This chapter is also about daily life, and I'll write about a new case tomorrow.

...

Aside from the Gold Coins, the chest also contained golden goblets, golden rings, golden bracelets, and other items.

The monotonous look of the gold led Luke to speculate that it might also be related to the location of the treasure.

Forest Finn probably worried that lake water would seep into the chest and spoil the treasures, but gold's chemical properties are quite stable, and it doesn't react with water.

The next step was to figure out how to divide these golden products.

Reeves had a small weighing device in her car, and after weighing the gold in batches, they found that the total weight was 18.6 pounds, meaning each person could get 6.2 pounds of Gold Coins.

To ensure a fair division, they weighed the gold multiple times to achieve as even a distribution as possible.

The process from opening the chest to finishing the distribution of the Gold Coins took almost an hour.

The group drove back to the camp, and by then, it was completely dark.

Reeves was extremely excited, her face unable to hide her joy, "When are you guys planning to leave?"

Walker didn't speak, but looked at Luke.

Luke said, "Let's leave after breakfast tomorrow."

Reeves looked around worriedly and said, "Hey, we aren't the only Treasure Hunters; now that we have the treasure, we'll likely be targeted by others.

Someone might even try to steal our Gold Coins. Shouldn't we leave right away?"

"Traveling by night would be more dangerous.

This is our camp, and we're more familiar with the surroundings. Even if someone really comes to steal the Gold Coins, I'd rather wait here at ease." Luke had encountered many criminals in his investigations, and wasn't worried about someone trying to steal the gold—he was confident in his ability to handle it.

"I agree," said Walker.

Walker hadn't been very familiar with Luke before, but he knew some of Luke's stories; he was definitely one of the best police officers in Los Angeles. Walker trusted his judgment, and being with Luke made him feel safe; this was why he was willing to let Luke join the treasure hunt.

Seeing Reeves still hesitant, Walker persuaded her, "Hey, stay with us. I'm a judge, Luke is a police officer; there's no safer place than here.

After breakfast tomorrow, we'll leave Big Bear Lake and put a perfect end to this trip."

Perhaps it was the shared experience of hunting for treasure that had built a certain level of trust in Luke and Walker, and Reeves nodded, "OK, let's have a great celebration tonight."

Walker laughed, "Absolutely, this is a party for the three of us; we have to live it up."

The three of them began to prepare dinner.

Pizza, smoked herring in cans, shrimp, canned beef with sauce, edamame, bananas.

All were simple foods, ready to eat with just a bit of heating.

"Cheers!"

The three of them opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Putting down her glass, Reeves said, "Luke, Walker, it's an honor to be a part of this Treasure Hunter team. If I were alone, I never could have found the treasure.

Oh, it's hard to describe my feelings right now...

Excitement, exhilaration, it even feels a bit unreal.

Thank you."

Walker said, "Reeves, you did a great job, and you contributed as much as any of us.

Without that map of yours, we never could have found the location of the treasure.

Our team wouldn't be complete without each one of us; everyone is important."

"To our Treasure Hunter team," Luke proposed.

He was originally just a bystander, but unexpectedly joined the adventure and treasure hunt at Walker's invitation. This was his first treasure hunting experience, and it had brought him a novel experience.

Reeves took a sip of champagne and asked, "Walker, tell us your story. How did a distinguished judge like you become interested in treasure hunting?"

"I am curious too," said Luke.

"I thought you guys had forgotten about that," Walker said, frowning as if lost in memory,

"Yes, I'm a respected judge, and I love my job. I've worked hard and in return, I've received generous rewards, living a life that many people dream of.

But at some point, I realized I hadn't laughed in a long time and had even forgotten what happiness felt like.

I seemed to have lost the instinct to seek joy."

"At first, I thought it was because as a judge, dealing with cases exposed me to too much negativity, so I felt unhappy.

But when I seriously reflected on my past, I realized that wasn't the case. I had lost my joy even before becoming a judge, and if I look back further to my college, high school, and elementary school days...

Right, it seems I lost my happiness when I was in elementary school.

My grandfather passed away when I was in fifth grade, and since then, my life seems to have been devoid of happy memories."

Reeves guessed, "Are you an orphan?"

"My parents only died a couple of years ago. Have you ever seen a fifty-year-old orphan?"

"Did your parents divorce?"

"No, they had a good relationship and lived together all their lives."

"They weren't responsible parents? Didn't they love you?"

"No, they were responsible. I never lacked anything in life, I received the best education, they completely fulfilled their duties as parents, which is unquestionable."

Reeves, puzzled, said, "Then why were you unhappy?"

"They never took the initiative to take me out to play. I've never been to amusement parks, had no experience with picnics, let alone traveling. I used to watch TV anxiously, fearing they would find out.

I try hard, but I have no good memories of my childhood..."

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