The military trucks for Village No. 7 arrived, and dozens of new recruits and instructors quickly rushed to the village that had been reduced to rubble. Some were responsible for locating the victims, others for digging to rescue them, and still others set up makeshift treatment stations nearby...
Everything was proceeding in a well-organized manner, even amidst the tense and heavy atmosphere.
Soon, someone carried a man who had collapsed in the ruins on their back, rushing him to the treatment station while patiently asking about his condition. A separate group quickly began to dig through the thick mud, trying to rescue his wife and parents.
The man stared blankly at the scene, tears uncontrollably pouring down his face. This burly man, over thirty, who usually stood tall and firm, was now crying like a child for the first time.
"Please... please save them..."
"Don't worry," Zheng Zhong, who was carrying him, spoke seriously. "It's our duty."
Other military trucks just passed by the village entrance without stopping, speeding off toward the other villages.
At the foot of Jinnan Mountain, disasters like this one in Village No. 7 were happening in seven other villages, and there was no time to waste!
Sitting in the back of one of the trucks, Lin QiYe silently watched the man crying in the ruins. As the truck drove away, his cries grew fainter, and the outline of the ruins gradually faded in the rain.
Though the man was no longer visible, his sorrowful face seemed permanently imprinted on Lin QiYe's heart, a feeling that couldn't be shaken off... His heart felt as if it was blocked, an indescribable heaviness weighing on him.
The truck interior was silent.
"Village No. 5 is approaching. After we drop off the 5th rescue team, we'll split off from the main group and head directly into the mountains," Instructor Hong said, looking toward the distant, vaguely visible village.
As the vehicle drew closer to Village No. 5, it was much quieter than Village No. 7.
There were no men crying, no signs of any survivors in sight. The thick mud and rocks seemed to have buried all life, leaving only ruined walls scattered across the ground, telling a tragic story...
Inside the truck, Lin QiYe could clearly feel the tension in the air. The other recruits were clenching their fists tightly, their gazes fixed on the silent ruins, as if they could burn a hole through them.
Before the truck had even come to a full stop, someone suddenly stood up, leaping from the moving vehicle, and landed swiftly in the rain, charging toward the ruins.
"Daxia soldiers are here!! Death, step aside!! The survivors will live!!"
His voice echoed across the ruins, though it was unclear who he was speaking to. But he felt that, somehow, someone would hear him...
If they heard it, it would be like seeing hope.
After one person jumped out, more couldn't sit still. They clenched their fists and leapt off the truck, charging toward the ruins with all their might, shouting:
"Daxia soldiers are here! Death, step aside! The survivors will live!!"
"Daxia soldiers are here! Death, step aside! The survivors will live!!"
"Daxia soldiers are here..."
One after another, their voices echoed through the ruins. The truck didn't stop, and all those who were supposed to support the village had already jumped out.
The instructor driving the truck seemed to be affected by the atmosphere. Seeing that everyone who needed to disembark had done so, with only nine people left, he slammed the accelerator down, and the engine roared as the truck sped toward the deeper parts of Jinnan Mountain.
At the foot of Jinnan Mountain.
Temporary Rescue Command Center.
Inside a simple military tent, two instructors were busy connecting satellite tracking devices and setting up an electronic communications network. Yuan Gang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the rain-drenched Jinnan Mountain in front of him, lost in thought.
"Commander, all the rescue teams' communications are now connected," one of the instructors said, carefully adjusting the equipment.
Due to the heavy rain and landslides, most of the nearby signal towers had been damaged, and a satellite communications network had to be set up to contact the rescue teams in the mountains.
"All rescue teams, report in," Yuan Gang said in a deep voice.
"Team No. 8 has reached the target village and begun rescue operations."
"Team No. 7 has reached the target village and begun rescue operations."
"Team No. 6..."
"…"
"Team No. 1 has not yet reached the target village."
Instructor Hong's voice came through the communication device. With the exception of Teams No. 1, 2, and 3 heading deeper into Jinnan Mountain, all other teams had already started rescue operations.
Yuan Gang looked down at the map on the table. Based on calculations, Teams No. 2 and 3 could reach their target villages in about five hours, while Team No. 1, even under the best circumstances, would take at least ten hours.
He walked to the entrance of the tent and looked up at the dark, looming clouds in the sky. Given the current situation, it seemed that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon. If the downpour continued at this rate, there was a chance of another landslide occurring.
As Yuan Gang was lost in thought, he didn't seem to notice that the voices of the two instructors adjusting the equipment were growing softer. The sound of raindrops tapping on the tent roof gradually faded, and the trajectory of the rainwater seemed to blur... As though everything around him was slowly drifting away.
By the time he realized what was happening, the sounds had completely vanished, and the raindrops hung suspended in midair, as if the pause button had been pressed. The two instructors who had been in the tent were nowhere to be seen.
In the empty world, he was the only one left.
Or perhaps, at some point, this had ceased to be the world he recognized.
Yuan Gang furrowed his brow tightly. The strange silence didn't panic him. He seemed to sense something and turned his gaze toward the outside of the tent.
On the horizon, a figure was slowly crossing through the suspended rain, walking toward him.
It was a man dressed in a black tailcoat, with long hair casually flowing behind him. He wore a purple kite brooch on his chest, and his delicate face carried a faint, polite smile, like a noble gentleman attending a high-class ball.
Seeing this man, Yuan Gang's face darkened instantly.
"Murmurs."
The man raised an eyebrow in surprise and spoke with a voice as smooth as jade, "I never thought the vice-captain of the Shangjing team would recognize me."
"You stand out too much," Yuan Gang replied calmly. "The real nightmare, a mind controller, one of the three oldest 'gods' in the Ancient God Church, and also the creator of the believers' contracts... But most importantly, it's your repugnant noble demeanor."
Murmurs smiled lightly, his narrow phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. "How rude... Commander Yuan."