The 7000 meters track was just like a strand of seaweed that swayed with the ocean current.
The 500 meters long graphene track connected on both ends by Titanium rings; 14 tracks in total formed the 7000 meters deep sea stairs from the abyss to the surface.
The entire track cost 500 million crystals, almost equivalent to the entire food trade revenue of NAC.
Out of all the equipment, the most expensive was the 15 titanium rings. They not only play a role in fixing the graphene tracks, but they could also freely control the depth of water just like submarines. Based on the direction of the ocean current, the titanium ring can also move through the four angles of the blade engine to move in the opposite direction. This prevents the huge tidal force from tearing the entire graphene track apart.
When the Droplet placed the six meters long, two meters wide oval “elevator” at the bottom of the track, the entire deep ocean mining module was completely deployed.
The two suction discs underwater would shred the rocks on the surface and use the graphene tube to transport the broken pieces into the “circular tube”. Based on the selection, the circular tube would crash the rocks into finer particles. Mudstones with low hardness would be crashed into particles and released into the ocean through a mesh net. The higher hardness molybdenum nodules would pass through the selection and be sent to the “elevator” to the top.
When the elevator was filled with minerals, the graphene track would be powered up. The entire oval would be sent to the surface like the shell of the electromagnetic cannon.
Once the minerals reached 100 meters below the surface, the modern equipment would be able to retrieve the minerals.
The workers on the platform would send out retrieving boats based on signals from below the sea. Then scuba divers with nets would be able to bring the minerals up.
Once the minerals on the platform accumulated to a certain point, a boat would transport the minerals to the manganese nodule refiner on Ange Island. By that time, Xin would no longer need to depend on import for its consumption of iron, molybdenum, and manganese.
After all this, Jiang Chen deployed two 3D printed tidal current power generators at the surface of the sea to provide electricity to the mining equipment.
With the cost of the Droplet included, the equipment totaled more than seven million crystals.
Although it was expensive, Jiang Chen knew the investment was well worth it.
Just from the market price of ten crystals for one kilogram of molybdenum ore in Sixth Street, 700 tons would allow breakeven.
Moreso, the deposition at the surface of the ocean floor had more than one million tons!
The entire mining equipment would support mining operations for ten years without a problem.
When Jiang Chen returned to Coconut Island, Jiang Chen phoned Yang Yuan and told him about the mining operation.
“The problem with deep sea mining is solved?” When Yang Yuan heard that he could send people to the platform now, he was shocked.
“That’s right. I will provide you with the mining steps through email. A transportation boat, a retrieving boat, two scuba divers, one observer, that’s about all.” Jiang Chen smiled.
Yang Yuan raised his eyebrows in skepticism.
“But how do you retrieve the ore from the deep sea? Don’t tell me you’re going to tell the scuba divers to chisel it 7500 meters below the surface.”
“Do you think I’m dumb?” Jiang Chen scoffed jokingly, “Don’t worry, I took care of it. I will send it to you by email, and you’ll know how the entire mining device functions. It’s the top technology of Future Group, don’t be too shocked.”
Yang Yuan glanced at his phone.
[Funny, I’m a graduate student from West Australia University and a top student that signed with Rio Tinto in my first year as a student. What type of equipment haven’t I seen?]
It was the first time he heard that something could retrieve ores from 7000 meters below the sea.
“Okay, send me the email first.”
“Mhmm, wait.”
Then, Jiang Chen hung up and sent out the email that included visualization of the mining equipment through a digital file.
Yang Yuan held onto the phone for half a minute before he heard a buzz; the email came through.
He opened the email with skepticism and began to scan the document Jiang Chen sent.
He was first questioning the mining equipment as he thought his boss didn’t consult with him before purchasing and that he must have been fooled by a fake company.
But when he was halfway through the document, he shocked state was more and more apparent.
“This, this is impossible. What kind of joke is? Are we shooting a sci-fi film?” With his finger continually sliding on the screen, Yang Yuan muttered to himself.
Nothing else, just the circular tube mining device, even if it was built with titanium, it was hard to prevent it to be squashed into a ball by the immense water pressure by operating for an extended period in the deep ocean. And that bowl-shaped mining device, it didn’t look like it was designed to withstand pressure at all.
And the long graphene track…
With the current material, technology level, it was impossible to make this mining equipment a reality.
Yang Yaun’s finger moved furiously and slid down the document. The operation of the employees on the platform was outlined in detail in the document.
When he saw the last line, he stopped.
<The document is an internal document of Future Group, copying is strictly prohibited. Excluding the employee instructions, all visualization of the equipment and other sensitive parts must be deleted in 24 hours.>
Yang Yuan suddenly realized that the mining equipment was the work of Future Group.
“How many more secrets does this guy hold?’ Yang Yuan shook his head.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Yuan deleted the document as required based on the warning on the last line.
He got up and headed for the door.
“Yuan, are you leaving?” Su Fei, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner, spoke out.
“Mhmm, its work related.” Yang Yuan hastily put on his shoes and headed out.
Although he could arrange employees through the phone, he couldn’t wait to personally see the mining equipment. It was unbelievable. Without seeing it with his very own eyes, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Su Fei looked at her boyfriend rushing out the door as well as the shoes messily scattered on the ground, she let out a sigh and put the bowl she was working with on the kitchen counter.
Although she was first excited when she arrived, there was a mansion, a beach, endless amount of champagne and seafood. But after a while, she thought the life far away from the noise of the city was different than the life she envisioned.
She washed her hand and went to the bedroom on the second floor to scroll through her Weibo.
Only when she saw her friends in the country’s envious replies could she satisfy her vanity a bit.
But just as she was scrolling through Weibo, she noticed an unread private message.
“Who is it?”
She murmured to herself and opened the text bubble.