The asteroid belt mining area near KQ-03, while not containing high-quality veins, still held low-grade energy crystals, which Wang Dong wouldn't scorn.
Besides, in the initial stage, the system's demand for low-grade energy crystals was even higher.
Continuing deeper into the mining area, the Mine Boss II slowed down after thirty minutes.
"This should be about right."
Wang Dong estimated their depth.
Going any further would be a stretch, even with his reborn driving skills.
In fact, if not for the energy crystals, Wang Dong wouldn't have ventured this deep into the mining area.
Compared to the outer edges of the asteroid belt mining area, the chance of finding valuable minerals like energy crystals was significantly higher deeper within.
The outer edges were frequented, and even if energy crystals existed, the chances of them being taken were high.
Switching the detector to mineral scan mode, Wang Dong patiently controlled the Mine Boss II to cruise around.
He kept the particle stream emitted by the external antenna of the detector aimed at the target. Based on the size and texture of the celestial body being scanned, the probe would take varying lengths of time to generate a scan report.
Wang Dong carefully observed the surrounding airspace while maneuvering the spaceship, maintaining a relatively stable flight posture to ensure the scanning particle stream didn't stray from the target celestial body.
It was a technical skill.
It was also a physical one.
Not every asteroid, or asteroid fragment, contained minerals.
Furthermore, minerals had varying values depending on their types.
"Such a large volume, 32 seconds to get results, it's probably garbage. As expected, iron ore."
"28 seconds, huh, copper ore, trash."
…
Talking to oneself was one of the common habits of interstellar miners.
The complex celestial environment in the asteroid belt mining area made long-distance communication very difficult.
In such situations, using self-talk to alleviate tension or anxiety became a natural choice.
Over the next hour, Wang Dong carefully examined every small celestial body in the surrounding airspace that might contain minerals.
The results were not encouraging.
He hadn't found even any valuable mineral types, let alone the energy crystals he desired.
However, Wang Dong wasn't discouraged.
A miner, after all.
Even an interstellar miner, was still a drudge.
Didn't you hear that miner's song?
"One, two, three, four, five, mining is so hard, all we dig is copper, the purity is only five."
Interstellar miners were no different.
In the interstellar age, conventional minerals like copper and iron were truly worthless.
However, they were also the most abundant.
Even if they filled the cargo hold with these cheap minerals every trip, they wouldn't make much profit.
Mining required capital.
But spending a couple of hours on this kind of screening was nothing.
After scanning the nearby area, Wang Dong pushed the eight-way rudder and shifted their position.
His luck turned.
Just changing areas made a difference.
"85 seconds, wow, gas ore."
…
"112 seconds, haha, look what I found, You Tai Ore!"
After forty minutes, Wang Dong had a decent find.
Gas was a solidified gas ore, with a hefty price tag, thousands of times higher than copper or iron ore.
You Tai Ore was even more unusual. This metal, which turned silver-white after refining, had extremely high toughness and hardness, making it a premium material for warship armor.
It was thirty times more expensive than gas ore!
In Wang Dong's experience, aside from energy crystals, You Tai Ore was one of the most valuable minerals found in this asteroid belt mining area.
Though Wang Dong's primary goal was energy crystals, he needed some normal finds as well.
This You Tai Ore was just right.
Skilledly adjusting his flight posture, the Mine Boss II aimed its wide belly at the asteroid containing the mineral.
It was a three hundred meter diameter behemoth, not the largest, but close to the Mine Boss II's processing limit.
Next came the crucial part.
Wang Dong needed the Mine Boss II to approach within one hundred meters, allowing the magnetic lasso to catch the asteroid's core.
No matter how small an asteroid, it was a colossal mass compared to the Mine Boss II.
At such close range, the gravitational interaction between the two could affect the Mine Boss II's flight posture.
If they accidentally collided with the asteroid, then things would get complicated.
This was the inside of the asteroid belt.
A collision could affect both the Mine Boss II and the asteroid, changing their trajectories and possibly drawing them into a gravitational turbulence.
Wang Dong was no novice, and this was still far from the real depths of the asteroid belt. He was comfortable with his skills.
His hand on the eight-way rudder continuously micro-adjusted the eight directional thrust engines on the ship, the Mine Boss II slowly and steadily closing in on the asteroid.
The gravitational perturbation to the flight posture was immediately offset by the micro-adjustments of the directional thrust engines.
He didn't need to calculate deliberately or watch the ship's onboard computer's data flood, relying on his subconscious reaction, Wang Dong flawlessly completed the entire approach process.
The instinct of an interstellar miner had become ingrained in his body.
After aligning and approaching the asteroid, the Mine Boss II's belly opened wide.
First, four large magnetic lassos, upon catching the asteroid, magnetically restrained it as a whole.
This process took five minutes.
Once completed, Wang Dong lightly released his grip on the eight-way rudder.
The magnetic restraint temporarily made the Mine Boss II and the target asteroid a single entity, a prerequisite for the entire mining process.
The following process was much simpler.
Multiple large mining drills extended from the Mine Boss II's belly, following the mineral distribution map previously detected, began to perform destructive mining on the asteroid in front of them.
They didn't have to worry about the asteroid deforming, shifting abnormally, or fragments scattering randomly during this process.
With the aid of magnetic restraint, these were not problems.
The mining drills, made of high-strength alloy, were the most expensive components of the entire Mine Boss II.
Driven by powerful engines, the mining drills stripped away the asteroid's outer rock layer, penetrating deep into its interior at an astonishing speed.
After five hours, with the assistance of the onboard computer, the mining drills completed their operation on the entire asteroid.
Over a hundred tons of You Tai Ore were added to the Mine Boss II's cargo hold.
As for the asteroid in front of them, one-eighth of its composition had become a cluster of loose rocks.
Although it still had a sizable volume, all the You Tai Ore it contained had been extracted.
Wang Dong leisurely operated the Mine Boss II, first retracting the mining drills, then the magnetic lassos.
Then, he pushed the eight-way rudder, quickly moving away from the asteroid.
After a few minutes, the asteroid, its magnetic constraint and inertia gone, scattered large amounts of loose rock debris, its orbit also beginning to deviate.
This triggered some chain reactions in the vicinity.
Wang Dong was already gone.
This was the daily work of an interstellar miner.
Brutal and direct, yet not lacking in finesse and caution.