Chapter 4
Under the light shining down from the second floor, a mere seven or eight steps away, the woman crying in the tall man's arms was none other than the goddess An Tianhe had been dreaming of day and night!
But his goddess was in another man's arms at this moment!!
What man could possibly withstand such a devastating blow right before his eyes?
An Tianhe stared with bloodshot eyes, his whole body trembling slightly. He felt a pain as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart. It wasn't that he hadn't considered the possibility that his goddess might not be single. After all, with her beauty, it would have been normal for her to have countless suitors. But when he witnessed it with his own eyes, he still found it unacceptable.
Resentment, indignation, jealousy, and spite viciously tore at his heart. An Tianhe suddenly spun around and walked away, not daring to take another look. He didn't even care if he would alert the goddess and her boyfriend. He stormed forward furiously as if only this could slightly alleviate the pain in his heart.
He felt like a complete joke. At 28 years old, how could he still believe in something as foolish as love at first sight? How could he have so willfully assumed she was his destiny? When reality slapped his beautiful dream to pieces, his burning face was a stark reminder of life's unpredictability and cruelty. Perhaps he had stayed in his comfortable bubble for too long. It was time to wake up, to reflect on his past experiences. Matters of the heart were never that simple or smooth. An Tianhe counseled himself with a bit of self-psychological guidance he had learned from his years of navigating society. Once he understood the crux of the matter, he realized that almost everything had been his own fantasy. To the goddess, he had never truly been a part of her life; he was merely a passerby. On what grounds could he accuse her of anything? Betrayal? Now that was the real joke! It was just that his sincere feelings had been in vain.
With a wry smile, he let out a long breath. He had no interest in joining his teammates for a smoke, so he turned and walked back to the house he was temporarily staying in. He washed up haphazardly and went to bed. But his heart still felt as if it were on fire, burning with a sour, swollen ache that made it impossible to sleep. So, the next morning, as expected, he went to the assembly point with a pair of dark circles under his eyes.
In the morning, over thirty search teams, totaling nearly a thousand people, set out simultaneously. They spent half a day completely clearing the road that connected to the provincial highway. The military field kitchen vehicles in the town delivered lunch directly to everyone working on the road. At the same time, they received a new order. To do everything in their power to ensure the road was clear and safe, and to guarantee that the friendly supply vehicles arrived safely in Longtan Town.
No wonder all the available armed forces had been called up today. So this was the reason! Vehicles coming from the provincial highway could only be from two directions: either from the Southwest Qianzhou region, or from the Northwest Rongcheng Military District. But no matter which, the arrival of ground troops meant the main force was soon to follow. This was truly fantastic news!
The noon meal was about the same as usual, but everyone ate with particular relish, especially the temporarily conscripted civilian men. With the main army's arrival, they could complete their duty, be relieved of their posts, and withdraw to the safety of the rear and reunite with their families. After enduring nearly half a month of hardship, they had finally waited for this day. It was wonderful!
However, by around two in the afternoon, the main force arrived consisted of only a few fuel tankers and transport trucks full of supplies and ammunition. Let alone tanks and armored units, they didn't even see a single fully-manned troop carrier. Like his teammates, An Tianhe felt a sense of doubt creep in.
Fortunately, they were all soon recalled back to Longtan Town. After returning their weapons and equipment, they learned that a general meeting was to be held. Aside from the soldiers and armed police maintaining order, they and the other civilians were all gathered near the town government auditorium. The area was quickly packed with a dense crowd of people.
Brigade Commander Chen of the Airborne Brigade and some leaders from Qinghe City were already seated on the stage. Seeing that most people had arrived, Brigade Commander Chen stood up, walked to the standing microphone, saluted everyone, and said, "Fathers, mothers, and fellow people of Qinghe City, comrades, soldiers! This meteorite disaster can be said to be unprecedented and rarely seen in the history of the Huaxia Empire. Both the military and the civilians have paid a huge sacrifice and price to safely evacuate to Longtan Town.
However, because the area affected by this disaster is far beyond just our Qinghe City, both rescue efficiency and material supply have been greatly impacted. Here, I solemnly represent all the officers and soldiers of the 15th Group Army's 134th Airborne Brigade in offering you our sincerest apologies! Our mission was not completed well, and our work was not up to standard..." With that, he bowed deeply to the front of the stage.
"No! how can this be your fault!!" someone shouted from the audience. "This is a natural disaster!! You've already done more than enough!!" Soon, more people chimed in in agreement.
"The Airborne Brigade sacrificed so many of its soldiers; we were all witnesses! Many of them weren't even locals, yet they died to save us... how can you... how can this be blamed on you?!" Some people began to choke up, and more started to wipe away tears.
Brigade Commander Chen, his eyes bloodshot, raised his head. At that moment, he seemed to have aged many years. "Thank you all for your tolerance and understanding! But we are the people's army, the soldiers of the nation. It is our duty to protect our land and its people! To die in battle in Qinghe City, they died a worthy death!
Currently, although the disaster situation has slightly eased, it is neither safe for you to remain here, nor can you be properly settled. Therefore, we have received an order from the General Front Committee and have reached an agreement with our friendly forces from Rongcheng to evacuate everyone from Qinghe in batches and send you to the Rongcheng area..."
The crowd immediately erupted in thunderous applause, with shouts and screams rising one after another. Even from this distance, one couldn't help but worry that the noise might agitate the zombie hordes in the city.
After the meeting, An Tianhe and the members of his search team assembled again. This time, it was Captain Gao's turn to bid them farewell. "Thank you all for accepting the conscription order at this critical moment, for fighting alongside us, and for maintaining daily order. Although we have been comrades for less than a month, this time will surely become a precious memory for me. At the same time, I have some good news for you. In recognition of your usual performance and abilities, Brigade Commander Chen has issued a special order: anyone who voluntarily stays to join the reserve force will be granted the formal benefits and status of the Airborne Brigade. Once the disaster and combat situation is over and you have completed basic training, you will be directly transferred to the rank of non-commissioned officer and remain in the service."
"What? Captain Gao, you're not leaving with us?"
"Our 134th Airborne Brigade originally belongs to the Jingchu Province. As long as the disaster in Qinghe City is not resolved, we will continue to fight here!" Captain Gao revealed a rare smile. "Although this is a rare opportunity, you must consider it carefully! The choice is entirely yours. If you are unwilling, that's fine too. Returning to the civilian life is your freedom and your right."
For some reason, An Tianhe had the absurd feeling of choosing between joining the "Survey Corps" to make a name for himself or going to the "Garrison Regiment" to live out his days in peace.
After Captain Gao left, giving them time to consider, the civilian team members began to discuss in small groups.
"So, what's the word, brothers? Got any ideas?" Guo Dazhuang, who was from the Northeast and nearly 1.9 meters tall, asked.
"Oh, come on. If we go back this time, it won't be as temporary conscripts. We'll be regular soldiers. We'll have to fight for real! You think you can handle it?" Xiao Hu, a 25-year-old local, adjusted his glasses, mimicking Guo Dazhuang's Northeastern accent.
Guo Dazhuang was unhappy to hear that. "What do you mean, can I handle it? Who are you looking down on."
"I say, Dazhuang, you really shouldn't be impulsive this time. You can't just think about yourself. You have to think about your parents and your family!" Zhang Jun, who was also powerfully built, advised him. His parents had already been evacuated to Rongcheng and he had been eager to leave for a while. An Tianhe felt the same way. He gave himself a mental slap. What are you thinking? You've never had any systematic military training, and you dare to risk your life with real combat? Choosing between this and that, trying to get yourself killed? Who will take care of your elderly parents? Who will carry on the family line? You're not even married yet. Stop these wild thoughts. If your parents found out, they would start calling you unfilial and curse you!
In the end, only a handful of people chose to stay voluntarily. Some had lost all their relatives and friends and were left with nothing but a desire for revenge. Others genuinely wanted the formal status and benefits, feeling that perhaps staying in the army was the safest place to be. Everyone had their own reasons, but they had all made their choice.
It would be impossible to say that Captain Gao hadn't anticipated this outcome; after all, the situation in the other search teams wasn't much better. A look of dejection appeared on his face. "Since you have made your choice, do not hesitate or look back. But I hope that before you leave, you will follow your final orders with the same dedication!"
Returning to the ranks, An Tianhe's mood was no longer as sullen as before. He was just calculating which batch he would be in and depart.
The fuel tankers that had entered Longtan Town were now refueling the various vehicles that had been prepared. After another hour or so of busy work, the first convoy finally set off. Leading the way were two assault vehicles, followed by a mix of minibuses, coaches, and transport trucks packed with people.
As the convoy slowly drove out of Longtan Town, the onlookers cheered. Some even waved and interacted with the people on the trucks, as if seeing a reflection of themselves leaving this place.
With his sharp eyes, An Tianhe spotted a familiar yet beautiful figure in the window of a passing luxury reception van. She was smiling brightly and looking carefree, her previous gloom had been swept away. Her eyes were filled with hope as she gazed into the distance, completely unaware that someone on the roadside was watching her.
A wave of inexplicable annoyance washed over An Tianhe. He turned his head to look elsewhere. Go, just go. The farther away, the better. Out of sight, out of mind!
As the convoy moved forward, the distance between the two of them grew wider and wider, as if they were in two different worlds.
***
Brigade Commander Chen of the Airborne Brigade stood with his hands behind his back, watching as the last of the convoy left. The weight on his shoulders eased slightly. He looked up and slowly exhaled. The sky above was still gloomy, with some clouds dyed in a strange purplish-black color. When they first appeared, they had made everyone's heart pound with anxiety.
At the time, there were rumors that this was a sign of the apocalypse, while others said it was caused by the meteorite burning through the atmosphere. However, according to the latest internal message from the Joint Scientific Research Institute, it was a special chemical reaction between an unknown alien substance released from the meteorite's body (which had cracked due to high-temperature friction during atmospheric entry) and the cloud layer. It was still under observation, and its level of threat had not yet been determined.
Soon, more than ten days passed. The purplish-black clouds remained the same, with no further mutations, though their color had faded slightly, as if they were slowly dissipating. They hung in the sky every day without any thunder or lightning, so the people gradually paid them no mind, as they didn't affect their lives. But Brigade Commander Chen always had an inexplicable sense of vigilance towards them. He hoped he was just overthinking it.