The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

After Fu Dashi left, the laboratory remained silent for a long time.

Embarrassment, confusion, disappointment, and a hint of inexplicable frustration.

A mix of emotions swirled together, yet there was no outlet for them.

After a while, a miner took the lead in shaking his head and leaving, followed by more and more people who silently left the laboratory.

He Lin walked out from the corner, glanced at the ore, and left without saying a word.

Zhou Xiaobing stood by the table, staring at the stone, his face turning pale and then flushed.

Feng Dapao finally couldn't hold back any longer. He was seething with anger, and muttered curses in the direction Fu Dashi had left: "That Fu Dashi! Can't he just let people have their way for once!"

After he finished cursing, he glanced at Xu Qiang's face and felt a little guilty, so he lowered his voice.

"Old Xu, um... what he said just now..."

"That makes sense." Xu Qiang calmly took off his glasses and rubbed his temples with his thumb.

"Old Feng, we can't assume that Fu Dashi is deliberately picking a fight just because he raised this question. Scholarship is based on the principle that a single case is not sufficient to prove anything, and the same applies to mining. We must not get carried away and make hasty conclusions based on a single rock."

Feng Dapao looked worried and couldn't say a word.

He certainly understood this principle. But understanding it is one thing, accepting it is another. If even this rock couldn't stop Fu Dashi, then three days later, were they really going to follow Fu Dashi's plan to dig the trench and start drilling?

"If we're looking for a rich mine, we absolutely can't act impulsively." Xu Qiang stood up, his gaze falling on Tian Tian. The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream.

Thinking about what happened on the mountain just now, that such a small child was unharmed in the face of a landslide and falling boulders, it was an incredible miracle.

This further convinced him that it was no accident that the leader had strongly recommended Tian Tian and that the base had paid special attention to her.

Thinking of this, his tense heart relaxed slightly, and he patted Feng Dapao on the shoulder.

"Old Feng, don't worry. The future is full of unknowns. But," he said firmly, "have faith."

Feng Dapao was stunned for a moment. He looked at Xu Qiang, at those tired but still bright eyes, and suddenly felt that his anger from just now didn't seem so intense anymore.

"Old Xu, as long as you stay calm, I won't panic. I'll do whatever you say."

the next day.

After a night of wind and thunder, the back mountain finally quieted down.

The morning mist in the mountains had not yet dissipated; the milky white fog swirled among the trees, shrouding everything in a hazy mist. The branches snapped by lightning lay scattered about, their fresh cuts resembling wounds.

Xu Qiang, Liang Zhe, and Tian Tian, ​​along with Zhou Xiaobing this time, followed behind several experienced security guards and veteran miners, trudging along the slippery mountain path deeper into the back of the mountain.

Tian Tian walked cautiously, her little rubber shoes crunching on the gravel. The morning mist dampened her hair, a few strands sticking to her forehead, but she didn't care, just tilting her head back and looking around.

"Dad, this is where we were yesterday," she suddenly said.

Liang Zhe looked down at her. The little girl's eyes were bright as she stared at the ravaged hillside in front of her.

Everyone stopped.

This is the edge of the landslide area, which is lower than the surrounding area. The vegetation around it is badly flattened, as if it had been pushed down from the hillside by some huge force and then crushed.

Following the direction of the fallen vegetation, you can see the traces of the rubble rolling down, one after another, like huge scratches, from the top of the mountain all the way down to the bottom.

Beside an old tree that had been uprooted, there was a pit about half a meter in diameter. The soil in the pit was churned up by the rain, and a few sharp-edged stones remained on the edge.

Sweetie let go of Liang Zhe's hand and ran over.

She squatted down beside the hollow and poked at the soil with her little hands. The soil was still wet and cool, sticking to her fingers. She poked at it carefully, examining one stone at a time before setting it aside and moving on to the next.

Yesterday, she was here and experienced the singing ore.

"Dad, Stone is sleeping here." She looked up.

Liang Zhe and Xu Qiang quickly stepped forward and squatted down to take a look.

This is a section of rock that has just been washed away by debris. The surface is covered with fresh, wet mud, and several rock edges are exposed, bearing scratches from the mudslide.

"Soldier, check the surrounding area for any signs of mineralization!" Xu Qiang ordered.

The group immediately dispersed and carefully searched around the crater. They turned over every piece of rubble they could see...

No.

There were no mineral fragments similar to that "singing stone".

There were no crystal clusters, no special metallic luster, and not even a trace of suspicious yellow or green.

Undeterred, they searched outwards in a fan shape for over ten meters, using the crater as the center.

The result was still extremely disappointing.

There is no trace of any mineral outcrops here. There is only ordinary limestone and sandstone, with the occasional white quartz vein, but it is as clean as if it has just been washed, without any mineralization of associated minerals.

"It's...it's a dead end." Zhou Xiaobing sighed dejectedly.

Xu Qiang slowly stood up, leaning on his wooden cane, gazing at the hillside before him. The wind howled, as if mocking them—that vein, that parent body, might never have existed at all.

He suddenly felt very tired.

That kind of exhaustion isn't about physical fatigue, but rather the exhaustion of having worked so hard for so long, going from hope to despair, leaving you feeling powerless.

"Grandpa Xu?" Tian Tian tugged at his sleeve.

Xu Qiang lowered his head and met those clear, large eyes.

The child's innocent and bewildered question softened Xu Qiang's heart. He squatted down and looked her in the eye.

"Sweetie," he said, trying to make his voice sound less heavy, "was this the only stone from yesterday?"

Sweetie looked around and shook her head. "The other stones are all sleeping."

As if sensing Xu Qiang and the others' disappointment, she said somewhat shyly in a low voice, "Grandpa Xu, is one piece not enough?"

"No way," Xu Qiang smiled at her, "The piece that Tian Tian found is extremely valuable."

He gently touched the little girl's hair, which was ruffled by the wind, and spoke earnestly.

"Sometimes, when we face a tough problem, the most important thing is to find the first piece of the puzzle."

"It's getting late," he said to the others, "let's head down the mountain."

At the foot of the mountain, Feng Dapao and a few others were waiting there.

He stood beside an old tree, a lit cigarette clutched in his hand. He noticed everyone's empty hands, hesitated, but asked nothing.

The valley stood silently, the mist dissipating to reveal its silent face. The exposed sections and scattered rubble resembled a giant riddle, waiting to be solved.

But where exactly is the answer?