Chapter 10: Machines
The eighth day was spent in continuous study and reinforcement, the ninth day was the same, all the way until the morning of the tenth day.
Getting out of bed just like the previous days, Jiang Yang clearly felt the heavy atmosphere in the base.
Everyone had a solemn expression, and everyone was hurrying along.
Meeting up with Zhou Yu, Jiang Yang said: “Continue studying today?”
Zhou Yu shook her head: “The day before the college entrance exam, students still get a day off. No studying today, there’s a meeting.”
Following Zhou Yu to the meeting room, Jiang Yang saw the on-site commander Gu Changshan, whom he hadn’t seen for a few days, the logistics supervisor Tang Jianwei, professor Lu Zhaoming from the scientific verification team, and many other people he didn’t recognize.
“Today is the last day of the ten-day cycle. According to comrade Jiang Yang’s prophecy, the apocalypse will arrive at midnight 12 o’clock today.”
Gu Changshan’s tone had no fluctuations at all, just like narrating something completely unrelated to himself: “We are holding the final on-site dispatch meeting here to coordinate and confirm the progress of all aspects.
First is the memory training team, please report on comrade Jiang Yang’s training situation in the past few days.”
The trainer who had taught Jiang Yang for several days stood up: “In a total of 20 hours of instruction, comrade Jiang Yang excellently completed the rapid memory training. Although limited by time, further improvement couldn’t be achieved, but through comprehensive evaluation, the phased goal has now been reached.”
“Psychological support team.”
Zhou Yu stood up: “Through comprehensive psychological evaluation, comrade Jiang Yang’s psychological state is completely normal.”
At this moment, she was full of seriousness, capable and professional.
Gu Changshan nodded lightly and looked at Jiang Yang: “Comrade Jiang Yang, please report your personal status.”
Jiang Yang took a light breath, equally serious: “I have made all preparations.”
Gu Changshan looked at Tang Jianwei, this middle-aged man who appeared very shrewd: “Report on logistics support and hardware construction status.”
“Report to the commander-in-chief, currently all equipment and instruments installation in Apocalypse Base No. 7 has been fully completed, the base upgrade and renovation work has been fully completed, and all irrelevant personnel have completed evacuation.”
Gu Changshan nodded: “Professor Lu Zhaoming.”
Professor Lu Zhaoming’s hair on top seemed even whiter, his body a bit thinner, and his eyes full of bloodshot: “Our scientific verification team’s work is mainly divided into two parts, internal and external. I’ll start reporting from the external.
The external content of the scientific verification work mainly includes a total of 376 various types of detection satellites coordinated domestically and internationally, 76 large ground detection stations, and 19 large scientific research devices. The detection time has been coordinated, network setup is underway, and it’s expected to start networking and connecting to the Arctic No. 4 supercomputer in the base in 12 hours.
The internal content includes 326 types of medical and human body inspection devices, as well as 559 types of environmental monitoring devices for small-range detection.
Currently, 80% of the debugging work has been completed, and the remaining 20% is expected to enter normal operation status in 13 hours.
At the same time, the power supply system and protection system are undergoing final inspections, to be completed in about 3 hours.”
The scientific verification team’s work seemed to be the core of the entire doomsday plan, taking up the longest reporting time. After the team head professor Lu Zhaoming, numerous sub-team heads began reporting one by one, and under the on-site commander Gu Changshan’s coordination and arrangement, obstacles were cleared one by one.
Listening to those projects and tasks being arranged in an orderly manner, Jiang Yang felt a strange sensation rising in his heart.
It was as if Apocalypse Base No. 7 had turned into a huge and precise machine at this moment. Everyone sitting here now, and all the others inside and outside the base running around for this plan, were no longer people, but had become parts of this huge machine.
Including himself.
Each performing their duties, each in their place, orderly and systematically.
Everyone only responsible for their own affairs, doing only extremely tiny things for the overall picture. When countless people come together, it makes this unimaginably massive machine start operating.
The power contained in this machine shocked Jiang Yang, and he inexplicably felt a sense of reassurance.
Only a machine with such powerful power could possibly confront that apocalypse from who knows where…
The meeting ended, and personnel left in an orderly manner. Jiang Yang looked at Zhou Yu: “How is the remaining time arranged?”
“No arrangements, you can do whatever you want, as long as you don’t leave the 100 kilometer range around the base.”
Zhou Yu looked at Jiang Yang: “Rest? Play games? Watch a movie?”
Jiang Yang thought for a moment and finally said: “Let’s go out for a stroll, the scenery is nice too.”
“Okay, wait for me to change clothes.”
Zhou Yu hurried away, and when she reappeared in front of Jiang Yang, she had changed into a refreshing set of sportswear, looking vibrant and youthful.
Jiang Yang’s mouth twitched: “No need for that ‘men and women pairing makes work less tiring’ routine today, right?”
The past couple of days, to improve study efficiency, you Zhou Yu with OL outfits, flight attendant outfits, student outfits, cycling through to poke my XP—I endured it. Today is for relaxing, doing this again is a bit excessive, right?
Poke any more and I’ll be mentally exhausted.
Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment, a bit of red flushed on her face, she rolled her eyes at Jiang Yang: “Go die, this is my natural beauty I can’t abandon.”
“Alright, tell you you’re fat and you’re panting.”
Jiang Yang shook his head helplessly and entered the elevator.
Coming to the ground after several days away, the air carrying the fragrance of wildflowers refreshed Jiang Yang’s spirits.
Boarding the helicopter and circling in the sky, looking at the continuous undulating mountains below, Jiang Yang felt even more relaxed and happy.
The helicopter finally landed beside a stream.
Blowing in the refreshing mountain wind, Jiang Yang was silent for a long time. Beside him, Zhou Yu suddenly called out: “There are fish here! So many fish! And crabs! Crayfish! Come quick, come quick!”
Looking beside, he saw Zhou Yu had already jumped into the water, throwing a few crabs and crayfish onto the bank.
With dozens of security personnel surrounding at a distance, Jiang Yang finally got interested: “Coming!”
The two played happily in the stream, catching dozens of fish, shrimp, and crabs of all sizes.
After a delicious wild picnic, both sat under the parasol, looking at the mountains and streams ahead, enjoying this tranquil time.
Jiang Yang was silent, his mind recalling the experiences of the past few days, then suddenly said to Zhou Yu: “Are you afraid of dying?”
Zhou Yu sighed, a trace of sadness appearing on her face that he had never seen before: “Afraid, scared to death.
Lived more than twenty years, every day social surveys, data analysis, theses, projects, academics…
So many things I haven’t experienced yet, and the world apocalypse comes just like that, not even giving a moment to react, this, sigh…”
