Chapter 215 - 131: Satellite

Chapter 215: Chapter 131: Satellite

News of the rocket launch acted as a powerful stimulant, plunging all of Jiang City into a state of high excitement for the days that followed. On every street corner, in every teahouse and tavern, the conversation revolved around two words: "satellite" and "rocket."

Jiang City’s administration, clearly aware of the tremendous boost this event would give to public morale, distributed a limited number of tickets for on-site viewing. They were given out through various channels, such as radio raffles, community nominations, and special invitations for distinguished individuals. The chance to be near the launch site and witness the rocket’s ascent up close became a coveted honor that countless people dreamed of.

Xu Mo got caught up in the excitement, entering a few radio contests and community drawings. He wasn’t particularly obsessed with the so-called honor; he just wanted to witness what could only be described as a miracle in this apocalyptic world with his own eyes.

Unfortunately, luck was not on Xu Mo’s side, and all his attempts came to nothing. Watching the ecstatic few who had won a ticket, Xu Mo simply gave a faint smile, feeling little disappointment.

’It’s fine. Fewer people means a better view, anyway,’ Xu Mo consoled himself.

He had already learned the approximate time and location of the launch from radio broadcasts and public chatter. If he couldn’t get a close-up view, he would watch from a distance.

Five days flew by as the entire city waited with bated breath.

The weather on launch day was perfect. The sky was a pristine, cloudless blue, with only the searing sun proclaiming the peak of summer.

Xu Mo set out early in his modified off-road vehicle. He joined the endless streams of people heading northeast, some on foot, some on bicycles, and others in various vehicles of their own.

Jiang City had clearly anticipated this enthusiastic "public viewing." They had cordoned off a temporary outer viewing area on an open, elevated slope more than ten kilometers from the launch site. Large numbers of soldiers and security officers were dispatched to maintain order, preventing the crowd from getting too close or starting a stampede.

Xu Mo parked his vehicle some distance away. With a backpack containing fresh water and some simple food, he hiked to the top of a small hill.

The view from here was excellent. Though a crowd of people milled about in front of him, they didn’t completely block his line of sight.

The viewing area was already a sea of people. Families, young and old, waited with eager anticipation, their faces a mixture of excitement, nervousness, hope, and pride. Children sat on their fathers’ shoulders, chattering with endless questions. Neighbors greeted each other, swapping "insider information" they’d picked up from dubious sources.

Hawkers weaved through the crowd selling water and simple snacks, their business booming. The soldiers maintaining order looked stern, constantly reminding people to be careful, but even they couldn’t hide the glint of shared pride in their eyes. The air was thick with a festive, boisterous energy, yet it also held the solemn atmosphere of a sacred ritual.

As the clock ticked closer to noon, a broadcast vehicle perched on high ground played a looping message with safety instructions and a reminder of the final countdown. The crowd slowly fell silent, and countless pairs of eyes focused on the distant launchpad.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

A steady voice from the broadcast speakers boomed across the entire viewing area. As if on cue, the crowd began to mouth the numbers or whisper along.

"Three, two, one! Ignition!"

"BOOOOOM—!!!!!!!!"

The instant the countdown hit zero, a titanic, impossibly deep roar erupted, seeming to come from the very depths of the earth. It wasn’t merely a sound, but the tangible, violent bellow of raw energy tearing itself free from the planet’s crust.

Everyone felt a distinct tremor through the ground beneath their feet, as if a slumbering, ancient beast was stirring. Loose pebbles on the hillock began to dance.

Almost simultaneously with the roar and the tremor, a searing, white-hot, orange-red flame erupted from the base of the distant launch tower. The inferno was so immense, so violent, that it instantly consumed the tower’s base. It transformed into a massive pillar of fire, blasting down into the flame trench and kicking up a towering cloud of smoke and dust, while thrusting the pristine white body of the rocket upward.

The rocket was moving.

It started with agonizing slowness, like a giant shrugging off invisible chains as it steadily pulled away from the launch tower’s embrace. Then, its speed increased visibly to the naked eye. It tore a magnificent, brilliant trail of fire between heaven and earth as it pierced straight into the azure firmament.

The roar of the flames was a continuous, rolling thunder that swept across the sky, over the wasteland, and through the heart of every spectator. Against the blue canvas of the sky, the orange-red tail of fire stretched and expanded, as if a god had taken a brush of pure flame and painted a breathtaking stroke of power and hope across the heavens.

"Liftoff! We have liftoff!"

"Oh my god..."

"Go! Go for it!"

After a brief, stunned silence, the crowd erupted in a deafening explosion of cheers, screams, and shouts. Many people leaped into the air, waving their arms wildly as hats and handkerchiefs were tossed toward the sky.

Xu Mo saw people with tears streaming down their faces, hugging their loved ones tightly. Others simply stood with their mouths agape, staring blankly at the fiery trajectory arcing ever higher, as if they had lost the power of speech.

A surge of intense emotion washed over Xu Mo, leaving him profoundly shaken. He wasn’t one to be easily swept up in mass hysteria, but the sight before him transcended personal feelings, transcended the daily struggle for survival. This was the most brilliant display of human wisdom, courage, and indomitable will, burning brightly against the ruins of the apocalypse.

This was Jiang City’s powerful declaration—irrefutable proof that the flame of civilization had not been extinguished, that humanity still possessed the strength to gaze upon and explore the starry sky.

With a communications satellite, shelters separated by thousands of miles would no longer be isolated islands. Information would once again flow across the planet. Experience could be shared, and efforts could be coordinated. This wasn’t merely a technological victory; it was a historic step for humanity as a whole, a chance to reconnect, build consensus, and face the future from the depths of despair. Its significance was perhaps more profound than wiping out a horde of mutated beasts or harvesting a field of wheat.