Chapter 140: Discovery of a Great Treasure: Abundant Mineral Resources

It wasn’t long before a black SUV parked at the corner. Rian Sinclair looked out the window at the vehicle; this was no ordinary off-road vehicle. The entire body was reinforced with 11.1-centimeter-thick bulletproof steel plating, and the exterior paint featured a fully heat-insulating and waterproof nanomaterial coating. With a top speed of 240 kilometers per hour, this SUV could easily rival any supercar.

Rian was wearing a classic tweed skirt suit from Granny Fleur. The more she looked at her outfit, the more she felt it was inappropriate for meeting the elder.

After a moment’s hesitation, her gaze fell upon a quaint, antique-looking clothing boutique nearby. She stepped inside. A couple of minutes later, she emerged wearing a silvery-white qipao, her hair elegantly pinned up with a hairpin. Even without a trace of makeup, she looked absolutely stunning.

Right as she stepped out the door, she locked eyes with Ronan Ford, who was dressed in military-green camouflage. A brief flash of awe crossed his eyes, but he concealed it instantly.

[DING! Spending target detected! Appearance rating: 97 points. Meets spending requirements. Host, please reward the target as soon as possible to receive cashback!]

Rian completely ignored the system’s announcement. After all, she was about to meet *that* gentleman, and she was feeling quite nervous. A solemn sense of reverence welled up in her heart regarding this meeting, and her deliberate change of clothes reflected how seriously she was taking it. Growing up, she had only ever seen him on television.

Just the thought of meeting the elder in person made her tense up, leaving her face and limbs feeling stiff. Ronan noticed her condition but merely pursed his lips, saying nothing.

“Miss Sinclair, please get in the car. Let’s not keep the elder waiting.”

Rian swallowed hard and gave a somewhat stiff nod.

Once inside the car, her mind raced with thoughts of what to say and what expressions to make when facing him. Would her outfit displease an elder? Would she make a mistake in her speech or manners? The more she overthought it, the more nerve-wracking it became. She cheered herself on over and over in her head. She hadn’t even been this nervous during her college entrance exams!

“We’ve arrived, Miss Sinclair.”

Rian composed herself and stepped out of the vehicle. After Ronan presented pass after pass, navigating through multiple rigorous security checkpoints, she followed him into an office.

The interior of the office was incredibly solemn and respectful, exuding an air of profound composure and grandeur. Sitting in the office chair was a white-haired elder, head bowed as he reviewed documents. His demeanor was steady and reserved; even sitting quietly, he projected an unshakable, mountain-like presence.

The elder looked up. His face was kind and benevolent, yet a subtle hint of dignified sternness lingered around his brows and eyes. “You’re here?”

His voice was calm and restrained, yet commanded undeniable authority. Rian bowed slightly. “Good day, sir.”

She bowed to him with the utmost solemnity. After all, this was a man who wholeheartedly devoted himself to the Veridian people—such an admirable and beloved figure! He was also someone she had deeply yearned to meet, for it was thanks to his leadership and guidance that the nation was where it was today.

The elder nodded in satisfaction, smiling as he pointed to a nearby chair. “Young Miss Sinclair, have a seat. Let’s chat.”

Rian sat down as instructed, though still a bit on edge. It felt incredibly surreal to have someone she had only ever seen on television suddenly sitting right in front of her.

Ronan had taken a position behind the elder. He noticed Rian’s anxiety, and the elder clearly caught on too. He joked with a welcoming smile, “I don’t eat people, Young Miss Sinclair. There is no need to be so nervous. Just treat this like a casual chat with an elder.”

Rian pursed her lips, initially feeling even more nervous, but after some mental preparation, she gradually managed to calm her racing heart.

The elder smiled and said, “You certainly made quite the splash over in Sakuran previously, Young Miss Sinclair!”

His tone was full of admiration. Rian had originally braced herself for an interrogation, but was it really going to be just an ordinary chat?

The elder continued, “And your previous donation of the color photo albums documenting the N— Massacre was an invaluable contribution. Those albums recorded irrefutable evidence of the Sakurans’ war crimes.”

Rian pursed her lips, replying with a touch of nerves, “It was the least I could do. Veridia has protected me for so many years; it’s only right that I give something back. My actions in Sakuran were strictly personal and won’t negatively impact the country.”

“Now that’s where you’re wrong, Young Miss Sinclair. Everything you’ve done has been nothing but beneficial to Veridia. It is a great merit, and Veridia will always protect her people.”

Rian was stunned by his words. She swallowed hard, realizing this was a sudden offer of a powerful protective umbrella. She was just about to speak when the system’s voice chimed in.

[I’ve got something good! A massive treasure! Does the host want to hear about it?]

“Tell me,” she said in her mind.

[That mountain range in Babayan you won at the auction is located forty kilometers off the coast of Kalychi. The system has detected abundant oil and natural gas resources there! It’s estimated to hold about 1.5 billion tons of oil and 90 billion cubic meters of natural gas! This is the largest oil field ever discovered in Valoria to date. Host, you’ve struck it rich!]

Rian literally couldn’t fathom it. Although she was already wealthy, being confronted with such a direct and astronomical sum of money still left her astonished.

Just what was the concept of 1.5 billion tons of oil? Crude oil was priced at around fifty to fifty-one US dollars per barrel. With one ton of oil equaling about seven barrels, a single ton was worth roughly 350 to 357 dollars. At an exchange rate of 1 USD to 6.19 RMB, one ton of oil was worth approximately 2,166.5 to 2,209.83 yuan. That meant 1.5 billion tons of oil equated to a staggering 3.3 trillion yuan!

And what about 90 billion cubic meters of natural gas? Natural gas sold for anywhere between 1.5 to 5 yuan per cubic meter. Calculating at a conservative 2 yuan per cubic meter, 90 billion cubic meters would be 180 billion yuan.

Adding in the fact that the mineral deposit itself was already worth tens of billions, she hadn’t just earned back her entire initial investment—she had multiplied it many times over.

[According to estimates, if the host hadn’t purchased that mountain range, its mineral deposits wouldn’t have been discovered for another fifty years, possibly even longer. Therefore, you haven’t interfered with causality.]

Rian’s eyes lit up. At this rate, she’d become an oil tycoon in minutes! However, she knew that if she tried to swallow this massive deposit all by herself, she would absolutely bite off more than she could chew.

She lifted her gaze to meet the elder’s benevolent eyes and broke into a wide smile. To the elder, however, it suddenly felt as though he was being schemed against.

Hesitating slightly, he asked, “Is there something you need my help with, Young Miss Sinclair?”

“Yes. I have a rather tricky matter on my hands, and I urgently need the state’s backing.”

Rian beamed at the elder. After all, when it came to finding a backer, who could possibly compare to Veridia? Furthermore, she didn’t have the slightest hesitation about contributing to her motherland.

The elder had merely been offering a polite courtesy and hadn’t expected the young woman to actually have a request, but he simply smiled and replied, “Go ahead and tell me, Young Miss Sinclair.”

Rian looked at him and sat up straight. Her tone was completely serious and earnest. “Sir, I have discovered an incredibly abundant oil and natural gas deposit under my name.”