ebookland Chapter 1192
Chapter 1192
“Thank goodness…we survived…” Zhong Tiyun could no longer hold back her tears.
Zhou Shuwan also breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing.
Meanwhile, at Qi Mingyu's location, the protective door had been opened, and he was leading his soldiers out to check the surrounding situation.
Although exhausted, everyone's face showed relief at surviving a disaster.
Zhou Shuwan's lips curled up slightly.
Suppressed sobs gradually rose from the surrounding area.
Some people hugged the person next to them and cried loudly.
It was fear, relief, and the release of surviving a catastrophe.
Zhou Shuwan, Zhou Jianghai, Zhong Tiyun, and Mu Mu hugged each other tightly.
No words are needed; each other's body temperature and heartbeat are the best comfort.
Just then, Captain Chen's voice came from outside, slightly hoarse but still powerful: "Attention everyone! Immediately check the number of casualties! Inspect the damage to the buildings! Anyone injured, get them to the medical room immediately!"
The soldiers' responses came from all corners.
Zhou Shuwan and her family walked out of the room.
The stairwell was littered with miscellaneous items.
Some people were clearing the passageway, while others were calling out their companions' names.
Several medics carried a stretcher and ran by hurriedly.
"What? Is someone injured?" Zhou Jianghai asked, stopping a passing soldier.
The soldier shook his head: "No one has been found injured yet, but... a few people couldn't resist and ran out just now."
His voice was low and tinged with regret.
Everyone knows that those who run away are more likely to meet a bad end.
Zhou Jianghai's heart sank.
Anyone would be terrified by the earth-shaking situation just now!
He couldn't help but want to run out, fearing that the fortress would collapse completely like a pile of loose building blocks.
That kind of deep-seated fear is something no one can easily resist.
The hallway gradually became lively.
The survivors emerged from the room one after another, supporting each other, their faces still showing signs of shock.
Some people were checking on their relatives and friends to see if they were injured, while others were picking up scattered belongings. Occasionally, a few suppressed sobs could be heard.
Zhou Shuwan's gaze unconsciously drifted forward.
At this moment, Qi Mingyu led a group of soldiers and walked over from around the corner.
He was wearing an air-conditioned suit, and had taken off his helmet, revealing a sweaty forehead and a little dust on his face.
He looked quite disheveled.
But his expression was like a sword sheathed, calm and sharp, yet revealing no edge.
He paused when he saw Zhou Shuwan.
Their eyes met from a distance of several meters.
Without making any unnecessary movements, Qi Mingyu simply nodded slightly, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.
Then he turned around and continued to instruct the soldiers: "Go to the east side and check the damage to the alloy wall, paying particular attention to whether the bolts are loose."
"Yes, Vice Commander!"
Zhou Shuwan watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips.
In the command room.
Captain Chen stood by the window, looking at the chaotic crowd outside, his brow furrowed.
Captain Qin sat to the side, listening to Staff Officer Han report in a low voice what he had seen.
Lieutenant Yun rushed in.
"How is it?" Captain Qin immediately stood up.
"The overall situation is better than expected!" Lieutenant Yun said with a smile. "Although some walls have cracks and a few alloy pillars standing on the ground are slightly tilted, they are all within the scope of repair and do not reach the level of the fortress collapsing."
Captain Chen's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief: "That's great."
Captain Qin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "What a relief. This fortress is indeed sturdy. Xiao Chen, you guys really put in a lot of effort back then."
"Yes," Captain Chen nodded, his face full of relief. "If the fortress were to break down, we would really have nowhere to go in these waters."
The two looked at each other and saw relief in each other's eyes.
Just then, another staff officer walked in, looking somewhat grave: "Captain, Lieutenant Yun, the casualty count is in."
"Speak," Captain Chen's voice turned serious.
"Four people were swept away by the storm and their whereabouts are currently unknown," the staff officer said in a low voice. "Another dozen or so people suffered injuries of varying degrees, mostly from being hit by debris, and have been taken to the medical room for treatment."
Captain Chen remained silent for a moment.
Four people may not seem like many, but behind each number lies a life.
He sighed softly: "Pass the word down to the medical unit to do everything in its power to treat the wounded soldiers and survivors."
"Yes."
Captain Qin looked at Captain Chen and said slowly, "The damage this time is a little less than last time."
The fortress was severely damaged during the last heatstorm, resulting in a significant increase in casualties.
This outcome is a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.
Captain Chen nodded, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Speaking of which, this time we owe a lot to the drills we conducted in advance."
Captain Qin immediately chimed in, "That's right! I was just thinking about that."
His face was full of relief: "Fortunately, it happened to be during a drill, and everyone had prepared protective measures in advance and the supplies were all packed up. Otherwise, the losses would have been much greater."
Captain Chen wholeheartedly agreed.
Without this sudden drill, the consequences of being caught completely unprepared by a Category 12 heat storm would have been unimaginable.
Captain Chen looked at Lieutenant Yun: "Have Commander Liu come over here. What brings you to suddenly decide on a drill? This is just in time!"
"Yes."
Not long after, Liu Zhiming rushed to the command center.
He still looked tired, clearly having been busy all along.
Upon seeing Captain Chen and Captain Qin, he immediately saluted: "Captain, you were looking for me?"
Captain Chen pointed to the chair opposite him: "Sit down. This exercise was well organized and you've done a great job."
Liu Zhiming's heart skipped a beat.
Of course he wanted to take the credit.
If he could leave a "visionary" impression on Captain Chen, it would be beneficial for his future promotion. But thinking about his argument with Qi Mingyu today, he felt a little guilty.
There were quite a few soldiers present at the time, and it was possible that someone might expose the matter.
If I lie now to claim credit, and get caught, it will be even more embarrassing.
He forced a smile: "Captain, you flatter me. Actually, this exercise was the idea of the deputy commander, Qi Mingyu."
Captain Chen and Captain Qin exchanged a glance.
"Oh? It was Xiao Qi who suggested it?" Captain Chen was somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Liu Zhiming coughed lightly, trying to make his tone sound natural. "The deputy commander asked for my opinion yesterday, saying he wanted to conduct an emergency drill to improve everyone's reaction capabilities. I thought it was a good idea, to give the survivors more experience in emergency escape, so I agreed."
As he spoke, he added, "Xiao Qi is young and promising, and he dares to think and act. He really made a great contribution this time."
These words, half self-deprecation and half praise, were spoken flawlessly.