Rebirth: Starting from Lighting Up the Tech Tree

Chapter 138 Emergency Vanguard

Typhoon Haishen made landfall along the southeastern coast.

A fierce wind and torrential rain swept through the entire city. Streets were flooded, houses were destroyed, communications were cut off, and power was paralyzed. The small coastal town was turned into an isolated island overnight.

The atmosphere in the emergency command center was tense.

"The deepest floodwaters in the urban area exceed two meters, making it impossible for rescue teams to enter," a staff member reported anxiously. "Many villages are surrounded by floodwaters and urgently need relief supplies."

The director of the command center frowned.

"Traditional rescue methods aren't working, and we don't have enough helicopters," he sighed. "Is there any other way?"

Just then, his phone rang.

"Director, this is Han Lu from 402 Technology." A hurried voice came from the other end of the phone. "We saw the news. We have several drones that can participate in the rescue. Do you need them?"

The director's eyes lit up.

What abilities do you have?

"Supply delivery, thermal imaging search and rescue, nighttime illumination, and communications relay," Han Lu replied quickly. "Our drones can operate in adverse weather conditions and have a fast response time."

"Okay, come over right away." The director made the decision immediately.

---

Two hours later, the 402 drone rescue team arrived at the disaster area.

This team consisted of three large drones, equipped with specialized equipment such as supply drop boxes, thermal imagers, and searchlights. Shen Yiming personally led the team, wearing a borrowed raincoat and directing operations while standing in knee-deep floodwaters.

"First group, supplies delivery group, prepare for takeoff," Shen Yiming ordered.

A drone took off and flew toward the village surrounded by floodwaters.

Ten minutes later, the first batch of supplies arrived over the village.

"Altitude 50 meters, drop point confirmed," the pilot reported.

"Deploy it," Shen Yiming said.

The supply boxes landed precisely in the designated area, and the trapped villagers cheered.

"We have supplies! We have supplies!"

Meanwhile, a second group of drones is carrying out a search and rescue mission.

The thermal imager is activated, and the screen displays the heat source signal on the ground.

"Three heat sources detected 200 meters ahead," the drone pilot reported. "Suspected trapped personnel."

"Zoom in on the image to confirm," Shen Yiming said.

When the image is zoomed in, three blurry figures are seen waving from the roof of a house.

"They are confirmed to be trapped people," the drone operator said. "Their location is in a house at the east end of the village."

"Record the coordinates and send them to the ground rescue team," Shen Yiming said. "Tell them the exact location and try to rescue the person tonight."

"receive."

---

The rescue operation lasted for three full days.

The 402 drones undertook multiple tasks, including supply delivery, aerial lighting, and search and rescue positioning. In the event of a communication disruption, they also set up temporary communication relays to ensure uninterrupted communication for rescue command.

Shen Yiming hadn't slept for three days, and his eyes were bloodshot.

But when the last group of trapped people were rescued, a smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you for your hard work." Zuo Cheng's voice came from the phone.

"It's alright," Shen Yiming said in a hoarse voice, "It's worth it if it saves lives."

When will the rescue team return?

"Tonight," Shen Yiming glanced at the sky, "the typhoon has passed, and the weather has cleared up."

"Okay," Zuo Cheng said. "Get some rest when you get back. Also, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

What are your thoughts?

"The emergency rescue market," Zuo Cheng said. "This rescue has shown us a new direction."

Shen Yiming was taken aback.

"Emergency rescue?"

"Yes," Zuo Cheng said. "Disaster relief, emergency supplies delivery, and communication support are all application scenarios for drones. And this market has a unique characteristic."

What are its characteristics?

"Our client is the government, so we don't need to consider costs," Zuo Cheng smiled. "The government's investment in emergency response is enormous."

Shen Yiming understood.

"Are you considering developing emergency rescue as a business area?"

"I'm planning to," Zuo Cheng said. "We'll discuss it properly when we get back."

---

A week later, 402 signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The agreement is simple: 402 will become a technical support unit of the Ministry of Emergency Management, prioritizing drone rescue services in the event of major disasters. In exchange, 402 can use the title "Emergency Rescue Technical Support Unit" in its official publicity.

At the signing ceremony, leaders from the Ministry of Emergency Management shook hands with Zuo Cheng.

"General Manager Zuo, you played a crucial role in this rescue effort," the leader said. "With technology companies like yours involved, our disaster response capabilities will be significantly enhanced."

"This is what we should do," Zuo Cheng said modestly. "Technology should ultimately serve the people."

The leader nodded.

"However, I have a suggestion," he said. "You could consider developing a drone model specifically for emergency rescue. Ordinary civilian drones perform poorly in extreme weather; a model designed specifically for emergency scenarios would be much more effective."

Zuo Cheng's eyes lit up.

"Thank you for the suggestion, leader. This is exactly what we will be doing next."

---

After the signing ceremony, Zuo Cheng convened a meeting with his core team.

"The emergency rescue market is worth entering," he said bluntly. "This market has several characteristics: First, the clients are governments with strong payment capabilities; second, there is policy support, and the Ministry of Emergency Management will prioritize the purchase of domestically produced equipment; third, the market size is considerable."

"According to our calculations, the national annual investment in emergency rescue exceeds 100 billion yuan," Han Lu added. "If we could capture 5% of the market share, that would be 5 million yuan."

"The key is technology," Shen Yiming said. "Ordinary drones are not enough; we need to develop specialized emergency models."

"What kind of technology is needed?" Zuo Cheng asked.

"First, we need waterproofing and windproofing," Shen Yiming said, counting on his fingers. "The current drones have an IP54 protection rating, which needs to be upgraded to IP67 to operate stably in heavy rain. Second, we need to improve wind resistance from the current level 8 to level 10 or higher. And then there's battery life; currently it only flies for 90 minutes, which needs to be increased to over 3 hours."

"Is it possible?"

"Yes," Shen Yiming said, "but it will take time, about six months."

Zuo Cheng pondered for a moment.

"Six months, I can wait that long," he said. "You handle the technical stuff, I'll take care of another problem."

"What's the problem?"

"The market." Zuo Cheng smiled. "The emergency rescue market requires connections."

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou." Zuo Cheng's voice became polite after the call connected. "I'd like to discuss a collaboration with you..."

Outside the window, another batch of brand-new drones is being assembled. They are about to take to a wider world and undertake more missions.