Doctor, I'm really strong!

Before abandoning these blocks, they even ordered the troops above to quickly evacuate with their belongings. The soldiers, with the idea of ​​"looting before leaving," efficiently ransacked the area. In their eyes, the common people here were all dead, so there was no need to worry about what the dead would do. They rushed to grab whatever they saw, which directly led to the complete loss of order in the three blocks. This was just a prelude to an even greater tragedy.

A local woman clung to a soldier's leg, begging him to take her child away, but the soldier only took her belongings and then kicked her away. This was considered relatively "gentle." Some soldiers, impatient, simply slashed her with a knife.

When these soldiers withdrew, they took almost all the means of transportation with them. Ordinary vehicles are difficult to move in the wilderness, and even if they could barely move, they would not be able to escape the ravages of natural disasters, let alone geological disasters.

A violent earthquake and ground fissures quickly swept in, and torrential rain poured down from the sky. The destructive power of nature relentlessly washed everything away, and large swaths of Originium crystals formed on the surface. In this first wave of devastation, most people inhaled enough Originium crystals to infect them with Oripathy. Patients with acute attacks turned into statues in a short time, and then exploded, spreading the infection even further.

The only good news is that the Originium disaster is a one-off event, and geological disasters rarely have aftershocks. It lasts only ten minutes, but the damage it causes is shocking.

The three blocks were completely unrecognizable from their original state. The vast ruins of collapsed buildings and corpses everywhere made the apocalypse in the movie instantly become reality. But the apocalypse in the movie can be censored, while the apocalypse in reality can only be accepted.

The natural disaster withdrew its sharp edge, and the scythe of death slashed across the ruins. Under the dim sky, every surviving life was incredibly fragile. All they could do was numb and cry out. Some adults who were lucky enough to survive struggled to dig people out of the ruins, but what could they do with just their own two hands?

"The geological disaster has been confirmed to be over." "The concentration of Originium crystals is decreasing and is expected to drop to a safe level in three hours."

"Kharkov is still far away, and there are no signs of rescue."

Liu Jiuli had already returned to the command center of Steel Grid, where intelligence gathered from various parties was being continuously compiled.

At this moment, Ling walked into the command center, came to Liu Jiuli's side and said, "The rescue personnel are ready, all equipped with the highest level of protective gear, and can set off at any time."

"Alright, then I'll leave this place to you. I'll lead the assault team first."

Ling reached out and stopped Liu Jiuli: "Wait, you're going? Are you kidding me! You're the commander-in-chief, it's too dangerous there!"

Liu Jiuli took off his hat and said, "Natural disasters pass quickly, it's not a battlefield. As the commander-in-chief, the closer you are to the front, the better you know the situation there. Leaders take the lead, and the masses cheer on."

After saying that, Liu Jiuli stuffed his military cap into Ling's arms and strode away.

Ling sighed and turned to begin taking on the temporary command duties.

At this moment, on the lawn of the Steelgrad military airfield, thirty transport helicopters are on standby. These transport helicopters are based on Rhodes Island's helicopter aircraft. After the previous war, Moonshadow successfully upgraded, the system power supply is more complete, the list of redeemable items has become longer (and there are more outrageous missions), and the limit of the Universal Factory has also changed to a standard of 27 cubic meters and 30 tons. Many things can be obtained directly in one step.

If the volume of the cube were adjustable, creating a Type 99 would be no problem at all.

However, Liu Jiuli also thought of a solution: have the all-purpose factory produce raw materials or manufacture the parts needed for the helicopter, and then assemble these parts into a helicopter. It doesn't have to be done all at once. The Originium industry left over from the Chernobog era in Steelgrad can also be used. In addition, the Red Guard now has its own workforce, so these small problems can be solved. Without having to consider the cost of raw materials, the production efficiency is very high.

Because as long as the technology integration is not a problem, Liu Jiuli likes to use the best of everything, and technology integration can allow you to use second-generation parts and third-generation technical specifications to create a product that is equivalent to the fifth generation of others.

Conversely, it means using fifth-generation equipment to produce fourth-generation products. This is not meant to be a reference to black belt tanks, so please don't take it personally. On the parade ground, the disaster relief troops have been assembled. A helicopter can transport a platoon, so its carrying capacity is quite considerable. The first batch of people sent to the disaster area can reach more than a regiment, and it can also carry some disaster relief tools. At the same time, more than three land-based ships (previously captured) will also be heading to the disaster area with a large amount of supplies and disaster relief equipment. It is estimated that within two hours, the Red Guards will deploy at least 20,000 disaster relief troops in the disaster area.

After all, it's only twenty-eight kilometers. Even with a slightly longer route, the land-based ship could easily reach its destination in two hours, unless someone intercepted it along the way. But now, whenever this kind of thing happens on Terra, all creatures within a hundred-kilometer radius will vanish without a trace. Except for a very few special groups that might come to loot at such times, everyone else will run as far away as possible, wishing they had more legs.

The soldiers below were all fully armed, equipped with flexible exoskeletons and level-three protective suits, and supplied with oxygen by cylinders. It's no exaggeration to say that even Rhine Life Sciences, which claims to be the leading biological research and technology company, couldn't produce such a setup. It wasn't that they lacked such equipment, but rather that they couldn't provide each soldier with a complete set like Liu Jiuli had.

The entire set of equipment is worth more than five million Lungmen Dollars on the market, and some of the parts are disposable and must be discarded after use. More than 20,000 disaster relief personnel are equipped with this equipment. Even if there is a family in the mine, they can't afford to support them.

When Liu Jiuli appeared before everyone wearing the same equipment, some new recruits showed surprised expressions, while the veterans who had experienced the leak all proudly puffed out their chests.

"Comrades, do you still remember our slogan!"

"Serve the people!"

"Very good. This mission is to go to the disaster area to rescue people. Before boarding, all personnel should check their equipment, make sure it is sealed, open the oxygen cylinders to test if they are working properly, check if they are wearing three-proof boots, don't tighten the belt too much, do not carry any unnecessary personal items, make sure the batteries and spare batteries are working properly, after that, jump around a bit to make sure there are no problems, then board the plane quickly. Now, self-check begins!"

"Yes!"

Chapter 107: The Shadow Gradually Understands Everything

(Should I update more? Please send more comments and votes! I'll update twice today! Let's test how many I can update. This is the first update (～￣▽￣)～)

People will die for money, just as birds will die for food. Wherever there is a chance to make money, no matter how dangerous it may be, people will try it.

To avoid natural disasters, the people of Terra developed the profession of Disaster Messenger. However, some people saw a business opportunity in this and went against the grain. They followed the footsteps of the disasters and looked for the possibility of getting rich in the ruins of the disasters. They were called "scavengers" or "vultures".

Carrion scavenging is a natural process of material recycling, and scavengers have made this process a part of human society.

The disaster in Kharkiv was an opportunity for them to get rich. Although the abandoned areas were all slums and had already been looted by the war, the time was limited and the soldiers could not take much with them. There must have been a lot left behind. Not to mention, the resources of those areas themselves could be recycled and sold for a good price on the black market.

So convoys of scavengers charged toward the ruins. Their equipment was varied, even broken, but it didn't matter. There's always someone willing to risk their life. Those who embarked on this path had already put their heads on the line. Life was the only bargaining chip they could afford to use. They were willing to gamble and risk everything.

Failure means nothing more than a corpse lying in the wilderness. The vast majority of people in this world are not happy. Being able to gamble with one's life is already considered one of the luckiest of the lucky.

"Captain, the vault is just ahead." (The vault is what these scavengers call the roadside area in the post-disaster wasteland.)

"Hahahaha, see? Today we deserve to be rich! Men, rush in and take everything you see, live or dead, nothing is spared! Understand?"

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Having successfully created a lively atmosphere, the shadowy figure sat back in the passenger seat, satisfied, and began calculating how long he could enjoy this job. The convoy sped towards the abandoned disaster zone in Kharkiv, and then three more convoys appeared in the distance.

"Commander, it's Brown Bear, Bloodfield, and Iron Hammer!"

"M, they're here after all. Their noses are better than dogs'. Ignore them, first come, first served, speed up!"

There is competition among scavengers, but this competition usually doesn't turn into fighting. Instead, it follows a first-come, first-served rule, where the first people to arrive can designate their own area.

Of course, this is only in theory. If the difference in strength between the two sides is too great, it is normal for one side to be outmaneuvered. After all, in such an environment, the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is the most basic competitive logic.

Just as the four convoys were moving towards the disaster area, unexpected guests suddenly appeared in the sky. A large number of helicopters flew towards the disaster area, and the scene was so spectacular that it frightened the scavengers.

After a brief moment of shock, the shadowy figure suddenly ordered, "Stop the car!"

With a screeching sound from the brakes, the workshop of the scavenging group slowly came to a stop.

"Commander, what's wrong?"

"Go back, this deal is not going to be profitable, I have a feeling something is going to go wrong."

As a former Sarkaz mercenary who lived on the edge, Shadow had no other skills, but he was exceptionally good at intuition and could clearly sense that mysterious sense of danger.

Just now, his intuition told him that if he rushed in and tried to steal the stuff from the people in those helicopters, he would be dead in the wilderness one thousand percent. You can earn money all you want, but you only have one life.

"But commander, we haven't had a single customer in three months, and the brothers are starving."

"Anyone who's not satisfied can lead their own team and attack. I, Shadow, am not going to die. Old Beard, retreat!"

"Alright, Commander."

The bearded Ursus driver made a right turn and left in a retreat-like manner.

The people in the group looked at each other, and finally half of them followed the shadowy figure, while the other half chose to try their luck.

On the way back, the shadowy figure casually asked, "Little one, how many people came back?"

"About half."

"That's right, at least half is still left."

"Commander, have you discovered something?"

The shadowy figure chuckled and tapped his head: "The reason I, Shadow, have been able to survive in the scavenging business for twenty years is because I know what is dangerous and what is safe. Just you wait and see, it'll be good if even a single-digit number of those half of them come back."

Meanwhile, the helicopter formation had already flown over the disaster area. Liu Jiuli led the team directly to rappel, and was the first to jump out. Yes, he didn't need a rope; he could just jump directly without any problem.

After landing safely, the other helicopters took turns unloading supplies, and the soldiers began to control the order on site to prevent crowding and stampedes. Because the surrounding open space could not accommodate all the helicopters, Liu Jiuli used Originium Arts to forcibly level an area. Before the main force arrived, helicopters were the only fast means of external transportation.

Those seriously injured who could still be rescued would be directly transported by helicopter to Steelgrad. At the same time, Steelgrad itself was also moving towards the disaster area. All hospitals were ready to receive patients. Liu Jiuli had previously ordered Rhodes Island to come and help. Yes, he had given an order. It was as if public hospitals had to obey the arrangements of the state.

Strictly speaking, Rhodes Island could have completely ignored Liu Jiuli, but when it came to saving lives, Kal'tsit's determination was no less than Liu Jiuli's. After receiving Liu Jiuli's orders, the Rhodes Island mothership immediately moved towards the disaster area, a large number of experienced medical personnel went on standby, all operating rooms were ready, and a medical team led by Warfarin had already flown to the disaster area on Rhodes Island's flying chessboard. It can be said that they did everything within their power.

The situation in the disaster area was much worse than Liu Jiuli had anticipated. In addition, the Ursus authorities had no habit of providing disaster relief, so when the disaster victims saw the Red Guards, they rushed over in a chaotic manner. As a last resort, Liu Jiuli directly used his full power to pin everyone to the ground and demanded that they abide by the law.

As it turns out, in such an out-of-control environment, power and force are the guarantee of order. Although this sounds inhumane, the locals suddenly became much calmer and even showed expressions of gratitude.

In that instant, Liu Jiuli instantly understood a sentence that the Black Serpent Talulah had once said:

"In Ursus, order is more important than anything else."

Order represents safety and the hope of survival. To defend order, the Ursus people can endure hardships that are unimaginable to others, to the point of being pathological.

Liu Jiuli witnessed a man from Ursus, who was covering his exposed intestines with tattered clothes, moving shakily through the ranks. Even though he looked like he was about to die, he didn't utter a sound or give any signal to the staff around him.

At that moment, he didn't know what words to use to express his feelings.

This was not an isolated case, but a widespread phenomenon, to the point that Liu Jiuli had to order that the seriously wounded receive priority treatment, otherwise they would all die on the way to the hospital.

During the rescue, the Ursus people who were still able to move rushed forward. They used their bare hands because they had no tools, and they didn't care whether the people buried below were their own family members or not. Their numb expressions were filled with longing, a longing to save as many as they could, or perhaps resignation.

And a gratitude that they themselves were unfamiliar with.

Such scenes are extremely rare in the history of the Ursus Empire. In their eyes, the fully armed Red Guards are high-ranking nobles. For a noble to come and save ordinary people is such a great favor.

Liu Jiuli had lost count of how many times he had rejected people who wanted to kneel before him and kiss his boots.

To ensure the efficiency of disaster relief, Liu Jiuli also brought two secret weapons this time: Amiya and rosemary.

Their emotional perception abilities can quickly locate survivors, which is more effective than any rescue dog. Then everyone just needs to use manpower and resources to dig hard. Liu Jiuli himself has an even greater advantage in this regard. In addition to being able to locate survivors, he can also use his mental power to directly move large chunks of debris, creating a solid space for the survivors and greatly improving work efficiency.

The rescue work is proceeding in a tense but orderly manner, and everything is developing in a positive direction.

Then a group of uninvited guests barged in.

Section 108: Dispose of this garbage

(Second update, (～￣▽￣)～)

"Boss, a flock of vultures has come outside."

The only person who would address Liu Jiuli as such is the leader of the Sarkaz mercenaries, but now she's practically a lone commander, and she's practically a half-Red Guard cadre herself.

Not officially joining was her last act of devotion, but it's also true that her mercenary team consisted of very few people.

Who could blame them when the Red Guards' various welfare policies were so attractive? The people's yearning for a better life is always a basic need.

While rescuing people, Liu Jiuli used his mental power to stabilize the crumbling building and asked, "Vulture, what vulture?"

W: "Scavengers, a group of guys who make a fortune off natural disasters."

Liu Jiuli frowned: "What are they doing here?"

W shrugged: "Do you even need to ask? Of course we're here to scavenge. We can make money from both living and dead things."

Liu Jiuli's worldview was shattered on the spot. Imagine that after an earthquake, people from the surrounding area ran over and sold off the locals who hadn't died. They looted everything and left behind a vast expanse of white, utterly desolate land.

As for saving lives, that's a trivial matter. Saving someone is a great act of kindness, and if you can't save them, you can't blame others.

To put it bluntly, they're profiting from the national crisis. Liu Jiuli hates these kinds of people so much he wants to yell at them repeatedly.

Cough cough cough, be civilized, we must be civilized. Even if you're thinking "I'll f*** your mother" in your mind, you can't actually say it out loud.

Oh, this type of person probably doesn't have a horse; they're just someone who sleeps in the air.

Liu Jiuli gave an unceremoniously order: "Set up a cordon, control the high ground, and kill anyone who dares to trespass into the disaster area!"