nagpurpolice Chapter 753 488: The Hunter and the Prey
Chapter 753 488: The Hunter and the Prey
Virginia is located in the mountains of western Montana, like a small town forgotten by time.The town's current permanent population is just over two hundred, with old wooden buildings and faded billboards, everything still retaining the look of the 19th-century gold rush era.
When Qi Yun and his group arrived by car, it was already dusk.
The main road of the town was only about a hundred meters long, with almost no pedestrians on the street, just one or two old taverns and inns with their lights still on.
Four cars parked at the inn's entrance, and the sudden appearance of a few Asian faces made the innkeeper take a second look.
This season was not the tourist season for Virginia, with lots of sand and wind, and foreigners rarely visited this place.
"Give us three rooms," Qi Yun said to the big-bearded owner.
The owner paused his gaze on Qi Yun's face for a few seconds, then scanned over Brother Quan, Xiao Wu, and the others behind him.
He then slowly fetched an old brass keychain from the drawer and weighed it in his hand.
"Where are you guys from?"
"Seattle."
"Sightseeing?"
"Yes."
The owner stared straight at Qi Yun, "Five hundred USD per room."
Five hundred USD, equivalent to nearly 3,500 RMB, for the conditions of this rundown inn, this price was practically daylight robbery.
Qi Yun frowned, took a stack of cash from his wallet, and placed it on the counter, "Three rooms, for one night first."
The owner picked up the money, counted it, and then handed over several keys, "Second floor, at the end of the corridor to the left."
Qi Yun took the keys, said nothing more, and turned to signal the others to head upstairs.
The inside of the inn was even more rundown than expected, creaking with each step, and the corridors were very narrow, with large areas of wall peeling, and the rooms were even worse, with simple wooden beds, a shaky table, and no other furniture.
At this rate, the cost-effectiveness was even more exaggerated than Hemu Village in J Province.
After closing the door, Qi Yun went to the window to look outside and found the big-bearded owner wandering around near their cars.
There were four vehicles, two off-road cars and two Raptor pickups, intended to be driven to the Golden Mountain, with some digging equipment in the truck beds, as the terrain over there was said to be very complex with poor accessibility.
"Give me the car keys," Qi Yun reached toward Brother Quan behind him.
Brother Quan handed over the Raptor's car key.
Qi Yun took it and pressed the lock button, causing a car below to beep and its lights to flash a few times.
The big bearded man downstairs paused his movements when the car sounded, looked up at the window of the second-floor room, and his eyes met Qi Yun's.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Big Beard awkardly walked away.
"Keep an eye on that guy, he seems quite interested in us," Qi Yun reminded as he handed the car key back to Brother Quan.
He saw a look of greed in the man's eyes.
Brother Quan nodded, indicating he understood.
People from this western region were generally considered to have a rough character.
Back in the 19th century, the area was filled with bandits, robbers, and bounty hunters...
Many Native American tribes were exterminated by these white settlers.
After a quick wash, Qi Yun led the others downstairs, planning to gather some information about the Golden Mountain at the nearby tavern.
According to the clues left in the book, to find the spot where the gold coins were buried, you first had to head west from the Golden Mountain, find a hill shaped like an eagle's beak, and then go two kilometers north to reach it.
Although there were specific markers, it only mentioned going west, without saying whether it was due west, northwest, or southwest.
Moreover, the area was quite like the Gobi in J Province, with significant sand and wind erosion, and over a hundred years had passed; who knew if the hill was still there.
So, it was necessary to find someone familiar with the area to inquire.
The tavern was right next door, and upon pushing the door open, a pungent smell drifted over, the smell of marijuana.
There weren't many people inside, about seven or eight, all male.
Some were playing pool, others chatting at the bar, but with the appearance of Qi Yun and his group, everyone looked over simultaneously, stopping their actions, including the ones holding marijuana.
In Montana, this stuff is legal, but only in private places; smoking marijuana in public places like a tavern is definitely illegal.
This showed how little the law seemed to matter in these remote backwater places.
Their eyes were scrutinizing, indifferent, curious, all focused on Qi Yun and his group.
Qi Yun's expression remained unchanged as he walked straight to an empty chair by the bar.
The people following behind him like Brother Quan looked like the kind of tough guys you wouldn't want to mess with, so the nearby drinkers subconsciously shifted a bit, making some space.
However, their eyes remained fixed on them.
"Five beers, please," Qi Yun said to the slightly older bartender.
The bartender wasn't particularly enthusiastic, slowly taking a few large glass mugs from under the bar and filling up five beers from the barrels behind, placing them on the bar.
Qi Yun placed a fifty US dollar bill down, the old bartender glanced at it, said nothing, didn't give change, and directly swept the money into the drawer.
Low conversation resumed around them, and the pool table once again became active, but eyes still occasionally glanced their way.
Qi Yun took a sip of beer and then looked at the bartender, "I'm looking for a guide, do you know anyone familiar with the area around the Golden Mountain?"
The old bartender paused his glass-wiping, his murky eyes looking at Qi Yun, then scanning over the silent and standing Brother Quan and the others behind him.
He didn't immediately answer but continued slowly wiping the glass in his hand.