92: Chapter 92 Facing Danger with a Broken Body! Bearing Heavy Responsibilities Despite Severe Wounds, Showing True Heart in the Face of Crisis (2)

He instinctively wrapped his coat tighter, bending against the howling wind and rain, struggling to walk to the roadside. Every step felt like treading on knife blades. The muddy water splashed onto his trousers, icy and bone-chilling. The pain in his lumbar spine intensified, and the burns on his back felt as if they were tearing apart, making cold sweat bead on his forehead. His breathing grew ragged, and he even began to experience slight dizziness. Just then, he saw a black SUV with its hazard lights on, struggling to park on the roadside nearby, its body swaying in the gale as if it could be blown away at any moment.

The driver was Old Zhou from the project site, who had followed Mu Li for many years and had witnessed the battered state Mu Li was in when he was rescued. Knowing how severe his injuries were, upon seeing Mu Li, he immediately braved the gale and pouring rain, opened a massive military umbrella, and ran over. The umbrella was nearly warped by the strong wind, but he gripped the handle tightly and shouted, "Engineer Mu! I'm here to pick you up! Get in the car quickly; it's too dangerous out here. Your body won't be able to handle it. Let's hurry and set off, trying to reach the site as soon as possible!"

Mu Li nodded, and shielded by Old Zhou, he struggled to bend over and climb into the SUV. This simple bending motion pulled at his wounds, making him groan involuntarily, his face turning even paler. Once in the car, he instinctively leaned against the seat, closed his eyes, and panted heavily. His right hand remained firmly pressed against his lower back, his fingertips applying slight pressure to alleviate the sharp pain in his lumbar spine. The burns on his back were compressed by the seat, sending a persistent, dull ache. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped onto his knees.

The moment the car door closed, the howling wind and rain were shut out, and the interior became much quieter. Old Zhou quickly wiped the rainwater from his face and started the vehicle. The SUV pulled away slowly, heading toward the nuclear fusion power station project site. Along the way, the gale constantly battered the vehicle, making a thumping sound. The car struggled forward on the muddy mountain road, the tires slipping into the mud, nearly losing control several times. The vehicle jolted violently, and every jolt felt as if it were shaking Mu Li's bones apart.

The old injury in his lumbar spine was aggravated by the violent jolts, sending waves of intense, stabbing pain, as if countless steel needles were stirring inside his bones, or as if the burns on his back were being repeatedly torn. The pain was unbearable, making him furrow his brows tightly. His face was as pale as paper, and his lips had lost all color, tightly pursed to prevent himself from making any sounds of agony. His body swayed uncontrollably with the vehicle's jolts, and the wounds on his back were repeatedly rubbed and squeezed by the seat. Several spots that were nearly scabbed over were even grazed open, with fine traces of blood seeping out and soaking into his clothes, bringing a tearing, excruciating pain.

From time to time, they encountered fallen trees, utility poles, and rolling debris blocking the road. Old Zhou had to stop, and together with Mu Li, braved the wind and rain to clear the obstacles bit by bit. Mu Li braced his weak body and struggled out of the car. Every step required immense effort. The pain in his lumbar spine made it almost impossible to stand upright; he could only bend slightly, supporting his lower back with his left hand while holding tools with his right, slowly clearing the debris. The wind and rain still raged, and the icy water poured over him, irritating his wounds and making his whole body tremble. His fingertips became stiff from the pain and cold, and his movements to clear the debris were exceptionally slow, yet he never stopped. Every time they cleared an obstacle, both of them were soaked through and chilled to the bone. Mu Li's back was so painful it was almost numb, and his vision kept going dark. Several times he nearly fell, only able to steady himself by leaning against large trees, resting for a moment before continuing to clear. He knew that for every minute of delay, the project site faced more danger. He had to reach the site as soon as possible; even if his body was about to give out, even if every step was accompanied by excruciating pain, he could not stop.

Back in the car, Mu Li slumped in his seat, panting heavily, his strength completely exhausted. The sharp pain in his lumbar spine and the stinging pain in his back intertwined like an invisible net, wrapping tightly around him, nearly suffocating him. He sat in the passenger seat, gripping the handle tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. The tightness in his chest intensified due to the vehicle's violent jolting, and he couldn't help but cough, each cough more violent than the last. When he coughed, the wounds on his back were pulled, causing unbearable pain that made him bend over, clutching his chest tightly with both hands. His face turned even paler, and a trace of blood even seeped from the corner of his mouth—the result of internal organ vibration caused by days of extreme physical weakness and severe pain from his wounds.

He knew his body was nearing its limit. Each jolt, each cough, consumed his last remaining strength. The wounds on his body grew more painful, and his vision became increasingly blurred, but he could not fall. Everyone at the project site was waiting for him, and the crisis with the core reactor had not yet been resolved. He had to hold on; he absolutely could not collapse before reaching the project site. He slowly reached out, took a bottle of painkillers from the first-aid kit, and unscrewed the cap. His fingers were shaking so much that he couldn't pour out the pills several times. After finally managing to get two white pills out, he tremblingly picked up the mineral water and struggled to swallow them. The pills slid down his throat, bringing a hint of bitterness, but they also eased his physical pain slightly. He leaned against the seat, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing. In his mind, images of the torture in the basement kept appearing, along with the figures of Chen Feng, Zhang Hongyuan, and Lin Wei guarding and searching for him, and the trust and expectations of the country—these all became his strongest backing, supporting him, helping him resist the excruciating pain, and sustaining him to keep moving forward.

Two hours later, the SUV finally reached the nuclear fusion power station project site. By this time, the typhoon's force had slightly diminished, but the torrential rain had not ceased. Bean-sized raindrops pelted the ground, splashing up water, and visibility remained poor. The project site was in a state of chaos, with collapsed sheds, broken equipment, and scattered construction materials everywhere. The once orderly construction site was now unrecognizable. Several tall pine trees had been snapped in half by the gale, crashing onto construction equipment with dull thuds. The ground was covered with standing water and mud, along with leaking coolant, which emitted a faint, pungent odor that made people frown. In front of the Main Control Room of the core reactor, it was brightly lit like a beacon in the darkness. Technicians were busy moving about, their faces etched with anxiety and exhaustion, yet their eyes still held a glimmer of defiance. No one retreated, no one gave up; everyone was doing their utmost, racing against time and fighting against the crisis.

As soon as Mu Li pushed open the car door, the wind and rain swept over him again. He instinctively gripped the door, forcing himself to endure the physical discomfort as he slowly stepped out. This simple act of getting out of the car exhausted all his strength. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his lumbar spine, forcing him to bend over, hands tightly gripping the door, his whole body trembling from the pain. His face was as pale as paper, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the muddy ground, only to be instantly washed away by the rain. He rested for a long time before he could barely stand straight. The wounds on his back were irritated by the wind and rain, sending a piercing, stinging pain. Every step felt like walking on knife blades; his gait was unsteady, and his body swayed uncontrollably, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Zhang Hongyuan saw Mu Li's figure and immediately ran over. He was soaked through, his hair plastered to his forehead, his face covered in mud and sweat. Seeing Mu Li's pale complexion, unsteady gait, and the way he tightly clutched his lower back, his eyes were full of heartache and guilt. He quickly walked to Mu Li's side, supporting his tottering frame, and said in a hoarse voice, "Engineer Mu, you've finally arrived! How are you? Can your body hold up? Is the wound hurting again? It's all my fault; I shouldn't have let you take such a big risk to come here, shouldn't have let you drag your sick body through this suffering!"

"I'm fine, say no more." Mu Li waved his hand, gently pushing away Zhang Hongyuan's support, and forced himself to endure the physical pain and exhaustion as he walked quickly toward the Main Control Room. His gait remained unsteady, and every step was accompanied by intense pain. The wounds on his back and the old injury in his lumbar spine sent waves of agony that nearly made him faint, yet his spine remained straight, as resilient and unyielding as a pine tree. His eyes remained firm, and every step was exceptionally powerful, demonstrating his sense of responsibility and dedication—just as when he suffered torture and kidnapping in the detention center, no matter how great the difficulty, no matter how much pain he endured, he would never bow his head, and he would never retreat.

Inside the Main Control Room, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense, oppressive enough to make one gasp for breath. A massive display screen occupied the entire wall. On the screen, the various parameters of the core reactor were jumping frantically. The red numbers were like leaping flames, stinging the eyes. The temperature inside the reactor had already exceeded the critical warning threshold and was continuously climbing. Red alarm lights flashed incessantly, emitting a harsh "beep—beep—beep" sound, like a death knell, echoing throughout the Main Control Room and making everyone feel panicked. Technicians huddled around the control console, their fingers flying across the keyboards, their movements hurried and chaotic. Cold sweat covered their foreheads, rolling down their cheeks and dripping onto the keyboards. Every person's face was etched with exhaustion and despair, yet they did not stop their actions, giving their all to try various emergency plans.

Mu Li walked to the display screen, his gaze fixed on the parameters. His eyes were sharp and firm, his brain working at high speed, quickly analyzing the data and searching for the key to the problem. While checking the relevant data logs, he asked the technicians around him about the situation. His tone was steady, without a trace of panic. Although his voice was somewhat hoarse and even carried a slight tremor due to the pain, it held a reassuring power: "What is the status of the backup power load distribution? Have you followed my instructions to shut down non-essential equipment and prioritize the cooling system? How many leak points have been found? How is the sealing work progressing?"

A young technician immediately turned around, his face full of exhaustion, yet a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. He quickly replied, "Engineer Mu, we have followed your instructions and shut down all non-essential auxiliary equipment, reallocating the full load of the backup power to the cooling system. But the output power is still insufficient; we can only barely maintain the low-speed operation of the cooling pumps and cannot effectively lower the temperature. We have found three major leak points, and several smaller ones are being investigated. Emergency sealing is currently underway, but due to the high leakage pressure and the corrosive nature of the coolant, the sealing work is progressing very slowly. Two repair personnel have already been splashed by the coolant and have suffered skin burns."

Mu Li nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. After a moment of thought, his gaze swept over everyone present, and he said with a firm tone: "Immediately adjust the emergency plan, follow three steps, and everyone perform their duties to the best of their ability! First, let the technical team continue to optimize the backup power load distribution, check if there are any damaged lines or poor contacts, and try to increase the backup power output as much as possible. Even if we can only increase it by ten percent, it will buy us more time. Second, immediately organize a capable repair team, put on full protective gear, take the sealing tools, and go to the site to seal the leak points. I will lead the team myself. I am most familiar with the pipeline layout and equipment situation at the site and can find the key to the sealing faster. Third, immediately contact the nearby thermal power plant and request an emergency supply of a high-power diesel generator, as quickly as possible, to make up for the power shortage of the backup power. As long as the diesel generator arrives in time, we can start the full-load operation of the cooling system and completely control the temperature inside the reactor."

"Engineer Mu, no! You cannot go to the site yourself!" Zhang Hongyuan immediately stepped forward, blocking Mu Li, his tone urgent and firm. "The environment at the site is extremely dangerous. The gale and torrential rain are still continuing, the ground is muddy and slippery, making it easy to fall. Moreover, the leaked coolant is highly corrosive; once splashed on you, it will cause severe burns. Plus, the radiation dose of the core reactor is constantly rising, which is extremely harmful to your body! Your body has not yet recovered, you have just suffered torture, and the wounds on your body are still bleeding. You simply cannot endure such a toss. Let me lead the team to the site; you just need to command from the Main Control Room!"

"Now is not the time to worry about my body!" Mu Li's tone was exceptionally firm, his eyes full of resolution. His voice carried a slight hoarseness from the pain, yet it was still sonorous and powerful. "If the leak points cannot be sealed as soon as possible, the coolant will continue to be lost. Even if the high-power diesel generator arrives in time, without enough coolant, we cannot make the cooling system operate normally. By then, the core reactor will still face the risk of explosion. I am the general manager of the project, and more importantly, I am the one who has risked my life to protect it. At such a critical moment of danger, I must be at the forefront, fighting side by side with everyone. Moreover, I am the most familiar with the situation at the site and can resolve the crisis faster, reducing casualties and losses. You don't need to persuade me anymore; it is decided!"