CHAPTER 392: 390, HER LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS 3.5 HOURS FROM NOW!

After Qiao Ke left, they really could only rely on themselves.

No matter what, Song Lili was still very grateful she had made a decisive and correct decision to come to Angus Church.

Seeing Qiao Ke drive away with his own men, Zhongli Wuzhi couldn’t help but frown as he approached Song Lili,

"Why did he leave?"

"We’ve got to rely on ourselves for the rest of it."

"Just... the two of us?"

Zhongli Wuzhi was astonished. Song Lili glanced at him, turned around, and walked toward the area closest to Xiaoer. Zhongli Wuzhi followed behind her, and just as he was about to continue questioning, he heard Song Lili say,

"Zhongli, the expression you’re showing right now is pretty pathetic."

"..."

Zhongli Wuzhi was taken aback, and his towering frame stiffened for a moment.

Song Lili stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding the freshly printed internal imaging map. She estimated the distance in the space, found roughly the vertical point directly above Lu Xiaoer’s position, and squatted down,

"They can’t even save their own citizens in time, so how could they possibly be willing to spend so much effort and time to save people from another country?"

Song Lili took a pen from her pocket and started marking the map, simultaneously scribbling arithmetic calculations on the side.

"It’s good enough that they could help us this far."

Song Lili was very content.

She told Zhongli Wuzhi his expression was pathetic, but Zhongli Wuzhi couldn’t argue back—the video call with Xiaoer was still ongoing...

Xiaoer was injured and buried, and before arriving, he had been clear about the situation, but it was only upon actually arriving that he realized the situation was even graver than he had thought.

It felt like he was here but couldn’t do anything useful... This sense of desperation and helplessness made him feel pathetic.

"Xiao Li said you’re pathetic... Adjust the camera properly, let me see your pathetic face... hehe..."

Lu Xiaoer’s teasing laugh came through, muffled, perhaps due to the tight space.

There was no light on Xiaoer’s end, but there was ample lighting on Zhongli Wuzhi’s side. However, they kept moving back and forth, causing the camera to shake continuously, making it impossible to get a clear image.

Zhongli Wuzhi looked down at the camera and the dark screen.

"It’s really not fair..."

He muttered.

"Zhongli... you really act like a child..."

"Is that analogy meant to be derogatory?"

"Haha... Not too dumb..."

Zhongli Wuzhi shook his head, "Don’t talk anymore, save your strength."

"...Okay."

"Wait for me, don’t you dare fall asleep!"

Zhongli Wuzhi sternly instructed her.

"...Yeah, I won’t sleep."

Lu Xiaoer’s response truly broke Zhongli Wuzhi’s heart.

He saw Song Lili squatting on the ground, bending over and drawing on the map. He didn’t disturb her but merely stood by and watched, soon understanding what Song Lili was planning.

"You’re going to... drill from underground?"

But after understanding Song Lili’s intentions, Zhongli Wuzhi found it even more unbelievable.

"It’s not that I want to, but it’s the only way. Look up, this twenty or so meters of church ruins, can you remove this entire church within a few hours?"

"..."

"Even if you could remove it, you can’t guarantee the movement wouldn’t cause deformation or disturbance below."

"But how long would it take to drill from underground?"

"Six people, creating enough space for one person, a fifteen-meter-long tunnel, at least... five hours."

"Five... hours?"

Zhongli Wuzhi felt darkness overtaking him when he heard this number.

"Zhongli, what’s with that expression on your face..."

Lu Xiaoer had been watching him the whole time, and she had also listened to his conversation with Song Lili very clearly.

His expression of shock followed by a hint of despair, it wasn’t the kind of expression a wealthy and privileged young master like him should show.

"But I thought I heard you telling Qiao Ke something about... rescuing Xiaoer before nightfall?"

"If I hadn’t said that, I doubt he would have loaned me extra men. It seemed there was still hope before nightfall, but once five or six hours pass..."

Song Lili looked at the cell phone in Zhongli Wuzhi’s hand... She stood up and took the phone from his hand,

"Xiaoer..."

Song Lili smiled gently at Lu Xiaoer, "Give me five hours, okay?"

Lu Xiaoer took a deep breath, his hand holding the phone rested casually on a slightly protruding brick, looking up weakly, his eyes glancing down slightly, seeing Song Lili’s gentle, expectant smile...

"Five hours... so long... Xiao Li... I’m afraid I can’t hold on..."

"How much battery is left on your phone?"

"Twenty... percent or so..."

"Good, then give me three and a half hours, for these three and a half hours, no matter what, you have to stay awake. No matter how difficult or sleepy, you must keep your eyes open, can you do that!"

"... I’ll try."

"Good, I’m going to hang up the video now. In three and a half hours, you call me."

"Okay..."

Just as Lu Xiaoer agreed, Song Lili abruptly ended the video call, her actions were extremely decisive.

Zhongli Wuzhi was again astonished, "I haven’t gotten to say..."

"What do you want to say to her?"

Song Lili asked him with furrowed brows.

Zhongli Wuzhi felt a tightness in his chest, understanding Song Lili’s meaning.

"These three and a half hours, we do what we need to do, and she can only rely on herself. After three and a half hours, she’ll have to rely on you."

"..."

Having said that, Song Lili no longer wasted words with Zhongli Wuzhi.

The six men Qiao Ke had arranged for her had already come over with the tools she had requested.

"You can call me Tang, I was Qiao Ke’s classmate. My friends came to your country with an international rescue organization to help your injured and troubled compatriots. Now, she’s buried under the ruins of this church, and I’m certain she’s alive. I really need your help."

Song Lili’s fluent M-language genuinely surprised Zhongli Wuzhi.

"Tang, Major General Qiao Ke has ordered us to assist you, and besides, your friend helped us but met with disaster in our country, we will definitely do our utmost."

"Thank you."

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, Song Lili unrolled the images in her hand,

"From where we’re standing to my friend’s location is eleven and a half meters. We need to dig a tunnel at least one and a half meters deep to reach her. I’ve calculated that the total length is about fifteen meters, and we must break through this passage within five hours."

"..."

Everyone looked at each other incredulously.

"Three people drilling at the same time, at least start by carving out a narrow path to let air flow in."

Zhongli Wuzhi thought this method was feasible.

"I can operate the digging machine. One group drills, I clear most of the debris, and another group clears the stones. We’ll rotate every hour."

"Okay."

"I’ve already marked the spot, let’s start here."

After assigning the tasks, Song Lili headed towards the digging machine, Zhongli Wuzhi knitted his brows, "Song Lili, what about me?"