Richest Rag-picker

Chapter 486: Chapter 458: Guide

Seeing that Qi Xiaotian was mostly unharmed, Vajra let out a long sigh of relief.

However, a moment later, a mischievous grin spread across his face as he started walking toward Qi Xiaotian.

Seeing the menacing look in his eyes, Qi Xiaotian quickly ducked behind Fang Chenyi, waving his hands frantically at Vajra and shouting, "No more! I’m not fighting anymore!"

Fang Chenyi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden role reversal between the man and the gorilla..

Then again, Qi Xiaotian had been the one constantly using his superior strength to challenge Vajra. This was just him getting his just deserts.

Fang Chenyi had no intention of getting involved.

Of course, he knew Vajra wouldn’t actually hurt Qi Xiaotian.

Seeing that Fang Chenyi wasn’t going to step in, Vajra grew even more delighted, and a chase scene immediately unfolded throughout the camp.

After letting the two of them horse around for a while, Fang Chenyi finally spoke up and stopped them.

"Alright, you two, stop messing around. Look at the time. Get some rest. We’re setting out at dawn tomorrow."

The night passed uneventfully. Lying in his tent, Fang Chenyi slept exceptionally well.

The other fifty-plus people, however, were having a miserable time.

Fortunately, they were physically tough and mentally resilient. The next day, not a single one was missing as they assembled before Fang Chenyi.

After a quick breakfast, the group drove to a nearby town.

When the long convoy arrived, the townspeople showed surprisingly little shock. Instead, they watched the vehicles with calm expressions.

Fang Chenyi got out of his car, approached a young man, and asked politely,

"Hello. We’d like to do some exploring in the desert, and we were wondering if you know anyone who could work as a guide?"

Fang Chenyi hadn’t come to town for supplies; after all, the convoy’s provisions had barely been touched.

His real purpose was to find a local guide. He was completely unfamiliar with the area, and it would be all too easy to lose their way in the vast, desolate Taklamakan Desert.

The young man Fang Chenyi had stopped listened to his question and, to his surprise, replied in perfect, unaccented Mandarin,

"I am. I can be your guide, but my fee is one thousand yuan a day."

Fang Chenyi hadn’t expected him to speak such fluent Mandarin, but it certainly simplified things.

Hearing the man’s terms, Fang Chenyi agreed without a second thought.

"Alright. As long as you can get us where we need to go, money is no object."

One party wanted money, the other needed a guide. The deal was struck smoothly.

After receiving a 3,000-yuan advance, the young man got right into Fang Chenyi’s car.

As soon as he got in, before Fang Chenyi could even say a word, the young man spoke first.

"You must be here for the Meteorite, too."

Fang Chenyi froze. ’How does he know my purpose?’

The young man seemed to sense Fang Chenyi’s confusion. He smiled and explained,

"Don’t be surprised. You’re not the first group to come here. Before you, dozens of other groups have passed through town, all of them looking for that Meteorite.

Sigh... When that Meteorite hit, we were all terrified. A lot of the houses here collapsed from the impact. The force of it... my god, it was just immense."

The young man seemed lost in the memory, a look of terror flashing in his eyes.

To others, the Meteorite was a priceless treasure. To this young man, it was a natural disaster.

After hearing the young man’s explanation, Fang Chenyi understood how he knew their purpose.

He wasn’t particularly surprised. Meteorites were rare, after all. Who knew what kinds of precious metals they might contain? It wasn’t just individuals; entire nations would undoubtedly be interested.

"You said dozens of groups came before us? Have they all come back?"

The question snapped the young man out of his reverie. He shook his head at Fang Chenyi.

"Some of them came back, but many others never did. Maybe they just didn’t pass through our town on the way out. But I’ve heard the road to the site is blocked now. It’s going to be very hard to get through. However..."

The young man trailed off, pausing for a moment. He looked at Fang Chenyi, his hand subconsciously patting the pocket where he’d put the 3,000 yuan.

Seeing this, Fang Chenyi knew he was about to ask for more money.

For Fang Chenyi, however, money was no issue. As long as the man could guide him to the location, even 10,000 yuan a day, let alone 1,000, would be nothing. He met the young man’s gaze and said with a smile,

"Heh, money isn’t an issue. If you can get us there, I’ll add another 1,000 yuan to your daily rate."

To his surprise, the young man shook his head and held up two fingers.

"No, no, no. We agreed on one thousand a day, and I won’t go back on my word by raising the price. However, the place you want to go to is extremely difficult to find now. So, if I successfully guide you there, I want an extra bonus of this amount."

Fang Chenyi glanced at the two fingers the young man was holding up, nodded, and said calmly,

"No problem. If you can find it, I’ll give you an extra 200,000."

The moment the words left Fang Chenyi’s mouth, the young man was utterly dumbfounded. His jaw dropped, his face a mask of disbelief.

"T-Two... two hundred thousand?"

Fang Chenyi glanced at him and asked,

"What’s wrong? You didn’t mean two hundred thousand?"

The young man swallowed hard with a GULP and nodded frantically.

"Yes, yes! That’s right, I meant two hundred thousand! A deal’s a deal, you can’t go back on your word. If I really get you there, you can’t regret it."

Seeing the young man’s excitement, Fang Chenyi smiled. "Don’t worry. I always keep my word."

With that, he handed a map to the young man. "Take a look. I’ve already marked it. I know the general direction, but I have no experience navigating the desert. I need you to help us avoid any dangerous areas."

The young man quickly took the map and began to study it carefully.

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