Stories of Getting Rich through Metallurgy: Part 8 of the Series on College Students Starting Businesses in Rural Areas
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Lu Jingshi, the “exploration expert” fighting in the snowy regions. My name is Lu Jingshi; I graduated from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) in 2004, and I currently work as a technician at the Regional Geological Survey Team of the Tibet Geological Exploration Bureau. I remember that when I first arrived in Tibet, my first task was to conduct surveys at a gold mine in Gacha County. It was the rainy season in Tibet at that time, and the already poor roads became even more bumpy and difficult to navigate. At first, I thought it would be quite easy. I started to experience difficulty breathing at an altitude of 4,200 meters; I had to rest for a while every 50 meters or so. It took us a full 6 hours to cover the approximately five-kilometer climb. Geological exploration work is relatively tough. Once, we had to descend into a deep cave. But just a few days into the construction work, there was an explosion-like outflow of water, turning the entire work area into a cave filled with water. We had to pass through this \"cave of water\" several times a day as we went in and out of the well. I went down into the well by myself to carry out my work; for several days in a row I had to stay down there, wearing clothes soaked with water, to supervise the work and collect data.
As most of you may know, the terrain of the Tibetan Plateau is extremely complex. Once, we needed to climb up a cliff to examine the rocks. The path leading to the cliff was wide enough for only one person at a time. I held on tightly to every rock I could grasp as I moved slowly; this is probably where the expression \"find it difficult to move forward even by an inch\" comes from. Just after observing from the cliff, hail suddenly started falling from the sky, and it didn’t stop until noon. We adjusted our mood, sat down on the rocks that were everywhere, and began to \"enjoy\" our usual lunch, chewing on steamed buns while admiring the snow-capped mountains in the distance……
In 2005, an exploration adit was dug in the mining area for 270 meters without any ore layers being found, which worried both the team leaders and the project staff, as nearly 300,000 yuan had already been invested in this adit. At this point, if construction is abandoned, the 300,000 yuan will be lost entirely. The team decided to send me and a few colleagues back into the 270-meter-deep adit to conduct a detailed observation and measurement. After analysis, I believe that no ore bodies have been found for the time being, as the drilling depth is not sufficient to reach the ore layers. The team leader decided to continue construction in the original tunneling direction. The good news has finally arrived – the ore has been found, and the ore layer is quite thick! The resource volume also increased by a quarter, worth over 50 million.
On our prospecting trips, we often encounter enthusiastic herder brothers. I remember that the first time, I really didn’t like butter tea; I especially couldn’t stand its smell. But I couldn’t refuse the host’s insistence, so I forced myself to drink a bowl of it. Another time, I went to a herder’s house to chat, and when the host saw that my lips were chapped and bleeding, he gave me ghee. Although I’m not used to that taste, it’s much more comfortable than having chapped and bleeding skin. In the field, life outside of work is monotonous, but I occasionally create a bit of romance. It was a day in June 2005 when heavy snow suddenly fell from the sky. The heavy snow stopped, and my colleague and I built a big snowman and gave it a name: \"Statue of Liberty Bambu.\"
I am willing to be like the yaks, the \"boats of the plateau,\" climbing high mountains, crossing deep valleys, braving severe cold and low oxygen levels in order to find the rich mineral deposits of my motherland. I want to make the contribution that a young intellectual should make for Tibet and for the economic development of our country.