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

"Dean Xu, are you openly defying the work procedures?" Fu Dashi asked urgently, his tone accusatory. "The location we need to verify right now is right here. That area is clearly just a barren slope overgrown with weeds. What valuable things could there be? Please don't let your momentary soft-heartedness lead you to condone this child's unreasonable behavior."

"Engineer Fu," Xu Qiang stopped and looked at him calmly, "Since it's an exploration, we shouldn't overlook any corner that might contain anomalies. The fact that Expert Liang didn't stop his daughter means he also believes there might be a discovery there. Science doesn't allow for luck; even if there's only a one percent chance, we have to verify it."

"He's joking!" Fu Dashi said, his voice rising several octaves. "After searching for so many days and finding nothing, I'm even starting to doubt whether his 'expert' title is truly deserved! Now it's all thanks to his daughter climbing mountains and finding something. Do I really need to question her level of expertise?"

"Engineer Fu, we're all working for the country's resources, we're all comrades. You need to be mindful of your words. There's no need for personal attacks, is there?" Xu Qiang's expression turned slightly cold, and his tone was already tinged with displeasure.

"Is this an attack? I'd like to ask you," Fu Dashi angrily waved his arms, "bringing children to the mine, is it for sightseeing or exploration? Seven whole days, and not a single decent piece of rich ore deposits found, it's all down to luck. Doesn't this kind of work attitude need reflection? If this is how we work, I must report it to the organization! I'm going to file a complaint!"

Seeing that Fu Dashi was going too far, Zhou Xiaobing couldn't help but step forward and said in a deep voice, "Engineer Fu, why are you doing this? It's only a hundred or so steps. How much time would it take to walk over and take a look? Even if you don't find anything, there's no loss."

"This isn't about distance! It's a matter of principle!"

Fu Dashi was completely enraged. His face flushed red, and he said sternly to Zhou Xiaobing, "Comrade Zhou, you be the judge! Our inspection is going smoothly, and this kid just casually said something, and Dean Xu is about to drop everything and follow him? How can anyone do things like that? This is extremely irresponsible!"

"Engineer Fu, you're making a mountain out of a molehill." Zhou Xiaobing also got angry. In his eyes, his teacher Xu Qiang worked tirelessly every day for the uranium mining industry, turning his hair white, and should not be subjected to such unwarranted slander.

"Since it's exploration, is it wrong to survey more areas and look for more clues?"

"This is sloppy work! It shows extreme distrust of me personally!" Fu Dashi shouted vehemently. "If this is how we work in our mine, I will definitely report this to the organization and expose your irresponsible practices!"

"Fu Dashi, you've gone too far!" Zhou Xiaobing's face turned ashen. He could no longer suppress his anger and bluntly touched on Fu Dashi's sore spot.

"I'm asking you, did you secretly pull strings and use connections to pressure the research institute into giving you this particular plot of land? What makes you so confident that this place will definitely yield a rich deposit? Wasn't the mess left by that abandoned mine on the west slope created by your own willful and arbitrary actions?"

Zhou Xiaobing speaks frankly, unlike Xu Qiang who always leaves room for maneuver. He had long disliked Fu Dashi's arrogant and stubborn attitude, so he simply spoke his mind.

The abandoned Xipo mine is a hidden pain for everyone in the mine, and it is also the most taboo stain in Fu Dashi's career. No one dares to mention it easily on ordinary days. Zhou Xiaobing's words can be said to have hit his soft spot.

Fu Dashi's face instantly turned bright red. Enraged, he slammed the geological hammer in his hand onto the ground.

Gravel flew everywhere.

He rolled up his sleeves, his face contorted with rage, and charged toward Zhou Xiaobing, ready to attack.

"Zhou Xiaobing, what do you mean?!"

"What do I mean? I just can't stand your behavior!"

"Well, so you two, master and apprentice, are trying to sabotage the mine's important affairs by relying on your seniority and seniority?" Fu Dashi said angrily, throwing accusations around haphazardly.

"Stop spouting nonsense! You're so autocratic in your work, never listening to a word of advice from others, and you're so stubborn. I'm going to report you to higher authorities for being out of touch with the masses and acting unilaterally!"

The two argued more and more fiercely, their words becoming increasingly heated, and they seemed poised to come to blows. The air around them froze instantly, the tension almost suffocating.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, several miners and technicians rushed forward to break up the fight, but both men were known for their stubbornness. They glared at each other, neither willing to back down an inch.

"That's enough!"

At the critical moment, Xu Qiang finally spoke, shouting, "Stop it, all of you!"

After receiving Xu Qiang's approval, his bodyguard Mao Zhan stepped forward and forcibly separated the two men with his iron-like arms, one on each side.

Fu Dashi's eyes blazed with fury, and Zhou Xiaobing's face was ashen. The two men, separated by Mao Zhan, glared angrily at each other, their chests heaving violently.

"Engineer Fu," Xu Qiang slowly withdrew his gaze, his tone regaining its usual composure, "If you have any objections to my work arrangements, you can certainly report them to the organization according to the procedures. This is your legal right, and I respect your right to exercise it."

Fu Dashi raised an eyebrow, seemingly wanting to use this as an excuse to make a fuss, but seeing Zhou Xiaobing's unyielding demeanor, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Xiaobing," Xu Qiang turned to his student, "comrades should strengthen unity and not resort to bullying and fighting at the drop of a hat. Besides, such petty squabbles cannot solve any practical problems."

Zhou Xiaobing had always respected Xu Qiang. Hearing his teacher's admonition, he lowered his head and replied in a muffled voice, "Yes, teacher."

"As for Expert Liang..." Xu Qiang hadn't finished speaking when Liang Zhe walked over carrying Tian Tian. The father and daughter had obviously witnessed the argument earlier. When Fu Dashi and Liang Zhe's eyes met, Fu Dashi snorted coldly, turned his face away, and refused to look at him again.

"Dean Xu." Liang Zhe completely ignored Fu Dashi. He grabbed Tian Tian's little hand and pushed it forward. "Take a look at this."

In the little girl's fair palm lay a small, grayish-yellow pebble. Although it was only the size of a billiard ball, the mineralization marks on its surface were exceptionally obvious. Its color was rich, its texture was regular, and its quality was in no way inferior to the core mineral seed that Fu Dashi had found before, and it was even better.

Xu Qiang's eyes lit up, and his expression instantly became excited. He quickly reached out and took the pebble, examining it repeatedly in his palm.

The technicians and veteran miners around also gathered around, peering over to take a closer look. The more they looked, the more surprised they became, and they couldn't help but praise it.

"Expert Liang, you're amazing! The quality of this rock sample is much better than the previous outcrop!"

"You found it on that slope the child pointed out? Dean Xu, I think this is definitely something special; there might be a rich mine hidden underneath!"

"Quick, quick, everyone hurry over there! What if there really is a hidden gem vein? We almost missed it!"

The crowd chattered excitedly, leaving Fu Dashi completely ignored and isolated.

Fu Dashi stood there, his lips twitching slightly involuntarily. He stared intently at the gleaming stone in Xu Qiang's hand, his gaze gradually darkening and becoming sinister, as if he wanted to bore a hole through the stone.

"Let's go see the source," Xu Qiang said to Liang Zhe as he put the stone into a sampling bag.

Liang Zhe turned around with Tian Tian in his arms, and Tian Tian happily pointed her little finger forward: "Grandpa, come look! There are so many of those singing stones over there!"

Driven by curiosity, the crowd surged forward, crowding around Xu Qiang. Seeing that the tide had turned against them, Fu Dashi's face turned ashen, and he could only grit his teeth and follow. But his once arrogant steps had now become incredibly heavy, as if he were dragging a thousand-pound shackle.

After walking more than a hundred steps, the group climbed up a hillside using both hands and feet, arriving at the spot where Tian Tian had stood earlier. Not far ahead, dense vines and thorns grew.

Someone quickly climbed up, reached out and pushed aside the vines, revealing a dark cave in front of everyone.