Chapter 243: Chapter 183: The Three Treasures of Myanmar (Part 2)

A lot of the gold on the market in Southeast Asia is low-purity, with some even using sand gold to pass for the real thing. But it was clear that the bars this gang lord had collected were all high-quality.

Sixty-eight bars amounted to about 7.9 kilograms, worth around four to five million. It wasn’t a huge sum and was far less expensive than the jadeite accessories.

However, gold would be hard currency in the Apocalypse, while jadeite would be worthless. So he could keep the gold without needing to launder it, but the jadeite had to be liquidated to raise funds for building the shelter.

Just then, more guards rushed over, only to be met by his Cold Ice Sword Qi.

They died, one after another.

By the time Li Xiang leaped from the balcony into the courtyard, the entire estate was essentially deserted.

He found the semi-truck from before. The driver had already fled, and the truck was still half-loaded with cargo. A forklift sat beside it, also abandoned. They must have been halfway through unloading when they heard something was wrong and simply ran for it.

Li Xiang stored all the rough stones, both on the truck and on the ground, into his system warehouse before entering the storeroom.

Whoa. The warehouse was nearly the size of five basketball courts, and the floor was covered in jadeite. There were rough stones and cut slabs piled everywhere. On some shelves to the side, there were many unprocessed pieces of jadeite with excellent clarity. Several of the slabs had circles drawn on them, likely marked for cutting into bangles.

Half an hour later, only some obviously inferior stones remained in the warehouse. All the other slightly better rough stones and cut pieces had gone into Li Xiang’s system warehouse.

After daybreak, a huge piece of news spread like wildfire through the streets of Mandalay.

"Did you hear? Did you hear? Just last night, the jadeite businesses of three different gangs were completely cleaned out! The losses are supposedly as high as a billion!"

"My god, no wonder so many police were out this morning."

"Which three?"

"The Leopard Gang, the Black Lion Association, and a terrorist organization called the RPGF."

"Who the hell is badass enough to dare to rob them?"

"Some people are saying it was Rakhine State, others say the Deqin Party, or maybe Wa State. Anyway, it’s just crooks robbing crooks, right?"

...

By this point, Li Xiang had of course long since left Mandalay City. He was now in a primeval forest, scouring the mountainside.

Myanmar is in a tropical rainforest region and has extremely high forest coverage. In particular, it is home to many precious woods, like Burmese Teak, Golden Camphor Wood, and Burmese Rosewood.

If he were back in China, he would never dare to be so brazen in broad daylight; he’d be easily spotted by high-resolution satellites. But in a place like Myanmar... ’Well, the sun’s out,’ he thought. ’All the better for scouring the mountainside.’

It was currently the rainy season in Myanmar, but the weather had been quite nice for the past few days.

Li Xiang got lucky. Around ten in the morning, he came across a massive Burmese Teak tree and felled it.

Judging from its growth rings, the tree was over ninety years old, making it quite valuable.

Burmese Teak is known as the "King of all Woods." While it grows in Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries, the teak from Myanmar is considered the finest in quality.

This wood, also called Rouge Wood, is not only water- and fire-resistant, but also withstands termites and marine borers, making it extremely rot-resistant. It has a moderate hardness, so it isn’t difficult to cut, but its high silica content tends to dull tools. It is globally recognized as a precious timber.

The deck of the Titanic was said to have been laid with teak, which can remain perfectly preserved even after a century in seawater. Teak is the only type of lumber that won’t warp or crack when exposed to seawater corrosion and harsh sunlight, making it one of the most durable woods in the world.

Besides Rouge Wood, Burmese Teak is also known as "Golden Teak." This is because its golden-hued planks feature beautiful "golden thread" patterns. Under prolonged exposure to sunlight and photosynthesis, this grain gradually becomes even more golden, as if painting a rich and magnificent tapestry.

Whether used for flooring, furniture, or decoration, it is of the absolute highest quality.

Of course, such a precious wood is quite rare even in Myanmar, as it grows very slowly, taking at least sixty years to reach maturity.

There may have been many in the past, but any that were found have likely been felled or placed under protection. Truly wild specimens like this can only be found deep in the remote, old-growth forests where few people ever venture.

Tropical rainforests are fraught with danger, such as the extremely annoying leeches and mosquitoes.

The leeches here are larger and more disgusting than elsewhere; the way they suck blood is terrifying and nauseating. Of course, these leeches are now quite valuable. Some people specialize in catching them to sell, mainly for export to China or for use in Burmese Medicine. Middlemen frequently come to collect them in places like southern Shan State.

As for the mosquitoes, they are also enormous. A single bite leaves a thumb-sized welt, and most carry potent venom. A bite can cause a high fever; the Expeditionary Force suffered greatly from both these creatures back in the day due to a lack of doctors and medicine.

Li Xiang was clad in his Black Mountain Profound Armor, and his body was shielded by immense Spiritual Power, so neither leeches nor mosquitoes could get near him. Any that came close were instantly vibrated to death.

Li Xiang couldn’t be bothered with disgusting things like leeches, and they weren’t worth much money anyway.

System: "Detected Tier Sixteen Mutated Creature: Silver-striped White Tiger."

A fierce wind howled through the mountains, carrying a foul, predatory stench. A massive Bengal White Tiger pounced at Li Xiang from behind. In truth, Li Xiang had detected the tiger long before.

’What nerve. You dare attack me?’

Li Xiang didn’t use his Sword Qi or the White Fang Dagger, nor did he use any of the guns or grenades he’d acquired. Instead, he spun around and threw a heavy punch straight at the tiger’s forehead!