"Right now, the demand for cement is greater than ever."
"The output from the quarry cannot afford to decrease."
Su Wu fell into contemplation.
Although he could currently cobble together tens of thousands of tons of unopened cement, it was still insufficient. Building a massive dormitory to accommodate over 200,000 people alone would likely consume the majority of it. The apparent surplus was merely a result of the staggered pace of construction.
However, increasing production wasn't an easy task. With the relentless rainfall, even addressing the drainage problems of an open-pit mining operation was proving to be a challenge. After briefly considering the details, Su Wu realized this wasn't an issue that could be resolved quickly, so he decided to delegate the matter.
"I'll set up a dedicated mining research institute at the Jingyuan Shelter's remote control center."
"They can handle everything related to mining—how to extract resources, and how to manage the engineering vehicles and robots for the job. As long as they can increase cement production in the short term, that's all that matters."
---
Later that afternoon, several drones, equipped with newly upgraded reconnaissance technology, flew deep into the mountains through the pouring rain. They meticulously recorded the terrain and all observable changes in the environment.
These data were transmitted back to the **Farmhouse Shelter** via temporary signal relay devices set up in the mountains. From there, the AI processed the information to model and calculate feasible routes for transporting cement from the quarry.
"The safest route has only a 3% chance of being affected by landslides," the system calculated.
"However, it spans a total of 40 kilometers, which is uncomfortably long."
At the control center on the second underground level of the Farmhouse Shelter, Su Wu reviewed the surveyed routes on the console, feeling conflicted.
The dangers on the surface weren't limited to landslides. The longer the route, the higher the probability of encountering unforeseen threats. Moreover, building roads through mountainous terrain was no trivial task. While the tracked undercarriages of the transport vehicles provided excellent off-road capabilities, eliminating the need for asphalt or cement roads, the effort required to widen the 40-kilometer route to accommodate a single transport vehicle would still be significant.
After much deliberation, Su Wu prioritized stability over time and decided to proceed with the longest route.
As for the labor force required for road construction, the establishment of the remote control center eliminated any concerns about overburdening the AI's computational resources. Su Wu could simply assign the newly constructed robots to the control center, where workers could manually operate them as needed.
This way, the cost of building the road through the mountains would be limited to time, electricity, the materials for constructing the robots, and food to sustain the workers.
---
While these arrangements were being made, one of the reconnaissance drones flying over the mountains suddenly detected a massive vibration.
In the distance, a large section of a mountain collapsed entirely, sending millions of tons of soil and rock cascading downward. The landslide's roar echoed through the dense rain, shaking the ground within the drone's camera view. The impact caused ripples to form in waterlogged areas, with waves several meters high surging outward.
"Another landslide," Su Wu murmured, his expression tense as he watched the screen.
The sheer power of the tumbling earth and stone was awe-inspiring, making him question whether even his micro-mecha would be safe in such conditions.
As the vibrations subsided, Su Wu prepared to shift his focus elsewhere, but something caught his attention in the corner of his eye.
The footage from the drone showed an unusual feature within the exposed section of the collapsed mountain. The interior didn't seem to consist of ordinary rock.
Curious, Su Wu controlled the drone to investigate further. To ensure a thorough examination, he even piloted a micro-mecha to the area and deployed its advanced reconnaissance drones for a secondary, more detailed scan.
Eventually, the findings confirmed his suspicions. The exposed section was a **small iron mine**, with reserves estimated to be between 4 and 4.2 million tons.
"An open-pit iron mine," Su Wu said, astonished and delighted. "It's like a gift from the heavens."
The discovery was significant. If fully mined, the iron reserves could multiply Su Wu's stockpile of steel many times over. For shelter construction alone, it could support the development of a **super-large shelter**.
---
"Start mining immediately," Su Wu decided without hesitation.
Open-pit iron mines were relatively easy to exploit, even in heavy rain. Delaying action would only increase the risk of complications, especially if an official shelter became aware of its existence. They would undoubtedly try to intervene.
"Secure the site and begin mining operations as covertly as possible. Even if we can only extract a portion of the resources before it's discovered, that's still a win. Once the official shelters catch wind of this, we'll deal with them then."
Su Wu's plan was straightforward: extract as much as possible while maintaining secrecy. Any ore mined would be transported to the Qingning Shelter for smelting.
---
This approach maximized the advantages of being the first to discover the iron mine. In normal times, hiding such a major operation would have been impossible. However, under the current conditions—with the world shrouded in rain and storm clouds, and with roads blocked by floods—maintaining secrecy for a while was feasible. How long this secrecy could last, however, depended on luck. The surrounding mountains housed numerous other shelters, and the abundance of eyes made complete concealment unlikely in the long term.
In addition to the secrecy challenge, the iron mine faced a logistical issue similar to that of the limestone quarry. Without an existing road network, there was no way to transport the ore out.
The good news was that the iron mine was located near the planned mountain transport route. Both quarries could share the same transportation line, reducing construction effort.
Once the ore was transported, the next steps would be straightforward. Su Wu's existing furnaces for smelting scrap metal could easily be repurposed for iron. Moreover, given his current industrial capacity, setting up a dedicated steel mill wouldn't require much effort.
As for the location, the Qingning Shelter, which had recently restored a large area of usable land, was an ideal candidate. The available space there was more than sufficient to accommodate a steel mill.
(End of Chapter)