Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 105 Choices and Connections

A large number of people watched the official live broadcast of the press conference, and related discussions filled the entire internet after the conference ended.

After all, the Northern Star Kingdom has not fought a war with other countries for more than a century. At most, there are some minor local frictions. It would be quite a big deal to activate a level three state of war preparedness.

The sudden announcement by a country that had not been on a state of first-level combat readiness for a century that it would enter a state of wartime management in ten days undoubtedly had a great impact on its citizens.

Those who experienced wartime social management in Beixing Kingdom were mostly from the older generation, and the next three or four generations did not experience war. Therefore, this is being hotly discussed on the internet.

Does anyone know what wartime would be like? Would it just be a matter of food being uniformly distributed?

"There will be strict controls in many aspects... it shouldn't just be a matter of material distribution."

"It seems that the blood plague infected individuals mentioned in the rules have really pushed the authorities to their limits..."

"That's right, I don't know about your city. We have several hundred people infected with the blood plague here, and dozens of vehicles have blocked the main road, preventing supply trucks from getting through. It's caused quite a stir!"

"What's blocking the road? I'm from Yunhua. They've opened fire here. I heard a group of infected people stormed the hospital, grabbed guns, and wiped out the armed squad and the management bureau!"

"Some people here have started arson and burned down several gathering points... I heard it was some people who were kicked out of the gathering points after they were infected with the virus. They wanted to take revenge on the people in the gathering points, so they banded together to set fires everywhere..."

"Sigh... It's not good to make things too ugly. We also had a lot of infected people at our gathering point, but we didn't forcibly kick them out. We just isolated them in separate rooms. In the end, although the people died, at least there was no retaliation or anything like that."

People are sharing photos and videos of the chaos happening in their cities online, and the images are truly shocking.

"After seeing what you posted, no wonder the official press conference was held just a few hours after the rules ended. Everyone's gone crazy over there!"

"I support wartime management. It's too chaotic outside right now, I'm scared. I feel safer under official management."

"Agreed. Putting everything else aside, I just can't stand the food waste. Some young people order several portions of food by themselves, and then throw away more than half of it. Even if it's free, you're not supposed to waste it like this!"

The majority of voices are in favor, but there are also dissenting voices.

“I don’t think this is a good idea. Have you considered that once the state of war is declared, it will have to last until all forty-nine apocalyptic rules are lifted? We’ve only passed six so far, and there are still forty-three more to go!”
If we calculate one per month, the remaining forty-three articles will take at least three years! More than three years of wartime management... just thinking about it is unbearable!

"That's what I think too. Three years is an understatement. I think it will take about five years to pass all forty-nine articles. Five years! In this post-apocalyptic world, can we really survive five years? Rather than just hiding in wartime, we might as well live out the rest of our days to the fullest!"

“Agreed. I plan to leave the city before the 10th and find a remote little place to stay... I heard that after the first rule, quite a few people left the city to form camps? I wonder if I can find someone to join.”

"Those small groups are usually very exclusive... Besides, many of them probably died during the snowstorm..."

The discussion was heated, but in any case, it was a foregone conclusion that the city would enter a state of wartime control after the 10th, and this would not change because of the discussion.

Those who needed to make preparations began to do so after seeing this message.

Several hours later, at dusk, Guan Tong was already driving out of the city.

Indeed, after careful consideration, he decided to leave the city first.

He knew that the official decision was correct, reasonable, and would help more people survive, considering the bigger picture.

But from his own perspective, he still prefers to be free to move around and live a life where he is responsible for himself.

Just like when he chose to leave the city under the "June Snow" rule, his foundation was actually very weak at that time. Apart from a shadow that could be temporarily materialized, he had almost nothing else.

But he still overcame his fear and left the city and the crowds; in hindsight, that decision might have been the right one. However, if he had made a wrong judgment and something had happened outside, he would most likely have died without rescue.

Guan Tong felt that even so, he would not regret it or resent others, because it was all his own choice.

The situation is the same now.

His choice was to leave before wartime control began, and he would bear the consequences, good or bad, as they might come.

He drove the same shared electric vehicle as before. And his destination was also the same as before: Mingdao Mountain.

Why go there? On the one hand, I had been there once during the last snow disaster, so I had some understanding of the terrain and landforms there.

Besides, there are mountains and forests there, and the scenery is quite nice. Compared to going to some wilderness, Guan Tong definitely prefers to go to a place with some sights to see.

This time, however, he will not camp in the hollow at the foot of the mountain, but will go up the mountain and call out his refuge to live there.

After all, more than three months have passed, and the snow on the mountain must have melted long ago. Living on the mountain also offers more privacy than living down below, so that others won't be able to see you at a glance when they pass by.

Guan Tong made preparations for food and other supplies a few hours before her departure.

He stuffed all the supplies he found in the abandoned neighborhoods into the shelter, and also made several trips to other abandoned neighborhoods that hadn't been demolished yet, using the shadows that gave him vision to help him efficiently search for food that could be preserved for a long time.

After all that, his shelter was filled with enough food to last him for more than half a year—more than enough, in fact.

Guan Tong had a premonition that even if he went to Mingdao Mountain, he probably wouldn't stay there for very long.

For him, it was more of a temporary transition point than a place where he planned to stay until all forty-nine rules were lifted before making his return.

Driving along the same route out of the city, Guan Tong quickly passed through the development zone. He didn't pay attention at first as he drove past a certain area, but after continuing for a few minutes, he suddenly braked.

"...Did I see it wrong?"

He frowned, thought for a moment, and then turned and drove back. Soon he arrived at the place that had been bothering him.

It was a roadside parking lot, and there was a large red truck parked inside. Guan Tong looked closely and immediately realized she wasn't mistaken—it was indeed Wang Yan and Chen Na's truck!

"Strange...didn't they go to Yong'an?"

Guan Tong stopped the car, got out, and went to take a look.

The truck was covered in dirt and looked very dirty; it must have been parked there and hadn't been moved since that day.

This was definitely not right, because Guan Tong remembered clearly that Wang Yan had said she would go to the hospital to check her stomach first, and then drive along the national highway to take her daughter Chen Na to Yong'an, the capital. Did they abandon the truck and take other public transportation? Or did something happen that prevented them from going at all?

Guan Tong was unaware that he did not have Wang Yan's contact information and could not reach her to inquire.

"Hey, you, that kid!"

Just then, a greeting came from the pavilion next to them. Guan Tong looked over and saw an employee of the Emergency Management Bureau wearing a black uniform.

The man walked out of the pavilion and stood in front of Guan Tong: "Is this truck yours?"

"No. The car owner is someone I know."

“You know someone here? Then you should get the owner to come and move the truck right now! This is a temporary parking lot for the Emergency Management Bureau, usually used for official vehicles like supply trucks. How long has this truck been parked here? It should have been cleared out long ago.”

Guan Tong shook her head: "I don't have the car owner's contact information."

The staff member was taken aback: "Didn't you say you knew the car owner?"

"We're just acquaintances."

“…Never mind.” The staff member thought for a moment and said, “These kinds of large vehicles usually have the driver’s documents and cards inside, and there must be a phone number on them. I’ll break the window, and you can go in and look for it to call the owner.”

The staff member walked into the small pavilion and soon came out with a small hammer. He also made a special statement to Guan Tong: "Don't blame me for breaking the glass. This car has been parked here for too long. I was planning to have it towed away and disposed of in the next few days. It's good that I only broke the glass."

Guan Tong nodded, offering no objection.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The worker smashed the windshield with a few blows, then turned to Guan Tong and said, "You can go in now."

Guan Tong climbed into the driver's seat and rummaged around for a while before actually finding a form with Wang Yan's phone number on it.

"Did you find it?"

"found it."

……

In the evening, after watching her mother Wang Yan fall asleep in an apartment in a residential complex on Baishui Road, Chen Na cautiously went out and waited by the roadside.

A short while later, a car pulled up. The back window rolled down, revealing the face of a short-haired woman—the same person who had delivered the protective suits two weeks prior.

"Chen Na, how have you thought about it over the past two weeks? Have you made a decision?" the short-haired woman asked.

Chen Na nodded firmly and said, "I've decided. I'm going to take the test you mentioned, sister, to pay for my mother's medical treatment!"

“You’re a good boy.” The short-haired woman smiled. “Your mother will be proud of you.”

Chen Na's face darkened upon hearing this, and she whispered, "Actually, my mother didn't want me to participate, so I ran away secretly..."

“I understand. You are still young, and it’s only natural for your mother to worry. But in this era, age is no longer important; what matters most is ability.”

"strength……"

"Yes. For example, you are not very old, but you have such a rare ability as 'wide-range perception', which is a manifestation of strength. From this point of view alone, your potential is much more outstanding than that of most ordinary people."

Chen Na nodded, seemingly understanding, while the short-haired woman said, "Don't think too much. Once you pass the assessment, my boss will help you pay for the medicine and equipment to treat your mother's cancer. After your mother recovers, she definitely won't blame you for being disobedient."

"Yes!" Chen Na thought so too. "I will try my best!"

"Okay, I'll pick you up tomorrow. We'll meet at 9 p.m.

“But…” Chen Na hesitated, “Sister, how long will the assessment take? If I’m gone for a long time, there will be no one to take care of Mom.”

"Don't worry, the assessment will only take a few hours, and you'll be back before dawn."

"Okay, I understand. I'll head back now, goodbye sister."

"See you."

The short-haired woman watched Chen Na leave and then rolled up the car window.

The driver then asked, "Can such a young girl really pass? She's competing against some really strong people, including a former official team captain."

“Her abilities are very special,” the short-haired woman said. “Like I just said, such wide-range perception is extremely rare. If more functions are developed, she has the potential to become a top-tier support member.”

The short-haired woman paused and said, "Actually, even if she hadn't passed the test, I estimate the commander would have kept her."

“Ah…that’s true. The commander has always liked to groom young girls. Aren’t you an example yourself?” the driver said.

The short-haired woman didn't respond, and the driver, feeling awkward, pursed his lips and drove off.

Back in her room, Chen Na was thinking about what her short-haired sister had said when suddenly her mother's phone rang on the table.

Worried about waking her mother who had finally fallen asleep, she quickly went to take the bag and ran outside the room.

"Hello? Who are you looking for?"

"Xiao Na?" Guan Tong's voice rang out. "It's me, Guan Tong."

　Day 9 of writing 10,000 words a day, today's update is 10217 words.

　　Today, while proofreading, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the plot arrangement of the draft, so I made some temporary changes, which took a lot of time and resulted in the update of Chapter 3 being half an hour late. Please forgive me!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)