In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 132 System and the Masses

Fangshi City District.

When Zhao De heard that the rainfall in 24 hours had reached 950 millimeters, his eyes widened in surprise.

He asked again to confirm, "How much?"

Wang Tongfu recounted: "In 24 hours, the rainfall reached 950.5 millimeters, and reservoirs in many places have already reached their highest water levels. The upstream dam of Yunshan Reservoir was flooded because of the flooding of cash crops. Local officials opened the gates to release water without authorization, which caused the water level to reach its highest level in just two days. Now, it is required that the gates be opened to release floodwater."

Due to the impact of the smuggling case some time ago, he, the captain of the special counter-terrorism team, was transferred to the water conservancy department and sidelined.

Now, ironically, this misfortune has turned into a blessing, as they have obtained crucial intelligence.

Zhao De remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he analyzed the situation.

The western part of the South China Sea receives ample rainfall, and due to the presence of the Water Beast Cave, flood control facilities are well-constructed.

In theory, if the flood diversion is done properly, it can sustain the flood for a period of time, at least enough for them to relocate the people to safe places.

However, the unauthorized opening of the floodgates upstream of Yunshan Reservoir to release water reminded Zhao De that local interests were not aligned, and many people had become lax in their flood prevention efforts due to the fact that the past five years had passed smoothly.

Even Zhao De himself didn't take it to heart at first.

He asked, "What measures has Wei Jiahong taken?"

Wang Tong replied, "As soon as I left, Wei Jiahong was still holding meetings and discussing things. The leadership positions in the city are in a mess right now. After he removed our people, the new people who came in haven't even gotten used to their jobs yet."

"..."

Zhao De's lips twitched slightly, and his brows furrowed.

What the hell are you doing holding this meeting? Is the old man out of his mind?

Wang Tong continued, "Wei Jiahong is finished. This flood control effort is bound to cause a major problem. If the Yunshan Reservoir breaches its banks, it won't be as simple as just going to jail."

Although the federal government has many privileges, it is not to the point where serious mistakes go unpunished.

If the Yunshan Reservoir were to breach its banks, the death toll could reach four figures, causing economic losses of hundreds of billions of yuan.

At that time, Wei Jiahong may become the first city executive to be sentenced to death since the Great Cataclysm.

dong dong dong.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Zhao De got up to open the door. Standing outside was a wet policeman, whom he remembered as one of the guards responsible for guarding the city administration building.

The guard pleaded, his voice trembling with tears, "Mayor Zhao, please save the millions of people in Fangshi!"

Zhao De asked, "What happened?"

"Mayor Wei... Mayor Wei fainted due to excessive work pressure! The city is in complete chaos right now. Mayor Zhao, please return to take charge!"

"what?"

Zhao De was stunned.

Even if Wei Jiahong is very old, his life development can ensure that he is still vigorous and energetic before he dies. Many elderly superhumans may look old and frail, but their physical constitution is still better than that of ordinary people.

He collapsed from exhaustion after only two days?
Soon, Zhao De understood the other party's intention, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

At such a critical juncture, this old man is still resorting to underhanded tactics.

'He's trying to pass this hot potato to me. The old man isn't very capable, but his methods are certainly dirty.'

Wang Tong shook his head slightly.

They can't save us from this disaster, so there's no need to jump into the fire pit now that we've escaped.

Perhaps Zhao De will even benefit from this misfortune and be reappointed to lead the reconstruction work after the disaster.

Zhao De ignored his subordinate's hints and turned back to his room.

Three minutes later, he came out dressed in a clean and simple black suit, with every button neatly fastened.

He maintained the dignity he always sought.

“I will take over the work from now on and I will be responsible for it to the end. Wang Tong, go and notify the others to return to their posts.”

Fifteen minutes later.

When Zhao De arrived at the administration building, a group of officials greeted him from afar, braving the heavy rain.

Without any pleasantries, he said swiftly and decisively, "Call a meeting immediately and notify all cadres at the deputy clerk level and above. Anyone who is still able to move must be there within half an hour. Anyone who cannot be there will be punished afterwards."

"The meeting doesn't need to wait for them; let them come in and find a seat."

"Notify the local troops to take over the upstream area of ​​Yunshan Reservoir and order them to close all the sluice gates. Anyone who dares to continue releasing water should be shot."

"Have the water resources department prepare for flood discharge; a plan must be provided by 5 p.m. today."

"Notify all firefighters, police, and special counter-terrorism units to rush to the areas of Ant Ridge, Panlin, and Sanzhou for rescue operations."

"Also, we need to prepare for disaster relief work, including food, warm clothing, and medicine."

Half an hour later, all the officials from Fangshi arrived at the scene.

More than 300 deputy-level officials were all present, and Zhao De only held a 15-minute meeting.

His requirements were simple: all comrades present should form an evacuation team, with each person responsible for a specific area, and formulate evacuation routes, locations, and resettlement plans as quickly as possible.

It includes resettlement of people and livestock, resettlement of livelihoods, post-disaster reconstruction, and restoration of production.

Pre-disaster preparation, disaster relief, and post-disaster reconstruction—everything was within Zhao De's consideration.

“There’s no time for us to make detailed plans; everything depends on you adapting to local conditions. If the flood control efforts fail, then I hope you die before the people.” “This is an order, not a request.”

Zhao De stood on the stage, all eyes were on him, and he undoubtedly enjoyed the feeling.

They wield the power of the system, turning the world upside down with a flick of their wrist.
-
Less than ten minutes after receiving the news, all officers above the rank of squad leader who had not yet been on duty were summoned, along with representatives of the civilians who had rushed to the camp to help with the flood relief efforts.

Everyone gathered in the lobby on the first floor of the border station's administrative building. The space was large, and Lu Zhao had no interest in engaging in formalism.

He explained the situation to everyone, and as expected, when they heard that it had rained for the past seven months in just two days, fear filled their faces.

A brief silence fell over the hall, a heavy atmosphere enveloping everyone.

"250 millimeters is considered an extremely heavy rainstorm, but this 900-plus millimeters is like five extremely heavy rainstorms coming together for a big meeting."

Once the first voice came from the crowd, everyone reacted like boiling water.

“The dam near our village has already been washed away, and I estimate that the upstream reservoir can’t hold up.”

A village official with gray hair said in a trembling voice, "On my way here, I saw that the small dam over at Chenjiagou had collapsed. The water was raging. Can those large reservoirs upstream hold up?"

"How is Yunshan Reservoir? If it breaches its banks, the entire city will turn into fishponds."

"And then there are the aquatic beasts. If they come in droves and take advantage of the flood to enter the country at this time, it won't be of any use even if we hide in the mountains. They are not fish; they can come ashore."

Lu Zhao stood behind a makeshift platform made of tables, waiting for everyone to vent their fears and understand the current situation.

He took a deep breath and said:

"Comrades, quiet down!"

The hall fell silent instantly, with only the torrential rain outside.

“I called everyone here not to complain, nor to run away. Yunshan Reservoir is on higher ground than us, and hundreds of miles around will be flattened by the flood. None of us can escape.”

"Not only can we not escape, but the millions of our compatriots in the city cannot escape either."

Mobilization requires skill; in times of crisis, fear can either break a team or unite it.

The concept of fighting with one's back to the river has existed since ancient times.

In his previous life, as a narcotics police officer, he had never commanded a team, but he was always required and educated that everyone must be able to take over the command when necessary.

"We can't run."

Lu Zhao's voice suddenly rose, startling everyone.

"Ten years ago, our families, relatives, and compatriots rushed to the battlefield to fight against the monsters. Today, it is our turn to fight against the floods. We must protect our hometown and farmland, on which we depend for survival! We must fight a battle to protect the 200,000 people of Ant Ridge!"

"Our hometown is right behind us; there's no turning back, only moving forward!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, visualizing their thoughts through visualization.

The crowd was terrified, the soldiers were fearful, everyone was afraid of disaster.

No one is unafraid of death; fear is in the nature of living beings, and true courage lies in embracing fear and moving forward.

Lu Zhao's voice returned to calm as he asked:
"Tell me, can you complete the task?"

After a moment of silence, there were initially single, weak responses, but then the shouts grew louder, more numerous, and more unified.

"Yes!!!" "Yes!!!!"

Inside and outside the hall, cadres, villagers, soldiers... everyone responded with all their might. The chaotic responses eventually converged into a sound powerful enough to withstand any disaster, drowning out the sound of rain pouring down outside the window.

The fear did not disappear, but because I stood up, all the fear was transformed into the determination to defend my hometown.

Lu Zhao firmly believed that this power could overcome everything.

With the support of the masses, he will be invincible.
-
Far away in the East Coast of the South China Sea, in the military town of Tuen Mun Island.

Amidst the torrential rain, artillery fire bombarded the 'coral reefs' that kept surfacing, causing countless fish to explode underwater, their flashes of light resembling stars in the night sky.

A coral reef resembling a small island rose up and crashed towards Tuen Mun Island.

Once these coral reefs hit the land, the scattered coral polyps will attach themselves to various parts of Tuen Mun Island, gradually eroding the coastline and forcing the Tuen Mun Island garrison defense line to retreat.

Eight years ago, Tuen Mun Island covered an area of ​​1,000 square kilometers.

Now only 500 square kilometers remain, half of which has been devoured by the ancient god circle.

If Tuen Mun Island is lost, the entire heartland of Namkaido will face the ancient god's circle. If Namkaido is lost, the water monsters will advance along the Tao River and directly into the mainland.

This is how human civilization began to decline ten years ago.

The enemy is not a specific species, nor a concrete demon or monster, but an intangible 'ecosystem'. It gradually alters and erodes the environment, encroaching on humanity's living space.

Shells rained down on the coral island, instantly igniting countless flames across the island.

However, the coral island was very thick, and the shells could only leave a shallow crater, unable to damage the core.

At this moment, a figure flew out from the position and stood in the void.

A hundred meters around Chen Yunming formed an invisible and intangible domain, impervious to the sound of rain and wind.

He opened his mouth slightly, and a bright yellow flame fell onto the coral island below.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

In an instant, the coral island was engulfed in flames, the surrounding seawater began to boil, and steam billowed up like chimneys.

Thirty seconds later, the flame flew back into Chen Yunming's mouth, and a coral reef tens of thousands of meters long disappeared.

(End of this chapter)