Eh? You want to try the humanoid girl's iron fist too?

"Okay, let's go check the warehouse."

Willis sighed, noticing the medic glancing longingly at the half-smoked cigarette on the bedside table, and said:

"Take it with you, I'll allow you to finish it."

The young medic quickly put the cigarette in his mouth and lit the lighter with a click.

Raphael gazed at the rosy, vibrant, childlike face, anxiously imagining what it would look like a week or two later, when the filthy, terrifying, and merciless life in the plague-stricken area would first weigh heavily on William Betheron.

A car was approaching from the Manhattan direction on the inner side of the bridge. Lieutenant Colonel Lucius, the battalion commander, was always impatient. Before the Hummer had even come to a complete stop, he jumped out of his seat.

I stepped on the ice while jumping and twisted my ankle.

He cursed as he limped toward the group who were heading to the warehouse to check the inventory.

"How is it?" he asked, his face grim, without looking at Willis's face.

.

“Medic Vitaly is dying. He’s terrified and keeps saying he wants to be transferred,” Willis replied, glancing at the medic beside him.

Lucius glanced at the medical tent ahead, then at the on-site medical badge on William Bethellon's chest, and said:

“Vitali will go where he is and fulfill his duties as a medical officer. William, may I hand over the duties to you?”

“I’m going to medical school next year,” William replied.

"I hereby announce that William Besserlon is promoted to Second Lieutenant, and will be in charge of medical services at B Company. Congratulations, Second Lieutenant. I will have the necessary documents and uniform delivered to you, and I promise you that you can pursue your studies at the medical school you desire next year. If you are still alive, you can come to me anytime to fulfill this promise."

Before the medic could react, Lucius maintained his somber expression and stern tone—it was his duty, the current situation demanding that he maintain his authority with such a harsh, almost critical attitude, while demonstrating that he still had control of the situation—and then addressed Raphael:

"So, you're the Navy officer who came looking for us?"

"Yes."

Volume 1: The World Before the Great War: Chapter 4 Public Health and Safety Incident

"What are you waiting for here?" he asked curtly.

"Wait for the next border crossing to open; this is the order given to you and your brigade."

Raphael answered calmly, drawing out each word with a measured tone:

"I'm going to follow the supply convoy into Manhattan."

The lieutenant colonel remained silent for a moment.

"Should we open earlier?" Willis asked.

The situation at the Manhattan side of the bridge is not to be underestimated, with many protesters holding signs every day.

The crowds only disperse when supply convoys arrive, because those stranded in Manhattan and even Long Island are "normal" people who need to eat.

"No, it's not safe to let her in now, as those starving people will target her."

Lucius stood on the bridge, looking at Manhattan and then at Brooklyn, his face somber. He remained silent after rejecting Willis's offer.

The battalion commander always makes a prediction before taking action, which is probably why he is always extremely busy.

He was already like this back in Iraq.

The group stood silently on the bridge near Manhattan for a while. Suddenly, Lucius turned around, but in a different tone, his voice filled with unexpected pity:

"Look how badly these villains who used money to release the virus have harmed these people!"

Refugees could be seen everywhere under the bridge on North Delan Street, dressed in rags and looking haggard, wrapped in filthy winter clothes. Many of them had to hold onto the wall to walk, and had to stop to catch their breath every now and then.

More people involuntarily turned their gaze upwards, and upon discovering that there were only a few "spectators" on the bridge, they lowered their heads in even greater disappointment.

Black plastic garbage bags were piled up under the diamond-shaped apartment building by the roadside. The large automatic garbage bins by the roadside were submerged by mountains of garbage, and stiff corpses could even be seen in the garbage.

But nobody cared what was inside.

Boom—the black smoke rising in the distance made them involuntarily take a look.

The city buildings of varying heights completely blocked the view, with only plumes of smoke rising from the burning gunpowder.

What exactly is the New York City government doing? And what is the federal government thinking?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies intervened and declared a state of emergency. National Guard personnel were mobilized and deployed to New York to carry out lockdown operations.

The military and authorities blocked roads, suspended public transportation, prohibited Long Island residents from leaving, and ordered the public to evacuate and stay at home.

These measures can curb the spread of the virus at different levels, but...

The lockdown order was indeed issued, and the guards stationed in the city were very successful in blocking the bridges and ferry crossings, but they were not able to completely block off all areas along the rivers on both sides of Long Island.

Every day, you can see people swimming across the river, landing on the Brooklyn side, and then disappearing.

There is no doubt that secondary transmission has begun, and its scope is expanding.

"I'm going back to headquarters. Tomorrow at 11:00 AM, the lieutenant can cross the border with the Disaster Emergency Management Agency's convoy."

Lucius paused, then said with a gloomy expression:

"At the same time, issue her a pass. B Company must meet all of the lieutenant's needs, if possible. Also, if necessary, carry out operations according to the lieutenant's instructions."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards his car.

Willis was even more surprised now. He carefully looked at the lieutenant, who was half a head shorter than him, and asked abruptly yet matter-of-factly:

"who are you?"

"Raphael, you can call me that."

The response was still disappointing, but Willis already had a guess in his mind. Perhaps it was some non-existent unit belonging to SOCOM, specifically designed to carry out high-risk and shady missions.

They could also be agents recruited by the National Security Agency; in any case, they are not simple.

The battalion commander's orders sounded casual, and in a sense, he had relegated B Company to a personal support unit.

Late at night, as Raphael was preparing to rest, Willis came looking for him.

"The president is about to speak about the 'greenback' pandemic in New York. Do you want to watch?" he said.

Raphael grunted in agreement.

"Good evening. Today, our compatriots, our way of life, and our freedom have once again been subjected to a series of premeditated and inhumane terrorist attacks after 24 years."

Lawrence Waller sat behind the desk in the Oval Office, his hands moving slowly as he spoke, his face solemn, his tone deep, radiating an invisible authority.

"The victims were in offices, shopping malls, and homes. Among them were secretaries, businessmen, police officers, government employees, mothers and fathers, as well as friends and neighbors. Millions of lives were eroded by this evil and despicable terrorist attack."

An invisible blade clung to the banknotes, igniting an unseen raging fire. Thousands died, and many more fell ill. Hospitals overflowed, many patients went untreated, and countless husbands and wives collapsed in the streets.

These images fill us with disbelief, devastation, and a quiet, unyielding anger. This massacre was intended to plunge our nation into chaos. But they failed. Our great people have risen up to bravely defend our great nation…

It was the usual polite talk; Mr. Waller's words were quite correct, but they sounded nice.

Raphael patiently listened, and after the president had laid the groundwork on television, he was finally about to announce his decision.

"...I immediately activated the government's emergency response plan, and our emergency response teams are working tirelessly in New York, alongside local medical personnel. Our top priority is to help..."

The patients, and research on the 'virus'.

Meanwhile, our military is incredibly powerful and ready to protect our citizens, both domestically and internationally, from secondary attacks. Our government will continue to function normally without interruption.

Today, the evacuation of federal government agencies in Washington, D.C., began. Essential personnel have been deployed and are beginning to resume work, and the entire government will be fully operational by tomorrow.

Our financial institutions remain strong, and the economy will return to normal. We have begun searching for those behind this despicable attack.

I have ordered all intelligence and law enforcement agencies to cooperate fully to find the mastermind behind this and bring them to justice. We will treat terrorists and those who shelter them the same, and will show them zero tolerance…

"With emergency response planning, intelligence and law enforcement collaboration, have major institutions in Washington, D.C. been evacuated?"

Raphael glanced at Captain Willis, wanting to confirm something, but unsure where to begin.

"Feel free to ask me anything," Willis said directly.

"Where is the cooperation? Where are the emergency rescue teams?"

He paused for a few seconds, then said with a lack of confidence, "There should be."

Volume 1: The World Before the Great War: Chapter 5 Zhen Ji Pulling Vegetables

In the morning, Company Commander Willis walked over with great enthusiasm, his steps seemingly carrying the weight of a dancer.

He found Raphael and excitedly said:

"The Disaster Emergency Response Agency has decided to distribute new vaccines to the public and set up new open-air clinics in open spaces such as parks and stadiums throughout the city to accommodate patients. In addition, they have added more than 20 additional distribution points in Manhattan, planning to distribute food, provide vaccinations and personal protective equipment."

"But the New York CDC and the CDC have already administered a round of vaccines to the public, right?"

"this……"

Raphael turned his gaze from the two branded weapons—two weapons born from the NGSW project—to the captain, who was beaming with delight, and asked him a question.

However, when she asked him that question, Willis's expression instantly became more gloomy, and his eyes began to wander, unwilling to meet Raphael's all-knowing gaze.

"what happened?"

"No, it's just..."

Something's off. The captain's unexpected reaction made Raphael's eyes widen; she thought he was the kind of person who would express his opinions boldly and directly.

Willis now wore an angry expression. He took a deep breath and then lowered his voice to say:

"The first round of vaccinations was essentially a show, not only because it used an old-fashioned vaccine that targeted early smallpox, but also because it was limited to relatively stable, affluent areas."

A few days ago, we arrested a man who attempted to ram through customs; he wanted to leave Manhattan with his sick daughter. His motive was obvious: to gain access to better medical resources.

As you know, all the hospitals and clinics on Long Island are operating beyond capacity, and doctors and nurses are constantly getting sick and falling ill.

During the interrogation, he told us that no one had provided them with the vaccine. After receiving the vaccination leaflet from the CDC, they waited at home for a whole week, but no one came to administer the vaccination.

After his anger subsided, Willis was left with only a calm acceptance of corruption.

It took him quite a while to calm his chaotic emotions and return to the proper demeanor of a "National Guard Captain".

"Sorry, I lost my composure."

Raphael nodded, showing no reaction to Willis's emotional fluctuations. He simply raised his hand and glanced at the watch on the inside of his wrist; there were still three and a half hours until 11 a.m.

"I'm going to start taking inventory of the equipment," she said.

"If there's anything missing, let me know later and I'll find it for you."