Ch 57: Fortress Crisis
The third day of the work stoppage, from a sky full of Red Glow to now, more than twenty days have passed.
The sun’s psionic energy release has also reached its peak. Starting at noon, twelve o’clock, the temperature has already reached around 58℃. This is the result of Chang’an Prefecture being located north of the Qinling Mountains.
In the cities to the south, the temperature is already around 64 degrees.
The medical system has completely collapsed. The Elderly, Weak, Sick, and Disabled, and those with poor constitutions, cannot receive timely treatment and can only watch helplessly as they are literally heat-stricken to death.
In the Safe Room under the Chang’an Prefecture City Government office building, a group of municipal leaders all sat around a table with serious expressions.
Mayor Xu looked at the encrypted document sent from the central government, sighed deeply, and passed the document to the Municipal Party Secretary.
Afterwards, everyone read it through, and the Mayor spoke:
“Get ready.”
“Mayor, it’s not possible! If there’s Power Rationing, more people will die.”
“Yes, Mayor, the medical system is already overwhelmed. Once there is Power Rationing, the number of heatstroke patients will increase exponentially.”
“Mayor, why don’t you try to fight for this again? Chang’an Prefecture has over 14 million people. If there is Power Rationing, unrest is inevitable, and it may be difficult to maintain the overall situation.”
The Mayor knocked on the table and said sharply:
“Enough! Do you think I don’t know what you’re saying? Does the State not know?
The rising sea level has forced us to shut down the four coastal nuclear power plants. This is an unavoidable outcome. Do you think it’s appropriate to complain to higher authorities now?”
The Municipal Party Secretary stood up, pressed down with both hands, calmed everyone, and said:
“Alright, everyone, don’t get excited. The situation in Chang’an Prefecture is much better than in the southern cities. At least the overall situation is still stable, and the government’s control over the local area is still in place.
The top priority now is the problem of summer heat relief and supplies after rationing.
Power Rationing doesn’t mean a complete power outage. At worst, each family can use one Air Conditioner, or two or three households can live together and share one Air Conditioner.
Regarding supplies, I discussed this with the Mayor. Now, the efficiency of supplies transportation cannot keep up, so we can only collect them citywide, from Supermarkets, Granaries, Logistics Parks, with equivalent Compensation. The Ministry of Finance must do the relevant work.”
After the meeting, various relevant departments received work arrangements for Power Rationing and the requisition of supplies.
At the same time, the official Short Videos account and television news also broadcast the information.
At this time, Li Fan was sleeping soundly in the cool Third Underground Level, yet the insistent ringtone of his Mobile Phone kept ringing.
Half-asleep, he picked up the phone and found it was already 1:00 PM.
He answered the Phone Call, and a strange female voice came from the Microphone.
“Hello, is this Mr. Li Fan?”
“Who is this!”
“I am the newly appointed Community Director of Li Shui Community. My name is Hu Qiuyun. Are you available to talk now?”
Li Fan rubbed his sleepy eyes and replied:
“Yes, go ahead. I’m listening.”
“The government is currently facing a shortage of supplies and is requisitioning supplies from Supermarkets across the city.
The Ministry of Finance will purchase the supplies from your Supermarket at the Regular Price. Would it be convenient for you to come to the Supermarket tonight, so we can check the quantity of supplies?”
Hearing the words of this new Community Director, Li Fan was somewhat stunned. He checked his phone’s calendar and then remembered that in his previous life, there was indeed a requisition of supplies.
But at that time, he was no longer in control of the Supermarket. Xie Debiao must have used some connections, because his supplies were not requisitioned.
In this life, Xie Debiao did not get the Supermarket supplies, nor did he start selling them at high prices. The people in the Residential Complex still thought the supplies were in the Supermarket.
Li Fan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately cooperated, responding:
“Okay, I will go there tonight. The Regular Price is unnecessary; I will also contribute my strength to the country. The Cost Price is fine; anyway, they’ll just be sitting idle.”
Hu Qiuyun was exceptionally happy.
She knew why the previous director committed suicide by jumping off a building. Liu Yulian’s suicide seemed unrelated to Li Fan, but she knew very well that Li Fan was the most terrifying mastermind behind it all.
So she was a little apprehensive about Li Fan. She originally thought she would be harassed, but it turned out so smoothly.
She hurriedly thanked him:
“Thank you for your understanding and support. I’ll wait for you at the Supermarket Entrance at 9 pm.”
“Okay.”
After Li Fan hung up the phone, he took his Mobile Phone, brought up the Surveillance Video he made the day Xie Debiao went to the Supermarket, and an evil smile appeared on his lips.
The black pot for the disappearance of the Supermarket’s supplies was prepared for Xie Debiao the day he went to the Supermarket.
He originally planned to post it in the Owners’ Group Chat a few days later, when the community was short of supplies, to stir up hatred against Xie Debiao.
But the appearance of the new director and the implementation of the Municipal Government’s supply requisition plan changed Li Fan’s use of this video.
Besides this video made a few days ago, he also had another video made by Ranlin this morning. If the reinforcements Xie Debiao hired arrive tonight, both videos can be used tonight.
Xie Debiao won’t be able to escape these two black pots. This allows Li Fan to make all the supplies disappear reasonably.
But he still needs to act tonight.
He went to a dressing mirror, adjusted his Emotions, and prepared to practice.
Time quickly came to 8 pm. Li Fan had been watching several tragic movies since 6 pm.
《Rickshaw Boy《《Bicycle Thieves《《The Shawshank Redemption《.
Li Fan was now full of sad Emotions. He only needed to slightly immerse himself in the emotions to easily cry.
He turned on the Surveillance Cameras inside and outside the Fortress, observing the situation outside the Fortress, and waiting for Xie Debiao to arrive with reinforcements.
At 8:15 pm, a Motorcade consisting of two Police Cars, one Military Vehicle, and two private cars stopped outside the Fortress.
Li Fan’s eyes lit up instantly, his sad Emotions slightly diluted. He quickly closed his eyes, trying hard to imagine himself as the rickshaw puller Xiangzi, whimpering miserably, his eyes gradually becoming moist and red.
Outside the Fortress, a strange Team composed of Police Officers, Soldiers, and Xie Debiao got out of the cars.
The leader was Deputy Director Liu Changqing. To his left were Zhang Chengang and the Wang Yue sisters. To his right were the fawning Xie Debiao, Heilang, Liu Ruyuyan, Zhou Qiang, and others.
A platoon of fully armed Soldiers with loaded guns got out of the Military Vehicle.
Liu Changqing looked at the strange Building in front of him, frowned slightly, and asked:
“Is this the residence you mentioned, of Li Fan?”
Xie Debiao nodded repeatedly in response.
“Yes, Deputy Director Liu, this Li Fan looks like a University Graduate on the surface, but he is actually a ruthless person.
He locked up my seventeen Employees inside. Their lives and deaths are unknown, and I can’t contact them.”
Liu Changqing glanced at Xie Debiao, his eyes filled with disgust, and asked:
“Why did your Employees run to his house?”
Xie Debiao wore a respectful smile, but he was unconvinced.
“This Li Fan borrowed Eighty Million from me. My Employees went to collect Interest, but who knew Li Fan would be so despi…”
“Enough, your business is irrelevant to tonight’s investigation. We have a lot to do after we finish here.”
Liu Changqing interrupted Xie Debiao directly. He just wanted to rescue the people and leave.
Since the meeting that morning, he could feel that Director Meng and his Apprentice were looking at him strangely, which made him inexplicably anxious.
He turned to the Armed Police and said:
“Maintain vigilance. If you find the other party resisting with Weapons, you can shoot to kill. Someone go knock on the door.”
After hearing this, Wang Yue showed a hint of Anger in her eyes and said sharply:
“I’ll go knock on the door, but please remember what responsibilities our Clothes represent!”
After saying this, she cast a disdainful glance between Liu Changqing and Xie Debiao, and turned to the Titanium Alloy Gate.
