Chapter 11: Nationwide Martial Law

Chapter 11: Nationwide Martial Law

"Bang!" A gunshot echoed.

Shenchi abruptly opened his eyes and rolled off the bed onto the floor. After confirming that his surroundings were safe, he narrowed his eyes and walked to the window, pushing it open.

Sniffing the lingering smell of gunpowder in the air, Shenchi quickly grabbed his binoculars and looked in the direction the smell came from.

As he scanned the area, a figure dressed in camouflage, agile and swift, leaped into view. The figure rushed into the bushes, tackled someone who was struggling, and with a swift movement, Shenchi could almost hear a "snap" even from this distance. The person’s neck twisted to one side, their eyes rolled back, and their face was covered in lividity.

Under normal circumstances, such an injury would be fatal, but this 'person' stood up with its head twisted at a 180-degree angle. Its mouth gaped open, revealing sharp fangs, with blood and tattered cloth dripping from the corners. There was a bullet hole in its chest, and it stumbled towards the man in camouflage, attacking with both hands and feet!

The man in camouflage moved more swiftly, restraining the attacker within seconds. He quickly bound the creature and then turned his attention to a middle-aged man lying on the ground, severely wounded and barely alive. He frowned deeply.

At that moment, a van pulled up. Several people emerged from the back and carried both the creature and the injured man into the van. A man jumped out of the driver’s seat and approached the young man in camouflage. Without a word, he slapped him, pointing at his gun and berating him.

The bloodstains behind them were soon cleared away as the van drove off, leaving the neighborhood eerily quiet once again.

*Knock knock knock!*

Shenchi turned sharply, his eyes fixed on the door that was being knocked on.

A moment later, the door opened, revealing two men standing outside. One was wearing a police uniform and showed Shenchi his badge, explaining why they were there.

It was about the worsening situation with the new strain of influenza virus. Some patients, after passing the initial stage, had developed a bloodthirsty condition similar to rabies.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the government had set up specialized quarantine stations and deployed armed forces to ensure public safety. They were conducting a census to manage the population.

The other man, wearing protective gear, also showed Shenchi his badge from the ‘Special Task Force of the Disease Prevention and Control Center’ and provided a simple explanation of the situation and precautions.

Shenchi thought to himself that the zombie outbreak last night not only seemed to be under control but also hidden from the public.

Shenchi glanced past the two men at their neighbor, who stood at his door, waving without any surprise, indicating that they had already visited the opposite apartment.

The two men followed Shenchi inside. The quarantine officer took out a small tool and carefully inspected each room, while the police officer asked Shenchi about the number of residents.

Shenchi: "Two."

"Please show your identification." The police officer made notes, "What is your relationship?"

"Friends." Shenchi handed over his ID card and a work permit, "Is this okay?"

The quarantine officer gestured to the police officer at the bedroom door. The police officer went in and saw another person lying in bed, unresponsive to their presence. The man in protective gear approached to check.

"What’s wrong with him?" The police officer looked down at the work permit, which had a photo of the person in bed. He read aloud, "Chief Physician of Obstetrics at Jiu Zhou City First People's Hospital, Xia Yi... What happened to him?"

Shenchi replied, "Exhaustion."

The quarantine officer nodded to the police officer, who looked at the work permit again, now with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

The police officer continued the registration, asking, "Do you know his home address?"

Shenchi casually said, "Sunshine Community, West Gate, Building 3, 6th Floor, Room 602."

As they left, the police officer handed Shenchi a handbook and instructed, "Tell him to call 13579 to report when he gets home. Don’t travel out of town for the time being, reduce going out, and seek medical help immediately if you have chills, fever, sore throat, or cough. Keep an eye on the news—TV, radio, computer, or phone. We will notify you if there are any updates. Don’t panic; the country is here to protect us!"

Hearing those words, Shenchi finally looked directly at the officer. The man, in his fifties or sixties, had laugh lines around his eyes, giving him a kind appearance, but his words were firm and resolute.

He was a loyal, proud old police officer dedicated to the nation.

For a moment, Shenchi was silent. In his previous life, he should have been trapped at the Huaiyang County station, at the border of Shujiang Province and Yuhui Province. Huaiyang County was small, with no advanced facilities at the station. On the night of August 10, someone near him turned into a zombie. No one knew how that person had managed to blend in.

When the first person was bitten, the apocalypse began.

Shenchi had fled with the crowd. When they saw the 'person' with white eyes and elongated fangs, no one dared to attack it initially. Everyone ran, and those at the back fell one by one, like lambs to the slaughter.

Until the sound of gunfire echoed, they were protected by the arriving Armed Police.

No one breathed a sigh of relief. They stared in disbelief at the creatures surrounding them. The fire flickered for what seemed like an eternity. They stumbled backward under the protection of the Armed Police until they exited the station. Everyone had the same thought—this was the end.

Outside the station, fires raged, and the stench of smoke and blood filled the air. The incessant honking of cars made hearts race. The Armed Police guarded the armored vehicles, repelling zombies and rescuing survivors, driving them away when the vehicles were full.

The fire burned until dawn, and the sobbing in the vehicles finally subsided.

They were taken to Jinshui City, where a battalion was stationed. By the time they arrived, the troops were already ready. They learned that except for some remote areas, the military had already been deployed elsewhere.

However, before they could catch their breath, during the health checks, someone else turned into a zombie. After a brief suppression, the checks continued, and the injured were isolated in a large suite.

Inside was a spacious room with bathrooms and many makeshift beds. Only those who did not show symptoms of the C1S9 virus within 48 hours were allowed to leave.

During this period, their food and water were supplied by dedicated personnel. Those with special needs were also catered to, and armed soldiers patrolled, taking anyone showing signs of infection away for isolation.

Despite these measures, the zombies continued to emerge, causing chaos in the isolation zone. When other soldiers entered, only eight hundred people remained standing, most of whom had been bitten or scratched.

The isolation was not lifted, and the remaining three hundred people without new wounds were still kept in isolation.

In a different location, but no one felt lucky anymore. They were vigilant, wary, and tense throughout the 48 hours.

This time, all three hundred survived.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But when they pried open the heavy iron door, the sight of an empty city and blood-soaked ground told them their fate was far from fortunate—Jinshui City had fallen.

After finishing up, Shenchi stepped out and saw his neighbor still standing there, unshaven, with a cigarette in his mouth. Upon seeing the old police officer, he removed the cigarette and bid him farewell with a smile.

Cao Kun caught a glimpse of his neighbor’s cold, impassive face, just as it had been a month ago. Indeed, nothing seemed to affect him.

The corridor returned to its usual calm. Cao Kun leaned against the wall, put the cigarette back in his mouth, and exhaled smoke.

It was on that day of heavy snow when he got drenched at the construction site. A few days later, he suddenly ran a high fever and passed out. No one knew about his condition; Uncle and Aunt thought he was staying at a friend's place, not knowing where he actually was, and his phone had long since died.

He slept for three whole days. When he woke up, he learned that many people had been infected with the virus after that day and were severely isolated.

He dropped out of school at 17 and then joined the army. Two years later, he was recruited into "171," becoming a special forces soldier. During this time, he also spent a year in prison due to mission requirements. Both experiences had saved him countless times through sheer instinct.

This time, his instincts told him from the beginning that something was not right. Especially now, with the situation escalating to the point where even population records and epidemic control personnel were making house calls, he had no doubt that if any household 'hid' an infected person, the Armed Police lurking around would forcibly take them away for isolation.

Cao Kun tilted his head and looked at the greenery in the neighborhood, the corner of his mouth slightly curved as he held a cigarette.

At five o'clock, the news broadcast reported a shocking event nationwide.

"Let's leave it at that." Cao Kun stared intently at the TV and hung up before the other party could respond.

The national news station was broadcasting live, showing armed forces advancing like iron lions from various angles. Armed Police patrolled all major public places, and the streets were guarded every ten steps, with checkpoints every five. All entertainment venues were temporarily closed, and schools were suspended.

For primary and middle schools, which were already on summer break, the suspension had little impact. However, university students, although given an early summer vacation, mostly being from out of town, had to stay on campus, managed by teachers and the police.

The TV host spoke solemnly: "We interrupt this program with urgent news. By decision of the National Assembly, our country entered a state of emergency today, August 11, 2208, the first day of the seventh lunar month, at five o'clock in the morning. Borders have been sealed to protect national security, property, and the lives of the people! During this emergency, the national armed forces and police have the authority to take special measures..."

Cao Kun's face darkened. The state of emergency is declared when a country faces or anticipates a major crisis, a temporary and severe state of danger. In such a state, government agencies exercise emergency powers to control and eliminate social hazards and threats.

This state itself causes significant economic losses and social unrest, and a rapidly developing country would not easily declare a nationwide lockdown.

"During the state of emergency, a curfew will be enforced, and some food and fuel will be rationed. For safety, please reduce unnecessary outings. If you experience high fever, chills, or sore throat, seek medical attention immediately..."

Cao Kun opened his phone and logged onto the wireless internet. Upon entering, the words "Nationwide State of Emergency" were prominently displayed on the browser.

In just a few minutes since the announcement, there were already tens of thousands of comments online, including several articles by 'experts' analyzing the 'state of emergency' and the 'C1S9' flu virus. Other information flooded his phone without him needing to search actively, with news updates constantly popping up.

Cao Kun typed "88 Bite Incident" into the search bar, but all the results showed "Page Not Found," "Unable to Display Page," "Website Closed," "404," or redirected to other pages. Even personal profiles were filled with "Photo/Video/Post Deleted."

Another term that frequently appeared was "口口."

Cao Kun clicked on the censored "口口" and typed "Zombie" into the search bar. The results were, as expected, a collection of worthless zombie horror movies.

When he selected 2208 as the year, most of the content was sensationalist, and all comments from the past week had vanished.

Cao Kun checked other websites, forums, and social media platforms, even switching to his foreign account to see if he could get more information, but he was unable to access overseas sites.

"Looks like the censorship is intense." Cao Kun leaned back in his chair, tiredly rubbing his temples, never expecting so much to happen while he was asleep.

---

Stepping out of the bathroom, 0 rubbed his hair with a towel and asked, "1, where's your hair dryer? Can I borrow it?"

1: "It's on the table, help yourself."

0: "Where exactly?"

1 lifted his head and met 0's gaze. At that moment, he wished he could gouge out his own eyes!

"Smack!" 1 abruptly stood up, threw a heavy book on the ground, and shouted at 0, "What are you doing dressed like that?!"

0 took a step back, confused. "Dressed how? Why are you getting so angry? I used to dress like this all the time..."

"Do you even realize it's different now?!"

0's face stiffened, slowly lowering his head, staring at his chest, speaking somewhat awkwardly, "I guess it's not quite right..."

1 rubbed his forehead.

However, within an hour, 0 started acting freely again. He sat next to 1, very close, shaking his leg like an old man, occasionally poking his chest (*/＼*).

1: "!!!"

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