After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 170

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Got Divorced and Found a Thousand Bitcoins Episode 170

2,744 meters above sea level.

The harsh, cutting winds near Mount Baekdu Caldera were vividly transmitted through the screen.

Dozens of large specialized drilling rigs were positioned on the black earth covered with volcanic ash.

[This is the current Mount Baekdu site. Drilling work on Unit 1 has just begun.]

Global news channels and YouTube live broadcast screens.

Hundreds of millions of eyes were focused on the barren land at the northern tip of the Korean Peninsula.

A massive tungsten carbide drill began penetrating the frozen crust with a thunderous roar.

Times Square, New York, USA.

Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan.

And even the large screens in downtown Seoul.

People walking the streets all stopped and held their breath as they watched the enormous screens.

Real-time viewers had already exceeded ten million.

-Wow, look at that massive drill. It’s like a real movie.

-The speed is incredible? It looks smoother than expected, which is fortunate.

-KH Group is amazing. To get all that equipment and install it in North Korea in just a few days.

The comment section continuously poured with text translated into various languages.

The work of dismantling the detonator of the most dangerous time bomb on Earth.

The entire process was being broadcast live transparently to the whole world without filter.

This unprecedented live broadcast was entirely Kang Hyeon’s insistence.

A few days ago, Minister Choi strongly opposed this decision.

“A live broadcast, Chairman? That’s too dangerous an idea.”

In a closed room at the Government Seoul Office, Minister Choi raised his voice while closing his documents.

“What if there’s even a small explosion or accident during drilling? The entire nation will panic.”

“You’re worried that hoarding will begin and the stock market will collapse.”

“Isn’t that obvious? Social chaos will become uncontrollable.”

Kang Hyeon calmly countered while taking a sip of warm tea.

“Clumsily hiding things only increases chaos.”

“…What?”

“Even now, SNS is overflowing with fake news treating Mount Baekdu’s eruption as a foregone conclusion. Public fear stems from ignorance.”

Minister Choi rubbed his face dry and let out a deep sigh.

Kang Hyeon looked at Minister Choi with unwavering eyes.

“The public has the right to know.”

“But the risk is too…”

“We must show exactly what we’re doing and how we’re preventing disaster. Transparent information disclosure is actually the most powerful means of control.”

Minister Choi finally closed his mouth at Kang Hyeon’s firm logic.

The government had no justification to refuse Kang Hyeon’s request when he was taking full responsibility for capital and technology.

As a result, Kang Hyeon’s judgment was accurate.

The public, who had been trembling in darkness, actually felt relief watching the massive machines working silently before their eyes.

KH Group Headquarters Integrated Control Room, Seoul.

Dozens of monitors filling the wall surfaces were updating various data from the drilling site in real time.

Kang Hyeon stood with his arms crossed, staring at the central display.

-Unit 1 has broken through 500 meters depth. Rock strength readings are normal.

The voice of Dr. David, commanding the site, came through the communication network.

-Units 2 and 3 are also one hour away from reaching target depth. Drill bit wear rate is much less than expected.

“How is the coolant circulation?”

Kang Hyeon pressed the microphone switch and asked briefly.

-Nereid’s special cooling solution is working absolutely perfectly. Even in sections with extreme frictional heat, the drilling rig’s internal temperature is maintained below 50°C.

Dr. David’s expression on screen was quite bright.

He pointed to Orbis’s work robots replacing excavation pipes nearby.

-Honestly, I’m amazed. With robots handling excavation work in high-temperature environments, there’s no concern for casualties and the work speed is tremendous.

“What’s more important than speed is precision.”

Kang Hyeon cautioned in a plain tone.

“Be careful not to disturb the thin cracks in the crust. Small fractures could stimulate the magma chamber.”

-I’ll keep that in mind, Chairman.

The communication ended.

The researchers and staff inside the control room let out brief sighs of relief.

The initial excavation work they had been most worried about was proceeding incredibly smoothly.

“As the Chairman said, it’s worth investing in the highest-grade equipment and personnel.”

Team Manager Lee Gi-cheol approached and handed over a report.

“There are no abnormal signs in the seismic wave data so far. The pressure expansion rate of the magma chamber has also noticeably slowed.”

“It’s too early to feel relieved.”

Kang Hyeon quickly scanned through the report he received.

“The real danger starts when we reach the target depth of 3 kilometers. The moment we insert the gas pipes and release the volcanic gas pressure will be the biggest hurdle.”

“We’ll shorten the equipment replacement cycle a bit more and maximize the sensitivity of the field sensors.”

Kang Hyeon silently nodded and turned his gaze back to the monitor.

On screen, massive chunks of metal were moving ceaselessly across the barren land of Mount Baekdu.

Under the watch of people worldwide, the work was carried out quickly and accurately without a single error.

Near Mount Baekdu Caldera.

Massive mechanical sounds echoed regularly through the cutting wind.

Inside the control tent, Dr. David couldn’t take his eyes off the monitor.

-Target depth 1.5 kilometers breached. Rock resistance readings are stable.

The site manager’s dry report came through the radio.

David let out a brief sigh of relief.

“If we continue like this, it’ll be perfect.”

He took a sip of coffee and said to his colleague nearby.

“We can safely reach the volcanic gas outlet without stimulating the thin cracks in the crust. We can prevent disaster.”

The colleague geologists also showed faint smiles on their fatigue-filled faces.

This was the power of cutting-edge excavation equipment with trillions of won invested.

Nereid’s immersion cooling technology was perfectly controlling frictional heat while boosting speed.

But it was too early to raise a toast.

Screeeech-!

Suddenly, a bone-chilling metallic friction sound tore through the control tent.

Simultaneously, the readings on the main monitor began fluctuating wildly.

“What’s happening!”

David urgently grabbed the microphone.

-Unit 1’s drill bit is spinning freely! RPM is dropping rapidly and vibration readings have exceeded the limit!

“Stop drilling immediately. The bit could break completely.”

At David’s instruction, the massive mechanical sound gradually ceased.

He immediately displayed underground scanner tomography data on screen.

His brow furrowed deeply as he interpreted the data.

“This is… an eclogite rock layer.”

David muttered in a voice filled with dismay.

Ultra-high-density metamorphic rock formed by extreme heat and pressure deep underground.

A massive rock mass with hardness comparable to diamond was completely blocking the excavation path.

“I didn’t know there would be such a massive eclogite layer at this depth.”

His colleague pointed at the screen with a pale face.

Even the most powerful tungsten carbide drill couldn’t penetrate this rock formation head-on.

If they forced it, all the equipment would be damaged and the drilling shaft itself would collapse.

“Should we bypass the route?”

“That’s not possible.”

David shook his head firmly.

“To bypass it, we’d have to pull the drill up hundreds of meters and change the angle to drill again. It would take at least two more weeks.”

“….”

“Time is one issue, but forcing the angle to bypass could cause fatal fractures in the crust. That impact itself could trigger the volcanic eruption.”

A dilemma with no way forward or back.

David swallowed hard.

Without hesitation, he picked up his secure smartphone and contacted the Seoul control room.

KH Group Headquarters Integrated Control Room, Seoul.

David’s stern face appeared on the large display.

-The current situation is as follows. Going straight is physically impossible, and bypassing would cause explosion risk and fatal time delays.

After finishing his report, David bit his lips tightly.

Heavy silence fell over the faces of the KH executives gathered in the control room.

“Would it be impossible to use small explosives to break just that rock layer?”

A construction executive cautiously offered his opinion.

“Impossible.”

Kang Hyeon answered dryly with his arms crossed.

“Detonating explosives right above the magma chamber would be tantamount to suicide.”

“Then how about deploying more drilling equipment to drill through multiple branches?”

“It’s not a matter of equipment or money.”

Kang Hyeon continued while staring at the situation board.

“It’s a limitation of the ground itself. No matter how much money we pour in or how many drills we add, it’s meaningless if we can’t safely penetrate that ultra-high-density rock layer.”

Kang Hyeon’s gaze turned to the 3D cross-section of Mount Baekdu displayed on the screen.

The eclogite rock layer marked in red like a blocked blood vessel.

Somewhere, there must exist a gap that could safely bypass that massive barrier.

‘It’s just that mechanical scans alone cannot find it.’

Kang Hyeon quietly recalled past memories.

It was something that happened a few days ago at the Ulsan Research Center.

A fatal flaw in the drone circuit diagram that the world’s greatest geniuses couldn’t find after a month of dedication.

He had seen through the location of the error through the flow of light just by looking at the blueprint.

‘From macroscopic stock directions to microscopic electronic circuit errors.’

Kang Hyeon lightly tapped the table with his finger.

‘Then the geological veins of that massive mountain are essentially no different.’

The safest and most accurate path to avoid dangerous fault lines with errors and drill through.

If his ability directly faced the terrain on site, he might be able to find that red trajectory.

No, he had a feeling close to certainty.

“Doctor.”

Kang Hyeon calmly spoke into the microphone.

“Temporarily halt the drilling operation and preserve the site conditions as they are.”

-Are you saying to just wait without finding a bypass route?

“Yes.”

Kang Hyeon slowly rose from his seat.

“I’ll go there myself.”

A brief silence fell inside the control room.

Team Manager Lee Gi-cheol looked at Kang Hyeon with a flustered expression.

“Chairman. The site is in North Korean territory. Moreover, it’s right above an active volcano that could erupt at any time.”

“I’m aware.”

Kang Hyeon picked up the jacket draped over his chair and replied plainly.

“But the time for just looking at meaningless numbers in the control room has passed.”

“It’s dangerous, Chairman. If you just give orders, somehow the field team will….”

“Finding the path is my job.”

Kang Hyeon lightly cut off Lee Manager’s dissuasion.

There was no exaggerated solemnity or blind heroic psychology.

It was simply a thorough and realistic judgment to use his cards most efficiently.

“Prepare the private helicopter. We’re going straight to Mount Baekdu.”

The instruction was concise and clear.

After confirming Kang Hyeon’s firm gaze, Lee Manager no longer objected and hurriedly bowed his head.

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in Kang Hyeon’s steps as he left the control room.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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