Chapter 122
After not seeing her for a few days, Jiangzhi noticed that the wrinkles on her mother's face had deepened.
She went over to her. "Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Ye Qingyun took her hand and touched it, finding it warm, and then he felt relieved.
“These past few days, the base has been having every household work overtime to transport ore to reinforce the base’s buildings. Today it’s your dad and your uncle’s turn. They haven’t come back yet, and I’m thinking of waiting for them to come back before I rest.”
Jiang Zhi was taken aback: "Transporting ore?"
Ye Qingyun nodded: "Hasn't the base already found a mineral vein in the Qiling Mountains? These past few days, the research institute has been working overnight to extract the ore, and everyone is reinforcing all the important infrastructure of the base."
Jiang Zhi clicked her tongue in astonishment.
The base acted far too quickly.
I don't know how they solved the magnetic field problem at the center of the ore vein.
"By the way, Mom, what happened in Haishi today? I heard a lot of people talking about it when I came back."
Speaking of this, Ye Qingyun said with some worry, "I heard from people who came back from Haishi that today, not far from the dock, a huge gash suddenly appeared, and more than a dozen people fell in. There were also small waves... which swallowed a few people..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi's expression immediately turned serious.
This is a harbinger of impending catastrophe!
But... the vines haven't fully grown yet...
She suppressed her worries and continued, "Did the base offer any explanation?"
Ye Qingyun shook his head.
"No, in addition, a lot of people have come from other places recently. They all say that the Great Cataclysm is coming, so the base has settled them in the East City area... Many of us have gone there to find them and gather information."
Jiang Zhixin felt a sinking feeling.
If the base doesn't promptly inform the residents, things will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later.
No, I still need to find out the current progress of the base's preparations!
Having made up her mind, Jiang Zhi quickly said, "Mom, I'm going to find Colonel Huang now. Don't wait up for me, get some rest. In the days to come, it'll be hard for ordinary people to get a good night's sleep."
Without waiting for Ye Qingyun's reply, Jiang Zhi hurried towards the administration building.
It's already 10 p.m.
Surprisingly, quite a few residents were still on the road.
As we walked along, we saw many workers outside essential infrastructure buildings such as water supply stations and material warehouses.
Most of them had their sleeves rolled up, holding trowels in their hands, carefully applying putty to the corners of the walls.
The putty was mixed with special minerals, and under the streetlights, it had a very faint earthy yellow sheen. Jiang Zhi could tell that it was because it was mixed with earth-based minerals.
On this cold day, someone with sweat beading on their forehead said as they worked, "I've been working all night for the past few days, and my body is starting to give out. When will this ever end?"
"Just hang in there a little longer, and these will be finished soon."
"I don't think so," someone muttered. "These past few days, the base has been making us ordinary folks work alongside them. It doesn't make me feel safe."
"Do you think what those people from outside said is true? Is the Great Cataclysm really coming? And what's with that vine outside? It's grown so big in just a few days. Is it using the entire Gathering Zone 1 as nutrients?"
"Shh, the base hasn't issued a statement, so let's not speculate. The base managed to keep us alive during the previous cold wave in such a short time, so even if things get tougher this time, we'll definitely survive."
These few words of murmur drifted into Jiang Zhi's ears as she looked at the vines that had grown to the point where they could be seen from within the base.
Whether it was the all-night work schedule of the base's organizers or the discussions among the base's residents, Jiang Zhi felt that—
The cataclysm is very close to them.
She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and continued on her way.
Upon arriving at the administration building, they found that the upper echelons of the base had just finished a meeting, and everyone was walking out with solemn expressions. When they saw Jiang Zhi, they all nodded to her before hurriedly leaving.
When Huang Xianming, who was walking at the back, saw Jiang Zhi, he was overjoyed. "Comrade Jiang, you're finally back! Commander Wang was just talking about you. Come quickly!"
Jiang Zhi followed Huang Xianming inside.
Jiang Zhi was startled when she saw Commander Wang.
"Commander Wang... what's wrong...?"
Within a few days, most of Wang Jianguo's hair had turned white.
Seeing his former superior like this, Huang Xianming felt bad and explained in a low voice, "Commander Wang hasn't had a full night's sleep lately. He's been busy arranging disaster prevention matters for the base."
Wang Jianguo waved his hand and laughed, "That's an exaggeration, it'll only be a few days."
Jiang Zhi moved her lips, but ultimately said nothing.
At this time, Wang Jianguo's importance was self-evident.
With the base facing a life-or-death situation, she couldn't bring herself to tell the other party to rest, and she believed that the other party wouldn't change their mind because of her persuasion.
Wang Jianguo smiled at Jiang Zhi: "Speaking of which, I have to thank you. Thanks to you for sending the message in time about the situation in those small surrounding garrisons, otherwise they probably wouldn't have had time to prepare when things really came to a head."
"They didn't come empty-handed; they brought several home-grown methods and new technologies that they've figured out over the years. In the past few days, the people at the research institute have also modified their methods, saving the base a lot of resources."
Jiang Zhi was delighted to hear this: "That's wonderful!"
Huang Xianming also laughed and said, "By the way, your older brother Jiang Junxin's newly developed teleportation space device has been a great help to the Southern Base."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback.
Huang Xianming could tell from her expression that she was unaware of this, and added with a smile, "You just got back, so you probably don't know yet. A few days ago, Jiang Jun just developed a teleporter with a much larger capacity than the previous one. The Southern Base has decided to relocate, and many valuable items are being transported to our base using this device."
Wang Jianguo said with a smile, "I heard he's Professor Lin's disciple? Truly, a great teacher produces a great student."
Jiang Zhi never expected that her elder brother, who was always so quiet, would actually make such a big fuss and do such a big favor for the base.
She couldn't help but smile: "My older brother has always been amazing!"
This is arguably the most heartwarming news Jiang Zhi has heard recently.
After exchanging a few casual words, Jiang Zhi steered the conversation back to business.
"Commander Wang, I heard something happened in Haishi today..."
When this was mentioned, Wang Jianguo's smile faded a bit.
"Judging from this situation, the cataclysm is not far away. We need to speed things up. Now that we have mineral veins, our situation is much better."
Huang Xianming nodded. "The Southern Base is also on its way to relocate. With such a large scale, it will take at least twenty days for it to arrive here."
Wang Jianguo sat to the side, his gaze deep and unwavering: "No matter what, this time is different from before. We are well aware of the situation and prepared. As long as the base can unite as one, we must overcome this hurdle!"
Jiang Zhi was somewhat moved upon hearing this.
In Wang Jianguo's eyes, she saw the sense of responsibility and courage inherent in a soldier.
That was the unwavering resolve that carried the safety of thousands on its shoulders, the determination to lead everyone to a path of survival even knowing the road ahead would be difficult.
Knowing that all the arrangements at the base were proceeding smoothly, Jiang Zhi didn't linger and went straight home.
The next morning, the loudspeakers on the designated utility poles in each district started blaring again.
The sound lasted for a long time.
The once quiet residential area soon became lively.
Residents came out of their houses in twos and threes, some with messy hair and others just throwing on a coat.
Everyone craned their necks to look up at the telephone pole.
"What's this announcement for now?" someone called out to the person next to them. "Is it for logging or transporting ore?"
Some grumbled unhappily, "What's going on with all this fuss the base's been up to lately? Reinforcing and digging trenches, but they haven't given me any clear answer. It's making me anxious every day."
The Jiang family members also came out.
They already knew the truth from Jiang Shan and his wife, so they remained relatively calm and didn't rush forward like the others. They simply stood at their doorstep, looking in the direction of the telephone pole.
Residents, including those relocated to other bases outside the city, also waited for the latest news through loudspeakers.
Just then, Wang Jianguo's voice came through the loudspeaker: "Fellow countrymen of Ancheng Base, I am Wang Jianguo, the supreme commander of the base's armed forces department."
As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent.
"I am here today to deliver a momentous message that concerns the fate of all of us, and indeed all of humanity."
His voice was tired but exceptionally firm and sincere, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"According to reliable predictions, a massive catastrophe, far exceeding the scale of the cold wave and possibly even the initial stages of the Great Cataclysm, is approaching us."
These words caused an uproar at Ancheng Base, as if a boulder had been thrown into still water.
Except for a few people who already knew and stood still with solemn expressions, everyone else was in chaos.
The crowd, which had been whispering quietly, suddenly erupted into a cacophony of exclamations, doubts, and gasps, like a disturbed honeycomb.
"What? A massive disaster? Even worse than a cold wave?" someone exclaimed, their face filled with disbelief and panic.
"No way... were all those reinforcements the base did before just to protect it from earthquakes?"
Some people were so anxious they were stamping their feet and shouting towards the loudspeaker, "What kind of disaster is this? Why isn't it explained clearly?!"
Anger, panic, anxiety, helplessness, doubt, and... despair.
Over the years, they have survived one natural disaster after another.
I always thought it was the last time.
But I've experienced it again and again.
Many people squatted on the ground, supporting their foreheads with their hands, too exhausted even to curse.
—It seems like there's no hope for this life; nobody knows when it will end.
After a moment, once everyone had vented their emotions, Wang Jianguo continued:
"I've seen all of your hard work these past few days. Everything you've done for the base has been building up hope for the impending disaster!"
"The reason we didn't inform everyone at the beginning is because we knew how heavy this news was. We were worried that despair would prevent everyone from taking action. So we had to act first to gain even the slightest chance of survival!"
“Over the past few days, every department at the base has been working day and night—fortifying the walls, stockpiling food and medicine, and developing resettlement plans… We are not sitting idly by, waiting to be killed!”
"More importantly, we are not alone this time! We have an unprecedented hope, which is the vines transplanted from Collection Area No. 1!" Wang Jianguo's voice was clearly transmitted through the broadcast, with the composure unique to formal occasions.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone subconsciously looked towards the direction of Collection Area 1.
The vines, which began to grow wildly within days, stretched extremely high, and even the hundred-meter-high city wall of the base could not block their presence.
Quiet murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, their eyes glued to the vines, speculating about all sorts of things.
"What good is this thing? It looks thick, how can it save us?" Many people were full of doubt.
Someone nearby chimed in, "Of course it's useful! I heard that all the special wood-type ores brought back from the Qiling Mountains are being used to pile up under those vines for it to absorb. If it weren't useful, why would the base bother with all this effort? Look how fast it's growing; it wasn't this tall just a few days ago. Maybe it really does have some extraordinary abilities."
Some older people looked at the vines that had already reached the sky and sighed: "I've lived my whole life and never seen a vine that can save people. I don't know if God just wants to destroy us humans..." Before they could finish speaking, someone next to them pulled their arm and stopped them from saying anything more.
Wang Jianguo's voice continued to echo throughout every corner of the base:
"Based on observation and analysis, once this vine matures, it will be able to support the entire Anshan Triangle. This means we have a chance to avoid earthquake-induced ground fissures and tsunami-induced flooding. In addition, Comrade Jiangzhi's ability to establish effective communication with the vine can provide us with crucial guidance and coordination, which is a very important guarantee!"
"Fellow countrymen! Disaster is unavoidable, but destruction is not inevitable! Now, I need each and every one of you to show courage and strength greater than cutting down trees! We need to unite more closely, obey the unified command of the base, and participate in the upcoming reinforcement, relocation, and mutual assistance work! I, Wang Jianguo, hereby swear that as long as I have a breath left, I will live and die with you all, and fight to the last moment! Ancheng Base, never give up!"
The broadcast ended, and the base fell into a deathly silence. Only those few resounding words still echoed in everyone's ears.
The crowd was unsure how to react.
Can we really believe what Commander Wang says?
This thought popped into everyone's mind.
Just as everyone was filled with doubt, Jiang Zhi spoke to her neighbors, "Commander Wang is right, disaster will come, but our preparations are definitely not useless! As long as we are united, we will definitely survive! The vines will support us and help us escape this great catastrophe!"
Everyone was suddenly stunned, and their blank gazes all fell on her.
Jiang Shu, who had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, suddenly shouted, "That's right! We'll listen to the commander! The base is so well prepared now! What are we afraid of?!"
Not far away, Old Master Jiang was already holding back his anger—his granddaughter had been working tirelessly for the base, so why were these people so demoralized? Hearing Jiang Shu's shout, he immediately retorted, "That's right! What's there to be afraid of! I've lived this long, and I've seen at least seven or ten major disasters! With the base so well-prepared, I refuse to believe I can't survive!"
Jiang Wen, equally defiant, chimed in, "Exactly! We'll definitely survive!"
People who had been hanging their heads and staring blankly subconsciously turned their faces to look at each other.
The bewilderment in their eyes hadn't completely faded, but it was as if a pebble had been thrown in, rippling out tiny, warm ripples of light.
At this moment, the direction of collection area 1.
The vines that stretched straight into the sky suddenly emitted a loud rustling sound.
Everyone subconsciously looked up and saw that the vines on the edge of the square, which had been unresponsive before, had actually moved!
Everyone craned their necks, staring intently at the sky.
Then, the slender, resilient tendrils in Commander Wang's mouth grew longer and longer, reaching into the base.
No one dared to utter a sound; they even held their breath, their eyes filled with astonishment.
The tendrils crossed Zone C and the low-rent housing area, but showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it seemed as if an invisible hand was guiding them, slowly drooping down and stretching along the high wall towards the self-built housing area.
What looked like a thin rope from a distance turned out to be two or three meters thick when viewed up close!
It calmly made its way through the alleys and courtyards towards the crowd.
Finally, it stopped in front of Jiangzhi.
The new leaf at the top, still glistening with morning dew, rests gently on the back of the ginger branch, as if it were playfully teasing the branch, just hanging there.
After a long silence, many residents of the self-built housing area followed the movement of the vines and ran towards the Jiang family's house.
More and more people gathered around.
Someone murmured, "Can this vine... really save us?"
Jiang Zhi raised her hand, her fingertips gently stroking the damp new leaf, the vine lightly brushing against her palm.
She looked up at the pairs of eyes around her that were yearning for light, and said in a soft but firm voice, "Yes!"
A single word struck everyone's eardrums, clear and distinct, like a pebble falling into water, instantly creating ripples.
The vines under her fingers seemed to echo her words, and the twigs nodded in response.
What surprised everyone around them was that they stared wide-eyed at the gently swaying vine beside Jiang Zhi's hand, forgetting to even breathe.
Jiang Zhi repeated, "Believe me, we will definitely survive!"
Her firm words calmed those around her down.
Someone wiped their face hard, wiped away their tears, and their eyes lit up again.
The elderly and children in the back row also looked up, their lips, which had been pursed into a straight line, relaxed.
A woman hugged her child tighter. Although her eyes were still wet, the panic she had shown earlier was gone, and a sense of certainty that she could grasp onto something slowly appeared on her face.
"Alright!! Let's stick with the base and give it our all. We have to survive no matter what!!"
Someone responded first, like a spark falling into a haystack, instantly igniting a wave of sound.
"Yes! Let's give it our all! We can't let all that work—digging the moat and stockpiling firewood—go to waste!" a man shouted. "No matter what, we have to keep the kids alive!"
"That's right! It's just a matter of enduring! With so many of us sticking together, how could we not get through it?"
Someone chimed in, their previously slumped shoulders straightening up, "We'll follow the base's orders! We'll do whatever we're told!"
These words were like sparks that ignited a prairie fire. Soon, the sounds of "following orders" and "we'll get through this together" rolled across one area after another.
The previously stagnant, lifeless aura was dispelled by this surge of heat.
Meanwhile, at the temporary resettlement site.
Many outsiders who had only been at the base for a couple of days stood in front of their tents.
These people were initially worried that they would not be able to adapt to the management of Ancheng Base, but now, listening to Wang Jianguo's words and seeing the people around them gradually straighten up from their listless state, and seeing the light returning to their eyes, they were filled with longing for the future.
One of the young men leaned closer to his companion and said excitedly, "We've come to the right place!"
The middle-aged man next to him nodded emphatically.
There's a strong sense of community here; you can survive in a place like this!
*
In the days that followed, everyone at the base worked with great enthusiasm to prepare.
Fearing an earthquake, the residents followed the base's instructions and reinforced the foundations of their warehouses and houses by two more layers. They also reinforced the corners of the walls with putty containing minerals, and even widened the underground shelters used for temporary refuge. Water and dry food were already piled up inside.
They also came up with detailed plans to prevent tsunamis, building several wide earthen dams on the coast, with sturdy wooden stakes planted on top of them.
The residents had all moved to higher-altitude buildings in advance, and every household had whistles on their windowsills, agreeing to call out to each other if there was any movement.
They dared not be careless about the possible heavy rain. The drainage ditches were dug deeper and wider, the roofs of every household were re-covered with plastic, and the leaks were all sealed with mud.
The logistics staff also distributed rain gear and waterproof plastic sheeting to each household, saying that no matter how heavy the rain, everyone should have a place to shelter from the cold.
Days passed by like this.
Everyone at the base is working day and night to prepare for the disaster.
The vines are also growing in an orderly manner.
Subsequently, over the next ten days or so, earthquakes of varying magnitudes and strengths occurred around the base.
At first, there was only a slight shaking, and although the residents were panicked, they remained relatively calm.
Later, as the tremors became more frequent and occasionally some dust fell from the roof beams, people stopped being so worried.
Whenever this happens, everyone gathers in the open space when the whistle blows.
After the earthquake was over, they dusted off the ash and then went back to moving bricks and repairing obstacles.
On the seventeenth day, the hundreds of thousands of people from the Southern Base finally entered Ontario and would reach the Ancheng Base in a few hours.
The base management had already prepared the resettlement site and was just waiting for people to arrive.
In the square and by the sentry post, many people craned their necks to look.
But just as they were eagerly anticipating this moment, the ground beneath their feet suddenly sank.
It wasn't the gentle shaking as before; it was a tremor with a tearing sensation. The ground in the distance swayed and appeared as if a crack was slowly spreading into the interior of the continent.
—Disaster struck without warning!
The earth shook violently.
In the administrative conference hall, the map hanging on the wall of the command center suddenly cracked open, and the section markings on it shifted and collided crookedly, instantly turning the provincial boundaries outlined in red ink into something unrecognizable.
at the same time.
outside world.
The tremors of the earth suddenly became violent, as if countless giant hammers were pounding wildly underground.
The borders of several provinces adjacent to Ontario, where the Ancheng base is located, instantly became the bullseye of a torn battle.
First, the ground bulged slightly, then with a crisp "crackling" sound, a crack the width of a finger appeared on the ground.
The next second, the slit widened to the point where it could swallow an entire cow.
Soil and stones rolled down the sides of the crack with a muffled "boom" sound, but no echo could be heard. The crack was so deep and dark that it seemed to lead straight to the earth's core.
What's even more terrifying is that these fissures weren't just one, but rather appeared in large, continuous bursts.
Some of them lie across the middle of the already severely damaged highway, splitting the smooth road surface in two.
Some of them slanted across the valley, causing the entire mountain to collapse with a "whoosh," leaving only a little mud and rocks tumbling and trembling in no time.
These cracks, like a giant net that suddenly tightened, quickly severed all connections between this land and the interior.
The once continuous plains were fragmented, and national highways and waterways were cut in half.
If someone were to stand on a high place at this time, they would see those bottomless cracks crisscrossing the land, completely separating Ancheng and several other provinces from the inland areas, as if an insurmountable chasm had been carved out of the earth.
The violent tremor caused everyone's expression to change.
Such a natural disaster came without warning, and none of the base's alarm systems were able to issue a timely alert.
Wang Jianguo stood up abruptly from his chair, his face so dark it could drip water.
"A cataclysmic event is coming! Sound the highest alert!!"
"Waaah—"
"Waaah————"
"Waaaaah——————"
The Jiang family.
Jiang Zhi reacted immediately and shouted to Jiang Shan and the others, "Dad! Mom! Quickly take Grandma and the others to the shelter! I'm going up there to check!!"
Jiang Shu quickly called out to her, "Azhi, Ershun is still on the mountain! I'm worried, I need to go check on him!"
Jiang Zhi paused, then immediately said, "Don't go up the mountain! Just go to the foot of Yangkui Mountain and wait there! I'll have Qiuqiu inform it!"
Jiangzhi sent a message to Qiuqiu, and soon after, a level 7 white eagle arrived with a long cry.
She jumped onto Qiuqiu's back and said to the Jiang family, "Mom and Dad! When we get to the shelter, go straight to Captain Luo and Brother Lei! They'll protect you!!"
Before Ye Qingyun and Jiang Shan could give any further instructions, Jiujiu flapped its wings and soared into the air with a "whoosh".
The ground beneath their feet trembled even more violently, and deep, bottomless fissures burst open and swallowed up the roadside shacks. Even the reinforced foundations were shaking precariously.
Suddenly, a section of the sea not far away strangely sank in, as if the originally blue-green seawater had been sucked away by the earth, revealing a large area of wet, hidden reefs.
Where no one could see, the sunken area suddenly exploded—not with water, but with blackish-red lava! The lava from the seabed burst through the surface, thick smoke and sparks shooting straight into the sky, churning the seawater into a frenzy.
Immediately afterwards, a gray-black wall of waves surged from the horizon. At first, it was just a line, but in the blink of an eye, it grew taller than the base's high walls, pressing down on the shore with a muffled roar.
The ground was shaking so badly that people couldn't stand up straight; some collapsed to the ground, their voices trembling uncontrollably.
The crowd instantly descended into chaos, a cacophony of cries and screams. Some people rushed toward the refuge with their children in their arms, only to stumble and fall as the ground shook, their previous composure vanishing completely.
Some people were so frightened that they burst into tears: "Didn't you say the vines could save us?! Why aren't they doing anything?!"
"Don't panic!" A sharp shout suddenly rang out. It was the patrol team leader. "We've practiced this so many times! Go around the crevice in the ground, and run to the refuge points three and five according to your assigned groups! The elderly and children go first!"
His shout was like a bucket of cold water, waking the flustered people up.
Someone wiped their face and grabbed the person next to them who almost fell: "Yes! We practiced it! Run that way!"
The initially chaotic crowd gradually regained its order. Although some people were still trembling, no one rushed around recklessly anymore. They gritted their teeth and moved towards the refuge point—after all, they had practiced so many times that the routes and instructions were ingrained in their bones.
Everyone is now acting as they rehearsed before.
if only--
All we need to do is hide in a shelter.
Someone patted the child next to them on the back and said, "Don't be afraid, we've been trained. You'll be safe once we get there."
The child's trembling little hands slowly tightened, and he nodded.
Beside the roadside, near the corner of a house that had been half-collapsed by the earthquake, an old man stood leaning against the wall, gazing at the deep green shadow of the vines in the distance, his cloudy eyes shining: "The commander said that the vines will protect us."
Yes, the vines will protect them.
This thought was like a nail, driven deep into everyone's heart.
*
At this moment, Jiang Zhi was flying in the air on Qiu Qiu's back. The wind made her eyes sting, but she could see the miserable scene below clearly.
Large sections of houses had collapsed halfway, and half-built shacks were still stuck in the small cracks in the ground. Occasionally, cries would drift up with the wind, making people's hearts tighten.
As she flew toward the center of the mountain range, her heart sank.
The fissure that had previously extended from Gansu Province was now as wide as a chasm, with rocks still falling from the dark crack, forcefully splitting the entire mountain range in two!
The crack is slowly creeping towards the base. At this rate, it won't be long before it spreads to the base's territory. At that time, Ancheng Base will probably be split into two!
When that time comes, I wonder how many people will die in this crevice!
Jiang Zhi's heart pounded like a drum.
She suddenly made Chiu Chiu turn around.
However, as soon as they returned to the base, an even more horrifying sight came into view from the direction of the sea.
—A wall of waves, taller than the base's walls, is surging towards the shore, its crests churning with white foam. The roar can be heard from a great distance. At that speed, it will flood the base in less than two hours!
This is a complete predicament, surrounded by enemies on all sides!
At this moment, Jiang Zhi was completely unable to think too much.
"Chirp chirp, go back to the vines!"
With a chirp, it flew back to Collection Area 1 as fast as it could.
On the way, Jiang Zhi caught a glimpse of the Southern Base team stuck halfway, their vehicles stuck in the cracked road and unable to move.
Meanwhile, more than twenty support vehicles dispatched by the base were already ahead, but due to the severe shaking of the ground, their speed was worryingly slow.
Jiang Zhi gritted her teeth.
With so many people at the Southern Base, if we don't take action, they'll all die on the road!
Jiang Zhi patted Qiu Qiu's back and shouted urgently, "Go to Er Shun's place! Hurry!" She had to find Jiang Shu quickly and get him to come and help—in this situation, not a moment could be wasted, and Er Shun was the fastest.
Chirp arrived at the ginger tree as quickly as possible.
Seeing Jiang Zhi waving at him from above, Jiang Shu quickly called out, "A-Zhi? What's wrong?"
Chirp flew almost skimming the swaying ground.
"Brother, the people from the Southern Base are stuck on the road, and the support vehicles sent by the base are too slow!" Jiang Zhi spoke very quickly. "You ride Ershun over there quickly, use the space device to load all those vehicles, and deliver them directly to the team!"
"I'm on my way!"
Jiang Shu's eyes widened, and without the slightest hesitation, he patted Er Shun's neck and shouted, "Er Shun, let's go!"
Er Shun seemed to understand the difference between fast and slow, and with a push of his limbs, he darted forward.
It was huge, and its running speed was already ridiculously fast, but now it was exerting even more effort.
They soon caught up with the slow-moving backup convoy.
The one leading the group was Huang Xianming.
After Jiang Shu explained Jiang Zhi's plan, Huang Xianming immediately ordered everyone to get out of the car and put all the vehicles into the space device.
After Jiang Shu got the space device, Er Shun ran out like the wind, heading straight for the direction where the team at the southern base was trapped.
They hadn't gone far when they saw the road ahead split into several sections, the largest of which was a full ten feet wide, lying darkly across the middle of the road.
Nearly a third of the people at the southern base were trapped on the other side of the crevice, a dense, dark mass.
The elderly were helping the young, many of them had injuries on their legs, and their trouser legs were stained with blood and mud. The wooden sticks that had been used to push the carts were lying crookedly by the roadside, and several carts had half of their wheels stuck in the shallow cracks next to them, their bodies tilted badly.
Someone was crouching by the crack, peering inside, when someone next to them pulled them back, a hoarse voice warning, "Don't go near! The ground is still shaking!"
There were also women holding crying children, gazing at the road on the opposite bank and wiping away tears. The procession was quiet, with only the sobbing sound of the wind blowing through the cracks, revealing an unconcealable despair.
When Jiang Shu arrived on Er Shun's back, the ten-foot-wide crack in the ground was still dangling soil with a "clattering" sound.
He jumped down and shouted to the crowd, "You're from Ancheng Base! Don't panic, I'll take you away!"
The people at the Southern Base were taken aback at first, but when they saw Er Shun's sturdy build, which was a size larger than that of an ordinary golden retriever, their eyes lit up.
Jiang Shu took out all the vehicles and let the people at the front take them back to the base first.
After doing all this, he pointed to a relatively narrow gap on the side of the crevice and said to the trapped people, "The gap is narrow over there, Ershun can jump over it. I'll take the elderly and children first, and the young people can wait behind!"
He first helped an elderly woman holding a baby and several children onto Ershun's broad back: "Grandma, hold on tight!"
Er Shun let out a low "woof," tensed his limbs, and leaped over the crack in the ground.
After delivering the person to the other side, they immediately turned back.
They made these round trips, with Jiang Shu leading the way, Er Shun carrying the elderly and weak, and the rest of them gritting their teeth and following behind.
Amidst the violent shaking, sweat mixed with ash streamed down Jiang Shu's forehead.
After making over a hundred trips, Er Shun was also exhausted and panting.
Its golden fur was covered in dust, but its eyes were bright, as if it knew it was doing something important.
After the last person had moved through the crack in the ground, Jiang Shu leaned against Er Shun to catch his breath and said in a hoarse voice, "Stay close! I'll take you to the base now!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone in the previously tense crowd burst into tears.
It was a woman holding a child.
Tears mingled with the dust on her face as they streamed down her cheeks, yet she forced a smile: "Thank you... thank you..."
This sound was like a floodgate being opened, and many people's eyes welled up with tears.
The fear and anxiety instilled by the earthquake and the fissures in the ground, along with the journey and the unease, were suddenly soothed away at this moment.
A man wiped his face, making his hands even dirtier, but he stubbornly refused to let the tears fall, his voice hoarse: "I thought being trapped here was the end... I never expected you would come to pick me up..."
There was also a younger child, clutching the hem of an adult's clothes, watching Ershun's dusty back, and whispering, "The dog is so great..."
Jiang Shu grinned, "Don't thank me yet, let's hurry back to base, we still have a tough battle to fight!"
On the other side.
The ginger branch had already flown quickly to the side of the vine.
As soon as I landed, I saw Professor Shen squatting by the vines, his gray hair was blown into a mess by the wind, his glasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose but he didn't bother to push them up, and he was holding half a pencil for taking notes in his hand.
Seeing Jiang Zhi fall, he suddenly stood up, staggered forward, his voice hoarse and urgent, his eyes red: "Comrade Jiang, you've finally come!!"
He pointed towards the vines, where the once wildly growing tendrils were now somewhat wilted, the new leaves at the tips drooping, their edges curled, as if being suppressed by something, even their swaying slowed considerably: "Dawn... Dawn doesn't seem to be fully grown yet! When the fissure crawled this way just now, it tried to stretch out its tendrils to block it, but the fissure was too deep, and its branches were shaken and broke off in several pieces as soon as it reached out..."
Jiang Zhi's expression changed.
She quickly placed her hand on the huge main stem of the vine.
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