Liu Zhicai recently claimed to be sick and did not come to work. He is always good at finding opportunities to be lazy.
The meeting had just ended and the decision to clean up the earthquake-stricken area was made, but Liu Zhicai asked for several days off, citing a relapse of his old illness.
At this time, Liu Zhicai was still chatting and laughing with his son in the municipal housing compound behind.
"Chen Guodong is a fool. If he likes to serve the people, let him do it!"
"Now that the natural disaster is over, I will come out to take charge when he leads people to clean up the earthquake-stricken areas and start reconstruction. Then people will remember my kindness. Hahaha!"
"Dad! You are so wise! Chen Guodong is only qualified to help you! You have the final say in the entire Lingcheng!"
Liu Zhicai was drinking tea and eating peanuts with his son Liu Jingli in his 200-square-meter house. While they were chatting and laughing, they did not forget to complain about Chen Guodong!
Little did he know that because he always betrayed Chen Guodong and gave up at the critical moment, he himself was not rescued in time when the tsunami hit.
This should be considered as retribution. People’s hearts are so dark that even God can’t stand it.
On Chen Guodong's side, the door to the basement had been opened. It was the first time for Xiao Liu and the patrolmen to enter this secret basement.
Everyone looked nervous and didn't dare to look around.
"Xiao Liu! I have a difficult task for you!" Chen Guodong called Xiao Liu aside and said with a serious expression.
"What mission?" Xiao Liu was a little confused. Aren't we here to get the escape ball?
Time was running out and Chen Guodong tried to be brief. "You take four people and move these devices to the rooftop immediately."
"There are five helicopters there, and the pilots are already in place. You can take as much as you can before the tsunami arrives. You don't have to wait for me. Once you have loaded your belongings, take off immediately."
"Mayor! What are you going to do then?" Xiao Liu asked anxiously.
"I have an escape ball. Please take people to move the equipment. These equipments were saved with great difficulty. Please!"
Chen Guodong spoke in a hurry. Xiao Liu looked at Mayor Chen, whom he had followed for five years, with reluctance, nodded, and said firmly, "I promise to complete the task!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Liu immediately found four people to go inside with him to move the equipment.
Chen Guodong also hurriedly led others into the storage room to get the floating escape ball.
This escape ball, which was specially developed for major floods and tsunamis, is still in a compressed state, so its volume is not very large.
"If you are able, please move as many as possible! Time is running out!" After saying this, Chen Guodong picked up a large box of escape balls and walked outside.
"Yes! Mayor!" Others also followed Chen Guodong's example, carrying a large box and rushing out.
Those who were strong enough carried two large boxes by themselves.
Everyone knew that the tsunami was moving very fast. It would probably take less than ten minutes to get from Lingcheng's main urban area to Arashiyama, so if they could hold on a little longer now, they could save more people later.
…
"Attention, residents! The situation is critical! Please gather in front of the government office building as soon as you hear the broadcast."
"Attention, all residents! Gather in front of the government office building immediately! It's urgent!"
Every building in the base is equipped with audio equipment that can receive government broadcasts, but many people do not take them seriously after hearing the broadcasts.
The official did not directly mention a tsunami because they were afraid of causing panic and stampedes. However, many people who were living a decent life did not take such broadcasts seriously at all.
"What the hell are the authorities doing? Didn't they just gather a group of people to work in the city this morning? Don't they have enough manpower? What could be so urgent?"
"My son and his wife both work in the office building and have government jobs. We don't lack points at home. I won't go to help clean up the earthquake ruins."
"This announcement is probably meant for the poor people living in single rooms. No one from Building 1 or Building 2 will go there. Let's go! Everyone, go home and prepare lunch."
Those people in Building 1 who usually have nothing to do gathered at the door to chat after hearing the broadcast!
"Mom! Catch my ball!"
Wu Qian was playing with Lei Bao in the corridor. She felt nervous after listening to the broadcast just now.
Seeing that her mother ignored her, Lei Bao threw a small white ball at her.
Wu Qian raised her hand absentmindedly, and a small white ball rolled past her feet.
"Oh no! Mom didn't catch it. Lei Bao, go help Mom pick up the ball."
"All right!"
Lei Bao pouted, wondering if her mother didn't want to play with her anymore, otherwise why couldn't she catch the ball.
Wu Qian was distracted by the broadcast, and the official used the four words "extremely urgent". It was definitely not as simple as recruiting workers as those aunties said.
Thinking of this, Wu Qian quickly picked up Lei Bao.
"Mom! I haven't got my ball yet!"
Before Lei Bao even got the ball, Wu Qian carried him towards 310, and he was very unhappy!
Some of the other residents nearby didn't take it seriously at all, while others were very slow.
They said that an official call-up must be no good, so they should go later if possible.
Wu Qian didn't have much dealings with the authorities, but she heard the announcer's hurried tone on the radio, so maybe something really happened.
After she returned to Room 310, she pulled Mu Jie, who was cutting vegetables in the kitchen, outside.
"Xiao Qian! What are you doing?"
Mu Jie didn't even have time to take off her apron before she was pulled downstairs by her daughter-in-law.
"Mom! Did you hear the broadcast? The authorities said we need to assemble urgently. It's urgent! Let's go!"
"No, there's no need to be so anxious! Look, no one's going to our floor! We can just follow them when the time comes."
Mu Jie wanted to pull Wu Qian back.
I don’t know what the officials are doing. Why are they holding a gathering at almost noon? They are not going to distribute food to everyone.
"Mom! Listen to me! Run over there!"
Wu Qian didn’t know how to explain to her mother-in-law that her sixth sense was sometimes very accurate.
She felt that today's incident was a matter of life and death.
"Okay, okay! Mom will listen to you!"
Mu Jie had no choice but to see that her daughter-in-law was so determined.
I had no choice but to take off my apron, hold it in my hand, and follow my daughter-in-law downstairs.
…
In the office building, all the staff and residents present were gathered by the patrol team in the open space in front of the first floor.
"What's going on? Why do we have to gather downstairs?"
"Who knows what the officials are doing? I'm the most unlucky one. I finally got my turn to buy meat, but I was asked to go downstairs to gather. Will I have to go upstairs and queue again later?"
"Did something big happen? I see those patrolmen have very serious expressions!"
More and more people gathered on the lawn downstairs, and the sound of chattering could be heard everywhere.
"Xiao Xiu! Could something have happened?" Qin Yufei asked softly in Qin Xiu's ear.
"I have a bad feeling! Sis! Did you hear any sound? Something like a rumbling sound?"
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