Chapter 17 Responsibility
The countless battles in her dreams made Tao Nanfeng react quickly. She used one hand to pull Xiao Aiyun up from the ground and dragged her towards the cave entrance.
One, two, three or four...
People kept running out of the cave, their faces pale as dirt.
Dust rolled in. Xiangbei was the last one to come out. His expression was as cold as iron, his teeth clenched, and he shouted loudly, "Count down!"
Xiao Aiyun sat down on the ground, covered in mud. After making sure it was safe, she curled up her legs, hugged her arms, and began to cry loudly.
The horrifying scene just now made her shudder. If Tao Nanfeng hadn't helped her, she would probably have lost her life in this tunnel.
"1, 2, 3..."
The road construction team members reported their numbers one by one. Everyone was there and all were safe and sound.
Xiangbei finally breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Tao Nanfeng with a straight face: "How did you know there would be a landslide?"
Tao Nanfeng stood behind Xiao Aiyun, and seeing her crying breathlessly and her shoulders heaving, he felt annoyed and angry.
What annoyed me was that my hole-digging skills were not yet proficient, and I did not notice in time that the red dots and red lines were warning signs of landslides.
What made me angry was that I always wanted to keep a low profile and didn't want to show off my abilities, which resulted in my friend being almost injured by a stone.
Facing Xiangbei's question, Tao Nanfeng did not hide his incompetence any more. He straightened his back and looked at him seriously: "Digging tunnels, I know!"
"Do you know how to dig tunnels?" Engineer Yang, who was frightened to death, calmed himself down and looked at the tall and slender Tao Nanfeng, and asked in disbelief. Isn't she a high school graduate? How do you even know how to dig tunnels?
"Yes, I understand!" Tao Nanfeng nodded.
Xiangbei knew that she was a talkative person, but she always kept her word and never lied. The deep hole she dug in the stone yesterday suddenly flashed through his mind, and his heart suddenly moved.
Maybe this girl really knows how to dig holes.
It is not about small-scale carvings on stones, but about building tunnels and digging culverts in infrastructure projects.
She was not the rich and beautiful girl that Mao Peng thought she was, nor was she a delicate young lady among the educated youth. She was a piece of unpolished jade hidden under the stone surface, which would bloom with brilliance after a little carving.
Pointing to the cave, Xiangbei asked, "Tao Nanfeng, can you predict the collapse of the earthwork in advance?"
Tao Nanfeng's eyes sparkled, and he no longer concealed his ability: "Yes, I can! I was distracted just now, and only noticed the abnormality half a minute ago. I won't make such a mistake again in the future."
Since you have taken on this responsibility, try your best to do your best. Tao Nanfeng had a determined look in his eyes, his hands at his sides, and he stood straight.
At this moment, she chose to take the initiative.
Xiao Aiyun's crying gradually stopped. After hearing what Tao Nanfeng said, she got up from the ground and held Tao Nanfeng's arm, her voice still with a hint of tears: "I, I believe you!"
In Xiao Aiyun's mind, Tao Nanfeng is humble and low-key. If she says she understands, then she really understands.
At first she said she knew only a little about architecture, but it turned out that she could not only draw, but also lead everyone to build a brick house. Now she says she knows how to build tunnels and offers to be in charge. What does her confident tone mean?
——Tao Nanfeng is very knowledgeable when it comes to building tunnels.
Qiao Yadong and Wei Min looked at each other and stood up to speak: "Tao Nanfeng, we believe you."
The other veteran team members were a little hesitant. They brushed off the dirt and gravel on their bodies, and their eyes wandered between Xiang Bei and Engineer Yang's faces.
Engineer Yang looked solemn. He took off the blue cloth hat on his head and bowed deeply to everyone.
"I made a mistake based on experience. I thought that the walls of this naturally formed cave had a strong bearing capacity and that it would not be dangerous to widen it horizontally by one meter. I almost caused everyone to lose their lives. I am very sorry."
When everyone saw him apologize so formally, they hurriedly helped Engineer Yang up.
"It's not your fault, it's not your fault. We don't have any instruments or equipment, and we have to rely on our eyesight and experience to determine the direction and depth of excavation, which is not easy."
"Yes, Mr. Yang, don't be like this, everyone is fine now."
"It's all to speed up the road construction progress. I don't blame you."
Engineer Yang bowed to Tao Nanfeng again: "Thank you, if you hadn't reminded me in time, I'm afraid..." Before he finished speaking, he choked up and the technician in his forties couldn't control his tears.
Tao Nanfeng quickly turned away and refused to accept his gift.
Xiangbei helped Engineer Yang up: "Don't feel guilty, as long as he's okay."
Engineer Yang stood up straight, his throat seemed to be blocked by something. He opened his mouth several times but could not make any sound. After a long time, he said, "The Yangtze River is like a river. If you really understand, Tao Nanfeng, you can lead us to continue digging."
He glanced at the hesitant members of the road repair team and said in a deep voice, "Tao Nanfeng has made great contributions in warning people. He will be promoted to deputy captain of the road repair team. Do you agree?"
"..."Tao Nanfeng just joined the road construction team more than two months ago, and he was promoted so quickly? The old team members are all young men in their twenties who are in their prime. How can they accept a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl to be the leader?
Tao Nanfeng waved his hand and said, "I only know how to dig tunnels. I don't know anything else about the road construction team. I won't be the deputy captain anymore. I just ask everyone to follow my instructions when digging the tunnels."
Mao Peng breathed a sigh of relief. After Xiangbei became the field manager, he was preparing to promote his younger brother Geng Hui to be the deputy captain.
Xiangbei didn't smile, his face was serious, the scar on his face moved slightly, and he looked at Mao Peng: "Tao Nanfeng warned you just now, why didn't you move?"
Mao Peng felt guilty and didn't dare to look to the north.
Xiangbei's voice suddenly rose: "You are the captain. Don't you know that safety comes first? Even if you don't trust Tao Nanfeng, human lives are at stake. It's better to believe it than not to believe it!"
The first time they heard Xiang Bei scolding someone, no one dared to say a word, and they all looked at their noses and their hearts. Mao Peng was at the center of the anger. Xiang Bei's words were like a rope whipping his soul, making him feel extremely ashamed.
He knew that safety came first and that there was always the risk of landslides when building a tunnel, but he was so scared that he couldn't even speak, and was even worse than a little girl.
Xiangbei's eyes passed over the faces of each member of the road construction team, like a dragonfly skimming the water, but extremely sharp: "We are a team, and we must respect every member. Whether it is the captain or the deputy captain, they are all serving everyone, there is no such thing as leaders and subordinates."
After saying this, Xiangbei walked to Tao Nanfeng and said loudly: "Tao Nanfeng is very capable. From today on, she will be the deputy captain. She will be in charge of the tunnel excavation. Did you hear me?"
Tao Nanfeng, who was tall and slender, stood beside him, like a bamboo and a pine tree, with a wonderful harmonious beauty.
Xiao Aiyun, Qiao Yadong and other educated youth straightened their chests and shouted excitedly: "I heard it——"
Mao Peng felt a lot of pressure at this moment and looked up at Xiangbei.
Xiang Bei looked sternly and repeated again: "Did you hear me?" A murderous aura gushed out of his body. This was the murderous aura that he had gained from fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, and also the pressure that he had gained from leading a team in battle.
Mao Peng stood still quickly, his eyes firm, and said loudly: "Yes!"
Seeing that the captain followed the instructions, all the road construction team members answered in unison: "I got it—"
Hearing so many voices of approval, Tao Nanfeng felt that he had an additional responsibility on his shoulders. Xiangbei stood beside her, his figure as tall as a mountain. She suddenly gained the courage and was willing to take on this heavy responsibility.
Tao Nanfeng nodded heavily: "Okay, I'll take it then."
Xiao Aiyun hugged Tao Nanfeng's arm and smiled: "Now that you are the deputy captain, we all listen to you."
Qiao Yadong calmed down and looked at Tao Nanfeng with a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Tao Nanfeng, what should we do next?"
Yang Xianyong smiled and said, "Tao Nanfeng, whether to continue digging or not is up to you to decide."
"Wait for me." Tao Nanfeng nodded, walked into the cave, and prepared to investigate the situation first.
Xiao Aiyun grabbed her and said, "What are you doing? There was a landslide here. It's dangerous!"
Tao Nanfeng stood at the entrance of the cave and looked carefully. There were thin white strips crisscrossing the cave. The former red warning area was now half buried in the soil. All the red lines had disappeared and turned into a black mass.
This means that the danger in this area has been eliminated.
"It's pitch black in here, why are you so engrossed?" Xiao Aiyun looked at Tao Nanfeng in confusion.
Tao Nanfeng had her own plan in mind. She waved her hand, signaling Xiao Aiyun not to disturb her, and walked into the cave step by step.
Cold, damp and dark.
As the smell of earth came, Tao Nanfeng's heart began to beat rapidly. A collapse just happened here and it is very dangerous. If it weren't for the digging skill that gave her confidence, she wouldn't have dared to come in at this time.
Looking around, countless lines appeared on the rugged cave walls. Unknown lines gathered in my mind, and the entire cave was under my control. She walked forward slowly, sorting out the important information bit by bit.
——The white dots should represent the weak points of the cave wall, and the lines formed by countless white dots are the optional excavation routes;
——The red dots represent dangerous points. As long as red appears, it means there is a possibility of landslide. The red blocks should represent the size of the area that is about to collapse.
Walking to the area that had just collapsed in half, I saw the soil and rocks piled up half a person's height. As I scanned the piles, three dazzling green thick lines suddenly appeared in front of me.
The thick green line extends from the ground to the top of the cave, as if trying to support the collapsed area.
Tao Nanfeng tentatively reached out his hand and gently tapped the wall of the cave. A small red dot appeared in front of my eyes, and soil from the top of the cave continued to fall. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly stepped back, her back gently supported by a hand.
As soon as Tao Nanfeng stabilized his body, the hand touched him and then left, gently and restrained.
"Go out, it's dangerous here." A low voice sounded in her ears.
It is to the north. Knowing that it was heading north, Tao Nanfeng calmed down and focused his attention on the small red dot that suddenly appeared. After waiting for two breaths, there was still only one small red dot, and no more red dots appeared. It was obvious that it was just my gentle tapping that disturbed the loose soil layer.
What does the green line represent?
Tao Nanfeng's mind moved, and he suddenly had an idea, so he turned around and walked quickly.
When we got outside the cave, a few people ran over and complained, "You two went in without even saying hello. You scared us to death. There was a landslide inside. It's very dangerous."
Tao Nanfeng turned and looked at Xiangbei. She has night vision and the ability to dig holes, so she dared to enter the cave. How could Xiangbei dare to follow her in?
Xiangbei put his hands behind his back, lowered his head and said nothing, not looking at her.
It was dark in the cave just now, and he followed Tao Nanfeng deeper step by step based on his feeling. When the soil on the cave wall fell off, he reached out without hesitation to support her as she retreated. Now that they have come to the light, he feels that he has been too reckless.
Who is Tao Nanfeng? A true cultured person, beautiful, intellectual, and aloof. Just standing there she looks like a picture of a beautiful lady. How could she allow anyone to approach her easily?
Xiang Bei, who had been tempered in war and faced life and death without fear, bowed his head in front of a girl for the first time in his life.
Thinking of Xiangbei who had been with him in the freezing cave just now, Tao Nanfeng felt warm in his heart. He gestured to him and measured the length: "Help me find three thick logs, the length is... 3.4 meters, I need to support the cave wall."
Green represents life. Maybe these three green lines are support lines? If this conjecture is correct, then we can continue digging by supporting the top of the cave with wooden stakes.
Tao Nanfeng clearly didn't explain anything, but her courage in stepping into the dangerous area and her determined and calm attitude ignited hope in everyone's hearts.
Before Xiangbei could say anything, everyone responded in unison: "Okay!"
There is strength in numbers, and soon they cut down three thick tree trunks. Everyone bravely walked into the cave again and held onto the cave wall as Tao Nanfeng requested.
After these three supporting woods were installed at the green line position, the white line in front of us quickly moved forward.
Tao Nanfeng smiled brightly, unable to hide his excitement, and waved his left fist in the air: "It's done!"
The author has something to say:
The profit list of thousands of words on the 6th, tomorrow's update will be postponed to around 11 o'clock in the evening, and then a big fat chapter of ten thousand words will be presented. I bow to thank everyone for their support and subscription!
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