Chapter 231: Mines and Ores
Upon hearing Fan Meng's exclamation, Liang En and Joan of Arc were immediately drawn over. What met their eyes was Fan Meng holding a stone, not much larger than a soybean, with an excited expression.
"Let me see." Liang En took the small stone, pulled out a magnifying glass, and what appeared before his eyes was a greenish stone with concentric rings.
"This is a turquoise, a mineral widely used in ancient Egypt." Liang En explained to Fan Meng and Joan of Arc. His recognition was swift, as the appearance of turquoise made it easily distinguishable.
"Turquoise? I seem to recall that this was one of the materials used by ancient people in casting bronze artifacts." Fan Meng pondered for a moment. "Did ancient Egyptians also use this when refining copper metal?"
"Yes, not only for refining copper metal, but ancient Egyptians also considered this as an amulet for deceased children and a dye." Liang En nodded and elaborated.
"In ancient Egypt, colors were believed to possess special powers. Red typically symbolized life and victory, green represented health and prosperity, white stood for omnipotence and purity, black denoted death and darkness, blue signified life and rebirth, while yellow represented eternity and immutability."
"So, parents of deceased children would bury them with green turquoise, hoping for their well-being in the afterlife."
"In addition, ancient Egyptians used turquoise in murals and eyeliners because they believed it could ward off evil and infuse the wearer with life force—"
"Of course, there were many mosquitoes in ancient Egypt. So, eyeliners made from turquoise powder could effectively prevent annoying parasites from infesting the eyes. I recall there are some parasites in North Africa that infest around the eyes of animals, causing blindness."
At this point, Liang En suddenly paused, gazing at the cave used as a temple, a thoughtful expression on his face. As he fell silent, Fan Meng and Joan of Arc immediately turned with puzzled expressions.
"I think this place might not be a copper mine." Liang En explained as their gazes focused on him. "Because this location is deep within the Sinai Peninsula."
"Are you saying—" After Liang En's explanation, Joan of Arc felt even more confused, as she couldn't understand the contradiction between a copper mine and the deep part of the Sinai Peninsula.
"The core of ancient Egypt's civilization is along the Nile River." Seeing their puzzled expressions, Liang En made a calming gesture and began to explain slowly.
"This place is the Sinai Peninsula, far from the core of ancient Egypt, and the local ecology cannot support a large population."
"Especially through the pharaohs' statues outside, we can determine that the mining in this mountain likely started over four thousand years ago. Maintaining a workforce of thousands in a location far from the core of civilization was a massive undertaking given the productivity of that time."
"Remember, there are copper mines in the eastern deserts of Egypt. So, there was no need for ancient Egyptians to travel to this place to mine."
"Could it be due to insufficient copper mines?" Fan Meng interjected. "At least today, Egypt's major mineral products are non-metallic minerals like natural gas, petroleum, marble, gypsum, and some rare earth minerals."
"No, even though the 85,000 tons of copper reserves in Egypt's largest copper mine today may not be considered large, the demand for metal ores by humans in the pre-Industrial Revolution era was not as high as it is today—" Liang En shook his head.
After discussing this aspect for a while, the three of them dispersed on the ground to search. If this was indeed a mine, the products of the mine might have been brought into the temple.
"Look at this, Liang En. I feel like this turquoise is somewhat different from the one we found earlier." Three to four minutes later, Joan of Arc suddenly raised her hand and called to Liang En.
Different from other Europeans, she usually called Liang En by his Chinese name because she believed that when addressing her lord, she must use the name accurately.
"Let me see." Liang En, who had been searching the ground, straightened up, turned off the flashlight, and walked to Joan of Arc, taking the stone she had just found.
It was a stone with angular edges, and its size was only that of a mung bean. If not for careful searching, it would be easy to overlook this stone.
Clearly, this stone should be some waste or byproduct generated during the mining process, brought into this cave by the miners or others who came to worship the gods at that time.
"This is not turquoise; this is turquoise—"
Soon, Liang En identified the stone. As a gem with enormous reserves and widespread distribution, recognizing the origin of this stone was not a difficult task.
In China, this thing was called turquoise because it resembled pine cones and was close to pine green. In the West, it was called Turquoise, which means Turkish stone.
Of course, Turkey does not produce this type of stone. It's just that in the past, all the turquoise in Europe entered through Turkey as an intermediary, hence the name.
"Are you talking about turquoise?" Fan Meng, who was nearby, stood up and asked. "I remember seeing many ancient Egyptian jewelry in that country's museum in Cairo, inlaid with turquoise. It seems that ancient Egyptians liked this stone."
"You're right; ancient Egyptians were the earliest civilization in the world to use turquoise as jewelry." After Fan Meng said this, Liang En suddenly became spirited and excitedly spoke.
"In 5500 BC, during the First Dynasty of ancient Egypt, the Egyptians had already come to the Sinai Peninsula to start mining turquoise. Pharaohs of that time would carry jewelry decorated with turquoise beads."
"Even to obtain this gem, by the end of the First Dynasty, those pharaohs would dispatch a large expedition of two or three thousand people to the Sinai Peninsula."
"This team would arrive here around November, dig until May of the next year to avoid the scorching summer. If we count the time on the road, their mining work would take three years."
"That means what we found now should be the turquoise mine of ancient Egypt, right?" Joan of Arc looked down through the opening, observing the red and yellow intertwined mountains below.
Just as Liang En was about to answer, a commotion came from the valley below. When Liang En and the others followed the sound to the entrance, they saw several people running out of a cave on that side, cheering as they ran.
And when Liang En concentrated, he vaguely heard scattered words in the wind, including mine, turquoise, and copper mine.
"It seems like you were right." Liang En turned around and nodded at Joan of Arc. "Judging from the cheers of those people below, they seem to have discovered a turquoise mine."
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Chapter 232: Sinai Turquoise
After Liang En and his group descended from the mountain and joined Mr. Skoode, they quickly obtained valuable information from him.
"My team just found several mines, and after a simple excavation, we unearthed some turquoise and peacock stones," Mr. Skoode said, producing a pea-sized turquoise.
"So, I believe this place is a turquoise mine—" Liang En only caught the beginning of Skoode's explanation because, at that moment, his attention was captivated by the turquoise in Skoode's hand.
Turquoise is a common gemstone, and Liang En had owned accessories with turquoise in his past life and present life. However, this turquoise was different from the usual; it had vivid red patterns instead of the typical black or brown.
"I think I've heard about something related to this unique turquoise before. Did I come across it while researching?" Liang En pondered as he looked at the turquoise.
"According to my team's exploration, the reserves left in this turquoise mine are not small. So, for us, it's a commercially valuable mining site."
While Liang En was lost in thought, Mr. Skoode concluded his speech with good news, excitement evident on his face.
His excitement stemmed from the fact that, compared to his years of unsuccessful treasure hunting, this treasure hunt was remarkably smooth, and the findings were highly valuable.
"Yes, indeed, this is a valuable mining site." Liang En finally recalled the information he had seen before, and a smile appeared on his face. "And it should be more valuable than you think."
"More valuable than I think?" Mr. Skoode, puzzled, perked up and asked, "Could these turquoise stones have a special significance in history?"
"Yes, because the ancient Egyptians were among the first to use turquoise as decoration, and the turquoise they used came from the Sinai Peninsula," Liang En explained, holding up a piece of turquoise.
"Compared to ordinary turquoise, Sinai turquoise's distinctive feature is that the patterns on it, like the surrounding rocks and soil, are red, resembling blood seeping into the stone."
"According to the artifacts excavated, turquoise with these red patterns is mainly concentrated in and around the ancient Egyptian civilization, indicating its spread from the core of the ancient Egyptian civilization."
"You're right. I have an amulet with a scarab made of this material," Skoode quickly remembered one of his possessions. "But I've never seen this kind of turquoise anywhere else."
"That's because Sinai turquoise is now legendary," Liang En said, recalling information he had researched. "From the existing artifacts, Sinai turquoise was mined from the First Dynasty of Ancient Egypt to the Twentieth Dynasty, lasting approximately two thousand years. However, after that, there was no more production of Sinai turquoise."
"According to the latest translations from the Louvre, Sinai Peninsula's turquoise seems to have been produced only in the mining area. After the closure of the mine, people quickly forgot about the origin of this turquoise."
"The reason the mine on the Sinai Peninsula closed was because the extraction cost was too high. With the advent of international trade, the mine was abandoned, eventually fading into oblivion over time."
"So, considering the statues from the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in the valley today, it's highly likely that we've found the earliest turquoise mine for humanity."
"The earliest turquoise mine for humanity!" Mr. Skoode, wide-eyed, was shocked by Liang En's revelation, far exceeding his previous expectations.
"Of course, it's just a speculation for now. We haven't found direct evidence yet," Liang En shrugged, smiling.
The uncertainty arose because, although the scale and facilities here provided many clues, a direct judgment couldn't be made without finding concrete evidence from an academic perspective.
"But I believe we'll find direct evidence," Mr. Skoode, recovering from the mental impact, said confidently. "We discovered several traces of human activities, so we should find the information we need."
For the next three days, everyone immersed themselves in sifting sand. According to local laws, after discovering an artifact, the archaeological department must be notified within 72 hours.
Indeed, all artifacts found would be handed over to the Egyptian Antiquities Department, but the prospect of excavating something important was a significant temptation for everyone.
Especially for those engaged in legal excavation, leaving their names in history after finding important artifacts was their greatest reward in archaeological activities.
Moreover, after a brief survey, they found that despite being mined for two thousand years, the entire mining area still had commercial value due to the limitations of ancient productivity.
What's even more fortunate is that, after inquiries, they learned that the land in this mining area, including the underground mineral deposits, belonged to the Copts, who were very willing to cooperate with Liang En in developing this mining area.
So, when it became certain that this treasure hunt could yield substantial wealth, gaining reputation in archaeology naturally became everyone's top priority.
However, finding something important was a matter of luck. Therefore, when choosing excavation targets, Liang En delegated the task of judging targets to Jeanne d'Arc.
Because, in his opinion, when it came to luck, no one present could match Joan of Arc, the living saint.
And the subsequent discoveries proved Liang En's judgment was correct. On the second day of excavation, Joan of Arc found a stone tablet buried in a small hole, appearing to be as tall as a person.
After clearing the sand, Liang En and the others were nearly blinded by the things on the stone tablet. The stone tablet was covered with a layer of gold foil, and at the top of the tablet was an image of a person sitting on a chair, inlaid with turquoise, peacock stones, and lapis lazuli.
"Wow! This is definitely a significant discovery," they exclaimed, looking at the dazzling stone tablet. "At least, among the preserved ancient Egyptian stone tablets, none are as splendid as this one."
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Chapter 233: Golden Stone Stele
Upon discovering this gilded stone stele, Liang En and his team immediately halted their search and began the translation work. The reason for doing so was twofold. Firstly, the stele appeared immensely precious at first glance, prompting the desire to translate its contents promptly.
Secondly, since they embarked on this exploration together, and Liang En had made such a significant discovery, it seemed only fair to afford others the opportunity to participate.
The entire mining area had been revealed through Liang En's translation of ancient Egyptian temple photos, and now, with the discovery of this gold-leaf-covered stele, he felt it was time to share the opportunities with others.
Mr. Skoode had prepared extensively for this expedition, even equipping a simple artifact processing laboratory in a camper van. Consequently, Liang En's subsequent work became considerably more straightforward.
"What does the content on this stele reveal?" Mr. Skoode, who had been recording with a camera since the discovery, promptly inquired as they carefully transported the stele into the camper van.
"Not entirely clear, but the figure at the top of the stele is Imhotep," Liang En pointed to the gem-encrusted figure and explained.
His certainty stemmed from the fact that ancient Egyptians adhered to a standardized template when carving deity statues, avoiding excessive creative liberties. Thus, the seated figure with legs hanging down, holding a scroll of papyrus, unmistakably represented Imhotep, the embodiment of medical wisdom and the god of the pyramid.
Imhotep, unlike other deities in the traditional polytheistic Egyptian religion, held a unique distinction. According to historical records, he initially served as a low-ranking official but possessed extensive knowledge and exceptional intelligence, leading to his selection by the pharaoh at the time, Djoser.
Upon his selection, Imhotep immediately showcased his talents. For instance, he revolutionized the traditional burial method of mud and stone structures known as mastabas, replacing them with the first-ever pyramid near the capital city of Memphis during the Djoser's reign.
Additionally, he authored the earliest surviving medical document, the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus I, making him the first known physician in human history. Imhotep also designed Egyptian funeral rituals and pioneered the practice of removing internal organs before mummification. In many ways, Imhotep resembled a Renaissance man akin to Leonardo da Vinci.
However, due to his veneration as a deity symbolizing medicine and wisdom, he was not commonly depicted on steles. Moreover, Egyptian steles typically featured carvings on only one side, indicating the uniqueness of this particular stele.
"Do you see anything?" Mr. Skoode couldn't contain his curiosity after Liang En had been silently examining the stele inside the camper van for over half an hour.
"I've discerned some crucial details," Liang En turned to Mr. Skoode with a smile and continued, "The inscriptions on both sides of the stele span a considerable time interval."
"The rougher side with embedded gemstones is from the time of Pharaoh Djoser in the Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt. On the other hand, the intricately carved side with the deity is from the period of Ramses II in the 19th Dynasty."
"In other words, the inscriptions on both sides of this stele spanned a whopping 1000 years!" After quickly cross-referencing the chronology of various Egyptian dynasties on a nearby tablet, Mr. Skoode widened his eyes in astonishment.
"Why would the ancient Egyptians do such a thing?" Fan Meng, who had been quiet until now, suddenly inquired. "I know the Egyptians had a habit of recycling coffins. Could this be a similar attitude towards steles?"
"Uh, not quite. In reality, most Egyptian steles feature inscriptions on one side and artwork on the other. Practices like carving inscriptions on both sides are exceedingly rare," Liang En clarified.
Fan Meng's reference to recycling coffins was related to the scarcity of wood in ancient Egypt, leading to the repurposing of wooden items, including coffins. However, the unique double-sided inscriptions on this stele had a different origin. According to the stele, the gold leaf, gemstones, and the deity figure were all added to the stele under the direct orders of Ramses II.
Ramses II, one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt, had overseen the peak of the 19th Dynasty during his reign. However, his ambitious projects led to the decline of the dynasty, drawing parallels to Emperor Qianlong of China.
Due to his ambitious undertakings, Ramses II allocated significant manpower and resources to exploit the turquoise mines on the Sinai Peninsula. It was during the excavation of an ancient mine that workers discovered inscriptions at the entrance written by Imhotep himself.
"These inscriptions were personally written by Imhotep. When Imhotep, the prime minister of Pharaoh Djoser, inspected this mining area, he left some admonitions related to turquoise extraction on the walls."
Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Liang En proceeded with the translation of the content from the Ramses II era.
"After Imhotep left, the foremen directly carved those words on the wall. This continued until this ancient passage was abandoned and sealed."
"Unexpectedly, this closure lasted for several centuries, only to be reopened when Ramses II launched a large-scale development of this mine. And during that era, Imhotep had already completed his transformation from a mortal to a deity. As a result, those inscriptions on the wall were revered as sacred."
"At that time, the workers not only carved the inscribed stone but also the surrounding stones, creating this stele, which was then meticulously adorned."
Pausing with a furrowed brow, Liang En pointed at the stele and added, "Theoretically, this stele should have been transported to the capital of Egypt at the time. However, for reasons unknown, it never made it out and remained hidden in this cave."
"But for us, this is incredibly fortunate. We've now found the only surviving handwriting of Imhotep in the world. Historically speaking, it's as precious as the entire mining area."
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 234: Acquisition of the New Card
After deciphering the content of the stone tablet, the area around the RV was immediately fortified with heavy security. The entire archaeological team became tense, disrupting the excavation work.
Before the arrival of the Egyptian specialists, only Liang En and two others took turns staying inside the vehicle. Outside, two security personnel remained vigilant. Given the immense value of the artifact, security couldn't afford to be lax.
During this period, Liang En began studying the front side of the stone tablet, the part inscribed by Imhotep's hand, attempting its translation. Despite the use of the deciphered font of ancient Egyptian priests, the script had evolved over the millennia of Egyptian history, posing a challenge to decipher.
Fortunately, Liang En had grasped the patterns of this writing and, using the skill "Cryptography (R)," gradually translated all the text on the front side before the arrival of the Egyptian experts.
The front text turned out to be a simple mining guide, detailing techniques for excavating rocks, finding veins, extracting ore, and recognizing signs of impending danger.
Additionally, both the beginning and end of the text contained a series of quasi-prayers, expressing wishes for safe mining and the discovery of gemstones in the mines.
In summary, the front side of the stone tablet was indeed a pure mining guide. It held some value for studying how mining was conducted during the early dynasties of ancient Egypt.
Of course, the most valuable aspect was that this tablet was inscribed by Imhotep, filling a crucial gap in the archaeological history of ancient Egypt.
After completing the translation, five cards appeared in Liang En's mind. Perhaps due to the legendary nature of the artifact, he obtained seven black cards, two bronze cards, and one silver card this time.
Some of these cards didn't solely originate from the tablet; Liang En could confirm that a portion came from the discovery of the ancient turquoise mine. Imprinted on Imhotep's handwriting side was the clear name of the mine: Monarch Mine. This was the historical name of the first turquoise mine in ancient Egypt, and possibly in human history.
Among the seven black cards, four were "Legendary Power (N)" cards, indicating the mythical nature of the findings. The remaining three were one "Detection (N)" card and two "Appraisal (N)" cards.
The two bronze cards included one "Detection (R)" and one "Restoration (R)." Considering what he had uncovered, Liang En believed these two cards were rewards for separate discoveries.
As for the final card, "Imhotep (SR)," it went without saying. This golden stone tablet was Imhotep's handwriting, qualifying as a genuine relic. It wasn't surprising to draw a card of this level.
One could even argue that if Imhotep's era wasn't so distant and if the ancient Egyptian civilization hadn't been completely lost, this card might have been of a higher level.
Liang En's current power stemmed from the transformation of information passed down through legends and memories over millions of years. For a civilization that had been lost, the potential power to be harnessed would naturally be somewhat diminished.
However, the name of this card made Liang En suspect that he might have underestimated the importance of the stone tablet. Typically, a tablet wouldn't directly point to the person who inscribed it. Thus, this tablet likely represented one of the few relics of Imhotep in the world, explaining the evident directionality of the card.
[Imhotep (SR), as the only individual in ancient Egypt who transcended from human to deity, Imhotep possessed vast knowledge, accomplished many feats, and left behind a multitude of legends.
Enhancement Card (Single Use), Effect 1: After using this card, the user will permanently acquire knowledge about what Imhotep knew in history.
Although this knowledge is outdated today and holds almost no practical value, it opens a window to understanding ancient Egyptian civilization.
Effect 2: After using the card, the user gains a permanent bonus, allowing all cards related to medical skills to receive a one-level enhancement when used.
Note: Obtaining this knowledge involves a significant influx of information. Therefore, the user is advised to find a secure place to stabilize before using this card.]
"What a great harvest," Liang En said with satisfaction after reading the information on the card. The content on this card, at least, confirmed its practicality.
On the last night before the arrival of the Egyptian team, while lying on the lab floor for rest, Liang En used the card. As it disappeared, a vast amount of knowledge flowed into his mind.
The process felt much easier than the first enhancement. It was as if a spring had appeared in his mind, steadily pouring water into his brain.
Fortunately, just as he began to feel a bit bloated, the enhancement ended. Opening his eyes and checking the time on the clock hanging in the carriage, Liang En found that only half an hour had passed. He then examined what he had gained earlier.
The acquisition of knowledge was slightly disappointing. Apart from the pronunciation and cognition of ancient Egyptian, most of the knowledge was seemingly useful but actually impractical.
For instance, how to construct a pyramid, how to observe the precursors of a mine collapse, how a priest of ancient Egypt should conduct a proper sacrifice to a deity, the incantations to recite while treating an illness, and how to make a mummy from scratch.
Liang En could now be considered a historian, so these seemingly useless pieces of knowledge could serve as historical reserves and make it convenient for him to write papers.
At least each piece of this knowledge could be used to write one or even several papers. Compared to other historians who had to piece together the truth of history from scattered artifacts, Liang En's method of knowing the answers and then working backward simplified the process by more than one order of magnitude.
Apart from that, he also felt that his card "Alchemy (R)" had been strengthened due to the new skill. If he were to produce potions again, the effects would likely be increased by one-fifth compared to before.
After checking the enhancement situation, Liang En was very satisfied with his harvest this time. So, he quickly fell asleep with contentment. When the Egyptian archaeologists finally arrived the next noon, Liang En had already had a good rest.
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 235: Mining Development
Liang En initially thought that once both parties exchanged the items, the matter would be concluded. However, to his surprise, the group that arrived, a mixture of military personnel and archaeologists, hoped they could stay for a few more hours.
This situation arose because, before their arrival, the other side was unaware of the value of this stone monument and did not understand the overall importance of the entire mining area. Hence, upon immediate inspection, they promptly requested reinforcements from their superiors.
The reason for keeping Liang En and his group was twofold. On the one hand, it was for mutual supervision, and on the other hand, it was to temporarily borrow their manpower to guard this precious location.
"Will the guns carried by the security personnel cause any problems?" Liang En asked in a hushed tone as everyone began fortifying their positions.
Because the weapons carried by these security personnel were all illegally imported, if the official Egyptian authorities were to arrive, it could potentially lead to some complications.
"No problem. We've already discussed it. Just say these guns belong to the Coptic militia, and we're borrowing them for security reasons," Skoode replied with a smile.
"Now, this discovery is likely the most significant archaeological find in Egypt since you uncovered the Rashid stone monument half a century ago. So, minor issues like carrying guns will be overlooked once we find a reasonable excuse. No one will delve deeply into this matter," he explained.
"Makes sense." Liang En nodded. Clearly, matters related to favors and compromises were quite similar worldwide, especially when facing significant events.
Apparently, Egypt's attention to this stone monument was even higher than Liang En had imagined. Just two hours later, two Mi-17 helicopters and two Ka-25 helicopters appeared in the sky.
Upon reaching the valley, two armed helicopters immediately began patrolling, while the other two transport helicopters quickly landed on a nearby flat area, bringing an elite team and a group of archaeologists.
Once on the ground, these people acted swiftly: they removed the gilded monument from the trailer and loaded it onto a helicopter. Then, the two helicopters took off, forming a formation with the armed helicopters and heading in the direction they came from.
However, the arrival of these people did not signify the end of all affairs. It wasn't until the next day when a convoy of six trucks arrived that Liang En and his team completed the handover and returned to the Coptic village.
As their cars entered the village, almost all the villagers came out to greet them. The Coptic people believed that this mine would illuminate the future path of the local Coptic community.
What surprised them even more was that when they entered the courtyard of Daniel's house, standing next to Daniel's father was the steward Lubson, who had come all the way from France.
Soon, everyone sat in the living room of Daniel's house in a circle and began discussing the content related to the turquoise mine.
"I have team members who were previously engaged in the mining industry," the first to speak was Skoode. While displaying photos taken earlier on a tablet, he explained the content of the exploration to everyone.
According to the judgment of this engineer among his team, although the ancient Egyptians had mined there for two thousand years, the actual quantity of gemstones mined was not particularly large.
"Now, there is still a considerable amount of turquoise in that mining area, and it is buried very shallow, with high commercial mining value. According to his estimate, the entire mining area can be exploited for 7-8 years."
One had to admit that Mr. Skoode's exploration team was quite elite. In Liang En's previous life, the mine was discovered by the British in 1845, followed by extensive mining from 1854 to 1866.
Later, the French intermittently mined for a period, until in 1903, the British obtained the charter and conducted another large-scale mining, but this time the minerals were completely depleted after just one or two years.
Since then, all attempts to mine the local turquoise had failed. In other words, the British industrialized mining plus sporadic French mining had completely depleted all the turquoise in the entire mining area.
Considering technological advancements in the modern era, the inference that the remaining minerals in this mine could be mined for 7-8 years was quite accurate.
"7-8 years?" After hearing this, Daniel's father looked somewhat disheartened because such a short mining period would not have a particularly strong impact on the local economy.
"I think it's likely that modernized mining won't be possible in this mining area," Liang En suddenly said. "Don't forget, the entire mining area is now an ancient relic. Large-scale mechanized and explosive mining probably won't be allowed."
"More importantly, the value of this stone isn't in the stone itself." Liang En picked up a sample of turquoise from the table and addressed everyone.
"This is the first turquoise mine in the world, a witness to ancient Egyptian civilization. Its cultural value far exceeds the value of the gemstone itself."
"Exactly, besides their quality, the value of gemstones mainly comes from their cultural background." Lubson, the steward, nodded.
"For example, the Chinese cherish a gemstone called Hetian Jade, but it's not very popular in Europe. This situation arises due to cultural differences."
"Something like this turquoise, which can be said to come from the same source as the turquoise carried by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, holds immense cultural value. With proper promotion, it can generate several times its value."
"You're right. So, I think the second plan proposed by my subordinate is more suitable." After listening to Liang En and others, Mr. Skoode swiftly shifted the discussion to the second plan.
"The overall mining time for the second plan will extend to half a century, mobilizing a large number of manpower." Mr. Skoode quickly transmitted a document to Liang En's team's phones.
"Compared to the first plan, this plan consumes more time and cost. However, the overall benefits obtained are far higher than the first plan—"
After a cursory glance at the contents of the document, Mr. Skoode immediately explained his plan. According to the plan, mining in the area would involve a combination of manual labor and minimal machinery, eliminating the majority of the impact on the relics.
Additionally, considering that with a little road repair, the mining area would be just over an hour's drive from the Sinai Peninsula-Korean Peninsula highway, it was entirely feasible to develop the tourism value of the mining area.
To achieve this goal, they would need to start promoting the turquoise from the Sinai Peninsula now and find a cooperative partner who could ensure the safety of the entire region.
"Don't worry, we can provide the security and manpower for this place." At this moment, Daniel's father thought carefully, then assured everyone present with a solemn expression.
"Due to the harsh local environment, many of our young people can only go to nearby cities to work, and because of the discrimination against Coptic people, they face challenges in securing jobs."
"So, as long as this place is developed, I can guarantee to bring in 3,000 young and strong individuals to serve the entire construction within a week."
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