Chapter 238

That really sounds like something a con artist would say.

Song Youli's gaze at her shifted involuntarily.

Song Youli: "Ling Yue, don't say that—maybe I was just too tired earlier and my mind was fuzzy."

She thought Ling Yue might just be comforting herself; she appreciated the good intention, but getting rich—how could that be possible?

Out of consideration for their coworker relationship, she gave Ling Yue a good scolding.

But once those words were out, the audience heard them loud and clear—most were office workers, and hearing "get rich" hit them like a shot of adrenaline, jumping up instantly.

【Get rich? What get rich?】

【Where to get rich? Where's the wealth? Eyes wide like copper bells. JPG】

【No way, what wealth could there be in such a poor mountain ditch?】

【I know this guest—she's the top sister on the Orca platform, rumored to be some kind of occult master, but lay off the marketing, the kids are about to rebel!】

【??? No, the person saying that must never have watched a livestream—does our Yueyue even need marketing?】

For a moment, the live chat was full of conflicting opinions, mainly because the variety show had just started filming; many didn't believe it, and probably only when facts are laid out and reasoning given, and the thing actually happens before their eyes, will viewers believe.

By a twist of fate, the netizens' argument actually boosted the show's popularity; the assistant director couldn't stop smiling, but when he glanced at the director, his heart gave a jolt—Director Liu still wore a stern face, staring at the livestream, unsure what he was looking at.

The assistant director, nervous as ever, still turned back to the livestream—he was also curious: what basis does Ling Yue have for claiming Song Youli could get rich in this poor mountain ditch?

Ling Yue didn't know any of that; she looked at Song Youli, tapped the spot she had just pointed to with her toe, and asked, "Are you sure it's here?"

Song Youli nodded eagerly, saying firmly, "I'm sure!"

As she spoke, she bit her lip, making her face turn even paler—after all, at this close distance, she couldn't forget even if she wanted to!

Ling Yue suddenly shifted tone: "Do you have any tools? Preferably a shovel or something like that."

The fellow guests stared, then shook their heads—we came up the mountain for tourism, who'd bring heavy tools, are we stupid?

Song Youli rummaged through her backpack, suddenly pulled out something, held it with both hands and offered it: "I—I wonder if this will work?"

Ling Yue looked up—it was a tiny spoon.

She gave Song Youli a look, and an imaginary black line drooped long above her head.

Will it work? What do you say?

The netizens in the livestream saw it and burst out laughing.

【A spoon? Will a spoon work? Ling Yue obviously wants an iron shovel to dig something up, and you're asking if a spoon will work? Hahaha】

【Save me, the chestnut is just too cute!】

Ling Yue almost laughed at her teasing, but she also knew that the biggest tool a group like this could muster would probably just be an eating spoon.

She was thinking about doing it herself when the silent Qiu Jun beside her suddenly spoke: "I know where there are tools."

Seeing everyone look over, he clasped his hands nervously: "There's a little cottage on Lianhua Mountain left by an old hunter, not far from here—it was where they used to stay when hunting in the mountains."

Villagers could let passersby rest there when not in use, but lately no one's been up the mountain for decades, so it's been abandoned; there should still be tools inside—I'll go look!

Before Ling Yue could even answer, he earnestly ran off, drawing sideways glances.

Qin Mingwei: "Little Qiu is really a warm-hearted good person."

【Indeed, he looks sincere—if there's something, he'll really go look for it!】

Ling Yue hadn't waited long; in the blink of an eye, Qiu Jun came out carrying a hoe, his face showing a hint of puzzlement: "Why would anyone be up the mountain at this time of year?"

He couldn't figure it out, shook his head silently, then looked at Ling Yue apologetically: "I checked, and there's only one hoe left—will that do?"

Ling Yue beamed: "Of course it will!"

"A hoe and an iron shovel are the same—both are tools for digging earth."

Hearing her, everyone present was stunned; Ling Yue pointed to the small circle she had sketched earlier and said, "Do you have the strength? Take the hoe and dig inside the circle."

At this point, anyone who isn't an idiot can guess what she means, but guessing is one thing, believing is another.

Song Youli, blunt as ever, said directly: "Ling Yue, you mean there's something underground?"

Ling Yue nodded; seeing her serious expression, many viewers off‑screen chuckled darkly, some even swore oaths.

【What does it mean—Ling Yue just points and there could be treasure buried below? Does she have some kind of cheat?】

【Hehehe, impossible—if she could dig something up, I'll livestream myself doing a headstand and washing my hair all night!】

【I'll bet a pack of spicy sticks—there's definitely nothing down there! Rocks don't count!】

Meanwhile, amid all the chatter, on Lianhua Mountain Qiu Jun had already started digging; because the southern climate is humid and rainy, and the spot is only a few steps from the river, the soil is extremely loose—one strike of the hoe and a small pit appeared.

He's used to manual labor, so in just a few minutes he'd effortlessly dug down several dozen centimeters; the cameraman, a real character, pointed the lens straight at the pit, and viewers actually watched for seven or eight minutes without getting bored.

【Frog fun, I suddenly got an itch in my hands, feeling like I should find a spot to dig a pit!】

【Who would've thought I'd spend ten or so minutes on my computer watching someone dig a pit, and actually enjoy it—am I a pervert?】

【Sisters, me too! This is the awakening of the farming bloodline of us descendants of Yan and Huang! 【excited】【handshake】】

"Thud."

The heated chat suddenly froze, with who knows how many people staring blankly at the screen.

Qiu Jun's hands went numb from the shock; after releasing force and rubbing them, he looked uncertain and bewildered: "It feels like there's something down there? Not a stone."

He often works in the fields, so he knows exactly what a stone sounds like; what the hoe hit was nothing like that—a dull thud, as if the hoe had struck wood.

Ling Yue didn't explain, but simply said, "Keep digging."

Beside her, Song Youli covered her mouth, staring in shock as the dark soil was scooped away to reveal a corner of something underground: a small reddish‑wood box inlaid with a row of white willow nails, one corner caved in—clearly the result of Qiu Jun's earlier strike.

Her eyes went wide and round like a startled animal's; she suddenly crouched and began clawing at the loose soil with her hands.

As she dug, she exclaimed, "There really is something! There really is something!" Ling Yue is truly a master!

Finally, a rectangular box several centimeters long came fully into view, a rusted‑to‑pieces little lock hanging on its front; Song Youli's curiosity spiked, she lightly touched it, and the crumbly iron lock snapped with a pop, falling to the ground.

Even those who had claimed the show crew had set it up in advance were stunned; a comment from an archaeology student read: "【This couldn't be a staged setup—look, the lock has completely rotted away.】"

【The rust color here is deep, definitely not from soaking in chemicals; judging by the traces, it's at least a hundred years old—don't touch the box directly, because although it looks fine, it's actually rotted through!】

Netizens' exclamations were unknown to Song Youli; she didn't dare open it again, carefully preparing to lift the box. The next moment, only a crack sounded, she instinctively felt something wrong—the originally somewhat exquisite small box instantly disintegrated!

A whoosh sounded.

The heavy object inside jumped out of the splintered wood; in an instant, the golden light almost blinded everyone, including Song Youli holding it with both hands.

!!!

She gasped, eyes wide, for inside the box lay a pile of palm‑sized, heavy, glittering gold ingots!

She wasn't short of money, but who doesn't love gold? The ingots fell to the ground, glaringly clear on camera.

This scene was undoubtedly shocking; the allure of money held everyone's gaze, viewers were on the verge of tears, the screen filled with heart‑rending shouts.

【Ahhhh, it's gold ingots! We've struck it rich! We're filthy rich!】

【Master, master, I was wrong! Ling Yue Master, I was wrong—I'll never dare disrespect you again! Please, Master, let me get rich!】

【Already screenshotted, I'm changing it to my new avatar right away!】

【Holy cow, brother, great sight—any pics? I'm changing mine too!】

The image of Song Youli clutching a pile of gold ingots instantly went viral; she who usually spent fortunes on outfits, makeup, and press releases never imagined this photo would be her biggest hit.

What, you say it's tacky?

This is beautiful! Majestic! Sis, I love you—you're a walking human gold ingot! Bring on the wealth!

Meanwhile, some clever folks, in silence, thought of one thing.

【"The golden hen is a gold ingot—what about the earlier flock of golden pigeons…?"】

【!!!】

【Gold gold gold gold mountain!】

【Can I still fly overnight to Lianhua Village?】

He belatedly realized it, talking while browsing the site, it lagged for a second, he re‑entered—everything was sold out!

He regretted it so much he nearly slapped his thigh till it broke.

At that moment, Ling Yue stepped out of camera view, took a call from the State Security Bureau, nodded, hung up, her expression unchanged—everything was under control; she had long anticipated the uproar once this went public.

That's an entire untouched, unmined gold mountain.

Where the dragon veins lie, there must be rare treasures; among them, wealth energy is the cheapest and most common—it's that legendary snow lotus that is the true treasure.

At the same time, Qiu Jun also received a call from his superior; not knowing what was said, it made her flush with excitement.

A group swiftly gathered the gold ingots; Song Youli prepared to make the most of the remaining time, getting close to them, since after descending the mountain she'd have to hand them over.

Domestic and foreign laws differ starkly; in China, anyone who unearths cultural relics must surrender them to the state—of course, if no one sees it, whether to hand it over is another matter.

However, given Song Youli's fame and the live‑stream exposure, she will surely turn them over to the state, and to her they're nothing much.

After all, showbiz is widely known as a fast‑money profession, and she herself comes from a well‑off background; otherwise she wouldn't be so extravagant.

"It's getting late, let's head down the mountain quickly." Qiu Jun said excitedly; he had just received instructions from his superiors, police were already en route, and they would likely protect Lianhua Mountain afterward. Thinking of this, he suddenly realized something, his brows drooping.

If mining proceeds, it will inevitably damage the Golden Pigeon Cave—after all, how can a scenic spot compare to an actual gold mine?

Then his plan will also come to naught.

To say he isn't heartbroken is absolutely false.

Ling Yue noticed his low spirits, combined with his earlier intent, she instantly understood, couldn't help but curl her lips and gaze into the distance: "Perhaps there's still another turning point."

Qiu Jun jerked at those words, stunned—what did she mean?

He looked over again; Ling Yue was half‑squatting, chatting with the hedgehog, pinching its little spines: "Do you want to go home? I can take you there."

The hedgehog's legs scrambled: "Really? I'm scared QWQ"

Ling Yue frowned—afraid of what?

She sensed the hedgehog was hesitating; before she could ask, it blurted: "I'm Jianjian. Kind human, you may call me Jianjian; if you can send me home, I'll give you the tasty berries I've eaten."

The Feng Shui Turtle Master poked his head out: "Didn't we say we were going down the mountain? Are you staying up here alone?"

Ling Yue nodded and smiled: "Who knows me best? None but you, Master!"

Given the upcoming developments, the number of watchers on Lianhua Mountain will likely keep growing, which is very unfavorable to her plan; therefore she intends to check things out in advance.

Another reason is her intuition.

Lianhua Mountain's earthly qi is rich, an absolute blessed cavern, yet Ling Yue faintly feels something is off, though she can't quite put her finger on it.

As for opportunity, her gaze fell on the eager hedgehog Jianjian—isn't this a ready‑made excuse?

Ling Yue told everyone her plan, then glanced at the hedgehog Jianjian beside her; Xiaobanli showed eager, watery eyes, and Qin Mingwei's words got stuck in his throat.

Still, he frowned, worried: "Can you really take the hedgehog home alone? Should we bring the show's crew? That would be a safeguard."

At the same time, the cameraman got a call from above: "You must follow her! You must go together with her!"

They were originally two camera crews; temporarily drafting them was no big deal. What mattered most was the audience—while Ling Yue spoke those two sentences, the live‑stream viewers chimed in eagerly, full of anticipation.

【Waaah, I knew it—Yueyue's side story is about to start! Hurry and send the hedgehog home!】

【The hedgehog is so cute, it secretly rubs its belly—so adorable!】

【Hehehe, I actually have a hedgehog right here watching the stream with me!】

After discussion, it was finally decided: they would first descend the mountain, Ling Yue and the cameraman would take the hedgehog home, the live‑stream would split, and the outcome was obvious.

Ling Yue alone took up the majority of three live‑streams!

It should be two, so why three? Because there's also Xu He, who seems to have recovered and started streaming from the village; without his massive fanbase of airheads, he'd barely register a fraction of two streams.

Reaching the top‑tier this far is already going all the way.

Evergreen trees don't mean they won't lose leaves; Ling Yue wore thick‑soled shoes, stepping on thin fallen leaves, the hedgehog Jianjian lay in her palm, a hedgehog's first time being this high made it again afraid… several points oh hello.

Jianjian the hedgehog: "My home is just ahead!"

Ling Yue nodded and walked in the direction it indicated.

Unnoticed, the hedgehog Jianjian in her palm suddenly lifted its paws to cover its eyes; this odd move was captured by the attentive cameraman, leaving the viewers very curious.

Ling Yue also didn't know that a big surprise was waiting for her.

According to Little Hedgehog Jianjian, its home lay at the bottom of a small dirt slope, with a small hawthorn tree nearby; Ling Yue soon spotted the tree, but the ensuing sight made her face shift slightly.

【What a huge pit!】

There was no slope, no burrow; beside the slender hawthorn tree lay a deep, wide open-air pit, with covering dry grass and leaves beside it.

The cameraman jumped in shock and couldn't help exclaiming, "What the heck is this!"

Ling Yue lowered her gaze calmly, looking at Little Hedgehog Jianjian as she said, "It should be a hunter's trap; it looks like something's been caught."

The cameraman scratched his head, embarrassed, and asked, "Then why is there no movement?"

【Big bro, you wouldn't know this, but the prey might have run off!】

【Or it's dead for sure; hunters usually bury something at the bottom of their traps, otherwise, a thick-skinned tank like a wild boar could collapse the pit even if it fell in!】

Ling Yue ultimately didn't answer; she lowered her head to look at her palm, where Little Hedgehog Jianjian curled into a ball, no longer daring to look at her.

Ling Yue raised her brows: "You don't have anything to say?"

Little Hedgehog Jianjian: "I, I'm sorry >person<"

Its long nose brushed against Ling Yue's palm, causing an itch, while it stretched out its four tiny paws: "I didn't mean to; I'm just so angry I didn't dare tell you—my home is gone……"

As it spoke, it suddenly burst into tears, rubbing its belly with its paws, wailing: "Wuu wuu wuu~ I'm so miserable; I went out to forage, came back and found my home gone! All the sweet fruits I painstakingly gathered are gone! Gone!"

It cried so hard it let out low whimpers, even the cameraman nearby heard it, involuntarily zooming in.

After hearing Ling Yue's translation, the netizens felt heartbroken.

【(*·ω·)? (. _.】) Pat the poor little thing, this is too pitiful!】

【If my painstakingly dug little house disappeared and my savings were taken, I'd be furious!】

【Little Hedgehog Jianjian is really adorable, but I see it's a state second‑class protected animal, so it seems I can't keep it.】

【Sis, you got it wrong—only the Heilongjiang hedgehog is a national second‑class protected animal; other hedgehogs are "three‑have" protected species, like frogs. Though frogs can't be kept, if you obtain a qualification certificate you can keep a little hedgehog! My friend has one, super cute!】

Ling Yue suddenly thought of something: "Then why didn't you come back, and have me bring you here?"

Little Hedgehog Jianjian clung to one of her fingers, its timid mung‑bean eyes looking at her: "Because… because I saw my fruit fall to the pit's bottom; could you help me pick it up?"

"I'm scared T^T"

If it hadn't lost its painstakingly stored food, it wouldn't have ventured to the stream to keep foraging, which caused it to slip and tumble into the river.

Actually, a hedgehog's diet is complex; it's an omnivore that eats fruit and meat, and sometimes even catches snakes and mice, which have toxin antibodies, and with its sharp spines, poisonous snakes can't do anything to it.

Little Hedgehog Jianjian puffed out its chest proudly: "Actually I'm super awesome!"

At that moment, Ling Yue glanced at its tiny size and instantly understood—being only slightly larger than her palm, if it fell in it would likely spend its whole life dying there.

Ling Yue couldn't help laughing: "All right, for your cute sake, I'll help you pick it up."

Little Hedgehog Jianjian: "(*/v＼*)"

It shyly curled into a ball, its little upturned nose sniffing, sensing the gentle emotion Ling Yue was giving off.

Amazingly, the initially sharp, hard little spines now lay soft and smooth like hair on Jianjian's body; even as it rolled in Ling Yue's palm, she felt not a hint of pain.

Ling Yue paused for a moment: "Jianjian is so adorable."

As an animal medicine student, Ling Yue knew the reason best.

In fact, the spines on a hedgehog's back are not what people think—they are not clothing but its hair, merely hollow and mainly made of keratin.

Only when Little Hedgehog Jianjian fully trusts and builds a trust bond with humans does it relax its spines.

It will raise its spines against enemies, the sharp points like spears launching an attack, but when facing someone it trusts, it will soften its spines, revealing its softest side.

Ling Yue blinked, brought the hedgehog to the pit's edge to check the situation, when suddenly a hoarse voice rang out; she instantly turned her head, eyes wary as she looked at the pit—

"Is anyone there? Save me! Save me!"

"Hurry and save us! My brother's about to die! Save me!"

The camera jolted sharply.

Not only the cameraman, but even the live‑stream audience jumped, their minds going blank.

【What's going on? I thought I just heard a human voice?!】

【No, it's not just like—there really is someone down in the pit!】

Ling Yue never expected she'd just hit the jackpot like that.

She lowered her head, and upon seeing the scene inside, her pupils instantly contracted; in the several‑meter‑deep pit, two adult men sat and lay, breathing faintly.

Seeing Ling Yue suddenly appear, the man who had sat up had his eyes light up instantly, pleading: "Save me! Save me! Hurry and get us out!"

His movement startled the man lying nearby, who let out a soft hiss; in Ling Yue's direction, the pit bottom actually held dozens of sharp bamboo stakes, one of the man's legs seemed impaled, wrapped in his coat, yet the bloody stains could not be concealed.

Though unfortunate, they were also fortunate—having fallen into the pit, it was lucky that out of the dozen or so bamboo spears, only one had pierced his leg, letting him narrowly keep his life.

Ling Yue couldn't make out the men's faces; they were so filthy they seemed unreal, so dirty she could only see their eyes.

Ling Yue: "Wait a moment, I'll go get help."

"Okay okay okay, thank you."

The uninjured man kept nodding, his eyes fixed on her, when suddenly the cameraman's head poked out, and he too jumped in shock.

Out of professional habit, he instinctively raised the camera; seeing the live‑stream viewers, he couldn't help exclaiming that these two looked utterly miserable, evoking pity and sympathy.

Ling Yue's eyes flickered; the moment the two men saw the cameraman, their bodies instantly tensed, their eyes wary like wolves in the mountains.

It seemed, moreover, that a killing intent was permeating the air.

Ling Yue gathered her gaze and asked carefully: "Who are you? How did you fall in?"

The man gave a wry smile: "We're donkey‑trekkers; we were just touring nearby, then got lost, our phones died, and somehow we ended up here, and then—by accident—we became like this."

"'A Liang.' The man with the injured leg suddenly spoke."

The other gripped his hand: "Brother, hold on a bit longer! We'll be out soon!"

"'Little miss, please hurry and pull us up—my brother's already running a fever, he can't hold on much longer!' He said with a hoarse voice, choked with tears, hot tears streaming down, making one's heart ache."

Ling Yue, hurry and save him—he's injured, we need to get him to the hospital!

The streamer's contact person, let's save again—this is a remote wilderness, still two big men; what if the other party harbors ill intentions, what should we do?

What time is it now? One injured, one weak, plus the strong cameraman brother and us watching—how could something go wrong?! Don't talk nonsense!

Ling Yue was unaware of the argument in the livestream room; she was tightly staring at the scratch beside the pit, following the trace down to where the man had collapsed.

The injured man kept leaning against the half-sitting man's embrace, tightly shielding his right arm; her gaze was piercing, and the man called Alang seemed to sense it, suddenly lifting his head.

Ling Yue's heart jumped instantly; those eyes were like a mountain ghost; Alang quickly dodged, lowered his head, and reached out to fiddle with his hair.

The livestream room suddenly popped up a bullet comment—

Quick look at his hand! His right hand only has four fingers!

【Ah, what does this mean?】,,,.