136: The struggle for ore, a life-or-death moment

The moment the energy was exhausted, the vehicle model crashed through the pile of scrap metal, and the front of the car rushed into the mine.

The power compartment issued a warning, and Lin Wei looked up and shouted: "The energy is gone! The system is about to shut down!"

Chen Wang did not loosen his grip on the steering wheel, and his foot was still pressing on the accelerator.

He knew the car couldn't move, but it couldn't stop.

He pressed the button for the mechanical arm, the green light flashed once, and then went out.

"Quickly connect the backup battery!" Lin Wei lunged to the control console, her fingers switching rapidly between the wires, "Turn off the cooling system, cut off the lighting, navigation, and protection power!"

She unplugged the wires and reconnected them, and a spark flashed.

The mechanical arm buzzed, and the drill continued to push into the ore.

"Turn on the headlights!" Chen Wang roared.

Su Wan immediately pressed the button, the two emergency lights on the front of the car lit up, the light shone onto the rock wall, and shadows flickered.

"They are outside." Amy Chen stared at the screen, "The armored vehicle has arrived, and the cannon is aimed at the mechanical arm."

Su Ling had already set up her sniper rifle, the barrel extending from the side window.

She narrowed her eyes to aim, seeing the barrel of the T-9 heavy tank outside the ice wall moving.

"The hydraulic valve is three degrees to the left," she said, "hitting it will jam the power supply."

Amy Chen lowered her head to calculate.

"The left track's heat dissipation is poor, the armor's weak point is in the second section." She looked up, "It will move within ten seconds, you only have one chance."

Lin Wei leaned against the side of the console, panting.

"The mechanical arm can hold on for another thirty seconds," she said, "The first batch of ore is about to enter the conveyor belt."

Chen Wang glanced at the rearview mirror.

The ice wall vibrated, and broken ice fell.

He knew Derek wouldn't wait.

"Su Ling, wait until they show their heads before shooting."

Just as he finished speaking, with a loud bang, the ice wall exploded.

The armored vehicle rushed in, its tracks crushing the ice, its cannon pointed directly at the car.

"Target spotted!" The loudspeaker blared, "Stop working immediately, hand over the ore! Otherwise, we will destroy the device!"

Su Ling didn't speak.

In her scope, the hydraulic valve was clearly visible.

"They saw through it," Amy Chen said, "Their surveillance and aiming system discovered that the mechanical arm has an independent power supply, the camouflage failed."

Lin Wei gritted her teeth.

"Speed it up!" She slammed the manual switch, bypassing the system delay, and directly increased the conveyor belt speed, "Now we're sending one more ore per second!"

The conveyor belt clicked, and twelve ice crystal ores slid into the storage pod.

The pod door closed, and a prompt sounded: "Storage is seventy-three percent complete."

"Not enough," Chen Wang said, "We must take all the ore."

Su Wan stood up and removed the cover of the medical pod.

She threw it with force, and the metal plate flew out, smashing onto the armored vehicle's surveillance scope, making a loud noise.

"It blocked their vision!" she said.

The mirror surface was half-covered, and the infrared signal was interrupted.

The armored vehicle's cannon wobbled, and it began manual calibration.

"Now!" Su Ling pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet hit the hydraulic valve.

The metal ruptured, hydraulic oil sprayed out, the barrel tilted, and it couldn't charge.

"Hit!" Amy Chen said, "Fire suppression successful!"

But the armored vehicle didn't retreat.

The secondary cannon compartment opened, and three short barrels were aimed at the base of the mechanical arm.

"They're going to fire a volley!" Lin Wei shouted, "If the base is destroyed, the conveyor chain is done for!"

Chen Wang grabbed a wrench and rushed to the console.

The vibration caused the connecting shaft to shift, and the ore got stuck at the entrance.

He braced the bracket with his shoulder and tightened the bolt with his left hand.

"One more and it's full!" Lin Wei stared at the progress bar, "Just ten seconds!"

The ice wall vibrated again.

The accumulated snow at the top collapsed, hitting the conveyor belt, the belt twisted, and the speed slowed down.

"It's stuck!" Lin Wei slapped the panel, "Restarting takes three seconds! It's too late!"

Su Wan rushed over and pried open the snow blocks with her hands.

Her gloves tore, and her fingers were frozen purple, but she didn't stop.

"My turn!" Amy Chen took the tool, cut the jammed chain, and replaced it with a new one, "It can still turn!"

The conveyor belt started turning again.

The eleventh ore slid into the storage pod.

"The last one is still in the crack!" Lin Wei watched the monitor, "The mechanical arm's pulling force has reached its limit!"

The traction value on the screen rose, and the warning light flashed red.

"Forcing it will break it," Chen Wang said.

Su Ling put away her gun and took out a grappling hook warhead from her bag.

"Changing methods," she said, loading it into the chamber, "I'll hook the ore, and we'll pull from both sides."

She lay on the ground, aiming the gun at the rock crevice.

The grappling hook flew out, and the metal claw caught a corner of the ore.

"Pull!" she shouted.

The mechanical arm and the grappling hook pulled with force at the same time.

The rock rubbed and slowly loosened.

"The crack is getting bigger!" Lin Wei watched the sensor, "If we apply more force, it's going to collapse!"

"Overload output!" Lin Wei pulled the safety lock and short-circuited the circuit, "It can only last for 0.8 seconds!"

She pressed the button.

Current erupted, the mechanical arm shook violently, and the ore was pulled out.

"It's out!" Su Wan held the pod door, "Hurry and bring it in!"

Chen Wang turned off the mechanical arm and retracted the drill.

Lin Wei started the program, the last ore slid into the storage pod, and the prompt sounded: "Storage one hundred percent complete. Storage pod sealed."

"It's all loaded," Lin Wei slumped in her chair, sweating on her forehead, her hands shaking.

"What about the thrusters?" Chen Wang asked, turning back.

Amy Chen looked at the instrument.

"The base engine can be ignited," she said, "but the thrusters need two minutes and seventeen seconds to restart."

"Not enough," Chen Wang looked toward the cave entrance.

The armored vehicle was clearing the obstacles, and its tracks were starting up.

The cockpit door opened, and Derek appeared.

"He's on the phone," Su Ling raised her gun, "Calling for people."

The sound of tracks came from the distance, and it wasn't just one vehicle.

"At least two squads," Amy Chen said, "They'll be here within ten minutes."

"Can't wait," Chen Wang unbuckled his seatbelt, "Lin Wei, cut off all unnecessary power, prepare for emergency start."

Lin Wei nodded, unplugged the cooling pump power, and turned off the interior lights.

Only the console had a little light left.

"Su Wan, check everyone's condition."

"Two minor injuries," Su Wan checked quickly, "Lin Wei has an abrasion on her arm, I've bandaged it. Su Ling is bleeding from her left shoulder, she needs a new bandage."

"No need," Su Ling shook her head, "I can still fight."

Chen Wang walked to the driver's seat and gripped the steering wheel with both hands.

"Everyone back to your positions," he said, "We leave as soon as the thrusters react."

Su Ling put away her gun and sat down.

Amy Chen picked up the recording board and stared at the energy recovery.

Lin Wei leaned against the console, eyes closed, her fingers still sliding across the screen, confirming the status.

Su Wan tore open a new bandage and stuffed it into Su Ling's hand.

"Take it," she said, "Change it before the next battle."

Outside, the armored vehicle began to move.

Derek stood on the roof of the vehicle, holding a signal gun in his hand.

"He wants to mark our location," Amy Chen said, "To let the people behind find us."

"Shoot the signal gun," Chen Wang said.

Su Ling set up her gun again.

The scope was aimed at Derek's right hand.

The wind blew in from the cave entrance, carrying ice chips.

Her gun barrel swayed slightly.

Derek raised the signal gun, his thumb pressing the button.

Su Ling pulled the trigger.

The gun fired.

The signal gun was knocked flying and fell into the pile of broken stones.

Derek looked down at his empty hand and didn't move.

He turned around and looked toward the direction of the vehicle.

"He's smiling," Su Ling said.

Chen Wang stared at the icy path ahead.

The thruster energy was rising slowly, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%...

"How much longer?" he asked.

Amy Chen looked at her watch.

"Two minutes and thirteen seconds," she said, "Wait a little longer."

Lin Wei suddenly opened her eyes.

"Wait?" Her voice was tight, "We can't wait!"

She pointed to the monitor screen.

Deep in the mine, a red light flickered in a rock crevice.

"That is..." Su Wan leaned in to look.

"black tide warning," Lin Wei said, "The underground fluctuation is intensifying, the source is under the ore vein."

Chen Wang looked up sharply.

"It's not a natural fluctuation," he said, "Someone is detonating the deep-layer nodes."

Amy Chen brought up the frequency spectrum.

"The signal encoding... is the imperial military frequency band." Her face changed, "They are going to cause a collapse above our heads!"

Su Ling grabbed her gun immediately.

"Solve Derek first," she said, "Make sure he can't send a signal."

"No," Chen Wang stared at the thruster reading, "He is just a decoy. The real danger is the convoy behind, they brought a seismic generator."

Lin Wei stood up.

"Turn off the conveyor belt power!" she shouted, "Don't let the current trigger the detonation point!"

Su Wan pulled out the main control line.

The whole mine went dark.

In the distance, the first muffled sound came from deep underground.

The rock wall vibrated, and fine sand fell.

"It's started," Amy Chen said in a low voice.

The thruster energy jumped to 1%.

Chen Wang placed his hand on the start button.

Su Ling stared at the cave entrance, her finger resting outside the trigger guard.

Lin Wei leaned against the console, her lips pale.

Su Wan gripped her scalpel.

Amy Chen wrote down the last number.

The vibration was getting stronger.

A stone fell from the top, hit the roof of the car, and made a loud noise.