The next morning, Yan joined Wei and Qiao Wen at the north wall. A child named Nemi carried the temporary flag between the gate and the hill shelter. The road remained closed by the fallen tower, so the crew had marked a footpath above the rubble.
Nemi knew the signal pattern. She waited for each guard to answer before moving. When the upper flag lifted, she crossed to the shelter side. When no answer came, she stood still and tried again rather than entering the unsafe road.
Qiao Wen checked a stone support while Wei watched the lower approach. The crack had widened slightly overnight, but it had not reached the independent barrier channel. Qiao marked the safe work zone with red rope. The team would not cross the loose stones to reach the tower base until the support was braced.
Yan carried the heavier brace. A worker guided its end through the narrow gap so it would not strike the cracked support. They laid it against the wall and tightened the rope in stages. Qiao watched the stone as the load shifted. The brace held, but he marked the work temporary and scheduled a full inspection once the tower debris was cleared.
