Chapter 138: Fifty-Hour Countdown

"Is there really no other way?" Qin Jun had to ask himself, though he wasn't sure if he was asking himself, Zhu Lan, or Red Queen.

"With our current capabilities, these are the only options. Even if we could use them, I wouldn't dare take that risk!"

Zhu Lan truly was at his wit's end. The special magnetic field generated by the sinkhole was too anomalous; he simply had no way to resolve it.

"I think it would be better to see it for ourselves. Staying here won't solve anything."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jun agreed. He patted his head and said, "Fine, I'll have a helicopter sent over immediately."

Less than ten minutes later, a military helicopter touched down at Fantasy Technology. Zhu Lan boarded with Kong Yan and a piece of specialized equipment. Although Qin City was in the neighboring province, it wasn't very far, and the helicopter arrived with ease.

Looking down from the air as they approached the scene, Zhu Lan saw that a massive number of rescue forces had already converged. There were over twenty helicopters alone, mostly mobilized from the South China Sea Fleet, as they were the closest available resource. Ambulances, field hospitals, and heavy hoisting equipment were lined up in large numbers. Due to the magnetic field, the closest units had to remain two kilometers away from the sinkhole, and armed police and local law enforcement had already cordoned off the area. Beyond the perimeter, a throng of domestic and foreign media outlets waited, eager to catch a glimpse of the sinkhole.

"Greetings, Commander!"

The helicopter landed in an open space not far from the rescue command center. As Zhu Lan stepped off, several men approached. Upon seeing Qin Jun’s general's uniform, they immediately saluted.

"Where is your commanding officer?"

"He has gone to the sinkhole site!"

"Bring the vehicles over and get my equipment moved!" Qin Jun didn't waste time and headed straight for the sinkhole. Zhu Lan said nothing, climbing into a military Warrior vehicle to follow, while others helped transport the equipment.

"Greetings, Commander!" Qin Jun stepped out of the vehicle and saluted a middle-aged man.

"Ah, Little Qin, it’s you. What brings you here?"

Zhu Lan found it slightly amusing; he hadn't expected to hear someone call General Qin "Little Qin."

"And who is this?"

"Commander Zheng, hello. My name is Zhu Lan."

"Zhu Lan? That name sounds familiar..." Commander Zheng pondered for a moment. "Oh, you’re the Zhu Lan from Fantasy Technology, aren't you? Old Luo mentions you to me quite often!"

Zhu Lan nodded.

"Commander, I brought Zhu Lan here to see if we can find a way to resolve this issue."

"Do you have a plan?"

Qin Jun nodded gravely. "We do: using an artificial magnetic field to neutralize the existing one. However, it is extremely dangerous and the probability of success is low. I wanted to assess the situation on-site first."

Commander Zheng nodded. "In that case, let’s begin. The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences is also over there."

Qin Jun nodded. Zhu Lan’s equipment had arrived, and he signaled to Kong Yan, who began directing the installation. The equipment consisted of six strange tubes, a joint detection array that could form a perimeter to provide a clear readout of the conditions underground. Red Queen had been unable to get a clear picture using satellite imagery alone, but with these six devices, the subterranean situation could be mapped out precisely—the same technology had been used to build the Canglan Base, ensuring that no underground cavities or geological hazards would cause accidents during construction.

"Who are you people?" As Kong Yan’s team installed the devices, several individuals came over to inquire.

Zhu Lan frowned. Qin Jun stepped forward to explain the situation.

One of the men’s eyes lit up upon hearing Qin Jun’s explanation. He walked over to Zhu Lan, looked him up and down, and asked, "Are you Zhu Lan?"

"And you are?" Zhu Lan asked, puzzled by the sixty-something-year-old man.

"I am Shang Hang."

"Elder Shang? I’ve heard much about you!" Zhu Lan instantly recognized the name. Shang Hang was one of the few titans of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—a true national treasure of China.

"You’re not bad yourself. You’ve rejected our requests several times. You have no idea how much you’ve irritated some of those old fellows!"

Zhu Lan choked slightly. It was true; the Academy had invited him to join multiple times regarding the gene serum. To many, this would be the highest honor, but to Zhu Lan, it was a shackle—a cage that would lock him in. Naturally, he would never join the Academy, however tempting it might be.

"Are these detection devices?" Elder Shang asked, looking at the equipment being installed.

Zhu Lan nodded. "It’s an electromagnetic detection array. When linked, it can clearly see conditions several hundred, even a thousand, meters underground. With the sinkhole open and no rock obscuring the way, I believe we can get a detailed view of what lies beneath."

Elder Shang nodded.

"Boss, the installation is complete!"

"Good. Power on the equipment, connect to the network, and notify Red Queen. We can begin!"

Kong Yan nodded and walked over to a special computer. After connecting the six sensors, she noticed one was slightly misaligned and immediately had it adjusted. Once all six were verified, she connected to the network. High above Earth, a satellite linked to Kong Yan’s network, and Red Queen instantly took control, beginning the data transmission. A surge of electromagnetic pulses was sent downward through the six devices, and detection waves slowly began feeding data back. Kong Yan’s hands moved rapidly, and mysterious data points began to manifest.

"Please let me know when you have results!" Elder Shang had intended to compare his findings with Zhu Lan’s, but his student called him away.

"Please go ahead, Elder Shang."

Shang Hang nodded and walked back to his team. "What is it?" he asked with a frown.

"Teacher, there was a powerful electromagnetic pulse that caused a fluctuation in the magnetic field below!"

Elder Shang frowned and leaned in to inspect the readings. The longer he looked, the deeper his frown became.

"Is there any impact?"

"Not yet, but the electromagnetic signature is very strange."

"Stop checking. It’s coming from a company’s detection equipment. As long as it doesn't destabilize the magnetic field, it’s fine."

"A company? Teacher, are you saying there are others working on this?"

Elder Shang nodded. "You’ve heard of Fantasy Technology, haven't you?"

"It’s him?"

Elder Shang nodded. "I’ll see how their results compare to ours later."

"Teacher, aren't the higher-ups being too lenient?"

Elder Shang glared at him. "Stop guessing the intentions of the higher-ups. Just focus on monitoring the situation below. If something goes wrong..."

"Don't worry, Teacher. We’ve dropped over a hundred sensors; we have everything under control."

"That would be best." Elder Shang walked away, still preoccupied with thoughts of Fantasy Technology. Unlike the others, he knew more—about the gene serum, about the Canglan Base.

Zhu Lan frowned.

"What is it?" Qin Jun asked, watching Zhu Lan’s expression as he stared at the data on the screen.

"The situation doesn't look good."

"..."

"Wait, let me double-check." Zhu Lan signaled Kong Yan, and her hands danced over the console as the data shifted.

"Boss, it’s no good. Because of the magnetic interference, the certainty level is below fifty percent. We must bring in the vibration device!"

Zhu Lan’s brow furrowed. "General Qin, I need a piece of equipment."

"Is it at your company?"

Zhu Lan nodded.

"I’ll have a helicopter transport it immediately!"

"Wait!" Zhu Lan called out as Qin Jun hurried to make arrangements. "I haven't finished. That device is massive—it weighs over ten tons. A standard helicopter won't be able to carry it."

"That heavy?" Qin Jun frowned.

At that moment, Elder Shang walked over. "Any results?"

Zhu Lan nodded, then shook his head. "Elder Shang, look at this." He pointed to the data on the screen.

Elder Shang stepped over, initially indifferent, but as he saw the readout, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. His face was nearly pressed against the screen.

"No, no, that’s impossible..." His voice trembled with disbelief.

Zhu Lan nodded helplessly. "It’s a fact. Although it’s not fully confirmed, the probability is nearing forty percent. I’m preparing to bring the vibration unit here to verify."

"Then what are you waiting for? Go get it! This must be confirmed, otherwise..." Elder Shang knew better than anyone what the results implied.

"Elder Shang, the equipment is just too large!"

"Do I have to teach you how to do your job? If one helicopter can't carry it, use two! Go get that equipment here. If it doesn't work, I’ll call the top brass myself and have them ship the one from the Academy!"

"No, no, I’ll arrange it right now!"

Commander Zheng soon received the news and rushed over, accompanied by several government officials.

"Elder Shang, is the information confirmed?"

Elder Shang shook his head. "Not yet, but we are close. Fantasy Technology is already moving the equipment. Once it arrives, we’ll know for sure."

"How serious is the situation?"

Elder Shang gave a bitter smile. "If what the readings suggest is true, we have less than fifty hours."

According to the detection data, beneath the sinkhole lay a sea of magma, and the data indicated that the magma sea was slowly consuming a piece of land—the very land where the vanished town had stood. In fifty hours, the town would be completely swallowed by magma. By then, not even a celestial being could save them.

The news could not be kept secret. The government officials accompanying Commander Zheng were aware of the implications, and many went pale. If not a single person was saved, their careers would be over; the state would require a scapegoat, and removing the local officials was the most likely outcome. It wouldn't just be the local officials—even members of the provincial government would face severe punishment after this.