Chapter 84

There was a lot of dust.0

In reality, the dust was merely floating on the ground, vibrating gently with a certain microscopic rhythm, but it gave the impression that... everywhere you looked, it was gray and hazy.0

Chu Tingwu knew what was going on:0

Far away on Wo Mountain, huge boulders were still rolling down. During the recent earthquake, the tremor had caused a landslide, and while some people only saw the sky filled with dust and rocks, half obscuring Wo Mountain, Chu Tingwu, with her exceptional eyesight, spotted a car slowly sliding backward and a large number of uprooted trees.0

Closer by, buildings had collapsed. Under the might of nature, a row of self-built houses nearby had fallen halfway, and the ground had split open, revealing cracks as wide as a palm. People in the surrounding cars were still shaken, some making phone calls, others trying to start their vehicles.0

People from the shops had also run out... Aftershocks often follow earthquakes, and under the threat of aftershocks, everyone dared not enter buildings and hoped to find safety in open spaces.0

Yan Ping hurried over from behind, grabbing Chu Tingwu's arm: "Don't run around!"0

Two cats also ran over one after the other, and Xiao Yan let out a "meow" sound—0

For animals, the negative impact of earthquakes is more severe than for humans.0

Chu Tingwu herself could feel it: she was even more sensitive.0

The first wave of the earthquake was over, but she could still feel her brain buzzing, as if it were still shaking. The personal (cat) data that had previously reached a "balance" now seemed to be in chaos—sounds around her fluctuated in volume, all rushing into her ears, making Chu Tingwu feel nauseous.0

Yet, she managed to stand very steadily.0

The positive benefits gained from her upgrade were gradually offsetting her current negative effects.0

Yan Ping, while trying to contact his colleagues, pulled Chu Tingwu back, avoiding the cracks and standing by the roadside. Chu Tingwu obediently followed, holding Sanwuyu in her arms, with Xiao Yan rubbing against her leg.0

After following step by step, Xiao Yan moved from her side to her front, vigilantly looking around.0

Chu Tingwu simply crouched down, picked up the cat, and used the two warm sources to cover her mouth and nose.0

She waited for a while, then felt someone push a chair behind her and pat her shoulder, urging her to sit down.0

A few minutes later, the world became clear again—and then Chu Tingwu saw a bunch of garbled text on the system interface.0

Chu Tingwu: "?"0

It turned out that the system had been trying to call her but got no response, and in the end, it ended up with garbled text.0

Chu Tingwu: "It's fine, just my head still feels a bit off."0

System: "The epicenter of this earthquake was too close to the surface."0

Although it was a 5.4-magnitude earthquake, the epicenter was only 3.3 kilometers underground, closer to Wo Mountain, so the impact on the surface was significant. However, the earthquake was barely felt outside the province, only affecting Kongsu City and a few surrounding districts.0

The unfortunate part was that Kongsu City was close to Wo Mountain, and now the people below the mountain were cut off from those on top.0

"Two base stations were damaged, but communication is still possible, just the signal isn't great," Yan Ping hurried over, "Chu Tingwu, contact your family and friends to let them know you're safe. The traffic is blocked right now, so I can't take you to the police station. Don't go too far from me—Xiao Yan!"0

The black-and-white tuxedo cat remained silent, jumping out of Chu Tingwu's arms. Yan Ping picked up its leash and grabbed a megaphone, hurrying away.0

—While Chu Tingwu rested, he had contacted his colleagues and started directing on-site evacuation. Now he was going to calm the crowd.0

But the surroundings were still chaotic.0

This was Nanyue District in Kongsu City, which was also one of the more remote areas in the city, quite close to Wo Mountain. The people on this road were either tourists driving from the scenic area to the city or locals living nearby... and everyone had loved ones they cared about. Even though the road conditions were still dangerous, some people, unable to contact their relatives, had already abandoned their cars and started walking.0

Soon, those whose phones hadn't died received a new push notification—0

Shannan Province had dispatched rescue teams, and it was detected that there would be several more aftershocks, all of which would be felt strongly. Everyone was advised not to stay indoors.0

But people quickly discovered another problem: there was nowhere to charge.0

Modern people are inseparable from their electronic devices. With a phone and internet, they could stay calm, but without them, they might feel as if the whole world had abandoned them.0

Chu Tingwu stood up, picked up the chair, and the next second, an aftershock hit.0

This aftershock had a strong swaying sensation, but it was still weaker than the previous one. Some people fell to the ground, while others stabilized themselves by holding onto someone or something.0

Chu Tingwu, however, held the plastic chair and found Yan Ping by a car during the shaking. Yan Ping was gulping down water.0

His face was also covered in a layer of dust, but he didn't seem to notice.0

Chu Tingwu: "I've let my friends know I'm safe. Is there anything I can do?"0

Yan Ping shook his head and then nodded, giving her a smile: "Don't worry, don't worry... things are actually not too bad."0

Although the data hadn't been fully tallied, Yan Ping had made two more calls to his colleagues earlier and learned that, thanks to the timely warning, the number of injured was not high. Most people had suffered minor abrasions while fleeing buildings or light injuries from falling during the earthquake. There were no severely trapped or injured people found in the main city area so far.0

The main roads in the city were almost intact, but Nanyue District, where they were, was at the epicenter and had older buildings, which made the situation seem more severe.0

Currently, high-speed trains have been halted, but support from the main city area will arrive soon.0

But despite his reassurances, Chu Tingwu's expression remained tense. She simply pointed at the nearby Wo Mountain.0

Yan Ping's expression also grew solemn: "The main road to Wo Mountain is gone."0

The main road up the mountain, which could accommodate two trucks side by side, had been destroyed by landslides, falling rocks, and a large amount of trees and soil that had fallen along with the earthquake. That road was now impassable.0

To get to the top of the mountain, one would have to walk around the side, which was inefficient and risky due to potential aftershocks.0

And it was a given that there were people on the mountain.0

Yan Ping hoped they had also heard the earthquake warning and were at least not seriously injured.0

-0

At around 5 PM, three and a half hours after the earthquake, a camp was set up between Nanyue District and Dongxiang District, and the injured were taken to be accommodated.0

Chu Tingwu knew that there was another group of people who were not locals of Kongsu City but tourists who wanted to leave the city tonight. However, due to the blocked main roads caused by the landslide, the roads needed to be cleared... These people were now stranded in another camp.0

Rescue teams from other cities had already arrived, bringing supplies.0

Water resources were particularly scarce during earthquakes, as it was difficult to obtain clean groundwater, and bottled water would eventually run out. When the first batch of water from social donations arrived, Man Xing came along with the trucks.0

She found Chu Tingwu in the camp. The boss seemed to be in good condition, rolling up her sleeves to help, though her clothes were unusually dirty, with a layer of dust on her cuffs and trouser legs.0

Chu Tingwu took the wet wipes Man Xing handed her to wipe her face and heard her say: "The people from the hospital have to transfer flights and are still on the way."0

There were relatively few injured, but everyone was concerned about the situation on the mountain. Chu Tingwu contacted Lian Tong, asking him to prepare the staff from the orthopedic hospital in advance.0

Chu Tingwu: "Then keep following up on the supplies... I'm going to get busy."0

Man Xing let out an "um" and stuffed another bag of chocolates into Chu Tingwu's hands.0

She had thought that the boss was going to continue helping set up the tent, but instead saw the boss call out to Sanwuyu and walk out of the campsite, with a drone flying ball following behind.0

Man Xing: "?"0

Chu Tingwu caught up with Yan Ping, who was hurrying by.0

He was separated from her by a car, and she simply used the roof to vault over, "Meow"ing once.0

Xiao Yan: "Meow?"0

Only then did Yan Ping notice someone had landed behind him.0

Chu Tingwu: "If you're taking Little Yan up the mountain—"0

She pointed to the drone: "Can I come along to film?"0

The somewhat dazed Yan Ping: "…Huh?"0

He instinctively wanted to refuse, but then realized: Theoretically, it should be possible.0

A professional rescue team had brought supplies and equipment. With every passing day, the risk of someone perishing increased. So, despite the approaching nightfall, the group decided to head up the mountain. Their first stop would be the Shakuan Campsite at an altitude of two thousand meters on Wo Mountain, where they needed to establish contact with those stranded.0

Naturally, they would bring along search-and-rescue dogs, and Little Yan was the only police cat in Kongsu City. With her striking white fur, she stood out like a beacon in the dark, and her rescue training had been solid—she was definitely coming along!0

Yan Ping: "No, you haven't undergone professional training."0

Chu Tingwu hummed in acknowledgment.0

But when Yan Ping got into the vehicle, she quietly brought along Three Five Five and boarded as well. After a brief exchange of "meows" with Little Yan, she said, "Little Yan says her rescue training scores at the base were only third place. The other two cats, one orange and one a ragdoll, were both stronger than her, but they weren't assigned to Kongsu City—did they come with the rescue team?"0

Yan Ping: "?"0

Could one really understand cat language to this extent? He felt a pang of alarm, suspecting that some secret of his might be leaked by the cat by his side.0

Chu Tingwu raised one of Three Five Five's front paws: "Three Five Five may have been a latecomer, but her scores aren't any worse than Little Yan's… And I can help with communication, obtaining specific information that only cats can know—"0

In fact, no communication was even needed.0

Chu Tingwu: "Can I join now?"0

Yan Ping: "…I'll ask the higher-ups."0

Chu Tingwu nodded, very much at ease, and retrieved Little Yan's spare uniform from the vehicle, dressing Three Five Five in it. Then she put on the rescue team jacket she had "borrowed" from the camp.0

Yan Ping: "…"0

Chu Tingwu: "You apply for your permission, I'll go with mine."0

Yan Ping: "…………"0

This brat! Looks mature, but is still only sixteen at heart!0

-0

At the foot of the mountain, they met up with the rescue team heading up. The team members didn't seem surprised to see two extra people. After exchanging greetings with Yan Ping, they took out their drones.0

Yan Ping turned to look at Chu Tingwu.0

The rescue team member said, "This one came with the donated supplies. Oh, you have one too?"0

In fact, the main reason for using drones in rescue operations was cost, especially for civilian teams. In earthquake zones, the likelihood of drone damage was too high. But since these were donated, and it was clear that the mountain posed the biggest problem, they decided to bring them along.0

They switched to the rescue team's vehicle. Chu Tingwu's hand rested on Three Five Five's neck.0

No one felt much like talking. The atmosphere was heavy. As the vehicle turned, the headlights illuminated the dirt slope ahead. The driver said, "Can't go any further here."0

Although there had already been two aftershocks, more could occur at night. One by one, they exited the vehicle, shouldering their equipment. The mountain had no signal. Yan Ping fell behind, reminding Chu Tingwu, "Don't lose the radio. You… forget it, just keep another one in your pocket."0

As for the higher-ups.0

The mountain had no signal. Before entering, he had sent a message. Now, there was no reply.0

The lead rescuer turned on a spotlight and glanced at Chu Tingwu again—0

He couldn't help but feel this team member seemed a bit too young. But with the dim light, it was hard to make out her face clearly.0

He said, "If you can't carry the pack, someone else can take over."0

Chu Tingwu shook her head.0

The smell of earth hadn't fully dissipated. Fallen trees lay on the ground, their branches crushed repeatedly. The road showed many tire tracks, indicating vehicles had passed but had to turn back. Nearby, other vehicles were parked, but it was impossible to see if anyone was inside.0

Chu Tingwu: "Do we have to take the same path?"0

The lead rescuer: "Hmm? Try to, but our goal is to get up there first and see what's going on. It's so dark that getting separated is a possibility. If that happens, just find your way out. No need for pressure."0

The lead rescuer was also exhausted after a long day. He wanted to hand his trekking pole to Chu Tingwu, but found that the "rescue team member" had already untied the leash around the tortoiseshell cat's neck.0

The cat darted out.0

The lead rescuer: "Hey—"0

The obstruction wasn't just a "hill," but a landslide that had buried half the road. It couldn't be cleared quickly, so they had to take a detour.0

But what if they climbed up and walked through? Even more impossible, as the ground below was unstable, filled with loose soil and rubble. Climbing up was hard enough, and there might be cavities below. One wrong step and someone could fall, creating a new victim.0

But a cat? Definitely easier.0

No matter how heavy the cat was, it wouldn't weigh more than ten kilograms. The lead rescuer's flashlight swept across, illuminating the tortoiseshell cat as it darted up the platform, leaping onto rocks, and in just a few jumps, it had effortlessly reached the top of the slope, letting out a meow.0

The unfamiliar "rescue team member" beside him waved: "Then I'll head to the Shakuan Campsite first."0

The lead rescuer: How are you going first?0

The person in front, burdened with a heavy backpack, looked like a turtle with a shell. She leaped forward, stepping onto the nearly vertical, smooth "platform"—only a cat could leave a paw print there. The lead rescuer saw the entire platform shift slightly downward due to her weight.0

Because that wasn't a platform at all! The soil hadn't been compacted!0

But the next moment, with her own sliding motion, the girl leaped out, wrapping her arms around a protruding rock.0

Then she dangled in midair, swaying slightly. One hand hung down, her body swung in a half-circle, her left foot's tip landed on a rock to the left, her right hand grabbed a branch above, and then, with a swing, she propelled herself up to nearly two meters high.0

Next, she switched feet, using her knee to prop herself on the indented soil, and seemed to leap up a bit, her palm pressing against the rubble beside the cat.0

In the blink of an eye, she was already by the cat's side.0

The tortoiseshell cat turned back.0

The entire process took less than three seconds… Even for "rock climbing," the speed was too fast, as if no route selection was needed.0

But if it was rock climbing, it was also too dangerous, as every "handhold" could potentially come loose, and there was no safety mat below.0

Yan Ping sucked in a breath: "Chu—"0

Exhausted.0

But even as he felt exhausted, he couldn't help but think, maybe she really could… get there safely before them?0

Chu Tingwu spoke to him through the radio: "See you later."0

Yan Ping: Do you think you're on a TV show, cutting to commercials?0

Then her figure disappeared as ruthlessly as a TV show.0

The lead rescuer and Yan Ping exchanged a glance, then trudged along the detour, one step at a time.0

After a long silence in the dark, the lead rescuer said, "That must count as skill giving one courage, right? Look at her agility—clearly trained."0

Yan Ping: "Yeah, more flexible than a lot of cats I've seen… Wait!"0

The lead rescuer: "?"0

Yan Ping looked up and didn't see the drone.0

The ball following Chu Tingwu was still following her!0

What about the documentary? What about filming Little Yan-related footage?0

You liar!0

-0

Chu Tingwu took a deep breath, then jumped twice.0

…And the ground below her sank in.0

Her own weight wasn't light, normal for her height, and her body fat ratio was on the lower side. With the full backpack of supplies and Three Five Five perched on top, she naturally became even heavier.0

But there was no one around.0

She turned off the light, and the drone didn't cast any downward illumination.0

Three Five Five meowed.0

Chu Tingwu knew there were no trapped survivors nearby, no other human eyes watching.0

So she began to run forward—0

If there were a pair of eyes looking down from above, perhaps they would be able to spot this shadowy figure in the darkness.0

She was almost not running, but rather "flying."0

After the initial tentative small steps, Chu Tingwu fully opened up her senses.0

She could hear the distant footsteps of the rescue team growing fainter, and the rustling of the soil beneath her feet.0

Small pebbles rolled down, and the night wind passed through the gaps, leaving behind vibrations that barely qualified as sounds, but Chu Tingwu could hear them all.0

Her leaps became increasingly "reckless," and the distance she covered grew longer—0

From the original one meter, two meters... to four meters, gradually extending to over six meters.0

This was no longer "surpassing human limits" but "looking completely inhuman."0

As the distance increased, Chu Tingwu's movements also underwent slight changes. Her upper body slightly leaned forward, and she adopted a crouching position before leaping. Correspondingly, each time she jumped, she could feel the wind beneath her.0

It wasn't that the wind was blowing towards her, but that she was moving so fast that she was racing against it.0

—The feeling was almost like flying, flying in solitude.0

As her leaping distance increased and her running speed quickened, Chu Tingwu discovered another thing... she could adjust her "scent."0

During hunting, wild animals cannot suppress their inherent scents, but clever creatures position themselves downwind of their prey, avoiding the transmission of their own scent while constantly sniffing out the prey's movements and emotions.0

Chu Tingwu naturally carried a "cat smell."0

But now, she could compress this scent to her surroundings, as if she could control the glands in her body (did she really have such things?) to stop emitting the scent molecules that humans couldn't detect.0

—This should be an additional skill brought by [Perfect Control lv1].0

She wasn't sure if cats could do this, but the system had also mentioned that she would upgrade to become a more powerful... cat than ordinary ones?0

A cat that had studied in the interstellar system, perhaps? ==0

While letting her thoughts wander and adapting to the new sensations, Chu Tingwu continued to move at high speed along the mountain path, eventually opting to enter the mountain and take a shorter route.0

For others, this wasn't a shortcut but a difficult and dangerous "death mountain path." However, with the system's guidance, Chu Tingwu wouldn't get lost, could see in the dark as if it were daylight, identify all obstacles, and avoid dangerous landslides by listening and relying on her intuition—and it was faster this way.0

She jumped over a fallen tree and spotted a stretch of sand and a row of houses in the distance, realizing that the Shakuan Campsite was ahead.0

By now, half an hour had passed since she entered the mountain.0

-0

The Zheng family had descended from the mountain.0

When they heard the warning, they were already on their way down. After a moment's hesitation, they turned the car toward the Shakuan Campsite at a road fork.0

Later, the entire mountain trembled, and the male head of the household didn't dare to continue driving. He had to use the car's front to brace against a rock, and everyone huddled in the backseat.0

When the first wave of the earthquake subsided, they looked back and saw that the road behind them had disappeared, and the front was in chaos.0

If they had been on their original path, the car might have been swept down the mountain along with the landslide or crushed by falling rocks and soil.0

But now, regardless of what might have happened if they had chosen the other road, they could only head toward the Shakuan Campsite.0

The family took out food and water from the car, grabbed their hiking poles, and continued along the path—the Shakuan Campsite might have other people and ample, clean water sources, making it much safer than continuing down the mountain.0

The only problem was...0

Zheng Rong: "Mom, how much of your medicine do you have left?"0

Zheng's Mother shook her head, then said, "It's okay, I'm fine, I'll just drink some water."0

After her mother was discharged from the hospital earlier that year, she had needed regular medication. This time, they had brought the exact amount needed, planning to replenish it at a pharmacy after descending the mountain.0

Zheng Rong felt powerless.0

He glanced at his wife but held back his tears.0

They had never experienced an earthquake before. The people at the campsite had shared food and water with them, and it was clear that the supplies here could last at least three days... Everyone was optimistic, believing in the efficiency of the current government. But only the Zheng family was extremely anxious.0

Unable to contact those below the mountain and finding it difficult to leave on foot, they asked around but found that no one nearby had the specific medication they needed. Everyone's first-aid kits only contained common medications.0

A hiker nearby approached them: "Look, write down what medicine you need, and I'll head down the mountain tomorrow morning."0

It wasn't entirely out of goodwill; the hiker was also worried about his family. He had come up the mountain path earlier, not the highway, so his chances of success were higher than those of other tourists.0

Zheng Rong was deeply moved and kept shaking his hand: "Thank you, thank you so much. I'll write it down right now!"0

The moonlight above was exceptionally clear. Since there was no charging station, everyone had turned off their phones, agreeing to take turns turning them on for a period to receive rescue signals as soon as possible.0

Zheng Rong paced back and forth on the open ground, seemingly suffering from earthquake PTSD: he was worried about aftershocks at night.0

The tree shadows swayed slightly.0

Zheng Rong's nerves tensed, and then, he saw light.0

At first, he thought it was the moonlight, but then he realized there was no water in front, so the moonlight couldn't be that bright—0n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The light came from behind the tree shadows, casting a circular shadow on the ground... it wasn't light, but rather, it seemed to be the light of a drone!0

Zheng Rong: "Ah—"0

"Mom! Wife!"0

He wanted to call out, but his first reaction was to call for his closest family members, speeding up his steps to approach—0

And so, Zheng Rong saw a girl in a rescue team uniform, carrying a large backpack, and leading a cat.0

The cat was...0

"Kongsu City Police Cat?"0

His heart began to race, and he reached out to grab her arm, but unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand first. At the same time, others also approached, their eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.0

Girl: "I'm from the Jin City Rescue Team, a volunteer from the Starcloud Charity Foundation. I came up ahead of the others, who are still on their way. Everyone, don't worry."0

She then said to Zheng Rong, "The medicine your mother needs is in my bag. We checked the tourists' information before coming up, so don't worry, we brought everything that might be urgently needed."0

Zheng Rong could only say "good, good, good," his voice choked with emotion: "I... I'm also from Jin City. Thank you, thank you—"0

His voice faltered for a moment.0

The girl was surrounded by others, who eagerly sought more information about when they would be rescued.0

So Zheng Rong noticed her jacket and the large words on the back:0

"Blue Ocean Foundation Rescue Team"0

Zheng Rong: "?"0

Um, when you came up, did you accidentally put on the wrong jacket?0

The similarly "misdressed" tortoiseshell cat glanced at him, scratching at its small uniform—a bit tight, not used to it, when can it take it off, meow?0