As soon as Fang Mingyu arrived at the playground, he saw the regimental commander standing under the flagpole, holding a megaphone in one hand and waving it vigorously with the other, shouting for people to assemble.

"What happened?"

"I heard there's going to be a big hailstorm."

The man lowered his voice.

"The weather team just gave the forecast. The team leader asked everyone to assemble and go help the villagers in the nearby villages protect their seedlings."

"Who said that?"

A hint of disbelief flashed in Fang Mingyu's eyes. "The weather forecast can be accurate?"

The man shrugged.

"I don't know, but the order has been given, so I just have to follow it."

"Xiao Shen, you did a great job."

Captain Zhang patted him on the shoulder.

"Whether it hails or not in the end, let's get the preparations done properly. It's no big deal to put in a little more effort."

Shen Cunpu nodded.

"Thank you for trusting me this time. I know this decision is a bit risky, but the situation is urgent and we can't wait."

Captain Zhang chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, if you're right this time, I'll treat you like a treasure from now on."

"You can tell what the weather is like just by looking at it, even more accurate than the weather station. I'll treat you to tea every day."

Shen Cunpu smiled but didn't say anything.

Actually, it was Su Qingzhi who came up with the idea.

She secretly came to see him last night, took out a hand-drawn air pressure map, and analyzed the wind direction and cloud changes, speaking very eloquently.

But he didn't tell anyone else; he just wanted to keep it to himself.

Fang Mingyu, who was listening to the two talking, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Especially the things Liu Yuelan just muttered, which were actually saying, "It's going to hail, so prepare early."

Fang Mingyu's heart skipped a beat.

A thought flashed through his mind.

Isn't this the emergency disaster prevention order that was suddenly issued this afternoon?

Moreover, the order originated from Captain Zhang himself.

Is it really just a coincidence between these two things?

impossible.

That's too much of a coincidence, so much so that it arouses suspicion.

His brows were furrowed tightly, almost forming a "川" (river) shape between them.

A vague unease spread through my chest.

The more I think about it, the more something seems off; something just feels very strange.

He turned and walked toward Section Chief Liu's office.

Pushing open the door, a musty smell of tobacco hit me.

Section Chief Liu was leaning back in that old wooden chair, his expression stern.

Seeing Fang Mingyu enter, he asked with a slightly mocking tone, "What, you've heard about it too?"

"Commander Ma, what's going on with this commotion today?"

Fang Mingyu asked directly.

Section Chief Liu gave a cold laugh.

"That guy surnamed Zhang insisted that it was going to hail, causing chaos and all this trouble."

"They even mobilized the militia, blocked roads, and went door-to-door to notify people, making it seem like the real thing."

"Who said it was going to hail?"

Fang Mingyu pressed for an answer, his eyes fixed on the other person.

"Who knows?"

Section Chief Liu rolled his eyes.

"It's probably just that guy surnamed Zhang trying to get credit, he's gone crazy. Recently, the higher-ups have been promoting the selection of 'advanced units in disaster prevention,' and he probably wants to climb the ranks, so he pulled this 'brilliant plan.'"

Fang Mingyu had a headache.

Captain Zhang suddenly made such a big move, is it really just a guess?

Or is it...?

What kind of intelligence did he possess that others didn't?

And what role did Shen Cunpu play in it?

The whole village was waiting, waiting for this hailstorm that came out of nowhere.

The broadcast started at 4 p.m. and kept reminding the villagers to take precautions.

The children were called home, the chickens and ducks were herded into the shed, and the cattle and sheep were also moved into the cattle pen in advance.

Even Aunt Li, who was drying rice under the century-old locust tree at the village entrance, hurriedly gathered the golden rice into sacks and carried them back to her house.

A sense of oppressive tension permeated the air, like the calm before a storm.

Even Su Qingzhi, who was having dinner, was waiting.

Jiang Yongmei cooked noodles with minced meat sauce, and the aroma was irresistible.

Grandma Lu and Lu Jiaping ate until their foreheads were sweating, exclaiming how delicious it was.

Grandma Lu ate while muttering to herself.

"This cooking is even more authentic than 'Old Liu's Noodle Shop' in town!"

Lu Jiaping buried his head in his food and ate voraciously, barely speaking, only occasionally humming in agreement.

Su Qingzhi also ate with great relish, even finishing all the soup.

She doesn't usually like strong flavors, but this bowl of noodles was especially to her liking today.

After finishing their meal, no one went out.

The group simply squeezed into Jiang Yongmei's room to chat.

Grandma Lu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding her grandson and gently patting him to sleep.

Jiang Yongmei leaned against a small stool by the wall, sewing shoe soles while listening to everyone talk.

Su Qingzhi sat at the table, holding a copper coin in her hand, turning it over and over unconsciously.

Not long after, Aunt Zhang arrived as well.

As soon as he entered, he greeted everyone with a smile, "Wow, it's so lively here!"

"Did you know? The militia company assembled at six o'clock this morning, saying they received an emergency order to prepare for hail. Even the regimental headquarters' hail suppression cannons were brought out and set up on the back hillside. I heard it was Captain Zhang who personally gave the order, saying there would definitely be a major disaster tonight."

Upon hearing this, Su Qingzhi felt much more at ease.

Natural disasters are unavoidable, but minimizing losses is always a good thing.

The sky darkened in the afternoon, turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

The sun had completely disappeared by around three o'clock, and the sky seemed to have been splashed with ink, heavy and oppressive.

But as evening approached, the wind suddenly picked up.

As soon as it got dark, the wind picked up even more.

The door cracks let in drafts, and the cold air seeped in like knives.

Shen Cunpu hadn't returned yet, and Su Qingzhi was feeling uneasy.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!