194: Chapter 194 Golden Meteorite

With that, Zhang Wei walked to a flat area on the coast and carefully turned on the metal detector. The machine operated silently, without making any sound. Zhang Wei took a few more steps forward when suddenly, the metal detector let out a sharp alarm!

Hearing the alarm, Zhang Wei immediately stopped. He carefully marked the spot where the alarm had just sounded and then began to dig. Hearing the noise, An Xiaoxi also hurried over, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and expectation.

"Will we dig up some treasure?" An Xiaoxi asked excitedly, her hands tightly covering her mouth.

Before long, Zhang Wei had dug to a depth of nearly 10 centimeters. Just then, his shovel hit a hard object. Carefully brushing away the soil, a small stone was revealed. The surface of this stone was pitch black, but it felt heavy in his hand, giving off a quite unusual feeling.

Zhang Wei's heart stirred; this didn't look like the pure gold meteorite described in the Intelligence System. To confirm, he picked up the metal detector on the side and swept it over the stone again. The detector immediately emitted a series of rapid "beeps," clearly indicating that this stone contained metal components inside.

Driven by curiosity, Zhang Wei lightly scraped the surface of the stone with his fingernail. Once that layer of black outer shell was scraped away, a brilliant golden color was revealed inside, dazzling to the eye.

"What is this? Why is it so black?" An Xiaoxi leaned in and asked curiously.

Zhang Wei smiled slightly and explained, "This isn't an ordinary stone; it's a pure gold meteorite. The reason the surface is pitch black is likely due to the high-temperature scorching it experienced while passing through the atmosphere."

"When a meteor passes through Earth's atmosphere, it generates very intense friction, so it usually catches fire and burns at an extremely high temperature. Many substances cannot withstand such heat and might vanish completely while burning. However, gold is not afraid of such high temperatures; it is very stable and hardly reacts chemically with other substances even when burned. At most, it reaches its melting point and turns into a fluid state. Once it falls to the Earth's surface and the temperature cools down, it turns back into a solid piece of gold. Therefore, the purity of a pure gold meteorite is very high."

Saying this, Zhang Wei took out an electronic scale from his backpack and carefully placed the pure gold meteorite on it. The numbers on the scale jumped continuously before settling at 159.64 grams.

"Wow, this piece of gold is quite heavy!" An Xiaoxi exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Wei nodded and continued his science lesson: "During the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian periods, these golden meteorites were often used to make religious implements and precious jewelry, regarded as the protection of the gods and a symbol of wealth."

"Because golden meteorites contain large amounts of gold, copper, potassium, and some rare elements, they are not only difficult to find on Earth but also make golden meteorites precious objects for research."

"Alright, Little girl, we've finally found it." Zhang Wei let out a long sigh of relief, patted the dust off his clothes, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He looked around; the sea breeze was piercing and the cold was biting. A few withered yellow leaves were scattered across the beach, making it look exceptionally desolate.

"Hurry up, let's not freeze here." As he spoke, he carefully organized his tools one by one and put them into his backpack.

An Xiaoxi tightened her coat, the tip of her nose reddened by the cold, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Zhang Wei, let me carry this pure gold meteorite for you." There was a hint of anticipation in her voice.

Zhang Wei nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he handed the meteorite to An Xiaoxi.

The two walked side by side toward the parking lot by the sea. The sea breeze howled past, making their clothes flutter loudly. Zhang Wei and An Xiaoxi couldn't help but quicken their pace. The heater inside the car had already been turned on; as soon as they got in, warmth instantly surrounded them, dispelling the chill from their bodies.

"The seaside in winter is truly miserable. Let's go back and take a good hot bath; we have to attend the Fusheng Company's annual meeting tomorrow." Zhang Wei remarked while starting the car. An Xiaoxi nodded with a smile. The car slowly drove away from the beach.

The luxury liner Daphnis, breaking through the waves on the vast ocean, was like a floating palace. Its name was taken from the Laurel Goddess, Daphne, who symbolizes victory and glory in Greek mythology. The hull shimmered in the sunlight, like a brilliant pearl on the sea.

Hearing this, Lu Yuhan smiled slightly, her face overflowing with pride: "Of course. The Fusheng Group is the premier conglomerate in the City Name. Every year, the mid-to-high-level annual meeting strives for perfection to showcase the group's strength and style. How could it be handled carelessly?" After speaking, she also lightly patted An Xiaoxi's shoulder, as if comforting her not to be too surprised.

Just then, a waiter in a crisp uniform respectfully stepped forward and said politely, "Miss Lu, everyone's seats are ready. Please wait a moment."

Just as he finished speaking, Xiang Yuanyuan's figure appeared before everyone. With a smile like a blooming flower, she greeted them warmly, "Yuhan, you're here!"

"Hello everyone, I am Yuhan's friend, Xiang Yuanyuan." She introduced herself gracefully and then pointed to the tall and dignified young man beside her. "This is Qin Yu."

Lu Yuhan then introduced Zhang Wei, An Xiaoxi, and Liu Haorui one by one. The exchange of pleasantries made the atmosphere even more harmonious.

The waiter appeared again at the right time and reported softly, "Miss Lu, the seats have all been arranged. Please follow me."

Seeing this, Xiang Yuanyuan asked softly, "Yuhan, can we add two more seats?"

"Of course. We're all so familiar with each other, let's sit together," Lu Yuhan agreed without hesitation.

The waiter nodded slightly and led the group politely: "Then, please follow me." The group walked toward their reserved seats in this luxurious environment.

The metal etching process gave the restaurant a unique sophistication and luxury. Crystal chandeliers emitted a soft glow, reflecting a brilliant light and shadow. Not far away, a violinist was focused on playing, the melodious tune echoing in the air. A faint, pleasant high-end fragrance filled the air, making one feel refreshed.

After everyone took their seats, the atmosphere was both relaxed and pleasant. Xiang Yuanyuan started the conversation in a soft voice: "Actually, I'm not just Yuhan's friend; we also work at the same company." Saying this, she turned her head and glanced at Qin Yu sitting beside her with a shy look, continuing, "Qin Yu and I met while filming a short drama. That was the first time I saw him."}],