"Have your guys clear away that layer of loose soil and ice from the side."
Edge of the tunnel above.
Matt leaned halfway out, looking at Su Wei at the bottom of the pit.
Based on his years of engineering experience, he did not believe that removing a few layers of loose soil could change the physical properties of a huge granite piece.
But he had witnessed the young hunter's decisiveness and precision.
Whether it was the complex microgrid system that was operating perfectly in that exhibition hall, or that extraordinary composure.
Matt didn't ask any further questions.
He turned around and strode toward the Caterpillar tracked excavator parked to the side.
He opened the car door and climbed into the driver's seat.
The diesel engine let out another deep, rumbling roar.
The excavator's long arm slowly rose.
The hydraulic cylinders emitted a slight sluggish sound in the extreme cold, but still steadily lowered the huge metal bucket to the bottom of the pit.
Su Wei stepped back two steps, making room for the work.
Matt operated the push-pull lever with both hands.
The tungsten carbide teeth at the tip of the bucket precisely cut into the right edge of the grayish-white rock.
The soil mixed with solid ice was forcibly peeled away.
The ear-piercing sound of metal scraping against rocks echoed across the empty firing range.
Sparks exploded one after another along the edge of the shovel teeth.
One shovel, two shovels.
The camouflage covering the rock surface was completely scraped off.
Su Wei's gaze was fixed on the newly exposed area.
The grayish-white rock surface abruptly changes direction at its right edge.
A dark red band-shaped structure, about forty centimeters wide, cuts sharply into the grayish-white parent rock.
The color was extremely jarring.
The surface is covered with fine, net-like quartz veins of varying sizes, which refract a cold, hard luster under the dim sunlight.
Mineralized zone.
Su Wei's heart rate increased by twenty beats in two seconds.
Blood pumped rapidly through the carotid artery, bringing a slight warmth.
He took a step to the left, approaching the dark red rock formation once more.
The surface of the glove was pressed directly onto the intersection of the quartz veins.
[ Substrate Analysis LV1 recalibrated.]
[Locate the high-density anomaly region.]
[Depth: 0.8 meters to unknown.]
The pale golden light on my retina flickered violently.
In the 3D perspective view, beneath the dark red mineralized zone, a large area of bright blue light spots is rapidly gathering.
Blue light has extremely high brightness.
It completely rejects the calcium carbonate and silica spectra of the surrounding parent rock, exhibiting the extremely high density feedback characteristic of heavy metal substances.
Above.
The excavator's speed decreases, and it enters idle mode.
Matt pushed open the driver's side window and leaned out.
"I see it! That's a quartz intrusion vein!"
His booming voice drowned out the roar of the diesel engine.
"These quartz veins, containing a large amount of rust oxide, are typically a grade harder than the outer granite!"
This explains why the drill bit broke!
Matt patted the metal frame of the car door.
" Su Wei, listen up!"
"If we can't deal with the explosives, we can't just dig it out by force!"
"The optimal solution is to move the entire base point to the right, bypassing this rock."
"But we need to adjust the position of the load-bearing walls on the ammunition depot blueprints, which will change the overall structural strength of the building."
Take a detour.
compromise.
This is the most common loss mitigation method in real-world engineering construction.
But Su Wei always felt something was wrong.
"Wait two more minutes."
Su Wei didn't look up at Matt.
His hand remained firmly pressed against the dark red mineralized zone.
[Penetrating the associated mineral layer...]
[Separate the iron sulfide interference signal...]
[Locate the core element.]
The Substrate Analysis reads are in their final sprint.
93%...
96%...
The roar of the excavator faded into the distance.
A cold wind from the bottom of the pit whipped up a few snowflakes, which landed on Su Wei's black windbreaker shoulder and melted instantly.
99%...
Su Wei stared at the high-density reaction zone that had completely turned deep blue.
Matt shouted something again from above, but his voice was completely drowned out by the system notification.
100%.
The progress bar instantly dropped to zero.
A crisp notification sound rang out deep within my brain.
The pale golden light screen in the center of my vision distorted and reformed.
A line of bold, glaring gold text exploded in Su Wei's pupils.
[A high-grade gold-bearing quartz vein was detected, extending along the Pillar Mountain.]
Chapter 221 Gold in the Cracks of the Law, Su Wei's Game
The golden lettering in my line of sight had just frozen in place.
Su Wei's bare right hand, with its five fingers pressed tightly against the rough, grayish-white rock layer.
Despite the extremely low temperature, the surface of my skin that was in contact with the granite felt unusually hot.
My heart rate soared, my blood felt hot and rushed through my body.
Countless pieces of information in the brain begin to intersect, filter, and take shape.
Under Alaska Federal Mining Law, the concept of discovery equals possession is a false premise, provided that ownership of the land beneath the surface is clearly defined.
Although the 100-acre property belongs to him, the historical issues surrounding the land deeds on Kodiak Island are quite complex.
The tracks of the Polar Solid Shield Engineering Team are pressing down on this land. If an excavator were to dig in now, the quartz vein would be completely exposed.
Faced with several tons of machinery and a few hired workers who had spent years in the Arctic, Su Wei was well aware of the situation.
Under the lure of millions or even tens of millions of dollars in gold, the so-called spirit of contract becomes fragile and insignificant.
It must be kept hidden.
Su Wei took half a step back and quickly withdrew his right hand from the rock stratum.
He put on thick, cold-weather gloves, his five fingers stretching and curling inside.
He looked up and shouted to Matt in the driver's cab above:
"You're right, take the detour."
Matt pushed open the metal door of the cab and climbed down the footplate on the side of the tracks.