Invasion of America

Chapter 96 Road closure
As a senior intelligence analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, Diaz has been so busy these days that he doesn't even have time to breathe, and he has no time to care about Zhou Qingfeng.

The shadow of the stock market crash has not yet dissipated, and a more serious crisis is lingering in the air of Washington, DC, and we can no longer ignore it.

Diaz has been in meetings these days. He always has two thick analysis reports stuffed in the briefcase under his arm, ready to submit one of them at any time.

The cover of the first report was printed in blue with a neat title: "Analysis of the Limited Impact of the Virus on the U.S. Economy."

It was written in a succinct manner: "Excess deaths will help ease pension pressures. The short-term negative impact has been exhausted. In the long run, it will be of great help in solving the fiscal deficit."

The data charts were colorful, the curves twisted like a happy snake, and at the end, there was a plausible prediction: "The economy will rebound within six months, and the stock market has bottomed out."

The second report is like a mirror image, with a glaring red cover: "Assessment of Virus Spread and Economic Recession Risks."

The content coldly warned: "If the virus gets out of control, it will bring huge public pressure. Excess deaths may trigger a panic-driven economic recession, and the United States' global image and leadership will suffer irreversible damage."

There is a doomsday chill between the lines, and the appendix lists a series of shocking figures: the unemployment rate may soar to 20%, and GDP will shrink by one third.

Departments of State, Treasury, Health and Human Services, FEMA, and even Homeland Security
All government agencies are working around the clock to prepare materials, like a group of children busy building sand castles, in preparation for secret inquiries from Congress and the White House.

Every time we have a meeting, the projector’s light shines on the white wall, and underneath are tired and numb faces.

Documents were piled up like mountains, coffee cups were piled on the table, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sweat and tobacco.

But simply holding meetings to question people is pointless. No one wants to take responsibility; everyone is shirking responsibility, each with two reports in hand, waiting to act according to their superiors' wishes.

The people below will give whichever one the boss likes.

The Treasury Secretary slammed the table and said the stock market surge was a "miracle", the Health Minister muttered that the epidemic was "not that serious", and the Secretary of State was busy telling the outside world that "everything is under control."

The most correct decision now is to immediately carry out nationwide vaccination prevention and control, delay the outbreak of the virus, and provide time for a more effective response.

The development and production of RNA vaccines are very fast and low-cost. The US military's secret research team knows that they made a mistake and is working hard to remedy it.

But a group of guys who are smart to the core got together and acted stupidly, refusing to order a nationwide prevention and control, just like a circus clown performing a group farce.

Dias stood at his office window in the Department of Homeland Security building, overlooking the traffic rolling down Nebraska Avenue.

As the sky grew darker, the car lights formed a flickering river of light in the twilight, but there was only a gray and tired look in his eyes.

The epidemic is as urgent as a runaway train, but the situation is as rotten as a pile of loose sand, and no one is willing to step forward to clean up the mess.

The ministers are busy shirking responsibility, the congressmen are busy putting on a show, and the "yellow-haired" man in the White House is busy tweeting. They are all plasterers who will try to fool people as long as they can.

In the office, the phone on the desk kept ringing, but he was too lazy to answer it; the email reminder on the computer was like a death warrant, but he was too lazy to read it.

After trying hard, it seems to be of no use; after working hard, everything is back to square one; after scheming for half a lifetime, in the end, it is found that it is all in vain.

"I'm not afraid of enemies who are like gods, but my superiors are like pigs."
-
At night, JP Morgan's escort vehicle delivered one million US dollars in cash to Mrs. Grey's villa.

Two heavy iron boxes were filled with banknotes of various denominations, weighing dozens of kilograms. It took two escorts to lift them.

Also delivered was the 'X' virus RNA vaccine, which requires low-temperature refrigeration. This thing is rapidly becoming popular among the powerful and wealthy, and without the vaccine, one has to rely on the body to resist.

The bank is quite considerate of high net worth clients and can get whatever they want.

Lucy mastered some medical skills and took out the vaccine to inject it to those in need at home - but Zhou Qingfeng was spared, as his body had already merged with the virus.

"Although 'Todai' hasn't yet developed the vaccine, it's preparing to impose a lockdown. Why is the United States so slow to react on this matter?" Lucy complained after giving her grandfather the injection.

Mrs. Grey had already finished the injection. Pressing her finger against the blood spot on her arm, she scoffed, "Because the people in Congress and the White House are waiting to throw dirty water on us, otherwise their approval rating will plummet."

Hammer sighed at this. He had lived long enough to see a lot. The sight of shrewd calculations leading to complete failure was so common that he didn't even bother to comment on it.

With the help of his relationship with the bank, Zhou Qingfeng spent money to give vaccines to everyone around him.

Including Kelly who is far away in "Tokyo University", "Gray Shark" who entered the shelter, Father Juan who returned to Mexico, the Congers family who hid in Panama, and Xiao Jinlang who wandered around.

He even asked Lao Xiao if he could send 10,000 doses of the 'X' virus vaccine to the employees of 'Electric Flight' in China? After all, the vaccine itself is not expensive.

Lao Xiao shook his head and said that unapproved vaccines cannot be used in China, unless people are taken to Hong Kong, Macau or abroad.

Zhou Qingfeng’s idea about this is...it’s not impossible.

In his apocalyptic memories of his previous life, the outbreak of the "X" virus was like a sudden snowstorm. The entire world was caught off guard and frozen, and medical resources were severely squeezed.

Now that he is disrupting the situation, the country has to prepare at least three months in advance. Although there is no vaccine yet, at least there is a lockdown.

What about the US? First, it was slapped in the face by the stock market crash, with the stock index plummeting and then soaring. However, the vaccine has begun to circulate in small circles, which can be considered as preparation.

After the vaccination, Hammer and others experienced mild headaches and fever, but these adverse reactions lasted for two days and then basically disappeared.

Before the "X" virus completes its first iteration in nature, the likelihood of them being infected by the virus will be greatly reduced.

"We have to leave quickly." Zhou Qingfeng had been struggling with this doomsday crisis for a year, and all his preparations were for him to be able to enter the shelter smoothly at this moment.

Time waits for no one, and every minute of delay may bring unforeseen dangers. Lucy and Hammer agreed.

If the epidemic breaks out, not only will it strike at the "Tree of Justice," but America will also be deeply damaged. It is indeed necessary to stay out of the spotlight now.

Mrs. Grey, however, wavered again. After receiving the vaccine, she regained confidence in the U.S.'s emergency medical capabilities and wondered if hiding in a shelter was too much of a stretch.

"It's okay, you're free to choose." Zhou Qingfeng neither persuaded nor pressed her. He wasn't familiar with the old lady, and he didn't have to save her.

The old lady was still hesitant, but she asked, "No, it's not that I don't trust you. I just want to ask, where is your shelter?"

“I have a large cruise ship in the Bahamas that is over 20 years old.

The ship's power system was outdated and its internal amusement facilities were outdated. It was originally intended to be sent to a shipbreaking yard in Bangladesh for scrapping.

I rented it for a very cheap price, and after a few modifications, it became a nice sea shelter.

Although it cannot meet the needs of thousands of people for sea entertainment, it is large enough to accommodate dozens or even hundreds of people for a period of time.

He did not disclose the ship's location in the Bahamas or mention that the Congers are currently in charge, details he chose to keep private for now.

After listening to this, the old lady pursed her lips and asked, "So you plan to fly to the Bahamas?"

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head: "I'm still wanted, and Lucy and Hammer can't take a passenger flight. We can only drive there."

He didn't specify the exact route, but he planned to find a small general aviation plane and fly non-stop from Virginia to the Bahamas.

This would not only avoid surveillance along the way, but also significantly shorten the journey. "Then let's meet in the Bahamas," the old lady finally decided. She didn't want to follow Zhou Qingfeng on a bumpy journey, so she decided to go to the Bahamas under the guise of vacation.

After all, for her, this was just a short trip, not an escape.

Zhou Qingfeng didn't say much, just nodded, then turned and left. The two sides parted ways.

He drove south from Maryland in a pickup truck loaded with millions of dollars in cash and some accompanying food supplies.

The pickup's route will pass through Washington, D.C., and eventually reach Virginia.

The small plane piloted by Chen Ruineng has been on standby in Virginia, providing Zhou Qingfeng with an air route for retreat.

Once the two sides reunited, it would only take a day for them to fly to the Bahamas and reunite with the Congers.
-
Leaving Mrs. Grey's country villa, Zhou Qingfeng drove the pickup truck south along the winding road.

The atmosphere in the car was a bit dull, with only the low roar of the engine echoing in my ears.

He picked up the shortwave radio and briefly contacted Chen Rui: "I'll be there in about four or five hours, you get ready."

However, as soon as the car entered the border of Washington, DC, Zhou Qingfeng's attention was attracted by the scene in front of him.

On the highway, teams of military vehicles were slowly passing by, with eye-catching camouflage patterns sprayed on their bodies. The soldiers were fully armed and looked solemn.

Zhou Qingfeng frowned slightly, and his eyes swept over the armbands of the soldiers, and found that they were the Maryland National Guard.

"What's going on?" He whispered to himself, and the three people in the car felt uneasy.

Lucy sat in the passenger seat and quickly pulled out her phone, trying to check the latest news.

However, her fingers slid across the screen a few times, and her expression suddenly became serious: "The phone has no signal."

Zhou Qingfeng pulled out his cell phone, but there was no signal either. Only the car radio was working. Chen Rui, hundreds of kilometers away, said everything was normal over there.

"Leave this road and retreat." Old man Hammer sat in the back seat, his eyes fixed on the military vehicles ahead through the window. "No matter what happens, it's always better to stay away from them."

Zhou Qingfeng didn't hesitate, he immediately stepped on the brakes and tried to turn around on the spot.

However, the vehicles on the road had already formed a long queue, and many drivers had obviously realized that something was wrong and tried to turn around and escape.

As a result, the originally spacious road suddenly became chaotic, with vehicles occupying each other's lanes and no one able to turn around smoothly.

"Damn it!" Zhou Qingfeng cursed under his breath, then decisively drove off the shoulder of the road and left the highway.

The pickup truck's off-road capabilities came in handy at this moment, as its wheels rolled over the soft soil and drove in the opposite direction on the grass beside the road.

Many people on the road followed suit and ran away from both sides of the road, trying to stay away from them.

However, less than ten minutes after driving, Zhou Qingfeng's heart sank again.

The road ahead was completely blocked. The National Guard soldiers had set up a blockade, and at least one company of troops had cut off the highway.

Two Abrams tanks lay across the middle of the road, their guns pointed coldly at vehicles trying to escape, warning anyone not to act rashly.

Traffic between Washington, D.C., and Maryland has been completely cut off. Those who want to enter can't get in, and those who want to leave can't leave.

The blockade not only covered the highway, but also extended to the fields and woods on both sides. Soldiers, armed with rifles, patrolled every corner vigilantly to ensure that no one could find a loophole to enter or exit.

In the sky, the roar of helicopters came from far away, and the rotors flying low stirred the air, making a heart-pounding noise.

Farther away, a long-endurance reconnaissance aircraft was circling high in the sky, its cold camera fixed on every move on the ground.

Even a fool would have realized by now that this sudden blockade was no accident, but rather the precursor to a much larger storm. Something must have happened in Washington, D.C.

Zhou Qingfeng gripped the steering wheel tightly, and after much deliberation, he had to get out of the car and walk towards the guard team that was blocking the road ahead.

However, before he could get close, the guards took out barbed wire and quickly set up a tighter blockade.

An officer used a loudspeaker to shout to the vehicles and crowds on both sides of the road: "We have been ordered to deploy here. Don't ask why, I don't know either.

Before the superiors give the order, everyone has to find their own way to solve the problem, and we will not provide any assistance or advice."

Faced with the barbed wire and the armed guards, the crowd blocked on the road became extremely agitated and helpless.

Old man Hammer also got out of the car, but after watching for a while, he whispered to Zhou Qingfeng, "Don't waste time here. If this road is blocked, try other directions."

Zhou Qingfeng immediately turned around, got back into the car and started the engine. While informing Chen Rui of his situation, he also carefully counted the fuel tank and supplies.

When he passed a light truck on the roadside, he went up to it, knocked on the window, and asked the driver inside: "What are you transporting in your truck?"

The driver was puzzled and replied casually, "It's a fashion item for Macy's. What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Zhou Qingfeng turned and walked away. But when he saw another truck, he went up to the driver and asked, "What are you carrying?"

After asking several times, one driver replied, "We're delivering food to the high-end restaurants in the Stream Shopping Center. It's just flour and the like."

"Can you sell me some food?" Zhou Qingfeng pulled out a stack of US dollars from his pocket. "I need some flour, cooking oil, sugar, and the like."

The driver saw the cash and shook his head. "That won't do. I have to deliver the goods. What can you do with all this flour?"

Zhou Qingfeng increased the amount of cash to five thousand dollars, "I don't know what will happen next, I just instinctively want to sell the goods in your car.

How much do I have to add before you'll sell it to me? Or do you want me to go along this road and find another truck that's carrying food?

Washington, D.C., consumes a lot of food every day, and I'm sure there are other food trucks on this highway."

The driver looked at the money in Zhou Qingfeng's hand, then looked at the blocked road, hesitated for a moment, and nodded:
"This is the capital of the United States. The traffic jam won't last long. But if you really want to buy something, you can take some of the goods from me."
-
Time goes back to two or three days ago, when Xiao Jinlang met Marco and asked him about his recent whereabouts.
"Have you been to Capitol Hill? And spent quite a while there?"

"Oh, you know what, America is different. A place like Capitol Hill is actually a tourist attraction. I went in and ran around everywhere.

Not only did I go to Capitol Hill, I also checked in at the White House and spent half a day there.

"What? You've been to the White House?"

"Yes, the 'White House' is also a tourist attraction. It has open days and you can go in and take a look.

The guard inside was quite friendly. Not only did he take a photo with me, he also told me that I was less than 100 meters away from the US President. Isn't that fun?

(End of this chapter)