Before returning, Chen Kai naturally called the blond man, but the blond man said he was still busy and told Chen Kai to go back first.
Xiao Mei and the others had been digging all afternoon and were starving. Since the blond man insisted on staying, Chen Kai could only tell Wang Yi, "The blond man is still digging."
Wang Yi replied with a cold message: "Don't mind him."
So Chen Kai took Xiao Mei and the others to have a big meal. If they didn't eat soon, Miraidon would be so dizzy from hunger he'd start gnawing on Chen Kai.
Zhao Jie and Yelena saw Chen Kai leave, so they followed suit.
Sometimes, Chen Kai couldn't help but admire Yelena's perseverance. He dug for a day, and Yelena sat for a day, not even fearing hemorrhoids.
About an hour after Chen Kai and his group left, as the last sliver of daylight was swallowed by the night, the world's climate seemed to be shifted by an invisible hand.
The sky became as if painted with thick ink, heavy clouds pressed low, seemingly within reach. There was no twinkling of stars, nor the clear light of the moon; the entire world plunged into a chaotic and oppressive darkness.
Dong Gang and the blond man were asked to leave at this time.
"We're closed. Please come again tomorrow," the museum staff said politely on the surface, but with a hint of impatience.
Dong Gang and the blond man exchanged a smile and squatted by the roadside to discuss their findings.
Dong Gang asked in the tone of a senior, "Xiao Wang, did you dig up anything?"
The blond man sighed, "You've disappointed me, Master Dong. I didn't dig up anything all afternoon."
Dong Gang patted the blond man's shoulder, "Why are you saying such discouraging things? This is nothing! We Rock-type Pokemon trainers must be like a giant rock, standing firm, unshaken by wind and rain."
The blond man's eyes glowed, and he excitedly shouted, "Master Dong!"
At noon, the blond man had seen that Dong Gang had many fossils and tried to get close to him, wanting to understand how he could dig up so many fossils. His words were even somewhat insincere, driven by a strong desire for personal gain.
But Dong Gang's words just now resonated with him, and this cry of 'Master Dong' came from the blond man's heart.
The blond man stood up, "I understand! I will definitely keep at it!"
Dong Gang also stood up excitedly, feeling that this blond kid was teachable: "That's right!
We must embody the character '堅' (jian - firm) like a rock!
We must have the will of '堅如磐石' (jian ru pan shi - as firm as a rock), remaining as steady as Mount Tai no matter how the gales howl or the torrential rains pour, not easily shaken by difficulties.
We must have the spirit of '堅持不懈' (jian chi bu xie - perseverance), like water eroding stone, striving towards our goals day after day, year after year, not abandoning our progress due to temporary setbacks.
We must possess the quality of '堅韌不拔' (jian ren bu ba - tenacious and unyielding), silently accumulating strength in adversity, enduring loneliness and pain, and writing our own legend with unyielding willpower."
The more Dong Gang spoke, the more excited he became, grasping the blond man's hand, and the blond man also grew more excited with each word.
"I've had an epiphany! Master Dong! I will remember your words for the rest of my life!"
"Good! It's not in vain that I taught you the true essence of rock!"
Under the pitch-black night of Zigong City, two rock-solid men, their words like specks of starlight, transmitted and encouraged each other in the dense darkness. Sincere and powerful words broke the silence of the night, echoing between the two, igniting the fighting spirit within their hearts.
"Um! Excuse me, you two have talked so much, are you trying to dig for fossils?"
A man in his forties or fifties awkwardly interrupted them.
This man had listened to Dong Gang and the blond man's entire conversation and couldn't help but inwardly complain: What kind of TV drama or novel dialogue is this? Isn't it awkward…
Dong Gang nodded, "Yes, we just want to dig for fossils. And you are?"
The man clapped his hands and said, "What a coincidence! I know a place that hasn't been developed yet, where fossils are much easier to dig than at this museum."
"Where!!!"
Dong Gang and the blond man grabbed the man, one on each side.
"What are you doing?" The man struggled to break free, feeling that the two people in front of him were truly a bit crazy.
Dong Gang quickly spoke soothingly, "I'm sorry, I was just too excited. Where is the place you mentioned? Can you take me there?"
"Of course I can take you, but…" The man rubbed his fingers together, his eyes signaling something.
Dong Gang suddenly understood, "Oh, oh, oh! I get it. How much do you need for your trouble?"
The man chuckled, "Not much, just five hundred yuan for gas money. I'll drive you there."
"Alright, I'll pay you." Dong Gang paid the five hundred without hesitation; he wasn't afraid of the man tricking him.
The man received the money and happily guided Dong Gang towards a minivan: "Boss, you're generous. Boss, get in my car and let's go together."
The blond man also wanted to get in, but the man stopped him, "Little brother, it's five hundred yuan for one person's gas."
The blond man gave an awkward smile, took out his phone, and saw that after paying for his trip, his balance was only three hundred yuan.
"Um, can you give a discount?"
The man said disdainfully, "No."
"I'll lend it to you." Dong Gang helped by scanning five hundred yuan to the man.
Only then was the blond man allowed into the car.
After the car had been driving for some time, the blond man finally realized that it was late at night, and he was unfamiliar with Zigong. Would he be sold?
Dong Gang seemed to sense his worry and shrugged indifferently, "Xiao Kai should have told you my identity, right?"
The blond man thought for a moment. Chen Kai had said that Dong Gang was a Gym Leader! Then there was nothing to fear.
So he relaxed and even sent a message to both Wang Yi and Chen Kai: "Brother Dong and I have important business tonight, so I won't be back yet."
Then he settled in, ready to continue his persistent fossil digging!
In fact, the blond man's worries were superfluous. Zigong on Blue Star had even more fossils than Zigong on Earth. It was just that some fossil pits were not open due to various reasons like dangerous environments or insufficient manpower for development.
Furthermore, fossils on Blue Star were not just for observation and research; some fossils could even revive living Pokemon.
So, some people would loiter outside the museum as unscrupulous intermediaries, taking those who hadn't found fossils at the museum to restricted fossil pits.
Following this unscrupulous intermediary along winding country roads, he led Dong Gang and the blond man to a deserted small hill nearby.
"Get out of the car," the unscrupulous intermediary said, opening the minivan door.
"Here?" The blond man got out and looked around, asking.
He didn't see any signs of excavation nearby.
"Of course not here. The car can't go any further; we have to walk." The unscrupulous intermediary shone his flashlight and walked into a forest, while not forgetting to wave for the blond man to follow.
The blond man and Dong Gang followed closely behind the mysterious man, entering this ancient and deep forest.
Tall trees stood silently in the darkness. Their branches crisscrossed, forming a giant net that fragmented the already meager light.
Occasionally, Murkrow were startled by their footsteps, letting out sharp Growls that pierced the silence of the night. Fortunately, the two men were stout-hearted and felt nothing.
Soon, a faint light appeared ahead. The light flickered in the darkness, drawing them forward.
As they approached, the light became clearer, and the blond man finally saw that there was indeed a cave, with two mining lamps hanging at its entrance.
The blond man could even see a few people who had just walked out of the cave and were sitting outside, covered in dust and dirt, clearly having just emerged from the cave.
However, they looked quite well, so it seemed they hadn't come away empty-handed.