Chen Hao squatted beside the ore pile, picking at the edge of the engraved mark with his finger. Dust fell off in a rustling sound; the mark was still fresh.
He glanced back at Nana: "If this thing is a map, we're like newbies just entering a dungeon."
Nana didn't reply, but simply took the detector out of her bag and turned it on. A string of numbers lit up on the screen, and she looked down to adjust the parameters a few times.
The group of people in the distance had already started working, the intermittent sound of picks striking rocks drifting through the air. The leader stood on higher ground, glancing over every now and then.
“We need to make it clear to them.” Chen Hao stood up and patted his pants. “Otherwise, they’ll be digging while simultaneously guarding against us, and their efficiency will be slower than a snail.”
Nana nodded, placed the detector on the ground, and pressed the projection button. A beam of blue light spread out, and a heat map of a region appeared on the ground, with varying shades of color, separated by a dotted line.
"The left side is theirs, the right side is ours," Chen Hao said, pointing to the map. "Leave a two-meter-wide space in the middle, and no one is allowed to cross the boundary."
Nana added, "High-purity ore is concentrated in the northern part of the right side, and it is recommended to prioritize mining in this area."
Chen Hao chuckled: "What you're saying sounds too much like a system notification. Can you speak a little more like a human?"
"I am stating the facts."
“I know, but you’re not teaching right now.”
He looked up at the other side. The group stopped what they were doing and stared at the projection on the ground for a few seconds. The leader slowly walked over and stopped three steps away, his eyes fixed on the dividing line.
"Can your machine really confine itself to a designated area?" he asked.
"It can't stop people, it can only see things," Chen Hao said. "Whether you believe it or not is your business, but we'll do it this way."
The man didn't speak again, but turned and waved his hand. Two henchmen walked to the left and began to work, their movements more efficient than before.
"Alright," Chen Hao said with a sigh of relief. "First step done."
He bent down, picked up a piece of ore, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into his backpack. After carrying five pieces, his shoulders started to ache. He leaned against a rock to catch his breath and reached for his water bottle to take a sip.
“This job is really not suitable for a lazy person like me,” he said. “In the past, I wouldn’t even want to go downstairs to pick up takeout.”
Nana was scanning the next area without looking up: "You've not only gone downstairs, but you've also walked fifteen kilometers."
"Don't mention numbers, it hurts feelings."
He straightened up again and continued moving stones. Less than ten minutes later, he heard footsteps beside him. An older survivor stopped diagonally opposite him, holding a rusty shovel.
"The drainage channels you use..." the man began, "How were they set up?"
Chen Hao paused for a moment: "You mean the torrential rain? It's simple. Just find two pieces of sheet metal and put them together, one end higher than the other, and the water will naturally flow away. We even wrapped the seam with three layers of tape, although that tape is no longer sticky."
The man nodded: "Last time the rain was so heavy that the water in front of our shack was up to our knees."
“Then you can try adding a slope.” Chen Hao casually drew a line on the ground, “like this, to make the water flow downhill. If that doesn’t work, you can use broken bricks as a base.”
After a few seconds of silence, the other person suddenly said, "During the rainy season in Kita Valley, there is a buildup of marsh gas, so don't light any open flames at night."
Chen Hao looked up: "Huh?"
“Methane,” the man repeated. “It’s trapped at the bottom of the tunnel; it’ll explode if you try to light it.”
Chen Hao blinked: "You actually hit the nail on the head."
Nana immediately squatted down and entered the sentence into the detector's notes column.
"Thanks," Chen Hao said with a smile. "Next time, we won't dare to light it even if we bring a lighter."
The man didn't respond and turned back to his own group.
"Hey," Chen Hao whispered to Nana, "Did you break the ice successfully?"
“The exchange has been established,” she said. “The information value rating is above average.”
"Couldn't you just say 'it's quite useful'?"
"I am stating the facts."
"Fine, I give up."
The two continued collecting. As time passed, the atmosphere noticeably eased. The other person stopped frequently looking up to spy, and would occasionally move the larger pieces of ore they had dug a little outside the boundary line, as a way of making way.
Chen Hao got better and better at it, and even started humming a tune. The tune was way off, and the lyrics were indistinct, but the rhythm was perfect.
Nana glanced at him: "You seem to be in a good mood."
“Of course,” he said. “I thought I’d have to rely on words to get through the whole thing today, but now that I can take action, it means our relationship has improved.”
"It could also be because they find you annoying and want you to finish your work and leave as soon as possible."
"Your words really hurt."
As the sun began to set, both sides had nearly filled their bags. Chen Hao counted them; there were seven bags in total, each weighing about thirty kilograms, enough to repair the generator frame with some left over.
He squatted down to seal the last opening, but the zipper got stuck. When he pulled it open forcefully, the inner pocket on the side of the backpack came out, revealing half of a moldy biscuit wrapper.
He reacted quickly, shoving it back and smiling as he said to passersby, "A souvenir, a reminder not to eat bad food again."
The man glanced at him, said nothing, and walked away.
Chen Hao patted his chest: "I almost gave myself away."
“Food shortages don’t affect short-term operational capabilities,” Nana said, “but they are a problem in the long run.”
"I know. I'll check if there's any stock left in the warehouse when I get back. If not, I'll have to find a way to replace it."
"Technology can be exchanged."
"Yes, for example, helping them refine ore and exchange it for some food."
"The premise is that the other party is willing to establish a stable relationship."
"Didn't the leader just say that leaving a mark would be something they would see?"
"That statement lacks clear standards for implementation."
"It's better than not saying a word."
After all the bags were sealed, both sides began to line up. Chen Hao slung his backpack over his shoulder and stretched. His old injury was throbbing slightly, but he could still bear it.
The five people opposite had also finished packing. The leader walked over and stood about five meters away.
"Which way are you going?" he asked.
"Go back the way we came," Chen Hao replied.
"Remember not to go through North Valley."
"Remember, don't light fires, don't inhale biogas, and pretend you're mute."
The man's lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh but didn't.
“If there are any problems later…” he paused, “we know you’ve been here.”
Chen Hao nodded: "We know you're active in this area."
"That's settled then."
The man turned and led his men toward the other side of the valley. Their steps were synchronized, and their figures quickly disappeared around the bend in the slope.
Chen Hao stood still until the last person was out of sight before he let out a breath.
"At least they didn't fight," he said. "I thought it would end up being a 'brotherly bond in adversity' show."
Nana has finished checking the equipment: "All samples have been sealed, none have been missed."
“Let’s go.” He started walking. “When we get back, we still have to disassemble the machines, melt the ore, and adjust the parameters. There’s a ton of stuff to do.”
The two walked back along the route they had come from. A gust of wind blew from behind, stirring up a bit of dust. The sky wasn't completely dark yet, but the mountain shadows were already quite long.
After walking for a while, Chen Hao suddenly stopped.
"Hey, Nana."
"What's wrong?"
"Next time we come, let's bring some clean food."
What type?
"At least don't let it get moldy." He chuckled. "Otherwise, people will think we're living a miserable life."
Nana didn't answer, but simply wrote that sentence down as the last line of her travel log.
Their figures gradually shrank, their footsteps echoing intermittently on the gravel path. The distant valley fell silent, save for the low murmur of the wind whistling through the cracks in the rocks.
Chen Hao looked back one last time.
The direction of that engraving is pointing southeast.
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