"Here, please wait a moment."
The registration staff suddenly stood up and shouted towards the people who were also recording and discussing something in a larger shed behind him, "Director Wang, Director Wang! Please come over here!"
A middle-aged man in a wrinkled suit and glasses, about forty years old, trotted over after hearing the sound. His face was a mixture of exhaustion and anxiety. "What's wrong, Xiao Zhang? Do you need to take a break after changing your shift?"
"No, Director Wang, look at this"
Registration officer Xiao Zhang quickly handed the certificate to Officer Wang and said in a low voice, "It's Lin Yi, the one who was killed from Hongfu Restaurant. He is now the major of the General Staff Department!"
Director Wang took the certificate and looked at it carefully. His expression changed instantly. He pushed up his glasses and looked Lin Yi up and down again. There was a hint of shock in his eyes at first, but it was quickly replaced by joy.
"Major Lin Lin! Hello, I am Wang Wenhai from the district government office. I am now responsible for the preliminary resettlement and coordination of survivors in the periphery."
Director Wang first put his hand behind his back and wiped it, then stretched out his hand to shake Lin Yi, "Major Lin, please follow me, and I will take you to Command Center."
"Director Wang, I'm sorry." Lin Yi took back his certificate, "I need to meet with the senior management of the settlement and report to Hongfu Restaurant on the subsequent transfer of survivors."
Under the leadership of Wang Wenhai, Lin Yi officially entered this noisy, busy, and boiling world of struggle for survival.
The sight in front of me was extremely impactful.
If the outside of the defense line is a tight battlefield, the inside is a temporary community full of "fireworks".
A large number of blue tents and military camouflage tents with the words "Earthquake Relief" and "Emergency Rescue" printed on them are one next to another, extending to the end of the line of sight.
In the passage between the tents, survivors wearing various clothes came and went. Some were walking quickly holding buckets filled with water. Some were sitting at the door of the tents wiping their improvised weapons. There were also a few children, under the supervision of adults, using stones to draw pictures on the ground.
Several medical staff in white coats were rushing by carrying a stretcher. On the stretcher lay a survivor with an abdominal injury. The wound was tightly wrapped with a bandage and was still bleeding. Next to him was a crying woman, holding a blood-stained coat tightly in her hands and kept chanting "Doctors, save him."
Not far away, several armed police soldiers were directing survivors to carry supplies.
Boxes of mineral water and instant noodles were unloaded from the truck and stacked in a temporary material shed. A slogan "Get it on demand, register and sign" was posted outside the shed.
Someone else was shouting through a loudspeaker, "Comrades with medical experience, please report to the registration point in front, we are in urgent need of manpower!"
The air is filled with the smell of sweat and disinfectant, mixed with the sounds of people talking, children crying, and the collision of materials being transported, creating a chaotic but resilient picture.
Just like the disaster relief scene after a major earthquake, everyone is sad, but they are still living desperately and trying desperately to create hope for each other.
"This way, Major Lin."
Wang Wenhai led the way sideways, with a hint of pride in his tone, "This is the outer resettlement area we built overnight. There are probably more than two thousand people living there now, and there are two resettlement areas ahead, with a total of more than 7,000 survivors. Several more resettlement areas are also being built."
Lin Yi nodded and glanced at the tents.
He noticed that each tent had a number on it, and a piece of paper hung at the door of the tent with the number of residents and contact person written on it.
Occasionally, you can see a few people wearing volunteer vests walking between the tents, holding registration forms in their hands, seeming to count the number of people and needs.
Wang Wenhai led the way and introduced it quickly.
"However, we are under great pressure now."
He sighed, with obvious fatigue and anxiety in his tone, "Survivors are constantly being rescued, but supplies, medicines, and especially resettlement space are very tight."
"The pressure on the peripheral defense line is also great. Although the main force has cleared it, there are always groups of three or five Abyssal beasts wandering around or chasing survivors and search and rescue teams. Occasionally, there are also a few big ones mixed in, which need to be constantly cleared. The power is supplied by small generators, which is intermittent. Communication mainly relies on military radios, walkie-talkies and human transmission."
The two of them continued walking forward and passed through the second resettlement area. The scene in front of them changed again.
There are many fewer tents here, replaced by a few relatively intact buildings.
A supermarket, a bank branch, and a residential building.
Several armed police soldiers with live ammunition guarded the door of the building, and eye-catching signs were posted on the exterior walls of the building: "Medical Area", "Military Warehouse" and "Command Logistics Area".
"The core area is ahead, Old Department Store Building is right in front." Wang Wenhai pointed at a ten-story building not far away, and his tone became serious, "From here on, you need a pass to enter. I can only take you to the door."
Lin Yi looked in the direction he pointed, and saw a fortification half a man high with sandbags piled up at the entrance of the Old Department Store Building building. Several armed police soldiers were standing behind the fortification to guard. In the windows on several floors of the building, figures could be seen moving, as if they were carrying things.
After getting closer, Lin Yi discovered that there were several large temporary sheds set up in the open space at the entrance of the department store. There were neat ammunition boxes and medical supplies stacked in the sheds. Several people in officer uniforms were discussing around a map with serious expressions.
"Stop!"
Just as Lin Yi was about to reach the door, two armed police soldiers stopped him, "Comrade, this is a military management area."
Wang Wenhai quickly stepped forward and explained to the two soldiers, "Comrade, this is Major Lin Yi, General Staff Department is here to see Captain Zhang!"
The two soldiers obviously did not recognize Lin Yi. When they heard this, they frowned at the same time and looked at Lin Yi with their eyes, as if they had some doubts - could the boy in front of them, who looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, be a major?
"Wait a moment, I'll go ask for instructions."
Just when the soldier on the left was about to enter the building to report, a middle-aged man wearing armed police camouflage with messy hair walked out quickly.
When he saw Lin Yi, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and stretched out his hand. "Are you Major Lin Yi? I am Zhang Weidong, the deputy captain of Helu City Armed Police Detachment. I received a notice from General Staff that you might come."
Lin Yi held his hand and said, "Captain Zhang, I'm here to report on the transfer of Hongfu Restaurant survivors."
Zhang Weidong nodded, with a tired but sincere smile on his face, "Thank you for your hard work, Major Lin. Please come inside, we have reserved a conference room."
As he spoke, he gestured to the armed police soldiers at the door.
The two armed police soldiers stepped aside to get out of the way and gave a military salute to Lin Yi.
Lin Yi returned the gift and followed Zhang Weidong into the department store.
The impression of the department store has long since disappeared. At this time, the lobby on the first floor has been divided into several functional areas.
On the left is the material storage area, which is full of food and medicine. Several soldiers are counting and registering.
In the middle is the command area, with several tables put together and covered with a map of Helu City. The location of Abyss Beast Nest and the distribution of the identified survivors are marked with a red pen on the map.
On the right is the medical area, where several temporary beds are placed side by side. Several medical staff are treating the wounds of the wounded, and occasionally a few painful groans can be heard.
"The first to fifth floors of the building are material storage, medical, and office areas, and the sixth floor and above are rest areas for the wounded, soldiers, and staff."
Zhang Weidong introduced as he walked, "We are reinforcing the structure of the building and plan to build this into a permanent core stronghold. After all, the entire Helu City, which is also Gap Zone among four Micro Nests, is temporarily safe."
Lin Yi glanced at the busy people in the hall. Most of them looked tired, but no one stopped what they were doing.
Some people were discussing tactics in a low voice, while others were giving water and food to the wounded. Everyone was trying their best to "live".
He suddenly remembered the chaos and despair in the early days of the end of his previous life, and those who gave up resistance because they had no organization and no hope.
But now, because of the timely response of the authorities, the people on this land are fighting this catastrophe with a more tenacious and united attitude.
"Captain Zhang" Lin Yi stopped and looked at Zhang Weidong, "As for the more than four hundred survivors of Hongfu Restaurant, I have figured out a relatively safe transfer route, and Abyss Wolf along the way has almost been cleared up."
"However, Abyss Wolf will appear wandering along the way soon. Without further ado, I think the meeting is unnecessary. I hope that the settlement will send a team with heavy firepower to go back with me to respond."
Zhang Weidong heard this, and his face instantly became serious.
"Makes sense"
He frowned and thought for a moment, then shouted to an officer next to him, "Captain Li! Gather the team immediately and prepare to set off!"
Tomorrow is a new month, so I'll make a reservation for September's monthly pass, and I'll secretly add another chapter tomorrow.