[Earth Era, December 7, 2011]
[Western Calendar, Wednesday, International Civil Aviation Day]
[Xia Calendar, Xinmao year, eleventh month, thirteenth day, Major Snow. Auspicious for sculpting and painting, ritual fasting and offerings, travel, dismantling, removing restrictions, construction and repairs, and relocation. No taboos.]
Time flew, like a white horse flashing past a crack.
Two and a half months had passed since the [evolutionary sequence domain] had officially merged into the [evolutionary origin domain].
Over those seventy-odd days and nights, the internal landscape of the Safe Zone had undergone earthshaking changes.
The hostile factions that had once been deeply entrenched, constantly sabotaging one another, had been uprooted.
Those who now held power were all staunch allies who had fought and bled alongside Qin Siyang in several wars.
With the infighting gone, government orders flowed unimpeded.
The entire Safe Zone was no longer the bloated system it had once been. It had become a war machine brought to life, roaring along efficiently on the course Qian Wendao and Qin Siyang had laid out.
The clearest example was the astonishing progress made on infrastructure projects that offered no profit.
"We interrupt our broadcast with some wonderful news."
In War Readiness Zone No. 5, formerly Area No. 7, where Nanrong University stood, the giant screen in the central square switched to a mountain pass adorned with fluttering banners.
Dressed in a smart suit, presenter Xu Qingnan delivered the day's news to the Safe Zone.
"This is the United Government News Network. Today, we will witness history."
Xu Qingnan's voice rose with excitement. "After two months and eight days of construction, the Giant Ridge Tunnel, spanning the Safe Zone's main region and Sigma District over a total length of 221 kilometers, has officially been opened from end to end today!"
The camera pulled upward. The vast,