Chapter 3: The Earthquake

The blaring of alarms echoed throughout the entire base, but the families at the site of the accident seemed not to hear it at all, remaining rooted in place, motionless. All around them, soldiers in green uniforms, firefighters in red, and medics in white continued their relentless search and rescue efforts.

Not far off, a green armored vehicle came roaring in, kicking up a trail of dust as it sped directly toward the scene of the accident. With a perfect drift and a screech of brakes, the vehicle barely stopped before a figure leaped down from it.

Xiao Hongyu, dressed in full combat gear, deftly vaulted from the vehicle and strode quickly over to Minister Du, coming to attention and saluting sharply.

“Minister Du, we are the Special Operations Unit of the Field Army. We are under orders to protect your safety. Please come with us immediately so we can move you to a secure area!”

Minister Du cast a sidelong glance at the young officer standing before him, as if annoyed that the tall man—over six feet—was blocking his line of sight. He shuffled a couple of steps to the side and muttered, “Don’t bother me. Get out of the way!”

Xiao Hongyu’s mouth twitched, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “Minister Du, these are extraordinary times. Please put the greater good first! I—” Before Xiao Hongyu could finish, Minister Du gave him a swift kick, knocking him back on his rear.

“You brat, you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Daring to lecture your own grandfather!” Minister Du’s temper flared as he began his scolding—never mind the time or place. After all, it was his own grandson; he’d scold him as he pleased. Who told the boy to be so stubborn? He deserved it!

“Ow! Grandpa! Take it easy, will you? I’m just following orders… Ow!” Xiao Hongyu could only laugh and cry at once, resorting to playing the victim.

Minister Du was his own maternal grandfather, a man known for his cold demeanor but warm heart, meticulous and responsible in all matters. Xiao Hongyu knew well that at such a critical moment, it was almost impossible to persuade his grandfather to return to the base—but still, he had to try.

“Grandpa, there’s an earthquake warning. In an hour, the ancient capital and the surrounding coastal areas will face a magnitude nine earthquake. It could even affect the inland tectonic plates,” Xiao Hongyu said softly.

At these words, Minister Du’s already slightly stooped figure trembled. Xiao Hongyu quickly reached out to steady him, afraid his grandfather’s body might not withstand the shock.

But there was nothing else he could do. In the current era, many of the nation’s top leaders had relocated to the HS lunar survival base. Of course, those who moved there carried heavy responsibilities, working tirelessly to secure more living space for the nation’s people.

Those who remained on Earth were often elder statesmen like Minister Du, near retirement age. Despite their years, in these times of national crisis, they served as the nation’s true guardians.

As the saying goes: “An old person in a family is a treasure.” Under the watchful care of these venerable figures, the nation, though battered by adversity, had grown ever more united over the years. Progress had been uneven and fraught with hardship, but the country’s cohesion and resolve had only strengthened.

This unity greatly unsettled the Western nations. In the years since the apocalypse, several Western countries had all but ceased to exist, merging into what was now called the United Free Kingdom of the Western Coast.

Ironically, this so-called free kingdom, while loudly proclaiming liberty and democracy, had in reality established a new monarchy—truly a sight one could hardly bear to witness.

Still, this arrangement proved immensely beneficial to the capitalists: assets, technology, talent, and military might were all consolidated, making them the unchallenged leaders of human society, with the largest share of the HS lunar base as well.

Minister Du’s face grew grimmer by the minute. Gripping his grandson’s arm, he straightened his back with effort. “Let’s go! Back to the base!”

He needed to return to headquarters and arrange the coming tasks with all possible speed, doing everything in his power to minimize the disaster’s consequences.

The nation could not withstand another blow.

Minister Du strode over to a military jeep, then turned and gave a stern order: “Xiao Hongyu, I’m entrusting you with an important task! You must stay here in my place. Find every single child—dig three feet into the earth if you have to—and reunite them with their parents...”

His voice choked with emotion. Before Xiao Hongyu could respond, Minister Du climbed into the jeep and slammed the door shut. “Drive!”