Chapter 32: Early Warning

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On the morning of January 12, 2008, a bitter, biting wind whipped through the campus of Yanjing University, carrying fine, sharp grains of snow.

At exactly 9:00 AM, Li Yifei stood before the heavy wooden door of Dean Yi’s office at the School of Geology. His knuckles hung in mid-air as an indescribable tension churned within him. He took a deep breath and finally knocked.

"Please, come in!" a gentle, steady voice replied from within.

Li Yifei pushed the door open and entered. The warm air of the office immediately enveloped him, providing a sharp contrast to the freezing cold outside.

Dean Yi was hunched over his desk, processing documents. Seeing Li Yifei, he removed his reading glasses and offered a kind smile. "Ah, Yifei, come in and sit. What brings you here? You don't look so well—don't worry, take your time."

Li Yifei did not sit. With a grave expression, he placed the heavy document he was holding onto the Dean’s expansive desk. "Dean Yi, I apologize for the interruption, but there is something of great importance. I implore you to look at this."

Dean Yi noticed the rare seriousness and urgency in Li Yifei’s eyes, and his heart sank slightly. He picked up the document, and the title on the cover came into clear view: *Preliminary Analysis Report on Geological Activity and Potential Risks in Shan County, Shan Province.*

"Dean," Li Yifei’s voice carried a hint of subtle tension, "the foundation of this report stems from questions that arose while I was researching geological data in the library. Later, I conducted in-depth research and analysis, and to verify these ideas, I made a special trip to Shan County for a field study." He paused, organizing his words with precision. "Through a series of geological tests and hydrological observations conducted locally, I discovered signs of abnormal activity that warrant high concern. Based on existing data and model analysis, I believe there is a significant risk of a large-scale geological disaster in the Shan County region within the coming months, and the potential scope of its impact must be addressed."

Dean Yi’s expression turned solemn instantly. He flipped through the report; the content was detailed and systematic. It organized and analyzed the historical seismic activity of the region, recently observed hydrological fluctuations, and provided a preliminary assessment of the structural condition of buildings in key areas. Every piece of data was cited, and the analytical process was presented with clarity.

Although Dean Yi was not a frontline expert in geological engineering, his years of scientific research management and common sense told him that the risks pointed out in this report were far from trivial. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the paper as he weighed the situation.

If the risks indicated were real, the consequences of a disaster would be catastrophic. Yet, if they launched a massive operation based on this report and the risk failed to materialize, it would not only cause a massive waste of social resources and public panic, but Li Yifei himself would face severe scrutiny and potential damage to his academic reputation. However, his sense of duty as a researcher and educator ultimately prevailed.

He picked up the desk phone and dialed a number, his tone重重: "Old Wei, are you free? Come to my office immediately. There is an urgent matter that requires your judgment."

Professor Wei, a senior expert in geological disaster research at the school, sensed the gravity of the situation from the Dean’s tone and did not ask a single question. "Understood. I'll be there immediately."

About ten minutes later, hurried footsteps approached. The office door opened, and Professor Wei entered. He was short, with graying hair and sharp, focused eyes behind thick lenses. He scanned the atmosphere in the office, and his gaze immediately landed on the report in Dean Yi’s hand.

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"Dean Yi, what’s happened?" Professor Wei asked directly.

Dean Yi handed him the report. "Old Wei, take a look at this immediately. Pay attention to the data and the preliminary conclusions."

Professor Wei accepted the report. Seeing the title and the name "Li Yifei" at the bottom, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly pulled up a chair and immersed himself in the text.

The only sounds in the office were the rapid turning of pages and the howling of the wind outside. Li Yifei and Dean Yi remained silent; the air felt frozen, heavy with tension and anticipation.

Nearly an hour passed. Professor Wei finally looked up, his expression more serious than ever. He removed his glasses and rubbed his brow. "Dean, if... if the signs of abnormal activity and the preliminary analysis in this report are reliable, then the geological risks facing the Shan County region are quite severe. The potential destructive force requires us to maintain the highest level of vigilance." He turned to Li Yifei, his gaze piercing with professional scrutiny. "Student Yifei, some of the key data mentioned in this report comes from unconventional measurement methods, using equipment not commonly found in our current monitoring networks. Can you provide a detailed explanation of the source of this equipment and the process of data acquisition? This is crucial for determining the credibility of the data."

Li Yifei was prepared. He maintained his composure. "Professor Wei, the specific parameters you mentioned were obtained primarily using a signal acquisition device I designed and assembled myself."

"Designed and assembled yourself?" Professor Wei’s brow furrowed, his tone turning exceptionally stern. "Yifei, this is no small matter! Geological disaster monitoring allows for no sloppiness. How can you guarantee the stability and precision of non-standard, home-made equipment? How can the credibility of the data be verified? This is the foundation upon which we judge the entire risk situation!" Dean Yi’s expression also turned grave; it was clear that Professor Wei’s skepticism had struck the heart of the issue.

Li Yifei did not panic. He took a file from his bag and placed it calmly on the table. "Professor Wei, Dean Yi, I fully understand your rigor. From design to testing, this equipment has undergone multiple rounds of strict verification and comparative experiments. To ensure its scientific and standardized nature, I have formally submitted a patent application to the State Intellectual Property Office. Here are the acceptance notice and the application number; the relevant technical documents have also been submitted for review. All data used in the report follows the operational procedures verified by the equipment."

Professor Wei and Dean Yi were momentarily stunned. Professor Wei quickly picked up the patent acceptance notice and examined it, confirming that the application number and basic information were correct. The severity on his face slowly faded, replaced by a complex expression of surprise, scrutiny, and re-evaluation. He looked at the data charts in the report again, his focus now intense.

Dean Yi cleared his throat to break the brief silence. "Well, Yifei, you see, you should have brought these key procedural documents out earlier. It helps the experts understand the situation more comprehensively and reduces unnecessary doubt, right, Old Wei?" He looked toward the professor.

Professor Wei’s mouth twitched, but he didn't respond to the Dean. He put his glasses back on and turned his gaze to Li Yifei. His tone was much softer than before, though he maintained his professional strictness. "Student Yifei, your report demonstrates impressive observation and initiative, and the direction of your preliminary analysis has significant reference value. However, given that the data comes from a single source of home-made equipment, and considering the high complexity of disaster prediction, we need to conduct more rigorous cross-verification and independent assessment. I suggest we immediately form a school-level expert group, equipped with standardized professional monitoring instruments, to go to Shan County as soon as possible for a comprehensive and independent field re-survey and assessment."

Li Yifei nodded immediately, his attitude earnest. "Professor Wei is absolutely right. I also hope more experts will conduct field studies to verify this with more authoritative equipment and methods. I am ready for my data and equipment to be inspected and compared by the expert group at any time."

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Dean Yi acted decisively. "Good! There is no time to lose. I will immediately report this to the school party committee and the president’s office to request the initiation of a special investigation procedure. Old Wei, you take the lead in selecting the most capable experts from the school to form an investigation team, covering fields such as geological structure, seismic monitoring, hydrology, and engineering geology. Yifei, as the primary person responsible for the preliminary work, you are responsible for explaining the basis for your observation point selection, equipment operation methods, and raw data records to the expert team, and you must fully cooperate with them. We must race against time to determine the true risk situation as quickly as possible and buy time for potential response measures!"

The wind and snow outside seemed to have subsided slightly, but the sense of urgency inside the office remained undiminished. All three understood that an investigation and assessment concerning a major public safety risk had been launched, and it could not be delayed.

In the days that followed, under Dean Yi’s strong push and Professor Wei’s efficient organization, an investigation team composed of the school’s top experts was quickly assembled.

Li Yifei spent two full days in deep, meticulous communication with every expert on the team, providing all his observation records, equipment design blueprints, operation manuals, and raw data backups without reservation. He explained in detail the working principles of the equipment, the key points of operation, and the factors to watch for in specific environments.

The investigation team traveled to Shan County, Shan Province, carrying a large amount of professional equipment. Guided by Li Yifei, they first verified the observation points he had previously set up and used their own high-precision professional instruments to conduct parallel measurements and data collection. At the same time, the expert team used their professional judgment to add new monitoring points in a wider area. During the investigation, Li Yifei’s equipment data was subjected to extensive cross-comparison and analysis against the professional equipment data.

As the investigation deepened, more and more independent observation data began to point to the same conclusion: there were indeed significant anomalies in the geological activity of the Shan County region, and the potential risks could not be ignored. The core findings of Li Yifei’s preliminary report were initially corroborated by the professional re-survey.

Meanwhile, Yanjing University urgently reported the preliminary findings of the investigation team to the higher-level educational authorities and relevant local departments.

Relevant departments in Shan Province and Shan County quickly initiated the drafting of emergency plans and risk assessment work. Although the specific risk levels and response measures were still being deeply evaluated, a series of targeted disaster prevention and mitigation awareness campaigns, as well as basic emergency drills, began to be carried out in an orderly manner in some schools and communities in Shan County.

The Shan County government also strengthened inspections of key areas such as reservoirs, bridges, and old buildings. Although the residents had not yet been informed of the specific geological risk predictions, the quiet strengthening of disaster prevention preparations around them made them pay more attention to their safety.