202: Chapter 201 Bowing in Apology! Feeling Remorse and Taking Responsibility to Unite the Army; Sincere Repentance to Gather the Strength of the Group (3)

[System Prompt: High mountain canyon detected in the target area. Hazards such as strong winds and avalanches are present. Airflow patterns in the canyon have been analyzed, and a wind resistance optimization plan for xuanguang equipment has been generated; avalanche risk areas have been marked, and it is recommended to avoid these areas for work; the Xiangnan Province Meteorological Bureau has been contacted for real-time weather data, and heavy snowfall is expected in two hours.]

Mu Li stared at the system prompt clearly surfacing in his mind, his knuckles unconsciously tightening around the Xuanguang Energy Controller, his fingertips turning white from the force. His brow furrowed into a deep trench, and the anxiety in his eyes was like Mars ignited by the wind and snow, burning brighter and brighter. Two hours—a mere two hours. Not only did they have to traverse the blizzard to reach the canyon, but they also had to complete the power tower repairs; not a single second could be wasted. He looked out of the cockpit; the night was as dark as ink, and snowflakes like sharp ice shards slammed hard against the Assault Boat's portholes with a crisp "crackling" sound. A thin layer of frost quickly condensed on the glass, blurring the view outside. "Pilot, reach the target area at maximum speed! Full sprint, do not delay for a single second!" His voice was several shades deeper than usual, carrying an indisputable urgency. His breathing was more rapid than normal, and as his Adam's apple bobbed, fine goosebumps could be seen on his neck from the cold.

The Assault Boat's engine roared, racing through the night like an arrow from a bow. The fuselage jolted violently in the strong turbulence as if it might be torn apart by the gale at any moment. The emergency lights inside flickered, causing the solemn faces of the team members to appear and disappear. The members gripped the handrails tightly, their knuckles turning blue from the effort, their faces filled with gravity. No one spoke; only the roar of the engine and the sound of wind and snow battering the fuselage echoed in the cabin, with the occasional suppressed groan from the jolting. Two hours later, the Assault Boat finally reached the skies above the high mountain canyon in Xiangnan Province with great difficulty. As it slowly descended, Mu Li looked through the porthole, and the sight before him made his heart sink—the mountains on both sides of the canyon were covered in thick snow, like crouching giant beasts. The slopes were steep, and snow slid down the crevices of the rock walls, piling into thick drifts at the foot of the mountains. The gale carried goose-feather snow, howling and swirling through the canyon, kicking up the snow on the ground into white mists. Visibility was less than ten meters, and even the distant peaks had become blurred. At the bottom of the valley, a 500kV Main Power Tower over 80 meters tall had already collapsed. Its twisted steel supports looked like broken giant bones, with ice cycles still clinging to the fractures. The severed power lines were tangled together, encased in thick, hard ice, swaying slightly in the wind and snow as if they might fall again at any moment, emitting a faint "creaking" sound. Under a wind-shielding rock at the edge of the canyon, the team members led by Zhao Gang huddled together. Their combat uniforms had long been soaked by the snow, with thin ice crusts forming on their collars and cuffs. Everyone's face was frozen purple, their noses bright red, and their exhaled breath instantly condensed into tiny ice particles that stuck to their eyelashes. Yet, they still stared intently at the collapse site at the bottom of the valley, their eyes full of anxiety and helplessness. Seeing the Assault Boat in the sky, a light of hope instantly ignited in their eyes, and they struggled to stand up, but their legs were stiff from huddling for so long, so they could only move slowly by leaning against the rocks.

The Assault Boat struggled to adjust its posture in the gale, its wings sweeping over the snow and kicking up clouds of ice particles before finally landing steadily on a clearing at the edge of the canyon. As soon as the hatch opened, the bone-chilling wind surged in, carrying snow particles that stung the face like needles, instantly penetrating the thick combat uniforms and sending a chill spreading through their limbs. Mu Li was the first to jump off the Assault Boat, his heavy combat boots making a "crunching" sound on the snow. The snow immediately went over the tops of his boots, and icy meltwater seeped in, numbing his toes. He wrapped his combat uniform tighter, pulling up the collar to cover half his face, and raised a hand to wipe the snow off his face. When his fingertips touched his cheeks, he could feel an icy stiffness. He ran quickly toward Zhao Gang and the others, with his team members following closely behind, their footsteps uneven in the deep snow. Snow kept pouring into their trouser legs, but there was no hesitation. "Zhao Gang, what's the situation?" Mu Li's voice was somewhat raspy from the wind. As he approached, he noticed that Zhao Gang's cheeks were frozen red and his lips were purple and even somewhat cracked. His hands were stiff and even a bit swollen from holding equipment for a long time, with snow and dirt embedded under his fingernails. Even the motion of raising his hand seemed sluggish.

"Engineer Mu, you're finally here!" Zhao Gang hurried to meet him. As he spoke, his white breath was instantly scattered by the gale. He rubbed his stiff hands, the friction of his fingertips making a faint "rustling" sound, his tone full of urgency and helplessness. "This section of the power tower is a main line for Xiangnan Province. If the interruption lasts too long, the power supply for millions of people will completely collapse. Heating, lighting, and emergency rescue will all be affected. If the elderly and children in the mountains lose their heat, they won't be able to withstand this sub-zero cold of over ten degrees. Look, after the tower collapsed, the lines got tangled very tightly and are encased in thick ice. The ice crust is as hard as a steel plate; there's no way to clear it directly. Moreover, the wind speed in the canyon has reached 25 meters per second. As soon as our Xuanguang Ice-breaking Equipment starts, it gets blown around by the gale, making it impossible to aim accurately at the target. Several times, it almost hit the mountain, and the equipment casing has been scratched. Even more dangerous is that the snow on the mountains on both sides of the canyon is particularly thick. Small-scale snow blocks have already slid down, making loud 'thumping' sounds as they hit the ground. A large-scale avalanche could happen at any moment. We didn't dare to venture deep into the valley and could only wait at the edge, looking at the collapsed power tower, as anxious as ants on a hot pan." As Zhao Gang spoke, he pointed toward the mountains on both sides of the canyon. Following his finger, Mu Li could clearly see that the snow on the mountains showed obvious signs of loosening, with occasional small snow particles rolling down, tracing faint arcs in the blizzard before hitting the snow and vanishing instantly.

Mu Li nodded and looked toward the canyon. The gale carried snowflakes that made it hard to keep his eyes open, so he could only squint to barely make out the situation at the bottom of the valley. The bone-chilling wind seeped through his collar, making him feel cold all over, and his teeth couldn't help but chatter slightly. The Xuanguang Energy in his body subconsciously activated, forming a faint golden barrier around him that blocked out some of the chill. The surface of the barrier shimmered with a faint glow, creating a sharp contrast with the blizzard. Just then, the system prompt sounded in his mind again: [System Prompt: Power tower repair plan generated. Step one, use a Xuanguang Energy Barrier to block the strong winds and create a stable environment for the repair work; step two, use precise xuanguang cutting device to cut the tangled power lines; step three, use xuanguang lifting equipment to lift the collapsed power tower components away from the site; step four, set up a temporary power tower to restore power to the main line. Estimated completion time: 3 hours. Warning: Heavy snowfall is imminent; work progress must be accelerated, or you will be trapped by the snow.]

Mu Li's heart skipped a beat. The estimated time of 3 hours coincided exactly with the arrival of the heavy snowfall. Any delay could result in everyone being trapped in the canyon by the snow. He no longer hesitated and immediately turned around, shouting orders to the team members behind him. His voice cut through the gale, reaching everyone clearly: "Execute according to the system-generated plan! Group one, take the Xuanguang Energy Barrier Equipment and enter the canyon immediately to set up a temporary barrier in the valley repair area. You must block the strong wind to create a stable environment for subsequent work! Group two, take the precise xuanguang cutting device and get ready. Once the barrier is set up, enter immediately and precisely cut the tangled power lines. Be careful to avoid the ice cycles on the lines to prevent equipment damage. Be extremely careful during operation not to be scratched by the ice cycles! Group three, take the xuanguang lifting equipment and stand by outside the barrier. Once the lines are cut, immediately lift the collapsed tower components away from the site to clear space for the repairs. Pay attention to balance during lifting to avoid components falling and injuring people! Group four, responsible for observing the snow on the mountains. Split into two teams to keep an eye on the mountains on both sides of the canyon. Once you find signs of an avalanche, sound the alarm immediately. Everyone must evacuate at once—there must be no hesitation!"

"Understood!" the team members responded in unison, their voices resonant and powerful. Although their faces still bore weariness and cold, their eyes instantly became determined. They immediately sprang into action. The four members of group one shouldered the heavy Xuanguang Energy Barrier Equipment. The equipment casing was covered in a thin layer of ice, and the cold sensation seeped through their gloves. They pushed against the gale, walking toward the bottom of the valley step by step. The wind almost knocked them over, so they supported each other, arms tightly linked, their steps steady and every pace exceptionally difficult. The snow on them grew thicker, and snowflakes fell on their hair and shoulders, gradually piling into small mounds, yet no one stopped. Group two members quickly checked the precise xuanguang cutting device, adjusting the energy output. Their fingers were stiff with cold, requiring extra force to press the buttons, and their fingertips were even somewhat unresponsive, yet they were exceptionally serious, not missing a single detail, repeatedly checking the equipment's lines and energy interfaces to ensure it could operate normally. Group three members got the xuanguang lifting equipment into position, controlling the equipment's mechanical arms, their eyes fixed on the bottom of the valley, ready to work at any moment. Group four members quickly split into two teams and ran to high points on both sides of the canyon, finding hidden observation points to keep a close watch on the mountain snow. Their eyes were alert, not daring to slacken in the slightest, and they were ready to press the alarms at any moment, their fingertips resting on the buttons, even their breathing becoming cautious.

Ten or so minutes later, a faint hum came from the bottom of the valley. Group one successfully installed the Xuanguang Energy Barrier Equipment, its base driven deep into the snow-covered ground and firmly secured. As the equipment started, a golden semi-transparent barrier instantly expanded, firmly shrouding the repair area at the bottom of the valley. The edges of the barrier glowed with a faint golden light, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding white snow. The gale was blocked firmly outside the barrier; while the wind howled outside, it was exceptionally calm inside. The wind speed dropped instantly, and the snowflakes were also kept out. The originally chaotic valley bottom suddenly became relatively stable. "Great! We can start working!" Zhao Gang shouted excitedly, a long-absent smile appearing on his face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes becoming particularly prominent because of it. He rubbed his stiff hands, exhaled a breath of hot air, and was the first to walk into the barrier. Group two members followed closely behind, carrying the precise xuanguang cutting device, their steps much lighter as they entered the repair area.

Group two members immediately started the precise xuanguang cutting device. A slender and dazzling golden beam of light shot out from the device. The beam was thin but contained immense energy. With the system's assistance, the beam precisely targeted the tangled power lines, avoiding the ice cycles and twisted steel supports. During the cutting process, the ice cycles were melted by the beam, making a "sizzling" sound. The melted ice water dripped along the lines and instantly condensed into tiny ice particles in the low temperature, hitting the ground with a faint "patter." The members gripped the equipment tightly, their arms aching slightly from holding one position for a long time. Their eyes were focused, staring intently at the cutting point as they carefully adjusted the beam's angle to cut the tangled lines bit by bit. Every movement was exceptionally cautious, for fear of accidentally damaging the lines and affecting the subsequent power restoration. The fine beads of sweat on their foreheads instantly condensed into tiny ice pearls in the low temperature, sticking to their foreheads and cheeks.

At the same time, group three members also operated the xuanguang lifting equipment, entering the barrier to lift the collapsed power tower components away one by one. The xuanguang lifting equipment emitted a low hum, and golden energy ropes firmly wrapped around the heavy tower components. Where the ropes touched the components, a faint golden light appeared, providing a non-slip and securing effect. They slowly lifted them and transported them to a safe area at the edge of the canyon. Mu Li also personally participated in the work. The Xuanguang Energy in his body flowed slowly as he condensed a faint golden light in his hands, pressing them lightly against the lifting equipment to inject energy into it and stabilize its operation while assisting the team members in adjusting the lifting angles to speed up the process. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, mixing with the snow particles on his face and condensing into tiny ice pearls in the low temperature. They slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the snow, instantly melting into small water marks, but he didn't notice at all. His eyes were fixed on the tower components being lifted, his gaze focused and determined, without even a furrow of his brow.

Time passed minute by minute, and the repair work proceeded in a tense and orderly manner. The wind and snow outside the canyon grew even larger, and the howling of the gale became louder as if it wanted to swallow the entire canyon. The snow on the mountains also became increasingly loose, with occasional large blocks of snow sliding down and hitting the ground with a deafening roar. Group four members still kept a close watch on the mountain snow, not daring to slacken in the slightest. One of the members discovered that the snow on the left mountain of the canyon showed obvious signs of sliding. Small snow blocks were constantly rolling down, becoming more and more frequent, and the cracks on the mountain were also slowly expanding. He immediately gripped the alarm in his hand and shouted loudly, "Attention! The snow on the left mountain is loose; there are signs of an avalanche!" His voice carried a hint of urgency, cutting through the gale and reaching everyone's ears clearly.