Chapter 216: The Old General
Translator: Liu_Kaixuan Editor: Valvrave
Although Jiang Liushi confirmed it was not a trap, he also thought he should be careful, so he brought Ying, Ran Xiyu, and his sister. Other than that, Jiang Liushi also asked to drive his own car. That officer nodded his head. That order, "No cars are allowed on the road of the first district of Shenhai Island." was only meant for ordinary people. Military’s cars were allowed to drive everywhere.
By the time they reached the old General’s villa, it was the best moment for enjoying tea. The villa was large and clean. As soon as they entered the villa, Jiang Liushi saw a wooden table, on which Gongfu Tea was placed. A silver-haired old man was plucking tea leaves with a pair of tweezers from the cups. "Mr. Jiang, nice to meet you. I’ve long been looking forward to meeting you." Seeing Jiang Liushi, the old General stood up and stretched out his hand.
"This is our leader," explained the officer accompanying Jiang Liushi.
"My surname is Zhang, and you can call me old Zhang." The silver-haired old man said calmly. Actually, the old man was a highly respected General, so Jiang Liushi was shocked by his modesty. And then he also stretched out his hand to shake. That old man’s handshake was gentle yet so powerful. His hand had thick calluses, probably because of the constant usage of his gun.
"Hello, I’m Jiang Liushi. I’m just an ordinary person. You probably just heard of me." Jiang Liushi said.
"Hahaha!"Hearing Jiang Liushi’s response, that silver-haired old man laughed immediately. "Yes, you are right. I heard about your name today. Actually, I just wanted to break the ice with some flattering words. In my days as a General, the only thing I was good at was fighting fiercely against enemies in the war. My socializing skills weren’t my strong point."
Jiang Liushi was shocked by his words because that old man was entirely different from other military leaders. Truth be told, the General changed Jiang Liushi’s point of view.
That war mentioned by the General was indeed a story of the past to Jiang Liushi. He did not expect that he could encounter someone who actually fought in that war. Jiang Liushi’s admiration toward the General increased at once.
"Come, and drink some tea. In addition to playing with guns, I also like drinking tea." The old General said while putting all the cups right to their places, filling with Longjing tea. Emerald green tea was like jade crystal. However, one could enjoy good tea could only if a tea expert poured it.
Jiang Liushi said, "Excuse me, General Zhang, I don’t know how to properly drink tea."
"Haha, just have a try, and you will grasp the process quickly. I didn’t know either how to properly prepare and enjoy it, but I learned. Although I was quite good at shooting, I thought my life should be more colorful. At last, I found that I really like to drink tea. However, it’s a real pity that after doomsday, tea has become a rare luxury." The old General said.
Jiang Liushi started learning from the General the way to properly taste the fragrant tea. Even if he had no idea about tea, Jiang Liushi could taste the special fragrance of tea. And then Jiang Liushi felt calm. It was quite precious that he could feel at ease for a moment in this chaotic world.
"Well. General Zhang… what’s the reason you wanted to meet me?" Jiang Liushi got straight to the point.
"I learned about your feud with Chu Chongshan."
"Yes," Jiang Liushi said frankly, and he looked at the old General, thinking if he may be Chu Chongshan enemy.
The silver-haired old General seemed to have guessed Jiang Liushi’s thought. And then he laughed, "I really don’t agree with Chu Chonghan. Not only we frequently disagree with each other and have conflicting military opinions, but our statuses were different before doomsday too. I also didn’t like his son." The old General answered honestly without any hesitation. "However, Little Jiang, we should take the whole situation into consideration. After all, the first district of Shenhai Island is in danger. Today, I invited you here for another issue…"
"It is about that nuclear power plant…"The old General’s words shocked Jiang Liushi at once.
"Uh? Nuclear power plant?"
"Well, Little Jiang you may not know about it. Qinshan Nuclear Power Station is south of the Shenhai City, about tens of kilometers away. Of course, it is far away from us. However, once a nuclear leak happens, it will still threaten us. Moreover, the danger of nuclear leaks after doomsday may not be as simple as that of radiation, but they may also mutate further mutant animals."
"After the virus’ outbreak, everyone in the Qinshan Nuclear Power Station died, but the reactor is still running. However, because of the power outage, the cooling water can’t be recycled, so the reactor will only keep getting hotter. I don't quite understand the professional term, but the technicians said it would cause an even more terrible explosion than those of Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants, causing incalculable consequences. Some nuclear plants have already deteriorated… A few days ago the military launched a special mission, that is, to shut down the nuclear power plant…"
Hearing the old General’s words, Jiang Liushi opened his mouth.
The country had more than one nuclear power plant… Not only that, nuclear power plants all over the world were unmanaged, once a large-scale explosion happened, then the consequences would be really unthinkable.
"Well… so it’s not only us, but the survivors of other regions will have to shut down all nuclear power plants in the near future if scientists and the government are involved. However, I’m afraid that some areas will stay without someone leading them. Actually, it’s all because we wrongly estimated the virus’ outbreak…We were totally unprepared for the outbreak." The old General explained.
"At first, the nuclear power station was going to be closed 10 days before the outbreak of doomsday. After all, Shenhai Island’s construction couldn’t be completed without the transportation of materials supported by electricity. Although the materials needed were all gathered, the virus outbreak happened so unexpectedly, and we were unable to follow the original plans." The old General said.
Hearing his words, Jiang Liushi was absorbed in his thoughts.
"Uh? We had no idea about mutant beasts in that area…our mission was serious…" Jiang Liushi said.
"Yes, you are right. We had sent a dedicated battalion of troops to complete this mission with two Type 99 tanks, four Type 92 infantry fighting vehicles, including two armed helicopters, however…something unexpected happened. "
Translator's Thoughts
Liu_Kaixuan Liu_Kaixuan
Valvrave's corner; What could have happened and why is our MC's team needed? o.O