At this point, Shi Gaofei suddenly grabbed the laptop on the table: "Look, let's assume this laptop represents the Japanese island." Then, he slammed the laptop to the ground, and it immediately shattered into pieces!
"This is the worst possible outcome." Shi Gaofei's voice was somewhat cold.
Chapter 248 [Like the End of the World]
Looking at the notebook shattered on the ground, Lin San and Lao Tian exchanged another glance, both somewhat dumbfounded.
"Even a conservative estimate... assuming the worst-case scenario doesn't occur, based on the energy already released, the current eruption will spread and affect an area of approximately tens of thousands of square kilometers! Interestingly, I just calculated the population within an area of about 20,000 square kilometers centered on Mount Fuji, and it already exceeds..."
"How many people will die?" Old Tian immediately asked the most crucial question.
“I don’t know…” Shi Gaofei spread his hands: “I’m not God, you idiot! But at least…”
He glanced at the windshield; although it had just been brushed by the wipers, in such a short time, it was covered again with a thick layer of volcanic ash.
Shi Gaofei sighed, his tone grave: "At least, the towns at the foot of the mountain are doomed! The roads are all blocked now. The earthquake damaged roads and bridges, reducing transportation capacity to a minimum. Even though it's not peak tourist season, the original residents of the nearby towns cannot possibly escape this area within an hour, at least not to safety. As for the exact number... don't ask, I don't want to say..."
Lao Tian and Lin Kunlun exchanged a silent glance. Although neither of them had any goodwill towards the Japanese, they were bound to feel uneasy about the immense disaster they had caused.
“So, we don’t have time to waste.” Shi Gaofei’s expression immediately turned cold. “We can’t stop the volcanic eruption. That’s obvious, and according to my calculations, we only have… thirty-nine minutes left! We must escape to at least four hundred kilometers away within thirty-nine minutes! Only then will we be barely safe!”
As he spoke, he turned and picked up the single-person aircraft: "This is something I designed myself. The engine is electric and not air-breathing, so it won't be affected by volcanic ash. The current power lasts for about two hours, which is enough for me to reach a safe area by myself."
He quickly slung the aircraft over his shoulder, secured the straps, and then looked at Lao Tian and Lin Kunlun: "I'm just an ordinary person, I don't have your abilities, so I have to escape quickly. As for you..."
Shi Gaofei finally sighed: "I know you're uneasy, but I'm not God, and neither are you! Don't hesitate or waste any more time! You can't save anyone. The only thing you can do now is to survive!"
He tossed two watches to Lao Tian and Lin Kunlun: "I've set the rendezvous coordinates on them. I'll go first, and we'll meet at the designated coordinates!"
After saying that, Shi Gaofei struggled to open the car door and climb out.
Outside, a thick layer of volcanic ash had accumulated on the ground, and the streets in the distance were still filled with shouts. Although the lava had not yet spread down the mountain, many places had experienced power line failures due to the earthquake, and many places were still ablaze. The air was filled with an unpleasant smell.
Amidst the cacophony of noise, Shi Gaofei swiftly activated his aircraft. With the propellers whirring, he took flight amidst the swirling "snowflakes," waved to Lao Tian and the others on the ground, and sped off into the distance.
Several ancient buildings and tourist attractions on the mountainside of Mount Fuji were destroyed in the landslides and mudslides triggered by the volcanic eruption. Some of them, even those that were not destroyed in the mudslides, were turned into a sea of fire in the subsequent lava flow.
Large areas of the hillside have become regions filled with the scourge of high temperatures, and in some places, even before the lava has spread, they have been shrouded in volcanic gases and become toxic zones.
Volcanic ash and snow continued to pour from the sky onto the earth, and soon the dense volcanic cloud had spread seemingly endlessly; at least from the foot of the mountain, looking up, you couldn't see the edge of this thick, dark cloud. And the terrifying crater at the summit continued to intermittently spew forth hellish flames…
Japan, this country, has been completely plunged into fear!
The eruption of Mount Fuji was extremely sudden, without any prior warning signs. Disasters without any foresight often bring the greatest damage. Immediately after the eruption, the panic and chaos plunged several towns in the vicinity of the mountain into disorder.
The earthquake triggered by the volcanic eruption destroyed roads and bridges, preventing people inside from getting out and rescuers outside from getting in. The Japanese government's response was quite swift, quickly mobilizing Self-Defense Force troops to the foot of Mount Fuji for rescue operations. Emergency plans were also quickly implemented, and a large number of geologists and volcanologists were mobilized by the government to conduct the latest situation assessment.
The results of the assessment left everyone who saw the report looking ashen-faced!
Based on geological surveys and analysis of the frequency of earthquakes near Mount Fuji, as well as predictions of the energy level of the volcanic eruption and subsequent activities, the government received devastating news!
The outbreak... is far from over!
"Even in an optimistic scenario... three-quarters of Japan's main island will be shrouded in volcanic weather for the next six months! Large amounts of acidic mud rain will destroy crops, and clouds filled with volcanic ash will block sunlight, causing a sharp drop in temperature and ushering in an early winter! We will also face a series of problems, including food shortages. And the geological hazards caused by the earthquake... cannot be assessed at present..."
Just as this preliminary assessment report was submitted to the Japanese government cabinet, Mount Fuji erupted once again. This volcano, which had been dormant for centuries, seemed to be unleashing all the energy it had accumulated over the long years.
The latest outbreak triggered a new wave of earthquakes. The strongest earthquake was felt as far away as Kyushu Island, and even the Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, Japan's largest city, swayed noticeably, causing panic among the public.
Large numbers of citizens began frantically buying up food, drinking water, and other necessities, triggering a new wave of unrest. In some places, rioters even broke out, looting and vandalizing. Cities like Tokyo began to experience public order chaos, with a large number of violent crimes occurring. The evil in human nature was exposed under this panic and disaster, with robbery, rape, and murder occurring. Many people took the opportunity to vent their inner darkness without restraint.
The police were unable to maintain local order (Japan does not have a nationwide police organization; police are all local organizations). As a last resort, large numbers of Self-Defense Force Army troops began to rush to various places to maintain order. However, the road blockages caused by the earthquake slowed down transportation, and even the increased air transport by the Air Force could not immediately change the situation.
According to predictions, it will take at least 48 hours before all troops can be deployed to designated areas to maintain order. Before that, many areas have already fallen into chaos and anarchy, and the damage caused is incalculable!
In Tokyo, Shinjuku was the first area to be engulfed in riots. Entire streets of shops were smashed and looted by masked rioters, who then set fires to cover their tracks. There were even burned-out cars and the bodies of murdered people on the streets.
"This has been nothing short of a disastrous year! I even wonder if Amaterasu, the sun goddess, has abandoned Japan. From the Victoria shipwreck to the terrorist attack on the Imperial Palace, the kidnapping and injury of Imperial family members, the attacks on naval vessels at sea, the attack on Sasebo naval base, and the heavy losses suffered by the West Coast Fleet. Then the eruption of Mount Kami, triggering a massive disaster... People have fallen into a deep state of panic and despair. This country is so fragile! Faced with all this, we don't know how to stop it, how to save ourselves. This sense of powerlessness is the root cause of the complete collapse of people's confidence. Because facing everything that seems to be arranged by fate—if it were just a coincidence, we might be able to face it bravely, but what if it is the arrangement of fate? All of this, happening one after another, really seems like fate. And humans cannot fight against fate."
—This passage was recorded in the diary of a Japanese government official who wrote it secretly, and he later included it in his personal memoirs.
The thick smoke towering atop Mount Fuji, the terrifying column of smoke shooting thousands of meters into the sky, could be clearly seen even from a hundred kilometers away.
The thick smoke lingered for days.
This eruption lasted intermittently for six days, with the most intense eruption on the first day. Over the next three days, the intensity of the eruption decreased, but it was accompanied by frequent small-scale earthquakes. This was caused by the geological movements and changes in the Earth's crust triggered by the volcanic eruption.
The public was unaware of these things. At this time, the surrounding area, spanning dozens of kilometers below Mount Fuji, had become a deathly silent region. Thick smoke and volcanic gases shrouded the area, and lava engulfed everything. The eruption of mud rain poured onto the still-warm lava on the ground, triggering a large amount of dense fog.
Fortunately, the volcano seemed to have fallen silent, which brought some relief to many. However, unlike most of the public, the volcanologists were gripped by even greater tension and panic. Only they knew that this eruption was far from over.
Sure enough, after three consecutive days of frequent small earthquakes—these were merely brewing energy for a new eruption—on the fourth day, the torch of Mount Fuji once again spewed forth its fury. This time, the eruption was no less powerful than the first!
A new wave of flames was propelled thousands of meters into the sky by the powerful energy, once again turning the sky into the color of fireworks...
To make matters worse, the seasonal monsoon failed to disperse the volcanic clouds, and the clouds began to move. Two days later, the area covered by the volcanic clouds reached over Tokyo!
Thus began three consecutive days of mud rain in the international metropolis of Tokyo. Large amounts of mud and volcanic ash fell with the rain, almost painting the entire city a blackish-gray...
All of this felt like the end of the world.
Chapter 249 of the main text [Chen Xiao's Prisoner]
Looking at the gray sky, the old whistle angrily wiped his face, reached out and touched the fence, only to find a wet patch on his hand. His heart sank even further: This damn weather.
This is still international waters. The ship we're standing on has been here for half a day. The camouflage fishing nets have been removed, and the crew has already prepared their equipment, just waiting for the other side to make contact.
But... Mom, fate is not on your side.