1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 4031

After the dark figure appeared dragging the box, several people emerged from their hiding places. After exchanging a few words in the local language, someone lit a torch to illuminate the surroundings.

These people who had been waiting there for a long time were the caravan that had come up with the wicked plan. And the camel drivers from the Haihan caravan, whom they had bribed, were the ones who brought them to meet them.

The two sides had already agreed during their meeting the day before that the camel driver would steal the chests used by the Haihan caravan to store their treasures. After the Haihan caravan set up camp yesterday, the camel driver slipped out again to arrange a time and place with them, so the transaction would take place here.

However, the camel driver was in no hurry to hand over the box. Instead, he asked to receive payment first before delivering the goods. He had already planned that if he ran away out of guilt, the caravan would notice something was wrong when they counted the number of people before setting off. If they also discovered that valuables were missing, they would definitely send people to chase after him. He couldn't go very far alone in the desert, and he dared not venture deep into the no-man's-land. He probably wouldn't be able to escape.

The safest course of action is to collect the money and immediately return as if nothing had happened. As long as he gets back to camp before dawn, quietly goes back to his tent, and lies down, even if something is discovered, it's unlikely they'll be able to trace it back to him. After all, the Haihan caravan has hired dozens of people; without catching them in the act, it's difficult to determine who tampered with the goods.

The box was locked, and the contents could only be discovered by prying open the lock. Paying the camel driver the fee was essentially like opening a blind box; it could be a box full of priceless treasures, or it could just be the clothing and belongings of the Haihan people.

The local caravan paid the camel driver a considerable sum, even more than he would have earned traveling with the Haihan caravan, which motivated him to steal the chest.

The camel driver accepted his payment and, before leaving, gave the caravan a free tip: the Haihan caravan had at least five or six more boxes like this, but they were too heavy for him to carry.

If they want another box after opening it, you can try to contact them again, but the reward will be doubled, because after losing the first box, the Haihan caravan will definitely be more cautious, and the risk of stealing a second box will be greatly increased.

Although the camel driver was also very curious about what was in the box, time was of the essence, so he did not choose to stay and wait to see the box opened, and immediately set off back to the Haihan caravan camp.

Once the camel drivers left, the group couldn't wait any longer. They had been waiting since the Haihan caravan set up camp, and now it had been more than ten hours. They just wanted to find out as soon as possible what treasure they could get in return for paying a large sum of money.

The leader stepped forward and pushed the box; indeed, as the camel driver had said, it was quite heavy. He then took out the crowbar he had prepared and, in no time, pried open the padlock on the box, opening the lid under the greedy gazes of the crowd.

Before even receiving the box, they had imagined what it might contain and discussed it enthusiastically for hours. Now, whether it contained a box of gold coins or other rare treasures, they wouldn't be surprised.

But when they huddled together and, by the light of the torches, saw what was inside the box, they were all astonished, because what was inside was far beyond their imagination.

The box didn't contain the treasure they expected, but rather rows of tiny metal tubes, each about the thickness of a finger and three inches long, all exactly the same size, neatly stacked inside. Each tube had an opening at one end, sealed with a cork, and a small piece of paper attached to it with some kind of writing they couldn't understand, presumably indicating something.

These metal tubes were exquisitely crafted, but clearly not made of gold or silver. The leader casually picked one up and weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy, which explained the weight of the box.

"I bet these are full of pearls, top-quality pearls!" someone guessed first. If these metal tubes were filled with round, top-quality pearls, they wouldn't be much less valuable than a box of gold coins.

In the Mediterranean region during this era, pearls held extraordinary value. A large pear-shaped pearl was discovered in the Spanish American colonies of the last century and was later crafted into a necklace pendant for Marie Antoinette, the second wife of King Felipe II of Spain. Afterward, this pearl became a family heirloom of the Spanish royal family and, several years later, acquired the nickname "The Wanderer's Pearl." The legendary story of this Wanderer's Pearl continued for centuries in the original timeline of the time traveler, with numerous celebrities being its collectors. Even after the new millennium, it was sold at auction for tens of millions of dollars.

Even in this day and age, influenced by the Spanish royal family, pearls have become a symbol of high-value luxury in the Mediterranean region. A pearl of exceptional quality can indeed bring its discoverer a lifetime of wealth.

If these metal tubes were truly filled with pearls… The thought made everyone's breathing quicken. As for how the Haihan people could have dug up so many pearls in the desert, at this point, the people, blinded by their unexpected windfall, no longer considered its plausibility.

The leader gestured to stop the cheering crowd, signaling them to be quiet. Although it was a couple of miles from Haihan's camp, sounds could travel far at night, and alerting the enemy and causing trouble would be a greater loss than a gain.

Once everyone had calmed down, the leader shook the metal tube in his hand, but it didn't feel like a pearl.

The leader had a bad feeling. He opened his mouth, bit the cork on the metal tube, pulled it off forcefully, and then poured the contents into his other outstretched hand.

Everyone stared at what was in his palm in a deathly silence. After a long while, someone murmured, "It looks... like sand!"

Someone immediately retorted, "How could it be sand? There's sand for hundreds of miles around here. Why would we need to seal it up like this, put it in a box, and lock it up?"

The small pile of gravel-like stuff in the leader's palm was clearly not gold dust, but no one wanted to believe it.

The leader twirled the sand between his fingers and let it slip through his fingers, saying expressionlessly, "It is indeed sand."

Some people still refused to give up: "Maybe the other pipes don't contain sand!"

There was no need for him to say such nonsense. Someone had already reached into the box and taken out another metal tube. After opening it, they poured out what was inside, which, unsurprisingly, was a small pile of sand.

Upon seeing this, everyone took out a metal tube from the box and got the same result.

Of course, nothing else would be poured out of it. If there was any difference, it was just that some were a little loose and some were a little compact, but it was undoubtedly all sand, no different from the sand they were walking on.

The night wind howled as it swept across the sand dunes. The desert temperature was very low in the latter half of the night, but everyone felt a chill in their hearts, even colder than the surrounding environment.

(End of this chapter)