The atmosphere in the shelter remained somewhat oppressive for the next few days.
Tang Bao's experience made them cautious in their words and actions, and they didn't even dare to speak loudly.
Although Lin Feng did not attack the others again, the subtle pressure emanating from him and the occasional cold gaze he cast were enough to terrify them.
Under the care of Qin Lan and Su Wanqing, Tang Bao drank some rice porridge and thankfully didn't starve to death.
She was allowed to regain her food rations, but Lin Feng still ignored her.
Lin Feng was not satisfied with intimidating these women.
For him, this was simply a necessary means to maintain the stable operation of the shelter.
The most urgent task remains to improve the overall strength of the shelters.
Although the Sunwheel Tree provided security and some energy, the shelter's fortifications were still rudimentary, and the weapons were mostly melee weapons, making it inadequate against large-scale beast hordes or even more powerful enemies.
"We need a lot of iron."
One morning, after his routine patrol, Lin Feng spoke to Qin Lan and Su Wanqing in a tone that left no room for argument.
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing both felt a chill run down their spines.
Iron signifies stronger tools, sharper weapons, and more reliable defenses.
On this alien planet, although there are all sorts of strange materials, the most basic and easiest-to-obtain metal is still iron.
"Are there any iron mines around here?" Qin Lan asked cautiously.
She knew that since Lin Feng had said that, he must already have a preliminary plan in mind.
Lin Feng nodded and took out a dark brown stone with a metallic luster from his pocket: "I found some of this ore a few days ago when I was surveying in the mountains in the northwest. My preliminary judgment is that it is hematite, and the grade should be pretty good."
He handed the ore to Qin Lan. Qin Lan took it; it felt quite heavy.
Although she was not a geology major, she knew that hematite was the main raw material for iron smelting.
"We currently lack effective mining and smelting tools."
Su Wanqing pointed out the key problem: "Even if we find an iron ore mine, how do we extract it and how do we smelt it into usable steel?"
Lin Feng's lips curled into a cold smile: "Tools, we can make them. As for manpower..."
His gaze casually swept over a few women hanging laundry to dry not far away: "Aren't there many idle people in the shelter?"
A sense of foreboding immediately rose in Qin Lan and Su Wanqing's hearts.
Sure enough, Lin Feng's next words confirmed their guess: "I will make a batch of simple pickaxes and crowbars in the next few days. Then, you will organize people and come with me to mine."
"We...go to mine?"
Su Wanqing found it hard to believe. Most of these women were too weak to lift heavy loads, so asking them to do such heavy physical labor was simply a pipe dream.
"What? Is there a problem?" Lin Feng's eyes sharpened instantly.
Qin Lan quickly said, "Mr. Lin, it's not that we're unwilling to help. It's just... we really have no experience in mining, and our physical strength is also..."
"If you don't have experience, you can learn; if you don't have enough physical strength, you can spend more time."
Lin Feng interrupted her, his tone icy: "I don't keep idlers here. Everyone must contribute to the survival of the shelter. If you can't even endure this little hardship, then get out of the shelter yourself."
Qin Lan took a deep breath, suppressing the helplessness and bitterness in her heart, and nodded: "We understand, Mr. Lin. We will do our best."
Su Wanqing could only nod silently.
She knew that resistance was futile and would only invite harsher treatment.
In the following days, Lin Feng indeed began to work on making mining tools.
As the blast furnace began to burn, tools such as iron picks with ironwood handles were quickly made.
Once all the tools were ready, Lin Feng announced the order to begin mining.
Aside from Xiaomei, who needed to tend the vegetable garden and be responsible for daily meals, Qin Lan, Su Wanqing, Tang Bao, Shen Jiaqi, Ruan Mengtian, and Qian Xiaoxiao, six other women were all assigned to the "mining team".
When they received the rough, heavy pickaxes, each of their faces was filled with confusion and resistance.
"Mr. Lin, are we... really going to use these things to dig for stones?"
Ruan Mengtian looked at the pickaxe in her hand, which was thicker than her arm, her voice trembling with tears. This thing felt like an abyss to her.
Lin Feng glanced at her coldly: "Otherwise what? Do you expect the ore to grow out of the ground by itself?"
"But...we're not strong enough..."
Shen Jiaqi couldn't help but whisper her explanation. Her delicate hands, once used to play the piano and create art, were now gripping this cold, rough tool, struggling against the hard rock.
"Then use your brain and learn to use your skills cleverly."
Lin Feng said without any mercy, "I don't care what methods you use, you must complete the prescribed mining quota every day. If you don't complete it, your food rations will be halved. If you fail to complete it for three consecutive days, your food rations will be canceled until you complete it."
The harsh orders filled the women with despair.
Led by Lin Feng, this all-female "mining team" trudged through the mud and shallow water towards the mountains northwest of the shelter. Wangcai led the way, sniffing the surroundings warily from time to time.
Lin Feng's target mining area was located on a relatively steep hillside, where the exposed rocks were dark red, which was the hematite that Lin Feng had mentioned.
The environment here is much harsher than in warmer basins, with sparse vegetation and strong winds and sandstorms.
"This is the mining area. See those rocks that are noticeably reddish? That's your target."
Lin Feng pointed to a rock wall and said to the panting women, "Work in pairs and get to work."
The women looked at each other, their faces filled with helplessness.
Qin Lan took a deep breath. As the nominal "captain," she knew she had to take the lead.
She chose a relatively light pickaxe and said to Su Wanqing, "Wanqing, let's be a team."
Su Wanqing nodded.
The other women also found partners. Tang Bao and Ruan Mengtian, the two most delicate women, teamed up together, while Shen Jiaqi and Qian Xiaozu formed a team.
They imitated Lin Feng, swinging their pickaxes and smashing them against the hard rocks.
"Clang!"
The pickaxe struck the rock, sending up a few sparks, but leaving only a shallow white mark. The immense recoil, however, left their hands numb and their arms aching.
"Ouch!"
Ruan Mengtian was the first to cry out. The pickaxe slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. She covered her reddened palm, her eyes brimming with tears.
Tang Bao wasn't much better off; she used all her strength but could only chip off a few small pieces from the rock.
After a few moves, he was already drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
Shen Jiaqi and Qian Xiaoxiao fared slightly better; they were stronger than Tang Bao and Ruan Mengtian, but they still had little success against the hard ore. Their pickaxes slipped more often than not when hitting the rocks, making it impossible to apply any leverage.
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing were the best performers.
Qin Lan gritted her teeth, trying hard to find the texture and weak points of the rock, while Su Wanqing observed from the side, trying to analyze how to apply force more effectively. But even so, their progress was extremely slow.
Lin Feng watched coldly from the sidelines, neither intervening nor offering any advice.
The first day of mining was a complete nightmare for these women.
They worked from sunrise to sunset, and besides leaving themselves covered in injuries and exhausted, they extracted very little ore.
When divided among everyone, it amounted to only a dozen or so fist-sized stones.
When they dragged their exhausted bodies back to the shelter, they were greeted by Lin Feng's icy gaze: "Is this all you've accomplished in a day? Not even enough to fill a tooth gap!"
The women lowered their heads in shame.
"According to the rules, everyone's food will be halved today," Lin Feng announced without hesitation.
At night, the women received only a small piece of dry, hard jerky and a few vegetable leaves.
Hunger, exhaustion, and despair for the future caused some psychologically vulnerable women to break down in tears.
"Waaaaah... I don't want to mine anymore... I want to go home..." Ruan Mengtian sobbed uncontrollably, leaning on Tang Bao's shoulder.
Tang Bao herself was also filled with grievances and helplessness, but having learned from her previous experience, she dared not complain anymore and could only silently shed tears while gently patting Ruan Mengtian's back.
As Qin Lan watched all this, she felt a heavy sense of powerlessness.
The situation did not improve much in the following days.
The women had to get up before dawn every day and head to the mining area at Lin Feng's urging.
Their hands were soon covered in blisters, which burst, leaving bloody, mangled wounds.
Their shoulders and backs ached from long hours of labor. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, then dried by the wind and sand, becoming stiff and dirty.
These once glamorous urban women are now disheveled, haggard, and no different from beggars.
They tried various methods, learning to find cracks in the rocks and using leverage to pry the stones, but the results were still unsatisfactory.
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