Chapter 209
“I just wanted to ask when the breach in the dam will be completely sealed,” Song Nianchu said, her expression softening considerably.
Seeing that Song Nianchu was covered in mud as well, the man assumed she was part of the rescue team, and his attitude improved somewhat.
“It’s not as simple as you think. The breach is extremely large, and the dam’s foundation has already begun to loosen. We can’t act recklessly. Otherwise, not only might we fail to seal the breach, but we could also cause an even larger collapse.”
“I see.” Song Nianchu nodded.
“All right, there’s no need for you to worry about these matters. Go back down,” the man said, beginning to chase them away again.
“Okay.” Song Nianchu didn’t linger. She merely glanced toward the dam several more times before turning to leave.
By the time she returned to the camp, Zhao Yuanshan and the others were already awake.
“Comrade Song? Where did you go so early in the morning?” Zhao Yuanshan asked, looking surprised to see her returning from outside.
“I went up to take a look at the dam,” Song Nianchu replied.
“It’s too dangerous over there. Don’t go by yourself again,” Zhao Yuanshan reminded her.
“I know.” Song Nianchu nodded.
“Oh, breakfast is ready. Go eat first,” Zhao Yuanshan said.
Song Nianchu was just about to nod when she suddenly remembered something. She looked at Zhao Yuanshan seriously.
“Team Leader Zhao, the weather is still fairly hot, and there’s water everywhere around here. Bodies that have been soaking in the water can easily contaminate the water supply. You’d better remind everyone not to drink untreated water directly. As for the bodies we recover, we should bury them together in one place if possible, to prevent an outbreak of infectious disease.”
“Don’t worry. We already warned everyone about that,” Zhao Yuanshan said with a nod.
“That’s good.” Song Nianchu acknowledged this with a hum.
“You go eat first. I’m heading out to help with the rescue.”
“Okay.”
“……”
Song Nianchu turned and started walking toward the place where meals were being served, but after only a few steps, she suddenly realized something was wrong.
If Zhao Yuanshan and the others had already warned everyone about these precautions, then why would an epidemic break out later?
Had some areas simply not been handled properly?
Song Nianchu’s brows drew tightly together.
During breakfast, Song Nianchu scanned the crowd and deliberately moved closer to a group of people whose clothes were relatively clean.
They were probably technical personnel who didn’t need to take part in the frontline rescue efforts, so they were relatively cleaner than the others.
Song Nianchu had always been adept at making connections. By the time the meal was over, she had already become familiar with the group.
From them, she also learned a few things about the dam repairs. Apparently, they had run into difficulties with their calculations and had no idea how much longer the existing dam could hold.
Song Nianchu understood very little of the technical details, but she knew they were facing a serious problem.
Mu Shi’an’s figure suddenly surfaced in her mind. If he were here, would he be able to solve their problem more quickly?
With that thought in mind, Song Nianchu went to find the villagers who had come with her after finishing breakfast.
“Chu.”
It had only been one day since they had last seen each other, yet those fellow villagers had already become so covered in dust and grime that Song Nianchu might not have recognized them if she hadn’t known them so well.
“You need to go back to the village in a little while.” Song Nianchu quietly gave the man a few instructions.
“This is extremely important. You must relay my words exactly as I’ve told you.” Song Nianchu stared at him with a serious expression.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your message gets through exactly as you said,” the villager promised.
“Good. Be careful on your way back. As long as you keep yourself safe, get there as quickly as you can.” Song Nianchu was afraid that the round trip would delay things even further.
“Okay.” The man swallowed his last bite of steamed bun and hurried off.
Song Nianchu looked toward the dam, a darker look settling into her eyes.
Earlier, Meng Yingying had told her that the local leaders’ mismanagement had been responsible for the disaster. At the time, Song Nianchu had assumed she meant a mistake in their orders, which was why she hadn’t brought Mu Shi’an with her. After all, the situation here was so dangerous that someone had to stay behind to look after their family.
But after making some inquiries, it seemed the problem was actually a mistake in their calculations.
If it was a problem with the calculations, Mu Shi’an might be able to solve it.
If he couldn’t, then she would go to Zhao Yuanshan.
After conveying the important message, Song Nianchu threw herself back into the urgent rescue efforts.
Over the course of that day, Song Nianchu found quite a few people from the brigade. However, compared with the original three hundred, it was still far too few. After taking stock, they had found fewer than a hundred people.
Two days had already passed. In a disaster like this, the golden window for rescue was usually only two or three days.
Once that period passed, the mortality rate would rise dramatically.
Song Nianchu found the number of casualties difficult to accept. That night, she even took people out with flashlights to search for survivors. To her surprise, they really did manage to find several more people.
“……”
Mu Shi’an arrived on the evening of the third day. He was travel-worn from the journey, but the moment Song Nianchu saw him, her exhausted face immediately lit up with a brilliant smile.
She was simply too tired to move, however, and could only stand where she was, waiting for Mu Shi’an to walk toward her step by step.
“How did you end up like this?” Mu Shi’an stopped in front of Song Nianchu and looked at her mud-covered body, his voice hoarse.
“This is nothing. Look at everyone else. Apart from their eyes and teeth, hardly any part of them is clean,” Song Nianchu said with a smile.
Mu Shi’an pressed his lips together without saying anything, but Song Nianchu could sense that he was in a bad mood.
“All right, I’m not hurt. I’m only dirty. I have something more important to tell you right now.” Song Nianchu knew that Mu Shi’an was worried about her, but the situation was urgent, and every second counted. She could only steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.
“Tell me.” Mu Shi’an knew that Song Nianchu would never have sent someone back to call him unless it was something important.
“Come with me.” Song Nianchu led Mu Shi’an toward the dam.
They stopped just before reaching it.
“There’s a breach in the dam here. So far, no suitable repair plan has been found, and the foundation has already begun to loosen. At the moment, no one can accurately calculate how much longer the dam can hold. Can you figure it out?” Song Nianchu quickly explained why she had summoned Mu Shi’an.
Mu Shi’an studied the imposing dam across from them.
“I’ve studied some mechanics before. If I can get the detailed data, I can give it a try.”
A great deal of knowledge in physics was universally applicable, and mechanics could be used in all kinds of situations.
The same applied to bridges and similar structures.
“That’s wonderful…” Song Nianchu’s face brightened, but before she could finish speaking, an irritated voice came from behind them.
“You again? And this time you’ve even brought someone else with you?”
Song Nianchu turned around and saw the same gaunt man who had driven her away earlier.