The two followed the route the old man had described and soon arrived at Mine Park.
It was just as quiet here. There was only an elderly guard in a white tank top dozing in the security booth at the entrance.
The cicadas chirping all around made the best lullaby for him. The increasingly scorching sunlight was blocked by the shade of the trees planted throughout the park, while the path wound deeper inside and disappeared into the woods.
Some strange pieces of equipment had been placed along both sides of the path, seemingly deliberately. The signs in front of them described what they were.
Only when the two drew closer did they realize they were old mining machines, now dismantled into separate parts for passersby to observe and learn about.
These old machines lay there quietly, weathered and worn. Time had left indelible marks on them, and though they could no longer operate, they still served their final purpose.
Further ahead, more colossal objects appeared among the trees.
There were abandoned mine carts, enormous excavators, and drilling rigs. The tires on the mine carts alone stood over two meters tall. Standing beneath these mechanical behemoths created by human hands, an inexplicable sense of dread arose.
These vehicles were likewise covered in the traces of time. All that remained were their massive, aging shells, displaying among the woods the bustling prosperity Mine Pit No. 1 had once known.
It was as if one could see those years of struggle through them, but then a gust of wind swept past, and the rustling leaves brought their thoughts back to reality.
The mine was gone, and they had long passed their years of service. The only purpose these "old soldiers" now had was to display their hard-earned honors to everyone who passed