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The exact time of the nuclear explosion was at 9:19:58 PM.
Probably no one could get a more precise number than this. Ban Xia lay sideways against the wall on the floor of the underground parking lot, holding Grandpa Huang in her arms while pinching a pocket watch, counting down the seconds one by one.
Grandpa Huang behaved well, sleeping in her arms without stirring.
Since 7 PM, Ban Xia had entered a protective state. She had maintained this position for over three hours. Ban Xia was very nervous; the nuclear bomb could explode at any second, but the plan did not specify that it would definitely detonate tonight. It could be this evening, or the next, or even the day after tomorrow. Deep down, she held onto a bit of hopeful expectation.
With each passing second, Ban Xia told herself, "It will explode the next second."
Until 9:19:58 PM, right after the second hand of the pocket watch tick-tocked to its end, at the blink of an eye, the ground shook.
