The wind stopped.
The faint light still lingered in the cracks of the mud, as if someone had stuffed a star into the ground.
Chen Hao moved his shoulder, and his bone cracked with a soft sound. He slowly stood up, looked down at his mud-covered trouser legs, and then touched the cut on his back from the rock. The first-aid patch was peeling off at the edges, but it didn't hurt much anymore.
"Luckily I'm fat," he said, "so at least I can cushion my fall."
No one responded.
Carl sat on the ground, hands on his knees, staring at the densely buried collection area in the distance. Susan squatted beside him, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with her backpack strap. Nana stood, the detector screen lit up, data lines jumping up one by one.
Two seconds later, Susan burst out laughing.
"You're talking like you deliberately grew this strong."
"I'm naturally resilient to falls." Chen Hao flexed his wrists. "If you don't believe me, look, I can still run fifty meters now."
"Stop running." Karl looked up, his voice hoarse. "That last shove almost threw me off."
“You didn’t go down,” Chen Hao said. “I was still holding onto your collar.”
"But the shoes are gone."
"I'll reimburse you later."
Nana suddenly spoke up: "Scan complete. Carl has a minor sprain in his left ankle; it is recommended to reduce weight-bearing. Susan's abrasion on her right arm has scabbed over, with no risk of infection. Chen Hao has a laceration on his back; the dressing needs to be changed."
She paused.
"All personnel are in stable condition."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me, easing the feeling that had been hanging in my throat.
Susan loosened her backpack strap and reached for a new first-aid patch. "I had almost forgotten I was injured until you mentioned it."
"I didn't feel it when I was injured, but it all came out as soon as I stopped." Chen Hao took the patch, tore it open, and pressed it onto his back. "I was just focused on running."
“You run pretty fast.” Carl tried to stand up, using the rocks for support, and it took him two tries to get up. “Better than my lame leg.”
"You're not lame, you're just lazy," Chen Hao patted him on the shoulder. "Just take a break."
The four sat down near the edge of the terrace. The collapsed area below had quieted down; the surface of the mud glistened damply, like a freshly plastered wall. The wind blew from the north slope, carrying a slightly earthy smell, but there was no more vibration.
Nana pulled up a topographic map and projected it onto the detector screen. The image flashed, showing a comparison before and after the collapse.
“The original work area was buried at a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters,” she said. “It cannot be recovered immediately.”
"I should have dug for ten more minutes," Carl muttered.
“Even if you ran ten minutes earlier, you wouldn’t be able to run,” Susan said.
"But I can watch the ore get buried."
"You can watch it now too."
Carl grinned, but didn't say anything more.
Nana continued, "An unaffected rock outcrop was detected 300 meters away on the northern slope edge. The geological structure is stable, and the ore-bearing signal is weak but persistent."
"Are there still any in stock?" Chen Hao leaned closer to look at the screen.
“The probability is 37.6,” Nana said. “It’s not high, but it’s worth investigating.”
“Thirty-seven also has a chance.” Chen Hao stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. “It’s better than sitting here watching the mud.”
“But we don’t have any tools,” Susan said. “Pickles, collection bags, we’ve buried them all.”
“The spare kit is still here.” Chen Hao pointed to his backpack. “It contains a small shovel, a sealed bag, and a recorder. Enough for one short-range exploration.”
"So what do you plan to do?" Carl asked.
"I'll go check out the new location," Chen Hao said. "Nana, come with me. You two stay here and guard the supplies. We'll call you over once we've confirmed it's safe."
“I’m just going to watch the bags here?” Carl frowned.
"Your leg isn't in good condition," Chen Hao said. "Don't push yourself."
“I can walk a few steps.” Carl tried to take two steps, stumbled, and grabbed a stone for support. “...not very far.”
"Then keep an eye on the bag," Chen Hao laughed. "It's part of the mission."
Susan looked down and rummaged through her backpack, pulling out her dashcam to check the battery. "Wait," she said, "I'll take the dashcam with me—just in case there's another good deal."
She looked up at Chen Hao: "I'm going too."
"Aren't you afraid it will collapse again?"
“I’m scared,” she said. “But I’m even more scared to go back and report that ‘we found a mine, then buried it all and never looked for it again.’”
Chen Hao smiled.
"Okay, let's all get moving."
Nana recalibrated the detector and switched to low-frequency scanning mode. Chen Hao slung his tool bag over his shoulder and checked his belt buckle. Susan stuffed the recorder into her coat pocket and casually hung the first-aid kit on top. Carl stood there, watching them prepare.
"You really don't want to leave anyone to watch over the things?" he asked.
"Which is more important, things or people?" Chen Hao said. "If you're really bored, tidy up those empty bags over there so we can fill them when we dig out new ones."
“Then at least I can do this.” Karl walked to the pile of supplies and began to fold the loose bags one by one.
The four split up. Chen Hao and Nana headed towards the north slope, with Susan following closely behind. Carl sat on a rock, adjusting his gear while looking up at their retreating figures.
Chen Hao stopped after walking less than fifty meters.
He climbed onto a protruding rock and looked towards the north slope. The slope there was gentler, the wind had shifted, and the air was drier. There were no obvious cracks in the ground, and the exposed rock layers looked solid.
“That was the main landslide,” he said. “Now the wind direction has changed, and the moisture is moving south, so there shouldn’t be a second landslide on the north slope.”
"What is the basis for your judgment?" Nana asked.
“Experience.” Chen Hao jumped down. “I’ve seen similar situations when I was interning at a construction site. Wherever moisture accumulates, that’s where collapses are likely to occur. The north slope is dry now, so there shouldn’t be a big problem.”
Nana nodded, and the detector emitted a soft sound.
“There are no stress anomalies within 30 meters ahead,” she said. “We can continue advancing.”
The two quickened their pace. Susan followed behind, glancing down at the stones beneath her feet every now and then. The ground was firm and solid, with no looseness underfoot.
After walking another hundred meters, Nana suddenly raised her hand.
“The signal is getting stronger,” she said. “There’s a faint energy fluctuation coming from a crevice in the rock fifteen meters ahead.”
Chen Hao squinted and looked. The area was a jumble of rocks, with a narrow crevice, as if it had been forcibly pried open by some force. Deep within the crevice, a faint light shone.
"Is this for real?" Susan asked.
"We'll see when we get there." Chen Hao quickened his pace.
The three approached the crevice. Nana crouched down and inserted the probe. The data on the screen flickered a few times before stabilizing.
“Confirmed,” she said. “The mineral composition matches the target material by 82%. The purity is moderate, and the volume is about the size of a fist.”
"The shipment has been completed." Chen Hao grinned.
Susan immediately turned on the recorder, took photos and videos of the location. "Mark the coordinates and the time too."
"Don't bury it this time." Chen Hao put on gloves and reached into the crevice to feel around. "We need to get it out quickly."
He pulled hard, and a bluish-purple ore was pulled out. The surface was covered with some dirt, but the luster was clear, unlike ordinary stones.
"It looks brighter than the previous batch," Susan said, leaning closer to take a look.
"It might have been buried shallowly and not under pressure." Chen Hao put the ore into a sealed bag. "Keep it for now."
Nana continued scanning the surroundings. "There are still low-intensity signal sources nearby, scattered in number. We recommend expanding the search area."
"Let's dig a little longer then," Chen Hao said, stretching his hands. "It's still light out anyway."
Susan nodded, took out a small shovel, and began clearing away the surrounding rubble. Nana monitored the geological changes from the side. Chen Hao, meanwhile, searched along the rock crevices, occasionally digging away loose soil with his hands.
He dug for less than ten minutes and found another one.
"One more." He put the second piece of ore into a bag. "This place really has some hidden gems."
"We managed to run into someone with a 37.6% chance," Susan laughed. "Looks like we haven't completely lost our luck."
“Luck is secondary,” Nana said. “The key is making the right decisions.”
"Are you praising yourself or us?" Chen Hao asked.
"State the facts."
"Alright then." Chen Hao patted her shoulder. "The robot can also do Versailles now."
Just then, footsteps came from behind.
Carl walked over slowly, leaning on a metal bar. His face was sweaty, but his eyes were bright.
“I knew you guys could dig it up,” he said.
"Why did you come here?" Susan asked.
"The bags are all packed." Carl took a breath. "Since I'm bored sitting here anyway, I might as well come and see what's going on."
How's your foot?
"It hurts, but I can walk." He grinned. "Besides, if I didn't come, who would own the ore you mined?"
"It's on you." Chen Hao tossed him a compressed biscuit. "Eat something first, we'll work together later."
Carl took it, tore open the packaging, and took a bite.
“To be honest,” he said, chewing on a biscuit, “I really thought it was all over just now.”
"I thought so too." Chen Hao looked at the ore he had just packed in his hand. "But as long as people are still alive, there is a chance."
"So what's next?"
“Keep digging.” Chen Hao stood up. “One piece at a time, we’ll eventually make a profit.”
Susan put the recorder back in her pocket, picked up the small shovel, and continued working. Nana adjusted the angle of the detector and began scanning the next area. Carl finished his cookie, folded the wrapper, stuffed it into his pocket, and then squatted down to help dig through the rocks.
The wind blew across the north slope, stirring up a bit of dust.
Chen Hao bent down and pried open a half-buried rock fragment, revealing a corner of blue-purple light underneath.
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