Extreme germ phobia

Chapter 288 Emergency Mobilization

a few days later.

The afternoon sun shone on the sea, and a few white clouds floated in the sky, occasionally blocking out the scorching sun.

At the stern of the Hua Tuo ship, dozens of people stood in neat rows on the flight deck. With a loud command, everyone stood at attention.

Zhou Jimin and Captain Xu Yi, carrying a small, square box, walked to the edge of the deck with almost slow movements. They solemnly threw the box into the sea, creating an inconspicuous wave before it slowly sank to the bottom.

It was an urn containing the ashes of a person infected with bacterial necrosis.

The infected person's body had been completely emptied by phantom lung bacteria, and the remains were completely unrecognizable as human.

At this point, all the data that needed to be recorded has been recorded, and it is no longer of any significance for the research.

Therefore, following custom, the Hua Tuo ship cremated the body and held a sea burial ceremony for him.

Ouyang was also in the procession seeing them off.

At this moment, he was filled with mixed emotions, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on what he was feeling.

It's called ashes, but it's actually just bones and mycelium mixed together and burned to ash. However, from a microscopic perspective, the mycelium absorbs human tissue and grows, so it was originally part of the human body. Therefore, after being burned to ash, it is indeed the ashes of the original person.

No problem!
In addition, the infected people in the quarantine area also witnessed the entire funeral process through closed-circuit television.

Although death is like a lamp going out, and the deceased will not know how their physical body is disposed of, funerals are something for the living to see.

Especially those infected in quarantine areas.

This was not the first time such a funeral had been held, and one of the purposes of doing so was to comfort those infected.

Every infected person on board voluntarily participated in the research experiment. If the ship's command does not show enough respect to the deceased infected persons and fails to give them the honors they deserve, it will inevitably lead to unrest among the crew.

That's an outcome that no one wants to see, and absolutely cannot allow to happen.

After the ceremony, Xu Yi announced the disbandment, and the group returned to their cabins in twos and threes.

Ou Yang felt depressed. Instead of walking with the rest of the group, he walked to the edge of the deck, held onto the railing, and stared blankly at the undulating sea.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhu Yiming leaned closer to Ou Yang and asked curiously.

"It's nothing," Ou Yang said, forcing a smile.

"Forget it, do you think I don't know you?" Zhu Yiming bluntly exposed. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."

“It’s really nothing.” Ouyang sighed softly, looking up at the white clouds in the sky. “Back in the brown bear era, the US was researching pneumopulmonary bacteria. Now it’s not just the US researching it, we and other countries are definitely researching it too, but with so much manpower and resources invested, why can’t we find a solution?”

"Hey, I thought you were thinking about something!" Zhu Yiming immediately felt relieved. "I thought you'd run into some insurmountable obstacle and were planning to jump off!"

"Get lost! You're the one who wants to jump into the sea!" Ou Yang was furious.

Who is this person?
Jiang Yuwei turned to look at Ou Yang: "Actually, it's not surprising. Technology is advanced now, but there are still some incurable diseases. Just because they can't be cured doesn't mean we should stop researching them."

Zhu Yiming looked past Ou Yang and asked curiously, "If cancer can be cured, what disease can't be cured?"

“There are so many,” Jiang Yuwei blurted out. “Rabies, AIDS, diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis… these are all common, and there’s also ALS, progeria, Marfan syndrome…”

"No, can't these illnesses all be treated with medicine?" Zhu Yiming asked.

"Taking medicine can only control the symptoms, not cure them. You are only cured when you no longer need to take medicine!"

"Oh, I see." Zhu Yiming suddenly realized, "If we could find a medicine to treat phantom lung disease, we would make a fortune just by selling the medicine."

Ou Yang joked, "If you had that ability, you wouldn't need to sell medicine at all. The prize money alone would be more than you could spend in several lifetimes, and it would deserve several pages in history books!"

"Haha, that's great!" Zhu Yiming laughed heartily. "It's a pity I'm not a medical student... Sister Wei, I'll leave this to you. It doesn't have to be much, just give me a little bit later, enough for me to live a good life!"

Jiang Yuwei rolled her eyes: "Dream on, if I had that ability..."

boom--

A muffled clap of thunder rolled across the sky, and the three men looked at each other in bewilderment.

The weather hasn't changed, has it?

The others who hadn't yet entered the cabin also stopped in their tracks.

"Over there!" someone shouted, and everyone looked in the direction he pointed. They immediately saw a mushroom cloud rising in the direction of Xiu Shi Dun.

Everyone had the same question in their minds: What happened?
"Lu Wei!" Xu Yi shouted loudly.

"Here!" Lu Wei rushed out of the cabin.

Xu Yi pointed to the dock: "Immediately ask the people on shore what happened, quick!"

"Yes!" Lu Wei turned and ran.

Xu Yi shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone else, get back to your positions! Don't gather together, don't run around, and don't talk nonsense!"

Although there were no warning signs, everyone involuntarily tensed up. Even the trio who hadn't fully integrated into the Hua Tuo ship felt a sense of urgency.

Everyone quickly dispersed and returned to their respective posts. Ou Yang and Zhu Yiming also entered the quarantine area to prepare for their daily work.

But as soon as they entered the quarantine area, they heard an urgent voice coming over the ship's loudspeaker: "All immune personnel, assemble on deck, quick!"

The two exchanged a glance, then turned and went back into the isolation room.

"If I'd known we'd have to gather, why bother with all this?" Zhu Yiming grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Ou Yang said in a low voice, "What's all the shouting about? Something must have happened."

The group arrived on the deck, where Xu Ban and Lu Wei were already waiting.

The former had a furrowed brow and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back; the latter had a serious expression and stood straight at attention, motionless.

"Attention everyone, line up!" Lu Wei gave the order, and everyone immediately lined up in two rows in front of him.

Most of the people here have no military experience, but they have been exposed to military training since childhood. Although their movements are not standard and their speed is not fast, they have at least managed to form a line.

Ou Yang glanced at them; there were more than twenty people in total.

There were more than forty immune individuals on the ship, including more than twenty men and about ten women.

"Look to the right..."

"Alright!" Xu Yi interrupted, "Form ranks!"

"Yes!" Lu Wei ran into the line.

Xu Yi stood before the crowd: "Everyone, enough with the small talk. I just received news that a series of explosions have occurred at Xiushidun, destroying multiple sections of the isolation wall, and the joint research center located in the city center was also affected by the blast."

Ouyang was puzzled. What did this have to do with his family? Why was it being conveyed so solemnly?

Xu Yi continued: "Our ship switched to the local police's communication frequency. It is said that thousands of mice used in experiments, as well as hundreds of experimental monkeys and other experimental animals, escaped from the laboratory. After the explosion, some areas fell into chaos, and the city hall has issued an emergency warning, requiring everyone to stay at home and strictly prohibiting them from going out without authorization!"

Ou Yang's eyes widened in surprise. Good heavens, Old Mi was experimenting on mice and monkeys with Phanerophyte, right? It's not clear whether spore infection can infect rodents, but when conducting research in the lab, it's certain that experimental animals must be infected with Phanerophyte artificially.

Monkeys are one thing, they're not many and their size is easy to spot, so they're easy to catch or hunt. But what about those thousand-plus white mice?
That's over a thousand mobile sources of infection!

They still drill holes!
If the pneumococcus were transmitted to the local rat population via mice, that would be a real problem!

Xu Yi continued: "According to the assessment of our superiors, the series of explosions that occurred in Xiushidun was an organized and premeditated act of sabotage. Given the large amount of supplies piled up at the port, the chaos is likely to spread to the residential areas. Therefore, our superiors have ordered us to spare no effort and get our compatriots stranded on the shore out as quickly as possible!"

He swung his arm forcefully, and on the distant sea, a special transport ship, unable to wait for the transfer, threw the containers on board directly into the sea.

Ouyang was stunned. Were they making room to transport people? How many transport ships would it take to move everyone on shore?

"Comrades, the situation is extremely complicated. To ensure the safety of our compatriots stranded here, I need you to come ashore immediately." Xu Yi's gaze was resolute. "We have three tasks: First, maintain order and protect the absolute safety of our compatriots stranded here; second, establish a defensive line to prevent the chaos from spreading to the camp; third, prevent laboratory animals from entering the camp... Do you comrades have confidence?"

"Yes!" The replies were sparse, with only a few people shouting at the top of their lungs.

Xu Yi was very dissatisfied and roared in a voice as if his father had died and his mother had remarried: "Comrades, do you have any confidence?!"

"Yes!" The shout was short, forceful, and resounding!

Ting Yi glanced at his watch: "Time is of the essence, so I'll stop here. Lu Wei!"

"To!"

"Immediately organize the change of clothes and bring all equipment ashore!"

"Yes!" Lu Wei replied, turning to face the crowd. "Attention everyone, follow me!"

After saying that, he led the way and ran into the cabin.

The others immediately followed, and although their steps were not very synchronized, no one hesitated.

It wasn't until this moment that Ouyang came to his senses. This was a pre-war mobilization! This was the legendary pre-war mobilization!
Soon, everyone arrived at the depths of the ship's cabin, waiting to receive their equipment... It took a little longer, but sharpening the axe before chopping wood is never too late. No matter how urgent the situation, the necessary preparations had to be made in advance.

At this moment, Ouyang missed his Glock very much.

Zhu Yiming suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Why don't you ask us if we're willing?"

Ou Yang's lips twitched: "Everyone's going, how can you not go?"

Zhu Yiming was utterly dejected: "Sigh, who can argue with that?"

Without time to change clothes, weapons were distributed to everyone on Xu Yi's orders.

When it was Ou Yang's turn, Lu Wei didn't hand him the gun directly. Instead, he solemnly asked, "Do you know how to use a gun? If you don't, don't try to be a hero!"

“Yes!” Ouyang’s response was firm. “Is my gun here?”

Lu Wei was taken aback: "Your gun?"

"Yes, an M27, an M500, and two Glocks were handed over when it was time to make Xiushi Stew."

Lu Wei immediately turned around: "Have the weapons been handed over on the shore?"

"He's handed it in!" The gunman immediately opened the cabinet in the corner and reluctantly took out the sidearm that Ouyang had handed over.

Ouyang skillfully carried three pistols on his person, but refused the M27: "Give me a .191, the precision version!"

He wasn't fixated on the M27, and everyone else was using the 5.8mm .191, while he was the only one using the 5.56 caliber, and when he ran out of bullets, there was nowhere to refill them.

Lu Wei's cheek twitched slightly: "Is it really necessary to bring so much?"

Ouyang expertly inspected the gun: "You don't have to use it, but you can't be unprepared!"

He holstered the M500 and took the 191 and carried it on his back.

The guns were quickly distributed, and Lu Wei was about to organize the people to leave when he noticed a familiar figure in protective clothing walking over: "Give me one!"

"Captain?" Lu Wei was completely bewildered. "What are you doing...?"

“I’ll go with you,” Xu Yi said.

Lu Wei immediately became anxious: "No, you're not immune, so according to the rules, you're not allowed to go ashore!"

"Rules are rules, but people are flexible." Xu Yi took the gun. "Besides, what kind of situation would it be if I sent you all ashore while I hid on the boat?"

Lu Wei wanted to persuade him further, but Xu Yi waved his hand to stop him: "Alright, stop talking nonsense, I order you to shut up!"

Zhu Yiming suddenly laughed: "Hey, I was a little upset just now, but I feel better now."

Ou Yang glanced at him, feeling a mix of emotions.

Although it was known long ago that the Hua Tuo belonged to the military, most of the people on board had nothing to do with the military, especially the immune personnel working in the quarantine area.

It's impossible for someone who isn't a soldier to stand up at this time and say they have no resentment whatsoever.

But when Xu Yi stepped forward at this moment and went ashore with everyone else, it was a completely different story.

Is it the same to have someone do it with me or to have someone do it for me? Most of the resentment will dissipate by then.

When the group returned to the deck, the helicopter had already started up, its rotors spinning and the airflow making it difficult for them to stand.

Space on the plane was limited, so Xu Yi led a group of people away first, and then another helicopter landed immediately.

This aircraft is no longer a white-painted medical plane, but rather gray with a hint of blue, and the markings on its fuselage clearly convey its identity.

This is a real military aircraft!

Lu Wei immediately organized the remaining people to board the plane: "Low your body weight, keep up—"

Ou Yang crouched down and boarded the plane. Lu Wei was the last to board. After closing the cabin door, he patted the pilot's seat back and made a gesture indicating that takeoff was possible.

The helicopter detached from the deck, made a sharp 180-degree turn in mid-air, and flew low over the sea towards the camp.

Lu Wei shouted at the top of his lungs, "Listen up, everyone! Once you're ashore, follow instructions. No one is allowed to act on their own. Don't get separated from the group. Report anything you find immediately. Do you all understand?"

Everyone expressed that they understood.

"Note: Under no circumstances should the muzzle of the gun be pointed at people, and no gun should be loaded or fired without orders!"

"What if we can't fire even in special circumstances?" Zhu Yiming asked, dissatisfied.

Lu Wei nodded without hesitation: "Our purpose in coming ashore is to transfer personnel and stabilize morale, not to fight to the death."

At this point, he suddenly pointed out the window: "Look, can you see it?"

Everyone looked out the window and immediately saw a drone overtake the helicopter and fly towards the port.

"We have not only drones overhead, but also radar and satellites. The news has already come back before the accident even reaches you!"

(End of this chapter)