freenovelworld Chapter 542 Backup
Chapter 542 Backup
As expected, Zheng Fangzhou settled down in the City of Fire.
When what he saw and heard in the City of Flame was reported to the Undersea Central Hub through the Bluebird, those old guys were speechless for a long time.
In the command hall of the underwater hub, the light of the bluebird had faded for a full quarter of an hour.
But that silence remained like a heavy, dark cloud, pressing down on everyone's hearts.
No one dared to speak first.
They didn't doubt the authenticity of the City of Fire; they doubted their own choices, and they doubted the choices made by the official government since the apocalypse.
The aged voice remained silent for a long time, like a stone statue that had been dried by the wind for thousands of years, and finally let out an extremely long and heavy sigh.
"...three months."
"We've been hiding for almost a year since the apocalypse, but they've built a city on the ground."
An old man sitting in the corner couldn't help but speak up: "Fang Zhou has always been calm and composed. Could it be an exaggeration? After all, he was emotional after seeing that tree, and his words were certainly tinged with emotion."
"Exaggeration?" Another voice came from the other side, clearly mocking.
"Old Zhou, did you see that tree with your own eyes? Or did you taste that tea yourself? Fang Zhou's report clearly states that 'the World Tree towers into the clouds, and the city beneath it is over three hundred zhang long and wide, with walls about fifty meters high. Inside the city are schools, farms, experimental fields, etc.'—tell me, how can these things be exaggerated?"
Yes!
If it's specified down to the meter, how can it be exaggerated?
"this……"
"Alright." The aged voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"There's no point in arguing. I just hope he stays there a few more days and learns more."
He paused, then tapped his fingertips lightly twice on the table.
"Old Zhou, compile a list of the top ten bases and see which one is closest to the City of Fire!"
"Chief, what do you mean...?" the old man, who had just been choked up, asked tentatively.
"No! Every one of the top ten bases in the sequence is the foundation of our Great Xia. Exposing even one risks losing them all!" An old man closest to the commander suddenly became agitated.
"Old Wu, calm down! Even I don't have the authority to open the top ten bases in the sequence. What I want to say is, is the awakening of our nation's strength really inferior to that of a few teenagers?" The chief's gaze swept over the other four old men.
He did have the idea of opening up the top ten bases in the sequence, but only if the people in front of him all agreed, since that was the last remaining asset.
"There's no need to use the top ten bases in the sequence! 012 and the others can do it!" Old Wu's voice weakened; he knew he was talking nonsense.
The top ten bases in the sequence are vastly different from other bases. The sequences and data they preserve are the last embers of civilization, and it can even be said that each one is a backup of a civilization.
"..." The chief of staff did not say anything more; he believed that everyone understood this principle.
A low sigh echoed in the command hall.
Bearing the heavy responsibility of the nation and the future of humanity, they must be extremely careful in making any decision.
……
Meanwhile, in the city of torches.
Zheng Fangzhou was unaware of the decision made by the headquarters.
He had been living in the City of Fire for three days, and every day what he saw and heard was refreshing his understanding of "post-apocalyptic survival".
During those three days, he went through everything with the city's residents, planting and harvesting crops by hand in the plantation, feeding chickens and ducks on the farm, participating in hunting expeditions with the hunting team, telling the children about various underwater stories at the school, and even cooking meals for a whole day himself.
At this moment, he was no longer an outsider; he became a participant in the construction of the city, a survivor who regained hope in the apocalypse, and an ordinary member of society.
On the fourth day of his stay in the City of Fire, Zheng Fangzhou got up earlier than anyone else.
The blood-red sun had just peeked out from behind the eastern mountain ridge, its dark red light like a thin layer of watercolor, turning the emerald green of the World Tree into a warm amber color.
He pushed open the door of the stone house, stood under the porch, and took a deep breath of the morning air. The fragrance of grass and trees mixed with the dampness of the soil made him feel as if he had returned to an ordinary morning before the apocalypse.
He stared blankly at the sky. He hadn't felt this energetic in a long time. Even feeding chickens and ducks gave him an unprecedented sense of vitality.
In the City of Fire, he seemed to come alive again.
"Brother Zheng, so early?" Fu Xiaojian's voice came from not far away.
Zheng Fangzhou turned around and saw Fu Xiaojian walking towards him along the stone path.
"It's time to go to the City Lord's Mansion today to handle my official business!" This was also the reason why Fu Xiaojian came to greet him so early.
Zheng Fangzhou smiled faintly, looking at the cheerful Fu Xiaojian. He exhaled softly, as if he were expelling something that had been accumulating in his chest for too long.
"Lord Fu," he said.
"Just call me Fu Xiaojian." Fu Xiaojian was taken aback; he knew that some important matters always needed to be discussed.
"Brother Fu." Zheng Fangzhou did not address Fu Xiaojian by his name directly, but instead addressed him as a brother. This was a sign of respect for the achievements of the City of Fire and for the efforts of everyone involved.
"I want to ask you a question, and you have to answer me honestly."
"Go ahead and ask."
Zheng Fangzhou remained silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the giant tree that seemed to stretch across the sky.
"Aren't you... really afraid?"
Fu Xiaojian paused for a moment.
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid all of this will vanish in the blink of an eye."
Instead of expressing himself veiledly, he was more direct than ever before.
Because he had witnessed the death and lamentation of cities since the end of time, he feared that everything before him would be just like it had been in the past.
He feared that this farmland would turn back into barren land tomorrow, and he feared even more that everyone in this city would end up in their final struggle before death.
Fu Xiaojian didn't speak. He remained silent for a while, then turned his head to look at Zheng Fangzhou. There was no pity or sympathy in his eyes, only a calmness.
"We are not afraid of failure, we are only afraid of not having the courage to rebuild," he said.
In fact, before he even connected the caravan, he had prepared for repeated failures, for dying during the migration, and even for the total annihilation of his entire crew.
But it was done for him, it was done for this group of people.
Even if they fail, so what? They had nothing before, so they are not afraid of going back to having nothing.
Is he afraid?
Of course he was afraid; which resident of the city wasn't?
But does that mean we shouldn't build the City of Fire?
Does fear mean we should retreat and yield step by step?
The principles he was taught from childhood were not like this.
The best way to eliminate fear is to face it directly.