January 1, 2013, early morning.
Before dawn had broken, Wang Chen climbed out of his warm bed.
After a quick wash, he left Shangma Old Village quietly beneath the morning light, hurrying all the way to an unnamed hill several kilometers away.
Wang Chen's gaze pierced through the morning mist like that of a hawk, settling on the mountaintop opposite him.
That mountain was taller and larger, its surface covered in lush trees and vegetation. A small reservoir had been built in the hollow beneath it, creating a rather beautiful view.
Vast stretches of farmland had been reclaimed on the plain beside the reservoir, and hundreds of new rural houses had been neatly planned and constructed nearby, though there was no sign that anyone lived there.
Wang Chen knew that these were the newly completed resettlement homes for Lower Horse Village. Barring any surprises, over a thousand villagers would move into their new homes at the end of the month.
He withdrew his gaze and suddenly leaped down from the high rock.
His figure swiftly vanished into the dense forest.
About ten minutes later, the thick woods above the reservoir abruptly began to shake violently. Countless birds nesting within took flight in alarm, as though the end of the world had arrived.
Then, amid a rolling thunderous roar, vast sections of the mountainside, carrying countless trees with them, slid down into the reservoir.
The once-still surface erupted into waves. The rapidly rising water level surged over the dam and spilled into the farmland below.
The floodwaters were so fierce that they quickly swept into the neighboring resettlement housing area!
But because it was still early, and because it was winter and the new homes had not yet been occupied, this sudden disaster caused no casualties.
By the time people discovered