C4 Saved!

In the shadowy depths of the mine, strands of fluorescent light swayed gently. Roused from his lethargy, Situ Yu leaned on the dim glow and made out a small chamber, three to four square meters in size, though not very deep.

He let out a wistful sigh. "Man, if I weren't here because of this accident, I'd be one heck of a natural-born mining machine," he mused. His stomach growled in agreement.

"Hungry, with no food in sight. Is this how I'm going to go out, starved to death?" He watched the light flicker as he rubbed his belly, feeling the dryness in his throat.

Situ Yu lay down slowly, turning to his side, his mind a blank slate. "Is this where it ends for me? Alone, with Grandpa gone... Maybe it's time I joined him."

Then, a faint, peculiar tapping reached his ears. "What's that noise?" He glanced at the dancing light. "It's moving, but silent. Am I hallucinating again? Wait... why 'again'?"

Listening intently, the sound came to him once more, still faint. After some thought, Situ Yu concluded it was the distant sound of a drill.

"It looks like rescue efforts are underway. But at this rate, how long before they reach me? Oddly enough, there's no breeze here, and that should mean little oxygen. So why haven't I felt oxygen-deprived after all this time?"

The mechanical voice of the Star Core offered an explanation:

"Host, since the Star Core has merged with you, it can generate the energy, oxygen, and other substances necessary for survival within your body. As long as the Star Core has energy, it will continuously supply what's needed to sustain life. You may still feel hunger, but your life is not in danger."

Relieved, Situ Yu exhaled deeply. At least he wouldn't die of hunger or thirst. He smiled, feeling fortunate to have stumbled upon such an oddity. For once in his life, luck was on his side.

The Star Core added,

"Given that you may need to remain here for some time, which could impact your mental state, I recommend entering a deep sleep mode. This will conserve energy, prevent psychological distress, and allow for some basic enhancements to your body."

After pondering the description of the Star Core for a moment, Situ Yu said with a hint of embarrassment, “Alright, but how exactly do I go about entering a deep sleep?”

The Star Core responded in its mechanical tone, “Host, the Star Core is equipped with a Deep Sleep Program. It can directly induce deep sleep. Would you like to initiate it?”

Situ Yu scanned his surroundings, stood up, and found a relatively flat spot to lie down. He then instructed, “Star Core, initiate the Deep Sleep Program.”

Situ Yu's consciousness gradually faded, and he drifted off into a profound slumber.

Meanwhile, the delicate filaments tirelessly consumed the coal around them, siphoning off the faint traces of energy. To the Star Core, this energy was insignificant, but for humans, it was substantial.

As days turned into nights, the miners tirelessly continued their rescue efforts. Third Master hadn't had a moment's rest lately, his frame noticeably thinner. With the grim procession of eight miners being brought up every few days, his spirits sank lower with each passing day.

On the day of the disaster, Third Master's younger brother, Wu Renxin, had hurried to the mine. Together, they kept vigil, warding off any inquisitive journalists.

Their eldest brother, Wu Renzheng, proved to be dependable. He had greased some palms, visited some old leaders, and smoothed over connections to keep the incident from hitting the headlines.

They were also fortunate that the torrential rain had been brief; otherwise, the mine would have been submerged, and the death toll would have climbed even higher.

Now, on the fifteenth day since the accident, four more miners had been rescued over the half-month period—two with minor injuries and two with serious ones—all of whom were immediately taken to the Second People's Hospital for treatment.

The mine was on the verge of being fully cleared. Only one person remained unaccounted for, leaving Third Master's mind in turmoil.

Over half an hour later, news came from below: the last of the collapsed sections had been breached. The final missing miner was likely inside. If they could just break through, they might save him, though the odds were that they'd find a body instead.

Upon receiving the update, Wu Rende and Wu Renxin finally exhaled in relief. Dead or alive, finding the miner was all that mattered. With that, mining operations could resume.

The two men hastily donned their work gear and caps, braving the blazing sun as they rushed to the mine's entrance to await news. Each day's delay meant lost money, and with less money, the fewer girls they could woo. They shamelessly entertained these thoughts while waiting for an update.

At that moment, the Star Core sensed the vibrations drawing near. It retracted its filaments and entered Situ Yu's body, then fell silent, biding its time for the rescue team to save its host.

Over half an hour later, a man-sized opening had been carved into the mine. The beam of a searchlight pierced the depths and quickly located the last miner, Situ Yu.

Upon discovery, the team urgently relayed the information to their superiors. The two brothers above ground breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling the ordeal was nearing its end.

Inside the mine, rescuers rushed to Situ Yu's location. Removing their gloves, they checked his carotid artery.

"Huh? Odd, his body's still warm."

They felt for the pulse more carefully. It was peculiar; although faint, a heartbeat was present, and a slight breath could be detected in his nostrils.

Orders were given to place him on a stretcher. He was hastily secured onto a makeshift gurney and carried out of the mine.

One rescuer lingered, surveying the surroundings in confusion. There seemed to be more tunnels than before. Shaking off the bewilderment, he too exited the mine.

The miners above, witnessing the survivor being lifted out, felt a measure of relief. It was bizarre, but at least the last man was alive.

Second Master Wu and Third Master Wu exhaled in resignation. Why hadn't he perished? They were well-acquainted with Situ Yu, the orphan they had duped years ago. Had he died, all troubles would have vanished. Now, with him clinging to life, they faced the burden of medical expenses.

The money would have to come from their own pockets. Exchanging glum looks, they ordered him to be loaded onto a van and transported to the Second People's Hospital in X City. The hospital, upon receiving the miners from the site, was also instructed to keep the matter under wraps.

Situ Yu occupied the bed by the door. Next to him, a bottle of nutritional supplement slowly dripped its contents into his body.

The following morning, the Star Core within Situ Yu's mind emitted a crisp "ding."

[Host detected acquiring a low-level energy tonic. Initiating awakening sequence. Countdown: 3, 2, 1. Awakening sequence activated. Estimated time to full consciousness: 100 seconds.]

Silence ensued. The room housed six patients, permeated with the scent of disinfectant mixed with a variety of odd odors.

Knock, knock, knock. "Time for rounds." A middle-aged nurse with a raspy voice entered, flanked by two nursing interns. The interns were of average looks but had decent figures, their white uniforms lending them a certain appeal. The middle-aged nurse, on the other hand, could only elicit a chuckle.

Approaching Situ Yu's bed, she inspected the remaining nutritional supplement. Plenty was left. She glanced over the medical chart and today's medication list hanging on the bed, then set it aside. Truth be told, she had only recognized a few medications and hadn't grasped much of the case details.

The interns took a cursory look at the list and then at Situ Yu. Nurse A whispered to Nurse B,

"The on-call doctor mentioned yesterday that he survived a mining accident for two weeks before being found. Aside from some weakness, he's unscathed—a true miracle." Her exaggerated expression said it all.

Nurse B, initially taken aback, responded with astonishment,

"No way! That's incredible!" She then turned back to appraise Situ Yu's modestly handsome features.

Murmuring to herself, she said,

"He's not bad-looking for a miner so young. Such a shame about his handsome face."

Nurse A, with her keen hearing, caught the comment and chuckled,

"Looks like you're drooling."

"Am I? Really? I don't think so." She quickly turned away, wiping her mouth in pretense, only to realize she'd been fooled—her hand came away dry.

"Hehehe," Nurse A laughed softly. The middle-aged nurse gave the two a serious look and admonished,

"Let's not spread this around. We wouldn't want to get caught up in any trouble if the news got out."

The smiles on the faces of the two young nurses faded as they both gave a soft nod.

At that moment, Situ Yu heard faint laughter. He lifted his eyelids, squinting through a narrow slit before closing them again. He repeated this several times until his eyes adjusted to the light and finally stayed open. Having spent many days in the darkness of a mine, his eyes struggled to cope with the sudden brightness, which explained his actions.

As the nurses were about to move on to the next patient, they turned and caught Situ Yu opening his eyes, causing them to pause mid-step. The middle-aged nurse quickly instructed the younger one, "Hurry, go get the doctor. Tell him the patient in Bed 301 has awakened."

Upon hearing this, the young nurse dashed out the door, sprinting toward the doctor's office...