203: Chapter 202 Mystery in the Snowy Night! Chasing Shadows and Unraveling the Mystery, Rescuing People from a Dangerous Building (1)

Just then, the system notification rang in his mind again, its tone carrying an urgent warning: [System Notification: Detected a decrease in the stability of the mountain snowpack; avalanche risk level upgraded to high danger! Heavy snowfall will arrive in 30 minutes!]

Mu Li's heart instantly leaped into his throat. He glanced up at the wind and snow outside the canyon—it was already so heavy that distant sights were obscured. Then he looked at the unfinished repair work at the bottom of the valley. Half of the tower components had yet to be hoisted away, and the temporary transmission tower was only halfway built. He shouted loudly, "Everyone, speed up! The avalanche risk level has increased, and heavy snow will be here in 30 minutes! We must finish the repairs before the snowfall hits! Everyone, give it your all!" With that, the Xuanguang Energy within him erupted at full power. The golden light surrounding his body grew increasingly dazzling, as eye-catching as a blazing sun, continuously pouring into the hoisting and cutting equipment. The operational efficiency of the machines surged, the cutting beams grew brighter, and the hoisting speed noticeably accelerated.

The team members also felt the urgency of time and the approach of danger. They all quickened their movements, their fatigue replaced by a sense of urgency. The cutting beams in the hands of Group Two became brighter, and their cutting speed significantly increased; the tangled transmission lines were cut and organized bit by bit, stacked neatly to the side. Group Three operated the hoisting equipment, accelerating the removal of tower components, making the repair space at the bottom of the valley wider and wider, while the construction of the temporary transmission tower progressed rapidly. Group One remained by the Energy Barrier, closely monitoring its energy consumption and replenishing it in a timely manner to ensure the barrier could operate stably and block out the howling winds and snow outside. Their hands grew stiffer from the frequent operation of the equipment, yet they didn't relax for a moment. Everyone's face was covered in sweat, which soaked their collars and then froze into ice in the low temperature, sticking to their skin with a bone-chilling cold. Yet, not a single person stopped, their hearts held only one belief—complete the repairs as soon as possible, restore power, and evacuate safely.

Finally, ten minutes before the heavy snowfall arrived, the last tangled transmission line was successfully cut, all the collapsed transmission tower components were hoisted from the scene, and the construction of the temporary transmission tower was basically complete, leaving only the final step—connecting the transmission lines. "Last step, connect the transmission lines! Move fast!" Mu Li ordered loudly, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness. Continuous high-intensity work had depleted his physical strength significantly, and the pain from his old injury flared up again, spreading from his shoulder throughout his body. He endured it, showing no sign of it, remaining focused on assisting the team members in connecting the lines.

The team members immediately picked up the Xuanguang wiring equipment and walked quickly to the base of the temporary transmission tower to begin connecting the lines. The Xuanguang wiring equipment emitted a soft golden light, and the golden Xuanguang Energy flowed slowly at the connection points like a golden stream, precisely connecting the broken lines and melting the hard ice at the interfaces to ensure a firm connection and prevent any poor contact. The team members' fingers were still stiff, and they occasionally made mistakes while operating, but they corrected them immediately. Every wiring step was done meticulously, without the slightest carelessness—they knew that this final step concerned the electricity supply for millions of people and the safety of everyone's lives, leaving no room for error.

"Connection complete! We can start the power-on test!" a team member shouted excitedly, a weary but gratified smile appearing on his face. His voice trembled slightly—a tremor of excitement and relief. His hands shook slightly from the emotion, and the ice shards on his fingertips fell off.

Mu Li immediately took out his communicator and dialed the Xiangnan Province Power Department. His tone was urgent yet steady, and his fingertips turned slightly pale from the pressure: "We have completed the construction of the temporary transmission tower and the line connections. We can proceed with the power-on test!"

The excited voice of a power department staff member came from the other end of the communicator, carrying undisguised joy: "Received! Commencing power-on test immediately!"

A few seconds later, the indicator lights on the temporary transmission tower slowly lit up, turning from red to green. The brilliant green light was exceptionally striking amidst the swirling snow, like a star in the darkness. Immediately afterward, cheers from the power department staff came from outside the canyon, their voices piercing through the gale and clearly reaching the bottom of the valley: "Power-on successful! The transmission lines have resumed normal power supply!"

"Great! We succeeded!" The team members at the bottom of the valley also cheered excitedly, their fatigue instantly replaced by joy. Some pumped their fists, causing snow to slide off; others high-fived, the contact making a crisp sound. Radiant smiles appeared on everyone's faces as the fatigue and tension of the past few days vanished in an instant.

"Quick! Evacuate immediately! An avalanche could happen at any moment!" Mu Li didn't lose himself in the joy; he immediately shouted, his tone urgent and his eyes full of vigilance. He knew clearly that now was not the time to relax. The risk of an avalanche still existed, and the heavy snowfall was imminent. They had to evacuate the canyon as quickly as possible and head to a safe area. He took the lead in running toward the outside of the barrier, his steps hurried, and the team members behind him followed immediately, not daring to linger.

The team members immediately packed up their equipment and, without staying any longer, followed Mu Li, running quickly toward the outside of the canyon. Their steps were hurried, making a rapid "crunching" sound on the snow. Behind them, at the bottom of the valley, the green indicator light on the temporary transmission tower remained lit, guarding the electricity safety of millions. Just as they ran out of the canyon and reached a safe area, a deafening roar came from behind them, echoing through the valley like thunder. The ground shook violently, and the snow beneath their feet trembled. A massive avalanche occurred on the mountain slopes on both sides of the canyon. Thick snow poured down like a surging tide, like a white giant beast, instantly burying the entire canyon. The repair area from moments ago was instantly covered by white snow, leaving no trace, only a vast sea of white.

Mu Li and the team members stopped and looked back. Seeing the scene before them, they were all filled with lingering fear. Everyone couldn't help but gasp, the cold air rushing into their throats and causing violent coughing. If they had evacuated just a few minutes later, they would have been buried under the thick snow in the canyon, never to come out. The cold wind still howled, and snowflakes still danced, landing on them, but no one felt cold anymore; their hearts were filled only with the relief of having survived a disaster. Zhao Gang leaned against a nearby rock, coughing violently. The snow particles inhaled while running made his chest feel tight, and his face turned bright red. The ice crust on his face melted from his body heat, leaving streaks of water sliding down his cheeks. Several team members slumped on the snow, panting heavily, their hands still trembling slightly and their palms covered in cold sweat. The scene of the avalanche echoed in their minds like a nightmare, refusing to fade for a long time.

Gasping for breath, Zhao Gang supported himself on his knees and slowly stood up, his face full of the relief of surviving. He looked up at Mu Li, his tone filled with gratitude: "Engineer Mu, fortunately, we had you and the system's help. Only then could we successfully complete the mission and evacuate safely! If it weren't for you, I'm afraid we really would have met our end here this time. Not only would we have failed the repair mission, but the entire team would have been wiped out."

Mu Li nodded, a weary but gratified smile appearing on his face. He raised a hand to wipe away the snow and sweat from his face. The stiffness in his fingertips hadn't fully subsided, leaving a tingling sensation. His voice was hoarse yet steady: "Everyone has worked hard. With the transmission lines restored, the electricity problem for millions of people is solved, and the elderly and children in the mountains will have heating. Our efforts were not in vain." His gaze swept over every team member, seeing their tired but determined faces, the ice marks on their faces, and the wounds on their hands. A warm current surged in his heart—these comrades who fought side-by-side, whether against enemies from the Void Temple or the current ice disaster, had always remained loyal, giving their all without fear of danger. This was his most solid support. He paused, then added, "Everyone, rest for two minutes, organize your equipment, and check your injuries. We will head to the temporary rescue point immediately. There are more rescue tasks waiting for us there, and..." He swallowed the rest of his words. The news of Lin Wei's infiltration weighed on his heart like a giant boulder. Now was not the time to inform everyone; he could only suppress his vigilance and proceed with the subsequent work in an orderly manner to avoid causing panic among the team.

Two minutes later, Mu Li led the team members to organize their xuanguang equipment, check for damage, and briefly tend to the wounds on their hands. They stepped through the thick snow toward the nearby temporary rescue point. The wind and snow still hadn't stopped; the cold snowflakes, driven by the wind, lashed their faces painfully. Their cheeks, which had just been melted by body heat, were instantly numbed by the cold again, and their lips became dry and cracked, stinging even when they spoke. The snow on the ground grew deeper, requiring extra effort for every step. The snow rose above their boot tops, and the freezing meltwater soaked their socks, making their toes lose sensation. The team members supported each other, walking unsteadily but firmly. The fatigue from repairing the transmission tower hadn't dissipated, yet they had to immediately throw themselves into new rescue tasks. But no one complained; their hearts held only the belief of protecting their fellow citizens and the determination to repel danger.

Before long, the silhouette of the temporary rescue point appeared before them—it was set up on an open space at the edge of the canyon. Several blue rescue tents swayed slightly in the wind and snow as if they might be overturned by the gale at any moment. The tent ropes were firmly anchored to wooden stakes in the ground, encrusted with thick snow. The emergency lights outside the tents emitted a faint but steady glow, piercing through the swirling snow to illuminate the surrounding snow-covered ground and the busy figures of the rescue personnel. Looking from a distance, several logistics personnel in orange rescue uniforms were braving the snow to reinforce the tent ropes. Their hands were red from the cold, yet they still pulled the ropes with force to secure the tents more firmly. Others were stacking rescue supplies outside the tents; the supplies were neatly arranged on the snow and covered with waterproof tarps to prevent them from getting soaked. Their figures were particularly conspicuous against the vast white snow.

"Engineer Mu, you've finally returned safely!" A logistics rescue worker was the first to spot them. He hurriedly dropped the rope in his hand and rushed over to meet them, holding several cups of steaming ginger tea in both hands. His fingertips, exposed to the cold wind for a long time, were red and even slightly purple, and fine water droplets condensed on the sides of the cups. "When we heard the sound of the avalanche just now, we were all worried sick for you, fearing you hadn't evacuated in time. We've been waiting for you at the entrance. Quick, have some ginger tea to warm up. This weather is too cold; any longer and your hands and feet will go numb. We just brewed this ginger tea and added brown sugar to help dispel the cold."

Mu Li took the ginger tea. The warm surface of the cup pressed against his palm, and a wave of warmth instantly spread from his fingertips throughout his body, allowing his frozen fingers to slowly regain sensation and the chill in his palm to gradually dissipate. He slightly unscrewed the lid, and a pungent aroma of ginger wafted out, mixed with a faint scent of brown sugar, dispelling the cold around his nose. He took a sip, and the spicy warmth slid down his throat, dispelling the chill within him and relieving some of his fatigue and tense nerves; the stiffness in his entire body eased considerably. "Thanks for the concern, we're fine," he said while looking around, his gaze vigilantly scanning everyone inside and outside the tents. Rescue personnel from different units, local volunteers, and injured villagers were gathered here. The crowd was diverse and the noise was loud; occasionally, the coughing of injured villagers, the crying of children, and the busy conversations of rescue personnel could be heard. Such an environment was the perfect place for Lin Wei to hide. As long as she used a slight disguise, she could blend into the crowd perfectly without being noticed, making it even easier to steal Xuanguang Technology.

[System Notification: The Personnel Identification System for the disaster area has begun initial operation. A total of 127 people's information has been identified. Among them, the identity information of 3 people is blurred and cannot be matched with the national population database. They have been marked as key suspicious subjects, and their specific locations have been sent to the host's communicator.]

Mu Li's heart tightened. He immediately took out his communicator without drawing attention, his fingertips swiping quickly across the screen. Three red markers immediately appeared on the screen, located near the temporary medical tent, the supply distribution point, and the rescue command tent. Each marker was accompanied by a blurred human silhouette, their specific features indistinguishable. He lowered his voice, using a tone only the two people beside him could hear, and said to the team member Li Kai, "Li Kai, take two team members and investigate the suspicious persons at these three markers. Remember, disguise yourselves as logistics personnel, wear the orange vests, and do not reveal your identities. Observe only, do not act, and do not alert them. Avoid raising their suspicion. Report any abnormalities immediately through the private channel. You must not act on your own, lest you alert the enemy and give them an opportunity."

"Understood!" Li Kai's eyes sharpened, and he nodded immediately, a flash of vigilance in his eyes. He knew clearly that the hidden enemy was likely from the Void Temple, and their purpose was to steal Xuanguang Technology; he couldn't afford any carelessness. Without drawing attention, he selected two experienced and capable team members. The three of them quickly adjusted their combat uniforms, put on the orange logistics vests, and picked up nearby supply boxes, pretending to organize supplies as they quietly walked toward the three different directions. Their movements were natural and their expressions calm, drawing no one's attention.