Chapter 24 - Refugee

The densely packed crowds pour out from each street corner, gathering into groups in relatively open spaces, and rush north along the main avenue that runs through the city.

Every half hour, a shrill alarm sounds through the city. The distant explosions, the thick smoke that permeates the sky, and the light tremors on the surface all terrify the citizens who remain in their homes, refusing to leave. They begin to push open tightly closed doors and exchange their doubts and fears with similarly worried neighbors. And then, through their own understanding and filtering, they become fixed mental consciousness.

The dead gray television screen is covered with dust, without electricity, it can only be placed there quietly as a useless decoration. The semiconductor radio that has long been thrown into the pile of miscellaneous items and has become a rare item in people's eyes. Unfortunately, due to information control and strong frequency interference of telecommunication, only the mechanical, icy "rustling" sound can be transmitted from the box the size of a palm.

The imagined demolition company and various machinery eventually did not appear. In addition to being relieved, people also began to doubt their original stubbornness. When the public bus full of citizens rushes through the streets one after another, accompanied by tanks covered with blood stains, they suddenly discover that the truth of the matter may not be as accurate as they predicted.

The first person out of the door was undoubtedly lucky. After that, countless residents who emerged from the concrete and steel buildings became a huge and dense flow of people. They stood on the side of the road with the last bit of luck, eagerly asking passing vehicles what had happened. The answer was nothing more than a few simple words.

"Danger"

"Quick escape"

After the short shock and horror, the residents who suddenly realized the truth began to join the escape tide at an unprecedented speed. The long flow of people quickly became huge and crowded, and the various vehicles mixed in it also became difficult to move. The driver's anxious horn-blowing, the quarrels and arguments caused by the crowding, the crying of children who did not know what to do, the pointless scolding and blaming, as well as the shouting and urging that would never be absent in the queue, all merged into the chaotic symphony that death gods love most in the city sky.

Standing in front of the exit of the North Road, looking at the slowly surging refugee crowd, Lin Xiangxiu's tall and sturdy eyebrows frowned tightly together, forming a slightly bulging knot of confusion.

It's really too slow.

It has been over six hours since the action began and it is estimated that less than a million refugees have left the city from the north direction. In the distance, the crowded refugee line continues to the center of the city. Residents walking out of countless buildings are constantly increasing the density of the winding flow of people. In order to speed up the pace, Lin Xiang had to send thousands of soldiers to maintain order along the way. Despite this, the sluggish refugee crowd still slowly creeps forward like a fat worm.

At this rate of delay, it is simply impossible to evacuate all the people in a short time.

Support from the air has completely sealed off the path for the mutants to advance. In addition to the fire wall burning around the western district, the roaming fighter jets also launch missiles at densely infected areas as requested by the monitoring crew. Occasionally, a few mutant creatures manage to slip through the defense line but are immediately eliminated by the waiting vigilance forces. In the face of humanity's powerful technology military power, the brutal mutants have been thoroughly suppressed and cannot advance a single step.

However, this is not a reason to recklessly waste time.

Nobody knows how long this seemingly stable defense can last.

No one can guarantee whether the mutant creatures are brewing a plot.

No one knows what will happen in the next minute.

The battlefield is constantly changing with too many changes worth paying attention to. Every tiny detail can cause unpredictable terrible consequences.

"Let everyone speed up and try to make way for the transportation convoy to pass through first. Also, build defense works on the spot at the intersection. Command the leading troops to move forward in the direction of Marcal and Aba, and guide the refugees to the sparsely populated Tibet area, and finally enter Xinjiang."

Lin Xiang never considered leading refugees into Chongqing. The hellish experience in Kunming city made him understand the importance of evacuation more than anyone else. The population of Chongqing is also over ten million, and several million refugees pouring in will certainly bring greater difficulties to the next evacuation. Instead of finding trouble later, it's better to take one step at a time and directly guide refugees to sparsely populated areas...

Suddenly, the slow-moving crowd stopped and people stretched their necks and looked desperately into the distance.

A stylish black Cadillac "Cadillac" car blocked the road in the center, with a bold black hood and a blue license plate with the number "Chuan A888X".

"What's going on?" Lin Xiang squeezed into the onlookers and asked angrily.

"My car is out of gas."

A middle-aged man in a red shirt, with a haughty expression, stepped down from the driver's seat. Perhaps because he felt that the dust on the ground was too dirty! He took out a clean tissue from the straight pants pocket of his suit, and carefully wiped his thin, dry fingers.

"Are you the person in charge here?" The man took a leather bag from the open driver's seat, opened the zipper, and took out a stack of red banknotes: "Give me fifty liters of gasoline, and I'll drive away the car. These money are all yours."

Saying that, he turned around, smiled and waved his hand towards the back seat of the car. Through the narrow gap along the edge of the car door, it can be seen that there is a beautiful woman sitting on the expensive leather couch. The delicate white shoulders are draped with a light gray fox scarf, the slender legs are wrapped in thin silk stockings, and a pair of crystal blue high heels with thin heels are raised on the tips of the toes. The moist lips are slightly upturned, as if they are dissatisfied with the behavior of each person who passes by the car with curious eyes.

Looking at the banknotes spreading out like a fan, Lin Xiang's heart suddenly surged with a very absurd, but powerless sense of depression.

He really couldn't understand what was wrong with these people. Government announcements and evacuation orders have been posted all over the city, but they don't seem to feel that this is a disaster or feel the danger of death that is quietly approaching. They even use their so-called special rights under the accumulation of money, according to the fixed thinking mode.

"Push the car away." Directing several soldiers to push the car off the road, Lin Xiang didn't want to say any more.

"Wait--"

The man was in a hurry. He rushed to the front of the car, furiously shouting, "If the money is not enough, just speak up. I don't want any trouble, as long as there is gasoline, I will leave immediately."

Lin Xiang took out the "Special Six" pistol and aimed at the expensive tire of the "Cadillac", pulling the trigger firmly. In the dull and forceful gun sound, the round tire quickly deflated, and under the tremendous pressure of the car body, they became a black attachment that was powerless, soaking in the muddy water.

"Sorry, I don't have any gasoline either. Walking a little further is good exercise for the body."

The man stood there like a wooden chicken, and the cash he was clutching in his hand fell one by one, floating in the water puddle at his feet, slowly being soaked and moistened...

Night fell.

The flames burning in the West District are illuminating the dark sky, and the rising smoke is quickly filling any gaps that might reveal a glimmer of light. The dense clouds blocking the weak light from distant stars, and in the darkness, the towering concrete buildings in the distance appear to be so cold.

More than ten assault vehicles are spread out on the north exit, and several tanks that have been replenished with ammunition are also high, with thick barrels, warily observing all the movement around them. The headlights at the front of the body emit long, bright rays of light, combined with the high-power searchlights temporarily installed on nearby buildings to form a dense artificial light source.

"Stay alert, there can't be any slackening-"

Lin Xiang, with a machine gun on the roof of the vehicle, seriously checked the connection between the ammunition box and the barrel. Every time he passed a sentry post, he would repeat his orders without getting tired.

Night, is the natural ally of the mutants.

Relying on a more advanced vision than humans, mutated creatures can easily find the location of their prey. Although they cannot cross the West District fire, they can bypass the obstacles from the outskirts of the city. Once the refugees are attacked, the entire evacuation operation will become a terrible disaster.

The dense crowd is slowly extending towards the distance.

Two headless bodies sway back and forth in the night wind, hanging from electric poles several meters high at the crossroads. The rain has made the wet clothes and bodies stick together, highlighting the lump at the connection point of the legs. Their hands are hanging low, the steel wires tightly bound to their bodies deeply embedded in the flesh, as if trying to permanently lock the soul of the deceased in this way.

At about six o'clock in the afternoon, two young men about 18 or 19 years old stole a thick wallet from a wealthy young woman, and were immediately arrested by the soldiers maintaining order. After a simple understanding of the situation, Lin Xiang exploded their heads on the spot.

He was not naturally cruel, but was forced to do so.

Only with the coldest means can one intimidate those foolish guys. In chaotic situations, only strong violence is the fundamental way to maintain order.

"You have no right to do this. They are all just children, young people may make mistakes at times. They need guidance and education. You ignore the law and kill at will. I, I'm going to sue you..."

A middle-aged man with a scholar's demeanor severely accused him. In response, Lin Xiang neither explained nor argued. He simply tied two dead bodies tightly with steel wire and hung them high at the top of a power pole.

The order of the refugee crowd became much better. People saw the stiff bodies and also tried to speed up their pace, as if doing so would keep them far away from this cruel and bloodless lieutenant officer.

Time, flowing one minute and one second at a time.

The surging crowd ahead showed no signs of thinning out.

The icy rain slid down their noses slowly, and in the moment it dropped, they clearly heard Lin Xiang's anxious muttering from between his tense lips.

"Hurry up, hurry up, we can't last much longer..."