NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Hope
The journey proceeded without incident.
The specialized transport vehicle quickly entered the city and reached the roadblock obstructing the cargo truck, separated by only twenty or so meters.
The headlights of the two vehicles pierced through the darkness, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daylight.
"Time to get to work," Su Wu murmured, maneuvering the transport vehicle into position. He deployed its operational platform, extending the jackhammer and shovel attachments to begin clearing the debris.
To maximize efficiency, Su Wu didn't let the AI handle the entire operation. Instead, he took control himself.
Debris that didn't significantly hinder the cargo truck's passage was ignored. Larger obstructions were handled selectively—either crushed into smaller pieces with the jackhammer or pushed aside with the shovel, varying the approach based on size, material, and position. He minimized unnecessary movements to save time.
Under this meticulous manual control, the clearing process progressed rapidly. On average, Su Wu cleared a meter of road every minute.
At the same time, the efficiency of his work created significant noise, overpowering the howling storm and echoing far into the dark, lifeless city. The mechanical sounds brought a semblance of life to the desolate streets.
A couple of kilometers away, in a mid-sized corporate shelter, a group of employees in the monitoring room noticed the commotion.
"Someone's still working out there at this hour? That's incredible," remarked a young employee in his twenties, unable to suppress his amazement.
"Maybe it's an official team on a critical mission," replied an older man in his forties, whose experience led him to assume this was a government operation.
As he spoke, his expression lightened noticeably. Regardless of who was responsible, the activity on the surface meant that humanity was still fighting back against the extreme climate. For those huddled in the shelter, it was a comforting reminder that they weren't alone.
"Let me check. The noise seems to be coming from Gong'er Street."
"Found it," the operator announced. Using his experience, he quickly pinpointed the location. Through a functioning traffic camera, he captured distant footage of the specialized transport vehicle and the cargo truck on the street.
"Whoa, that vehicle is so cool! It looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie," the younger employee exclaimed, leaning closer to the screen. The futuristic, high-tech design of the transport vehicle captivated him.
"They're clearing the roadblock, making way for the cargo truck to leave the city," the operator explained after a closer inspection.
Noticing a basketball-sized stone rolling down the road, propelled by the wind before vanishing into the darkness, he couldn't help but comment, "Transporting goods in this kind of storm? Only the authorities would dare attempt something like this. Ordinary people wouldn't even step outside their shelter's gates."
The older man joined in, marveling at the scene. "This is good news for us. If the authorities have such advanced tools, it means they can navigate these extreme conditions. If something goes wrong here, we can hope for rescue."
"That's true. Knowing this, I'll probably sleep better at night," the younger employee agreed enthusiastically.
The monitoring room buzzed with conversation, the oppressive atmosphere gradually lifting. The sight of the two vehicles on the screen brought a sense of calm and reassurance to everyone present. For the first time in a while, they felt a renewed sense of hope.
On the surface, the transport vehicle's clearing operation was nearing completion. The wind, however, had intensified further, surpassing 37 meters per second and reaching Level 13.
At this wind speed, the transport vehicle's movements began to show visible distortions. Tasks that previously required seconds now took significantly longer to complete.
Fortunately, the job was almost done. With the final piece of debris smashed apart by the jackhammer, the transport vehicle and cargo truck successfully regrouped.
Wasting no time on celebration, the transport vehicle retracted its operational platform and took the lead as the small convoy began its return journey to the shelter in Huangshi Village.
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"The wind is picking up faster and faster," Su Wu muttered, seated in the control center on the shelter's second underground level. He didn't relax despite the markers on the screen indicating the convoy was en route.
Instead, he grew increasingly alert, sensing the mounting danger.
He observed that the storm's intensity was escalating at an unprecedented rate. At this pace, the convoy could encounter winds of Level 16 or even Level 17 before reaching safety.
Fixing his gaze on the screen, where the headlights illuminated a road strewn with flying sand and stones, Su Wu silently calculated his options. Should he abandon the transport vehicle and have the cargo truck accelerate to safety on its own? Or should he keep the convoy together and gamble that the storm wouldn't escalate too quickly?
After a brief hesitation, his eyes sharpened with resolve. He decided to gamble.
Under Su Wu's command, the vehicles began to slow down and switch positions. The transport vehicle linked its front end to the cargo truck's rear hitch.
What should have been a straightforward operation became a challenge in the violent storm. Without the construction robots' assistance, it took over a minute to complete the connection.
The delay, however, proved worthwhile.
Not long after the convoy resumed its journey, the storm reached Level 16.
In that instant, the wind roared like an unrelenting tidal wave. The sky and ground seemed to merge in chaos, with
terrifying gusts howling as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.