Chapter 429 - 428: Extra 24: The Two Miners 2 (Yan Huoshui)

Chapter 429: Chapter 428: Extra 24: The Two Miners 2 (Yan Huoshui)

The two arrived at the mine.

The private mine was surrounded by an electrified fence, with surveillance drones patrolling everywhere to prevent illegal mining.

Shi Lan scanned her owner’s credentials at the gate. The two of them entered without issue, and the large gate automatically closed behind them.

This was her first time at a mine. She had imagined a messy, chaotic cave, but the site was actually very orderly. There was even another large gate inside. Beyond it, glowing ores illuminated the passage, so it wasn’t dark at all.

The excavated section of the mine was spotless, with a clear path leading deep inside.

There were some tools near the entrance, along with a safety supervisor robot. The robot had been in standby mode, but it opened its eyes upon sensing their presence.

Shi Lan had just picked up her tools and was sizing up the robot when she was caught off guard by its gaze, meeting its blue electronic eyes.

The robot scanned the gate’s status, confirming they had entered through proper channels and not by force. Its stiff, cold, single-slit eyes transformed into smiling crescents. It spoke enthusiastically, "Welcome, you two. I, Guardian No. 3, will be your escort and ensure your safety."

"Oh, okay."

Shi Lan nodded dubiously, warily setting down the tool she had been gripping tightly.

For a moment there, she had thought the robot was about to attack them.

Yan Huoshui discreetly holstered the pistol he had hidden in his sleeve. His arm around Shi Lan’s waist didn’t loosen as his other hand picked up a mining tool.

Guardian No. 3 led the way deeper into the mine. A massive searchlight was mounted on its head, illuminating its path as if it were daytime.

The mine’s previous owner had already excavated part of the vein, so the tunnel stretched on for quite a while.

They walked for nearly ten minutes before reaching their destination.

The moment Shi Lan arrived, she was dazzled by a blinding flash of red.

The light on Guardian No. 3’s head was too bright. When it shone on the Red Crystals, it refracted dazzling red halos that looked like miniature, scorching suns. Shi Lan couldn’t even look at them directly.

Yan Huoshui shielded her eyes with his hand and had Guardian No. 3 turn its head so the searchlight wasn’t aimed directly at the Red Crystals.

Only then did Shi Lan feel some relief.

She looked at the Red Crystals embedded in the earth and stepped forward eagerly. "I’m going to start."

With that, she crouched down and began to dig with the pick-hoe in her hands.

Yan Huoshui pulled a chair out of his Space Chain and placed it behind Shi Lan. "Lanlan, sit. It’ll be more comfortable."

Then, he produced a table and piled it high with drinks, sweets, and washed fruit. To the uninformed observer, it would look less like a mining trip and more like a vacation.

Shi Lan shot him a look. "Are you sure bringing me to Red Flame Star was a spur-of-the-moment idea?"

’All these preparations, the fresh fruit and food... this doesn’t feel spontaneous at all.’

Yan Huoshui covered his mouth and gave a light cough. A smile graced his lips as he looked at her with praise in his eyes. "My wife is so clever. I can’t hide anything from you."

Seeing how readily he admitted it, Shi Lan couldn’t bring herself to press him further.

Her gaze swept over the fruit on the table, and she demanded, "Feed me. I want a strawberry."

Her hands were already a little dirty, and since Yan Huoshui hadn’t started mining yet, his were still clean. Even though there were small forks on the fruit platter, she didn’t feel like getting one herself.

"As you command, my wife!"

With a wide grin, Yan Huoshui immediately fed Shi Lan. He had even cut the strawberry in half beforehand, making it a perfect, single bite for her.

Shi Lan went to work, digging with gusto while Yan Huoshui fed her from the side. Even Guardian No. 3’s expressionless mechanical face seemed to take on a look of someone who couldn’t bear to watch, unable to comprehend why this couple had to display their affection in a mine of all places...

Of course, no one was concerned with the robot’s feelings.

Guardian No. 3 conscientiously resumed its role as a silent Guardian. After feeding Shi Lan for a while, Yan Huoshui covered the food and sat down beside her.

From time to time, Shi Lan’s happy voice echoed from the mine. "Wow, this Red Crystal is bigger than my palm! The quality looks pretty average, though."

"Ooh, this one’s good! It’s only the size of my fist, but up close, it looks just like those Red Crystals you gave me. It’s so clear and brilliant. Very nice."

The process of digging for Red Crystals was like foraging for mushrooms in the mountains.

Shi Lan was thoroughly enjoying the thrill of the treasure hunt. While most of the Red Crystals in the vein were of low to medium quality, unearthing a high-quality one was as exciting as striking gold—a wonderful surprise.

Furthermore, the Red Crystals were quite easy to excavate. Either that, or the pick-hoe was just highly efficient, because Shi Lan didn’t feel tired at all.

She focused on digging, while Yan Huoshui transported the Red Crystals to Guardian No. 3. The robot was in charge of sorting them, as Red Crystals of different quality fetched different prices and couldn’t be mixed.

Before she knew it, Shi Lan had dug up a huge pile.

When she got tired, she’d have a drink or some fruit and snacks, then get back to it once she felt re-energized.

Few people enjoy physical labor, especially hard labor, yet Shi Lan was completely engrossed. She figured it was because, in her subconscious, Red Crystals represented Star Coins. When it came to making money, she had plenty of motivation.

After about three or four hours, Yan Huoshui gently took the pick-hoe from her hands with a helpless chuckle. "I never realized Lanlan enjoyed mining so much. This is more than enough for now, what do you say? We can hire a robotic crew to handle the rest. You don’t need to work so hard."

Shi Lan turned to look and saw several large sacks around Guardian No. 3, all filled to the brim with Red Crystals. Each sack was labeled with a different quality Level.

She was taken aback for a moment, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I really dug that much?"

Yan Huoshui looked up at her dirt-streaked face, his smile deepening. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the dust from her cheeks, his red eyes filled with adoration. "If Lanlan likes it, we’ll come back again. But you’ve been digging for a long time today. Your hands will get sore if you keep going."

As he spoke, he patiently and gently began to massage her wrists and palms.

Her hands didn’t hurt, but her palms were very red.

Feeling the gentle pressure on her hands, Shi Lan nodded. "Okay."

Of all the Red Crystals they had dug up, they kept the high-quality batch for themselves. Yan Huoshui then went with her to drop off the rest at a Red Crystal consignment agency on Red Flame Star, which was the most convenient option.

However, Shi Lan thought about the skyrocketing price of Red Crystals out there and worried that people who truly needed them wouldn’t be able to afford them. So, she took them back. She wanted to have the bodyguards from Jiang Xia’s company sell them directly on colder planets, maintaining a normal price and limiting sales to two pieces per person to prevent scalping.

This way, she could help those in need as much as possible.

Yan Huoshui didn’t say anything after hearing her plan. He just couldn’t resist pulling her into a hug and kissing her again, sighing, "Lanlan, you’re so wonderful."

’If it were me,’ he thought, ’I wouldn’t care if other people lived or died. I’d probably be no different from those unscrupulous profiteers on Red Flame Star.’

’But with my wife around, I’m willing to play along and be a good person for her.’