Song Ren thought that Cen Fangyuan was the person in charge after all, and it would be unreasonable not to meet him when he came, and he also had to wait for his final confirmation.
Instead of talking on the phone, it’s better to just go up there and do it.
As for Lin Fan...
Song Ren considered whether to let her go up. Considering Jin Sichen's need for her social adaptation, he felt there was no need to specifically protect her—she would eventually integrate into the crowd.
While Dr. Xiao was examining Lin Fan, the others got into the car and grabbed some food to replenish their energy.
Lin Fan wasn't the only one exhausted from the busy work. They also felt exhausted when they dismounted from the mecha.
Digging isolation belts and putting out fires are both purely physical tasks and much more tiring than daily walking.
Several people sat nearby, eating while watching Lin Fan inspect.
Lin Fan is also an old hand at physical examinations. He knows how to cooperate conveniently without delaying eating.
Ji Yu took out a handbag from the RV, filled it with a lot of snacks, and prepared to bring them upstairs for Lin Fan to eat later.
In about ten minutes, Doctor Xiao finished examining Lin Fan and the other four people. After confirming that there were no problems, Song Ren led the group up the mountain.
At this time, the sky was already getting light.
The air was filled with a burnt smell, damp vapor, and an indescribable sour smell.
"It will probably take many years to restore this forest." Li Chunhua walked on the bumpy road and sighed at the trees on the periphery that had survived the smoke and fire.
"If it is to be fully restored to its original state, the preliminary estimate is that it will take fifteen years," Ji Yu added.
"Does it take that long?" Lin Fan turned around in surprise, took the bag from Ji Yu's hand, and slung it over his arm. "Don't they say a tree can grow in three years?"
"It takes three years for a sapling to grow into a full-grown tree, but for it to grow into something this lush and green," Ji Yu propped up his chin toward the tall trees nearby. "It takes much longer than that. What's more, restoration doesn't just involve the trees growing back; it involves the entire ecosystem within it, including the microorganisms."
"Oh, that will indeed take quite a while." Lin Fan nodded and tore open another small piece of bread.
"So it's better to put out the fire early, reducing the affected area and making recovery easier." Gao Fei put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly at the end.
A few of them chatted along the way and soon arrived at a small platform.
There were only a few tents on the platform. A man was waiting outside the tent. When he saw them coming up, he hurried to meet them.
"Captain Song!" Cen Fangyuan had no idea who Song Ren was. He cunningly called out from a distance and extended his right hand enthusiastically.
Normally, Song Ren would definitely take the initiative to stand up and shake hands with him.
As expected, Song Ren saw Cen Fangyuan approaching, took a few steps in front of Li Chunhua, and extended his hand to shake his.
"Commander Cen."
Cen Fangyuan was not tall, about 1.70 meters tall. He wore a standard black suit and white shirt. He looked neither fat nor thin, and appeared to be in his forties. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, and his hair was neatly combed and waxed, giving him a refined look.
But after fighting all night, his clothes were wrinkled, his hair was messy, and there was a green mustache on his chin that he hadn't had time to take care of.
"Captain Song." Cen Fangyuan successfully connected with Song Ren, and his eyes narrowed even more. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Come in and sit down and rest for a while."
The two of them politely entered the tent. Most of the staff inside were sent out to patrol the mountain and confirm the situation. The few staff members who stayed were also sent to other tents.
There were a few chairs beside the table, specially prepared for them. "Sit down, sit down, sit down. You must have worked hard just now. Take some rest."
Song Ren and the others were really tired, so they didn't try to be humble and sat down obediently.
Among the tall and strong men, Lin Fan, a woman who kept eating, inevitably attracted Cen Fangyuan's attention.
"You guys were all working so hard just now, weren't you?" Cen Fangyuan spoke skillfully, asking the question without revealing the secret. "Thank you all for your hard work."
Song Ren reported the names of several people in a timely manner, but did not say more, which was considered an acknowledgement of Cen Fangyuan's guess.
He then turned around and asked about the follow-up investigation questions, which was also the main purpose of their coming up.
"We've sent people to check. They just entered the scene not long ago, and all they've reported back is good news." Cen Fangyuan smiled and personally poured water for the five people.
"The two firefighters we met before..." Song Ren asked again.
"Oh, they were also sent out for the survey. This was a mistake on our part, and they strongly demanded that we make amends, so we let them go." Cen Fangyuan reassured Song Ren, "We've said everything that needs to be said. They've also made guarantees and signed an agreement. They know the severity of the situation."
"That's good." Song Ren nodded and slowly picked up the cup of tea to drink.
Lin Fan didn't care what anyone else said and continued eating. Ji Yu and Li Chunhua beside her were busy serving her water and helping her pack the bags.
Of course Cen Fangyuan was curious, but he knew that there were some things he shouldn't ask about, so he had to keep his mouth shut.
He pretended not to see anything, and chatted with Song Rendong with a smile, saying some words that seemed meaningless but not offensive.
Song Ren also answered politely and courteously.
Gao Fei, with nothing to do, could only stare blankly at the sky outside the tent as it gradually brightened.
"Commander-in-chief, something happened!" A man rushed in from outside the tent.
When he saw a few strangers, he was stunned at first, then realized that Cen Fangyuan asked them to stay away. He wanted to retreat, but he felt that what he wanted to report was extremely difficult, so he was in a dilemma for a while.
"What's the matter? Tell me." Cen Fangyuan knew that it was not an emergency and his men would not lose their composure. "We are not outsiders here, just tell me directly."
"Look, someone posted photos of the firefighting at night online!" The visitor said hurriedly after getting permission.
"Photos of the fire being put out at night? Are you talking about the short videos posted by the people down the mountain?" Cen Fangyuan asked as he took the phone from the other party. "Didn't I say not to worry about those? Once we confirm the fire is out, we'll unify public opinion. These won't be a problem."
He had seen those videos and comments earlier last night when he was driving people down the mountain. They were all just groundless speculation and opposition. Now that the fire is out, what those people said is not important.
"No. It was taken later." The staff member was anxious and couldn't explain clearly.
Cen Fangyuan looked at the phone and found it was locked, so he handed it back to the staff to unlock it.
"Are those short videos of the trucks coming in? I've seen them too. They can take pictures if they want. They're just taking pictures of the outer shells anyway. What else can they capture except the license plate number and the driver?" he said nonchalantly.
He'd watched those short videos, but they didn't capture anything substantial. Even if they had the license plate number, ordinary people wouldn't have the authority to find it. Don't be afraid.
"No," the staff member quickly unlocked the message. "It's a photo of a mecha putting out a fire. It was captured and posted online! Now it's going viral!"
"What!" Cen Fangyuan's smile disappeared instantly and he snatched the phone.
There is a very shocking picture on the phone.
The image was sharply divided from the upper right to the lower left. The upper half was a sea of red flames, the lower half a black ground. A mecha silhouette was clearly visible in the center, its shovel raised high in a striking gesture.
The photo has a sharp contrast and high saturation in color, and the visual impact it brings is very strong. Coupled with the sensational title, it has received over hundreds of thousands of likes.
Clicking on the comments, some praised the picture, some said it was photoshopped, and some discussed the origin of the robot...
All kinds of mixed opinions cannot hide one fact.
Mecha, exposed.