Doctor, I'm really strong!

Section 58: Heroes deserve the treatment they are given.

An anomaly has occurred.

The third reactor, which should have been severely leaking, had a normal Originium crystal density in its core area.

This is very abnormal, for example, after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, the Geiger counter showed that the radiation level here was lower than in other areas.

Your first reaction would definitely be that the Geiger counter is broken.

After checking, everyone discovered that their detectors all had the same number.

This is clearly not a malfunction; it's just that this place is genuinely safe.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, while Liu Jiuli looked toward the gate to the reactor core.

The gate is currently locked, and anxious staff members can be seen waiting at the entrance; these are the workers who were in charge of the area when the accident occurred.

Upon seeing Liu Jiuli and his group, they quickly approached.

Liu Jiuli, standing below, asked, "How is the situation?"

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting to see their leader here. Then the squad leader stepped forward and said, "No abnormalities have occurred so far, the reactor is operating stably, but..."

Liu Jiuli: "But what?"

Everyone lowered their heads, and the class monitor whispered, "Karen is still inside."

Liu Jiuli's gaze swept over the crowd, and he quickly counted the number of people—26.

Before coming down, Patriot said there were 27 people in this class. Now there is one less, and he is still trapped inside. Even if he is not dead, rushing in to rescue him now will at most buy him a moment to hear his last words.

Liu Jiuli calmly ordered, "Begin plugging the leak. Also, open the door and rescue the people."

Everyone was taken aback, looking at each other hesitantly.

Liu Jiuli naturally noticed their expressions and questioned, "What, is there a problem with saving people?"

The squad leader said, "Karen, he's an emergency responder."

The emergency responders here are different from the emergency responders that ordinary people on Earth understand. They are infected individuals with special Originium Arts talents. Their only job within the Originium reactor is to plug leaks. When they are needed to plug leaks, they step in and stop them.

In the literal sense.

Liu Jiuli was unaware of these things, and after the technicians next to him explained them, his first reaction was anger.

This practice, which is akin to forcing ordinary people to become kamikaze pilots, is utterly anti-human.

"I understand. You're waiting for the leak inside to be completely sealed off by a life, for the ventilation system to filter out the excess Originium crystals, and then all you have to do is report it, right?"

Liu Jiuli's roar sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

They really couldn't understand why this was how such problems had always been handled before, but Liu Jiuli was handling it differently. Was there some other way to deal with it?

Looking at everyone's expressions, Liu Jiuli realized that what he needed to change was not just the overt exploitation and oppression, but also the persecution and indifference that had formed within society after the culture had seeped into their very bones.

It's not their fault. They are just ordinary people, ordinary people without the power to resist. In most cases, they can only go with the flow, waiting for change or destruction. Acceptance and complaining are their only options.

But today, Liu Jiuli is going to give them another option.

After confirming that the density of the Originium crystals inside was within the acceptable range for the protective suit, Liu Jiuli ordered the door to be opened.

This is a responsible approach for everyone. He has even prepared to go in himself if the situation inside is not optimistic. In any case, he is absolutely immune to Originium and can even manipulate it at will. No one understands Originium better than him.

The gate opened, and the group entered the reactor core area, where they located the leak point that had appeared earlier.

Everyone was stunned when they saw the leak; some even nearly vomited.

It was a scene hard to imagine in reality: human flesh and blood were completely fused with the surrounding metal structure, while a large amount of Originium crystals spread out, forming a special sealed structure that blocked the leak. The flesh and blood parts were still pulsating, proving that this mass of matter was originally alive, but these signs of life were rapidly disappearing and would soon be indistinguishable from the surrounding Originium crystals.

These so-called infected individuals who have mastered special Originium Arts are actually people who are prone to acute Oripathy infection.

Unlike ordinary Oripathy, in an acute infection state, the infected person will quickly turn into a whole piece of Originium, which is also the source of the special "human-mineral". If an influence is applied during the acute onset of the disease, like this, it can be like a band-aid to plug the leak point of the Originium reactor.

These emergency responders have a special name in the Originium reactor – Band-Aid.

Under normal circumstances, this structure, which lies between flesh and Originium, is invisible to everyone. All that is known is that emergency responders will sacrifice themselves and use special Originium techniques to plug the leak. No one expected that the so-called plugging is just a literal plugging; people stick to it and rely on acute Oripathy to stick to the leak and seal it with Originium crystals.

The Originium crystal plugging is only temporary and requires special treatment later. However, the people who come later only see the Originium crystals and don't think there's anything wrong with them. They will replace the Originium with other materials and throw them into the reactor, and the work will be considered successfully completed.

They didn't even realize that their repair process was also a way of destroying evidence.

It was just one person missing, and he was infected, so no one really cared until the truth suddenly came out.

With a final thud of flesh and blood, Karen died on a biological level.

From a human perspective, the moment his brain was assimilated by the Originium crystal, it was completely reduced to a mass of matter. No one knows what he was thinking at the end, but the fact remains that those present survived because of his sacrifice.

Liu Jiuli wanted to find something, something that's all there in the movies, something that heroes leave behind in the end.

But there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

When an acute Oripathy attack occurs, the corrosive effect of Originium crystals reaches its maximum, and the surrounding materials all exhibit crystallization, not to mention the human body. Karen's work clothes and he himself have already become part of the outer wall.

"Stop the reactor and begin maintenance. Does anyone know anything about Karen's condition?"

In response to Liu Jiuli's question, one of them stood up and said, "Karen is my neighbor. He has a wife and two sons, the eldest son is ten years old and the youngest son is four years old. His family members are also infected, including me."

Ursus's policy of isolating infected individuals meant that ordinary people were basically not around infected people, and the neighbors of infected individuals were also mostly infected, which objectively helped the Reunion Movement's infected riots.

We're all the same kind of people, it's so easy to connect with each other.

"There should be no sacrifices that are not appreciated in this world."

Liu Jiuli reached out and collected some flesh and blood, then burned them into ashes and put them into a small box.

Heroes deserve the treatment they are given.

Section 59: Taking Back What Belongs to Us

An infected person, two children, and a dead father—for an ordinary local family, this is essentially a death sentence.

It was Karen's wife who felt uneasy at this moment, because according to Ursus tradition, a family without labor power is unable to create value, and if it cannot create value, it must be abandoned or thrown into a place where value can be created.

Such places are generally called mines.

The two children, one four years old and the other ten, were in poor health. Bena's Oripathy was more severe than Karen's, and she was unable to do anything. Being expelled was the best outcome.

Even if Liu Jiuli did this, no one would feel dissatisfied, because this family could no longer create any value, and raising two children would require a lot of resources, which was an unacceptable price for the Ursus people living in the icy wilderness, and it was necessary to cut losses appropriately.

But if it were you, would you be willing to pay such a price?

In modern terms, if a person who dares to sacrifice himself is left to die, his wife and children will not only be left homeless but also persecuted. In China, the person in charge would be sentenced to at least a few years in prison, and being stripped of all his power would be a matter of course. The public would applaud.

The Ursus people knew it was wrong, but they had no choice; having no other option was the only option. Even though the infected shouted, "We want our human rights," when persecution came, they couldn't help but think, "What can I do? I'm infected. I guess I'll just have to accept my fate."

What Liu Jiuli needs to do is break this inertia and implant new ideas into the Red Guards.

The day after Karen's sacrifice, while Bella was at home, holding her two children, outwardly calm but inwardly desperate, awaiting her final trial, several officials arrived at her house.

Unlike other Red Guard cadres, these two officials wore blue peaked caps, their attire somewhere between that of armed personnel and civilian staff, with gold sword and shield badges on their caps.

"Hello, Ms. Bena, we are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Your husband sacrificed his precious life to protect the lives and property of the people. Please come with us to the Martyrs' Cemetery to receive commendation."

Berna was stunned for a moment. She thought she might have misheard, so she cautiously asked, "Excuse me, are you looking for me?"

"Yes, Ms. Benna, we are certain that you are the one we are looking for. From now on, you are the wife of a hero. The organization is aware of your family situation, and we will guarantee your and your family's livelihood from now on. Please do not refuse. This is what you, your husband, and your children deserve."

Bena froze. She slowly raised her hand and covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother?"

The four-year-old son didn't know what was happening, while the ten-year-old son could barely sense what was going on. The two children tried to reach out and wipe away their mother's tears.

The term "martyrs' cemetery" is new to the people of Ursus. Normally, there are very few cemeteries in mobile cities, since every area there is precious and there isn't enough space for living people, let alone dead people.

Only the most distinguished, special, and sacred people are qualified to be buried in the cemetery of the mobile city; it is a symbol of status and privilege.

Chernobog also had such places, and then Liu Jiuli ruthlessly scattered the ashes of these privileged classes.

The literal meaning of "Yang" has been replaced by a martyrs' cemetery. Considering the space utilization, the structure of this cemetery is very special. Only the huge cube-shaped monument is currently under construction. The main body has been completed, but the exterior carvings and decorations are still missing. The most eye-catching feature is the Originium eternal lamp in front.

This is a special cemetery because power and lineage alone are not enough to qualify one for burial here; only true heroes of the people can rest in peace on this land.

Today, this martyrs' cemetery will welcome its first resident, a worker named Karen Mekaev.

Bella and her children were dressed in black, clothes they didn't have at home, which were all hastily made by the Ministry of the Interior. All the Red Guards of Chernobog were present, with the honor guards lined up on both sides, and the procession slowly moved into the interior of the monument.

It is the final resting place of heroes.

All remains will be cremated first. If the deceased is infected, they will also need to undergo a harmless treatment. After that, the remaining ashes will be placed in a standardized urn and then placed in an individual space. The urn will be sealed with marble and engraved with the deceased's name and information. If there is an epitaph that you would like to write, you can write it at the same time.

This was a special funeral and a special award ceremony. In front of Karen's tombstone, Liu Jiuli awarded him a "First-Class Working People's Medal," which was accepted by his wife, Bella.

The moment she saw Liu Jiuli, Bella instinctively wanted to kneel down and kiss the back of his hand.

In their view, Liu Jiuli, as the leader, was of a status equivalent to that of a nobleman, and that their actions were correct.

But Liu Jiuli caught her first.

"Please stand proudly, the stage ahead belongs to you."

Regardless of Bella's reaction, Liu Jiuli stopped her from kneeling down to kiss the back of his hand or his shoes.

Because you must stand up here, kneeling is not allowed!

"Your husband is a hero of the people. He protected the lights of thousands of homes with his life. Please allow me to pay tribute to you and your family on their behalf!"

Liu Jiuli solemnly saluted Bella, then picked up the prepared medal and presented it to Bella with both hands.

Bella accepted the medal with trembling hands, then clutched it tightly to her chest.

Next, Karen's urn was delivered to Bella's family, covered with a red flag that had not yet appeared in public, but would become the future flag of the Red Guards.

A small red flag, along with Karen's urn, was placed in a tomb chamber in the wall by his family. A black marble slab was then sealed on it, and staff engraved Karen's name, along with his life story and achievements, on it.

The honor guard outside fired shots into the air, and a martyr will forever rest here.

"salute!"

The entire Red Guard paid their respects to the tombstone, bidding farewell to the people's hero with the highest honors.

After the memorial service, those in the crowd outside who wish to come in to pay their respects are welcome to come in and take a look. This is the cemetery of heroes; those buried here sacrificed themselves to protect the people. No one is afraid of such a place.

Unless you're doing something inhuman or have a guilty conscience.

As I walked out of the martyrs' cemetery, the sun was blazing in the sky.