My God, a Living Bodhisattva Has Answered Our Prayers!
"On-site implementation plan?"
She reached out her hand to Sing Sing.
Old Zhou tucked the folder into his clothes. "Let me make this clear first! Temporary technical consulting is not the same as an employment relationship, we..."
"Stephen! I know why you brought me here."
"Uh... travel... see the beautiful landscapes of our motherland, and while you're at it, experience the intense ultraviolet rays of the Northwest."
"Look at this sand, so yellow, so pure. You can't see such pristine scenery in New York, can you?"
"Document."
Sing Sing obediently handed over the documents.
"You're just too meticulous. I'm only doing this to enrich your inspection trip."
Ororo smiled as she turned to the first page.
The movement was so small that the man, who was still pretending to be stupid, didn't see it.
She knew what her abilities could bring to the world, but she mostly used them for combat.
Ororo was tired of this life of constant fear.
Charles told her that this man named Stephen might be able to give her a completely new way of life.
In retrospect, moving to a new place to start a new life might not be a bad idea.
In the past, she could command the wind and rain with a wave of her hand, but now she has to abide by the rules here.
"It's too dry here."
Storm looked up at the sky. "You can't even get any moisture out of the soil. How do you manage to grow cotton in a place like this?"
"It depends on people, on generations of people digging canals and bringing water, on the livelihood that ordinary people have carved out with shovels and picks. That's why we need experts like you to lend a hand."
"Don't rush to label me an expert. How big is the experimental zone you've prepared for me?"
"12.6 square kilometers," Sing Sing began his report, "The upstream catchment area accounts for 40%, the jujube orchards for 30%, the village's drinking water reservoirs and nearby irrigation canals for 20%, and the rest is cotton fields."
"You've planned this very meticulously. And you still say you didn't have premeditation?"
"Uh... this... that..." Sing Sing Chow changed the subject, "We believe in scientific planning when we do things."
What's the projected rainfall amount? Or should I just guess?
"The meteorological department's safety advice is 25 to 32 millimeters; if it exceeds 40 millimeters, the dried-up riverbed may experience short-term flooding."
Is anyone downstream?
Old Zhou couldn't answer, so he turned to look at Aili, the village secretary who hadn't dared to interrupt.
Aili hadn't quite figured out what the two were up to, but the question was specific, so he answered truthfully, "There's a temporary grazing point nine kilometers away, but nobody's been there for the past couple of days."
What about the livestock?
"They're all in the livestock pens north of the village, far from the river."
Beside him, Sing Sing had already started making a phone call, "Is this the Tuoke Meteorological Monitoring Station? This is Sing Sing, the on-site person in charge of the temporary technical consulting project. The number is on the second page of the letter. Please verify."
"Yes, special meteorological intervention will begin immediately. Please turn on all monitoring equipment and retain original records of wind speed, air pressure, cloud height, lightning activity, and surface runoff."
The person on the other end of the phone confirmed it again, and Old Zhou's eyebrows slowly lowered.
"What do you mean by 'it's really going to rain'? What do you mean by 'artificial rainmaking Rockets were launched without prior notification'?"
"As the meteorological department, can't you have even a little basic confidence in the weather? Get the equipment running! I'll take responsibility if it doesn't rain!"
After hanging up the phone, Old Zhou turned around and saw Storm already communicating with Aili.
"Once the rainfall begins, everyone should stay away from the river channels and the edges of reservoirs. Flood discharge channels should be emptied, and no one is allowed to stand near dilapidated buildings."
Secretary Ali has been persecuted beyond repair.
He glanced at the white-haired foreign woman, then at Sing Sing wearing a black hat.
What's wrong?
For nine months, not a single drop of effective precipitation fell.
You two have been chatting here for a few minutes and it's about to rain?
Isn't this a complete fantasy?
"We can't just casually notify people like that," Aili, rubbing his cracked hands. "Spreading false information like this could really get me into trouble with the Public Security Administration Punishment Law."
"Leader, our village is a model village for the rule of law! We'll be receiving an award at the end of the year."
He was deeply worried; what was more damaging than the punishment was the actual loss of public trust.
In these remote villages, where everyone knows each other, the village party secretary's prestige is the foundation for carrying out all the work. If someone were to announce through the loudspeaker that it was going to rain, there wouldn't even be a cloud in the sky.
A single instance of falsely reporting rainfall could double the difficulty of advancing one's future work, a longer-lasting impact than any disciplinary action.
"Director Zhou... what if it doesn't go down?"
"The whole village, young and old, is eagerly awaiting water. If I lie to them, how can I, as the Party Secretary, carry out my duties? They'll wear down the doorstep of the village committee."
"What am I going to explain when the higher-ups investigate?"
Sing Sing noticed the worry in his eyes.
This person is a grassroots cadre who gets things done; his fear of taking responsibility stems from his deep concern for the village.
Sing Sing simply took out his ID and stuffed it into his hand.
"Before you came, your supervisor told you that you should follow my instructions in everything, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then go and inform them now that if anything goes wrong, 749 Bureau will take responsibility. If you lose your job, I'll weld it back on."
"What are you standing there for? Move!"
Despite being prepared to lose his hat, Aili still went to the broadcasting room to make the announcement.
Beside her, Storm was also ready, waiting silently.
At the same time the announcement ended, the wilted poplar leaves in the yard turned over, and the string of plastic flags under the eaves all straightened up.
Storm slowly ascended into the air.
When we reached the height of the village committee's roof, the icy blue in our eyes had faded, leaving only a white expanse flashing with electricity.
A rumble of thunder came from the clouds, and the first flash of lightning streaked across the distant mountains.
A raindrop hit Sing Sing's hat brim.
It's raining!
A few minutes earlier, when Sing Sing asked Secretary Ali to make the announcement, he secretly contacted all the village cadres to help the two clean up the mess.
The village officials are arriving from all directions right now.
Deputy Party Secretary, Village Clerk, Public Security Chief, Avengers Chairperson, Water Manager...
Even the members of the village-based work team flocked to the village committee.
As soon as these people arrived at the entrance of the village committee compound, they saw a woman floating in the sky.
Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded in the wind, and electric currents coursed between her arms.
Aili, who came out of the broadcasting studio, was also dumbfounded.
The village wasn't very big to begin with, and by now quite a few villagers had already flocked over, most of them either distrustful or wanting an explanation.
As a result, everyone who arrived was stunned at the door.
The raindrops fell more and more densely, and the area above the jujube orchard on the west side was also covered by clouds.
No one questioned the content of the broadcast anymore.
The devout old man placed his hands on his chest, bowed his head, and recited a prayer of gratitude.
Many people looked up at Storm, calling her a "benefactor" and a "living Bodhisattva."
An 89-year-old man from the village was also standing in the rain, leaning on his cane. He refused the help of the young people next to him and did not try to avoid getting soaked.
Gazing at Storm's retreating figure, he murmured to himself, "Su Ana... the Mother of Water that the older generation spoke of, she's really here..."