I am farming in the real world.

Chapter 309 Low-grade Copper Ore

Seeing that the copper mine stronghold was surrounded by the newly grown dense rainforest, Chen Jue felt it wasn't safe enough. He took out a few more sets of bone meal and handed them to a few simpletons to re-spread along the previously cleared stream path, thus giving the cleared path a preliminary disguise.

When the area around the stronghold became completely silent, it was difficult to spot the stronghold in the forest even when viewed from above using the Flying Cube.

Only then did Chen Jue unleash his full potential, allowing the Iron Golem and Old Merchant to work together to transform this first important sub-base in Africa.

First, a 4-meter-high and 1-meter-thick concrete block wall was built around the metal factory area to block the view from all sides and prevent tropical creatures living in the rainforest from entering.

Then Chen Jue took out several rolls of pre-prepared thin-film screens from the supply container to visually camouflage the entire area above the stronghold.

This step is to prevent remote sensing satellites from taking pictures when passing by at high altitudes.

With the holographic camouflage of the 12K thin-film screen, even close-range reconnaissance by drones would make it difficult to detect anything unusual about this place.

Having completed this step, Chen Jue, now in Steve mode, took out his pickaxe and began digging inside the ironworks to search for underground copper ore.

The sound of digging echoed inside the vertical tunnel.

In order to explore for copper in Africa this time, Chen Jue mobilized almost all the iron golems that could be drawn from the Rubik's Cube factory.

With a suitable target location identified, the rest is simply a matter of thorough, in-depth digging.

It is estimated that the Congolese mining authorities had already scouted the location of this small copper mine, as its coordinates are very precise.

After digging down about a hundred squares along the edge of the blue pond, the iron golem below proudly handed over a piece of ore with yellow spots: "Boss! Found it!"

Chen Jue took the ore and looked at it; a line of subtitles automatically appeared:

[Copper sulfide ore: Low-grade copper ore containing iron, cobalt, and other associated mineral elements, with a copper content of 0.4%, possessing low mining value.]

"0.4%?"

"What low taste!"

"No wonder no companies are willing to mine here; the cost of ore beneficiation alone is frighteningly high." Chen Jue shook his head in disdain upon seeing this.

铜矿的品位等级和铁矿有所区别，大致分为：超高品>5%、高品2%~5%、中品0.8%~2%、低品0.4%~0.8%、极低品<0.4%，这五种品位等级。

China is a country with an extreme shortage of copper, yet it is also the world's largest manufacturing power. More than 70% of the copper resources consumed in the market each year are imported.

Electronic products, the automotive industry, electrical equipment, industrial infrastructure, and so on—almost nothing can do without copper.

In 2023, China imported 375 million tons of refined copper and a staggering 2750 million tons of copper concentrate.

Based on the current price of 7.8 yuan/ton for electrolytic copper, the annual expenditure on imported copper alone is as high as 5000 billion yuan.

The Dexing copper mine, which has the largest mining volume in China, only has a grade of more than 2%, which is considered high grade.

Meanwhile, some large mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo frequently yield ultra-high-grade minerals with yields of around 10%.

This is why it attracts global mining giants to compete for territory and frequently instigate armed rebellions; all of this involves vested interests.

The reason why this small copper mine hidden in the rainforest has such a low copper content is clearly because it's an abandoned mine that has been screened. However, for Chen Jue, even abandoned mines have their value.

After mining several sets of [copper sulfide ore], he set up a row of newly synthesized MC [furnaces] in the newly opened African branch base below the base.

Right-click to enter the operation page, then stuff the mined copper ore into the upper slot one by one, and fill the lower fuel slot with the prepared [magma bucket].

Looking at the flame symbol rising on the [furnace], a [copper particle] with a copper content of 100% quickly appeared in Chen Jue's sight.

"Nine copper granules can be combined into a copper ingot, which can then be further combined into a copper block."

"I hope there's enough copper sulfide ore here, otherwise I'll have to go to Glencore's contracted land and steal their ore." Chen Jue held up the freshly mined copper nugget and examined it.

They then began using the [Workbench] to synthesize [Furnaces] in large quantities with the old merchant, starting the large-scale refining and collection of [Copper Ingots].

Of course, Chen Jue didn't forget to go down and collect the green experience points that appeared during this process.

In addition, this place is only about 1000 kilometers away from the coordinates of the chrysoprase mine in Tanzania.

After mining over a hundred sets of copper sulfide ore, Chen Jue ordered the iron golems to split into two groups, one of which continued mining the copper resources in the vicinity.

The other three-person team, following the same standard as when digging underground tunnels, quickly excavated towards Tanzania in the east.

He himself returned to his own flying cube and began searching for traces of wild animals on the African savanna.

Elephants, lions, crocodiles, herds of wild buffalo, and even the African gut-eating hyenas—the cutest African black-footed cats were all caught and thoroughly petted by Chen Jue.

In short, Chen Jue would take the time to visit and experience firsthand the scenes that he had only seen in the "Animal World" documentary.

Seven days later, the old merchant in charge of managing the DRC branch base sent word that a group of unidentified armed men were approaching the camp's stronghold.

Chen Jue then perked up, put down the black-footed cat in his arms, and boarded the Flying Cube to take off from a desert in South Africa and return to the airspace above that rainforest area.

"Who are these people?" Chen Jue asked curiously, staring at the thermal imaging of the woods below.

Logically speaking, this small copper mine is located in a tropical rainforest where local indigenous people rarely come near it.

Even the rebel militants mostly operate in the towns and villages of Tanganyika Province.

Only someone with a screw loose would venture into these dangerous rainforests where there are hardly any resources to be found.

The old merchant pointed to the thermal image and said, "Boss, this group of people should be defeated soldiers who just fled from a nearby town. Some of them know how to cross the rainforest to reach the other side of the town, so they accidentally ran into our branch base."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jue looked thoughtful: "Let Tie Laoliu and the others go up and meet with this group. It would be best to force them to change course and not expose their stronghold, which would affect our mining operations. Those who are unwilling to surrender should be killed."

"Roger that, boss!"

Old Shang nodded solemnly, put on a dark blue diamond suit, and led several iron golems carrying AK47s to quickly dart into the rainforest from the airtight stronghold.

A battle between human thermal weapons and MC utility creatures is inevitable.

(End of this chapter)