40: Chapter 40: Qian Bo'an's Deadly Hand
Chairman Qian Boan couldn't wait any longer.
While Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and the others were putting on a good show, the entire base was deathly silent, looking like it was on the verge of collapse. It was at this moment that Chairman Qian Boan extended his sinister hand.
The target was The Oasis's main water supply pipeline.
That was the lifeblood of the entire base; once the water left the Water Diversion Array, it relied on this pipeline to reach every corner.
That afternoon, several pipeline maintenance workers were conducting a routine inspection in their vehicle. The team leader was Old Liu, a man in his fifties and a veteran subordinate of Chief Engineer Wang Heshan. He was technically skilled and an honest man.
"Xiao Ma, how's the pressure at Valve No. 3?" Old Liu asked over the walkie-talkie.
"Normal, Boss Liu! Everything's normal!"
Old Liu nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. He thought to himself that no matter how bad the atmosphere at the base was, as long as he did his job well, he would have a clear conscience.
But he didn't notice that a worker next to him named A-Biao had a strange look on his face.
A-Biao was a newcomer—quick-handed, quiet, and hardworking. Old Liu actually thought quite highly of him.
"Boss Liu, my stomach feels a bit off. I'm going over there to relieve myself." A-Biao clutched his stomach and pointed toward the distant sand dunes.
"Go on then, hurry back," Old Liu waved him off, not thinking much of it.
A-Biao walked quickly behind the sand dune. His honest demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, sinister expression. He pulled a wrench-like object from his work uniform and pressed a few buttons, causing the light on it to turn from red to green.
He gave a dark smile, buried the device in the sand, and then, feigning weakness from his "stomach ache," sluggishly sauntered back.
At roughly the same time, in another location several kilometers away, another new worker used the same method to bury an identical device at a corner of the main pipeline.
These "wrenches" were military explosives procured by the Huanyu Group, encased in a layer of lead that made them undetectable by standard sensors. The quantity wasn't large, but it was more than enough to blow up a pipeline.
Chairman Qian Boan's plan was straightforward.
If the soft approach didn't work and hackers were useless, he would simply destroy their lifeblood.
He didn't believe The Oasis could survive without water. Once the project collapsed, he would use the media and his network of connections to trample the Kuafu Project into the ground. If he couldn't have it, no one would.
4:00 PM.
A-Biao and the other mole had already made excuses to switch shifts and leave.
Old Liu was leading his team to check the final opening.
Suddenly, a muffled explosion rumbled from underground, and the earth shook!
"What happened? An earthquake?" Startled, Old Liu quickly grabbed onto the side of the vehicle.
Before he could finish, the walkie-talkie erupted. A young man's voice cracked with panic: "Boss Liu! Something's wrong! Valve No. 3 exploded! The pipe... the pipe burst!"
Old Liu's mind went blank.
He whipped his head around toward Valve No. 3 and saw a massive mound of sand bulging up like a fountain dozens of meters away!
"Pfft—!"
The immense water pressure blasted the sand into the sky, and a pillar of muddy water shot upward!
"Quick! Close the main valve!" Old Liu snapped back to his senses, his face pale, and roared into the walkie-talkie.
But it was too late.
One muffled explosion after another echoed from different points along the pipeline!
Chairman Qian Boan wanted a multi-point failure to completely cripple the entire water supply system!
Massive water pillars erupted from the desert one after another; the scene looked like the end of the world.
Inside the command center, the blaring alarms were deafening.
"Report! Main pipeline pressure has dropped to zero!"
"Report! All signals from monitoring points along the line have been lost!"
"Report! Piping is occurring in Zones 3, 7, and 12! The ground is collapsing!"
Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo rushed to the sand table. Seeing the row of red lights flashing, their hearts sank to the bottom.
"How could this happen? Why would it just explode out of nowhere?" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo stared at the sand table, unable to believe his eyes.
"Someone did this on purpose! Absolutely!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan slammed his fist onto the sand table, his eyes bloodshot. "It must be that bastard Qian Boan!"
This was no accident! This was deliberate sabotage!
"Quick! Everyone evacuate the danger zone!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan grabbed the phone and shouted with all his might. "Repair teams! Take all the equipment and plug those leaks immediately!"
But the order seemed so futile.
The underground water pressure was too high, making the breaches wider and wider. The surrounding sand, soaked in water, turned into quicksand, making it impossible for people or equipment to get through.
The entire Oasis was like a giant water bag that had been punctured, with water gushing out uncontrollably. The newly sprouted experimental fields were instantly buried under mud.
Watching the scenes on the monitors, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo trembled with heartache. This was their life's work!
"It's over... it's all over..." he muttered, his strength failing him.
He knew that with their limited manpower and equipment, they couldn't possibly plug the leaks. If it continued like this, The Oasis would be ruined within a day. Even the foundation of the Water Diversion Array might be hollowed out, causing the entire base to collapse!
Director Zhao Lixin called from the capital; he had already received the news.
"Elder Wang! What's the situation?" Director Zhao Lixin's voice was urgent and grim.
"Very bad!" Chief Engineer Wang Heshan gripped the receiver, his hand shaking. "We... we can't control it!"
This was the first time in his life he had ever spoken such disheartened words over the phone.
There was silence on Director Zhao Lixin's end.
He naturally understood what this meant.
Chairman Qian Boan's final move had struck them right where it hurt most.
Just as everyone was on the verge of despair, Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo suddenly looked up, staring fixedly out the window as if he had lost his soul.
Outside the window was the high tower, standing motionless amidst the chaos.
"The Chief Consultant... the Chief Consultant is still up there!" He spoke as if grasping at a lifeline. "She... she must have a way!"
Chief Engineer Wang Heshan also snapped out of it. Right! There was still Jiang Ning!
But remembering what Jiang Ning had said before her seclusion, his heart sank again.
"No!" He grabbed Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo, who was about to run out. "The Chief Consultant is in the middle of a breakthrough! This is of paramount importance! We cannot disturb her!"
"But if we don't find her, we're all finished!" Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo was frantic.
As the two were arguing, someone outside suddenly cried out in shock.
"Quick! Look at the sky!"
Chief Engineer Wang Heshan and Chief Engineer Wang Jianguo rushed out of the command center. When they looked up, both were stunned on the spot.
Above the high tower, a terrifyingly massive Colorful Vortex had appeared at some point, slowly rotating.
All the wind in the desert had stopped.
An indescribable pressure bore down from the sky, making everyone feel as though they couldn't breathe.
It felt as if the sky itself was falling.