75
This time the shock was stronger than any other time.
The rope of Guangguang's hammock broke, and she fell onto the rubble on the ground. A little girl of seven or eight years old next to her screamed, and her mother hugged her, covered her mouth, lowered her head and began to cry silently.
"It might have cracked again," Guangguang jumped up, touched the weapon behind his waist, and rushed to the window, "It's okay..."
When she finished saying this, she had already seen the flickering fire outside the window, and could even feel the heat wave through the tattered curtains. In the main city with a constant temperature, she had never felt such a temperature.
When I opened the curtains, beads of sweat had already appeared on my forehead.
The fire on the Black Iron Wasteland had already broken through the city boundaries, rolling and moving slowly forward, as if paving out several fire roads.
"What's wrong?" The girl's mother asked nervously while holding the child.
"The fire has broken through the city," Guangguang quickly packed his things into his backpack, "It's not going too fast, pack up and I'll take you away."
"I don't dare go out," the girl cried, "I'm scared."
After the Guang Guang Entertainment Store building collapsed completely, this was her fourth new residence. It was located in the center of District D. Besides the mother and daughter, there was also a couple living downstairs.
It's actually not bad here. The refugees have already swept through this area and there are almost no daily necessities left, so no one will come here anymore. Although you have to go out to find food every day, at least safety is guaranteed.
She had to leave again. Not only did the girl say she didn't want to, she didn't want to either.
Every time they moved to a new place, the various fights and scrambles they had to go through, and the various tragic scenes they had to see were terrifying.
But they had to go, because they were at the angle between two fire paths. If the fire continued to spread, they would be trapped in the middle and burned to death.
Guangguang tore off a curtain and tied it around the girl's wrist: "If you are scared, cover your eyes with this."
The couple downstairs ran up and said, "We need to move to another place immediately. This place is too dangerous."
"Let's go." Guang Guang nodded, took the girl's hand and pulled her up from the ground, "Go to the traveler."
"Traveler?" Several people were stunned.
"You're not allowed to enter Area A," Guang Guang said, "The city guards and patrols don't care about the refugees. The only place you can go in the city is the old shopping mall in Area C."
"Where is the Lost Valley?" the husband asked. "The cleanup team is there. Doesn't the cleanup team have a base? They said the cleanup team will help the residents of the main city, and the bats also have supplies."
"It's too far. The entrance to the city is full of refugees. It's difficult to walk through the Black Iron Wasteland. The road is also full of refugees," Guang Guang said. "Children can't get through."
The couple looked at each other and seemed a little hesitant.
"If you want to go, we can go separately." Guangguang understood what they meant.
"Then you guys," the husband gritted his teeth, "take care, we want to try over there."
"Take care." Guang Guang nodded.
The couple left through the back door, and the girl's mother looked at Guang Guang: "If you..."
"Come on, let's go to the old mall," Guang Guang tilted his head towards her, "I'm in the main city, I'm not going anywhere."
The girl's mother picked up her child and followed her out of the ruins.
"Fire." The girl stared at the flames rising up into the sky all around her, her face full of fear.
"It can't burn us." Guang Guang looked around and saw only a few people running past the intersection in panic, heading towards the old shopping mall. She pointed to the intersection ahead and said, "Our first goal now is to get to the intersection. Let's go!"
After saying this, Guangguang rushed towards the intersection.
The girl's mother also ran to the intersection.
"You two are awesome." Guangguang gave the girl a thumbs up.
The girl smiled.
A black object was swept by the heat wave and flew over the sky, hitting the building next to them and then falling beside them.
The girl's smile disappeared in an instant and she closed her eyes.
Guang Guang took a quick look and saw that it was a torn awning at the entrance of a small shop, with the prices of the goods printed on it. She patted the girl's arm and said, "It's a shed. We are going to rush to the next target. Are you ready?"
The girl nodded.
"I'll go first, and it will be your turn once it's safe." Guangguang said.
"Be careful." said the girl's mother.
Every time there is any change in the crack, it will arouse the frenzy of the refugees. At this time, many people who are hiding often need to find new hiding places and will return to the streets with all their belongings. This is a good time to rob.
Every road and intersection that needs to be crossed may involve danger.
Guang Guang saw the road clearly and rushed out with all her might. After running half the street, she hid behind a collapsed wall next to her.
After a few seconds, she poked her head out from behind the wall and waved to the girl's mother.
The girl's mother also rushed over here holding her child.
Guangguang kept staring around them.
When she saw a figure swaying above a dilapidated building on the side of the road, she jumped out from behind the wall, pulled out the weapon Li Liang had given her, and aimed at the building.
"Run!" Guangguang shouted to the girl's mother.
The girl's mother was running towards this side holding her child.
Two people jumped down from the building, and while they were still in the air, Guang Guang pressed the shooting button.
A blue light flashed by, and one person was hit in the leg. The moment he hit the ground, he fell into a pile of black fragments. Another person was stunned when he landed. Many refugees had weapons, but the attack light showed that they were official weapons.
"Main city cleanup team!" Guang Guang shouted, "You have been locked!"
The man turned around and ran into the stairwell next to him.
"I can't run anymore." The girl's mother was a little out of breath. They had not had enough food these days, and the mother had given all her food to her children. After running two trips like this, she was already very weak and a little exhausted.
"Give me the child." Guangguang said.
"I can run by myself," the girl whispered.
"You're running too slowly," Guangguang said, "When we get to a safe place, hold on to your mother and run, okay?"
"Yeah." The girl nodded.
After running past two intersections, you will reach Area C, which is not far from the old shopping mall. It seems close, but the premise is that there is no interference in between.
Guangguang picked up the girl and continued to rush forward with gritted teeth.
Just after she ran past two lampposts, she felt a vibration under her feet. Before she could react, she staggered several steps and rushed to the lamppost across the street before she could steady herself.
"Hold on to the lamppost tight!" Guangguang hugged the lamppost and turned around to shout.
But the scene she saw when she turned around shocked her.
A crack with tongues of fire was running through the middle of the street at a speed faster than a normal person could run, dividing the street in two and slowly widening.
The crack goes all the way towards the dewdrop, and once it reaches the end, there is no other way to go.
"Mom—" the girl cried out.
“Jump over here!” Guang Guang shouted, his voice a little broken. “Jump over here! You can still jump over here! Quick!”
The girl's mother ran two steps towards the edge of the crack, panting, but was forced back by the flames.
"Jump!" Guangguang roared. In a few seconds, if the crack continued to widen, it would be impossible to jump over, and neither side would be able to stand.
But the girl's mother tried twice and failed both times. Her hair and clothes were burnt. She knelt on the ground and cried loudly.
Tiny cracks had begun to appear on the ground beneath Guangguang's feet, and her face was stinging from the heat. She could even smell the burnt hair on her face. She couldn't stay here any longer.
"My name is Xiang Guang!" Guang Guang shouted over there, "My ID card is b4570335! Remember that! I'm taking the kids to the old mall! Find a way to come find me!"
"Please take good care of her for me!" the girl's mother cried.
"You!" Guang Guang yelled, "Come and find me! Do you hear me?"
"I heard it." The girl's mother replied crying.
"I'll wait for you!" Guangguang let go of the lamppost and ran forward amid the girl's heart-wrenching tears.
The sudden appearance of the crack forced the refugees out at the same time, some fleeing and some chasing. As soon as Guang Guang ran around the corner, he saw swaying figures all around him and all kinds of terrified shouts.
"Sister!" the girl screamed in her ear.
Before Guangguang could turn her head, she felt someone kicked on the waist, and she fell heavily to the ground holding the girl.
As she fell, she supported the girl with one hand and reached for the weapon at her waist with the other.
Then the hand was stepped on hard by someone.
"Cleaning team?" a man shouted with a strange smile.
"Yes." Guang Guang didn't care where the weapon was pointed. At this time, she had to protect herself first, as long as she was not shot at.
She pressed the button.
A blue light flashed from under the man's feet and hit a refugee who was walking towards him.
"You want to die!" The man who was stepping on her hand raised his arm.
She just stared at him, it was just a slap, it didn't matter, as long as there was a chance, her weapon would fire again.
The moment the man swung his arm down, a silver light flashed, and the man was lifted backwards and fell to the ground motionless.
The refugees who were about to gather around suddenly stopped.
Someone walked out from the firelight and black fog, and slowly raised a familiar weapon flashing blue light.
"Main city cleanup team, you have been locked down. Any movement will give me cause for shooting."
The caracal had appeared silently at the eaves behind them at some point, crouched down and stared down.
"Lianchuan!" There were exclamations from all around.
Without a second cry of surprise, all the people instantly disappeared into the ruins around them as quickly as they had come.
"Lianchuan!" Guangguang was too lazy to get up. He lay on the ground and cried out with a happy cry.
"Yeah." Lian Chuan responded.
"Boss!" Guang Guang shouted again.
The eldest jumped down and snorted.
"You still have a child." Lian Chuan looked at the girl who was crying and curled up beside Guangguang.
"It's not mine." Guangguang sat up and picked up the girl. "Her mother... is separated by the crack."
"You are..." Ning Gu walked out from behind Lian Chuan and pointed at Guang Guang, "Are you the one who..."
“Little Iron Ball!” Guang Guang’s eyes widened in shock. “Is it you, Little Iron Ball? It’s you who just knocked that guy over, right? Traveler Little Iron Ball!”
Lian Chuan slowly turned his head and looked at Ning Gu: "...Iron ball?"
"Little Iron Ball!" Guang Guang corrected him, "Uncle Fan brought him to my store!"
"Boss," Lian Chuan raised his chin towards the boss, "Take Guang Guang to the mall first, and we will go with the traveler to check out the crack."
The caracal jumped over and walked past Guangguang, wrapping its tail around her legs, motioning for her to follow it.
Several travelers who came out with them went to the crack. When there was no one around, Lian Chuan turned around and looked at Ning Gu: "Little iron ball?"
"What's wrong?" Ning Gu looked at him, "Little Trumpet!"
"You stick to the same series when naming," Lian Chuan said.
"You don't understand this," Ning Gu said, "This name was given by Uncle Fan Lu, the captain of your main city cleaning team before and after."
Lian Chuan looked at him for a long time before he responded, "Oh."
"Oh what?" Ning Gu said.
Lian Chuan didn't say anything else. He turned around and walked forward. After a few steps, he started laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Ning Gu chased after him. "Little trumpet?"
"I'm not laughing at the trumpet," Lian Chuan said with a smile, "I'm laughing at the iron ball."
"Before, I didn't even have any expression," Ning Gu sighed, "Now, I can even smile in such a situation."
"It doesn't matter what the situation is," Lianchuan said. "Don't worry about things that are already done. Just think about how to solve them. If the key is gone, it's gone. It may have triggered something, whether it's good or bad, find out and then solve it."
"Our destruction may have come early." Ning Gu whispered.
"I don't care," Lianchuan said, "I have always hoped that when the world is destroyed, I can watch it disappear. Now I am preventing this ending. For me, I am satisfied."
The cracks extended from outside the main city all the way into the dewdrop. There were four such cracks. The one Guangguang mentioned was the fastest and had stopped at the edge of the dewdrop.
The other three, according to the information returned by the travelers, are still on the edge of Zone D, advancing slowly.
The flames rising from the Black Iron Wasteland caused the two cracks to suddenly increase in width, and the temperature inside the Lost Valley began to rise.
The puppet army that e brought to the Black Iron Wasteland is already in place, just waiting for the scavenger to appear.
But now, apart from the raging fire, nothing else has appeared. The biggest chaos now is just the refugees who are venting madly in the last moments of their lives.
Lian Chuan and Ning Gu did not find the girl's mother on the other side of the crack. Everyone in the fleeing crowd looked the same, panicked and desperate.
"If all the cracks are in place," Ning Gu stood on an iron frame that had not collapsed yet, looking around, "the main city will be torn into several pieces. How will we get through the cracks then?"
"We can only build a bridge," Lian Chuan said, "Take people to the bridges under the city boundary. There are engineering vehicles in the underground warehouse. We can build a bridge right away. Liu Dong and his men are now guarding Area A and will not touch those engineering vehicles."
"Okay," Ning Gu turned his head and looked at the fire on the street, "What's underneath these cracks?"
"Hmm?" Lian Chuan turned to him.
"Has no one ever thought about what's underneath?" Ning Gu said, "The scavengers came out from here, what's underneath?"
"In the back building of the Internal Defense Department," Lian Chuan squatted down, picked up a piece of broken iron, and drew on the floor under his feet, "there are several equipment warehouses."
"What do you mean?" Ning Gu also squatted down.
"The molten fire pipeline was built by the Internal Defense Department," Lian Chuan said, "all the equipment is in the warehouse..."
"It's impossible to get it," Ning Gu immediately understood what Lian Chuan meant. "There's fire everywhere now. The people in the main city must be considering resistance to high temperatures first. Those equipment must be guarded to death."
"We only need two sets," Lian Chuan continued to draw the terrain map on the ground, "Lost Valley doesn't need it. The Nine Wings can almost grow on the Molten Pipe. Their modification is for this day. If the Traveler only operates on the ground, they don't need it either. They all have the ability. I don't think they would be willing to wear such bulky equipment to go out and fight..."
"It's just the two of us who need it," Ning Gu looked at Lian Chuan, "I just said it casually, I don't mean to do it right away, I'm just raising a question, don't just blindly cooperate, I'm a little scared, sometimes I... I'm not very smart..."
"I want to know, too," Lianchuan said, "what's under the crack."
Ning Gu didn't say anything.
"I saw the main city in Ye Xi's room that he couldn't get in or out of," Lian Chuan said, "The main city was like an isolated island, hanging in the darkness... I don't know if it was a real scene or just an image that Ye Xi saw, but Ye Xi is a recorder, if that was his record..."
"What is underneath the main city?" Ning Gu said.
"Hmm," Lian Chuan drew a long arrow with the black iron fragment in his hand, "What's on the other side of the main city?"
"What's outside the black fog?" Ning Gu said.
"Even though it's just a non-existent world," Lian Chuan said, "it doesn't mean we can't give it a try."
"Try what?" Ning Gu looked at him.
"Let's go to the end of the world." Lian Chuan said.