Chapter 829: Apology and Thanks
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It was getting dark. The rain had stopped some time ago, but the sky was still gloomy. At that time of year, the light began to fade early in the evening.
Just then, a light appeared at the front of the fire brigade. Unlike an ordinary lamp, this light was not dazzling, but rather it was soft and cold. However, it was particularly penetrating and could shine over a wide range of territory, like moonlight. Because of this, it was called the moon lamp. It was a common piece of equipment for rescue teams and was powered by up to 2,000 watts of electricity.
With the help of the moon lamp, Marcos was finally found unharmed. His situation was much better than Aubrey's, and once he got out, he oriented himself and was able to stand up on his own.
A nurse tried to put him on a stretcher, but he refused and turned to Li Du. He held out his hand and said, "I knew it was you, Li. You're a good guy."
A few miners were around, and as Marcos spoke, all at once they lifted Li Du up, and two big men placed him on their shoulders.
Marcos looked around and pointed to Li Du. "This Chinese guy saved me and Aubrey. Of course, we were rescued by a rescue team. But at first he was in command, and he steadied me and Aubrey and gave us hope…"
By this time, there were a lot of miners and ranchers at the mine. They had come to help instead of just looking at the scene. Miners inevitably encountered risks, so concerted efforts to help each other were the way to survival.
They had heard what Li Du had done, so as he was raised up, the crowd cheered,
"Well done Li! You're a good fellow!"
"You are like a god. No one else can do it better than you!"
"I hope I have the honor to be friends with you, buddy! You've earned our respect!"
Li Du laughed. "It's just what one should do. No matter who encounters this kind of thing, I believe he would make the same choice as me and probably do it better than me!"
A fireman said, "They could not do anything better than you did."
They learned about Li Du's act, and learned that he had completed the search without the help of machines. No only that, but he successfully transported milk and oxygen to Marcos and Aubrey, so they were also deeply impressed.
Marcos and Aubrey were taken to the hospital, and Li Du went back to his mine for a day off. It was midnight now, and he needed a good rest after an extremely long, hard day.
When he woke up the next day, he saw Holiday, a bald miner, squatting in the yard and trying to play with Ah Ow and the little ones. Ah Ow and her friends looked at him like he was stupid, and did not accept his teasing. As soon as Li Du came out, they immediately ran off.
Holiday stood up and said, "Hi, Li."
Li Du asked, "Hi, buddy. What's the matter?"
Holiday pulled out an envelope and handed it to him, saying, "Mr. Marcos asked me to send you this, an invitation. I hope you can come to our party."
Li Du laughed. "Isn't Marcos is still in the hospital? And he's planning a party?"
Holiday smiled and replied, "The party is on the weekend. He will be discharged today. He's fine."
The envelope contained a sheet of bright yellow paper with the date and place of the party and an invitation to Li Du.
Li Du picked up the envelope and said, "Tell Marcos I'll be there."
Holiday saluted him and whistled to the four little ones, but they ignored him. He called them "little b*tches" with a laugh and then left.
The skies cleared up after the rain, and there was finally good weather.
Li Du did not rush down to cultivate the mineral deposits. With the lesson of Marcos' case fresh in his mind, he spent a day strengthening his own mine with wooden and iron frames.
The fire brigade had investigated the collapse of Marcos' mine mainly because of a geological problem on their side, which was located in the karst area. This kind of geology was the soluble rock layer, which was washed by the underground water to form numerous small karst caves. When the cave body expanded or was affected by natural and human factors, roof collapses or subsidence occurred.
The cause of a collapse was usually associated with changes in water levels, such as heavy rain or rainfall after prolonged droughts, along with the seepage of surface water. The collapse of Marcos' mine was the result of a combination of storm surge and surface water seepage.
After taking precautions, they went back to the mine to dig for gems. Patches of black opal were carefully collected and stored in the little bug's black hole. By the end of the week, just when the gem vein had been dug clean, Li Du and the others went to the Earth Star bar, where the party was held.
They arrived at the bar in the evening and went in. Some of the miners were already there. Someone held out their hand to Li Du. He clapped his hands in theirs and laughed. "Am I captain America?"
"No, it's Australian miners."
"What's that? Miner man or pick man? Or the gem man?"
"Here's your wine, Li, and help yourself to any drinks you want."
Several large, strong miners came out, pushing their way through the crowd. These men were of large build, and their bulk was still conspicuous among the miners known for their strength.
Leading the line was Aubrey, a brutish figure with a neck guard hanging from his left arm, while in his right hand was a bottle. As he strode up to Li Du, he blushed and said, "Li, I apologize to you. I offended you here last time."
Li Du smiled and said, "Then you told me about Blanchett. We are even. You don't have to apologize for this."
Aubrey, a tough Russian man, did not feel relieved by Li Du's words. "No, I must apologize. I was stupid, stupid," he said.
Later, Holiday and the others nodded and said, "Yes, we're all stupid. We all have to apologize."
Marcos came over and said, "Li, please accept their apology. These fools should apologize for their stupid actions."
Li Du said, "Well, I accept your apology. We are friends." He raised his glass and added, "To our friendship."
The group of miners raised their glasses and shouted, "Cheers to friendship!"
Aubrey drank the bottle of beer in one go, took another bottle, and said, "Now I thank you, Boss Li. You saved my life. I must salute you!"
Marcos also grabbed a bottle of beer and smiled at Li Du. He said, "Me, too. This time the two of us should thank you. You did an amazing job. You saved us."