Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 647 Fortune and misfortune are intertwined... Get out!
[Kaishanfang, Area C.]

The shouts of workers echoed through the morning mist as a group of men entered the mine shaft. The men, who had been drowsy just moments before, were now wide awake and alert.

Li Biao walked at the front, shouting in a gruff voice, "Keep your eyes peeled! This section is a seaside mining area; the volcano is small and weak."

He paused, his voice deepening, "But the soil is soft and prone to collapse, brothers, please be careful!"

These twenty or so people were all under Li Biao's command. As the dormitory head, he had some influence with the other managers and earned significantly more than the average mine worker each month. However, being the dormitory head wasn't a position for nothing; if something happened in the mine, he couldn't be the first to leave, otherwise no one would respect him anymore.

Li Biao had a fiery temper; he'd throw a punch at the slightest provocation, leaving many men bruised and battered. But whenever something went wrong in the mine, he was always the last one standing guard, never abandoning a single brother. For that reason alone, everyone was willing to follow him.

Looking at the mentally challenged boy on the bed, he pleaded with Steward Qian to let him rest for another day.

The steward holding the whip scoffed, "What? Is she your wife or your brother-in-law?"

["Even if your wife comes and you put her in the warm bed, it's still not okay."]

Li Biao frowned. Manager Qian wasn't the type to be so meticulous and rigidly adhere to rules.

"The rules of the Kaishan House cannot be broken," Manager Qian said in a deep voice. "Call them up and let them all go down!"

Steward Qian took a few steps closer to Li Biao and lowered his voice: "There was trouble in District A yesterday. Some of the miners attacked the steward, and many people died. They fled to sea overnight."

He paused slightly, then added, "Someone from the He family came to investigate today... It's not that I'm refusing to give you face."

He glanced at Li Biao, his gaze carrying a hidden meaning.

[A steward oversees two or three dormitory heads, managing fifty or sixty people. While the steward appears authoritative, there have been instances within the dormitory where subordinates have physically assaulted and killed him.]

These two aspects have always been complementary, requiring a balance of both kindness and severity.

Steward Qian added, "I've already pulled some strings regarding your sister's matter; she'll be able to enter the Pearl-Diving Chamber next year."

Li Biao's face lit up with joy, and he quickly thanked him, "Thank you very much, Steward Qian."

Steward Qian simply nodded and looked at the mentally challenged boy, "What's your name?"

You remained silent.

Steward Qian flipped through the roster in his hand. "Chu Yi, follow along."

Above the mine, hundreds of shirtless men surged densely into the cave dwellings.

[Everyone was covered in glossy fire-retardant balm, carried medicine baskets on their backs, and held arm-length iron tongs in their hands.]

[The Yanghuozhi grows deep within a volcano; it is a rare and precious herb, not something that can be picked by ordinary human hands.]

[It must be cut with special long pliers, and the roots and tendrils must be left so that it can sprout again next year.]

This is a rule of the Kaishanfang (a type of traditional Chinese hermitage), to avoid depleting its resources.

Each time a cluster of Yanghuozhi is harvested, an additional sum of silver is added to the wages. The more clusters harvested, the higher the price per cluster: fifty clusters, one hundred clusters, one hundred and thirty clusters, each with its own tier.

However, if after a month, not even the most basic amount has been collected, not only will they receive no money, but they will also be whipped.

The person who harvests the most each month receives an extra reward; the person who comes in last place will have their name posted publicly.

[This was a rule set by the second young lady of the He family—a "Gathering of Lingzhi" would be held mid-month to recognize the top performer and encourage mutual respect.]

Over time, the miners began to compete and strive to outdo each other.

[However, the He family has recently doubled the mining quota, and pressure from above and below is intensifying. The steward and the maid in purple are constantly putting pressure on them, and accidents are happening one after another.]

After all, in this mine, every step is a matter of life and death.

Li Biao led twenty men down the rope into the depths. As soon as they reached the bottom, a wave of intense heat hit them, making it hard to breathe.

[You stay close behind; Li Biao tells you not to leave his side for even a moment.]

Inside the mine, the firelight flickered, the air was hot and dry, and dust filled the air. Everyone had already wrapped their mouths and noses tightly with damp gauze and pressed their heads down as they moved forward.

The deeper they went, the more rugged the cave walls became, with branching paths spreading like a spiderweb, leading to a series of dark lairs. The paths grew narrower and narrower, making it difficult for the group to walk side-by-side; they had to proceed in single file.

Four people were positioned at the front of the group to clear the way, while others stayed behind to guard the cave entrance, lighting candles as a warning—if the candles went out, danger was imminent, and at that point, forget everything else and just run out.

Li Biao reached out and touched the volcanic mud on the cave wall; it felt warm, smooth, and slightly sticky.

His expression softened slightly: "It should be alright. The older generation says, 'If there's a fishy smell at the cave entrance, it means soup will flow if you move,' so today is an auspicious day."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, their tense nerves easing slightly.

[Going down into the mine to inspect the mountains, it often takes more than a month to work in one mine shaft.]

[To encounter such stable and accident-prone terrain means that this entire month can pass peacefully; who wouldn't feel fortunate?]

[If we're sent to a volcanic area, we have to do it without hesitation. That's the rule of Kaishanfang. Life and death are in the hands of fate.]

Li Biao shouted, "Then let's finish picking as soon as possible and go back!"

Eating is prohibited underground, as the extreme temperature changes inside the mine can easily cause abdominal pain and bloody stools, which no one can withstand.

Li Biao turned and glanced at the silent boy. "Chu Yi, you're lucky."

Further in, clusters of flame-like Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushrooms) gradually appeared on the cave walls, growing like exotic fungi on the volcanic surface.

The group used pliers to cut the pieces and threw them into their baskets.

In the labyrinthine mine shafts, the group gradually dispersed, each searching for their own path forward.

[You and Li Biao also learned how to use pliers, but you were much slower than the average person.]

Moreover, you never put the Yanghuozhi you picked into your own basket; you always turned around and stuffed it into Li Biao's basket.

[Li Biao had no choice but to repeatedly pick out the Ganoderma lucidum you gave him and put it back into your basket.]

You followed suit and put the Yanghuozhi from his basket into your own.

"You dare take my money?"

Li Biao's anger flared, but when he looked up and met the boy's empty, bewildered eyes, his anger dissipated.

"Oh well... what an idiot."

The group continued deeper into the cave, only to find that the Yanghuozhi mushrooms on the cave walls were becoming increasingly dense, spreading out like fiery clouds.

Li Biao's face showed surprise. Such a sight was truly rare. Could this volcano near the island actually be a top-grade rich mine?

If that's the case, wouldn't this one harvest be worth a whole year's wages?

Exclamations of surprise erupted from various parts of the cave, quickly escalating into a cacophony of jubilation.

Everyone noticed that they were all beaming with health and vitality.

Li Biao couldn't help but grin. Now he didn't have to worry about the harvest from this trip down the cave.

The Yanghuozhi was so abundant that even the clumsy boy soon filled his basket.

At noon, the group climbed up the rope one by one.

The news spread quickly, and even the managers in charge of the mining area rushed over, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.

Such a rich mine is a rare find, even after several years.

“Good! Good! Good!”

Manager Qian laughed, "After this cave excavation, I'll treat the brothers to a good time!"

The foremen and miners around them cast envious glances.

[To encounter such a wonderful thing is enough for Kaishanfang to talk about with relish at the dinner table for years to come.]

[When Elder Fei was counting the Yang Fire Mushrooms with the young boy, he caught a glimpse of the dazed-looking boy in the group.]

[On the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, he hurriedly waved and called out, "First day of the month! First day of the month! It's me, the fifteenth!"]

The boy seemed not to hear, and simply stood quietly in line.

After a hearty lunch, the group descended into the cave again.

[On the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, he said to Old Fei with great delight, "Grandpa, we're really lucky on the first day of the month! We've found such a rich mine on our first time going down into the cave. One trip there is worth a year's worth for others!"]

[Old Fei, however, gazed at the volcanoes in the seaside mining area, then looked at the beaming crowd, and slowly shook his head:]

"Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise."

"Good things, when they reach their limit, often turn into bad things; but bad things are not necessarily bad things."

"Grandpa means..."

[“What I mean is, stop asking so many questions and interrupting. Focus on the inventory! Don’t try to slack off.”]

[He grinned on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month.] [Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Biao's team had an astonishing harvest; the amount of Yanghuozhi they gathered in just half a month was equivalent to half a year's worth in normal times.]

The news spread so far that even the purple-clad maidservant who ran the mountain retreat was alerted and personally brought them the finest vegetarian meal.

Inside the house, more than twenty men were all working with great enthusiasm.

For the past two weeks, Li Biao has been enjoying plenty of food and drink every day when he returns home, allowing him to rest and recharge before leading the way back down into the mine the next day.

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

You manage to fill your basket every day; though not as much as the best miners in the team, it's equivalent to what an average miner does in six or seven months.

Li Biao gradually realized that although you were somewhat simple-minded, as long as you were given clear instructions beforehand, you could concentrate wholeheartedly and do a good job at your best.

You are completely focused; when you eat, you only eat; when you sleep, you only sleep; when you work, you only work; even when you're daydreaming, you're fully absorbed.

[Always quiet and never speaks.]

At first, Li Biao thought the mentally challenged boy was a burden, but now, a month later, he's gotten used to having him by his side.

He didn't say much to you either; after all, who would want to waste time talking to a block of wood? It would only make you look foolish.

Seeing that the boy was mentally challenged, one of his roommates decided to bully him and made him do the laundry.

Although the boy didn't understand, he still did as he was told, squatting down by the pool and rubbing the ingredients.

Li Biao saw this and wanted to speak up to stop them, but he swallowed his words.

Seven or eight days have passed.

[That day, Li Biao went down into the cave as usual, but found it to be several degrees hotter than usual.]

Based on his three years of experience working in the mines, he immediately sensed something was amiss.

[Reaching out to touch the stone wall, the original sticky, damp feeling had vanished.]

"Brothers, be careful today, something's not right," he said in a low voice. "We're not going any deeper."

Everyone knew of his abilities, so they nodded in agreement and dispersed to continue mining.

[Deep within the mine, a maze of paths branched off. Li Biao led you forward, the heat intensifying with each step.]

"The volcano is about to erupt!"

"Damn it, let's get to the cave."

He stopped and shouted in all directions, "Retreat!"

Everyone understood immediately and rushed to the rope to start climbing.

Li Biao kept a close eye on the cave entrance. Seeing that most people had already evacuated, he felt somewhat relieved.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

He urged sharply, his gaze sweeping the area, his expression changing as he noticed one person was missing—his fellow villager: "Where's Li Guang? Where did he go?"

"He... went deeper inside..."

"Damn it! Didn't I tell you not to go deep into the mountains today?!"

"He lost all his wages from the past few days and is desperate to win them back..."

Li Biao immediately understood and, without further ado, said, "You go first! I'll go find that money-grubbing bastard!"

"Brother Biao! Don't go! He's the only one left..."

[Li Biao ignored the shouts behind him and turned to plunge into a side passage of a cave.]

Unexpectedly, that seemingly foolish boy also followed.

Li Biao turned around and met the boy's gaze, both anxious and angry: "What are you doing here? Go back!"

The boy stood still, motionless.

Li Biao had no time to argue, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Stay close to me! Run as soon as we find them!"

The cave was sweltering; Li Biao felt as if the fire-resistant plaster covering his entire body was about to melt.

My lips are so chapped that even moving my eyes hurts from the dryness.

[But after rushing all this way, they hadn't even caught a glimpse of half of Li Guang's clothing.]

"Where is he? Where did he go?!"

He was extremely anxious; the sweat that had just seeped out was quickly evaporated, leaving only streaks of burning salt on his skin.

In the heat of the moment, they unknowingly ventured deep inside.

[A loud "BOOM!" sound.]

The heatwave slammed into him like a giant hammer, knocking him violently to the ground.

A low roar echoed from the depths of the cave, causing Li Biao's ears to ring and his head to spin.

He suddenly realized—a volcanic eruption! He had stumbled into a death trap.

[We went too far; it's too late to escape.]

He struggled to get up, but the cave walls were shaking violently, making it impossible for him to stand.

"Li Biao, you can't die... you still have a younger sister to support..."

"Li Biao, you can't die. If you die, your sister will be bullied to death by those managers. You promised your father."

He screamed inwardly, but the cave was filled with the scorching heat of the fire.

The search for that person had completely exhausted me.

How can man conquer nature?

Just as he was about to fall again, a pair of hands steadily caught him from behind.

Li Biao's vision blurred, and with his last strength, he managed to squeeze out a few words: "I...want...to...get...out..."

The boy's usually vacant eyes seemed to flicker slightly, and he nodded earnestly.

~

~

The entrance to the cave in Area C by the sea.

Several managers gazed solemnly at the faint glow emanating from the distant crater.

Steward Qian hurried forward: "Has everyone come up?"

"Brother Biao hasn't come up yet."

Manager Qian was taken aback: "That kid is smarter than a monkey, how could he..."

"He went back to find his roommate."

"Fool! You're gambling with your life!"

The brothers in the room all looked worried.

Li Biao had saved the lives of many of them.

The steward, holding the whip, scanned the crowd, his gaze darkening: "One is still missing?"

Then everyone realized: "It's that new idiot... he went back with Brother Biao."

Fei Lao and La Shiwu were also squeezed in the crowd, watching as the mountain workers in the nearby area desperately tried to escape.

Everyone knows that once this volcano erupts, there is absolutely no chance of survival for the people underneath.

La Shiwu's face darkened, and he murmured, "Chu Yi... your fate, sigh..."

"The first day of the month is gone, only the fifteenth remains."

Professor Fei also sighed, watching the volcano in front of him suddenly erupt.

The heat was intense, and the group was ready to back down.

Manager Qian shook his head. "Li Biao... is dead!"

(End of this chapter)