He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 18

The climate on Pingzi Star was harsh, and the interior of the mining area was even more difficult to traverse. Not only was the terrain riddled with pits and bumps, but hurricanes generated by the unique topography of the mountains frequently whistled through the area.

Ivan, wearing a windproof mask, struggled to keep pace with Tuoweisi as they trekked deeper into the mining zone.

Tuoweisi held a long, black object of unknown material, probing the edges of the rock faces. Along the way, Ivan learned that this was a professional ore detector. If the sensor light at the tip turned red, it meant that ore was present nearby.

Unfortunately, after walking for some time, the device remained completely unresponsive.

When they climbed over another ridge, Ivan looked up at the sky. Thick, dark clouds blanketed everything. Since arriving on Pingzi Star, the sun had been nowhere to be seen. It was impossible to tell the time by the sky alone. More importantly, they could not connect to the Interstellar Network within the mining zone, making their personal communicators useless.

“Should we find a place to rest for a bit?” Tuoweisi clearly had more experience with field survival, so Ivan asked him when he began to feel hungry.

Upon hearing this, Tuoweisi put away the detector, surveyed the surrounding terrain, and placed his backpack down in a clearing between two mountain faces. He took out a box of nutritional supplements and handed one to Ivan.

“You eat first. I will set up the tent.”

Ivan took the nutritional supplement and set it aside. He crouched down to help Tuoweisi unfold the tent. “It is fine. Let us set it up together. After we finish, we can eat, rest, and then continue searching in the afternoon. We are likely not the only ones struggling to find anything.”

Ivan guessed that the ore would not be easy to locate, so there was no need to rush.

Tuoweisi had not expected Ivan to help, and he frowned when Ivan reached out. However, seeing Ivan proceed to open the tent on his own, Tuoweisi ultimately chose to remain silent.

Before long, with their joint effort, the tent, which was spacious enough to accommodate two large Zergs, was set up.

Ivan looked at their accomplishment, feeling a sense of satisfaction. He wiped away the sweat caused by the labor and sat down to consume the plain-tasting nutritional supplement.

Tuoweisi did not rest. After finishing his supplement in one gulp, he picked up the detector to continue his work.

The weather on Pingzi Star was unpredictable and the daylight hours were short. For every extra day they spent in the mining zone, the danger increased.

Ivan did not stop Tuoweisi. Only Zergs could operate the detector, so even if he wanted to take over, he could not. Finding the ore early was the most important objective.

Fortunately, their hard work paid off. In the afternoon, as the sky grew dim, the detector finally reacted.

It happened at the far right end of the mountain range, on the side furthest from their tent, in a corner where the rock face curved deeply inward.

Ivan saw the red light on the detector and hurried forward, but Tuoweisi frowned as he studied the shape of the mountain. “If we blast here, the mountain might collapse.”

Ivan looked up at the small mountain, which was about ten meters high, and mused, “It is not too tall. If we stay far enough away, it should not affect us even if it collapses.”

Tuoweisi understood Ivan’s point. He nodded and stacked the explosives in the depression. Ivan, showing great awareness, stepped far back to take cover. Tuoweisi set the countdown timer and quickly retreated from the blast zone.

The red numbers on the electronic detonator flashed three times before a deafening roar erupted. A dazzling white light flashed, followed by the sound of rock shattering and crumbling.

Dust billowed into the air and took a long time to settle.

Tuoweisi walked forward to clear the scattered debris, carving out a path wide enough to walk through. Ivan followed and discovered that the mountain had not completely collapsed; instead, the area where they placed the explosives had cracked open, creating a deeper cavity.

This provided a much more convenient position for their detection.

After clearing the rubble, Tuoweisi stepped forward with the detector. The previously weak red light now shone intensely. Ivan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Does this mean we are getting closer to the ore?”

Tuoweisi’s expression relaxed; he seemed pleased at the prospect of finding the ore. However, the next moment, his expression shifted. He quickly put away the detector and leaned in to whisper into Ivan’s ear, “Do not expose it.”

Ivan was confused and about to ask why, when an annoying voice sounded from behind them.

“Oh my, what is going on here? Have you found something in just half a day?”

Yinsa and Jieli appeared from behind the mountain, their eyes fixed on the scattered rubble and the detector that had just been tucked away.