Gold Rush Starts in the Bering Sea

Chapter 102: Old Bourne's Regret

Fortunately, after meeting with security personnel on the way, the group boarded a helicopter and flew directly back to the mine.

"Jason, are you alright?" Albert and Ada came over as soon as the helicopter landed and came to a stop, asking anxiously.

The security personnel's hurried departure in the helicopter, coupled with the sudden news of Jason being threatened, reminded them of the gunfight that had taken place a while ago.

Jason patted his chest and laughed, "Don't worry, it's fine."

As he spoke, he pointed to Old Bourne, who had just gotten off the helicopter, and introduced him: "This is Old Bourne, the owner of the mine next door."

"This is Albert, my father, and this is my brother, Ada."

After introducing themselves and getting to know each other briefly, Jason also told his family about what had happened that day.

Ada said with lingering fear, "Jason, you should take someone with you next time you go out, just in case something unexpected happens."

A while ago there was a nighttime gunfight, and now there's this con artist. She's only been here a short time and she's already run into all these things. It's making Ada very nervous.

Albert nodded in agreement and said seriously, "Take a gun with you when you go out; things are too dangerous around here."

Australia is such a large country with a sparse population that if something happens, there's no one to ask for help.

Carrying a gun at least gives you a chance to fight back; without a gun, you're just a lamb to the slaughter.

Old Bourne, standing to the side, had a somber expression on his face ever since he arrived at the mine, his brows furrowed; he hadn't yet recovered from the deception.

He and old Enx had been friends for decades, but he never expected that his children would be like this. He even suspected that old Enx knew something all along when he was refused to buy his mine.

Judging from the shrubs growing on the backfilled area, it must have been a long time ago, and he strongly suspected that this was Old Enkes's doing.

After all, the old Enx mine has been operating for decades!

Seeing that old Bourne was in a bad mood, Jason patted him on the shoulder, offered him a cigar, and comforted him with a smile, "Old Bourne, it's not that serious. After all, it wasn't your fault. Have a cigar, and I'll let you try some authentic Chinese cuisine later!"

Old Bourne sighed, "I'm just a little angry. I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

"Alright, why think so much? You're just creating more trouble for yourself."

Life is too stressful if you're always thinking about worries. Jason just wants to make some money so he can eat well, drink well, and have fun!

Jason invited, "Would you like to take a tour of my mine?"

"Alright, let's go. It's a good opportunity for me to see your mine, you rich man." Knowing that Jason was trying to comfort him, Old Bourne smiled and accepted Jason's offer.

Jason and old Bourne chatted as they walked, and when they arrived at the work site, the entire mine was bustling with activity.

"How is it, sir? Is there anything that needs improvement?" Jason asked humbly.

He puffed on his cigar, rubbed the white stubble on his chin, shook his head, and said, "Your mine basically doesn't need any adjustments right now. I know that old Nobel kid; he's got a knack for gold mining."

When Old Nobel was around, he would occasionally come over for a visit when he had nothing else to do.

Jason is now mining in the established direction, and his layout plan follows the original location of the old Nobel Prize. Although there are some minor adjustments, there are no major problems.

As the two were talking, the machine stopped roaring as Swell pressed the power button.

Old Bourne looked puzzled and asked, "Is there something wrong with the equipment?"

Jason glanced at the blazing sun overhead, shrugged, and said, "It's time."

"When is it time?"

Old Bourne looked completely bewildered, not understanding what Jason meant by those words.

"They're off work," Jason explained with a smile. "We don't work between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., after all, you know how the weather is here, old man."

Old Bourne gave him a "Are you kidding me?" look and asked in surprise, "You're not making any money, kid? The working hours at the mine are so flexible?"

In the gold mining industry, which company isn't racing against time, wishing they could split their time in half?

Just like his own mine, although he takes a break at noon, it's never for this long.

"Safety First"

Jason emphasized his principles and then explained, "The equipment failure rate is too high at lunchtime, and the workers' efficiency is also low, so it's better to rest well before starting work."

"Besides, who says you can't make money doing this kind of work?"

Old Bourne smiled, neither refuting nor agreeing.

"Come on, old Bourne, I'll take you to see the gold harvest." With that, he pulled old Bourne straight toward the ore washing machine.

Next to the ore washing machine, Swell was directing people to carefully collect gold. When he saw Jason coming over, he simply nodded and then went back to work.

Old Bourne asked, "How often is it cleaned?"

"Three hours," Jason replied.

Looking at the countless gold nuggets gleaming in the sunlight in the gold pan, old Berne exclaimed, "Old Nobel's mine really has a pretty good gold content!"

"You didn't actually consider buying this mine back then, did you?"

Jason recalled that old Bourne had mentioned that he almost bought the Enx mine next door, so he had reason to suspect that old Bourne had definitely considered buying the mine.

"What else?"

Old Bourne, with an air of self-evident certainty, said, "The mines are next to each other, making mining and equipment relocation convenient, and management can be done directly."

As she spoke, she said regretfully, "It's just that I didn't have that much cash on hand at the time, otherwise you might have been able to get it."

After speaking, Old Bourne gave Jason an even more irritating look.

Jason chuckled and teased, "Old Bourne, you want to buy every mine, but you haven't managed to get one yet."

"Who told you to be rich, kid?" he said with a cold snort.

Old Enx's mine was one thing, since it was a minefield after all, but Old Nobe's mine was something he truly regretted, even felt sorry for.

We're just a little short of money!

I originally wanted to wait a bit longer, partly to negotiate a lower price and partly to raise the money, but I never expected Jason to suddenly appear and snatch it away.

Looking at the gold being cleaned out of the ore washing machine, Old Bourne estimated that it was definitely no less than ten ounces.

Cleaned every three hours, yielding about ten ounces of harvest, with an astonishing three ounces of gold produced per hour!

He finally understood why Jason wasn't afraid of losing money and dared to take such a break.

If every mine had this level of gold production, it would be profitable no matter how much you mined. The more I think about it, the more I regret it.

He patted old Bern's shoulder, who was staring intently at the mining machine, and joked, "Let's go, you'll be staring at it forever."

Old Bourne stubbornly retorted, "What haven't I seen? Even if you put a mountain of gold in front of me, I wouldn't be blinded by it."

That's what he said, but his eyes were still fixed on the gold trough that was being cleaned.

After the money-attracting blanket and gold were loaded into barrels, the two returned with the others, and Old Bourne briefly introduced himself to everyone.

Inside the restaurant, the air conditioning was on, and the food was ready.

There weren't any fancy side dishes; everything was stewed or stir-fried in large pots and served in different dishes, so everyone could help themselves to what they wanted.

Old Bourne asked with a look of curiosity, "What is this? Is it tasty?"

Xing Ronghua, who was standing nearby, introduced: "Huawen Famous Pot-Baked Meat, delicious, very delicious."

"What about this one?"

"This is called Garlic Eggplant, and it's delicious too!"

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The mine workers had their eyes opened during this period, but it was quite novel for old Bourne, who had always eaten hot dogs and hamburgers.

Seeing everyone's skillful operation, without asking any questions, he picked up some from each person and tried them out.

After one bite, Old Bourne's eyes lit up, and the word "delicious" became a tangible image in his mind.

"Old Bourne, slow down, don't choke."

Seeing old Bourne stuffing his mouthfuls of food, Jason couldn't help but offer words of advice, worried that the old man might choke.

Xing Ronghua and Li Guoming also shook their heads with smiles. For chefs, Old Bourne's behavior was the best affirmation of their culinary skills.

After the meal, everyone dispersed to enjoy their leisure time.

As for Jason, he lay idly on a deckchair, drinking a cold beverage and chatting casually with old Bourne.

Old Bern, who was tasting Chinese cuisine for the first time, was still savoring the flavors and even considered poaching someone with a high salary. If he hadn't been rejected, he really would have wanted to poach a chef.

"Old Bern, do you think there's anyone else who wants to sell a mine? I'll go check it out later."

The recliner rocked back and forth slightly as old Bourne, speaking from experience, said, "Jason, you don't actually need to buy the mine."

"For many people, a mining farm is an asset to be passed down through generations, and few people would sell it unless there are special reasons."

"Most mining farms are leased, with profits split with the mine owner according to a set ratio, which greatly reduces the risk."

Sitting in the rocking chair, Jason leisurely took a sip of his cold drink and said, "Old Bourne, I understand what you're saying. Renting a mine is indeed a good option, but I don't want to be controlled by others."

"Besides, I still have some money now. Wouldn't it be better to just buy a mine? Why should I share my money with others?"

Indeed, what old Bourne said is a very good option.

From the perspective of their own capabilities, being able to detect and mine in the mine allows them to upgrade their abilities and earn money.

But it's not that simple!

Others already know where the gold is plentiful, so why should they give you the profits?!

Jason doesn't want to spend his own money and effort only to be controlled by others.

Hearing Jason say that, old Bourne shook his head and said, "Then I'll ask around for you, and I'll contact you again if I have any news."

Jason grinned and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, sir."

After arranging for Dolino to take old Bourne home, Jason also called Anna and instructed them to keep an eye on the mine news.

Jason also plans to consult with the local government's mining department.

If he could, Jason really wouldn't want to deal with them; he'd prefer to deal directly with the mine owners, which would save him a lot of trouble.

But there's nothing we can do; it's 06, and information isn't very readily available then.