The Debtor System: Starting with a debt of 1 billion

Chapter 7: A Life-or-Death Gamble in the Abandoned Mine

Hpakant, the jade capital of Myanmar.

There is no urban prosperity here, only endless rows of yellowish-brown mine pits, like wounds torn open in the earth. The air is thick with the smells of diesel fuel, dust, and a suffocating sense of oppression.

Lin Yu and Su Yuqing stood at the entrance of an abandoned mine. The place was overgrown with weeds, and a crooked wooden sign read, "Danger, Do Not Enter".

"Lin Yu, this is the red dot marked on the map." Su Yuqing looked at the parchment map in her hand, her brows furrowed. "But this place looks like it's been abandoned for a long time. Could there really be a 'Jade King' here?"

Just as Lin Yu was about to speak, the silence was broken by the sputtering sound of an engine.

More than a dozen modified pickup trucks rushed out from all directions, surrounding the mine entrance. The truck beds were filled with Burmese militants armed with AK-47s, the muzzles of their guns pointed menacingly at Lin Yu and Su Yuqing.

The car door opened, and a figure that made Lin Yu grit his teeth stepped out.

Zhao Kun.

He was dressed in designer casual wear, wearing sunglasses, and playing with two Hetian jade balls in his hands, looking completely at ease.

"Lin Yu, long time no see." Zhao Kun sneered. "I didn't expect you to be so tough. Ruili couldn't keep you here, and you still dare to come to Myanmar."

"Zhao Kun!" Lin Yu shielded Su Yuqing behind him. "You've been following me?"

"It wasn't stalking, it was waiting for them to come to us." Zhao Kun pointed to a man next to him—it was Amin, the shady tour guide they had met in Muse. "Thanks to your 'guidance,' we knew you had this map. I also checked the hidden compartment in that jade tablet; there really is an abandoned 'old pit' underneath. We originally wanted to keep it for ourselves, but we didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

"What do you want?" Lin Yu asked coldly.

"How about it?" Zhao Kun took off his sunglasses, his eyes turning sinister. "Since you're here, you're not leaving. However, out of consideration for our old classmate relationship, I'll give you a chance."

He pointed to the abandoned mine shaft: "They say there's still some 'stock' down there, but nobody's ever dug it up. Let's make a simple bet. You and I each choose three rough stones, and we'll cut them open right here at the mine entrance. Whoever's total jadeite value is higher gets ownership of the vein. If you win, the vein is yours, and I'll just walk away. If you lose..."

Zhao Kun pointed to the armed men behind him: "You leave your life here, and that map is mine."

"This...this is a life-or-death gamble!" Su Yuqing exclaimed, her face pale with fright. "Lin Yu, we can't agree! They have guns! And the situation in this mine is unknown; what if there's a collapse..."

Lin Yu did not hesitate at all.

"Okay, I'll bet."

[Ding! Host is facing a life-or-death crisis, triggering a special mission: "The Birth of the Emerald King".]

[Mission: In the abandoned mine, cut out the most valuable jade.]

[Reward: Unlock "Advanced Treasure Appraiser's Eye" (increases the depth of vision to 5 meters), and activate the "Crisis Warning" function.]

[Failure Penalty: Host dies, system logged out.]

Lin Yu took a deep breath. He had no way out. If he didn't gamble, he'd be shot dead right now. Gambling offered a sliver of hope.

"Great!" Zhao Kun waved his hand. "Bring the tools!"

A massive stone-cutting machine was moved to the mine entrance. The entrance to the abandoned mine was narrow, and the inside was dark and exuded a chilling atmosphere.

"Would you like to go first, or should I?" Zhao Kun gestured for him to go first, his eyes filled with disdain. Behind him were several elderly Burmese experts in white coats, clearly having come prepared.

"You go first," Lin Yu said, "so you don't accuse me of taking advantage."

"Hmph, arrogant!" Zhao Kun retorted without hesitation. "Go, Ah Biao, take some men inside and pick the best! I want the very best!"

A Burmese man with a fierce face entered the mine with several of his men, carrying miner's lamps.

Ten minutes later, they brought out three raw stones.

The first piece: a semi-rough piece, with a hint of green showing through the rubbing, it looks like it has good texture and water content.

The second piece: It's a fully rough piece, with a glossy black skin and even sand texture, making it look very promising for gambling.

The third piece: a huge rock that looked like a piece of scrap, but Zhao Kun stared at it and smiled strangely.

"Lin Yu, it's your turn," Zhao Kun said. "Don't tell me you're too scared to go in."

Lin Yu nodded and was about to take a step when a system notification sounded in his mind:

[WARNING! The mine's internal structure is unstable, with a risk of collapse on the left. It is recommended that you use the right-hand passage.]

Lin Yu walked into the mine without making a sound.

Upon entering the mine, the light dimmed instantly. Lin Yu activated his "Intermediate Appraisal Eye".

The view penetrates the rocks.

Occasionally, you can see some scattered jade crystals in the surrounding rock walls, but they are all very small and worthless.

"Go deeper into the area," Lin Yu silently thought to himself.

When Lin Yu reached the middle of the mine, he suddenly stopped.

In his field of vision, a dazzling green light was enveloped within a huge rock on his right! The light was so intense that it even stung his eyes.

High-purity jadeite crystals detected; estimated size: 80cm x 50cm x 40cm.

[Grading: Imperial Green! Glassy Type!]

Lin Yu's heart pounded. This was the "Jade King"!

But he quickly calmed down. The rock was too big and in an awkward position; if it wasn't cut carefully, its internal structure could easily be damaged.

"That's it."

Lin Yu casually pointed to the seemingly ordinary boulder: "This one will do."

He then picked out two stones that looked like scrap and had them carried out.

"Lin Yu, are you out of your mind?" Zhao Kun stared at the three stones, especially the huge piece of scrap. "This stone looks like a dead rock, and you dare to gamble with it?"

"Whether it's a dead rock or not, we'll only know by cutting it open," Lin Yu said calmly.

"Okay, let's cut it!"

In the first round, we'll cut Zhao Kun's half-betting tips.

The stone-cutting machine started, splashing water everywhere.

As the outer skin is worn away, the green color inside becomes increasingly intense.

"It's gone up! It's high-grade icy jade! Bright green!" the Myanmar expert exclaimed excitedly.

Zhao Kun smiled smugly: "Lin Yu, see that? That's good taste. This piece of material is worth at least five million!"

Next up is the second piece of fully gambled material.

Rub the stone, open the window.

"Up! Another high-quality icy jadeite! This piece may be small, but it's still worth three million!"

Zhao Kun's total value has reached eight million!

"Lin Yu, it's your turn," Zhao Kun urged. "Cut those two pieces of trash first, don't waste time."

Lin Yu nodded: "Cut the bigger piece first."

"Should we cut this big piece?" Su Yuqing asked anxiously. "Lin Yu, this stone has such a thick outer layer. What if there's no meat inside? It's safer to cut the smaller one first!"

"It's okay, listen to me," Lin Yu comforted him.

Following Lin Yu's instructions, the stone-cutting master drew a line at a certain location on the boulder.

"Snap!"

The machine fell.

As the cut surface opened, everyone was stunned.

The cut surface was completely dry and white, with nothing on it.

"Haha! You ruined it!" Zhao Kun laughed. "Lin Yu, is this all you've got? This rock weighs at least several hundred pounds, and you destroyed it with one slice! You've already lost!"

"Don't rush," Lin Yu said calmly. "Just wipe the edges."

The stone cutter gently rubbed it with a grinding wheel.

Suddenly, a rich, intense green appeared on the cut surface!

The green color was like a lake, clear and bright, radiating a captivating fluorescent glow.

"What... what kind of water is this?" Zhao Kun's smile froze.

The Burmese expert took a closer look, and his face instantly turned deathly pale: "This...this is...glassy jadeite? No, it's even more transparent than glassy jadeite! This is...this is imperial green! And it's the finest imperial green!"

The entire scene fell silent instantly.

Everyone was stunned by that splash of green.

"Keep cutting!" Lin Yu ordered.

As the entire stone was cut open, a piece of imperial green jade the size of a human head was revealed to everyone. It lay quietly in the stone-cutting tray, radiating a breathtaking light.

"This...how is this possible?" Zhao Kun's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground. "This is an abandoned mine! How could there be imperial green jade here?"

"This...this value..." the Burmese expert said, trembling, "At least...at least two hundred million!"

Two hundred million!

This single stone crushed everything Zhao Kun had.

"There are still two pieces that haven't been cut," Lin Yu said casually.

With the help of the "Eye of Treasure Appraisal", the remaining two pieces of "waste material" were also cut into high-ice and glutinous jadeite. Although they were not as stunning as imperial green, they were still quite valuable.

Lin Yu's total value: 205 million.

Zhao Kun's total value: eight million.

"Zhao Kun, you've lost." Lin Yu looked at Zhao Kun, whose face was ashen. "According to the agreement, the mine belongs to me. You can leave now."

"Leave?" Zhao Kun suddenly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Lin Yu. "Lin Yu, do you think this is over? This is Myanmar, my territory! Even if I kill you, this mine and jade will still be mine!"

"You dare to fire?" Lin Yu's eyes turned cold.

"What wouldn't I dare to do?" Zhao Kun grinned maliciously as he pulled the trigger.

[WARNING! Danger!]

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out.

But it wasn't Lin Yu who fell; it was Zhao Kun.

The instant he fired, Su Yuqing suddenly rushed out, holding a scrap of stone left over from the previous stone-cutting, and slammed it hard into Zhao Kun's wrist. At the same time, Lin Yu lunged forward and kicked Zhao Kun's pistol away.

"Acha taught me," Su Yuqing said somewhat embarrassedly.

"You're asking for death!" Upon seeing this, the armed men brought by Zhao Kun all raised their guns.

Just at this critical moment, the sound of sirens and the roar of helicopters suddenly came from afar.

"Drop your weapons! You are surrounded!"

It turned out that Ah Cha had already called the police and contacted Interpol. The gunshots earlier had given away their location.

Zhao Kun and his men were instantly thrown into disarray.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yu pulled Su Yuqing back to the mine entrance.

"Lin Yu, this vein..." Su Yuqing looked at the huge piece of imperial green.

"Don't worry," Lin Yu said, looking at the abandoned mine shaft, "this is just the beginning. With this 'good start,' this place will soon become my gold mine."

Zhao Kun was pinned to the ground by the police. Looking at the imperial green jade in Lin Yu's hand, his eyes were filled with despair and resentment.

"Lin Yu...you won..."

Lin Yu ignored him, instead looking at the jade in his hand and silently reciting in his heart:

"System, is the task complete?"

[Ding! The quest "The Birth of the Emerald King" is complete.]

[Rewards have been issued: Advanced "Eye of Treasure Appraisal" has been unlocked, and the Crisis Warning function is now enabled.]

[New mission unlocked: Develop mineral veins and establish the Yunnan Jade Empire.]

Lin Yu looked at the distant sky, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Zhao Kun, your era has ended. My era has just begun."