Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 941 - 662: Resource Supply—Fighting Pirates

The miners looked at the tangible supplies, then at the three people before them whose demeanor was vastly different from those lofty bigwigs of the past. Silence spread throughout the tunnel.

The old miner slowly stood up, walked to the supply box, felt the solid container, and then looked at the detailed list on the inventory.

He raised his head, looking at Catherine with a complicated expression: "Ca… Captain Catherine… did you really empty your reserves?"

Catherine nodded heavily, her eyes slightly red, "The Bauhinia is gone, but the people remain. As long as the people remain, there is hope. This hope is not granted by others but earned bit by bit by ourselves. I know it's difficult. It's so hard to change even this mining district, let alone the entire Mine Star… but someone must start doing it."

The old miner remained silent for a long time and finally sighed, waving to those behind him: "… First, replace the filters, the air in Tunnel Three is almost unbreathable. Also, bring Old Li over, he's been coughing for half a month, see if these medicines can help."

A few miners silently sprang into action, beginning to transport the supplies.

Although words were still scarce, the cold atmosphere that kept others at a distance seemed to slightly dissolve.

Victor breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Bai E with eyes full of admiration.

Catherine also cast a grateful glance at Bai E.

They knew this was merely the first of many long and arduous steps.

As they feared before, even if they give their all, what they could change was extremely limited.

To develop this dilapidated Mine Star to the "national" standards required by Star Alliance auditors, the resources needed are astronomical, and right now, they struggle to even improve the basic living conditions of miners in one mining district.

The road is long, but at least they have taken the first step.

…

With the help of Catherine and Victor, as well as the miners' own efforts, the air filtration system in Tunnel Three barely got new filters installed. The air, though still murky, at least lost the pungent odor of sulfur mixed with dust.

The symptoms of several miners with chronic coughs also slightly eased after using the supplied medication.

These minor improvements are far from revolutionary, but at least they allowed the miners to tacitly accept this group's temporary settlement in a corner of the mining district, no longer completely ignoring them as at first.

However, the fundamental issue still looms—resources.

In the makeshift shanty, Catherine looked at the nearly depleted supplies on the data board and the lengthy list of needs, her brows tightly knitted.

The list includes but is not limited to: more core components for air and water circulation systems, basic medical equipment and medicine, enough food and nutritional supplements, safe and durable mining equipment spares, materials for residential area reinforcement and expansion, and even basic resources for establishing preliminary educational and training facilities… All followed by immense numbers.

"Victor has contacted some old subordinates, they are willing to provide some help, and some are even willing to come over," Catherine rubbed her brow.

"But most are also short on cash, what they can bring in personal items and savings is a drop in the ocean. Most importantly, we need a stable and large-scale resource acquisition channel. Just selling off our personal belongings and scattered donations, we can't even reach the minimum standard of a 'civilized society' for this mining district, let alone develop the entire planet."

Bai E stood at the shanty door, looking at the dim lights on the tunnel wall and the miners coming and going, still silent but occasionally glancing over, he said in a deep voice, "We do need channels. We can't always rely on investment, we must have output and exchange. Mine Star… should acquire resources through its mineral deposits."

"That's the logic." Catherine smiled wryly.

"But Mine Star's minerals are ordinary, even during the Republic period they barely sustained. Now Mine Star is nominally under the Peak Alliance's supervision. Though they haven't sent anyone to directly take over, the mining districts secretly subcontracted by major forces have long been treated as their backyards by local stronghold bosses, contractors, pirates, all sorts of riffraff.

To reorganize Mine Star's resources and establish formal trade channels, we must first confront these local bosses, and possibly the tacit approval or even support from the forces behind them."

This is almost a vicious cycle: without resources and force, it's impossible to integrate the mining district to establish order; without order and output, there can be no resource to develop force and improve welfare.

"Perhaps… we can start with one of these local bosses." Bai E's gaze turned towards the distance, pondering where to begin.

Just then, a commotion came from the entrance of the tunnel, mixed with faint metallic clangs and suppressed curses.

A few miners who had just switched shifts quickly came in, their faces more somber than usual, their eyes holding suppressed anger.

"What's the matter?" Victor stepped forward to ask.

A young miner spat bitterly, his voice filled with hate, "Damn, the black ship's here again."

"Black ship?" Bai E looked at Catherine.

Catherine's face also darkened, "They are likely the pirates' transport ships. Besides two basic mining districts, other areas of this planet have been partitioned and subcontracted. Several are under the control of lawless interstellar pirates, they mine here with… very unfavorable methods."

Victor also spoke in a low voice, "I've heard the miners here mention that about a hundred kilometers away from us, there is a place called Black Steel Mine, controlled by a group of pirates called Blood Claw. They often use black ships to transport out the ore, occasionally replenishing… manpower."