Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 336 Waterfall in the Cave

The riverbed was more difficult to walk on than she had imagined, with pebbles of all sizes scattered haphazardly across the ground.

Some were very slippery, and I almost fell when I stepped on them; others were very sharp, and I could feel the sharp edges even through the soles of my shoes.

She had to slow down a bit, watching her step as she walked, choosing relatively flat spots to land on.

The stalactites on both sides are becoming more numerous and denser.

Some hung down from above, almost hitting my head; others stretched out from the side like stone pillars, requiring me to turn sideways to pass them.

The beam of the flashlight shone on them, and the stones glowed with an eerie white light, making them look like some kind of huge, petrified forest.

The beams of the soldiers' flashlights ahead were still swaying, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right. She tried her best to keep up with the beams and not let them disappear from her sight.

After walking for about half an hour, she seemed to hear the sound of water ahead.

The sound of water? She paused for a moment, then listened carefully.

It was definitely the sound of water, not the sound of a trickle, but a louder, clearer sound, like water falling from a height.

The moment they heard the sound of water, everyone seemed to go crazy.

Before Xu Xiaoyan could react, the people around her all took off running towards the direction from which the sound came.

Those heavy backpacks and cumbersome tents seemed to disappear at that moment.

Some people were running too fast and stepped on slippery pebbles, falling forward. But they immediately got up, ignoring their sore knees, and continued to rush forward.

Someone ran while shouting, "Water! There really is water!", their voice trembling and choked with sobs.

Others said nothing, just kept their heads down and ran forward, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but quicken her pace.

I ran for about five minutes.

Then she saw a waterfall.

The waterfall appeared out of nowhere from the cracks in the rocks, appearing abruptly on a huge rock face.

The rock face was grayish-black, covered with deep ravines, and at the top of those ravines, a stream of water was gushing out, plunging straight down from a height of tens of meters.

The sound of water was deafening, and the mist spread out, cool and refreshing, carrying a fresh and moist scent that wafted onto my face and into my nose.

Below the waterfall is a pool of water.

The pool wasn't large, only a few dozen square meters, but the water was very clear, so clear that you could see the stones at the bottom.

The water surface shimmered with light, the faint reflections of a flashlight beam.

Then she noticed that the water in the pool was continuing to flow downstream.

It didn't overflow, it didn't spill over; it flowed silently into a crack in the ground at the edge of the pool.

The crack in the ground was dark and small, only about the width of a person, but the water kept flowing in and disappearing into the darkness, never to be seen again.

Where does the water come from?

Where will it flow to next?

She couldn't help but take a few steps forward, trying to get a clearer view of the crack in the ground.

But it was too dark, and I couldn't see anything except the rushing sound of water and the constant flow of water surging into the darkness.

The people around were also stunned by this spectacle.

The people who were just yelling and rushing forward are now standing there, mouths agape, eyes wide, staring at the waterfall, the pool, and the fissure in the ground.

The expression on his face changed from ecstasy to confusion, from confusion to bewilderment, and from bewilderment to a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

Someone muttered to themselves, "Water...there really is water..."

Someone crouched down and reached for the pool of water. When his fingers touched the surface, he shuddered.

Then he scooped up a handful of water, brought it to his lips, tasted it, and a big smile spread across his face. He turned around and shouted to the people behind him, "It's fresh water! It's drinkable!"

Immediately, several people rushed over, squatted down, and scooped up water to drink.

People started taking things out of their backpacks: water bottles, water bags, and even folding buckets.

But most people's attention was focused on the crack in the ground.

A middle-aged man stared at the crack in the ground for a while, then pulled a crowbar from the side of his backpack and strode toward it.

"I want to see where this water is going," he said as he walked, his voice filled with stubbornness.

The people next to him exchanged glances, and two of them actually took a few steps forward, as if to help him.

Xu Xiaoyan's heart tightened.

Pry open the crack in the ground?

Is this person crazy?

Before she could even speak, someone had already made a move.

He's a member of the military.

The two soldiers rushed out almost simultaneously and blocked the middle-aged man's path in a few steps.

One of them reached out and pressed down on the man's shoulder with great force, causing the man to stumble.

The middle-aged man froze, nearly dropping the crowbar in his hand. "I...I just wanted to take a look..."

"Don't move!" Another soldier walked over and blocked the crack in the ground. "Go back."

The two people next to him immediately took a few steps back and shrank back into the crowd.

A man who looked like a military officer walked over.

He glanced at the middle-aged man, then at the crack in the ground.

Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but everyone could hear him: "Damaging the earth's crust structure will make it difficult to find the lost water source later."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the people around him.

"We haven't figured out where this water comes from yet. The crack in the ground is hollow, and nobody knows what will happen after we pry it open."

"If a landslide occurs, if the water flow is blocked, if the structure of the cave is damaged, then you won't be able to find a single drop of water."

No one speaks.

The middle-aged man lowered his head, and the crowbar in his hand slowly drooped down.

The officer waved his hand, and two soldiers made way for him. The middle-aged man lowered his head, quickly walked back into the crowd, and never looked up again.

Xu Xiaoyan stood still, watching silently as the soldiers quickly took over the area around the water source.

Someone took out a folding fence from their backpack and began to set up a cordon around the water source.

Someone was measuring something with an instrument by the pond, recording the measurements in a notebook as they went.

Two other people stood guard beside the crack in the ground, like two statues, completely still.

The officer continued, "The water source has been found, and we will produce water tickets immediately." His voice echoed in the cave, buzzing and reverberating.

"From now on, everyone will use water tickets to purchase items, and each person will be given one 5L water ticket for free every day."

A commotion arose in the crowd.

Some people breathed a sigh of relief, some muttered to themselves, and some started counting on their fingers: 5 liters a day, that's 150 liters a month, that should be enough.

The officer paused for a moment, then continued, "Today we'll start by setting up the network and power systems."

Later, everyone will go to the first platform, which is where everyone parks, to register their personal information. From now on, water tickets will be issued under a real-name system, and you can withdraw water tickets for up to one month in advance.

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