Did the world end today?

Chapter 424 Tearing Open the Sky
2028 6 Month 17 Day.

Nanjing Tianqiong Space Launch Center.

Wu You, wearing the spacesuit he was already familiar with, sat in the launch hall. Through the glass windows of the hall, he could clearly see the huge, mountain-like rocket not far away.
-
Or to be more precise, it can't really be considered a rocket.

Of course, it couldn't be considered a space shuttle.

That was just a huge "device".

A device that can easily transport 12,000 tons of cargo to an altitude of 11,000 meters.

It is by no means an elegant spaceship, but more like a angular steel mountain forcibly pulled from the earth.

Its aesthetic core is pure functionality; every ridge and every weld serves one purpose: load-bearing and transportation.

This steel mountain range is 1216 meters long and about 80 meters high, making it comparable in size to a small town.

It uses a hybrid flying wing and twin-fuselage design. The body structure is not a smooth shell, but is made up of giant triangular trusses and I-beams that are several meters high, forming a visually complex and powerful grid structure.

Under the blindingly bright lights of the launch site, the mountain's surface revealed mottled, uneven patches of deep blue and brown oxidation—rough marks left by a heat treatment process driven purely by efficiency, with no regard for surface appearance.

These scars, like rugged shadows on the mountain, truly bring the mountain to life.

In fact, as far as Wu You knew, this huge "flying device" did indeed have the name of a mountain range.

"Kunlun Mountain".

In an hour, I will be climbing this "Kunlun Mountain".

Then, just like those who seek immortality in myths and legends, they embark on this "heavenly road" connected by the Kunlun Mountains.

This was destined to be a rugged and arduous road, but Wu You had no intention of backing down.

Even at this moment, even just gazing quietly at the colossal object before him was enough to give him a sense of...
The awe-inspiring grandeur is breathtaking.

He didn't want to miss this epic moment.

To put it more nobly, this is the greatest contribution he could make to the world.

To put it selfishly...
Perhaps for someone like him, this is the only chance to go down in history.

He used to see people joking online that having a separate page for the family genealogy was something they would do anything to achieve.

And now...
This opportunity has truly presented itself to me.

For a "traditional man" like him who still has some sense of clan values, it's really hard to refuse.

Wu You breathed a long sigh of relief.

At this point, there was still one hour left before the final boarding time.

He glanced at He Yong sitting next to him; the other man's fingers were trembling slightly.

"nervous?"

"nonsense."

He Yong rolled his eyes.

"My score on the high-dimensional adaptability test wasn't as high as yours; I barely passed."

"There is still some risk in going this time - if we just die, that would be clean, but I'm afraid something might happen in the higher dimensions, and we'd be left in a state of being neither human nor ghost, which would be difficult to deal with."

Even if he can come back by then

"Don't think so much."

Wu You interrupted He Yong and then comforted him:
"This time they gave us a backup of the information set, so even if something really goes wrong, they can restore it for us once the final problem is solved."

"At most, it will only take about 20 years."

"Besides, time might not mean anything by then."

"Too."

He Yong sighed, then said with a hint of sarcasm:

"Old Wu, I've noticed that your education level has improved. Lately, you've become more and more articulate in your speech."

This time it was Wu You's turn to roll her eyes.

He tapped his glasses on the bridge of his nose and replied:
"This thing is a good thing—I told you to use it more, but you insisted on saying you felt dizzy wearing it."

"There's a lot of information here, and it's easy to search for."

"Ugh, I'm really dizzy."

He Yong waved his hand and said:
"But my son really likes this thing, he wears it all day long—and now he talks like you, with all sorts of fancy phrases."

"Sigh, I don't know if this thing that's going against the current is good or bad."

"It's definitely good; at least it improves training efficiency a lot."

Wu You loosened the knuckles on his protective suit and took off his glasses.

From the slight reflection on the lens, it could be seen that he was looking at the emergency evacuation route map of the "Kunlun Mountain" heavy anti-gravity transport aircraft.

He Yong glanced at the image on his glasses and said casually:
"Since you've already seen it, I won't watch it anymore."

"If anything happens, I'll go with you. If I get lost, you have to remember to help me out."

"Stop jinxing it."

Wu You immediately interrupted He Yong, saying:

"Although this thing looks rough, according to the boss, it should be very durable and the probability of it causing any problems is not high."

"Even if something goes wrong, damage control is not so easy to break through."

"I think this thing is just a precaution, don't overthink it."

"I don't want to."

He Yong leaned back in his seat and leisurely crossed his legs.

Just then, an announcement suddenly came over the loudspeaker in the waiting hall.

"Attention all support personnel, attention all support personnel."

"The first probe ship is ready and is expected to take off in 15 minutes."

"All support personnel are to depart immediately and proceed to the Kunlunshan heavy support ship as instructed, and prepare for takeoff."

Please keep all personal belongings with you at all times. Once boarded, you will not be allowed to return unless there are special circumstances.

"The hatch is open. We are now departing."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the waiting hall stood up.

Wu You stuffed his glasses into his chest pocket and casually picked up the helmet next to him.

He Yong followed closely behind, and the two joined the boarding queue, quickly and neatly boarding the shuttle bus that was already waiting outside the departure hall.

He had originally thought that the atmosphere would be somewhat "melancholy" when the time for departure actually arrived.

But to our surprise, laughter and cheerful chatter filled the shuttle bus even before we boarded the ship.

It felt as if a stone had been lifted from the ground, or as if the nine months of training had finally come to fruition.

In short, everyone seemed very relaxed.

Wu You blinked.

Outside the car window, flashes from numerous media reporters were going off incessantly.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

So, how would these journalists describe their own group?
A pioneer of exploration? A self-sacrificing hero? A fearless warrior?
None of them seem to be accurate.

Wu You recalled a sentence she had learned in her textbook.

Although tens of thousands of people are coming.

At this moment, perhaps this phrase is the most appropriate.

There is actually a certain probability that the people on the shuttle bus are going to their deaths.

But when they boarded the ship, they were as relaxed as if they were heading to a summer night party. A party with another world.

Wu You looked further into the distance, where the No. 1 probe ship, which did not use an anti-gravity engine but was equipped with a traditional jet engine, was rising from the ground, trailing a dazzling Mach ring.

Fireworks illuminated the sky, like a star tearing through the heavens.
June 17, 2028, National Security Bureau of Jinling City, temporary meeting room.

The lengthy meeting had lasted for more than 16 hours, with many breaks, but each break lasted no more than 20 minutes.

Everyone present was exhausted, but no one suggested adjourning the meeting, and no one left midway.

the reason is simple.

The content of this meeting was extremely important.

It is so important that it can affect the fate of everyone in the world.

They had to be cautious and exert all their efforts.

In the very center of the office, Chen Yixin, who was in charge of organizing the meeting, had a face so greasy it could be used to fry vegetables, and his eyes were bloodshot.

But he still mustered his spirits, took a sip of the strong cliff tea that could choke a person, and then summarized:
"So we now have a basic understanding of the situation."

"If the information we received earlier is confirmed to be true, then our world may very well be about to have a second opportunity."

"But the current focus of discussion is whether such an opportunity is meaningful to us."

"I've summarized the objections raised so far, and there are a total of three."

"The first point is about opportunity cost."

"If we are to implement the new plan, it means we must spend a lot of time and resources to make adequate preparations to seize this opportunity."

"This means that we may have to suspend or even terminate many of the plans that have already been put on the agenda."

"For example, large-scale extraterrestrial exploration programs, and giant accelerator programs."

"This is a huge cost for us because, given the pre-set reality of the apocalypse, our time is limited and the resources we can access are also limited."

"Secondly, regarding international relations."

"The information we received clearly mentioned recommendations regarding 'changes in international relations,' which are referring to the Spanish Union, which is already on the agenda."

"Such a 'change' involves risks, and no one can be sure whether now is the right time."

"The third point, and the most important one."

"Regarding authenticity."

"Although we have not yet found any obvious loopholes or traces of deliberate manipulation or fabrication in this incident, it is undeniable that such scams can still be carried out in a certain way."

"To take it to an extreme, this could be a deliberate attempt to mislead us by a hostile force."

"Once we fall into the trap, the subsequent problems could be very serious."

After he finished speaking, the entire conference room fell silent.

Chen Yixin hadn't expected anyone present to give an immediate answer. After glancing at his watch, he sighed deeply and then said:
"No matter what, let's rest first."

"Working for more than ten hours straight, everyone is exhausted."

"Okay, let's take a break for an hour and a half this time."

"Those who need to eat a hot meal should eat a hot meal, and those who need to sleep should sleep for a while."

"I will first summarize and report the situation, and then we will continue the discussion once the organization makes a clear recommendation."

"Alright, that's a recess."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the conference room immediately sprang into action.

Some people jogged towards the toilet, while others simply pulled over a stool, lay down, and fell asleep immediately.

Chen Yixin also stood up and stretched his arms a little, but his gaze remained fixed on a young figure.

It was Jiang Xingye sitting in the corner.

After hesitating for a moment, he followed Jiang Xingye out of the conference room and headed towards the office building elevator.

The two met in the elevator, but neither of them spoke.

It wasn't until the elevator reached the first floor, and they walked out of the office building and into the courtyard behind it, that Chen Yixin finally spoke.

He turned his head slightly and said to Jiang Xingye beside him:

"You shouldn't get emotional."

“I know you firmly believe this message, which may come from some kind of intuition.”

"But in specific tasks, we can't rely solely on intuition."

"We need to talk about evidence, basis, and method."

"so."

"I know."

Jiang Xingye turned around, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness.

"Actually, I know that this matter is very difficult to convince people."

"After all, the information he provided was too vague."

“Unlike me, I can’t gain your trust by throwing out enough key, classified, and highly technical information.”

"He cannot prove himself, and I cannot endorse him."

"This point is a complete dead end."

"I just have a little regret."

"If I could find a way to obtain more high-dimensional information and gain higher access, perhaps the situation today wouldn't be like this."

"Stalemate."

"In the end, I was just too slow to realize things."

"To be able to reach this level is already one in a billion."

Chen Yixin offered words of comfort:

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You've already brought us a lot of important information. Your mission is..."

Before Chen Yixin could finish speaking, a strange light suddenly shone above their heads.

The bright light cast their shadows directly onto the ground. For a moment, Chen Yixin thought it was the searchlight from a helicopter that had temporarily flown overhead.

But he immediately realized something was wrong.

At this time, there will be no aircraft flying low overhead.

He immediately looked up, and at that moment, high in the sky, a "fireball" was gradually growing larger.

A nuclear bomb?!
Almost instinctively, Chen Yixin reached out and grabbed Jiang Xingye.

"Go to the basement!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, but Jiang Xingye, who had been pulled astray, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

She stared blankly up at the sky, her voice trembling slightly as she said:

"Look to the sky."

Chen Yi looked up with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The bright light had dissipated, followed by a deafening roar he had never heard before, like a violent explosion, yet even more resonant.

"boom--"

The airflow pressed down, causing Chen Yixin's eardrums to swell.

He barely managed to open his eyes, and the next second, he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

He saw something that would overturn everything he had known for decades.
-
In the sky, a radiant mountain
The sky is being torn open!

(End of this chapter)