Cracks in the walls deepened, threatening imminent collapse. Wang Xianming and Ouyang Jun were investigating the most hazardous areas when Ouyang Jun insisted on proceeding alone to assess the situation. Lü Zheng saw Xia Zhuo still in the standby bay and urged him to hurry with his mission, but Xia Zhuo insisted that lives were at stake and he must stay. An Lei insisted on proceeding with the launch, but Deputy Commander Fang ordered him to halt. An Lei spotted a convoy moving at high speed nearby—clearly the 334th Brigade. Wang Xianmin and Ouyang Jun called the control room. Xia Zhuo was clearing the program code left behind by Brigade 334. It turned out this sudden exercise had been entirely orchestrated.
