My System Arrives 3 Years Earlier, But the Deities Haven't Come Yet

"One year, or no deal," Zeng Shen insisted.

"This..." Jack hesitated on the other end of the WeChat call.

Sensing Jack's indecision, Zeng Shen proposed a compromise. "How about we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?" Jack inquired.

"It's simple. If you can find me in the city within five days, I'll tell you where the mine is."

"And if we can't?" Jack asked.

"Then just prepare the signing ceremony, hold a press conference, and wait a year to learn the mine's location."

"A game of cat and mouse, huh? I like it," a confident young voice chimed in, introducing himself as Gubat Wei of the Gubat family.

"Mr. Zeng Shen, I'm Gubat Wei. If we catch you within five days, I hope you'll honor your word and reveal the mine's location. If not, my family, one of the four major grain merchants, will be the first to sign an agreement with you."

"I guarantee my word," Zeng Shen replied.

"Good, Mr. Zeng Shen. But before the game begins, I have a small request," Gubat Wei added.

"What request?"

"How can we be sure you're still in Old Gold Mountain and not driving to another city?"

"It's simple. To ensure your confidence in losing, I'll appear under a street camera in Old Gold Mountain every day. Take your chances. And just so you know, I'm not alone here. Catching me won't be easy."

"Fair enough, but Mr. Zeng Shen seems well-prepared. I have another small request," Gubat Wei continued.

"What request?" Zeng Shen asked.

"If we lose, when signing the agreement, can I have a piece of Green Dew Imperial Jade as a deposit?"

"I have a few finger-sized pieces. Do you want them?"

"I'll take them all."

"Only one."

"Fine."

"I'll choose the largest piece for you. In return, help me connect with other meat suppliers," Zeng Shen proposed.

As he finished, another unfamiliar young voice interjected.

"Mr. Zeng Shen, I'm Tronton of the Tront family. We own a third of the farms in the country. If we fail to catch you, we'll cooperate with you, but I want a piece of Green Dew Imperial Jade as a deposit."

"No problem. Let the game begin," Zeng Shen concluded, ending the call and turning his attention back to Lin Keke.

Meanwhile, at the Biological Genetics Research Base, Dean Jack, Smithson, Kekelin, Admiral Bayard, Gubat Wei, Tronton, and the black-suited scientist Ella watched a team of top tech experts.

"Have you located him?" Admiral Bayard asked.

One technician looked up. "I've been tracking the signal, and it shows he's in Daxia."

"In Daxia?" Smithson exclaimed, shaking his head. "It's impossible. It takes a day and a night to fly back from Old Gold Mountain. He can't be there."

"He can't be. I suspect he has a top hacker constantly interfering with your tracking," Ella suggested, gaining nods from the others.

Unbeknownst to them, Zeng Shen had no hacker. The signal was in Daxia because he was indeed there.

"We underestimated him. He's more prepared than we thought," Dean Jack remarked, rubbing his forehead.

Turning to Gubat Wei, Jack asked, "Was that a delaying tactic, or were you serious?"

Gubat Wei replied coldly, "Dean Jack, unlike some family elders, I always mean what I say. It's both a delaying tactic and an open strategy."

"Whom are you implying?" Tronton demanded, frowning at Gubat Wei. "Do you think he's easy to catch? Admiral Bayard deployed over a thousand men, monitored everything 24/7, and still couldn't find him. Do you think you'll have better luck?"

Admiral Bayard, slightly annoyed, retorted, "As soon as he shows himself tomorrow, we'll narrow the search and find him quickly."

"I hope you don't disappoint us, Admiral," Tronton replied nonchalantly.

"Hmph," Admiral Bayard snorted and left.

The next day...

As dawn broke, Xiao Ai arrived at room 902 in the Lucky District. Entering, she found Zeng Shen bathing with the help of Xiao Ti and Lin Keke. She retrieved a phone and a bank card from her bag.

"Master, this is a phone with a local number and a bank card with a million inside," she said.

"You're always so thoughtful, Xiao Ai," Zeng Shen praised, taking the items into his backpack space before pulling Xiao Ai into the bath.

Two hours later, dressed with the help of the three women, Zeng Shen used the Wormhole Marker Card to reappear on the streets of Old Gold Mountain. He stood by the traffic light where he had exited the car the previous day.

Yesterday, when deciding to follow Smithson to Jack's research base, he had marked the spot with a waypoint.

Now, once again at the location, he didn't immediately emerge from invisibility. He moved to a secluded corner, revealed himself, and then walked into the intersection.

Turning to a street camera, he flipped a middle finger before quickly heading into an alley without cameras.

In the city's monitoring room, an officer and ten subordinates had been watching the cameras since midnight, ready to alert them if anything resembling Zeng Shen appeared.

As Zeng Shen showed his face at the intersection, an alarm sounded from a small window.

"Quick, target sighted. Save the recording."

"Call Admiral Bayard and report the target on North Street."

"Yes, sir."

"Notify nearby units to apprehend him and block all traffic routes in North City," the night-shift officer ordered, thrilled at the prospect of capturing the highly-prioritized target.

However, unbeknownst to them, Zeng Shen had already changed his appearance using a disguise mask, adopting the face of a youth he had seen in the lab.

In a deserted corner, he swapped his clothes for a new casual outfit from his backpack grid before calmly walking down the main street.

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