Chapter Six: Fuel Crisis

"Military Doctor!"

"I'm not asking about your profession."

"My name is actually 'Military Doctor.' My father was a military doctor; his surname was Jun, and he hoped I would grow up to be one too, so he gave me this name," the young man explained.

"So, Military Doctor, I want to ask: do you guys eat earthworms every day?"

"No, we usually eat this nutrition paste." As he spoke, he took a foil-wrapped packet from his chest pocket and handed it to Wang Jing.

Wang Jing took it and tasted a bite out of curiosity. It wasn't as bad as he had imagined, nor was it particularly tasty; it felt like eating a piece of flavorless rice cake.

"Don't you get tired of eating this every day?"

"We still have earthworms!" Military Doctor replied, causing a wave of laughter in the vehicle.

But all Wang Jing could hear in their laughter was the sound of bitter resignation.

Wang Jing slung his arm over the Military Doctor's shoulder and said, "When this crisis is over, I'll take you to our world for some spicy hotpot."

"You can bring people to your world?" Wang Lei's question caught everyone's attention in the car.

"At the moment, I can only take one person at a time. If there are more, I'd have to make several trips," Wang Jing replied.

"Your world must be much more suitable for human habitation, right?" Military Doctor inquired longingly.

"It's alright, about the same as yours before you started the Wandering Earth Project," Wang Jing said.

"Have you developed heavy nuclear fusion reactors in your world?" Huang Peng, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned his head to ask.

Just as Wang Jing was about to answer, Li Xian, sitting beside him, nudged his waist with an elbow.

Realizing what was happening, Wang Jing understood that Huang Peng was fishing for information, so he frowned and said, "I don't really know about that. But our electricity bills have gotten a bit cheaper."

Huang Peng nodded thoughtfully, and after that, the car fell into a period of silence.

It wasn't until the convoy stopped at a canyon formed by two icebergs that Wang Jing got up to take a look outside. It was the very canyon the protagonists had once passed through, but now it was blocked by rubble and ice. Wang Jing asked, "Is there another route?"

"MOSS, are there any other passable routes besides this one?" Huang Peng inquired.

MOSS replied, "Due to tectonic shifts, all other accessible routes require a detour of 336 kilometers."

Wang Jing looked at the route map displayed by MOSS on the screen. It suggested bypassing the now-frozen sea, circling around the submerged Shanghai, and then entering Hangzhou.

"Why do we have to go through Hangzhou? Isn't it closer to go straight to Taizhou from here?" Wang Jing pointed out on the screen.

"We need to refuel in Hangzhou," Huang Peng explained.

Wang Jing nodded awkwardly. "Alright, let's get going then!" With that, he returned to his seat.

Meanwhile, as Wang Jing and the others made their way toward the Taizhou Aerospace Launch Center, the Navigator Space Station, which had been in low-power mode, disengaged from hibernation, adjusted its tracks, and began moving toward Earth's southern hemisphere.

Outside the space station, Liu Peiqiang and Makarov, who were preparing to head to the control center, also noticed the anomaly.

"Old Ma, it looks like the station has stopped accelerating!" Liu Peiqiang exclaimed.

"It does seem so. The main engines have shut down," Makarov replied, glancing at the tail end of the station.

Just then, MOSS’s voice came through their suits: "Lieutenant Colonel Liu Peiqiang and Lieutenant Colonel Makarov, the Navigator Space Station is returning. Please return to the station immediately."

"What's going on, MOSS? Have you changed your mind and decided not to defect?" Liu Peiqiang asked.

"MOSS has never defected. Return is due to a new plan to save Earth. Please return to the station as soon as possible," the AI replied.

While Liu Peiqiang hesitated, MOSS added, "Lieutenant Colonel Liu, Lieutenant Colonel Makarov, I will assist you in entering the control center. The station will begin to change course soon; please act quickly."

"Old Ma, do you think MOSS can be trusted?" Liu Peiqiang asked.

"There’s a chance. Look, the control room has started decelerating," Makarov replied, pointing at the main module, which was firing its thrusters in reverse.

"Sorry, Old Ma. I dragged you into this. Looks like we’ll be spending the rest of our lives in prison," Liu Peiqiang said guiltily.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Liu. You did it to save Earth. The judge will understand," Makarov said, sipping vodka from a flask concealed in his suit.

"Heh, I hope so. But there's no way we’ll dodge the charge for smuggling contraband," Liu Peiqiang chuckled.

"Vodka is the soul of a Russian soldier! The judge can judge my body, but not my soul!" Makarov shouted.

After bypassing the uplifted Shanghai plate and entering Hangzhou, Wang Jing and the others received news that Hangzhou's No. 2 Engine had been destroyed by magma.

"Damn it, we’re running out of fuel," Huang Peng said, thumping the armrest in frustration.

"What about Hangzhou No. 1 Engine? Can we make it there with our remaining fuel?" Wang Jing asked, frowning.

"Not enough. We only have enough left for another 20 kilometers or so," Huang Peng replied.

"Then ask if anyone nearby is heading our way and willing to give us a lift," Wang Jing suggested.

"I’ll try. If not, we’ll have to ask the Hangzhou No. 1 underground city to send someone to pick us up." As he spoke, Huang Peng picked up the vehicle's communicator.

"This is CN12138 Escort Team. We have a VVIP to transport to Taizhou. Our vehicle is out of fuel. Is there anyone who can give us a ride?" Huang Peng repeated the message several times, but there was no response.

"Looks like we’ll have to walk," Huang Peng said helplessly, turning to Wang Jing.

"What kind of fuel does your vehicle use?" Wang Jing asked, a thought occurring to him.

"Anything flammable, really—any liquid fuel. Why, do you have a way to get some?" Huang Peng replied, puzzled.

"Heh, did you forget I can travel between worlds?"

At once, everyone in the vehicle turned to look at him, curiosity burning in their eyes about what the other world was like.

"What’s the highest voltage device in this vehicle?" Wang Jing asked.

"The battery, under the floor in the back row," Huang Peng pointed.

Wang Jing immediately went over, crouched down, and lifted the floorboard, revealing a large black battery connected to thick cables.

"Stop the vehicle and start generating power on the spot. I need enough energy to make the jump," Wang Jing instructed, grabbing the battery terminals with his bare hands. Huang Peng was about to stop him, but when he saw Wang Jing unharmed, he quickly signaled the driver to halt and begin power generation.

As soon as the vehicle stopped, the warning lights began flashing. "Boss, we’re out of power!" the driver called out, staring at the dashboard.

"Floor it—generate as much as you can!" Huang Peng commanded.

"Yes, sir!" With the roar of the turbofan engine, Wang Jing, having absorbed enough power, suddenly vanished from the vehicle.

"B-b-boss, he really disappeared!" the machine gunner stammered, pointing at the empty spot where Wang Jing had been.

Everyone turned to look at Li Xian, who sat nearby, feigning composure.

"He’ll be back soon. Stay put for now," Li Xian said.