The only thing left in the whole room was the "ta-ta-da" sound of Cao Rui's fingers tapping the windowsill tiles in turn like running water. This rhythmic sound was like the heartbeats of the people behind him, full of hope and looking at him. Everyone's My heartbeat was almost at its limit, and my breathing almost stopped.
They are all waiting for Cao Rui's answer, and this answer is the ending that everyone will face in a few days.
The knocking sound suddenly stopped, everyone's hearts were in their throats, and their breathing, which was as thin as a gossamer, was also stuck. Cao Rui turned his head slightly:
"Hey! Sister-in-law, you have studied underground fire. Let me ask, will this underground fire cause large-scale cracking of the ground and mountains?"
Cao Rui's question made everyone stunned. Shen Manling hesitated for a moment and said:
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"Well, the coal seams burning underground do not have enough oxygen, so the burning intensity is not as good as the coal on the surface. Taking into account the thickness of the covering rock layer, the temperature accumulation will be slower. Therefore, the underground fire will not cause large areas of ground or mountain cracks in a short period of time. of."
"How short does this short time refer to specifically? How many days, or half a month?" Cao Rui asked again.
"That's not the case. Depending on the thickness of the overlying rock layer above the coal seam, this time ranges from a few months to a few years. The large-scale ground fires we are facing now will speed up the progress, but it will also take years and months to cover a large area. It burned through the mountain and the ground, causing large-scale cracks on the surface." Shen Manling replied.
Cao Rui turned around, with excitement in his voice:
"Then we still have a chance!"
Everyone also cheered up, and Zhou Cheng asked:
"Got an idea?"
"Old Zhou, do you still remember? During the crisis era, a new railway line was built from the northeast to the southwest. The section from Jinyang to Jiange went straight through the Qinling Mountains without passing through the city." Cao Rui's words made everyone excited. Puzzled.
"I'm a little impressed, but this electromagnetic pulse storm destroyed all electronic equipment and power grids, so what use are the railway lines?" Zhou Cheng asked everyone's questions.
Cao Rui became more confident:
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"If the railway does not pass through the city, then there is a high probability that it will still be open and will not be damaged."
Zhou Cheng asked puzzledly:
"No, I'm talking about Lao Cao. Even if the railway is open and there are no trains, can we go faster by taking the railway?"
Cao Rui laughed and said:
"A few years ago, I came to Jinyang to handle a case related to railway transportation. After squatting here for more than a month, I was caught. The railway in Jinyang was also clear. There are This is an old railway station that was used to transport coal in the 1970s and 1980s. Later, because of the planning of a new railway station, it was used as an auxiliary transfer.
Later, the locomotive power was replaced, and the local government simply converted part of the train station into a train museum. If nothing unexpected happens, those steam locomotives should still be there, and the ones stored in the warehouse should still be usable."
"Steam locomotive!" Everyone exclaimed. For an antique locomotive whose only electronic device is a lighting lamp, the electromagnetic pulse storm cannot cause any damage.
"But Jinyang City is in ruins. Can the train museum be preserved?" Zhou Cheng was still confused.
"You remember when we escaped from Jinghua City, the damage gradually became smaller after leaving the Fifth Ring Road. The train museum is located on the edge of the city. Jinyang was destroyed in the same way as Jinghua. I think there should still be intact
At the front of the car, we can try our luck." Cao Rui said.
"Even if the locomotive is still there, no one among us can drive it now!" Wei Xu said.
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Cao Rui smiled:
"Isn't the place we are going to a museum? In addition to the locomotive, there is also information about all steam locomotives. It is equivalent to an instruction manual. You senior intellectuals probably don't even need to read it to know how to operate it."
The fire of hope was rekindled, and everyone was gearing up and eager to try.
"You have all been traveling all day today, so hurry up and repair it first. I will contact the army to make arrangements. It is dozens of kilometers away from Jinyang. I will see if I can get two cars for us." Cao Rui finished.
Open the door and leave.
In the middle of the night, Cao Rui returned to the service area and woke up everyone who was already sleeping.
"I have discussed with the army and arranged for us two vehicles and two soldiers to drive. But there is not enough fuel for us to return. If we succeed, the army will wait for us at the edge of the railway with the team and let as many people as possible
People get on the train. We will continue to use steam trains to evacuate as many people as possible.
But if we fail, the valley basin below may be our final destination."
Wei Xu joked with a smile:
"It's the same as turning into barbecue on the mountain and turning into barbecue at the bottom of the mountain. At least we still have a chance to compete!"
The car drove back along the way they came. Both sides of the road were filled with people lying on the ground to rest. Most of them would die in extremely painful ways in the next few days.
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As the car gradually approached the valley basin, abnormal conditions began to appear. The temperature became as hot as early summer, and the burnt smell in the air became stronger and stronger. While the car was driving, it often made a sound like tearing off tape.
ups and downs.
"Part of the road surface must have started to melt and sink under the heat of the ground fire. We have to hurry up." Cao Rui said to the sergeant driving the car, his eyes searching carefully under the beam of light that kept passing through the smoke and dust in front of him.
Relying on his super memory, they found a rusty and shiny railway beside a road covered with withered grass. This railway was a branch road where the train museum merged with the main railway line.
When they arrived at the train station covered with railroad tracks, they found that both the train warehouse and the main building of the exhibition hall were in very good condition. What was even more surprising was that there were dozens of train carriages of various types parked on the parallel tracks.
The two cars stopped in front of the warehouse, and everyone got off the car and worked together to open the iron door of the warehouse. Several dusty but intact steam locomotives parked quietly on the track.
Applause and cheers echoed in the empty garage. After calming down from the excitement, Cao Rui said loudly:
"Now let's split up. Sister-in-law, take Xia Lan and Mengzhu to the museum and bring back all the relevant information. We need to figure out how these old guys operate. Also, don't forget to bring the shovel.
"
Shen Manling and her two students immediately started taking action.
"Wei Xu, Lin Tianyu, Wu Fan, the three of you and the two non-commissioned officers, drive up the car. You are responsible for finding coal. This was originally a coal transfer station, and there should be a lot of coal stored in the nearby warehouse. No matter what car you use, Drag it, or some other method. At least bring a truckload of coal over."
"Yes!" the sergeants replied sonorously and immediately started the car and left.
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Cao Rui looked at Zhou Cheng:
"We brothers are responsible for filling up this big guy's water, and then find a tanker to fill it up too. Our journey is not short, and these old antiques have a big appetite. If we are lucky enough, all this will be done After that, find another carriage and buckle up, and you can set off."
Zhou Cheng looked around at the station shrouded in thin smoke:
"I have seen this tanker and wagon. The problem is, Jinyang is gone, and the tap water system must be broken. Where can we find so much water!"
Cao Rui walked to the fire hydrant aside, took out a roll of fire hose from the cabinet and put it diagonally across his shoulders, then took another roll and handed it to Zhou Cheng:
"When I was stationed here before, I heard the old drivers at the train station talking about it. This kind of coal-carrying train station consumes a lot of water. This place is short of water, so they usually dig wells, build water towers to supply water, and build circulation systems. Pool. This train station should not be completely out of service during the crisis. As long as our luck is not too bad, we only need to find the water supply supervisor of the water tower to get water."
Zhou Cheng took the fire hose and put it on his shoulder, and followed Cao Rui into the smoky night.
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