80: Chapter 8 Human Chain

That hand let go.

Li Wazi could no longer hold on.

Under the dual assault of the gale and the feeling of weightlessness, his entire body plummeted toward the endless darkness below.

No.

He didn't fall.

In an instinctive reaction to his body's descent, his other hand death-gripped the cold, smooth steel cable.

Just like that, using the strength of a single arm, he suspended his entire life once again from this violently swaying line of death.

"Wazi!"

Inside the warehouse, someone let out a shrill, mournful cry.

Everyone's hearts shattered at that moment.

The flame of hope, at the very moment it burned brightest, was doused by a bucket of heartless ice water, leaving behind only a wisp of blue smoke.

[No—!]

[Hold on! Little brother! Please, hold on!]

[Damn it! Why! Why was it just one step away!]

[Master Xi! Think of something! Aren't you an immortal! Save him, quick!]

In the Livestream room, the viewers who had just been immersed in the joy of surviving a disaster went completely frantic.

They watched helplessly as that young life, in the midst of the gale, was like a withered leaf that could be blown away at any moment.

Chen Xi's teeth ground together audibly.

The wound on his back seemed to sense that despair, beginning to throb with intense, agonizing pain.

Forcing down his surging blood, he roared frantically at the cold system in his mind.

System! Dragon City!

Give me a response!

Where's the Meteorology Group? Where's the supercomputer?

Can't you calculate when this damned wind will stop?

The cold system interface flickered.

A line of emotionless text appeared before his eyes.

"Sudden Microburst detected in the target area; meteorological models cannot predict it; duration unknown."

"Recommendation: Abandon current target to preserve remaining personnel."

Abandon?

Chen Xi's eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

Bullshit!

That's a human life!

At the moment he was about to be swallowed by anger and despair.

His gaze swept across the Soldiers huddled together and shivering in the warehouse.

They were terrified.

But they weren't in chaos.

They were in groups of three or five, huddled tightly together, as if they could draw a sliver of warmth and strength from their companions.

Tied around their waists were cowhide belts that had long since been worn smooth and shiny.

Belts.

Huddled together.

Weight.

A bolt of lightning flashed through Chen Xi's mind.

He remembered an experience crossing a high-altitude rope bridge during Special Forces Training Camp.

The wind was strong that day too.

Their instructor had them use ropes to link everyone together in small groups, keeping their center of gravity low and advancing steadily.

The simplest physics.

I'm such an idiot.

I've been playing with this system thing for so long I've forgotten the most basic shit.

Chen Xi cursed himself fiercely in his heart.

He no longer hesitated, grabbed a tin megaphone used for relaying orders, and roared with all his might.

"Don't just fucking stand there!"

"Take off your belts!"

His voice pierced through the howling wind, striking clearly into the ears of every Soldier.

Everyone froze.

Including Xie Jinyuan, who was staring intently at the opposite bank through binoculars.

But no one questioned him.

No one asked why.

The instinct of absolute obedience, honed on the battlefield, made them react immediately.

*Clatter—*

A chorus of crisp metallic sounds as belt buckles were undone.

"Groups of three!"

Chen Xi continued to roar.

"Connect your belts! Tie them tight around your waists! Fast!"

The Soldiers sprang into action.

They didn't even need much direction.

The unspoken understanding from years of training and fighting together allowed them to find their positions in the shortest possible time.

Shangguan Zhibiao was the first to complete his group's connection.

He and two other Soldiers used three belts to bind their waists tightly together.

They looked like a strange monster with three heads and six arms.

"Mr. Chen! What next?"

Shangguan Zhibiao shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Get on the Zipline!"

Chen Xi ordered, pointing at the steel cable still swaying violently in the gale.

"What?"

Shangguan Zhibiao was stunned.

But he didn't hesitate.

He turned back and roared at the two brothers behind him.

"Go!"

The three of them, as a single unit, walked with heavy steps toward the platform that led to hell.

They hooked three pulleys onto the steel cable simultaneously.

"Go!"

With the command given, the three of them leaped at once.

*Creeeak—*

The steel cable let out an overburdened groan.

The moment nearly five hundred pounds of weight pressed down on it, the entire cable sagged abruptly.

But that terrifying, violent swaying was miraculously suppressed.

The cable was still swaying.

But the amplitude was significantly smaller.

It was no longer the frantic swinging from before that could throw someone off.

Instead, it was a steady, rhythmic sway that could be overcome.

It worked!

Chen Xi felt a surge of joy.

"Next group! Hurry!"

The second group, the third group... one by one, "Human Chains" composed of three to five Soldiers began to step onto this path of survival in an orderly fashion.

The steel cable that had previously seemed so fragile became more stable than ever after the weight of these "Human Chains" was applied.

"One group, go bring Wazi back!"

Chen Xi ordered a Human Chain that was about to set off.

It was a rescue team composed of four of the sturdiest veterans.

Without a word, they simply gave a heavy nod and slid into the dark... sky.

Li Wazi's consciousness had begun to blur.

His arm had long since lost all sensation.

He only knew that he couldn't let go.

Once he let go, everything would be over.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness completely.

He felt himself being held tightly from behind.

A massive, warm force dragged him back from the brink of death.

He struggled to open his eyes.

He saw four familiar, anxious faces.

"Wazi! Hold on!"

"We're taking you home!"

Li Wazi's tears instantly began to flow.

He wanted to say something, but not a single word would come out.

He could only nod desperately.

The rescue team did not delay.

They used a spare belt to securely fasten Li Wazi to their Human Chain.

Then, they continued sliding toward the darkness on the opposite bank that represented light... The retreat, after a brief pause, resumed in a more stable and even more awe-inspiring way.

One by one, "Human Chains" made of flesh and blood slid silently and resolutely toward a new life through the gale and the dark night.

The steel cable connecting the two banks was no longer just a cold tool for survival.

It had become an unyielding monument forged by human wisdom and unity.

The opposite bank.

Li Wazi was safely placed on the ground.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

But he was alive.

He was home.

Inside the warehouse.

Chen Xi leaned against the cold wall, watching as the final "Human Chain" disappeared into the night.

He grinned, revealing a smile that looked worse than crying.

High technology?

Sometimes, the old ways of the ancestors are more effective.

Unity is strength.

Those words really aren't just for show.