"Thirty thousand tons of fruit?" Inside the building, Tan Mingda looked at the reports being passed down from level to level and fell into a state of confusion.
He had a pen dangling from his mouth, his face was gaunt and aged, with several burn scars, but his eyes shone brightly, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
But if you ignore his eyes, Tan Mingda, with a pen in his mouth, looks more like a farmer.
He distributed the report in front of him to the others in the office, "How strange! Where did all these people come from, and where did they get so much fruit?"
There were two other people in the office at the time, both around his age, and both had injuries of varying degrees.
An elderly woman with burns all over her hands quickly finished reading the report, then rubbed her eyes:
"Fruit is a rare commodity these days. The seeds we saved in the orchard building haven't even yielded any fruit yet. How could these people suddenly produce 30,000 tons? Did they find some kind of cellar or a warehouse that's been frozen for ages?"
The remaining elderly man, sitting in a wheelchair, received the report, read it quickly, and shared his opinion:
"In my opinion, the strange trucks mentioned in the report should be investigated more closely. Could it be that some countries have already restored their industrial capacity without our knowledge?"
Tan Mingda looked at his two comrades-in-arms and shook his head, rejecting their opinion.
"That's highly unlikely. After the solar storm, we already gathered all the supplies. It's impossible for a warehouse with a capacity of 10,000 tons to have been missed."
"As for other countries, the satellites we launched a few years ago are still operational, and the images they're transmitting show that there are still very few lights abroad, which doesn't fit the characteristics of a large-scale industrial recovery."
"And..." he said, tapping the table, "Don't you find it strange?"
"The report says their convoy stretched as far as the eye could see. How did such a long convoy manage to enter our country and drive all the way here without being detected?"
"That's what I find most strange."
Despite talking strangely on the way, Tan Mingda remained quite calm.
The old woman beside him narrowed her eyes. "Then I'll have someone check the travel records of each brigade."
Just as she was about to get up, Tan Mingda called her back.
"No need, we'll just ask directly."
"In the end, these people are just here to give us gifts, aren't they?"
The old woman and the elderly man in the wheelchair immediately realized what was happening, and couldn't help but chuckle and shake their heads.
They instinctively regarded the convoy as an enemy.
After all, the world has been quiet for more than a decade since the solar storm, and the country has also gotten used to this "peaceful" life.
It's natural to feel uneasy about the sudden appearance of an unknown force.
However, they overlooked the friendly signal that the other party brought 30,000 tons of supplies with them upon arrival.
"Then I'll go find someone to ask."
The order was quickly relayed down through the ranks and, following the movements of Zhou Tao and his group, was rapidly transmitted to the agricultural building where he was delivering the goods.
Soon, Zhou Tao, who was showing Zhang Tianyuan around the building, was called away to answer a phone call.
The person on the other end of the phone was a staff member inquiring about the specific situation.
The other party got straight to the point, asking Zhou Tao and the others what information they had obtained.
Zhou Tao thought for a moment and then told him everything he had just heard.
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone.
Are you sure?
"I'm sure that's what they told me, but I'm not sure if it's true."
"However, their cars are strange; their standards are definitely different from ours..."
Zhou Tao described the spherical steering wheel he saw in the transport truck.
This was something he had never seen before, and it didn't meet any automotive standards, but the car could still be driven.
After a pause, they continued to inquire about the personality traits of Zhang Tianyuan and the others.
After learning that Zhou Tao felt they were quite friendly and had even distributed apples to the people on site, the person on the other end of the phone finally spoke, "I understand. Continue to observe them and await orders."
After hanging up the phone, he went to Tan Mingda's office and reported as Zhou Tao had instructed.
Then.
The three people in the office fell silent.
"Are you sure?" After a long pause, Tan Mingda asked the same question.
"Yes, that's the response from the scene."
Tan Mingda glanced at his two old comrades-in-arms, only to find that they were also looking at him.
Even when a solar storm destroyed the entire world's order, they didn't feel this way...
That's incredible.
"Coming from a parallel universe? I never even imagined such a thing." The old woman shook her head, not quite believing the report.
The elderly man in the wheelchair also shook his head; he appeared quite frail.
I think it's more likely to be fake.
After a moment's consideration, Tan Mingda said, "Never mind, let's go see them no matter where they're from."
The staff member who had just reported immediately asked worriedly, "Are you going there in person? Or should I contact them first?"
Tan Mingda patted the other man's arm and said kindly, "It's alright, I was just thinking of trying some apples myself, maybe they could give this old man one too."
The old man in the wheelchair smiled and waved, saying, "Old Tan, remember to bring me back an apple too."
The elderly woman beside him smiled and carefully tidied the corners of the blanket on his wheelchair before leaving with Tan Mingda after saying goodbye.
The scene inside the agricultural building couldn't compare to the grandeur of the Planetary Engine, nor to the surging power of the mechs.
It's more like a tender green sprout inside a snail's shell, carrying hope.
Wearing protective clothing, Zhang Tianyuan looked out the window of the agricultural building with deep emotion.
Humans, who used to roam freely on the earth, are now confined to these concrete buildings, working like vampires, hiding during the day and emerging at night.
Wang Lei was also looking at the sun, seemingly lost in thought.
Just then, Zhou Tao, who had just left for the second time, returned.
He also brought back some news, which he spoke of with great excitement.
"Someone... someone wants to come and see you!"
Seeing his expression, Zhang Tianyuan knew who he was going to meet.
He calmly inquired about the other person's name and identity, a stark contrast to the agitated Zhou Tao and Xue Liangping.
Before Tan Mingda, Zhou Tao kept recounting the other man's past deeds.
This gave Zhang Tianyuan a basic understanding of the person, enabling him to recognize him immediately upon seeing him in dim lighting.
"Mr. Tan!"
Zhang Tianyuan shook hands with the man whose face bore burn scars, knowing in his heart that they were left when the solar storm first broke out.
It was this man who led the entire nation out of its dire situation after the solar storm.
The disaster relief and relocation that Zhou Tao mentioned earlier, as well as the subsequent restoration of order and production, all depended on this man who was so thin he looked malnourished.
Tan Mingda had already learned about Zhang Tianyuan and his companion's information. After exchanging greetings, they strolled along the corridor of the agricultural building.
The old woman was even more eager to get to the point.
First, we need to confirm the identities of Zhang Tianyuan and his group.
They had already seen the convoy that came from the Wandering Spacetime outside; those huge and strangely styled trucks were something they had never seen before.
Given the current global situation, it is impossible for any other country or power besides themselves to still possess the capability to design or manufacture automobiles.
So the old woman tentatively asked, "I heard that President Zhang and Captain Wang come from other dimensions?"
Zhang Tianyuan was already used to this, and said calmly, "I am the president of the Mutual Aid Society, and Wang Lei is the captain of the rescue team in No. 3 Spacetime."
His tone was so calm, it was as if he were simply stating where he studied.
Tan Mingda remained calm, "So how did President Zhang come to our time?"
Zhang Tianyuan gave a brief explanation of the Spacetime Tunnel.
He then led the two men and their team out of the agricultural building.
With a soft pop, he opened the car door and gestured for everyone else to get in.
As soon as Tan Mingda got into the car, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
Compared to their exteriors, the interiors of these cars are even more different from those of their time and space.
Wang Lei took several boxes out of the car and handed them to Zhang Tianyuan.
"This box contains a basic introduction to our Parallel Spacetime Mutual Aid Society, as well as basic information about other parallel universes that are currently cooperating with the Mutual Aid Society besides yours."
Zhang Tianyuan then personally handed the box to Tan Mingda, adding, "You can use this to learn about other timelines. After you join the Mutual Aid Society, you'll also be in contact with branches of the Mutual Aid Society in other timelines."
Tan Mingda took the box and, at Zhang Tianyuan's prompting, opened it, only to find printed books and documents and a USB drive inside.
All information is stored inside.
Zhang Tianyuan smiled and continued, suggesting they could sit down and read in the car.
Although the conditions inside the car were basic, he felt that these...
People probably won't mind.
Wang Lei even poured water for Zhang Tianyuan and put the apples he had brought on the table before sitting down behind him.
Seeing this scene, Tan Mingda and the old woman knew it would be impolite to refuse, so they sat down and began to look through the documents.
Tan Mingda held an apple in his hand, spinning it like a tai chi ball, while intently flipping through the books in front of him.
He selected the introductory information for No. 3 Spacetime.
The more I looked, the more astonished I became, even to the point of frowning.
Then he simply sized up Wang Lei, who claimed to belong to No. 3 Spacetime, while comparing him with the information in the book.
Finally, he couldn't help but speak up: xS12
" Captain Wang, could you tell me about your the Wandering Earth Project? Why are you so determined to carry it out?"
Wang Lei looked at Zhang Tianyuan, and only spoke after receiving a nod:
"Because before I was born, our planet had also been hit by solar storms."
At the time, a solar storm exceeding G5 magnitude destroyed 40% of the world's civilian power grids and communication facilities, and damaged more than half of civilian electronic devices, leading to widespread unrest globally...
These words completely captured Tan Mingda's attention, and even the old woman who was looking at other documents turned her head to look.
They are very empathetic to the idea of a solar storm hitting Earth.
Zhang Tianyuan had also seen this in the historical records of the Wandering Spacetime.
If he remembered correctly, the turmoil in the Wandering Spacetime timeline caused by the solar storm lasted for three months.
By the time the crisis subsided, the global population had plummeted by 3%, and the economic losses had reached over fifty trillion US dollars.
For ordinary people at the time, it was almost the end of the world.
The result Wang Lei gave was almost identical to what Zhang Tianyuan remembered, except that the details were more abundant.
For people like Tan Mingda, this experience is even more personal.
G5.
This is the highest level of solar storm.
Fifteen years ago, a storm of this magnitude also brought them to this point.
However, unlike the Wandering Spacetime, the storm they encountered was classified as G5 simply because there was no higher level.
That solar storm blew away Earth's ozone layer, leaving Mother Earth completely stunned.
Their satellites, communications, and circuits were completely destroyed at that time.
The car almost wouldn't start.
Moreover, there are temperatures that humans simply cannot withstand.
Tan Mingda couldn't help but dwell on the past.
Their rescue operation at that time was, in fact, the most successful, and perhaps the only one, in the world.
But it still caused too many regrets.
The sudden rise in temperature and the abrupt collapse of social structures caused too many deaths...
His thoughts were like still water until Wang Lei's voice called Tan Mingda back to reality.
"... It was through this storm that our understanding of spacetime was confirmed, leading to the decision to implement the Wandering Earth Project."
The old woman on the other side, after listening, didn't really understand what Wang Lei was talking about. She looked at her old comrade-in-arms for a question.
Tan Mingda handed her the books and documents he was holding, and then took the materials from her side.
Overview of No. 1 Spacetime
Overview of No. 2 Spacetime
He casually flipped through it, and at first nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it was set in the early 21st century, a time when technology was decades behind theirs.
It's already 2043 for them.
Until Tan Mingda flipped to a document at the back that shared information from both time periods—
The Spacetime Great Migration Plan
His eyes involuntarily twitched, and the apple he was spinning like a tai chi ball in his hand was crushed, leaving a handprint.
Tan Mingda glanced again at the document about Wandering Spacetime in Wang Lei's and the old woman's hands.
If the existence of the Mutual Aid Society and other timelines is true...
These timelines are really capable of causing a lot of trouble.
One is pushing the Earth forward, and the other is pushing people forward; neither of these are easy tasks.
On the other side.
The old woman was equally shocked by the Wandering Earth Project.
The parts I didn't understand before were filled in by this simple information in my hand.
Equip Earth with engines to propel the entire planet out of the Solar System and into outer space in search of new star systems.
This idea even seemed far-fetched to her.
To be honest, she's now even more convinced that this so-called Mutual Aid Society is a complete fabrication...
This looks obviously absurd, like something out of a science fiction movie.