Chapter 179: Earthquake Prediction

April 12, 2010.

Chu Lingxi, who was over six months pregnant, entered the Wuzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital accompanied by Lin Dongfan. To ensure the mother and child's health and safety, Lin Dongfan accompanied her for a prenatal checkup every month.

In ancient terms, Chu Lingxi is now pregnant.

Her belly is quite big.

She complains of back pain every day and likes to support her waist while walking.

Lin Dongfan carefully supported Chu Lingxi all the way, saying: "I feel you're just eating too much; the fatter the baby grows, the greater your pressure."

"I don't even want to eat, but my mother insists on feeding me like a pig. And grandfather, he makes a video call every day to supervise me, insisting on watching me eat. Husband, do you now dislike me for being fat?"

As they talked, Chu Lingxi suddenly shifted the topic, leaving Lin Dongfan looking bewildered.

Lin Dongfan hastily held up three fingers and solemnly swore: "Heaven and earth as my witness, I truly have no such contemptuous thought; besides, you're not even that fat now…"

"You mean, if I get a bit fatter, you'll really despise me?"

Chu Lingxi blinked, her eyes watery; it was unclear whether it was innate spiritual aura or later tears, rendering one powerless against this adorably silly charm.

Lin Dongfan glumly declared: "If you really become a fat girl in the future, I'll gain weight with you, ensuring nobody despises anybody—okay?"

"Not okay."

"Then what do you want?"

"I like my husband handsome; I don't want you to become ugly."

"Fine, then I'll stay handsome all the way to death."

"I've heard many people say women become ugly after giving birth; if I really turn ugly, will you truly not despise me?"

"We've come full circle again; I'm feeling a bit dizzy, let me recover first."

"Oh."

Seeing Lin Dongfan holding his forehead, Chu Lingxi looked left and right.

The dizziness she understood was real dizziness!

In an instant she tossed her doubts aside, pointing to a row of empty chairs on the right and said: "Husband, there are chairs over there; go rest a moment."

Lin Dongfan instantly felt a sense of relief and happiness after surviving a ordeal.

With such a sweetly silly wife, what more could one ask for?

After completing the series of examinations, it took over two hours, and nothing was wrong.

The sweetly silly one is very healthy.

The baby in the sweetly silly one's belly is also very healthy, showing no signs of umbilical cord around the neck or other abnormal indicators; it is known to be a boy.

Just as they got back into the car, grandfather's video call came in.

"Grandfather, we just finished the checkup; everything is fine." Chu Lingxi smiled, showing two small dimples, and deliberately held the test report up to the camera for grandfather to see.

In the video feed on the other side, the place was crowded with people.

Grandfather's head occupied the central position; to the left appeared the head of paternal aunt Lin Yuzhi, and to the right appeared the head of aunt Xie Yunxin.

Younger uncle Lin Zhenhua and uncle-in-law Liang Jingzhong (without official credentials) also appeared briefly in the background.

Lin Dongfan asked in surprise: "What day is it today that the whole family is gathered? Don't you have to work?"

No one answered his question.

Grandfather focused on feeding Chu Lingxi a love potion: "Lingxi, your mother's health isn't great either, and taking care of you is tiring. I've already arranged a postpartum nurse for you; come over quickly to ease your mother's burden."

Paternal aunt retorted out of nowhere: "Look at what you're saying; it's not that we can't afford a postpartum nurse."

"Liang Jingzhong!"

Grandfather roared angrily: "Throw her out for me!"

The next second, paternal aunt was dragged by Liang Jingzhong out of the camera's view; paternal aunt isn't afraid of grandfather, but Liang Jingzhong is genuinely frightened—one shout and his heart jumps.

From behind came paternal aunt's protest: "I merely spoke a blunt truth; who have I provoked?"

That's rather nonsensical—you didn't provoke grandfather?

It's obvious.

Lin Dongfan laughed through the screen: "Paternal aunt, you deserved that toss."

In the video, aunt Xie Yunxin was more reasonable, following grandfather's thinking to advise Chu Lingxi: "Lingxi, come over soon; the Lin family's child ought to be born in the Lin family, not cause trouble for the in-laws."

"Did you two hear that? Don't cause trouble for the in-laws." Grandfather ordered via the screen: "I give you three days; if you don't return to the capital within three days, I'll go to Wuzhou and drag you back."

Lin Dongfan looked speechless: "Grandfather, you can't do this…"

"Shut up, this isn't your place to speak." Grandfather issued another order: "Your transfer to the capital has been confirmed; go home and prepare."

Hearing that, Lin Dongfan was indeed speechless, but said nothing more.

Today the Lin family is so fully assembled; even without a promotion, it's fine, yet they've transferred from the prosperous Jianglan to the impoverished Xirong, adding paternal uncle-in-law Liang Jingzhong.

One can guess that the Lin family must have encountered some thorny matters.

"You two chat with Lingxi slowly."

Lin Dongfan opened the car door, got out, found a quiet place, and made a solo video call to Liang Jingzhong.

As soon as the video connected, paternal aunt Lin Yuzhi was also there beside him.

Lin Dongfan bluntly posed his question: "Uncle, aunt, tell me the truth—has something happened in the family?"

"You only just realized now?" Paternal aunt candidly said: "Someone wants to suppress your uncle; suppressing him essentially aims to weaken your uncle's faction."

Liang Jingzhong, feeling deeply, advised: "Dongfan, follow grandfather's arrangement and go to the capital; consider it a gilding experience, making future work in Jianglan easier."

"Hmm."

Lin Dongfan understood clearly that the family mainly wanted him to go to the capital first to get familiar, to avoid being sidelined later.

Paternal uncle-in-law Liang Jingzhong has now been transferred to Xirong Province; in that impoverished borderland, achieving results is as hard as climbing to heaven, but if any mishap occurs, it will surely be disastrous.

Xirong, Qingshu!

If I remember correctly, April 14th, which is the day after tomorrow, Green Tree will experience a magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

Natural disasters cannot be resolved by human effort.

If Uncle can make preparations in advance, reducing earthquake casualties to a minimum, perhaps he could thereby achieve godlike status in one fell swoop, free himself from opponents' suppression, and open up a grand path to heaven.

Saying this now, it's essentially a prophecy, and ordinary people wouldn't believe it.

Lin Dongfan tactfully laid the groundwork: "Uncle, there's a matter of life and death I've wanted to remind you about, but I'm afraid you won't believe me."

"Go ahead and say it, I'll listen." Liang Jingzhong in the video, smiling.

Lin Dongfan solemnly revealed the truth: "April 14th, morning, 7:49, Green Tree will experience a magnitude 7.1 earthquake."

"Something even the earthquake bureau doesn't know—where did you dig this hearsay from? And it's precise down to 7:49." Sure enough, Liang Jingzhong just laughed it off.

Lin Dongfan firmly emphasized: "Never mind where this news comes from; trust me once and immediately return to launch disaster prevention and relief work."

"If you can't give a concrete source, there's no basis, so this counts as a prophecy." Liang Jingzhong tactfully explained: "It's not that I don't want to believe you, but this is no small matter. If I initiate disaster prevention and relief work in advance and no earthquake occurs on the 14th, how will I explain to my superiors? How will I explain to the common people?"

I had already expected this wouldn't be persuasive.

Lin Dongfan patiently insisted: "I can only tell you this: if you don't believe me, the eventual outcome will be the nation flying flags at half-mast in mourning. Imagine how many will perish. Although a natural disaster can't be blamed on you, you would simultaneously miss the chance to turn the tide."

"Dongfan, Aunt believes you." The aunt suddenly declared her stance.

Liang Jingzhong looked speechless: "What basis do you have for choosing to believe? This is a prophecy."

"Just because he's a member of my Lin family, what more basis do you need?" The aunt bombarded Liang Jingzhong with a barrage of advice: "In your lifetime, you only have this one chance to turn the tide. What's the harm in taking a gamble? If an earthquake really occurs, you'll win the bet and achieve godlike status in one fell swoop; if you unfortunately lose, the worst that can happen is you resign taking responsibility."

Lin Yuzhi's words left Liang Jingzhong deep in thought.

That makes sense.

At this age, I haven't climbed the steps I wanted to, nor married the woman I wanted. My whole life I've been stuck in a rut of neither success nor failure, with loess piled up to my neck—what else is there not to dare to gamble?

Even if I don't take this gamble, the rest of my life will likely stay the same—I'll definitely never move up.

Then I might as well take the gamble.

Liang Jingzhong solemnly asked Lin Dongfan: "Dongfan, you're already thirty; I believe you wouldn't joke about such a major matter. Since you don't want to reveal the concrete source of this news, I won't press you. I only have one question: regarding the earthquake prophecy, how certain are you specifically?"

"The probability of the earthquake is 100%."

Afraid Liang Jingzhong might forget the key point.

Lin Dongfan reiterated the details: "Note this, the earthquake time: April 14th, morning 7:49. Magnitude 7.1, epicenter located in Green Tree City."

"Alright, I'll now return to launch disaster prevention and relief work."

Liang Jingzhong ultimately decided to stake his already bleak future, wrestling with Heaven for a gamble, just like those two rebellious Lin family troublemakers, Lin Yuzhi and Lin Dongfan—never mind whether tomorrow brings wind or rain, let's first secure a dry day and talk later.