C1 The Coal Mine Was in Danger

At the juncture between the Positive and Negative Universes, a small Universe Warship was engaged in a flurry of activity.

"Master, the Spacetime Destruction Project has been thoroughly inspected. We are ready to proceed at your command," announced a voice.

The man in the command room gave a nod of approval.

"Link to the Heart of the Universe and commence energy extraction. Initiate the Spacetime Disruption Plan."

"Understood." A woman of breathtaking beauty merged with the warship's systems. The colossal machinery around her sprang to life.

Massive beams of energy erupted from the devices, converging on the tiny, glass bead-sized Heart of the Universe.

In the ensuing silence, the Heart unleashed a surge of even more formidable energy.

"Extraction underway. Progress: 1%... 99%, 100%. Energy reserves are full," the woman's voice echoed from every direction.

"Target the Spacetime Rift. Fire!"

The warship's fore section began to charge, and a hair-thin beam of energy silently hit its mark.

"The Spacetime Disruption is open. We can enter at will."

The man cast a glance at the universe, his thoughts drifting to the origin of it all.

"Gene analysis complete. Commencing binding. The host remains unconscious; initiating forced recognition," a sinister voice echoed through the pitch-black cave.

In July of 2017, the scorching summer sun sought refuge behind thick clouds. The sky darkened, the wind picked up, and dust swirled from the ground. Raindrops began to fall, washing the dust into the gutters where it mixed with black powder and flowed away.

Deep within the mine, a gaunt figure toiled alone, mining the rock face. His name was Situ Yu. At 18, he'd been duped by a shady broker into working at a coal mine in J-S Province, a notorious black coal kiln with no regard for human safety. Two years had passed, his fair skin now darkened, his frame even more slender. Yet, his muscles had developed, offering a small consolation amidst his misfortune. As he worked tirelessly, Situ Yu's thoughts turned to the end of the month and the 500 yuan salary soon to be his. It was a good thing his room and board were covered; otherwise, that meager sum wouldn't even suffice for survival. Time ticked away relentlessly...

With a thunderous boom, a flock of birds scattered from the trees on the surrounding hillsides. Covered in soot, a group of miners emerged in a panic from a nearby mine shaft. They donned yellow helmets, each topped with a small mining lamp, and their hands were clad in worn gray cotton gloves. Their white vests, now stained gray-black with coal dust, matched their mining outfits, which were also caked with black powder.

"The mine is collapsing! It's collapsing! Someone help us!" The leading miners shouted as they ran, their faces etched with anxiety. They made a beeline for a makeshift house constructed from color-coated steel tiles not too far away.

Inside the house, a dark-skinned middle-aged man lounged on a sofa, basking in the cool air from the air conditioner. He sat back with his legs crossed, leisurely puffing on a Red Pine Cigarette. Wrapped in his arms was a young married woman, passably attractive, with whom he was intimately engaged.

The woman, Huang Mei, served as the accountant of the small coal mine. In her thirties or forties, she didn't have much to do given the mine's modest output. With time on her hands, she had struck up a flirtation with the bald man, Third Master. Huang Mei's husband was frequently away, working in transportation, leaving her often alone. As the adage goes, women in their thirties are like wolves, in their forties like tigers, and by fifty, they can "suck dust from the ground." Huang Mei, in her prime, had her desires, and she was not shy about teasing Third Master's fragile resolve as he caressed her.

Amidst the charged atmosphere in the room, a sudden explosion startled them both, drenching them in a cold sweat despite the summer heat.

Third Master's temper flared instantly, and he let loose a string of curses: "Which idiot is blasting on a day like this without giving any warning? You could scare someone to death with such a surprise!"

Moments before, Third Master had been ready to indulge in pleasures all men enjoy, his excitement as evident as an umbrella in his lap. But the shock had deflated his ardor in an instant.

Beside him, Huang Mei couldn't help but laugh. "Since when did you become such a scaredy-cat, Third Master? To think you used to be so bold when it came to sneaking around with other men's wives," she teased with a chuckle.

Third Master was at a loss for words, glaring furiously into the young woman's eyes. Internally, he seethed, "You little vixen, just wait until tonight. I'll make sure you understand just how formidable Third Master can be."

As he was fantasizing about the evening's pleasures, a sudden bang at the door startled the pair, who were entwined in a compromising embrace. They leapt to their feet and saw it was the mine supervisor. Relief washed over them. Little Mei, the young woman, casually straightened her clothes and sashayed back to her seat, hips swaying.

Beside her, Third Master was far from calm. He exploded with fury, "Did you rush here on your way to being reborn? Ever heard of knocking? Haven't I taught you that before? Don't you know you could scare someone to death?"

The supervisor, soaked and panting, looked utterly wretched as he faced Third Master's wrath. The anger in Third Master subsided slightly as he regarded the newcomer.

After being berated, the supervisor stood there, dumbfounded, momentarily forgetting his words. He glanced at Third Master, then at Little Mei, and suddenly, it came back to him.

Gasping for air, he blurted out, "Third Master! It's bad! There's been an accident!" He paused, took a couple of deep breaths, and was about to continue.

But before he could get another word out, Third Master snapped, "Have you lost your mind? I'm perfectly fine here. What trouble could I be in? Are you trying to jinx me?" With that, he flung his cigarette at the supervisor's face.

The supervisor dodged, startled, and clarified, "Third Master, it's not about you—it's the mine that's in trouble."

Third Master, nonchalant, settled back into his seat and interrupted before the supervisor could explain further, "What could possibly go wrong with the mine? It's the same old routine every day. Don't disturb me with trivial matters unless it's something serious."

The supervisor, now frantic, pressed on, "It is serious! Today's heatwave followed by the sudden rainstorm has caused a rapid temperature change, leading to a collapse in the mine! There are miners trapped inside. If we don't act fast, lives could be lost."

Inwardly, the supervisor knew, "A collapse in this coal mine without casualties would be the real surprise."

Barely seated for a few seconds, Third Master's expression darkened as he grasped the gravity of the situation. He urgently inquired,

"What did you say?! Where's the collapse?"

He dashed to the corner where his brand-new helmet and raincoat hung. Clearly, he seldom ventured down into the mines.

The foreman at the entrance repeated his earlier statement. A young woman nearby overheard and her brow furrowed with worry.

"They wouldn't shut down the mine over this, would they? There goes my easy life... But the mine owner has connections. He'll probably smooth things over and keep it under wraps."

With that thought, she breathed a sigh of relief, glanced toward the mine, and saw many people hurrying in her direction. 'Not my circus, not my monkeys,' she mused, turning back to her computer to engage in some chat software.

Meanwhile, Master San had donned his raincoat and safety helmet. At the door, he remembered his iPhone on his desk, grabbed it, and pocketed it before rushing toward the incoming crowd.

The miners, emerging from the mine, spotted him—the mine's general manager, Wu Rende, whom they all called Master San. They began to clamor about the landslide inside the mine.

Master San was already on edge, and the cacophony of voices only intensified his stress. His expression darkened as he bellowed, "Quiet down!"

He pointed to the foreman named Li and demanded, "You, tell me exactly what happened."

Foreman Li hurried forward, wiping rain from his face, and explained, "The heat today, followed by sudden rain, and the water pump out for repairs... Rainwater flooded the mine, causing several collapses. There were miners working in those areas, and we could be facing a serious disaster."

Master San, alarmed, pressed, "How many are still down there?"

The foreman quickly did a headcount and reported, "There are 13 miners still below."

A cold shiver ran down Master San's back at the thought of the potential catastrophe. He whipped out his phone and frantically dialed his brother, the mine's owner. The phone rang several times before a languid voice finally answered, "Hello?"

“Hello? This is Wu Renxin. Who are you looking for?”

Third Master quickly replied, “Second brother, it’s Rende. We have a serious problem at the mine.”

Wu Renxin, now fully alert, urged, “Calm down and tell me exactly what happened.”

“There’s been heavy rain today, causing multiple collapses in the mine. There are still 13 people trapped underground,” Wu Rende explained.

After a brief pause, Wu Renxin swiftly instructed, “Third brother, immediately dispatch a team to dig an airway and start pumping out the water from the mine. Once that’s done, shore up the tunnels with round timber supports. Get on it right away. And keep this under wraps—don’t let the miners spread the word. I’ll handle the rest with our eldest brother.” With that, he ended the call.

Wu Renxin wasted no time in dialing his elder brother Wu Renzheng’s cell phone. Wu Renzheng, the eldest of the Wu siblings and a senior executive at a mining group, was in the middle of a routine work meeting. He had secured mining rights to a small coal mine through some connections.

Due to regulatory issues, they couldn’t manage it directly, so they had to covertly transfer the operation to their second brother's name, with the third brother overseeing it. This arrangement had brought the brothers considerable benefits. Rende, too, had shared his share of the spoils to grease the wheels for future advancement.

An old cell phone ringtone suddenly pierced the silence of the meeting. Wu Renzheng, seated at the head of the table, glanced at the screen of his vintage Nokia—it was his second brother calling. He excused himself to the attendees, suggesting a brief recess. Stepping out of the conference room, he pressed the answer button.

“Renxin, what’s going on?”

A frantic voice came through from the other side:

"Big brother, we've got a serious situation. The mine has suffered multiple collapses due to the weather and internal deterioration. There are still 13 people trapped inside. We're not sure about the extent of injuries or fatalities yet."

A heavy silence followed...