Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads to show that no one was suffering from claustrophobia.
Xiao Zheng nodded and began to explain the content and goals of the operation.
"This time our advance team will set off from Exit 3 of our Shelter 1 and go to Reservoir 7, which is located 13.5 kilometers away from Shelter 1. After arriving at the destination, the recreational team will be divided into ten groups
, each group consists of fifty people. You will enter the reservoir from the ten underground tunnels of No. 7 Reservoir respectively, and record the conditions inside the passage. Once you find an impenetrable obstacle, you will immediately turn back and return.
Set up camp at the control center of Reservoir No. 7 and wait for the return of other team members before retreating to Shelter No. 1." During Xiao Zheng's explanation, he also played a vivid 3D holographic projection to describe the general action plan.
"There are also some details that need to be paid attention to." Xiao Zheng clicked on a set of simulation channels on the crystal board, enlarged it and said, "These channels were originally supposed to be filled with liquid water, but a few months ago, one hundred and twenty
The 150 million cubic meters of water in the No. 7 reservoir supplied by the underground water collector disappeared without a trace in a very short period of time. The investigation report has not yet been reported, and I cannot reveal too much to you here. In short, everyone
Be prepared for the possibility of sudden overflow in various pipes. This kind of overflow is acceptable inside the shelter, but outside the shelter, it can be fatal at temperatures as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius."
Everyone's expressions changed when they heard this, but they didn't say anything.
Zhang Zien frowned, probably still feeling that such a grouping was very inappropriate.
"Of course, I estimate that the possibility of sudden overflow is still very low. After all, the underground water collectors under the reservoir are currently closed, and the reservoir is empty. An investigation team has entered these passages before.
, so everyone can rest assured.”
Hearing this, Lao Pan was a little confused. He asked, "Huh? Since the investigation team has been there before, why are we sent to find water this time? Why don't we just go to No. 8 and No. 9?"
Are you borrowing water from the reservoir? I, Lao Pan, are not afraid of doing physical work! I am afraid of these things that take a lot of brain work!"
Xiao Zheng smiled awkwardly. At this time, Secretary Liu came over and said, "Borrowing water is very simple. As long as Secretary Xing comes forward, it can be done with a phone call. But the problem is, how can we return the borrowed water? This is not the past.
When it rains, the reservoir will be repaid as soon as it is full. For major shelters, the most scarce resource now is water resources, which are almost non-renewable in their current form. You said we won’t borrow them.
Is this opportunity suitable to retrieve the water from Reservoir No. 7?"
After listening to Secretary Liu's words, Natsume asked inappropriately, "There are many ways to create water, both chemical and physical. Why not just use some of the resource reserves within the shelter to create your own water to replenish it to meet the urgent need?"
?”
Secretary Liu explained, "Creating water is indeed a way, but the water that has been discharged is about 30 million cubic meters. How many chemical raw materials do you think it takes to create it?"
Natsume was immediately speechless.
Secretary Liu looked at Xiao Zheng and said, "Continue."
Xiao Zheng picked up the crystal plate again and started to talk about the details, which probably revolved around some problems that may be encountered in the channel, such as the port of the groundwater collector connected to the channel, which data is worth collecting, and which can be ignored directly.
Early the next morning.
As soon as Natsume went out, he met Li Dan who came to wake him up.
The girl's eyes were full of excitement, and she didn't feel nervous at all like going to the "battlefield". Natsume asked curiously, "Don't you live in the uppermost area? Are you coming down so early in the morning?"
Li Dan smiled and said, "Isn't this the first time I go on a mission with you after graduating from college? I just wanted to come to you early. What? You're not welcome?"
"Welcome! Of course you are welcome." Natsume scratched his head and smiled, "It's just a bit unexpected."
Li Dan curled his lips, then smiled again, "Okay, have you had breakfast?"
Natsume nodded, "Yeah."
"Huh? It's not those seaweeds again, is it?"
Natsume smiled bitterly and said, "In this era, it's pretty good to have a stutter."
Li Dan smiled mysteriously and said, "Hey, hey, open the door, I'll bring you something delicious."
Natsume opened the door again, and after Li Dan entered, a lunch box escaped from his arms.
When he opened it, it turned out to be steaming rice and sweet and sour pork ribs. When he opened the lunch box, Natsume could smell the aroma, but he never thought that Li Dan actually brought such a rare thing.
"Wow? Where did you get this from?"
"Don't ask, just ask if it smells good!"
Natsume sat down at the dining table, swallowed her saliva and nodded, "Smells good."
Li Dan was very satisfied with Natsume's reaction. She pushed the lunch box over and said, "Okay, you can eat it. I brought it here specially for you."
Natsume was about to pick up the chopsticks without saying a word, but he stopped just as he picked up a piece of short ribs, then looked up at Li Dan and said, "Where did this thing come from?"
Li Dan scratched his head and said, "Don't think too much. This thing is clean. My boss gave it to me when I came here from the first central axis. I didn't want to eat it along the way, so I brought it to you."
After hearing this, Natsume couldn't eat anymore. He put down his chopsticks, pushed the lunch box back and said, "That's no good. You don't have anything to eat. How can I have the nerve to use my chopsticks? You'd better keep it. I'll eat the seaweed rice balls."
That’s it.”
Li Dan was angry, "Hey! You! It's just a box of instant pork ribs rice and you're pushing it back and forth with me! What are you doing? Are you so outspoken? Are your feelings weak? Ah!
?Let me ask you, do you feel that the relationship has faded, and the friendship of a box of lunch is gone?"
Natsume felt ashamed after being told by Li Dan.
Indeed, it was just a box of instant pork ribs rice worth no more than forty yuan. In the past, let alone such a box of instant rice, even if someone came to Natsume for a drink with wagyu beef, Natsume would not think it was valuable.
I declined. But what year is it now?
Ever since the central government issued an emergency evacuation notice, Natsume had already felt that there would be no good days in the next year or even a few years or more. This was a problem for Natsume, who had experienced hard times in the Wangye Ecological Zone since childhood.
It was nothing. When he and Masato lived in the villa, they could eat normal meat and egg meals every day.
But gradually, Natsume felt as if the disaster had passed, and life was just a matter of moving underground from the ground. However, the reality was that within a year of him entering the underground shelter, nearly one billion people around the world died from cold and hunger. This
Tokatsume suddenly woke up. He knew that he had to enter the ascetic state earlier and restrain himself, so as to withstand the harshest winter.
Moreover, Natsume only intends to restrain himself through self-discipline. He does not have many demands on the people around him, and he has never shared his mental journey with them.
Now seeing Li Dan take out a box of instant pork ribs rice, Natsume was indeed tempted by the food, but he finally put down his chopsticks and chose to continue in his own state.
"Oh, I don't mean that. I just had a meal and I'm not that hungry now. Besides, the only friendship between us is a box of instant pork ribs and rice? You are too stingy! Let's do this, wait.
Now that the disaster has passed, I’ll invite you to Wangye Ecological Zone as a guest, and I’ll prepare a seafood feast for you and have a nice drink, what do you think?”
However, Li Dan rolled his eyes at Xia Mu and said, "You come here, it doesn't matter. You are still fantasizing with me. I just asked you if you want to eat. If you don't, I will pour it out. I have eaten it anyway."
As he said this, Li Dan really pretended to be knocked down.
Natsume was familiar with Li Dan's character, so he quickly stopped him and said, "Hey, hey, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I'll eat! I can't eat! But can you let me pack it and take it with me on the road? I'm really full now."
."
Li Dan smiled again and said, "Okay, hurry up, I'll wait for you."
"Hmm." Natsume said and went to the kitchen.
As a result, as soon as I entered the kitchen, there was a knock on the back door.
Li Dan opened the door.
Standing outside the door were Masato Shimizu and two men who looked like bodyguards in black. They each carried a complete set of equipment, and they also carried an extra set in their hands, which seemed to belong to Masato.
Seeing that it was Li Dan who opened the door, something strange flashed in Masato Shimizu's eyes, but soon everything calmed down and she said in surprise, "Huh? Sister Dan, are you here too? I was about to call Natsume to go find you together."
When Li Dan saw Yaren, there was a strange look in his eyes, but it was obvious that there was a little bit of pride in her smile.
"Oh, I usually get up early, so I came down directly to find you two. What's up, Yaren, Captain Pan agreed to transfer you to Captain Zhang?"
Masato nodded, "Well, the arrangements were made yesterday. In addition, I also left a lot of supplies. I will treat this trip as just a trip to relax."
Li Dan was a little surprised at how relaxed the second young lady of the Qingshui family was, but then he thought about it. After all, she is a direct descendant of the big family, and this mission might really benefit her a lot.
Masato stood at the door for a while and asked, "Um, is Natsume in the house?"
Only then did Li Dan realize that he had been blocking the person outside the door, and quickly stepped aside and said, "Yes, yes, he is preparing a lunch for the road."
Masato Shimizu also smelled it after entering the house. She smiled and said, "It smells so good. Is it the smell of sweet and sour pork ribs?"
At this time, Natsume came out of the kitchen. When he saw these two people, he smiled and said, "Yes, I've packed it. Let's go."
Without any unnecessary vague words, today's Shura field was broken by Natsume before it was even formed.
After gathering at the confluence area, Natsume took his teammates to supply supplies and get equipment.
The management of the shelter provided each member of the advance team with a set of special cold-proof clothing produced by the shelter factory. This type of cold-proof clothing has a built-in kinetic energy-assisted exoskeleton and a temperature maintenance device. Although it is worn on the body
It may seem bulky, but it has a first-class cold protection effect and can provide excellent kinetic energy assistance to the wearer. Even a small body like Masato Shimizu can carry hundreds of kilograms of stuff on his back for more than 100 years on foot.
kilometer.
But Masato Shimizu brought another special military cold-proof suit designed and produced by the Shimizu family.
It is lighter and more powerful.
According to Masato's original idea, she planned to arm herself and Natsume, but this seemed too ostentatious, so in the end she was the only one wearing the equipment of the Shimizu family, and even the two who followed her set off
The bodyguards also wear cold-proof gear produced in the shelter's internal factory.
After receiving the equipment, the team members began to put it on.
Natsume took people to pick up large icebreakers and various other supplies.
Most of these supplies are stored in a rectangular box that is only as tall as a person. After the ice crawler transports the members of the advance team to the No. 7 reservoir, they will be carried by the members of the advance team themselves.
The box mainly contains supplies such as food, drinking water, special cold-proof tents, heaters, emergency medical kits, and batteries for kinetic exoskeletons.
Above the confluence area is the supervision platform.
Xing Zhuoshan and his assistant looked at the group of young people who were completing the equipment and said, "I hope this time it will be an immediate success and there will be no more accidents."
…
After everyone had lunch in the confluence area, the advance team officially set off.
There were no people seeing him off, and there was no ceremony of waving flags. There was just solemnity and silence like a torrent of steel. When they took the special conveyor elevator to Exit 3, Natsume and others saw the heavily armed Zhang Yenan and his special agents.
Brigade.
These Secret Service agents, who are also wearing military-grade cold-proof exoskeleton systems, don't seem to be here to see them off.
Natsume looked at Zhang Zi'en in confusion. Zhang Zi'en remained silent, as if he had expected it.
As expected, these special agents were not here to see him off, but to form a team to go to Reservoir No. 7 with Natsume and the others.
Seeing these people, the members of the advance team talked a lot, and they were obviously worried about the next task.
After all, according to what was said before, they just went to Reservoir No. 7 to find out where the water in the reservoir went. But now these soldiers look nervous and nervous, and they don't look like they are looking for water at all. This makes
People will inevitably have random thoughts.
But until the cold-proof layer outside the No. 3 gate was opened and everyone finally saw the outdoor scene through the transparent thermostable glass, no one came out to explain the reason for the coordinated action of the special service team.
I only heard the guard at the gate standing on a high platform waving a red warning stick and reminding, "Lower your body! Support each other!"
Everyone followed suit in order to resist the biting cold wind that poured into the shelter after the door was fully opened.
As the alarm sounded, the northwest-facing gate No. 3 of Shelter No. 1 in Xiongan New District slowly opened. The 10,000-ton joint made a "bang bang bang" sound when it was separated from the insert.
That voice made my heart tremble.
Natsume raised his head slightly and looked at the over 500 people on the platform as far as the eye could see, and took a deep breath.
As the door was raised, cold wind poured into the shelter.
The pioneers in the front row let out a sigh almost at the same time. It seemed that even if they were wearing thick winter clothing, they would still feel bone-chilling cold when facing a low temperature of minus 100 degrees.
The opening height of the door slowly increased. When it reached two meters, the guards were heard shouting in unison, "Quick, quick, quick! Get out! Don't delay! Don't leave ink on the platform!"
Facing the cold wind, everyone began to move forward.
It took about ten minutes for the advance team, totaling 600 people including members of the special service brigade, to arrive outdoors. It was noon, but the sky was pitch black and there was no light at all.
Entrance No. 3 of Shelter No. 1 in Xiongan New District slowly closed.
The light in the open space outside the entrance is bright, and staff are standing next to the ice truck that has been started. They will follow the advance team to the No. 7 reservoir.
The team of 500 people was divided into ten teams at this time, and each team was reduced from the original fifty people to sixty people, and Zhang Yenan was in Natsume's team.
After getting on the bus, Natsume was squeezed between two beauties, Li Dan and Shimizu Masato, either intentionally or unintentionally. This scene made Zhang Zi'en look at her and made her aunt laugh deeply.
Natsume was so embarrassed and speechless.
He wanted to change positions, at least to get away from the beauty, but as soon as Zhang Yenan came up, the ice cart was full, and Natsume couldn't move even if he wanted to.
On the way, Zhang Zi'en asked Zhang Yenan, "I said, Brother Nan, why are you guys here to join in the fun?"
Zhang Yenan was sitting at the back of the car. He leaned against the car and bumped around with the chaff and said, "You think I'm thinking, it's not just to ensure that nothing happens to you."
Zhang Zi'en smiled and said, "It's freezing and snowy outside, what other dangers are there besides overflowing water?"
Zhang Yenan smiled and did not answer.
Natsume glanced at the new captain of the special service team who was sitting diagonally across from him at the back of the car, and then quietly asked Masato, "Do you know what's hidden?"
Masato shook his head, "I don't know, but it doesn't look like they are facing a formidable enemy, so let's not think too much."
Natsume thought about it, so she closed her eyes and recuperated her energy.
After about half an hour or so, the car stopped.
Zhang Zien took it for granted that he had arrived at his destination, so he shouted, "Brothers, wake up! Work, work!"
But the driver warned, "Sit down and don't move, we haven't arrived yet."
Zhang Zi'en was stunned for a moment. He felt a little uncomfortable in the car and complained, "Hey, Cao, why did you park your car when you didn't have a place to go?"
It turned out that the driver also had a bad temper and immediately responded, "Damn it! You think I'm thinking! Didn't you hear the explosion in front! The road is broken! An ice truck fell off the bridge!"
Zhang Zien was stunned when he heard this, then immediately stood up and looked ahead through the cockpit window.
Sure enough, the flickering light of fire could be seen faintly at the front of the motorcade, and it looked like something had really happened.
At this time, Zhang Yenan, who was sitting in the parking space, patted the car and said, "Stop talking nonsense, open the door, I want to take my people out."
The driver didn't dare to talk nonsense this time and immediately opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, the cold wind rushed in.
The three ice trucks behind also stopped.
After Zhang Yenan jumped out of the car, he immediately took off his weapon and rushed forward. Before leaving, he said to the convoy behind him, "Back off, back off! Don't go any further!"