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[wenzili]

(3) A Mysterious Descent of A Refining City

Tan Xiao Sha informed us the trial run would be conducted in the wells No.1,No.2 and No.3 of Gerby oilfield simultaneously. The operation time was scheduled in the middle night tomorrow.

Located in North Colorado, Gerby is a small town but is one of the strategic petroleum storage bases in USA.
So-called petroleum storage base, it was far beyond my imagination of a mystery place with lots of huge concrete or shining metal tanks and tightly controlled by armed guards.
Actually it is nothing but some original underground wells.
After drilling completion and equipped with pipelines as well as some control elements, the wells are always ready for emergent needs.
Undoubtedly, it is a most economical and wise measure.
Some of my American friends proudly claimed to me from time to time: �Our American just carry out oilfield drilling, but never use them now. In this way, after several years, the only petroliferous country left in this world will be our USA!�
I didn�t know whether it was true or not then, but I am sure the conclusion must be right.

My office was lodged in a motel in the east suburban of Wichita. There, as I knew later, was the exact location of such a storage base.
The motel was almost submerged by clumps of dense bushes, where group of foxes and rabbits always unexpectedly haunted. Their crashed bodies always be found lying on the road.
One day in January 1991, the Gulf War was broke out. A petroleum crisis was quickly spreading out in all over the world.
All people, including American went into panic for lacking of oil.
At that very moment, to calm down American people, the Old Bush decidedly asked for the emergent employment to the strategic storage for three days.
One middle night, I was awoke and went to bathroom. Suddenly, a strange scene outside the window stroked me a lot.
The sky was as bright as daylight.
Illuminated by thousand lamps, dozens of mobile refining towers were miraculously erected near by my motel.
Endless military tanks were queuing for refilling.
I could hardly believe my sense! How could it be possible for such a large refining city to be set up not far a moment!
Tree days after, all things mysteriously disappeared again! Only vast and lonely plain left�....

(To be continued by Part 4: One More Horror-Striken Trip)
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