CHAPTER 667: CHAPTER 612: GRAND FINALE (PART TWO)

Lao Liu and a few others had also stopped digging.

Qiao Qingyu looked at the pits they had dug, only a little over two meters deep, and nothing had been discovered yet.

If there indeed was a mine here, what if it was hundreds of meters below the surface? Digging with just a shovel, one wouldn’t reach the bottom in a month.

Everyone understood this, there were no fools here, all were high intelligence scientific researchers.

They just wanted to see if there might be any new discoveries in the soil composition within this one or two meters, but clearly, everyone was disappointed.

It was now time to pack up, Lu Ye signaled to everyone, "Let’s wrap up today’s research, it’s time for us to head back."

It was already past three in the afternoon, and though Lu Ye’s group was closer than He Xiuyu and Qiao Qingyu’s, it would still be dark by the time they reached Xichuan City.

On the way to Jiudao Ridge, Qiao Qingyu had already called Chu Ying, and then He Xiuyu had called her too, asking her to have Chaoxuan join them for lunch and dinner.

Chu Ying had called just now to say that the child had eaten at her place at noon, but Chaoxuan was going to Guo Guo’s place to eat braised pig’s feet in the evening.

Li Bo’s steamed buns were exceptional, and Mr. Zhao’s braised pig’s feet were also a delicacy. Whenever he had time, he would buy some pig’s feet to braise and then distribute them to his neighbors, a part of social reciprocity.

In the past, some people had complaints about Mr. Zhao, but as the years passed, seeing his happy marriage and lovely daughter, those past issues gradually faded.

Apart from those directly involved, who else could remember?

Some people sympathized greatly with Huang Ling; however, once they learned that Huang Ling was now doing well and had even had a son, they dropped the subject.

It was said that Huang Ling’s partner was two years younger than her and a very handsome young man.

Thus, one can see, as long as divorcees avoid mutual harm, once-married couples can indeed both find peace.

Now, Mr. Zhao had a genuinely good reputation in the base, and with his braised pig’s feet, plus one family in the base learning from him and then renting a small stall in New City to sell braised pig’s feet, reportedly doing very well in business.

Mr. Zhao adamantly refused to take any money because he was on great terms with the person’s husband, but every now and then, they would bring him a couple of braised pig’s feet.

So, Mr. Zhao spent less time in the kitchen himself over the years, and today he was personally cooking, reportedly starting from the morning.

Since someone else was taking care of dinner, Qiao Qingyu didn’t have to worry.

She got ready to return to the Tenghai Research Base with He Xiuyu.

He Xiuyu carried a shovel while Qiao Qingyu held a plastic bag, filling it with weeds and some soil they had just dug up.

He Xiuyu took the bag from his wife’s hand, just about to say something, when suddenly a look of shock appeared on his face.

Looking in his direction, there was no one, though Qiao Qingyu remembered that Chen Tianliang had just been there.

He had been packing up some stuff there, although there had been no one else around him at the time.

He Xiuyu abruptly stopped.

Before Qiao Qingyu could say anything, a cry of alarm from Chen Tianliang was heard.

Suddenly, dust was everywhere, and there seemed to be a rumbling sound coming from underfoot.

What had been quite a leisurely gathering of people was stunned into stillness, all stopping in their tracks and looking toward the source of the noise, while Lu Ye reacted quickly, and He Xiuyu, putting down what he held, almost simultaneously raced with Lu Ye toward the rising dust.

They weren’t far, and within seconds, they had all converged, Lu Ye shouting loudly, "Chen Tianliang, Chen Tianliang."

Everyone was shocked, then their faces changed, as in front of them appeared a collapse, a deep pit of over ten meters, with Chen Tianliang lying motionless at the bottom.

From some distance, Chen Tianliang appeared very small and his facial expressions indiscernible, everyone shouted crazily, even tremblingly taking out their phones to call emergency services. The nearest town was a small county town.

With a stern and tense face, He Xiuyu also took out his phone, calling the person in charge at the Space Base to send a rescue helicopter immediately.

The location was Jiudao Ridge in West River Northern.

The other party agreeably consented, He Xiuyu hung up the phone, and at that time, someone had already run to the cars and fetched a rope from the trunk.