Shanshan County Town isn't very large. After Zhong Rui returned with the supplies, the three of them drove along the main road and found a hotel to stay in.

After lying down on the bed, Qi Yun suddenly remembered the matter with Brother Peng from last night. He smacked his forehead, realizing he had forgotten, and immediately called to explain the situation.

After hanging up, he fell into a deep sleep on the bed, only waking up again in the evening.

The three of them went out for dinner and returned to the hotel. The small town quieted down early at night, with nothing much to explore.

[Today's Information 1 (Red): A cow sold at the North Bazaar in Shanshan County Town has a bezoar weighing about 300 grams inside it]

[Today's Information 2 (Red): In the walnut grove's shack in Group 11 of Yukang Village, Difeng Town, Shanshan County, there's a fugitive named Li Gang. Three months ago, after a drunken dispute in Kashi, he stabbed someone to death and then fled here.]

"Hiss~"

Qi Yun sucked in a cold breath as he looked at the intel before him.

A fugitive here?

He quickly checked his phone and found that there indeed was a wanted man named Li Gang with a bounty of fifty thousand!

Although fifty thousand isn't much to him now, should he be involved?

If he ignores it, does that count as failure to report what he knows?

After considering for some time, he decided to first find the meteorite tomorrow before checking out the area nearby.

The next day, the three of them left the hotel early in the morning.

Mamati first took them to find some wooden planks, then headed towards the desert.

Once they left the county town, the roads became rough, turning into bumpy dirt tracks.

Mamati drove in front, and Qi Yun followed in his car. Mamati even gave him a walkie-talkie to facilitate communication.

"Boss Qi, we're about to enter the desert ahead. Make sure you follow my tire tracks closely to avoid getting stuck."

"Got it!"

The car slowly entered the desert, with the surroundings gradually getting covered in a sea of yellow sand.

Qi Yun gripped the steering wheel tightly, following closely behind Mamati's car.

They moved at a slow pace, covering only a bit more than ten kilometers in over half an hour.

At this moment, Mamati's voice came through the walkie-talkie again: "Boss Qi, there's a big sand dune ahead; we need to pass through carefully."

"Alright, I'll be cautious," Qi Yun replied.

Mamati's car moved towards the sand dune first, slowly crawling up as the wheels slipped occasionally.

Midway up the dune, the Jeep tilted dangerously, almost flipping over.

Fortunately, the off-road vehicle's performance was reliable. Mamati increased the throttle and, with some thrill, successfully climbed over.

Witnessing this, Qi Yun followed, his wheels slipping in the loose sand, making a "sss" sound.

The Prado equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine did not disappoint and had no mishaps.

After crossing the dune, the two vehicles continued into the depths of the desert.

The sun grew increasingly scorching, with its rays beating down unshielded on the sand surface, reflecting a dazzling light.

Over two hours later, Mamati's voice came through the walkie-talkie again.

"Boss Qi, we're at the location you mentioned." With this, the Jeep slowly came to a stop.

Qi Yun also stopped the car and turned to Zhong Rui, asking, "How's it going? Have you figured it out?"

On the way, Zhong Rui had been studying how to use the metal detector and had now learned the operation.

"Boss, it's simple. Just flip this switch and then like this, like this..."

Qi Yun patted his shoulder, smiling, and said, "Find it well, and I'll give you a ten-thousand bonus if you succeed."

Zhong Rui's eyes lit up instantly, and he said excitedly, "Thank you, boss! I'll definitely give it my best!"

With that, he eagerly grabbed the metal detector, opened the car door, and jumped out.

Qi Yun also got out of the car. Fortunately, it was winter; even under the blazing sun, the desert wasn't too hot. If it were summer, it'd probably be unbearable.

Qi Yun looked around and pointed to the surroundings, saying, "Let's take the car as the center and gradually search outwards. Zhong Rui, you head east, and I'll go west."

"Don't go too far. If you can't see the car, don't go any further."

Zhong Rui nodded, "Okay, boss."

And so, they each began their search, with Mamati staying in the car to handle any emergencies.

The sand beneath their feet was soft, and without paying attention, it would get into their shoes.

Fortunately, Mamati had mentioned there were no quicksands on this side, or Qi Yun wouldn't dare to split up.

The metal detector intermittently beeped, prompting him to squat and sift through the sand, but it wasn't what he was looking for.

He continued, eyes carefully scanning the sand surface, but over an hour passed with no results.

Qi Yun began to suspect it might be buried too deep under the sand.

He turned back towards the parking spot, intending to drink some water and then try a different direction.

At this moment, he suddenly saw Zhong Rui waving at him from not far away, but his voice was swallowed by the howling wind.

Qi Yun signaled with the walkie-talkie, reminding Zhong Rui of its existence in his pocket. Zhong Rui quickly took it out and shouted excitedly, "Boss, I've found something!"

Qi Yun's heart leaped with joy, and he rushed over eagerly.

Upon arriving, he saw Zhong Rui excitedly pointing at a palm-sized, pitch-black stone on the ground, exclaiming, "Boss, is this a meteorite?"

He moved the metal detector over the pitch-black stone, prompting it to beep rapidly and shrilly.

The display screen indicated that the stone had a high iron content, yet Qi Yun couldn't see the familiar faint glow.

Clearly, it was an iron ore, not the meteorite they were seeking.

He laughed, patting Zhong Rui on the shoulder, "Not bad, but this isn't what we're looking for. Keep it up."

Zhong Rui scratched his head, showing a hint of embarrassment, "Boss, I thought I had found it."

"No worries, keep looking, and be careful not to wander off," Qi Yun said, handing him a bottle of water, before continuing the search in another direction.

Time flew by, and after another hour, the two returned to the parking area to replenish their energy.

Qi Yun was empty-handed, while Zhong Rui had picked up several brightly colored kava stones.

It was now one o'clock in the afternoon. Mamati came over, checked the time, and said, "Boss Qi, we need to head back by 4 PM at the latest. It's too dangerous to overnight in the desert."

Qi Yun nodded after sipping water, "No problem. We'll head back at four whether we find it or not."

"Okay," Mamati responded, returning to the car without additional comments.

He was worried about some stubborn bosses ignoring his advice and making risky decisions.

Being in the desert is far from as calm as it appears from the outside.

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