Chapter 112: Aftermath and Reckoning
by xennovel“Support Team entering the area!”
Once it was confirmed that the massive Human-faced Monster had been eliminated, Han Bing’s voice quickly came over the channel.
Clearly, compared to the many doubts swirling in their minds, dealing with the chaotic battlefield beneath the South Wall was the top priority.
More and more people were regaining consciousness. Seeing the dense sprawl of bodies around them and finding themselves inexplicably here, they were overcome by growing panic. Some cried loudly, others started running frantically.
Letting them run wild at this moment was obviously very dangerous.
Even though the Mental Monster was dealt with, they needed to prevent any potential hidden risks the survivors might carry. After all, they had previously been controlled by the sound of that “Little boy’s crying” and the extent of the damage they suffered was still unknown. Therefore, according to the regulations of the Qinggang City Special Pollution Cleanup Department, everyone had to be gathered, observed and quarantined until they were confirmed to be problem-free.
This process was extremely meticulous and rigorous; not a single step could go wrong.
Fortunately, Lu Xin didn’t have to handle this himself.
…
…
“Everyone, stay calm.”
“You’ve just experienced a large-scale food poisoning incident. The Main City is dispatching medical personnel now.”
“Please control your emotions, stay where you are, and don’t run around…”
“If you run off, the medical team won’t be able to find you when they arrive for centralized treatment, and you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself…”
“Friendly reminder: Seeking treatment at the hospital on your own will cost at least several hundred yuan…”
…
The sound of a loudspeaker echoed nearby. It was the two City Patrol Army squads that had arrived.
Their numbers were hardly sufficient to control such a large crowd, but luckily they had received instructions.
The effect of the loudspeaker announcement was surprisingly good.
Some people were still crying loudly, anxiously asking questions of those around them, but very few were running around anymore.
“Whose idea was this tactic…?”
Lu Xin sat on a rock beside the large crater, thinking this method was quite ruthless.
He looked around. With the arrival of the two City Patrol Army squads, order had significantly improved. Soon, he saw vehicles slowly approaching in the distance. Then, the deafening roar of helicopter rotors filled the air overhead as bright lights shone down from the sky. Three helicopters landed nearby, and Support Team members in thick protective suits rushed out.
Currently, the Second Satellite City was experiencing too many pollution incidents, leading to a severe shortage of Support Team personnel. It was evident these team members had likely been rushed over from other satellite cities, and their numbers were limited.
However, judging by their equipment and efficiency, they were clearly highly professional.
Every time Lu Xin saw the Support Team arrive on the scene, a strange sense of security washed over him.
This time was no exception. The heart that had been tightly wound finally relaxed.
He pulled out a crumpled cigarette, smoothed it out as best he could, took out the Zippo lighter gifted to him by Fat Manager Liu from the Main City consulting company, slowly lit the cigarette, and exhaled a plume of smoke.
“So, are all the problems solved now?”
His headset was broken, so Lu Xin was now using the satellite phone to talk to Han Bing.
Han Bing’s voice also sounded much more relaxed than before, soft and gentle. “Pretty much. Reports from other areas indicate that the four major special pollution zones in the Second Satellite City are now under control. Support Teams are moving in to secure the areas. Additionally, investigation teams from all satellite cities have been mobilized for in-depth screening.”
“Although large-scale pollution incidents like this are rare, we’ve conducted numerous drills for such scenarios. Plus, the other four satellite cities, and even the Main City, will allocate resources to assist, so the cleanup process should go smoothly.”
…
Lu Xin nodded slightly, extinguished the cigarette after taking two puffs, and put it back in the box.
Turning his head, he saw the Support Team members setting up a long cordon after entering the site, separating the panicked survivors from the field of corpses on the other side. On the survivor side, someone was continuously speaking to them through a loudspeaker, intentionally diverting their attention elsewhere.
On the side with the corpses, some personnel were moving among them, checking for any signs of life, while others were shouting into walkie-talkies.
Lu Xin heard words like “truck” and “loader” in their voices.
A slight shiver ran through him.
He subconsciously avoided looking at the field of bodies, unable to even estimate the number at that moment.
I guess I succeeded… right?
After all, I saved more than half of them.
But what about the half that died?
They lay there silently, devoid of life, like piles of humanoid refuse.
The sight instantly stung Lu Xin’s eyes.
So many people had died here beneath the High Wall. And what about the other areas where pollution erupted suddenly? Those who died from the influence of the ‘Roses’, those who died because of the chaos in these incidents, and even those caught in the heavy crossfire when Qin Ran and his people were snatching the painting, dying miserably…
…How many people was that?
…
…
“So, any leads now?”
Lu Xin took a deep breath and asked Han Bing softly over the phone, “Where did all this chaos come from?”
“Specialists are investigating these matters right now, but the reports haven’t been submitted yet!”
Han Bing’s voice also grew slightly heavy. “However, based on the intelligence we currently have, this incident is definitely related to the Technology Church and the Knight Orders from outside the city. Besides them stealing that mysterious oil painting, we still don’t know their other objectives. But it’s certain that besides stealing the painting, they had other goals, and…”
“…they might have already achieved them!”
…
“They killed so many people just to achieve some goal?”
Lu Xin rubbed his face. “What will Headquarters do about this?”
“Our Special Pollution Cleanup Department’s main task is to clean up pollution. We’ve now completed our job.”
Han Bing said softly, “As for the follow-up measures against those Knight Orders, that falls under the City Defense Department. We don’t know what arrangements they’ll make yet. Normally, even if the perpetrators have left the satellite city, relevant personnel would be assigned to pursue them. However, the chaos caused this time was too extensive, and their actions were swift. It’s uncertain if the tracking was successful.”
“But rest assured, based on past experience, whether the tracking is successful or not, Qinggang will definitely respond.”
“After all…”
Han Bing paused, her voice carrying a rare gravity. “Someone must be held responsible for the lives lost in this chaos!”
“Yeah…”
Lu Xin turned his head, looking towards the area outside the city, his expression somewhat peculiar.
Beside him, Sister also turned her head towards the outside of the city, her eyes shining faintly, lost in thought.
Mom’s whereabouts were currently unknown.
Lu Xin’s voice sounded after a moment, “So many people died. There must be a price to pay…”
His gaze shifted towards the outside of the city, carrying a strange calmness.
It didn’t sound like he was agreeing conversationally, but rather stating a fact:
“No matter who they are, no matter where they came from, or where they fled to!”
…
Han Bing fell silent.
Lu Xin’s calmness actually made her feel worried.
“Well said…”
Beside Lu Xin, however, the soft sound of clapping could be heard. Mom’s smile was exquisite and charming.
“But after you finish your work this time, you need to come home early…”
She chuckled softly, speaking to Lu Xin, “Your father is furious right now. Really furious.”
“I think we need to consider holding a family meeting this time.”