A small spacecraft plunged into the dark abyss of the mining pit. The surroundings became deathly silent, as if entering a world of darkness. Even with Ryan's military resolve, he couldn't help but feel a chill.
Red lights illuminated on both sides of the spacecraft. Two beams of light pierced the darkness, shooting into the deeper tunnel. In the depths of the hundred-meter-wide tunnel, three lights flickered with twelve warning signals, buzzing as they drilled into the rock layers.
These were three other H3 mining aircraft from TerraCore Group, but with earlier serial numbers: 246, 099, and 712. The three clearly formed a private team.
At TerraCore Group, the base didn't mind miners forming cliques as long as they met their daily quotas and didn't cause trouble. Ryan, however, cared. Seeing the serial numbers on these three mining aircraft, he immediately recalled that the ones who discovered the vein and got rich overnight were likely these three.
But… he hadn't expected them to be here so early, seemingly having discovered something and started mining.
Something's off!
All H3 mining aircraft have similar detection capabilities and limited range. Even if these three were veteran miners, they wouldn't be able to detect deep within the rock layers, nor would they need a month to mine. Ryan keenly sensed something was amiss.
He adjusted the direction, turning the aircraft, the beams of light shifting as he exited the tunnel. Before leaving, he discreetly deployed two insect-sized drones from the aircraft. The tiny machines clung to the tunnel's edge with their mechanical arms, quickly advancing towards the three aircraft.
After exiting the tunnel, Ryan didn't go far. He chose to turn off the lights and warning signals, hovering in the dark abyss. The screen displayed the drone's feedback.
The drones could move statically, jump, and fly, typically used to explore dangerous environments or precisely probe rock fissures. They were powerful, with clear visuals. The area where the three aircraft were mining was soon within the drone's surveillance range.
The footage showed one aircraft providing illumination and analyzing the surroundings, while the other two operated multifunctional drilling tools, working fervently. Rocks splintered, falling into the tunnel, creating a mess.
Through the drone's perspective, Ryan saw hundreds of holes drilled into the tunnel walls, clearly the work of these three.
"Damn it," someone in aircraft 246 cursed, his temper evident.
Another voice chimed in, "Yeah, I nearly had a heart attack… We finally pinpointed this spot, found your cousin's mark, and gathered some stuff. If he had caught us, we'd be screwed." This was from aircraft 712, speaking cautiously, as if guilty of something.
"No worries," a third voice from aircraft 099 calmly reassured, "I checked, number 3377 is a newbie, joined TerraCore Group less than a month ago, knows nothing. He probably didn't notice us or understand the rules."
"Really?"
"Relax, everything we've mined is underground. Without close inspection, it can't be found."
"Good."
"If he does find out, I'll rip his heart out."
"Damn, these days, you gotta watch out for clueless newbies barging in."
"Forget it."
"Continue!" 099 commanded, halting the complaints. The faint drilling resumed, rocks clattering against the aircraft, rolling into the tunnel.
Unnoticed by the trio, a tiny drone, the size of a pinky finger, aimed its camera at their excavation site.
After a while…
Clang!
A strange noise echoed. The drone's footage showed a bluish-brown object in the rock cavity, incredibly hard, dislodging the multifunctional drill.
Ryan leaned forward. "Astra! What is that?"
In some sense, he wasn't a professional miner and didn't recognize all minerals. But Astra was different… an encyclopedia, ready with answers.
"Master, this is an H7 grade Crystal Boundary stone, containing H5 grade Phinny ore. The latter's main function is to resist the erosion of over a dozen types of external strong light rays, often used for the outer coating of H7 to H9 grade spacecraft. The current market price is two thousand per kilogram; the Crystal Boundary stone is about ten thousand per kilogram."
As Astra spoke, laughter erupted from aircraft 246, "Haha… another one. This piece is about three kilograms, worth at least 20,000!"
246 had extracted the ore from the rock, grasping it with a mechanical arm and handing it to 099.
"Continue!" 099's voice was excited, "My cousin's intel was right. This area is scattered with Crystal Boundary Stones, estimated at several tons. We're rich."
"Haha…" The trio continued their work.
The drone's feedback showed that 099 didn't put the crystal boundary stone into the spacecraft but lifted a rock slab below. The moment the slab was lifted, Ryan felt his heart skip a beat and then race.
Large and small crystal boundary stones filled about a third of a hole, estimated to be at least three hundred kilograms. That's nearly two million in funds, which, if handed over to the base, would immediately yield a six hundred thousand share.
At that moment, Ryan fully understood. The so-called fracture… was a complete fabrication. The Crystal Boundary Stones were scattered throughout the tunnel, a fragmented mine.
099, 246, and 712 had left all the stones in the tunnel, working for over a month, then simultaneously extracted the accumulated ore, creating the illusion of discovering a vein and getting rich overnight.
Very clever… because this way, they could ensure the information was sealed, avoiding detection by the base and other miners, thus preventing competition. However, this misinformation misled other miners, causing over a dozen to risk working in stormy conditions, ultimately getting buried alive.
One side was paradise, the other, hell.