247: Chapter 247 Degradation Initiated! The Second Half of the City-State Turns to Nothingness

Day 73, 2:04 PM.

Inside Black Rock City-State, Ninth Framework horizontal structure.

Master Wu Bingde crouched at the base of the No. 1 Diagonal Brace, the beam of his flashlight hitting the weld seam.

The old man's fingers scraped along the weld bit by bit, his fingertips brushing against the rough metallic texture.

“No. 1, weld seam intact.” He pushed himself up by his knees and moved to the No. 2 Position.

Same movement, same inspection.

“No. 2, intact.”

No. 3.

No. 4.

Eight minutes later, he turned off the flashlight and tucked it back into his pocket.

“Four diagonal braces, the weld seams are in the same condition as yesterday's inspection.” He turned to look at Han Zhengqing behind him. “No new cracks, no stress deformation. Qualified.”

Han Zhengqing nodded.

Master Wu Bingde walked to the front of the Ninth Framework, craned his neck, and looked at that steel cross-section, 1.2 meters wide and 800 millimeters thick.

He reached out, his palm pressing against the cold iron plating.

“Old partner,” he grumbled in his throat, “hold on.”

Withdrawing his hand, he turned and walked out.

Han Zhengqing followed behind him.

The two walked out of the back half and crossed the fire door.

The heavy iron door closed behind them.

Han Zhengqing pulled a large iron lock from his pocket, hooked it on, and locked it tight.

“Sealed.” He pulled out the key.

Master Wu Bingde looked back at the tightly closed door.

Behind the door was a 440-meter-long empty cabin.

No people, no lights, no movement.

Nothing left but steel and pitch-black corridors.

After nine o'clock tonight, even the steel would be gone.

“Let's go.” Han Zhengqing patted him on the shoulder.

Master Wu Bingde nodded and started walking.

The communicator vibrated.

Han Zhengqing pressed it open.

“City Lord.”

“Results.”

“Old Wu has finished confirming. The four diagonal brace welds are intact, no cracks or deformation. The back half has been sealed and locked.”

“Good.” From Lu Chen's end came the scratching sound of a pen tip across paper. “From now on, no one is allowed into the back half. The next time that area is touched, it will be for Degradation.”

“Understood.”

“Han Zhengqing.”

“Present.”

“Hand the keys over to Lin Xiao for safekeeping. If an emergency occurs and the door needs to be reopened, only Lin Xiao and I can give the order.”

“Understood.”

The communication cut off.

Han Zhengqing pulled out the keys and handed them to Lin Xiao's adjutant waiting nearby.

“Give these to City Lord Lin.”

The adjutant took the keys, turned, and ran off.

Master Wu Bingde stood in the hallway, watching the adjutant's figure disappear around a corner.

“Old Brother Han,” he spoke up.

“When the Degradation starts tonight, I want to watch from the Cockpit.”

Han Zhengqing glanced at him sideways.

“Watch what?”

“Watch it disappear.” Master Wu Bingde's throat felt dry. “It's been twenty-three years; I have to see it off.”

Han Zhengqing didn't reply, but gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“I'll mention it to the City Lord for you.”

Day 73, 7:53 PM.

Cockpit.

Lu Chen stared at the electronic clock on the panel.

Seven minutes.

The communicator vibrated. It was Lin Xiao's channel.

“City Lord.”

“Speak.”

“Old Zhao from the engine room just reported in. The coolant level has hit rock bottom, and the temperature is skyrocketing. He says it can last ten minutes at most.”

“That's close enough to the eight o'clock estimate.”

“Close enough.” Lin Xiao's voice sounded a bit strained. “City Lord, once the engine stops, The City-State is completely dead.”

“Death is good.” Lu Chen didn't leave him any room for sentimentality. “Only in death can there be Degradation. As soon as the engine stops, initiate a full evacuation immediately. Open all three channels; pour twenty thousand people into Polaris.”

“Among these twenty thousand people, there are over three thousand elderly and children.”

“Elderly and children take the Main Channel. The young and strong take the Second Channel and Third Channel.” Lu Chen reiterated the diversion plan. “The Main Channel is airtight; it doesn't matter if they're slow. The Second and Third Channels are faster but freezing; only let those who can handle it through.”

“Understood.”

“Lin Xiao.”

“Present.”

“After the evacuation starts, you stay in the front half of The City-State to supervise. You leave only after the last person is out.”

“I already intended to be the last to leave.”

“Good.”

The communication cut off.

His gaze returned to the panel.

7:58 PM.

The signal from that unmanned probe to the north was still hanging on the eight-kilometer boundary, motionless.

From the time it appeared on the afternoon of Day 71 until now, forty-eight hours had passed without it moving an inch.

Iron Hoof was still in Base Building.

They hadn't made a move yet.

8:01 PM.

The communicator vibrated again. It was Lin Xiao's voice.

“City Lord. The engine has stopped.”

Lu Chen glanced at the clock.

8:01 PM.

One minute later than estimated.

“Has The City-State lost power?”

“It's gone.” The background noise on Lin Xiao's end changed completely, the clamor of voices flooding into the speaker. “All the lights are out. Emergency lighting is on, but it'll last two hours at most.”

“Two hours is enough.” Lu Chen made the call. “Begin evacuation. Open all three channels.”

“Already open.” Lin Xiao shouted, his voice barely rising above the noise behind him. “The first batch of three hundred people for the Main Channel is already on their way. Coats are being handed out for the Second Channel. The Third Channel will open in five minutes.”

“Good. Report progress every half hour.”

“Got it.”

The communication cut off.

Lu Chen picked up a pen and scribbled a line in his logbook.

Day 73, 8:01 PM. City-State auxiliary engine stopped. Total power failure. Full evacuation initiated.

Tossing the pen onto the table, he looked up at the panel.

Degradation countdown: fifty-nine minutes.

Lin Wan entered through the side door of the Cockpit, carrying a cup of hot milk.

“City Lord.”

“Put it on the table.”

She set the cup on the corner of the console but didn't leave immediately.

“Master Wu Bingde is outside.” She lowered her voice. “He wants to come in and watch.”

Lu Chen turned his head.

“Let him in.”

Lin Wan turned and left, returning shortly after with Master Wu Bingde.

The old man had specifically changed into clean work clothes, his hair combed slick.

He walked over to the panel, found an out-of-the-way corner to stand in, and put his hands behind his back.

He didn't say a word.

Lu Chen glanced at him but didn't ask anything.

Zhou Yuan sat in front of the panel, staring at the radar sweep.

Zhao Tiezhu stood by the weapons console, his hand resting on the activation switch for the Phalanx CIWS.

Five people in the Cockpit, each at their post.

8:32 PM.

Lin Xiao's communication came in.

“The first batch of three hundred has entered Polaris. The first round of four hundred for the Second Channel is on its way. The Third Channel has opened, and the first round of two hundred has departed.”

“Progress is normal.” Lu Chen responded.

8:55 PM.

“City Lord, as of 8:50 PM, 4,200 people have evacuated into Polaris. There are 15,800 left in The City-State.”

“Continue.” Lu Chen glanced at the clock. “We start at 9:00 sharp; we won't wait for the evacuation to finish. The back half has been empty for a long time; decomposing it won't stop the people in the front half from moving out.”

“Understood.”

The communication cut off.

Lu Chen picked up the milk, took a sip, and set the cup down.

His gaze returned to the panel.

8:57 PM.

Three minutes.

“Zhou Yuan.”

“Present.”

“Radar status.”

“The signal from the northern unmanned probe hasn't changed; it hasn't moved. The six light spots to the south are stable. No new signals within eight kilometers.”

“Good.”

Lu Chen closed his eyes, running through the process one last time in his mind.

9:00 PM sharp, initiate Degradation.

Range fixed from the Ninth Framework of The City-State backward, 440 meters.

Estimated time: three to four hours.

Estimated gain: over 18,000 Truth Points.

Unlock targets: 155mm Electromagnetic Railgun for 10,000 points, Radiation-proof Lead-lined Inner Shell for 7,000 points.

The remaining points would be saved for ammo replenishment or the down payment on the next node.

He opened his eyes.

8:59 PM.

The second hand on the panel ticked forward, notch by notch.

No one in the Cockpit spoke.

Master Wu Bingde huddled in the corner, his gaze passing over the panel, fixed intently on the pitch-black City-State outside the window.

9:00 PM sharp.

The second hand hit the twelve o'clock position.

Lu Chen raised a hand and pressed the inconspicuous metal button on the console.

The interface of the Truth Tech Tree system spread out in his field of vision.

He ignored the technology tree.

He went directly into the Degradation function.

Target locked: the remains of Black Rock City-State, the area behind the Ninth Framework, total length 440 meters.

Degradation range confirmed.

Press confirm.

The system didn't make any fancy movements.

No light beams, no sounds, not even a tremor in the ground.

Only a line of text popped up on the panel.

[Degradation initiated. Estimated time: 3 hours 47 minutes.]

Lu Chen stared at the line for two seconds.

Then he turned his head and looked out the observation window on the right side of the Cockpit.

Outside, in the pitch-black night, the massive silhouette of The City-State loomed.

The back half.

A 440-meter-long steel beast.

It was vanishing.

It didn't collapse, didn't melt, didn't explode.

It was being forcibly broken down, converted, and swallowed at the molecular level.

Starting from the very end, inch by inch, as if an invisible giant hand were wiping it away from tail to front.

Steel beams, decks, pipes, cables, old machinery, scrap metal.

All of it turned into nothingness.

Turned into Truth Points.

On the panel, a string of numbers began to climb.

Truth Points balance: 2622.

2623.

2625.

2631.

The numbers didn't jump fast, but they were steady.

Master Wu Bingde huddled in the corner, his eyes vacant, staring fixedly out the window.

He couldn't see the details inside, but he could see the silhouette of The City-State getting shorter and shorter.

As if some living thing were gnawing on its tail.

The old man's lips trembled twice, but he couldn't force out a single word.

Lin Wan stood behind Lu Chen, her hands gripping her logbook so hard her knuckles turned white.

Zhou Yuan stared at the radar, glancing to the north every ten seconds.

Zhao Tiezhu's hand never left the Phalanx switch.

The only sound in the Cockpit was the hum of the ventilation fans, mixed with the faint ticking of the numbers jumping on the panel.

2687.

2743.

2812.

Lu Chen leaned back in his iron chair, his gaze shifting between the Truth Points balance and the radar sweep.

9:04 PM.

Lin Xiao's communication cut in.

“City Lord, is the back half of The City-State disappearing?” His voice was tight with tension. “I'm standing in front of the Ninth Framework, and I'm watching the floorplates behind me vanish piece by piece into thin air.”

“Normal.” Lu Chen's tone didn't fluctuate in the slightest. “Stop staring at it and go manage the evacuation.”

“Understood.”

The communication cut off.

2901.

3056.

3217.

The speed at which the numbers jumped suddenly spiked.

The Degradation had reached the dense zone. In the back half's Storage Area, it was packed with scrap steel and old machinery that couldn't be moved.

Those iron lumps, weighing five tons each at a moment's notice, were now being swallowed bite by bite by the Truth Tech Tree.

Every bite was pure, solid Truth Points.

Lu Chen stared at the wildly jumping numbers, his back teeth clenched tight.

Thirty thousand points.

Railway Gun.

After tonight, Polaris wouldn't have to be a damn bait anymore.