Chapter 293

Shi Lei, who was floating nearby, immediately took action upon seeing this. He tore off a large piece of Star Pod and threw it back into the Rock House. The torn portion would quickly be filled in by other Star Pod.

Thank you so much! Thank you so much!

Seeing that God had helped with the harvest, Kristen repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

She carefully placed the Star Pod fragments into the experimental petri dish, unable to hide her excitement.

If these Star Pod fragments were made public, it would be a bombshell for the entire scientific community of Terra.

"I have three more beacons here. Could you please help me insert them into the Star Pod?"

Without wasting any words, Shi Lei took the beacon and easily tossed it into the Star Pod.

"Anything else? If so, bring it all out."

"No, you can go down now."

After confirming that everything was correct, he manipulated the Rock House to plummet rapidly.

The intense feeling of weightlessness was like jumping off a cliff in a snow-covered mountain. Kristen felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and he crouched down in the corner of the Rock House, his hands pressed against the wall.

Several minutes later, the surrounding air pressure gradually stabilized. Kristen had obtained the sample he wanted unharmed, but his back was soaked with sweat.

Back on the rooftop, the new Rock House instantly vanished.

Kristen opened the breathing hood and breathed in the fresh air deeply, feeling as if she had survived a disaster.

Although the whole operation felt crazy, it was all worthwhile. Too much ordinariness and mundaneness wouldn't allow one to stand at the forefront of scientific research. These Star Pod, who knows what kind of upheaval they will cause in the scientific community:

"If you have nothing else, I'll be going now."

Kristen dared not be negligent in the slightest and bowed to him with great reverence:

"That's all, thank you for your generous help!"

Shi Lei carried the Rock House, loaded with supplies, into the air, gradually blending into the surrounding darkness.

January 4th, 9:00 PM

Lungmen.

Amiya and Doctor Kal'tsit are temporarily detained in the Core City because of that confidential information.

At Wenyue's urging, Wei Yenwu ordered all border checkpoints to give Rhodes Island Operator the green light.

Afterwards, Amiya called the Operator on her This Ship, instructing them to organize five rescue teams to head to the Lungmen Lower City. While treating the infected, they were also to monitor the movements of the Ursus regular forces.

If we could know their approximate troop deployment, the Lungmen Guard Department could take precautions in advance to prevent the regular army from entering the city in the event of a worst-case scenario.

Chen dialed Shi Lei's number on the spot, but it was switched off. She had no choice but to leave everyone behind and rush to the warehouse on Taiheng Road. Unfortunately, she still couldn't find the man there.

Chen then inquired with Texas and Mudrock, and received surprisingly consistent answers.

They said that Shi Lei had eaten something bad a few days ago, and after recovering, he took on a highly confidential job. After explaining some things to everyone, he left Lungmen.

As for who the employer is, what the entrustment is, and how long it will take for them to return, they have no idea.

Those in the Messenger industry generally assume that the privacy of their employers is protected. Even if Chen wanted to investigate, Penguin Logistics would not disclose any information.

Texas said she didn't know, and she really didn't know.

Since none of them had asked what Shi Lei had been doing these past few days, if he could have told everyone, he probably would have already. He likely hadn't because it was inconvenient for him to say. Therefore, there was no need to pry further.

Chen was utterly helpless and anxious, like an ant on a hot pan. She saw Shi Lei as the only optimal solution to the Lungmen crisis, but unfortunately, he wasn't there.

Chen originally had a lot of work to do, but finding Shi Lei was clearly more important. She called Hoshiguma and asked him to handle things on her behalf. Afterwards, she went to the street and bought several buckets of instant noodles, preparing to stake out the place for an extended period.

The next day, at dawn.

Five medical teams from Rhodes Island entered the Lower City from the border checkpoint, where entry checks had been suspended. Following Amiya's instructions, they treated the infected while keeping an eye out for suspicious Ursus people.

The third medical team, to which Phoebe belonged, rescued a little girl from Ursus in the Lower City. Through conversation, they learned her name was Misha. She had contracted Originium-related illness on the day of the Catastrophe in Chernobyl, and had been infected for over a week.

While Medical Operator treated the infected, the guards responsible for protecting their safety watched their surroundings vigilantly.

In the shadows, countless eyes were also closely watching this force that had suddenly arrived in the Lungmen Lower City.

January 15th, 4:04 PM

Wei Yenwu, who was holding a meeting with his shadow guards, suddenly received an urgent notification from the Frontline.

The Chernobyl Core City plot, which was expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon, appeared a day early, within five kilometers of Lungmen.

It turned out that the Inner Guards had discovered their plan had been foiled and guessed that the escapee would report to the high-ranking officials of Lungmen. He had originally intended to evacuate the area, but the die was cast. So he increased the speed of the vehicle, controlling it to crash into Lungmen at full speed.

Upon receiving the news, Wei Yenwu's expression changed drastically, and he immediately led his shadow guards to the edge of Lungmen to make arrangements.

It's a little past four in the afternoon, less than two hours after the Chernobyl Core City block hit the Lungmen.

War is imminent.

Meanwhile, Shi Lei arrived in Liyue City. Like Old Man, he parachuted in with all sorts of supplies.

361 Hell on Earth 4K

"Rumble..."

Upon hearing that the generator was running normally, the Qianyan Army present cheered with joy. This meant that Liyue City officially had the ability to contact the outside world.

Of all the Qianyan Army, Hegre was undoubtedly the most educated. As a branch of the Liberi people, specifically the Divine People, he belonged to the Great Eagle lineage.

Many years ago, the Great Eagle Clan ruled Kazimierz, a true Royal Family. Later, the regime changed hands several times, first by Pegasus, then by the Knight.

In that 'internal purge' that nearly beheaded the vast majority of Ursus's generals, Hegre was one of the few generals who escaped unscathed.

Some say it's because he never gets involved in politics, others say it's because he never takes sides. Still others say it's because of his divine lineage Great Eagle, and no one dares to provoke him easily.

Regardless, the logistics minister of the Qianyan Army stepped forward. Without any knowledge of mechanical structures, he completed the generator's commissioning solely based on the product manual.

In this way, the generator can power the spacious and reinforced elevator platform. It can ascend or descend 333 meters to transport large quantities of supplies to Liyue City.

Shi Lei has placed the remaining 11 generator sets in the three-section outposts at the four corners of the city. The remaining eight spare generator sets are stored in a warehouse.

He dumped everything— Fowlbeast, fodder, fertilizer, books, and so on—onto the logistics staff. If they couldn't figure it out, they could ask Hegre for help.

In short, Shi Lei is like a parent to these Qianyan Army. He arranges everything for them—food, drink, lodging, and education—meeting their basic needs. It would be too much to trouble him with farming and animal husbandry.

As for the books that are not needed, they will be temporarily stored in the Liyue Library. After Shi Lei returns home, he will bring over all the books that he has finished reading so that everyone can read them.

After finishing his trivial matters, Shi Lei into the air.

Looking down at the city I built nestled among the mountains from a high vantage point, a strong sense of accomplishment welled up within me.

Hey, you know what? It's actually starting to feel a bit like playing a city-building simulation game.

Although many things are still in their infancy, at least there is something to look forward to in the future.

After being away for so long, it's time to go home and visit.

January 5th, 4:35 pm

Rhodes Island's five medical teams entered Lungmen Lower City at 9:00 AM. After four hours of work, they finally reached deeper into the area.

Compared to the previous plots of land, this place can only be described as a hellish scene.

Walking into any alleyway, you'd be forced to pinch your nose from the stench. Countless refugees stood or sat huddled together, with no more than half a meter between them.

Even if they wanted to escape, they couldn't escape this appalling environment. The Lower City area, with its factories, had forcibly blocked the access roads, leaving the refugees stranded here.

An atmosphere of despair permeated the air.

The corpse, dead for several days, emitted a foul stench under the sunlight. A child sat beside the cold body, calling out to his relatives until his voice was hoarse.

It's not that they don't want to deal with it, it's just that there's really no spacious place here to burn it.

Most of the refugees lacked food and water, and after their supplies ran out, they could only endure hunger and thirst, and their physical strength was greatly diminished.

Some refugees who still had the strength broke into the homes of local infected people in the Lower City. A fierce conflict broke out between the two sides over a piece of bread, a fight to the death.

The locals, who initially welcomed refugees with goodwill, gradually became xenophobic. They reinforced their doors and windows, and neighbors gathered together. If anyone dared to break in, they would fight them to the death.

The once lawless Lower City had become a relic of the past. However, a massive influx of refugees has forced them back into a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest state of conflict.

In such extreme circumstances, trust between people crumbles. In the struggle for survival, Morality and reason teeter on the brink of collapse.

The medical resources available in the Lower City are actually quite limited. Many of the infected, like Misha, contracted Originium-related illness during that Catastrophe disaster.

Without the relief of inhibitors, their condition quickly worsened. What started as mere discomfort later developed into a series of symptoms including fever and vomiting.

If the infection is caused by a cut from Originium crystal, black Originium crystal will also condense at the wound site. These things are like maggots clinging to bones; they can't be removed at all.

These newly infected individuals, their brows furrowed, curled up in a corner, writhing in pain. The intense agony kept them awake, leaving them utterly exhausted. The Originium Particles in their blood felt like pebbles rubbing against their veins. This sensation of insects crawling inside their bodies made life unbearable.

Medical resources in the Lower City were already scarce, and now with more people than medicine, they were already beyond capacity. Even though Rhodes Island's Medical Operator brought three times the usual amount of medicine before setting off, it was gradually running out.

There's no other way; there are just too many refugees here.

No matter how proactive the five medical teams are, they cannot save tens of thousands of infected people. Moreover, it's not just Originium-related illness; other illnesses should not be underestimated either.

The rotting corpses, mountains of garbage, and rats scurrying everywhere in the sewage caused infections from wounds and lungs, nearly costing them their lives.

Bodies were piled up haphazardly, and the cramped plots made it impossible to hold funerals. The living were forced to live alongside the dead. Such appalling conditions were akin to sleeping in the same bed as Grim Reaper, with no telling when they would be taken away.

Whether they were local residents of Lungmen or infected people from elsewhere, they were all physically and mentally exhausted. After their emotions descended into madness, all that followed was endless numbness.

One heartbreaking scene after another constantly struck the hearts of the Rhodes Island operator.

To make matters worse, they received news around 4 p. m. that the land in the Core City had been hit prematurely.

So far, Rhodes Island has only discovered a small number of Ursus refugees who appear to be regular troops. Although they are unaware of any prior intelligence about the impact, they will undoubtedly respond swiftly upon hearing the loud noise.

At that time, the Ursus regular army, which has been lying in wait in the shadows, will hand a vial of poison called 'Hope' to the infected who have nowhere to retreat. They will incite them to attack Lungmen City and fight for food and drinking water.

At that time, Lungmen will truly become a living hell.

Operator like Frostleaf, Ace, and Scout clutched the 'locator bracelets' that Shi Lei had given them earlier. They were waiting for a hero to avert this disaster.

January 5th, 5:10 pm

After leaving Liyue City, Shi Lei leisurely flew back to Lungmen. He arrived home at this time, just in time for dinner around 5:30 pm.

He first went to a height of over four thousand meters above the clouds and used his Psychic Power to locate the warehouse densely packed with Rock Constructs. After locking onto the location, he positioned himself directly above his home.

Considering it was broad daylight and the sun hadn't set yet, he plummeted vertically downwards at an incredibly fast speed, too fast for the naked eye to follow.

After Shi Lei advanced to the Archon Realm, he rarely went to the border checkpoint to queue. Firstly, he found it troublesome, and secondly, he felt it would increase the workload for the border staff. Besides, there were many refugees there now, so there was no need to add unnecessary trouble.

"Call!"

As soon as she landed, Texas, who was standing at the entrance of Warehouse Number Three, immediately reacted. She quickly ran towards Warehouse Number Two and shouted loudly inside:

"Officer Chen, come out quickly, he's back!"

Under Shi Lei's questioning gaze, Chen rushed out. Seeing him return, she wished she could rush to his side immediately.

"You're finally back!"

This was the first time Shi Lei had seen Officer Chen so emotional, and he immediately wore a strange expression:

"Don't panic, what's wrong with you?"

Knowing that time was of the essence, Chen took out her phone, glanced at it, and explained succinctly:

"There's a plot of land in the Core City that's heading straight for Lungmen. But the governor is unable to intervene for some reason. After much thought, I've decided that only you can help stop it."

Upon hearing that it involved intercepting land parcels in the city center, Shi Lei felt that the task wouldn't be too difficult.

"Where are you? I'll be right there."

Chen idolized him, so she naturally couldn't stand by and watch him bear the blame for starting a war. She suggested:

"Wait a minute, simply destroying the landmass won't solve the problem. The forces involved are extremely complex, and we can't handle this in the usual way. If you directly paralyze the landmass, the Ursus government might declare war on you afterwards. With your abilities, it would be best to move the landmass out of Lungmen."

Shi Lei nodded slowly, seemingly lost in thought.