"It seems overall public opinion is still stable."
In his study, Lin Tuo set down his phone and exhaled softly.
Although the sudden appearance of the oasis had drawn immense attention, the overall tone of discussion remained steady.
Partly thanks to the authorities' control, and partly because neither the emergence nor the disappearance of the Sand Table had revealed any clear signs of "danger."
Moreover, in this era, netizens had already been bombarded with endless streams of information. Their resistance to sensational events had grown.All in all, nothing too worrying.
"Next, they should begin exploring the oasis… Hmm, considering the approval meetings and preparation of the team, they'll probably only conduct basic checks this morning.
For example, using aircraft for aerial photography. Night isn't suitable for action. If things move quickly, they might enter this afternoon. If delayed until tomorrow, that would still be normal."
Sitting back in a wicker chair in his study, Lin Tuo folded his hands, letting his thoughts drift for a while.
Finally, his gaze shifted to the virtual panel.
Activating "Observation Mode," he noticed something different this time.Instead of automatically displaying Yang City as usual, the Sand Table presented two thumbnails side by side.
The first was clearly a modern metropolis.The second—a vast oasis.
The two "maps" floated like cards in midair. Whenever Lin Tuo's gaze landed on one, it enlarged slightly.
"Open Yang City."
At his thought, light and shadow danced across the study's table, and Yang City reappeared vividly.
He raised a hand, sent in his avatar, bought breakfast for two, then retrieved it.
Only then did he walk out leisurely, carrying a bag of steaming buns and soy milk.
Looking toward the martial field, he saw Hua Xi, sweat-soaked, holding a horse stance with full concentration.
"Training requires moderation. Don't overstrain. Take a break, wash your hands, and eat."
"Yes, Teacher!"
That morning passed rather leisurely for Lin Tuo.
He gave Hua Xi a training lesson—correcting her posture and teaching her a few more Chinese words.Afterward, he sat in his study with a laptop, checking updates online.
Although the Sand Table's "adjustments" should have ensured no issues, Lin Tuo still felt it necessary to monitor things personally, just in case.
The morning and noon passed steadily.No major new announcements online.Though some photos circulated here and there, official media remained silent.
Just as Lin Tuo thought the day would hold no further developments, a sudden announcement dropped like a bombshell—instantly triggering another global wave of attention:
"Breaking: Officials confirm that at exactly 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, a team will enter the oasis for exploration—and it will be broadcast live online worldwide!"
When this message popped into his chat group, even Lin Tuo froze for a moment.
Somewhat unexpected.
"Global live broadcast? Fake, right? Who would livestream something like this?" someone questioned in the group.
"See for yourself, several official outlets have reposted it." Another person threw in a link.
Curious, Lin Tuo clicked—sure enough, prominent state media were listed.
Opening the comments section revealed rows of astonished emojis.
Clearly, the news had caught many people off guard.
For most—including Lin Tuo—if exploration was to be carried out, results would only be shared afterward.No one expected it to be livestreamed in real time.
"Don't they worry something could go wrong?"
Lin Tuo, intrigued, looked more carefully at the details. According to the announcement and related leaks, the broadcast would have a short delay and be managed by a professional team flown in from the capital.
As for why a livestream was chosen, Lin Tuo quickly reasoned it out.
On one hand, international attention had created tremendous pressure.
The notice stated that the first exploration team would consist entirely of domestic personnel. In other words, even though many foreign researchers were nearby, they would not be allowed in.
But the oasis was too significant—potentially affecting the destiny of all humankind. A degree of openness and transparency was probably necessary.
And with the broadcast delay and director controls, there would still be room to filter out anything unsuitable for public viewing.
On the other hand, it was likely meant to reassure the public.
After all, the oasis was enormous, nearly equivalent to the territory of some nations.
Completely sealing it off was impossible.
Rather than let random leaked photos and videos fuel speculation, it was better to provide an official channel of information.
Of course, these were just Lin Tuo's thoughts. The exact reasons remained unknown.
"Well, fine. This also makes it easier for me to observe."
Rising, he brewed himself a cup of green tea. A glance at the clock told him less than an hour remained until the broadcast began.
Afternoon, 1:20 p.m.
Lin Tuo sat at his desk in advance, opening the livestream site.
The main page was hosted by official media.
But evidently, concerned about server overload, the page displayed dozens of redirect links.
Icons of all the major domestic video and streaming platforms filled the screen.
In reality, the rebroadcasts extended far beyond those.Thousands of platforms, domestic and international, were sharing the feed.
The official page had no comment section, so Lin Tuo clicked into the country's largest streaming platform.
Sure enough, the screen was already flooded with rolling comments.
The platform was heavily promoting the stream internally.
He checked the viewer count—it was climbing every second.
"They're here, they're here!""Why hasn't it started yet?""Countdown: 9 minutes.""Damn! So many people—don't you all have jobs?""Ha, I'm hiding in the office bathroom right now…"
The screen was still black, but the chat was overflowing with chatter.
Then suddenly, the black screen lit up—revealing an image.
"It started??""Was that early?"
Across the nation and the world, countless people watching on phones and computers saw the same thing:
The livestream hadn't officially begun yet, but the footage from a drone aerial view was playing.
Below stretched a vast plain, bursting with primeval vitality—deep green forests, crisscrossing rivers.
The view resembled scenes from wilderness exploration shows.
No trace of human presence.Pure, untamed nature.
As the perspective shifted higher, mountains and valleys came into view.Wild animals could be glimpsed running across the land, birds flying into the trees—though from such height, details were impossible to make out.
"Holy crap!!! That's the Tack Desert?""I can't believe it—this isn't some rainforest footage? That's the real oasis?""It's only been… what, two weeks? The desert really became an oasis?"
The comment barrage filled with endless exclamation marks, pure astonishment pouring through the screen.
Even though photos had leaked earlier in the morning, seeing the landscape directly, from above, struck like a physical blow—an impact no still image could match.
The drone footage lasted a few minutes.
Finally, at exactly 1:30 p.m.
The screen switched to ground-level cameras.
The scene revealed the oasis perimeter, within a massive, bustling base.
At the center appeared a man in his thirties, with dark skin, framed by the camera:
"Good afternoon. It is 1:30 p.m., Beijing time. I am reporter Wang Xin, reporting live from the experimental base at the edge of the Tack Desert, bringing this broadcast to viewers worldwide!"
In his study.
Lin Tuo leaned back in his wicker chair, adjusting himself comfortably before the computer screen.
To his left, the Sand Table in Observation Mode had already shifted to display the "Oasis" map.
The base was clearly visible at its edge.
Lin Tuo withdrew his gaze from the Sand Table and returned to the livestream.
The reporter—anchor—"host," perhaps—spoke in flawless Mandarin, introducing the scene.
Yes, he looked familiar. Lin Tuo recalled seeing him on the news before—likely dispatched urgently from the capital.
The weather was clear, breezy.Behind the reporter bustled a sea of activity.
Most prominent was a black broadcast van, clearly serving as the director hub for today's livestream, technicians moving equipment nearby.
In another direction, a group of personnel donned protective suits—obviously the exploration team.
Further back, rows of military trucks and armed soldiers filled the base.
Helicopters roared overhead, their engines echoing across the desert.
The entire scene radiated a tense, busy energy.
(End of Chapter)