latest developments to Ji Hongwei, finally adding, "Before coming downstairs, I just communicated with Saudi Arabia's Salaman, who has dispatched the most reliable team for the rescue."

"I believe everyone we've sent over will be alright."

Upon hearing this, Ji Hongwei's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and the anxiety in his eyes diminished somewhat.

He sighed, sincerely saying, "Alright, Xiao Qi, thank you!"

The worst-case scenario hadn't occurred. Now that Qi Yun had personally contacted Salaman and provided a clear rescue plan, his heart finally settled a bit.

Qi Yun shook his head at him: "Uncle Ji, no need to be formal with me. This is what I should do."

"Once we receive any updates from that side, I'll inform you immediately."

Ji Hongwei nodded slightly, pulling out a business card from his pocket and handing it over: "This is my private number, available 24/7."

"Whether good news or bad, please inform me right away, so I have a grasp of the situation."

Qi Yun accepted the card and kept it: "Rest assured, Uncle Ji, everything will be fine. I'll call you with any news."

"Hmm, then I won't keep you any longer."

"Alright, goodbye." After bidding farewell, Qi Yun got out of the car, during which neither of them mentioned Ji Kai's name once.

...

North of Hilade Town, within a military base two hundred kilometers away, over a dozen helicopters were ascending, while soldiers inside were fully armed, ready for battle.

They all belonged to the Saudi Royal Army, the most elite special unit of the Oil Country.

Before Salaman took over, relations between the Oil Country and Husai were hostile, and this unit had been deployed multiple times to border areas for missions.

Apart from the helicopters, four drones also took off, with air-to-ground missiles mounted on their fuselage, heading toward Hilade Town.

In the Riyadh residence, after listening to a subordinate's report, Salaman immediately instructed: "Contact Husai's people right away, have them launch an attack on the government forces in Hilade Town! I want to hear some noise within ten minutes!"

A soldier is prepared for a thousand days, and today was the day Husai repaid his investment.

His close aide quickly took out a phone, dialed a number, and said a few sentences to the other end, his expression extremely serious.

After hanging up, the aide reported to Salaman: "Their people will start the action within ten minutes."

Salaman didn't respond further, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked to the window.

He wondered whether the convoy was intercepted by the local forces by chance or if someone leaked the plan, and they ambushed in advance.

Upon further reflection, this matter did carry an air of oddity.

After all, the convoy was perceived externally as merely transporting photovoltaic equipment, which, though valuable, is not something typically targeted for robbery.

Could it be... the Beidou satellite issue got detected by the Americans?

That would explain why they might direct the local forces to rob in the desert no-man's land?

The CIA people are known for being all-pervasive, and even though Salaman considered himself discreet and cautious, he couldn't entirely dismiss this possibility...

While he was pondering, the southern operation had already commenced...