In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 152 Enlightenment
On August 21, the outpost was repaired and a temporary road for vehicles was dug out with the help of local farmers.

On August 22nd, the water beasts had largely disappeared, and Lu Zhao returned to the border station to oversee post-disaster reconstruction work.

On August 23, the local government of Fang City prioritized allocating 30 million ringgit in cash to Antling, which is designated as a flood diversion area, to cover the costs of post-disaster reconstruction.

Lu Zhao encountered the most difficult task he had ever undertaken as a local administrative official.

That's the issue of compensation. How much compensation should be paid for flooded farmland? How is compensation calculated for houses? Who pays more? Who pays less?

Dividing money has always been the biggest problem since ancient times; everyone wants a bigger share.

The farmers who used to trust Lu Zhao now argued fiercely in front of him, and at least a hundred farmers would camp out outside his office every day.

At first, Lu Zhao could tolerate it and try to understand everyone's needs in a kind and gentle manner, but later he found that he could not satisfy everyone.

Some people are being unreasonable, while others are genuinely facing difficulties. Unreasonable people can be kicked out, but those facing genuine difficulties may lie about their losses.

For example, in Huangshui Village, there was an old bachelor named Chen Laohan who lived in a mud-brick house. It was washed away by a flood, but he insisted that the border station help him build a two-story red brick house.

There are too many similar cases. Many people want to take advantage of this opportunity, which in turn encourages others to do the same.

Lu Zhao couldn't actually build houses for them; there were a hundred people making this request. If he satisfied all one hundred, then everyone would ask him for the same thing.

But if we say we refuse, we can't just leave these farmers without a place to live.

Giving money directly is also inappropriate, because a significant portion of people will not use it to build new houses, but instead squander it on food, drink, gambling, and prostitution.

Having lived in the countryside in both his previous lives, Lu Zhao had seen far too many lazy and unruly rural people. Subjectively speaking, he felt it was their own fault for being homeless.

However, as an official, he cannot artificially create a group of homeless people, as this would be detrimental to social stability and propaganda.

Just as Lu Zhao was struggling with this problem, Lin Yongkang, the head of the logistics section, offered a feasible plan.

First, the assessment of the extent of the disaster is submitted to the village's food and agriculture association, where the directors submit a report, and then the border station sends people to conduct a follow-up inspection.

Based on this disaster report, a public tender will be issued to a qualified construction company.

Lu Zhao thought it was feasible, so he handed the matter over to Lin Yongkang.

Corruption is inevitable in such cases; anything involving money is never entirely pure. As long as the affected people are properly resettled, that's all that matters.

On August 24th, Lu Zhao processed the list of fallen soldiers and martyrs who died during disaster relief.

He personally wrote down the names of every soldier in the reinforced platoon and submitted applications for martyrdom and first-class merit to his superiors.

According to federal regulations, participating in monster-killing missions beyond one's rank and succeeding, regardless of life or death, is considered a first-class merit.

August 25th.

Ring ring ring!
The phone rang; the caller was Lin Zhiyan.

Have you finished your work?

"Almost there, just some minor finishing touches left."

Lu Zhao's voice sounded a little tired as he asked, "How is Xiao Tong?"

As early as the day communications were restored, Lin Zhiyan called to inquire about the situation.

At that time, she had already arrived in the capital with Lu Xiaotong. The reason they hadn't been in contact for the past week was mainly because Lin Zhiyan knew Lu Zhao would be very busy, so she didn't want to bother him.

Lin Zhiyan did not answer, but Lu Xiaotong's voice came through the phone.

Uncle Zhao, how are you doing?

"It's great. How was your time in Beijing?"

"Hmm... It's not quite what I imagined. There are very few high-rise buildings in the Imperial Capital. Many buildings are only seven or eight stories high, and the shopping malls look very old."

Lu Xiaotong complained about what she saw and heard in the capital.

Aside from the lack of local residents and districts, many places are old, dilapidated, and small compared to Cangwu, not as prosperous as one might imagine.

The only thing worth praising is the environment.

The air quality is excellent, and the city's green spaces and park designs are very pleasant.

In contrast, Cangwu, including the associated Confederate district, is a mega-city with 400 million people, and every relatively flat area is filled with houses and factories.

More than half of the Federation's light and heavy industries are concentrated in Cangwu.

Because there is only one relatively weak ancient god circle around Nankaido, other places either have poor geographical location or lack industrial foundation.

After chatting with Lu Xiaotong for ten minutes, Lin Zhiyan took back his phone and said, "We're going back to Cangwu tomorrow. I'll find some official media to publicize your story then."

"Should I publicize that I patrolled the mountains at the border post for four years? That would damage the image of the federal government."

Lu Zhao's tone was calm, making it unclear whether he was thinking of the Federation or being sarcastic.

Lin Zhiyan's clear voice carried a hint of amusement: "Sure, I'll add your school affairs to the list, that'll definitely cause a media frenzy throughout the entire Federation."

"Comrade Lin, you can't say things that are detrimental to unity."

"Senior, you also quite like being sarcastic and sarcastic."

Lin Zhiyan suppressed his laughter and returned to the main topic: "Publicizing your deeds will help you apply for more compensation and fight for better treatment for the families of border guard martyrs."

"Secondly, it can lay the foundation for your selection as an outstanding young extraordinary person, as well as various other honors, all of which you must strive for."

The last point is Lin Zhiyan's main objective.

The Lin family needs a hero; she needs to build momentum for Lu Zhao and lay the foundation for his future exceptional promotion.

"The two universities in the capital and Chishui are just stepping stones, providing a good foundation for you to enter the military and the system. The real stage that determines whether you can become a high-level superhuman is the evaluation and award."

"There is an unwritten rule: a first-class merit determines whether you can become a third-tier superhuman, a first-level outstanding youth superhuman is a fourth-tier superhuman, and a federal outstanding youth is a fifth-tier superhuman."

In life development, resources are paramount and the foundation for the long-term stability of the Federation.

The strong do not appear out of thin air, nor are they destined at birth. Each stage of life development requires corresponding elixirs; with these elixirs, development progresses rapidly, otherwise, progress is extremely difficult.

Only cadres who have passed the test can receive preferential treatment in federal resources.

Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, unless you are a federal cadre or have made no contributions, you will basically never reach the third tier in your lifetime.

Of course, one can also go abroad to fight, just like in martial arts novels, experiencing life-or-death situations and competing with various masters for medicinal herbs.

Then they crawled to the Federation like stray dogs to exchange for various potions that had already been made.

But those with such courage will not leave the Federation unless absolutely necessary, even the Marquis of Wu is no exception.

Lu Zhao understood Lin Zhiyan's intention and said, "I will try my best to achieve it."

"That's all for now. Take care and get some rest."

Lin Zhiyan hung up the phone on her own initiative; she could hear the calmness in Lu Zhao's tone.

On August 26, the village's grain and farmers' association submitted its statistical report on housing disasters.

To ensure the effectiveness of the reconstruction work, Lu Zhao, along with Lin Yongkang and ten border guards, went to the local area to inspect the work, carrying the report submitted by the village's food and agriculture association.

Inside the vehicle, Lin Yongkang said, "Boss, let me play the bad cop later. They are, after all, your fellow villagers."

The so-called directors of the village's food and farmers' association are essentially just a group of farmers.

In the face of disaster, they can unite to protect their homes, but petty theft is bound to occur when it comes to dividing money.

In this situation, as a subordinate, you naturally have to share the burdens and solve the problems for your leader; otherwise, how can you get promoted?

Lu Zhao shook his head and refused, saying, "No need, you can just carry it out."

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yongkang's eyes.

As far as I can remember, Lu Zhao never seemed to have a falling out with the farmers.

Lu Zhao's first stop was his hometown, Huangshui Village, which showed his deepest affection for his hometown.

That is to ensure that everyone can obtain the benefits they deserve.

After Zhao Lizhi died, the villagers temporarily elected a villager surnamed Liang, a middle-aged man in his fifties with gray hair.

He was surprised by Lu Zhao's arrival. Knowing that Lu Zhao was going to review the housing damage report, he was apprehensive. About half an hour later, after a brief inspection by the border station's inspection team, several instances of over-reporting and misreporting were discovered.

The declared value exceeded at least 1.5 million, with many houses that were only slightly damaged being reported as severely damaged.

These things are naturally inseparable from Village Chief Liang.

Lu Zhao said coldly, "Village Chief Liang, in view of your work mistakes, I am now removing you from your positions as director of the village's grain and farmers' association and village chief."

Village Chief Liang slapped himself repeatedly while pleading, "Chief Lu, it was my fault. I will definitely correct it in the future. Please forgive me for being from the same village..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Zhao interrupted, "Does being from the same village give you the right to conceal or misreport? As the chief officer of the border garrison, am I supposed to promote you all to official positions? Am I supposed to let even the dogs in Huangshui Village get a taste of the imperial salary?"

The village chief was speechless for a moment, while the surrounding villagers clapped and cheered.

Huangshui Village has over a thousand residents. If everyone conceals or misreports their cases, the cost of rebuilding houses would exceed one million.

Half an hour later, Lu Zhao left Huangshui Village and went to inspect other villages and towns that were more severely affected by the disaster.

Along the way, village officials and villagers surrounded him.

After running for ten hours straight, Lu Zhao revised the report, reducing the funding required for house repair and reconstruction from 40 million to 20 million.

He also dismissed 22 directors of the village's grain and farmers' association, thus establishing his authority.

This was the first time Lin Yongkang had heard his own boss use the vulgar term "fuck a horse" and curse without any mercy.

------------

August 27th.

A reporter from Cangwu News visited.

A man and a woman; the man was in his thirties, and the woman looked like she had just entered the workforce.

This person's facial features look somewhat like Chen Qian's.

Both of them showed obvious surprise when they saw Lu Zhao, and the female reporter's eyes almost popped out of her head.

The reason is simple: Lu Zhao is very handsome.

Especially after advancing to the second tier, the skin problems caused by long-term exposure to wind and rain have been greatly improved, and the skin has changed from a rough bronze color to a cool white color.

The only thing that hasn't changed is his lifeless eyes, worn down by continuous high-intensity work, which, combined with the scar on his jaw, gives him a more fierce look.

As the saying goes, fair skin can cover up a hundred flaws. For someone who is already handsome, fair skin will only make them more attractive.

The two reporters exchanged a glance, knowing that this might be the start of a big news story.

Heart of beauty in everyone.

There are many good-looking people, but few who are both good-looking and capable and accomplished. Such people are usually promoted and made public.

Because it's popular with the public, the promotion is very effective.

The first thing the female reporter said to him was, "Station Chief Lu is so handsome! Do you have a girlfriend?"

Lu Zhao replied expressionlessly, "Comrade, if we're not discussing official business, then you may leave."

The male reporter quickly apologized: "Chief Lu, I'm so sorry, she's just an intern and doesn't know the rules."

The female reporter regained her senses and looked down at the soles of her shoes.

"Let's get started then."

Lu Zhao sat opposite the two of them and recounted the story in the simplest terms.

The two, who were initially overjoyed, were disheartened after glancing at the record.

It was all very straightforward: the mission location and objective, how many minutes it took to arrive, and how many monsters were killed.

As for Lu Zhao's own thought process, there is no mention of it.

The entire process involves identifying problems, executing tasks, and completing tasks.

The reporter asked, "What was your mindset when you went to the front lines to fight the monsters?"

Lu Zhao replied, "It's my duty."

The reporter asked, "Why did you dare to carry a bomb to blow up a third-tier monster?"

Lu Zhao replied, "The outpost didn't have artillery, so the rockets couldn't cause any effective damage, and that's why we went and bombed it."

The reporter pressed further, "Was there no one who objected during this time? Or were there any obstacles? For example, how did Station Chief Lu encourage the soldiers?"

After a moment's thought, Lu Zhao's somewhat hazy memories resurfaced, causing a slight throbbing pain in his temples.

He replied, "I heard my mentor say that during the Great Cataclysm, it would take eighty first-tier superhumans to kill a third-tier monster."

“I said, we should become those eighty people.”

The reporter's eyes lit up, and he pressed for details, "Could you please elaborate?"

Lu Zhao then recounted his speech from that day to the reporter. He spoke calmly, without any emotional fluctuation, though he needed to recall some parts of the speech a little more.

It happened just two weeks ago, but it feels like several months or even years have passed.

It turns out they had been dead for half a month.

"That's roughly how it happened. We sacrificed sixty people but successfully killed a third-tier demonic beast."

After Lu Zhao finished speaking, the two reporters felt their noses tingle, and the female reporter was already wiping away tears with a tissue.

The two carefully placed the handwritten notes into their bags, as if they were precious treasures. The female reporter said solemnly, "Station Chief Lu, you are a hero of the Federation."

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "All soldiers are heroes."

The male reporter, who has extensive professional experience, said, "Your story can inspire more people and guide more soldiers to dare to become one of those eighty people."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao remained silent for a moment before replying, "I hope they don't need to become one of those eighty people."

I once heard Colonel Li say that he understood, but he didn't feel it deeply.

But now Lu Zhao sincerely hopes that there will never be another hero of eighty people.

Half an hour later, the reporter from Cangwu News left.

Lu Zhao had finished the last tasks, and now all that was needed was for his subordinates to carry them out.

As they passed the dormitory entrance, the old man called out, "Commander Lu, you haven't come back to sleep for seven days. I thought you had suddenly died."

Lu Zhao laughed and said, "Even if you die, I won't die."

After saying that, he dragged his weak body away.

Old Zhang watched his retreating figure, sensing something was amiss, but said nothing.

One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand; some things are simply unavoidable.

Lu Zhao returned to his steel fortress, the room was empty, only his military uniform was not white.

This was his self-created external mental palace, once used to combat the delirium of the spiritual world, but now it is no longer needed.

He lay on the bed with his eyes closed. As the world quieted down and the busyness was replaced by leisure, memories and emotions from the past surged up like a tsunami.

The initial unfamiliarity, the awkwardness when serving as the platoon leader of the reinforced platoon, and the provocations from troublemakers in the team.

The familiarity upon seeing each other again, everyone's name, personality, and abilities.

Lu Zhao remembered all of this as if it were yesterday.

Breathe, breathe again.

Lu Zhao tried his best to suppress his emotions. He was a soldier, and he wanted to be a man of steel.

"Damn it! How did you all get dead..."

(End of this chapter)