Chapter 703: More Than One Kind of Wealth
The violet came out of the stone in long flat slabs that crackled when they were lifted.
Bai Heng's team scored around each vein with insulated chisels, levered the stone free, and passed it to carriers wearing thick gloves. Twice a slab discharged as it came loose, snapping violet light across the cut and leaving a sharp metallic smell.
"Good, that's a live one," Bai Heng said after the second discharge. He caught a carrier reaching for it too soon and tapped the man's glove with his chisel. "Good doesn't mean touch it yet. Wait for the charge to settle."
The red crust came away hot. Carriers wrapped it in damp insulating cloth, then packed it into lined cases. One man swore under his breath whenever steam obscured the clasp he was trying to fasten. His partner waited until he finished before turning the case around for him.
