194: Citywide power supply

The snowstorm was fierce, and cold air blew through the cracks in the Main Hall windows, pressing the hearth fire down low.

Shen Xiaochuan stood motionless in front of the broadcast device, still wearing his fur coat, his fingers hovering near the transmit button.

Lilith brought over a bowl of hot soup and said softly, "Have a sip. It's too cold outside, don't go out."

He shook his head, his voice a bit hoarse. "The work isn't finished; I can't rest."

"Lolia and the others have gone to take their shifts for rest; you should take a break too." She placed the bowl on the table, and steam rose up, fogging the glass.

"I can't rest." He looked out the window. "She said that metal contracts in the cold, making joints prone to loosening. The entire city's power lines are running at their limit right now, and I have to keep an eye on them."

Just as he finished speaking, the terminal rang. It was an alarm from the Industrial Zone control room: Substation No. 1 had tripped, and the voltage at node No. 3 had dropped.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately headed out. As soon as the door opened, heavy snow rushed into his face. He lowered his head and charged forward; his work clothes quickly iced over, and his footsteps on the snow made a crunching sound.

Lilith chased him to the door and shouted something, but the wind was too strong, and he couldn't hear it.

Twenty minutes later, he pushed open the door to the control room. The radiators in the room were rattling, but it was still very cold.

Lolia was sitting at the control console, one glove removed, pointing at the waveform graph on the screen with a pen. Her face was pale, and she had heavy dark circles under her eyes.

"You didn't go back?" Shen Xiaochuan walked over and asked.

"I had just laid down when I received the alarm." She didn't turn around. "The cable joints are aged and have cracked in the low temperature. The backup lines held for ten minutes, but now they're about to fail, too."

The red light on the screen kept flashing.

"Have you replaced the Materials?" he asked.

"I replaced two sections, but the inventory isn't enough. The rest are still old lines."

Shen Xiaochuan opened the Faith Mall and quickly scrolled through the screen. Insulation layers, high-conductivity alloy cables, cold-resistant junction boxes—he added them to his cart one by one. The prices popped up, but he didn't even look at them, paying immediately.

"They'll be delivered within half an hour," he said.

Lolia turned to look at him. "Something this expensive, if we replace it for the whole city..."

"As long as it's enough, that's fine." He interrupted. "Prioritize critical areas first. The Hospital, the nursery, and the main control center; these three points get power first. Send power to other areas in batches; don't let the power grid burn out."

She nodded, pulled up the zoning map, and began to rearrange the power supply sequence. Shen Xiaochuan stood behind her watching the data, reciting parameters continuously: "Stabilize the voltage in Zone A, drop 15 volts in Zone B, switch to backup circuits in Zone C..."

The two of them stood there like that, issuing commands one after another. The wind howled outside, and inside, there was only the sound of typing and the electronic hum of current.

Forty minutes later, the first batch of Materials arrived. Workers braved the snowstorm and began replacing the lines. Shen Xiaochuan put on a protective suit and went out personally, connecting cables in minus sixty degrees. His hands were numb from the cold, but he didn't stop. As soon as one was connected, he immediately connected the next. Lolia commanded from the monitoring console, reporting temperature changes every five minutes.

"The outer insulation layer is starting to become brittle," she said.

"Pick up the speed," he replied. "The main line connection must be completed in ten minutes."

The snow fell harder and harder, and the ice on the utility poles was like knives. Someone slipped, crawled back up, and continued working. When the third main cable was connected, Shen Xiaochuan's glove tore, and the back of his hand touched the metal, immediately sticking to a layer of ice. He ripped it off, blood mixed with ice dripping down, but he didn't make a sound.

At 3:17 AM, the main control System emitted a long sound.

"The main grid is connected, and the voltage is stable." Lolia stared at the screen, her voice trembling slightly. "It's through... we've got power."

Shen Xiaochuan took off his gloves; his right palm was full of cracks. He didn't look at his injuries, only asking, "Is the whole city powered up?"

"No," she shook her head. "Only the three core areas are on. Residential areas need to be powered in batches, for fear of overloading."

"Then start now," he said. "Is the broadcast ready?"

"Waiting for your order."

He walked to the communicator and pressed the button.

"Attention all residents of Skydome City." His voice spread throughout the city. "The power System has been restored. We will gradually supply power to each district. Please keep your electrical appliances turned off and wait for notification before turning them on. Repeating, do not connect power yourselves to prevent short circuits."

After speaking, he released the button and said to Lolia, "Send the power."

She took a deep breath and pushed the main switch.

The first beam of light illuminated the central Hospital. The corridor lights all brightened at once; the duty nurse looked up for a few seconds, then rushed into the ward: "Power is on! Tell the patients, the heat is coming!"

Next, the floor heating in the nursery began to warm up. The children, huddled in their blankets, suddenly felt their feet warm up and opened their eyes one by one. A Little Girl sat up and touched the floor, shouting, "The floor... the floor has become hot!"

In the control room, the green areas on the monitoring screen slowly expanded. Shen Xiaochuan leaned against the table, staring at the data stream, not saying a word. Lolia watched the screen, her voice tired but happy: "Citywide power supply status: Zone A is normal, Zone B is stable, and Zone C is also connected."

No one cheered. Everyone was exhausted. Several Technicians fell asleep on the tables, their breathing mixed with the sound of the machines.

Suddenly, sparks erupted on an old street in the Eastern District. Someone saw it from a window and screamed, "Fire!"

The alarm sounded. Shen Xiaochuan immediately grabbed the communicator: "Attention all districts, the sparks just now were normal discharge from old circuits when power was turned on; there is no open flame, and there is no danger. Please do not panic; Technicians are already on the way."

He put down the microphone and said to Lolia, "Turn on the streetlights."

She pressed a button, and the lights on both sides of the main street all lit up. The strong light pierced through the snowstorm, illuminating a path. The patrol team walked along the light, knocking on doors house by house to confirm the situation.

Shen Xiaochuan changed into his field uniform and prepared to go out. Lilith chased in, holding a pile of things: "These are for you; a cold-proof mat, an emergency light, and... the manual for the electric blanket, I copied a simple version."

He took them and nodded. "You don't need to follow."

"I know," she stood at the door. "But I need you to know that someone is waiting for you to come back for a meal."

He didn't speak, pulled the door open, and walked out.

The snow was still falling, but there were already people on the road. Some stood by the window touching the radiators, unable to believe they were really hot. Shen Xiaochuan went to each home, teaching the elderly how to plug in the electric blanket, how to adjust the temperature, and how to set a timer to turn it off. An old lady, her hands trembling, pressed the switch, and when she saw the light come on, tears streamed down her face.

"How many years has it been since I slept on a warm bed..." she said softly.

"From now on, you'll have it every day." Shen Xiaochuan tucked in the four corners of the blanket. "Don't set the temperature above level three, turn it off two hours before sleeping; safety first."

When he left, the old lady chased him to the door and stuffed a burnt pancake into his hand: "The last bit of flour from my own stove, take it to eat on the road." He accepted it and put it in his bag.

It was already six in the morning when he returned to the control room. Lolia was still at her post, but her eyes were barely open. Shen Xiaochuan told her to go rest, taking over the monitoring himself. The data was all normal, and the citywide power supply had been running stably for over two hours.

He picked up the broadcast device and pressed the button.

"I am Shen Xiaochuan," he said. "It is now 6:18 AM. Skydome City, citywide power supply is complete. Floor heating, electric blankets, and lighting are all activated. As of now, there are no casualties. You can warm yourselves, cook, and turn on the lights to read in peace. In this city, not a single person has been left behind."

The broadcast ended, he put down the microphone and walked to the window.

The snowstorm had eased a little. There was still snow on the distant roofs, but the streetlights were on, like points of light nailed to the ground. In front of a small shop, the owner was shoveling snow, and a sign stood beside him: "Open today, hot food available."

The guards at the street corner changed shifts, the new person stomping their feet as they entered the sentry box, where warm air was already blowing out.

Shen Xiaochuan took off his coat, revealing his work clothes. The copper gear pendant on his cuff was stained with snow water and had turned a bit dark. He didn't wipe it, sitting back down at the monitoring console and staring at the current curve on the screen.

Lilith brought over a bowl of noodles and placed it gently on the table. She didn't speak, just glanced at him, then sat on a chair in the corner, hugging her knees and waiting.

Before handing over her shift, Lolia checked the System one last time, her hands trembling as she took off her gloves. A colleague helped her stand up, she said "I'm fine," and slowly walked out of the control room.

The moment the door closed, Shen Xiaochuan heard her footsteps pause, as if she had turned back to look.

He didn't turn back.

The numbers on the screen were jumping, steady as a heartbeat.

He knew it wasn't over yet. The cold wave hadn't receded, supplies were tight, and there was still much to do. But for now, at least at this moment, the lights were on, the walls were warm, and people were alive.

He picked up the noodles and blew on them.

The noodles were a bit soggy, but the soup was still hot.