vrcanaries Chapter 1157
Chapter 1157
Zhou Shuwan shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness yet unusually firm: "It is indeed very difficult to intercept. The power of the eye of the storm is too great, and our fortress can only passively withstand it."
However, being prepared is always better than being unprepared. At least they can reinforce critical areas, shut down more non-essential equipment, and relocate it to safer areas, which might reduce some losses and save more lives.
Qi Mingyu looked at Zhou Shuwan's determined eyes, then glanced at the increasingly fierce storm outside the window. After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly nodded solemnly: "Okay, I'll go. You stay here and take good care of Mom and Dad and Mumu."
“No!” Zhou Shuwan frowned instinctively and immediately objected. “It’s too dangerous! The wind is so strong outside, and the salt spray is corrosive. I’m worried about you going out alone. Besides, you don’t know the specific situation of the eye of the storm, and you can’t explain the key information to the command center.”
Time was running out, the wind was picking up speed, the storm was becoming increasingly destructive, and the vibrations in the room were becoming more and more frequent. There was no longer any time for them to refuse or hesitate.
Zhou Shuwan took a deep breath and said quickly, "Let's go together! I'll go to the command room with you to explain the situation so we can look out for each other."
Qi Mingyu hesitated for a moment. He knew that Zhou Shuwan's perception was crucial at this time, as only she could accurately describe the situation and movement trajectory of the eye of the storm.
Moreover, going together as a couple can indeed provide mutual support and increase safety.
He glanced at the howling storm outside the window, then nodded without further hesitation, saying, "Alright! Let's hurry and get moving!"
Zhong Tiyun and Zhou Jianghai exchanged a glance, their faces full of worry. They wanted to stop them, but they knew the situation was urgent, and all they could do now was not to hold them back.
"Wanwan, Xiaoyu, you must be careful!" Zhong Tiyun's voice was choked with emotion, and her eyes were slightly red. "It's too dangerous outside. If things get too bad, come back quickly. Don't push yourself."
Mu Mu quickly walked to the door and solemnly said, "Sister, brother-in-law, please be careful! I will take good care of Mom and Dad at home and wait for you to come back."
Qi Mingyu patted Mu Mu on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Okay, I'll leave this to you."
Zhou Shuwan and Qi Mingyu quickly checked the air-conditioned clothing they were wearing to ensure there were no gaps.
Then, just as they had done before in the eternal night and heavy snow, they took out small, sturdy steel ropes from the space and tied them around each other's waists.
With everything ready, Qi Mingyu took a deep breath and grasped the doorknob.
He glanced at Zhou Shuwan, nodded, and then suddenly turned the doorknob, opening the door a crack.
"call--"
A sudden surge of intense heat rushed in through the crack in the door, mixed with thick, brownish salt mist, carrying a pungent, salty, and burning smell that made it almost impossible to breathe.
The wind howled, like the roars of countless wild beasts, trying to tear the door apart completely.
Mu Mu reacted quickly, immediately stepping forward and using all her strength to brace against the door, helping Qi Mingyu and Zhou Shuwan withstand the impact of the strong wind.
"Dad, come help!" Mu Mu's voice sounded a little hoarse amidst the howling wind, but it was unusually firm.
Zhou Jianghai immediately rushed up and, together with Mu Mu, held the door shut to buy time for the two of them to leave.
"Wanwan, Xiaoyu, let's go! We'll guard the gate!"
Qi Mingyu then grabbed Zhou Shuwan's hand and shouted, "Let's go!"
The two bent over and, with the help of Mu Mu and Zhou Jianghai holding the door open, quickly rushed out of the room.
As soon as they stepped outside, the gale-force winds slammed down on them like an invisible giant hand, causing them to lose their balance instantly and involuntarily lean forward.
"Watch out!" Qi Mingyu growled, gripping Zhou Shuwan's hand tightly and holding firmly onto the railings on both sides of the corridor, trying to steady himself.
Zhou Shuwan also instinctively grabbed the railing.
A heat wave of over 50 degrees Celsius hit us, and even though the air-conditioned clothing's cooling system was running at full capacity, we could still feel the scorching heat.
The brown salt mist clung to the face mask of the air-conditioned suit, instantly forming a thin layer of brown frost that obscured part of the vision.
The two of them, one in front of the other, gripped the railing tightly and moved forward step by step with difficulty.
Each step required immense effort; the gale seemed to be tearing them off the railing and blowing them into an unknown abyss.
"Hang in there, Wanwan, we're almost at the top of the stairs!" Qi Mingyu's voice was slightly out of breath. He glanced back at Zhou Shuwan to make sure she was alright, and then continued to move forward with difficulty.
Zhou Shuwan nodded without saying a word, but gritted her teeth and followed Qi Mingyu's steps.
Her gaze was fixed on the front, but her mind was sensing the movement of the eye of the storm and estimating the time in her head.
The eye of the storm was moving faster than she had anticipated, and they didn't have much time left.
Supporting each other, the two struggled to cross the third-floor corridor and reach the stairwell, relying on the railing and the safety rope around their waists.
The situation was even worse in the stairwell, where strong winds rushed in through the ventilation openings, creating a huge vortex that made it almost impossible for them to stand.
A thick layer of salt frost had formed on the stair railing, making it slippery and difficult to grip.
Fortunately, the material of the air-conditioned clothing is very sturdy and strong enough to withstand the high corrosiveness of salt spray.
"Hold on tight to the handrail and walk down slowly!" Qi Mingyu shouted a reminder, then took the lead and carefully walked down the stairs.
Zhou Shuwan followed closely behind, gripping the slippery handrails tightly with both hands, and moved down step by step.
The wind howled through the stairwell, making their bodies sway from side to side, and the safety ropes were stretched taut, bearing enormous tension.
Each step down felt like a fierce battle against the gale.
Time passed by minute by minute, and each second seemed extremely long.
Their strength was rapidly depleting, the salt frost on their masks was getting thicker and thicker, and their vision was becoming increasingly blurred.
But they dared not relax in the slightest, and could only grit their teeth and advance step by step toward the command center.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Zhou Shuwan felt her arm was about to lose feeling, she finally arrived at the door of the command room.
By this time, their air-conditioned suits were covered in brown salt frost, and their vision through their masks had become blurred, making them look as if they had been pulled out of a salt fog.
Qi Mingyu pounded on the door of the command room.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The knocking sounded faint amidst the howling wind, but it was still heard by those inside the relatively quiet command room.