Even under these conditions, there was no way the plane could take off. Several dark, ravine-like cracks had split open on the aircraft's acceleration runway. To force a takeoff now would mean disaster; once the landing gear wheels wedged into a fissure, the entire plane could tilt or even flip over entirely, offering zero guarantee for the passengers' lives.
Yet in such an extreme environment, the travelers could not care less about these imminent dangers, nor would they spare a thought for the airport's predicament. Especially those who had been moments away from boarding their flights, only to be suddenly informed that their evacuation was cancelled. How could anyone accept such a massive psychological drop from heaven to hell in a single second? Continuing to stay in this damned city—who knew whether the next moment would bring death from a tsunami's giant waves or an earthquake's crushing rubble?
The clamor rose wave after wave. Friction between the crowds of tourists and the airport staff escalated endlessly, with people even beginning to hurl curses and shove one another, gradually trending toward a full-scale riot.
Chapter 656