Chapter 14 - Disaster

The whole city of Chengdu has fallen into a very strange state of chaos. Despite the government sending out a large number of personnel to evacuate the residents of each district, county, and street, there are still a large number of civilians who remain in their homes, coldly observing the workers who come to persuade them. Empty passenger vehicles are parked outside the residential buildings. Several hours have passed, and no one has left their homes to board the vehicles. They simply don't believe the persuaders' words. What's so terrifying about the spread of the virus? The earliest time was that hepatitis B was everywhere in Shanghai, SARS was a problem in 2003, then came bird flu, then foot-and-mouth disease, mad cow disease, H1N1 type A... newspapers and TV are constantly promoting how terrible these diseases are and how many deaths there are. Various units and departments, along with their Party members and cadres, are highly aware and prioritize the safety of the people, with solid work style, outstanding efficiency, and special measures, to fight the virus. The general public is also fearless, facing the situation calmly, actively participating, and fighting together to defeat one terrifying disease after another, restoring stability and harmony to society. In short, there's nothing to be scared of. Just stock up on medicine at home, boil vinegar to fumigate the house, and always be mindful of personal hygiene. There's no need to be frightened, or to leave home and run to a far-off place to hide. And what if the security door isn't solid? What about a small thief?

In the minds of ordinary people, as long as it's not an irresistible natural disaster like a flood or an earthquake, they would not abandon their home for another place. It's not that they are ignorant or short-sighted, but the pain and grief in their hearts when they have to give up everything they possess and start a new life in an unfamiliar place is indescribable.

"Hurry up! We don't have much time left!"

"Uncle, Auntie, please hurry and get on the car!"

"This city will be infected soon. When that happens, it will be too late to regret."

The street office staff were very diligent. Unfortunately, their explanations and persuasion only caused suspicion among the listeners instead of having the intended effect.

"Have you heard? The government has had its eye on this piece of land for a long time. The mayor's son is the head of a real estate company. As long as they trick us into leaving, they can come in and forcibly demolish. At that time, however much compensation the government says, you have to accept it. Even if they don't give you a penny, you have to accept it."

"Your information is not reliable at all. Actually, the underground of our community is the tomb of King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty from ancient times. How can they excavate if they don't get rid of us? Don't listen to those street office people talking nonsense about virus transmission. It's clear that the government has allocated ten million for relic excavation, but they secretly embezzled a large portion of it. Now that the money is not enough, they want to get rid of us. I will never move even if I have to die. If I have to go, I can, as long as I get enough real gold and silver."

Not only ordinary citizens, but even some wealthy tycoons with tens of millions of assets have joined the stubborn anti-relocation team.

Successful people have a highly sensitive sense of smell for money. Starting from the bottom of society and eventually reaching the top of the wealth list, they will not miss any opportunity to increase their wealth.

In their eyes, the chaos that appeared in Chengdu city is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make money.

In the name of avoiding disaster, the residents of a certain area are forcibly transferred to a new settlement, thereby legally and reasonably expropriating all the original land. This is not exactly news in the Republic. The land after re-planning may be used for developer housing, may be used to build a factory, or may become the possession of a relative of a big shot... After a series of dazzling changes, local officials and the fastest developers can pack their pockets.

No one knows what arrangements the government will make for Chengdu. The city's residents are not likely to evacuate collectively and there's no connection to disasters. The earthquake bureau is just a group of people who take money and don't do anything. It's not flood season now and there can't be any mudslides. As for the virus... Ha! This excuse can only deceive illiterate people.

Based on this strange idea rooted in reality, only 50% of Chengdu residents evacuated. Some middle and lower-level officials even doubt the orders issued by the military district. Driven by a wait-and-see mentality, they also choose to refuse to leave. But they do not know that their actions also make civilians even more confident in their guesswork. This action, which is completely based on personal beliefs and outside of order, makes the large scythe of death closer and closer to the head of the bewildered people.

Upon receiving the latest report on the evacuation progress, General Xie Zhiping, surrounded by a group of officers, was watching the real-time combat situation sent back from the front line through the regional monitoring system.

The general was a very frugal person. According to regulations, each year, high-ranking officers can receive military uniform from the logistics department, but he only received two sets in total. His neatly ironed, already faded uniform always earned him respect from all his subordinates.

Not just in his clothing, the general also ate simple, cheap vegetables for his meals. Even during work meals, he would bring a jar of pickles made by his wife and a couple of portions of rice, which was enough for him.

"Our country is still poor. Instead of wasting money on lavish living, we should save it for construction," he would often say.

Compared to the serious commander of the group army, Meng Zongxiang, Xie Zhiping, who always wore a smile on his face, appeared to be more approachable. He did his best to fulfill his duties as a deputy, even if his opinions sometimes differed, he would still fully support Meng Zongxiang. In his words: "A military can only have one commander. Even if you don't agree, you must follow the orders of the commander."

After taking over the group army, Xie Zhiping has been working tirelessly to maintain the entire defense line. This veteran who participated in the 76-year self-defense counterattack in Vietnam is always decisive in military matters. However, when he saw the evacuation progress chart labeled "51%," the deep wrinkles on his forehead wrinkled even more because of fatigue and old age.

"Did the rest of the people refuse to leave? What's the reason?"

"There are many reasons..." After the city secretary in charge of communication with the military explained in detail, he rubbed his eyes full of blood and asked with a bitter smile, "What should we do now? Do we need to evacuate forcibly?"

"How many manpower does the Civil Affairs Department still have available for deployment?" The general did not answer directly, but instead raised another question.

"At best, there are no more than 5,000, including some volunteers."

The city secretary picked up the tea on the table and drank several mouthfuls, saying with a tired and hoarse voice, "There's no way, most of the staff have already left with the city government. The security personnel have all been sent to the front line, and there are no more people, including me."

"Insufficient personnel, unable to take strong measures." After weighing the options, the old general made the final decision: "Let's help the citizens who are willing to leave as much as possible! The current defense line is still stable, and forced evacuation... it's best not to do it unless necessary. The people are our roots, and protecting them is our responsibility."

This is the instinct of every Republic army. But Xie Zhiping never dreamed that his habitual thinking would ultimately lead to an irreparable disaster.

He forgot the most important thing- his opponent was not a normal enemy, but a virus that was invisible to the naked eye and could not be touched by his hands.

"...damn it."

Yang Guohua frowned and spat out the sand in his mouth, grinding the chewed rice into a mess. Beside the rammed earth wall, a Type 99 submachine gun was leaning against it.

From the county map, Xiaoyang Village was just a black dot located in the southwest of Chengdu. Behind the village was a slightly sloping highland. Besides the rice and soybeans that must be planted every year in the paddies, the hundreds of mu of thick peach groves on the slope were the most important source of income for the entire village.

All 56 households in the village had a young man serving as a militia. On the reserve roster of the county's military department, the militia in Xiaoyang Village had an entire row, and was the most important defense force in the surrounding area.

Tall and broad-shouldered Yang Guohua was also a militia. Years of farm work had honed his muscles to be abnormally strong. Because of the heat and humidity, his bronze-colored skin was often covered with a thin layer of sweat, and under the sun, it would always give people a sense of heaviness like a black tower. However, this robust man was not as rough as he appeared. His face often wore a kind smile, with his mouth open and revealing a row of neat and white teeth.

Squatting on one leg beside the table, Yang Guohua used his feet covered in callouses to balance himself on the edge of the wooden stool and devoured the remaining rice in the earthen bowl. His cheeks bulged, and his dark eyes were filled with a hint of sadness and uncontrollable hatred.

It had been six years, and today was the first time he had cooked a meal by himself.

In his memory, this was something his wife used to do. The food she cooked always smelled delicious.

Last night, the dog of the head of the Liu family in the western part of the village wouldn't stop barking. At first, no one paid any attention, but when the militiamen gathered to see what was going on and found the Liu family of four lying in a pool of blood, everyone was shocked.

It was a tall man with a black body. His height was imposing, and his face was indistinct. He was skinny, with almost no flesh on his bones. He had no hand under his right arm, only a sharp black blade that looked like a pig-slaughtering knife. His eyes were deeply sunken, filled with blood-red.

Everyone in the village was disturbed. Men stood in front, women in the back, and the elderly and children stood far away to watch the commotion, blocking the entrance of the Liu family's courtyard.

What they thought was the power of numbers turned out to be a brutal massacre that destroyed the village and wiped out families.

The black man moved with frightening speed. He could leap a long distance with just a sweep. His figure was more agile than a monkey's, and wherever the black blade in his hand swung, a life was taken.

Yang Guohua couldn't remember who was chopped first. Everywhere was filled with screams and cries, the bullets had no effect on the monster that was shot with hundreds of bullets. It didn't speak a word, just roared and chased after everyone, not even sparing the old and children. If he hadn't become blind with anger and picked up a shovel and charged at it, splitting its skull in two from behind, it's likely that the entire village would have died at its hands.

The sun finally rose. There were 56 households with 307 villagers in Xiaoyang Village, only Yang Guohua and Yang Xiaozhu, the son of the neighbor's old book, were left.

The clean yard of Lao Liu's family has now become dilapidated. When stepping on it, thick mud can bring up a lot. The color of the soil is eye-catching, red. The pungent smell of blood permeates the air, making people nauseous and wanting to vomit.

Dead bodies are everywhere. They are lying all over the yard in every direction. Scattered everywhere are brass bullet casings, pieces of bones split by knives, and sticky chunks of flesh.

The head of the militia was chopped off and hung from the eaves, his mouth wide open with a long tongue, his white and round eyes attracting a few foraging crows who tore apart his bloated eyes, eating the murky liquid that flowed out with relish.

Yang Xiaozhu cried loudly next to the body of Old Book.

However, Yang Guohua felt very hungry.

"After staying up all night, anyone would feel hungry.

Stirring the hot steamer, scooping the fragrant rice into the bowl, he, who had been silent all this while, finally couldn't hold back the tears as they spilled from his round eyes.

His wife was gone.

And so was the baby she was four months pregnant with.

"Oh God! No !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..."

Looking at the empty house, this tough man was crying like a child.

The enemy has already been killed. But what's the matter? His wife and child's lives can't come back."

With tears in his eyes, he ate his meal. It was salty and bitter.

But Yang Guohua ate with great gusto. He chewed loudly, grinding his teeth, as if he were chewing on the bones of his enemies.

The army's defense line was to the south. He was going to sign up for the army tomorrow, kill all the black people, and avenge his wife and the entire village.

He was focused on eating his rice, without noticing the back door of the house quietly opening.

A group of unsteady figures were slowly coming from the direction of Lao Liu's house.

The leader was the already dead former branch secretary.