Tunnel Boring

Su Ming switched to Little Spiky Head, and the scene shifted to an unknown factory warehouse.

He was too lazy to care where he was, but the four cylindrical tunneling machines and their hydraulic jacks lined up in front of him still seemed a bit exaggerated.

"Isn't this much preparation necessary?" Su Ming couldn't help but say.

"It's alright, better safe than sorry," Dodder replied calmly. "Anyway, if your equipment malfunctions, we can just send a new one to replace it."

"Actually, I only need to send the corresponding faulty parts to complete the equipment repair," Su Ming said.

"So all four sets in front of you were manufactured in the same batch, with all component models and software settings completely identical," said Dodder. "This makes it convenient for you to upload and use immediately, with seamless replacement."

Su Ming gave a thumbs up, "Quadruplets, you guys are amazing!"

Dodder's face showed displeasure. "It's just a 2.2-meter diameter tunnel boring machine. Do you think we'd only prepare four sets? No wonder Xiao Cheng. Cheng said you look down on us."

Su Ming didn't bother to ask how much it was; he figured it would be enough to dig all the way through the entire Dome Mountains.

Xiao Cheng confirmed everything was ready and pressed the intercom, "Attention everyone, Barbie pink, one shot, one take."

What is this "deathly Barbie pink"?

Su Ming reflexively looked at the Little Spiky Head's bone claws, only to find that the fingers were completely bare today.

[It's makeup!] Miao Xin reminded her.

"Didn't I tell you not to go so far?" Su Ming said helplessly.

"That's why I chose a no-makeup look," Miao Xin comforted her.

Skull, no makeup??

Su Ming was speechless and too lazy to even look at what his "natural" appearance was like. He glanced at the row of tunnel boring machines in front of him, randomly picked one that looked good, and activated the teleportation.

The massive extraction of order and the spatial distortion caused by the summoning of large equipment were detected by the surrounding detection devices.

****

Another world, the starting point of the tunnel.

A large combination of materials, a cylindrical piece of equipment appeared at the bottom of the launching shaft, followed by the hydraulic system.

The entire teleportation process was completed smoothly, and Su Ming only swayed slightly. With his current strength, summoning and reassembling this massive device was no longer a problem for him.

"Secure the hydraulic equipment first," Su Ming immediately instructed, "Then inject hydraulic oil."

Su Ming then connected all the data lines in the control center, along with the power cable, air hose, and oil hose, and started the system to perform a self-test.

Newman took out an expensive earth-type Magic Crystal Core, installed it in the pre-drilled hole on the tunnel boring machine, and began drawing the magic circle.

By the afternoon, the equipment was installed and connected, and all subsystems had passed trial operation.

"Want to try it out?" Newman asked eagerly.

"The concrete at the bottom of the well, and the concrete pipe sections, haven't they completely solidified yet?"

"It should have about 70% strength; I think it can withstand that," Newman analyzed. "The first few dozen meters of advance shouldn't put too much pressure on it."

"That's true."

Su Ming calmed himself down and started the tunneling equipment. The 2.2-meter diameter cutter head slowly began to rotate, emitting a deep roar.

Then the main jacking station was started, and several huge hydraulic jacks worked in parallel to push the tunnel boring machine forward, close to the mountain rock.

With a piercing creaking noise, the hard rock was shredded by the cutter head, and the cut debris fell from the slag discharge port at the rear of the tunneling machine. The bear-men waiting nearby immediately stepped forward, collected the debris, and transported it out of the working shaft using hoisting equipment.

As the cutter head slowly and steadily rotated, the tunnel boring machine thus penetrated the mountain.

When the jack is pushed to its maximum stroke, it slowly retracts, creating a distance of about three meters between itself and the tunneling machine.

The hoisting equipment placed a completed pipe section into the gap. Su Ming restarted the hydraulic press, and the immense force slammed into the concrete pipe section, pushing the pipe jacking machine further into the mountainside.

Initially, there were weathered rock layers, so the cutting speed was not slow. However, when the tunneling machine entered the mountain and encountered hard bedrock layers, the advancing speed suddenly slowed down.

An earth mage on duty immediately stepped forward and activated the magic circle embedded in the tunnel boring machine. The Magic Crystal Core lit up, and an earthy yellow halo rippled out, covering a ten-centimeter area of rock on the cutterhead surface.

"Transmute Rock to Mud!"

Under the influence of magic, the originally indestructible rock suddenly became as soft as moist clay. The cutter head easily cut in, and large pieces of "softened" rock were cut off and gushed out from the slag discharge port at the back of the machine.

After losing their Magic Power, they solidified again into all sorts of bizarre shapes.

Before Su Ming could adjust the operating parameters, the equipment's intelligent control system detected an abnormal decrease in forward resistance and automatically reduced the thrust of the rear hydraulic system.

Clearly, the Dodder team took Su Ming's novice status into account during the design process, equipping the device with maximum automation capabilities.

And so, the tunneling machine advanced steadily. Each time a section of pipe was jacked up, the hydraulic system retracted, and the workers immediately hoisted the new concrete pipe section. A few hours later, Su Ming announced a temporary halt to work, and all equipment slowly stopped operating.

Everyone went to the project office conference room to summarize the situation of the first trial construction.

"We just completed the jacking of twelve pipe sections in five hours," Newman summarized the work, opening a notebook. "But the machine only actually ran for an hour. The rest of the time was spent cleaning up the excavated rock, hoisting new pipe sections, and waterproofing the connections between them—we wasted far too much time!"

Su Ming didn't participate in this part of the discussion; he was communicating with the Dodder team. Under the effect of the "Transmute Rock to Mud" spell, the pipe jacking machine's advance speed was outrageously fast. He fed back the measured data to Earth, and the virtual project team based on the digital model erupted in screams.

This means the equipment needs further optimization and modification to adapt to the current magical construction environment.

Meanwhile, Newman and the project team are also working on redesigning the construction process and developing various details and adjustment plans.

Meanwhile, the current workers were divided into five groups: one group was responsible for the continuous supply of charcoal and sand, one group was responsible for the pouring of precast concrete pipes, and the remaining three groups were responsible for the on-site pipe jacking operations.

"The pipe jacking site will operate 26 hours a day, in three shifts," Newman instructed.

"Are we staffed enough?" Su Ming asked.

"It's enough for now, but as the tunneling depth increases, the removal of excavated soil and rock will consume a lot of manpower," Newman said truthfully. "There may be a shortage of manpower at that time."

"My friends are already adjusting the design process," Su Ming said, "And will try to use automated or semi-automated equipment to complete all the soil and waste transportation work."

"That's good."

****

One team member suggested: remove the personnel specifically tasked with quarrying from the rock face, and instead directly select suitable rocks from the excavation site to prepare aggregates.

Newman agreed, noting that this further saved manpower and also absorbed a significant portion of the slag.

Some suggested using Levitation Spell magic to manually lower the concrete pipe sections instead of mechanical equipment. This would indeed be much faster, but each pipe section weighs 9.5 tons, and after analysis and calculation, it was found that the Magic Power of a mage could not keep up.

This was the first time the project team had encountered this construction technique that combined magic with modern machinery, and discussions and adjustments continued until late at night.

The next day, a new duty roster was issued, personnel were divided into groups, and some returned to camp to rest.

The logistics system has also been adjusted accordingly to adapt to the upcoming 26-hour continuous excavation operation.

There were many things to do, and the scene was somewhat chaotic.

But it must be said, mages are mages after all. These exceptional individuals from another world quickly grasped the new arrangements and rotation system.

"If I were leading a bunch of civilians, we would have blown it up by now," Su Ming said to Zijin.

The two of them installed supplemental lighting on site and added automated waste conveying equipment.

The No. 1 tunnel boring machine has also undergone targeted modifications, with the cutterhead structure and slag removal system optimized to adapt to the "Transmute Rock to Mud" technique.

After a morning of preparation, the tunneling work officially began at noon. The first shift will work until 9 p. m., then the second shift will take over until the early hours of the next day, and then the third shift will take over.

Zijin has completed the translation of the equipment operation manual, and several technicians are diligently studying the operating procedures. Although key parameters such as hydraulic thrust configuration and earth pressure balance have been automatically matched by the system, technicians still need to conduct regular measurements and calibrations to ensure that the tunneling direction does not deviate.

As construction progressed, the team members became increasingly familiar with each other. Through continuous exploration and improvement, the tunnel project finally began to move steadily forward.

****

On the third day after the start of the excavation, the first 500-meter progress was achieved. Thanks to the "Transmute Rock to Mud" method which greatly reduced the excavation resistance, the first hydraulic ring used to generate intermediate thrust was finally put in at this time.

With the tunnel construction progressing smoothly, Su Ming was finally able to free up his hands to arrange some agricultural work.

He led Qiluo to a reserved area in the Sheltered Valley. A large pool had already been excavated and paved with concrete, and a waterproof layer was being applied.

Some shrubs and scraps from nearby forests that are unsuitable for making charcoal were also transported here.

"That Qiluo, in my hometown we have a dish that's perfect for winter," Su Ming described vividly. "We grind sweet potatoes into a paste, making translucent, chewy, and smooth noodles. Then we slice thin pieces of fatty and lean pork belly and stir-fry them until the oil is rendered, then we caramelize an amber color with sugar—"

"Stop!" the unicorn interrupted hastily, forcefully swallowing back the drool that was about to drip from its mouth. "Just tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"Use this wood and stuff to ferment and produce alcohol!" Su Ming said, pointing to the pool in front of him.

Qiluo was puzzled. "Wine brewed this way is poisonous and cannot be drunk—and with such a large pool, how many do you need?"

"Around fifty tons," Su Ming said, "Not for drinking."

"Twenty buckets of your pork stew with vermicelli," Qiluo quoted, "And Younier can't participate at all!"

"Ten barrels!" Su Ming countered.

The deal was eventually struck at an average price of thirteen barrels. Su Ming reached out and touched the hoof raised by the unicorn.

****

The latest news from the pipe jacking construction site: when the tunneling depth reached about 1 kilometer, scattered coal seams were encountered.

"What kind of incredible geological formation is this!" Newman couldn't help but curse aloud. The coal seams and rock strata crisscrossed, forming a complex interlayered structure; it was simply too much to bear.

Su Ming immediately contacted the Dodder Group for technical consultation. After an emergency discussion, a new excavation management program was quickly completed and sent by Su Ming to the otherworld site for system updates.

"I adjusted the cutting tool's engagement and the earth pressure balance control range," Su Ming explained to Newman. "Keep digging, it won't collapse."

The biggest advantage of this season is that groundwater is not active; otherwise, everything is easier to manage.

Newman breathed a sigh of relief. If it were their own technology from another world, they could have stopped tunnel construction immediately if they encountered such complex geological conditions.

Seeing the large amount of black coal and coal gangue mixed in with the slag being continuously thrown out of the working shaft through the conveyor belt, Su Ming suddenly had an idea.

"Can we mine this coal and use it?" he asked. The construction requires a lot of energy, so it would be good to cut down fewer trees.

"Don't even think about it!" Newman refused. "Are you saying the risk of a landslide isn't high enough already?!"

With precise parameter control, the construction team successfully traversed the scattered coal seam area, and as expected, no collapse accidents occurred.

Su Ming explained the principle to Newman: During the tunneling machine's advance, by precisely balancing various parameters, the earth pressure in front is kept constant, and no disturbance is generated, thereby avoiding damage and sliding of the stratum structure.

Next, the tunnel entered a more stable rocky area. With the continued blessing of the Transmute Rock to Mud spell, the tunneling speed was not affected at all.

The construction team began injecting slurry into the outside of the jacking pipe to lubricate the pipe sections, further improving construction efficiency.

By the end of the first week of construction, the tunnel had successfully advanced to 1800 meters, in the center of a large area of stable rock.

For the mages, the lack of concern about landslides was a simple matter. With continuous spellcasting, they cleared a cavern. A large amount of rubble was then transported out via a long conveyor belt.

Su Ming entered the cave and found that the excavated rubble had not been cleared away.

Steel bars and cement were continuously transported in, and the construction team directly fabricated new pipe sections inside the tunnel, using crushed stone as aggregate.

During this time, Zijin also got involved in the civil engineering work. She developed a new Reinforcement Spell that shortened the time for concrete to reach the required strength from three days to one and a half days.

Newman was very unhappy, "Why didn't you study this spell sooner!"

The technical team leader Benedict, was deeply moved. "No wonder he's the Bay Owl who can rewrite the rules at will."

The external hydraulic press was disassembled into smaller pieces and moved into the 1800 relay zone. Su Ming used these pieces to summon the second hydraulic device and upgraded the cutterhead of the tunnel boring machine.

The cable system was also extended to this location. From then on, this became the new starting point for pipe jacking construction.

****

Su Ming and Zijin gradually shifted their focus to the second project: Cloud Arrow 1000.

As a bunker buster, its main component is fuel that can mix rapidly with air to produce a violent explosion— Su Ming chose aluminum powder and ethylene oxide.

Aluminum powder is available, but ethylene oxide needs to be prepared. The ethanol that Su Ming arranged for Qiluo to ferment is the raw material for its preparation.