Chapter 113: The No Man's Land
"We've been here for a while now. At first, the wild asses and yaks would scatter the moment they saw us,"
Li Zaiqiang explained, pointing at a few wild asses trotting in the distance, hundreds of meters away.
"But now they've gotten used to us. They know we're not here to hurt them—some even get curious and come close to the tents."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a bone-chilling cold began sweeping in from the far edges of the land.
The technicians of the 101 Geological Team had long prepared for this. They'd already put on their thermal outerwear.
Chen Jinhe and the others, however, had realized too late. Only once they started shivering did they remember to bundle up.
It was summer, but here, it was still freezing cold.
Wrapped in a thick cotton coat, Chen called Li Zaiqiang over.
"Chief Engineer Li, thank you for your hard work. We drove over a hundred kilometers and didn't see another soul along the way—it's truly harsh terrain. The main reason we came is to check on your living conditions and see if there's anything we can help with."
That day, Li Zaiqiang and his team had spent most of it doing surface mapping. They didn't return to camp until just before sundown.
"We're getting used to it. It's not too bad. Honestly, the views are stunning, and we're surrounded by wild animals—it's not the worst place to work."
He exhaled, releasing a puff of white breath, and chuckled wryly.
"Since we started working here, we've gained some preliminary insights. Let me give the leadership an update."
He wasn't much for small talk—he preferred discussing projects and technology.
"Please do. We're all ears,"
Chen Jinhe replied. As a geologist himself, he deeply respected field workers like Li Zaiqiang. He knew how tough this job really was.
He sat down directly on the ground, and everyone followed suit.
Li Zaiqiang pointed northward across the vast, unbroken grasslands.
"That way lies a nature reserve. In the 1990s, it was a provincial-level protected area. Since April this year, it's been upgraded to a national-level reserve. There are lots of wild animals inside, and no one's allowed in. Our project site is right on the edge of the reserve, so sometimes the animals wander over."
Everyone nodded—they had just seen those animals for themselves.
"Because we're so close to a protected area, we've had to follow strict environmental regulations. Before we started, the Environmental Protection Bureau gave us extensive training. For example, the grass here is incredibly fragile—once it's damaged, it's almost impossible to restore. Any construction we do will inevitably harm the pasture to some degree. That's something we must address."
"If the area we need to excavate is large, we can remove the surface grass and replant it after the work is done,"
Li Tang suddenly interjected, offering a solution.
"That's a great idea!"
Li Zaiqiang's eyes lit up.
"I've been stuck on this issue for a while. That's a solid workaround."
He then shifted to the main challenge:
"Other than environmental concerns, our biggest problem is the sheer size of the project area."
He glanced at Li Tang—he knew the site had been selected based on Li Tang's feasibility report. Initially, part of the area even overlapped with the nature reserve. It wasn't until they cross-checked with the Ministry of Natural Resources that they adjusted the boundaries.
"The bigger the area, the more work,"
Chen Jinhe nodded in understanding.
"Exactly."
These past weeks of field mapping had been grueling.
There were no prior studies of this no man's land. No old maps, no reference data—nothing. Every layer, every rock outcrop, had to be checked by foot, identified visually, and tapped with a geological hammer.
To explore this uncharted land meant measuring it with their feet.
Still, Li Zaiqiang wasn't complaining. If anything, he felt a growing desire to conquer it.
"If this had been our first project in Tibet, we probably would've run around like headless chickens. But thanks to the Qu Long Copper Mine, we gained valuable experience. We now know what to look for when searching for porphyry copper deposits."
He laid out a small-scale map on the ground and continued:
"Our project area sits on a narrow suture zone. These zones are highly active geologically—perfect conditions for porphyry-type copper mineralization."
A suture zone is where two continental plates collide—like two plastic sheets pushed together. The middle folds, breaks, cracks, and rises.
It's precisely this kind of collision that led to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the towering snow-capped mountains.
Seeing that everyone was listening intently, Li continued:
"Because of the intense tectonic activity, many faults developed along the suture zone. These faults act as conduits for magma rising from the mantle. We've just finished our surface mapping. Next, we'll focus on studying the geological structures in depth, and identifying intrusive rocks."
"At this point, I'm convinced that choosing your 101 Geological Team for this project was the right call!"
Chen Jinhe exclaimed.
Although he had done his homework beforehand, once in this alien environment, even he felt lost. He couldn't follow all the technical details, but he didn't need to—he wasn't a technician.
Still, the compliment was appreciated. Li Zaiqiang grinned and continued,
"Our next step is to begin magnetic surveys. Based on our work at the Qu Long Copper Mine, we found that porphyry copper bodies here are typically associated with pyrite, which produces strong magnetic anomalies. We'll use these anomalies to identify targets. Once identified, we'll follow up with electrical surveys to locate the intrusive bodies."
"Brilliant!"
Chen applauded, clearly impressed by the logical and well-structured exploration plan.
When the applause died down, he turned to Li Tang.
"Li Tang, you're our technical consultant at Zise Mining. Do you have any suggestions for your father's exploration plan?"
Everyone suddenly went silent. The atmosphere grew… delicate.
A son, critiquing his father's work?
Li Tang didn't dare to say too much. With so many people watching, even if his ideas were valid, it wouldn't be appropriate.
No matter what, he had to protect his father's dignity.
"I believe the 101 Geological Team is experienced and working well within standard practices,"
he said supportively.
Chen didn't press further. With his questions answered, the purpose of the visit had been fulfilled.
Due to the low air pressure on the plateau, even with a pressure cooker, rice took forever to cook. Dinner consisted of this rice, some dried meat, and the last few vitamin-rich vegetables they had—onions and carrots.
They ate quickly and simply.
No one had cell phones. There was no signal out here.
As night fell and the cold set in, they all huddled around the campfire, gazing up at the starry sky. After some small talk, they each crawled into their sleeping bags and went to bed early.
It was Li Tang's first night camping in such conditions. He couldn't sleep.
He lay awake, uncomfortable on the hard ground, and all night long, he kept hearing faint rustling noises just outside the tent—probably wild animals wandering through the night.
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