469: 462 469: 462 Nearly half an hour had passed since the nuclear bomb had exploded.
The core area of the explosion was still a swirling dust storm.
Over a dozen drones circled the area, but even with their high-definition cameras, it was difficult to capture the true scene inside the area.
About ten kilometers from this core area, several dozen military special vehicles had already been stationed for quite some time.
Rescue teams and medical teams, numbering in the dozens and dressed in thick radiation suits, had long been mentally prepared to save lives at a moment’s notice.
However, for now, they could only wait here passively, unable to actively enter the ground zero to conduct search and rescue operations.
After all, the area after the nuclear explosion was filled with gamma rays everywhere.
These rays, essentially a stream of particles, not only had strong penetrating power but also posed a terrifying destructive force to the human body.
Even with radiation suits, these medical and rescue personnel could not fully shield themselves from these rays.
The real search and rescue operations had to wait until forty-eight hours later when the gamma radiation decayed to below one percent.
They remained in place to prevent any unforeseen situations.
For instance, if someone, barely alive and covered in wounds, staggered out of the nuclear blast zone…
Should such a situation arise, as instructed by their superiors, they had to bring that person out of the blast zone at the cost of their own lives if necessary.
Regarding this mission, the medical and rescue personnel did not know much.
In any case, they acted as instructed from above.
However, those who joined this mission still had to sign extremely strict confidentiality agreements.
Dressed in a radiation suit, Ye Cheng sat in a specialized vehicle that resembled a command vehicle.
With his military rank and position, he was considered one of the influential figures in the military.
Unfortunately, in the presence of the seniors at the base, he was still a junior and had to obey their orders.
Considering the secrecy, the command of post-nuclear search and rescue operations naturally fell on his shoulders.
The location where he and the search and rescue team were situated was on the edge of the nuclear radiation zone, a result calculated by numerous experts.
The desert was known for its extreme weather, and wearing a radiation suit there was cumbersome, heavy, and unbearably hot.
The reason for such attire was purely as a precaution.
After all, anyone with a slight sense of common sense was very aware of the destructive nature of nuclear radiation.
They preferred to endure the heat and stuffiness rather than risking their lives.
“Look, at forty-five degrees to the northwest, right at the center of the nuclear explosion, is someone walking out of there?”
“My God!
What am I seeing?
It’s actually a person, bare-chested, wearing big shorts, and with a cigarette in his mouth!”
“Can someone tell me if today is April Fool’s?
That’s the center of the nuclear blast, how could he be unharmed and look like he’s just strolling?”
“It’s common for deserts to have mirages or illusions, that must be an illusion!”
…
The personnel here, all elite talents trained by the military, knew the importance of following orders.
Initially, this area was quiet, and people did not gather together to chat casually just because they were temporarily idle.
But now, it seemed as though they’d witnessed something unbelievable, and screams and shouts filled the area.
Ye Cheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, flung open the vehicle door and leapt out with agile speed.
He raised his military binoculars and looked towards the direction everyone was staring at.
“Holy shit, this is a nuclear blast, and that guy, he’s really unharmed?”
With Ye Cheng’s status, when he saw Chen Hai with flip-flops, wearing big shorts, and a cigarette in his mouth, he couldn’t help but blurt out a curse.
Whether it was he or the seniors in the underground base, they all thought that even if Chen Hai survived the nuclear bomb, physical injuries were inevitable!
After all, a nuclear bomb was the most powerful weapon in the current world.
Only a few countries globally could possess nuclear weapons!
Surviving a nuclear explosion with one’s physical body was already a miracle.
Under the immense power of the nuclear explosion, for Chen Hai to emerge completely unscathed was an overwhelmingly despairing and fundamentally unacceptable strength!
However, now, through the military binoculars, Ye Cheng saw Chen Hai, who to him, did not appear to be injured at all!
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Chen Hai, nearly ten kilometers away, even blew a smoke ring and waved in his direction.
“No way, I clearly remember he was wearing cloth shoes and a Tang suit before the explosion!”
“And now, where did he get those flip-flops and big shorts?”
“After the nuclear blast, did he take the time to change in the center of the explosion?”
“Do you mean to tell me that the most significant achievement of this nuclear bomb was blowing his clothes off?”
…
Speaking to himself, Ye Cheng really wanted to curse inwardly, “Damn it!”
“Commander, someone is walking out from the center of the nuclear explosion.”
“Now, should we perform a rescue?” the rescue team leader, who had jogged up to Ye Cheng, asked respectfully.
He saluted Ye Cheng earnestly and then inquired tentatively.
“No need!” Ye Cheng waved his hand and added, “Does that person look like he needs your rescue?”
“The area just experienced a nuclear explosion, and the gamma radiation levels are too high; even with radiation suits, it would be life-threatening for you to go there.”
“Now, I command you, the mission is over, return to base first!”
Hearing Ye Cheng say this, the rescue team leader visibly relieved.
Though called a rescue team, they were actually all active-duty military personnel.
Military personnel’s paramount duty is to obey orders, and if Ye Cheng were to order them into a recently nuked radioactive zone,
even if they knew it was life-threatening, they would have no choice but to grit their teeth and follow orders.
The rescue team and the medical team began to board their vehicles to leave.
Chen Hai, who was in the nuclear blast area, possibly sensing Ye Cheng’s presence, stopped strolling leisurely.
In just a few minutes, he had covered nearly ten kilometers and now appeared in front of Ye Cheng.
“Brother Cheng, even from such a distance, you still suit up like you’re in a tin can; it was just a small nuclear explosion, was it that terrifying?”
Chen Hai smiled and greeted Ye Cheng teasingly.
Walking from the center of the nuclear explosion, he had dawdled, causing some delay.
With that time as a buffer, his body, which had been scorched as if he were a boiled lobster, had largely recovered.
Chen Hai, shirtless now, only had skin slightly darker than before, with no other anomalies visible.
As for the internal injuries in his body, they needed time and care to heal!
However, this was something others could not see, only Chen Hai himself knew.
This time, coming to the desert to test his strength, he had the intention to showcase his military power.
He had no interest in informing Ye Cheng that he seemed unharmed, but had actually sustained serious injuries.
“Chen Hai, what does it feel like to withstand a nuclear bomb with your physical body?”
“Are you really completely unharmed, not a single problem?
Should we go back to the base and have professionals check you thoroughly?”
Ye Cheng scrutinized Chen Hai for a while and then extended the invitation tentatively.
Mentioning a return to base for a checkup could have other implications, only Ye Cheng himself knew!
Perhaps the scientific researchers at the base would use the noble excuse of checking his health to test Chen Hai’s complete physical data.
They might even scrape off some cells from him for experiments, it wasn’t impossible!
Thinking about it, Chen Hai would never agree to such a thing.
After all, he certainly did not want anyone using his cells for messy experiments like cloning!
“Brother Cheng, the nuclear bomb with a yield of ten thousand tons was a bit weak.”
“I felt like I had just taken a sauna, experiencing a dry steam!”
“If you’re interested, you can try it too; I guarantee it will be fantastically refreshing!”
“Going back to the base for a checkup is absolutely unnecessary.”
“Just take me outside the desert to a place with roads.”
“After all, inside the desert, it’s all just sand, and even my phone has no signal; I couldn’t use navigation even if I wanted to!”
Chen Hai spoke with a smile on his face.
Although his words carried a hint of show-off, he felt justified since he had survived a nuclear explosion!
As for whether he was injured or if resisting a nuclear explosion really felt like having a sauna—these were inconsequential.
After all, besides him, who else would have the courage to physically withstand a nuclear explosion?
Hearing Chen Hai’s words, Ye Cheng was rendered speechless to the extreme.
If it were someone else saying this in front of him, he definitely would have lashed out.
But now, looking at Chen Hai who had just walked out from a nuclear explosion,
he remained silent for a while and eventually didn’t say much!
Inviting Chen Hai back to the base for a checkup was merely a probe.
Since Chen Hai was unwilling, he would not force it.
After all, the orders from above were clear: as long as Chen Hai could survive the nuclear explosion, efforts should be made to please him, and absolutely nothing should upset him!
“Taking you to a place with roads is fine?
Are you sure you don’t need us to take you directly back to the Capital City?”
“No need, I can go back on my own; along the way, I’ll enjoy sightseeing and appreciate the great scenery of Yanhuang Country!”
“Alright, get in the car…”
Ye Cheng nodded and then called Chen Hai.
Soon, the vehicle started and sped off into the distance.