Once the reason was given, everyone naturally understood.
After the last major aftershock, subsequent aftershocks have been much smaller in both frequency and magnitude.
Those on the periphery can only sense it occasionally; the rest of the time everything is basically normal.
But the rescue work in the inner circle was—
"Project Firefly has already flown to all the places it can reach. In fact, we can still detect life signs below, but it's too deep. If we dig rashly, there is a high possibility that the above-ground structure will collapse, and the lives of the rescuers will be lost."
"But if we don't save them, and we already know that there might be people still alive down there, their consciences will be troubled, and they will be condemned for the rest of their lives. Not to mention, the people down there must be very desperate."
Lin Wei overheard this and asked in confusion, "How deep is it? Was it buried by a mudslide?"
"No, that area is the county town, which is flat land. But there was an office building there. Many people were working inside when the earthquake happened. There was an illegal basement underneath. When the earthquake happened, the entire building sank in. In short, it was quite deep."
"The key point is that the earthquake has been going on for several days. It's really remarkable that we've managed to hold on until now."
"I see. So how did you decide?"
Lin Yuan whispered, "We released another batch of fireflies. If we can still detect life signs, we'll go down and rescue the person. If we can't, then we'll just leave it at that."
"That's how it should be. The lives of those below are at stake, and the lives of those above are also at stake. It's just that the rescue will likely be very difficult."
At this point, Lin Wei said, "Why don't you design another robot, the kind that's unmanned, with a large robotic arm, the kind that can lift hundreds of kilograms in one hand? In situations like this, there's no need for humans; the machine can handle it all. Even if the machine is badly damaged, it can be remanufactured. Human life is only once; it's too fragile. What do you think?"
"I think your idea is great, but you can't just talk the talk. Do you know how difficult it is to design these things?"
"I know, but it's not my design. I don't care how difficult it is. Anyway, good luck. Coming here can at least provide you with some inspiration."
Lin Yuan thought to himself that he had no time to muster any inspiration before he was already mesmerized by everything in front of him.
His sister, on the other hand, always has a quick mind.
"Sister, you truly are my sister, but I will humbly remember all your advice."
-
The excavation work began around noon.
Without stopping for a moment, they exhausted two machines before finally moving the most dangerous and easily collapsing structure from the upper roof.
"Is anyone there? Can you hear me?"
"There's someone here. There's someone here."
"How many of you are there? Is anyone injured?" the rescuers asked hurriedly.
“There are three of us. One of us was hit by the beam and was pinned to the ground. He is unconscious, but his body is still warm, so he should be alive. I suffered minor injuries, including a broken arm, but I can still move. The most troublesome thing is that there is a pregnant woman here. She doesn’t have any obvious injuries, but she hit her stomach and has been in pain for two days.”
Everyone's hearts tightened upon hearing this.
How many months pregnant are you? Has your water broken?
"At 8 months, my water hasn't broken, but there's a bruise on the left side of my abdomen. It looks like I hit it pretty hard. We checked it with the flashlight when my phone had power, but it's out of power now."
"Okay, can you see the light from our flashlights? I'll see if I can throw some food and water down to you through the small gap. This area has collapsed very deeply, and the gaps are very small. We need to dig for a while longer before sending a doctor down to examine you. Don't be afraid, don't worry."
"Okay, okay, be careful."
'Bang, bang'
Two bottles of water, two packs of biscuits, and a few hand warmers were thrown down.
After confirming that the people below had taken the items, the people above immediately resumed digging under the light of flashlights.
Once a large enough hole appeared, the soldier immediately led the doctor down slowly.
As soon as I came down, I saw the pregnant woman lying on the ground.
The pregnant woman was unconscious. The food and water around her had been touched, but not much.
All the heat packs were placed on the pregnant woman's body to keep her warm.
On the other side, a middle-aged man was indeed lying under the roof beam. He was coughing up blood, but his body was already cold, unlike what the little girl had said, which said there was still some warmth left.
"Hey, where's that little girl who was talking just now?"
The soldier shone his flashlight around and asked, puzzled.
The doctor, who had just finished examining the pregnant woman, looked around in confusion.
The building had collapsed, making it difficult for people to move around, let alone hide. But looking around, there was no one else there.
"Yes, where's that little girl who was talking just now?"
"Little girl, little girl."
"Little girl, where are you?"
The two men's shouts woke the pregnant woman up.
"Who are you calling?"
"You're awake? Don't worry, you're alright. You probably just had a miscarriage. By the way, don't you have a little girl with you? Where is she?"
"A little girl?" The pregnant woman propped herself up and said in confusion, "There's no little girl here. This is my office with the Party Secretary. When the earthquake struck, the roof beams were about to fall. The Party Secretary pushed me, but he himself... There are only two people in this office. That day, there were only the Party Secretary and me in this building."
In an instant, the hairs on both of their brows trembled.
Seeing that the doctor didn't dare to respond, the soldier hurriedly said, "Get them upstairs first. I'll look for them here. Are you sure there are only the two of you in this building?"
"Yes, I'm sure, absolutely sure, oh dear."
"What's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts, I think I'm going into labor. It hurt once a couple of days ago, but I kept telling myself to hold on a little longer. Now it seems like I can't hold on any longer."
Looking down further, I realized my water had broken.
"Quickly, get the person upstairs first, I'll look for them down here."
Unfortunately, no matter which corner the soldiers went to, they couldn't find the little girl anywhere in the small area.
The rescue mission was considered complete once the secretary who had saved the person was pulled ashore.
"No, I can't move. I think I'm about to give birth."
The pregnant woman couldn't walk a single step; her legs would give way and she would fall to the ground.
The soldiers were in a bind: "Should we deliver the baby on-site? A doctor? Can't we wait a little longer?"
“If the road were passable, we could transport them down, but the road is blocked. We all came up on foot, and the pregnant woman definitely can’t walk that far.” Gritting his teeth, the doctor said, “Let her give birth here, but the conditions will be very basic.”
It was more than just rudimentary; a stretcher bed was set up, and a new doctor's sheet was laid on it—
Fortunately, the first aid kit contained some basic supplies, all of which had been sterilized. As long as the pregnant woman held on, there was a high probability that nothing unexpected would happen.
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