America: The neighbor's wife is so incredibly hospitable!

Just then, a strange sound entered his ears.

"Waaah—waaah—"

It sounded like a low, mournful wail, or like the whistling of the wind as it passed through a narrow crevice.

The sound was shrill and ethereal, echoing through the silent mountain forest, sending chills down one's spine.

Chen An's eyes lit up.

That's the sound.

He followed the sound and carefully climbed up a steep rocky slope.

Suddenly, everything became clear.

It was a secluded recessed spot located halfway up the mountain.

There were several dead giant redwoods around.

At the base of these redwoods, a crack about two meters wide and three meters high has appeared in the rock wall.

That eerie whistling sound came from this crack.

"Devil's Throat".

Chen An stared at the dark opening.

It's probably called that because the entrance to the cave looks like a big mouth that's breathing.

As Chen An took a few steps closer, he immediately felt a strong gust of cold air gushing out from the cave.

The outdoor temperature is about 15 degrees Celsius, but the temperature of this airflow is definitely close to zero degrees Celsius.

It carried a chill that penetrated to the bone.

It was precisely because of this huge temperature difference that a layer of white frost even condensed on the rocks around the cave entrance.

"A breathing hole indicates that the space inside is huge, and there may even be an exit at the other end that creates convection."

Chen An turned on his high-powered flashlight, gripped the M1911 tightly, and slowly walked inside.

The cave was not as dry as I had imagined; in fact, it was very humid.

Water droplets, seemingly from nowhere, dripped from the rocks beneath our feet.

The further you go in, the quieter the wind becomes, and the more open the space becomes.

It went in about a hundred meters.

Chen An stopped in his tracks.

The sight before him made even this worldly-wise modern man hold his breath.

This is a huge natural cave hall, tens of meters high.

In the center of the hall is a bottomless underground lake with a dreamlike blue-green hue.

No, it's not a stagnant lake.

Chen An could see the water flowing slowly.

This is a reservoir formed by a huge underground river.

The water was so clear it was simply outrageous.

The beam of the flashlight could penetrate water more than ten meters deep.

I saw the white pebbles at the bottom of the water.

The entire pool of water resembles a huge, flowing piece of liquid jade.

"No wonder..." Chen An muttered to himself.

In this severely water-scarce inland western state.

Such an unpolluted underground water source with astonishing reserves is simply priceless.

If a pumping plant could be built here, it would be a money-printing machine that runs day and night.

Moreover, because it is located deep underground, the temperature here remains constant year-round, and the water is filtered through layers of rocks, making it rich in minerals.

Chen An squatted down, took out the empty bottle he had brought, and filled it with water.

Even through the plastic bottle, you can feel that refreshing coolness.

He unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

"hiss……"

It has a refreshing, cool taste upon entry, without any impurities, but rather a subtle sweetness.

"This must be what they call 'divine water'."

Chen An put the bottle cap back on, already having a plan in mind.

Selling the land is out of the question, but if we don't utilize this water, it would truly be a waste of resources.

However, just as he was about to get up and leave, his peripheral vision was suddenly drawn to a damp rock by the water.

There grew a cluster of dark green plants, their roots submerged in the cold spring water.

"This is……"

Chen An leaned closer for a look, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The plant had heart-shaped leaves, thick and fleshy, and its roots and stems had a pale purple hue.

Wild wasabi.

That is, the real high-grade wasabi.

This substance has extremely strict requirements for water quality; it must be flowing, low-temperature, and pure living water.

In the United States, this wild wasabi is almost a legendary ingredient.

The green "mustard paste" on the market is 99% made with cheap horseradish and coloring.

Real, freshly grated wasabi has a refreshing flavor, a pungent spiciness that isn't overpowering, and a unique herbal aroma.

At top-tier Japanese restaurants, a decent fresh wasabi root can sell for two or three hundred US dollars.

Chen An carefully pulled out one.

The rhizome is about the thickness of a thumb and is not very long, but its appearance is excellent.

Good water nurtures good things.

Chen An smiled. This is what can be quickly monetized right now.

Compared to the water selling business, which requires building factories and laying pipelines.

These premium ingredients growing in your own backyard are the best source of working capital.

He quickly gathered five or six ripe wasabi stalks, wrapped them in damp moss, and put them in his backpack.

"This place is simply a treasure trove."

Chen An clapped his hands in satisfaction and prepared to head home.

however.

As he stepped out of the "Devil's Throat" cave, there seemed to be a discordant noise mixed in with the sound of the mountain wind.

"Buzzing..."

It sounded like giant flies buzzing.

Chen An instantly became alert and quickly hid behind a redwood tree.

Look up.

A white quadcopter drone was hovering several dozen meters in the air.

The camera's dark lens was pointed in this direction, seemingly scanning the terrain.

There were no markings on the drone, but it was obvious who had put it there.

Hongyan Development Company.

These people were clearly not giving up; even after being refused, they still sent drones to illegally survey the area.

They might even be searching for the coordinates of this legendary cave entrance.

"They really don't know the rules."

Chen An narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

In the United States, not only the ground but also the low-altitude airspace is protected on private property.

He took the double-barreled shotgun from behind his back.

Although the drone is quite high up, ordinary bird bullets might be enough to choke it.

But the gun he was carrying was loaded with slugs to protect against black bears and large buckshot to shoot down large birds of prey.

"Perfect opportunity to test my marksmanship."

Chen An did not rush to fire, but waited patiently.

The drone seemed to have noticed something unusual about the terrain and began to descend slowly, trying to capture the details of the opening.

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters.

Chen An could even see the blades of the drone's propeller.

"goodbye."

Chen An suddenly darted out from behind the tree, the butt of his gun against his shoulder. He barely aimed, relying entirely on instinct to pull the trigger.

"Bang!"

The deafening gunshots echoed through the valley.

The dense bullets rained down like raindrops.

That expensive, professional-grade drone seemed to have been slapped hard by an invisible hand.

Its two rotors shattered instantly, a plume of black smoke billowed from the fuselage, and it spun and crashed.

"Clatter".

The wreckage landed in a pile of rubble not far from Chen An, with parts scattered everywhere.

Chen An walked over and stomped on the camera that wasn't completely broken.

He gave a cold laugh at the pile of scrap metal:

"Go back and tell your owner that next time something falls, it might not be this kind of toy."