Chapter 448 The Return of Darkness (Part 11)

Xie Tu arrived at the military region and met Commander Zhong again.

The man, who was over sixty years old, sat in his office. He hadn't slept all night, but showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, he looked solemn and preoccupied.

Commander Zhong hoped that Xie Tu's words were just alarmist talk.

I am willing to bear all the consequences.

But there seemed to be a voice in his mind telling him.

It's true.

Darkness descends, monsters emerge, and modern civilization will cease to exist.

"Captain Xie, could you tell me when the darkness will come?" Commander Zhong asked slowly.

Xie Tu raised his wrist; the communicator showed a pollution concentration of 58%.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will happen tonight."

After hearing his answer, Commander Zhong remained calm. "Historically, has Nanjing fallen again?"

again……

Xie Tu's eyes narrowed slightly, as if a deep-seated nerve had been touched.

A national tragedy, a people's pain.

He composed himself and replied, "Not just Nanjing."

Commander Zhong's fingers trembled slightly, causing a ripple to spread across the surface of the teacup.

The old man slowly put down his teacup, a hint of undisguised pain flashing deep in his eyes, his voice hoarse: "So, this time... can we change things?"

Xie Tu gave a low, ambiguous answer: "It's all up to human effort. I hope the commander understands that this is not only for Nanjing, but also for the future of all mankind."

Commander Zhong nodded slowly. "You're right, we don't have much time left."

"Settling millions of people and building fortifications in a single day will test the government's and military's operational capabilities."

At that moment, an officer knocked on the unlocked door.

"Commander, quarantine stations in all districts have been set up, and all units are on high alert, awaiting your instructions!"

Upon hearing this, Commander Zhong looked at the clock on the wall.

He placed his hands on the table and slowly stood up.

The old man's expression was solemn, his eyes piercing. "Notify all departments to immediately activate 'Operation Dawn.' All soldiers and civilians of Nanjing swear to live and die with Nanjing!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer's eyes reddened as he saluted and left.

Xie Tu stood tall and straight to one side, slightly moved.

Dawn...

He had learned all the details of the plan from Fire Phoenix.

People two hundred years from now have the same beliefs as people two hundred years from now.

Xie Tu lowered his eyelids slightly and said goodbye, "Please rest assured, Commander, we... will do our best to assist the government and the army in defending Nanjing."

It concerns everyone's lives, and no one dares to take it lightly.

After Xie Tu finished speaking, he turned around and strode away.

Before he had taken two steps, the old man's voice came from behind him again.

"Thank you, Captain."

Xie Tu stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around.

Commander Zhong didn't ask where he had gone, but simply said slowly, "I hope I'll have another chance to treat your daughter to hot pot."

Xie Tu remained silent, took a step and left, the door slowly closing behind him.

*

The morning sun shines on the streets, and people get up, wash, and prepare to start a new day, just like usual.

Many people are still complaining to their families about the noise from last night.

"What's wrong with the municipal authorities? They're making so much noise in the middle of the night that I can't sleep at all!" A middle-aged man complained to himself while brushing his teeth in front of the mirror.

My wife has already put breakfast on the table and is calling our elementary school daughter to get up.

Hearing this, he said, "That's right. I was woken up several times last night. I'm sure I'll be drowsy at work today."

On the balcony next door, an old woman was watering her flowers, muttering, "These young people, they don't consider others at all. I'm old enough to be a light sleeper, and with all this noise, I didn't fall asleep until almost dawn."

Complaints were constant.

Only the breakfast shop owners and those who started work in the early morning silently went to the supermarket to buy large quantities of food and supplies.

They went out in the middle of the night, but were stopped by the army.

They were instructed not to open the shop today, to return to their residences immediately, and to keep doors and windows tightly closed.

The streets were filled with fully armed soldiers, and even tanks and armored vehicles had driven into the city.

The clever people realized something was wrong and bought out all the 24-hour supermarkets before rushing home to hide.

People who got up early to leave also noticed something was wrong.

But most people are unaware of the crisis that is about to unfold.

Seven o'clock in the morning.

A piercing alarm sounded simultaneously on radios, televisions, and mobile phones throughout the city.

"Attention all citizens, all work is suspended today. Please bring your household items and supplies to the nearest quarantine station for testing."

"Attention all citizens, all work is suspended today. Please bring your household items and supplies to the nearest quarantine station for testing."

"Attention all citizens, all work is suspended today. Please bring your household items and supplies to the nearest quarantine station for testing."

The message also included a map of the quarantine stations on the citizen's app.

You can find the nearest testing site.

To avoid causing panic and plunging the entire city into chaos, which would hinder evacuation and garrison operations.

The first instruction issued was simply to go to the quarantine station for testing.

In a community residents' group chat.

"Have you received the message? Does anyone know what happened?"

"Huh? No work or school today?"

Some young people dismissed the notice, saying, "I'm going back to sleep. What test? I can't be bothered to do it."

"A quarantine station? Could some new virus have appeared there?"

"We still have to do it. Is anyone going with us?"

"I...can I wait two minutes so I can go to the toilet first?"

Despite the government's attempts to avoid chaos by conducting tests in batches, long lines quickly formed at quarantine stations throughout the city.

Rows of empty buses were parked at the entrance of the quarantine station.

People wore masks, carried large and small bags of daily necessities, and inquired about news from each other.

They chatted amiably in twos and threes.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead.

"Where are you taking me? I'm not sick!" A panicked cry came from ahead.

Everyone craned their necks to look.

A middle-aged man was seen being handcuffed, struggling and trying to break free from the soldiers' control.

He was found to have a contamination level of 52% in his body.

The soldier calmly explained, "Please cooperate; this is for your safety and that of your family."

The man was quickly pulled into a modified military vehicle.

Military vehicles were parked behind the quarantine station, blocking the view.

No one saw it.

As the car door opened, there were no seats inside, but rows of sturdy iron cages, and the man was immediately locked inside one of them.

"Don't worry, everyone. We're just being taken to a centralized quarantine point for isolation and observation," the volunteers said, maintaining order.

Those who had already completed their tests only found out at this point.

Apart from the five districts within the safe zone, residents in other areas will be taken to different areas by bus after completing the test, depending on their test results.

They can't go home.

The crowd immediately panicked.

"What exactly happened? Was it a virus or a terrorist attack? Let us die knowing the truth!"

"I'm not doing this anymore! What the hell is this? You're forcibly restricting my personal freedom!"

"You won't let us go home, you won't let us go to work, are you going to support us?!"

The soldiers were expressionless.

Soldiers were among the first to be tested, and many of their comrades have already been moved to quarantine and buffer zones.

In fact, they didn't know the reason either.

As a soldier, I simply obey orders from my superiors.