Chapter 452 - 231: Tsar’s Treasure? Legend or Reality?

Chapter 452: Chapter 231: Tsar’s Treasure? Legend or Reality?

After the brief commotion, a momentary silence fell over the small wooden cabin. The only sound was the heavy breathing of the Mel brothers.

Su Chen and his men stared intently at the Mel brothers, trying to discern from their expressions if the treasure they mentioned was real.

Just then, the silence was broken by the sudden ringing of Su Chen’s phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. ’Didn’t expect Raymond to be this fast,’ he muttered to himself before answering.

"76 and 77 Third Street, Millbrae. The brothers live together... A son and a daughter, both only about ten years old." As Su Chen recited the details, his gaze fell upon the two men.

When they heard Su Chen mention Third Street, the last glimmer of hope in the Mel brothers’ eyes vanished. They both slumped to the floor, staring blankly at Su Chen.

"Alright, I got it. I’ll call you if anything else comes up." With that, Su Chen hung up, his gaze naturally returning to the Mel brothers.

"You heard the call. So, are you ready to talk about this treasure now?"

Seeing their stunned expressions, Su Chen took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it in front of them.

Mel snapped out of his daze. With trembling hands, he picked up the pack of cigarettes. He took out two, stuck one in his younger brother Hiri’s mouth, and then used a burning piece of wood from the fire to light his own.

WHOOSH... After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Mel seemed to compose himself. The look of helplessness from before was completely gone.

He finished his cigarette, lit another from the pack, and then finally spoke slowly. "We’re here for the Tsar’s treasure."

"Impossible! The Tsar’s treasure is a myth. In the last twenty years alone, countless people have spent fortunes and wasted years searching for it without finding a single clue. How could you possibly find it!" Ivan, standing behind Su Chen, interjected before his boss could even ask.

Su Chen, however, was completely lost. He had never heard of the Tsar’s treasure before. Xiao Chen, on the other hand, who was sitting beside him, looked deep in thought.

Ivan noticed Su Chen’s confusion and quickly explained, "Boss, the legend of the Tsar’s treasure is a hundred years old."

"Back when the Tsar’s rule was overthrown, his fleet admiral, Goltsak, tried to preserve his forces. He led over 1.2 million people on a six-thousand-kilometer trek across Siberia, planning to escape to the coast of the Pacific Ocean and plot a resurgence."

"Legend has it that they were transporting a massive shipment of gold—one thousand six hundred tons, loaded onto twenty-eight trains. But halfway there, the temperature plummeted from minus thirty degrees to minus sixty. When the trains ran out of fuel, they were forced to transport the gold by sleigh."

"The men escorting the gold died one by one in the extreme cold. By the time they reached Lake Baikal, the entire contingent had been wiped out. The enormous treasure vanished without a trace right there at the lake. The story goes that it sank to the bottom of Lake Baikal."

"But over the past few decades, countless people have come to Lake Baikal to search for it. They’ve even used small submarines, all to no avail. That’s why most people don’t really believe the legend of the Tsar’s treasure anymore."

After listening to Ivan’s explanation, a flash of shock appeared in Su Chen’s eyes. ’By current international gold prices, one ounce is about 1,400 US dollars. One thousand six hundred tons is over fifty-six million ounces... which comes out to more than seventy billion US dollars.’

’Who wouldn’t be tempted by such a massive fortune? And yet, almost no one was searching for the Tsar’s lost treasure anymore. That alone showed how little faith people had in the legend.’

’Even true locals like Ivan have no faith in the story. So why would the Mel brothers travel thousands of miles to Listvyanka Town? It must mean they came fully prepared.’

Su Chen wasn’t the only one who realized this; Xiao Chen had reached the same conclusion. A spark of excitement lit up his eyes. He wanted to know what gave these brothers such confidence.

Su Chen decided against speculating further. It was faster to just ask the men involved.

"Mel, I’m guessing it’s not that simple," Su Chen said, a sly smile touching his lips. "You must have some crucial information, or some kind of trump card, right?"

COUGH! COUGH! Mel choked on a drag from his cigarette, the smoke catching in his throat. ’He never expected Su Chen to be so quick on the uptake. He’d only said one thing, but it felt as if all his hidden plans had been completely exposed.’

A bitter smile formed on Mel’s face. "I can’t believe you saw through it so quickly, sir." He then turned to his younger brother, Hiri. "We’ve lost. Hiri, take it out."

Hiri, who had been sitting with his head down and a look of terror on his face, suddenly looked up at his brother’s words. The fear on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a dark, gloomy expression. He growled in a low voice, "Brother! That’s our lifeline! Why would you tell them!"

Hiri’s transformation startled Su Chen. ’He never imagined the younger brother’s terrified demeanor had been an act—and a convincing one at that. That grim, predatory gaze reminded Su Chen of one animal in particular: a wolf.’