The scenes unfolding before my eyes seemed quite normal.
But soon, Lin Zichen noticed something amiss.
How come there were so few casualties in the city center after such a major accident had occurred?
What was going on?
Lin Zichen found this completely baffling.
...
Meanwhile, in the city center.
The Mechanically Modified Humans responsible for the rescue operation were also perplexed.
How could the area under the Scarlet Giant Tree, the most severely damaged region, have so few casualties?
This was indeed a bit eerie.
But odd as it was, the Mechanically Modified Humans did not dwell too much on this issue.
Instead, they were busy evacuating the citizens from the city center to prevent further casualties should the Scarlet Sky-Scraping Giant Tree show any more activity.
"How much longer until Professor Huang, the Exotic Botanist, arrives?"
A male Mechanically Modified Human leading the rescue team asked the female Mechanically Modified Human beside him.
The female Mechanically Modified Human answered, "He should be here in about 10 minutes!"
"What about the military support?"
"They will arrive in no more than 5 minutes!"
"How many mechs can the military deploy?"
"The Qianzhen, Changzhou, Nanguan, Daoshan, Haiyuan, and Zhanhai, a total of six mechs, can all be deployed and are rapidly approaching the city center from the Provincial Military District Headquarters!"
The female Mechanically Modified Human responded with precision.
The male Mechanically Modified Human nodded and then led a group of Mechanically Modified Humans to immediately carry out the rescue efforts.
...
All the scenes playing out in the city center and all the sounds were seen and heard by Lin Zichen from his family's apartment block at Shanhai University.
But he wasn't focused on that at all.
At the moment, his attention was entirely on the towering Scarlet Giant Tree.
The height of the Scarlet Giant Tree was immense, exceeding a kilometer by estimations.
It was twice the height of the "Xiaomanyao" high tower in Changzhou City.
With a diameter close to a hundred meters and covering an area almost equivalent to a standard four-hundred-meter track, it was utterly awe-inspiring.
The leaf coverage area above stretched to a thousand times the tree's footprint, encompassing 10 million square meters, casting the entire city center under a strange scarlet shadow.
It obscured the sky.
Leaving a creepy darkness.
It made one feel extremely uneasy.
Lin Zichen, gazing at the Scarlet Sky-Scraping Giant Tree in the distant city center, had a very solemn expression on his face.
Just one tree was capable of overshadowing the entire city center.
"Lin Zi, this seems more serious than we thought..."
Shen Qinghan also saw the notification on the school app, feeling very uneasy.
Lin Zichen didn't say much, just said, "Let's go, we'll head over to the gymnasium to gather."
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"Okay."
Shen Qinghan nodded her head.
Soon, the two left the rooftop, ready to head to the gymnasium.
Before leaving, they went home to bid farewell to their parents and let them know what they were about to undertake.
Both sets of parents became extremely worried upon hearing that their children were to assist in the city center and asked if it was possible not to go.
Without a doubt, the answer they all got was that there was no choice and no escape.
Xu Meng walked up to Lin Zichen with a worried face and stopped in front of him, pleading in almost a begging tone,
"Xiao Chen, Han Han is the only daughter of Meng Auntie and Uncle Shen; you must protect her for us and keep her safe."
"Rest assured, Auntie Meng, I will definitely protect Han Han."
Lin Zichen said with certainty.
Having said that, he and Shen Qinghan no longer wasted time and quickly left home to head for the gymnasium.
On the way,
Shen Qinghan said earnestly, "Lin Zi, if the Divine Plant Cult's traitors capture you, I'll follow, I'll beg them to take me too."
"Okay."
Lin Zichen didn't offer comfort, only responding with that single word.
He thought, if he were really captured by the Divine Plant Cult, it would be good to have Shen Qinghan captured as well.
Honestly, he was not at ease letting Shen Qinghan live alone; rather than having her live a solitary existence, it would be better for both of them to survive together in the Divine Plant Cult.
Even within the Divine Plant Cult, as long as he was there, he could ensure Shen Qinghan would be unharmed.
...
Twenty-some seconds later,
The two arrived at the gymnasium.
Upon entering, they found it eerily empty, with only a few people around.
Only the members of the student council had arrived in full.
Obviously, Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan were among the early arrivals.
"Let's go over there and wait."
Lin Zichen scanned the gymnasium, pointed to a spot by the window, and said.
Just as he was about to lead Shen Qinghan over there.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently!
...
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