Street.
Inside the yellow caution tape, large crowds of citizens were carrying bags.
Some had fallen asleep on the ground from exhaustion, while more were arguing with the on-duty military police.
"Why won't you let us go back!"
"We can come and go as we please! You have no right to interfere with our freedom!"
"It's already dark, the air raid won't come. Please let us leave. Rules are dead, but people are alive!"
"Don't worry, if there's an air raid, I'll twist my head off!"
The military police had grim expressions. They too had begun to waver, having waited on the street all day without anything happening.
However, duty called. They still maintained stern faces, holding their guns towards the crowd, occasionally grabbing young men who stepped out of the caution tape and roughly throwing them back.
Suddenly, countless mobile phones began to vibrate.
Many people were playing on their phones, and each face was instantly illuminated by the screen light.
The noisy crowd fell silent in an instant, everyone looking down at the messages popping up on their phones.
[Incoming Attack Warning!]
[Incoming Attack Warning!]
[Incoming Attack Warning!]
Ten consecutive incoming attack warnings stunned everyone. The scene became deathly silent.
Everyone's expression was one of terror, not expecting the air raid to actually come!
The radios of the on-duty military police immediately crackled to life. Officers yelled orders for evacuation.
"Everyone up, everyone up! Line up and follow us!" The officers tore down the caution tape and shouted at the crowd, "Don't fall behind! Don't stampede! There's plenty of time for evacuation!"
Out of the ten air raid warnings, two designated attack points were within cities: Binhai City and Petroleum City.
The other attacks were in distant locations, it was unclear if they had missed their targets or if the Mil people had identified other objectives worth destroying. But at least for now, there was no immediate threat.
On the streets of Binhai City and Petroleum City, a mass evacuation immediately commenced.
People from Binhai City were evacuated to Shale City via subway, while those from Petroleum City were transported by military vehicles and aircraft to the naval base by the sea.
People in other cities remained in place.
At this point, even if they were allowed to disperse and go home, many would refuse to do so. Who knew if the Mil people would launch another salvo of air raids later? Staying at the crossroads and waiting for the military police to lead the evacuation was the safest bet.
Jiang Ye continuously received reports on the number of evacuees. The populations of the two targeted cities were steadily decreasing.
About twenty minutes later, another series of air raid warnings arrived. These were not new warnings, but rather supplements to the previous ones.
[The strike on Binhai City will be with biological weapons, code IRG-Gui-3361. This weapon is a gas generator approximately twenty meters long, capable of producing a city-wide respiratory toxic gas. Small doses are lethal, skin contact will cause blisters and subcutaneous bleeding, prolonged exposure can be fatal.]
[The strike on Petroleum City will be with an annihilation weapon, code IOP-Xin-2580. This weapon is a small annihilation bomb. Upon detonation, it will cause the annihilation of a large amount of matter within a five-kilometer radius, forming an annihilation zone lasting approximately ten years.]
A long string of subsequent warnings followed, detailing the weapons for strikes at other locations. All were biological weapons, designed to produce toxic gases or liquids.
Jiang Ye's scalp tingled. Cosmic warfare was too unrestrained. No weapons were forbidden. They would use gas bombs as they pleased, and advanced ones capable of wiping out an entire city with a single strike.
Compared to the gas bombs, what chilled him more was the annihilation weapon. He didn't know what annihilation meant, perhaps complete disappearance, or being blown into extremely fine powder.
Then there was this monstrous thing called a ten-year annihilation zone. It sounded very much like a radiation zone formed after a nuclear explosion, with long-lasting and severe hazards. Anyone who got close would be doomed.
Jiang Ye called Li Nannan, but his call was curtly rejected.
Li Nannan: "In a meeting, send a message if you have something."
Jiang Ye: "The air raid is hours away. One city is targeted with biological weapons, another with an annihilation bomb. What should we do? I've already arranged for the evacuation of civilians, but what about the city buildings?"
After a few seconds, a message arrived.
Li Nannan: "Annihilation bomb? Holy crap, the Mil people really think highly of you to use such a weapon! Cities targeted by annihilation bombs are basically doomed and will be uninhabitable for many years to come."
Jiang Ye felt immense sorrow and sighed. Petroleum City had cost so much money. He had taken on a mountain of debt to build it, only for it to be destroyed by a single annihilation bomb.
It felt like getting paid, not having spent the money yet, only to be robbed by bandits halfway.
Li Nannan: "Send me the weapon codes for the air strikes, and I'll see what they are."
Jiang Ye sent her a screenshot from his phone.
Li Nannan: "The one for Binhai City isn't a big problem. It's a standard gas device. Get the civilians far away, then send troops to detonate the gas device. Air strikes with bombs will do. Then, leave the entire city vacant for three days for the wind to disperse the gas, and people can return to live."
Li Nannan: "There's really nothing that can be done about the annihilation bomb. Petroleum City is probably gone. But when you have the money, you can arrange for annihilation treatment, which can eliminate the annihilation zone in advance and allow for wasteland reconstruction."
Jiang Ye was utterly devastated, wishing he could fry the Mil people and eat them.
But no matter how distressed he was, he had to proceed with the evacuation of the civilians.
Jiang Ye continuously sent and received various messages, deploying troops and strategizing to ensure the smooth operation of the civilian evacuation.
There were no major mishaps, and everything went smoothly. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated to safety within an hour and a half.
Finally, the military police orderly withdrew from Binhai City and Petroleum City, placing red caution markers on the roads outside the cities.
The two cities were completely cleared, not a single person left.
The shops on the streets were still lit, with rows of merchandise displayed in their windows. Some tables in restaurants still had leftover bowls and plates. Textbooks and homework were piled on desks in classrooms. Factory assembly lines stood silently waiting...
Everyone seemed to have vanished collectively. The bustling cities were as silent as ancient cities uninhabited for millennia.
There was no work for now, all that remained was to wait for the air raids to arrive.
Jiang Ye sat wearily in front of the screen, staring blankly at the countdown.
A thin blanket was suddenly draped over his shoulders.
Liu Jizi stood beside him and said softly, "You haven't slept all day. Take a nap. I'll call you if anything comes up."
Jiang Ye nodded slightly, lay down on the sofa, covered himself with the thin blanket, and instantly fell asleep.