"Sir, we're all set," his assistant reported.
"Be careful. Make sure the guards are properly arranged," William instructed.
"Don't worry, we've simulated everything on the sand table multiple times. There won't be any accidents," his assistant reassured him.
"Right. Let's not make the same mistakes as last time."
William White was pulling all the stops for the treasure on Robinson Island. The island was now a national park, and digging was out of the question.
Using a typhoon as cover to dig was still a huge risk. No matter how fast the cargo ship was, it wasn't built to withstand high seas.
Fortunately, weather satellites were now very accurate. If nothing extraordinary happened, he thought he had a solid chance.
Robinson Island was renowned, but it wasn't a busy tourist spot. With a typhoon approaching, there wouldn't be any visitors on the island.
In reality, the so-called tourists were just treasure seekers. The word of the treasure had been common knowledge since World War II, but no one had ever found it.
How did William know, you ask? The treasure had been featured on a National Geographic program, and he certainly knew its details because that show focused on specifics.
Looking at the sand table before him, William calculated their timeline. If all went well, excavation would commence in two hours.
...
William put a lot of thought into choosing the crew. When it comes to such jobs, those from rural backgrounds wouldn't care too much about riches. Or rather, they might not even grasp what this wealth meant.
"Old bird, the landing zone is secure."
"Roger that. From now on, no one is allowed to approach. If anything goes south, stick to the plan."
Tanner had been to this spot many times and could find it with his eyes closed.
As for the treasure from the White family, that was all the young master had said, leaving little explanation.
Tanner figured this treasure probably wasn't pirate loot. It might've been hidden by that general from back in the day.
The reasoning was simple: pirates couldn't possibly accumulate that much wealth. Judging by the numbers described by the young master, it seemed more like spoils from suppressing bandits. Could it be that the young master's ancestors were either navy or pirates?
The main component of the treasure was gold, and that said a lot about its era. If it were the early age of exploration, pirates would mainly have taken pearls and silver.
Yet, he didn't dwell much on the treasure's origins. For him, it was about not betraying the young master's trust. As for cash, the young master was always generous and never regarded him as lowly.
When it came to backup plans, they were well prepared; they had nothing onboard to identify themselves. As long as they didn't get caught in the act, they were in good shape.
...
Time ticked by, and William lit a cigarette. Eight hours had passed, and if they found nothing soon, they'd have to change their plan.
Finding something was one thing; moving it was another.
"Sir, we found a passage. We're clearing it now."
"Good. Be careful; the typhoon's getting closer. Get ready for drainage."
"Understood."
Even though it was a satellite phone, lengthy conversations weren't necessary. After all, these things weren't particularly reliable.
Those with the protagonist aura always had good luck. If they hadn't fortuitously hit a passage, eight hours wouldn't have sufficed.
It was almost amusing to think that his current wealth far exceeded that so-called treasure. Yet, he couldn't help feeling overly excited.
"Sir, we made a discovery down below. It should be what we're looking for."
"Be cautious, pass things out slowly. It might rain soon, so move fast."
In truth, the likelihood of a collapse in the passage was low; while it had sandy soil, there was clay too, and the sides were secured with timber and stones.
"Sir, we located the goods and are currently clearing them."
"Great. The typhoon's path has shifted a bit. If luck's on our side, the winds won't be too severe. If anything changes, I'll let you know."
"Got it."
...
What followed was a long wait. To be honest, William wished he could fast-forward his watch.
"Darling, what's the matter? You've seemed distracted all day."
William sighed, not wanting to bring up the topic. "Just thinking over some plots; hit a bit of a wall. How's our daughter?"
"She was playing a bit too rambunctiously. The nanny took her for a bath; she should be off to bed soon."
"Sigh, kids sure know how to have fun, carefree and all. It's nice."
"You look a bit worn out; want me to give you a massage?"
"Sure, I'd appreciate that."
Once he relaxed, William quickly drifted off to sleep. At this point, if anything else went wrong, it'd just have to be chalked up to fate.
What followed was nearly two days of waiting.
William thought to himself that sneaky dealings were best left behind. He had a hard time keeping his cool over such matters.
Well, someone was getting a bit too sentimental again. Even among the top ten consortiums, facing such wealth wouldn't leave anyone indifferent. Hundreds of tons of gold weren't a laughing matter.
"Sir, it's clear down below. We checked three times."
"Okay, try to restore it to its original state and fill in all the fresh soil."
"Right."
"Team Two, start moving."
"Yes, sir."
While William was lost in thought, his men were wrapping things up. Their prepped rehearsals showed in their remarkable efficiency.
At this point, even with shifts digging, the crew was plenty worn out.
"Everyone, let's step it up! The young master promised that all previous deals would be doubled. Any special requests will be accommodated!"
Since cheering was not an option, the men continued to work in relative silence after hearing those words, but their efficiency visibly heightened.
*****
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