Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 216 The Rule of Ending in Pain

Soroma Empire, near-Earth space station.

After the magnitude 10 earthquake, the changes on Mercury can be seen with the naked eye when looking at it from here.

Some of the blue areas that symbolize the ocean have changed even more drastically, and there is no doubt that countless cities on this planet have been submerged by the tsunami.

At this moment, besides King Soroma, there were also a group of elders and other important personnel on the space station.

They boarded a manned rocket and entered the space station the day before the earthquake, which was naturally much safer than staying on Tianshui.

According to the "Terra Migration" plan, if the ecosystem on Tianshui is destroyed by the earthquake, they will go to Terra to survive.

However, a day after the earthquake, messages continued to arrive intermittently from the ground. Although Tianshui suffered severe damage, it was not destroyed.

However, the secondary disasters caused by earthquakes can last for a very long time, requiring humans to process them over years.

"I wonder how many cities and countries are left on the planet now?" one elder lamented. "What a terrible disaster."

"Even if other countries perish, our Soroman will still exist."

"Yes. I think Beixing is still around."

"I really want to go back as soon as possible to see how things are going."

"To be on the safe side, let's wait a month or two. It's not safe to go back now."

Besides the large space station "Almighty" in Solmar, there are several other space stations belonging to powerful nations in orbit, each housing personnel who were evacuated before the earthquake.

Everyone on each space station is very concerned about the planet's situation. After all, unless absolutely necessary, no one really wants to leave their home and go to a desolate place like Terra, where they would have to rely on synthetic food to survive.

At this time, the environment on Tianshui has undergone tremendous changes.

Due to the tearing and movement of tectonic plates caused by the super earthquake, some former rift valleys have been widened and become new oceans.

Many of the original islands, including the former homes of countries like Sakuragi, sank. In their place, some high-lying seabeds formed new island chains.

Besides the island nations that suffered devastation, the low-lying areas of landlocked countries were almost entirely submerged by the tsunami. Only cities in high-lying areas remained relatively intact, but even then, the powerful earthquake caused extensive building collapses and numerous casualties.

But the most critical issue is that the massive volcanic eruptions generated thousands of tons of volcanic ash. This volcanic ash, permeating the air, can affect various engines and sensors, penetrating into the components of precision equipment and causing various forms of damage.

Moreover, it also pollutes the environment. Before the density decreases, people must wear professional gas masks when going out.

In addition, numerous secondary disasters, such as sudden drops in temperature and persistent acid rain, have had a significant impact on disaster relief efforts and the ecological environment.

The only saving grace was that, thanks to the efforts of the UN Security Council, all countries shut down their nuclear power plants and carried out professional and harmless disposal of nuclear equipment before the earthquakes.

Otherwise, coupled with extremely serious nuclear leaks and contamination, even if humanity is not destroyed in the earthquake, it is very likely that, as the fortune teller Soromar predicted, it will undergo biochemical mutations due to severe atmospheric pollution.

The earthquake that struck off the coast of the Northern Star Kingdom was mitigated to some extent, giving the authorities more time for a secondary evacuation.

On the morning of May 30, the third day after the earthquake, the initial transfer of survivors was completed.

May 30, morning, Countermeasures Research Office.

Inside the meeting room, Gao Liangwei looked at the latest statistics. Even as a soldier with an iron will, he couldn't help but feel grief, and his eyes reddened.

The others in the room remained silent. Everyone knew all too well that the casualty figures from this catastrophe would be horrific. So many cities had been swallowed by the tsunami, and the chances of survival for those living there were less than one in a thousand.

“...According to current statistics, only eight large cities in Beixing are still able to maintain their functions,” Gao Liangwei said in a hoarse voice. “Our current task is only one: to rescue as many survivors as possible in the disaster-stricken cities.”

"Boss, our departments have come up with some rescue plans, as well as contingency plans for various secondary disasters. You can take a look at them later."

"Okay, I will read it as soon as possible. Also, we need to get in touch with the countries that are still functioning as soon as possible. The Community of Peoples must continue to operate so that countries can cooperate efficiently."

The person in charge nodded and said, "Understood."

After such a major disaster, if countries do not want the ecology of Tianshui to be destroyed by subsequent secondary disasters, they can only unite and work together to protect this common home.

After the meeting, Zhang Minglu reported something to Gao Liangwei privately.

"The person in charge," Zhang Minglu said hesitantly, "Shadow was attacked after completing its mission and teleporting back to base. I'd like to know if this has anything to do with the countermeasures office?"

Gao Liangwei's pupils narrowed: "Where did you get this information?"

“It was Shadow who contacted me. He said he had eliminated the attackers, but the mastermind behind them wouldn’t let him go either.”

"...This matter has nothing to do with the research lab."

Gao Liangwei frowned.

After completing the task of weakening the pillars of the ley lines, he immediately recalled the Ascended beings, including Dragon Soul, who belonged to the research lab, because he needed to send them on an emergency rescue mission.

Since Guan Tong wasn't affiliated with the government, Gao Liangwei naturally didn't question him. But he never expected the attack to occur.

"What?" Gao Liangwei asked Zhang Minglu. "Did he mean by that phone call that he suspects our research lab is using us and then discarding us?"

"From his perspective, it's understandable that he would make such a guess... After all, that base belongs to the government, and the person who knows he'll be there and can mobilize long-range weapons to attack is definitely not an ordinary person."

"The attackers used long-range weapons?" Gao Liangwei, with his military background, knew what that meant.

He immediately said, "Then we have a lead. Every use of this weapon leaves a trace! And it leaves both electronic and paper records, so no one has the right to destroy them. Based on the records, we can find out who was in charge and thus uncover the person who gave the orders."

As he spoke, his expression grew increasingly grim: "In the face of such a natural disaster, instead of thinking about saving lives, they attack their own people... I could tolerate some of their petty actions in the past, but this time, even if it blows the roof off, I demand an explanation from the higher-ups!"

Gao Liangwei was truly enraged this time. The research lab had finally managed to establish a cooperative relationship with Shadow, and they had done so much over the past month—mobilizing various supplies, props, and personnel. How could outsiders possibly know how arduous that process had been?
All this hard work has finally yielded a positive result, but now someone is doing something so heinous. No matter who it is, Gao Liangwei is determined to confront them head-on.

Zhang Minglu nodded and said, "That's right, the impact of this matter is too bad. If we don't investigate it thoroughly, it will be impossible for us to cooperate with Shadow again. His abilities are so special that he will definitely be useful in the future, and we must not let our relationship break down."

“This matter cannot be delayed.” Gao Liangwei realized this. “The attack failed, so the planners will definitely take action. I need to contact my superiors immediately.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the voice of the fire-stealer echoed in his mind.

The rule period has ended.

Congratulations on passing the test of the eleventh rule of the apocalypse!

Gao Liangwei and Zhang Minglu exchanged a glance, and both couldn't help but reveal a very complicated bitter smile on their faces.

The pain and exhaustion brought on by these rules have even blurred their sense of time, causing them to forget that 9 a.m. today is the day the rules end.

(End of this chapter)