Chapter 159: First Dive Under the Sea

After the lunch break, the client sent a message agreeing to add money and further opening areas of the mining base for Yang Bo to conduct exploration.

Looking at the client opening the mining robot repair area, Yang Bo went to investigate the repair workshop, touching here and there.

“So it’s basically reprocessing.” Yang Bo originally thought the repair workshop was more mysterious, but it was just reprocessing of fragile and worn-out parts.

Of course, the main system in the repair workshop featured several types of mining vehicles, some for mining rock, some for soil, others for sealing underground water, and others for exploration and ore sorting.

“Seems like I didn’t see any sorting or smelting equipment?” Yang Bo muttered to himself after inspecting the area.

The recorder on his body was incredibly annoying. It was like a surveillance device that had to be placed nearby even when he slept, like he was afraid of being suddenly spotted by something.

Using the excuse of inspecting the repair workshop, he found no signs of ant erosion and then sent various photos to the client.

Yang Bo then returned to the charging area, pretending to follow the trail again. Fifteen minutes before the end of the workday, he found the source of the ants.

The ants had entered through a crack in a wall, meaning their nest was outside the mining site. The area was well hidden, and the mine lacked small robots for detecting living creatures.

“Yang Bo, I’ve talked with the client. This isn’t our problem anymore, it’s the fault of the construction team. The mining company is now in discussions with them and might even seek compensation.” After reporting the situation and the location of the gap, Yang Bo quickly received a call from the Fat Boss.

“So should I head back now?” Even though he followed protocol, Yang Bo felt uneasy about the money, like it was too easy. He could have patched the gap for them.

But according to procedure, it wasn’t necessary to go the extra mile…

“Yes, and who knows, next time when closing the gap, we might make another payday.” The Fat Boss nodded. In a civilized world, as long as human labor is involved, nothing is cheap, especially for such fieldwork.

So, Yang Bo headed back. Not only did he earn tens of thousands of credits this time, but the key takeaway was gaining an understanding of how mining robots were built and roughly how they were maintained. Of course, underwater mining equipment must be superior.

“I didn’t expect it to be so quick,” the Fat Boss said, looking at the returning Yang Bo.

Yang Bo handed over the jetpack to the Fat Boss: “Yeah, I didn’t expect it either. Fieldwork is just like this.”

“This time, you were lucky. Once, our company had a field task that lasted three years. The people doing it were on the verge of breaking down due to so many unexpected incidents. Guess what happened to them?” The Fat Boss said, taking the jetpack.

“They didn’t go to jail, did they?”

“No, but they were heavily fined. Plus, all those who approved the task were dismissed for dereliction of duty and fined as well. These approval-heavy tasks are risky, but they pay well, like the tens of thousands you earned. If you managed to kill a few ants, who knows…” The Fat Boss shrugged.

Later, at the office, Yang Bo asked curiously: “Boss, why doesn’t our company hire more people?”

“Why should we? I can handle it alone. Don’t forget, hiring someone is easy, but firing them is tough unless they quit on their own. Now that you’ve completed one field mission, you won’t need to take on another this month. What do you think?” The Fat Boss seemed to remember something troubling.

“I’ll keep working. I don’t have much money right now.” Yang Bo wanted to build a mech or mining robot but couldn’t do so yet. First, he lacked materials. Second, he didn’t have the design plans to reference.

There wasn’t much going on in the game either, so he just kept up with his own training. Every night, he would spend some time training.

As for the Gene Serum tests, that had to be postponed for now. After all, he didn’t have enough testing equipment, and worse, he didn’t even have a test subject…

“Alright, I’ll send you some tasks. You can pick one yourself.”

“Also, I recommend you prepare some tools, so you can take on tasks from home in the future unless it’s a special task that requires company equipment.” The Fat Boss continued.

Yang Bo’s eyes lit up. If he bought his own tools, he could gradually stockpile some materials. So, he nodded: “Got it, boss.”

Arriving at the supermarket, Yang Bo got out and walked inside. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. He looked up at the glass door of the drinks cabinet and saw a middle-aged man behind him.

“Is this guy following me?” Yang Bo only glanced over, then casually opened the drinks cabinet. The selection was vast and varied. He chose a juice and held it in his hand, pondering.

With his recently improved memory, Yang Bo remembered thinking last time that someone was tailing him. After recalling the event, he realized this same man was present.

“Could it just be a coincidence?” Yang Bo bought his things and headed home, wondering. After all, that supermarket was in a place visited frequently by locals.

“Could it be that because I often go there, I’ve been targeted?” Yang Bo guessed again. He wasn’t afraid, but being watched felt uncomfortable.

In the end, Yang Bo didn’t dwell on it too much. As long as he remembered the guy, it would be fine.

“I should check out the sea tonight.” Yang Bo decided to explore the sea, scouting the area in preparation for his future plans.

Wearing his energy suit, Yang Bo activated Invisibility and left for the beach. He noticed the seawater passing right through his body.

“So, I can now phase through liquids. Does that mean once I master invisibility, I’ll be able to phase through solids too?” Yang Bo had a bold thought.

The shallow waters were filled with white sand, small colorful fish, and occasionally, oddly-shaped creatures—triangular, pentagonal, even balloon-like plants, and net-like ones too.

Once he entered the sea, he deactivated Invisibility and swam leisurely. A three-meter-long sea snake lunged at him, only to have its head cleaved clean off by Yang Bo’s blade.

Infrared Vision +2!

“Holy crap, it’s a mutated creature?” Yang Bo was stunned. This… this.

Mutated creatures weren’t something you encountered every day. Any level of mutated creature could be used as material for making gene injections. Even on Green Demon Planet, they were rare. And now, just 1,000 meters from the shore, he had already encountered one? “Damn, there’s definitely a huge secret on this March Planet.” Yang Bo became more alert.

Five kilometers out, the sea floor dropped off to a deep continental shelf. Yang Bo began a slow descent—1,000 meters deep… 2,000 meters deep…

“That’s right. Can I use these depths to train myself?” Now at the bottom of the sea, his energy suit emitted a faint glow. He was already 4,000 meters down. “If my body could handle the pressure at 8,000 or even 10,000 meters, heh heh.” Yang Bo thought excitedly. Suddenly, he sensed something rushing toward him and started swimming away!

Yang Bo’s instincts told him it was some kind of machine, maybe a part of Alma City’s coastal defense system…