At 11: 30 AM, just as Tang Yue and Old Cat were sitting on pins and needles, a turning point finally appeared.
First, the wind speed indicator detected that the storm's energy was weakening. Following that, the wind speed began to drop. The wind speed of 43 m/s dropped at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the numbers on the wind speed indicator's display changed every two seconds.
43.13 meters.
43.02 meters.
42.77 meters.
42.54 meters.
42.35 meters.
42.07 meters.
41.86 meters.
41.42 meters.
41.21 meters.
40.69 meters.
40.25 meters.
39.44 meters.
The wind speed quickly broke through the 40 m/s barrier, and the system's computer began to issue a warning. From its point of view, if the wind speed continued to drop, it would fall below the safety line in the next ten minutes or so. This was likely to be a suitable launch window.
As for Tang Yue and Old Cat, they had already jumped up. The two of them did not need to wait for the computer's warning. The first change in the wind speed indicator's numbers caught their attention.
Old Cat pulled a chair over and sat down in front of the workbench. He activated the computer, and in this small gap, the wind speed dropped from 38.12 m/s to 37.91 m/s.
Immediately after, it dropped from 37.91 m/s to 37.22 m/s.
"Tang Yue, plug in the data cable over there. Red plug in red, white plug in white. Don't make a mistake," Old Cat said in a deep voice. The computer screen in front of it suddenly lit up.
"Roger, roger, roger!"
Tang Yue's nerves were tense. He hurriedly sorted out the messy cables and glanced at the wind speed indicator. The numbers had dropped to 36.08 m/s.
Tang Yue was overjoyed. Had the heavens opened their eyes?
Old Cat swiftly hit the "Enter" key, and the progress bar on the screen reached the bottom in a few seconds. The lander's computer system was successfully connected, and a dialog box popped up on the computer screen. The words "Welcome to Eagle Lander" were displayed, and it began the Eagle's launch program.
"Old Cat, what's going on?" Tang Yue asked. "Why did the wind speed suddenly drop?
Could it be that God has heard my prayers? "
"This has nothing to do with God, nor does it have anything to do with your prayers. It's just that we might have entered the low-pressure area of the storm," Old Cat replied. "Do you know about typhoons?"
Tang Yue nodded.
"The wind speed of a typhoon may exceed tens of meters per second, but the wind speed in the eye of the storm is zero, with no wind and no waves. This is because there is only updraft in the eye of the storm. This phenomenon is determined by the laws of physics and mathematics, so all storms in the solar system are the same."
The Old Cat spoke quickly, but its hands moved even faster. "The storm above us should be a huge cyclone. It has been moving slowly on the surface of Mars. We may have entered the low-pressure zone in its center, so the wind speed is dropping sharply."
The wind speed dropped to 35.11 meters per second.
"In that case, the wind speed may drop below the safety line?"
The Old Cat nodded. "This is our only chance. The low-pressure zone in the center of the cyclone is very small, but the storm is moving very fast. We don't know how long the wind speed will last. It may only be a few minutes, but we have to seize this opportunity. Once we leave the low-pressure zone, the wind speed will rise again."
The wind speed dropped to 34.07 meters per second.
Kunlun Station's computer system quickly gave a prediction curve of the wind speed drop. The green zigzag line gradually dropped and reached a red line five minutes later — the safety line of 30 meters per second.
Although this prediction was only a trivial reference, Tang Yue was still pleasantly surprised.
"The lander launch program has been initiated."
A soft female voice came from the computer. Old Cat was racing against time. It checked the lander's computer system for the last time. This was a necessary step before the launch.
"The computer system is normal!" Old Cat growled.
"The navigation system is normal!"
"The engine is normal!"
"The propellant is normal!"
"The pre-launch self-check has been completed. The upgrade lock has been unlocked. The engine is ready." The computer prompted. "The lander is in good condition. It can be launched."
The wind speed dropped to 33.79 meters per second.
"Ten!" Old Cat and Tang Yue stared at the screen of the wind speed indicator and counted down together.
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
The wind speed dropped to 33.45 meters per second.
"Seven!"
"Six!"
The wind speed dropped to 32.17 meters per second.
"Five!"
"Four!"
The wind speed dropped to 31.88 meters per second.
"Three!"
"Two!"
The wind speed dropped to 30.97 meters per second.
Drop again!
Drop again!
Tang Yue bellowed angrily as the veins on his forehead protruded. His clothes were already drenched in sweat as his back was drenched in sweat. Tang Yue had never been so nervous in his life. As long as the crimson four-digit number changed again, they would reach the safety line. They were just one step away from launching the Eagle.
Old Cat stood beside him. Its cat eyes were wide open. The whiskers on its face were trembling slightly. Its paws were hovering above the keyboard, waiting for the number to change one more time.
The man and cat had their faces stuck to the wind speed indicator. The black LCD screen reflected the two ferocious faces. From the looks of it, if the wind speed did not drop to the safety line, these two fellows would definitely eat the wind speed indicator alive.
The countdown had reached two, but the wind speed was no longer decreasing. Old Cat's paws were unable to press down.
30.97。
30.97。
30.97。
It was still 30.97.
Motherf * cker … Lower it for me!
Tang Yue angrily slapped the wind speed indicator's screen. He recalled how he used to deal with those disobedient old televisions when he was young. If they were disobedient, he would slap them to death!
The display shook and fell backward. With a thud, it was unknown if Tang Yue's slap was effective. The moment it fell, the number jumped.
29.98。
"One!"
Tang Yue and Old Cat roared at the same time. The latter's paws slammed on the keyboard. "Go —!"
Time seemed to stop for a second. Following that, a slight tremor traveled from the ground to their feet. Following that, the entire earth began to quake. Tang Yue and Old Cat turned their heads. Through the porthole, a bright white light suddenly exploded in the distant darkness. It was as though someone had ignited an incendiary bomb underwater. The light was so bright and blazing that it pierced through the darkness like a sword. Even the sandstorm was unable to extinguish it.
Following that, a loud rumble sounded. Sound was a step slower than light. It suppressed all the sounds in Kunlun Station. There were loud rumbles coming from all directions. It was as though billions of people were beating drums at the same time!
Tang Yue stared blankly with his eyes wide open. He watched as the light slowly rose like the sun.
Tang Yue could imagine the Eagle's engine spewing out flames that were several stories high. It released a massive thrust of hundreds of tons. This was the most powerful force humanity had ever grasped. It roared as it carried mountains on its back. It stubbornly broke free from Mars's gravity. Everything around it appeared insignificant in front of this force.
The Eagle was successfully launched!