hsntnovel Chapter 4: Hidden Dangers Emerge, Citywide Lockdown Initiated
Chapter 4: Hidden Dangers Emerge, Citywide Lockdown Initiated
As dusk fell, the lights of thousands of homes in Cangnan City gradually came on.
Ordinary people finish their busy day, eat, take a walk, and scroll through their phones, immersed in a stable and peaceful daily routine. No one notices that the scythe of fate is slowly being raised above their heads.
Lin Chen came down from the rooftop and drove to the construction site on the outskirts of the city.
Along the way, the entrances and exits of the major roads that used to be unobstructed have now changed dramatically.
Piles of high-strength steel bars, thickened steel plates, and cement bricks were neatly stacked, while sparks flew from welding machines and cutting machines roared.
Zhao Lei led a group of retired veterans and personally directed the construction, moving materials, welding, pouring, and reinforcing. Everyone was tense and moved quickly.
Cold barbed wire is wrapped around the walls, thick concrete walls are being poured rapidly, and large roadblocks and crash barriers are being arranged in succession.
In just one afternoon, the first makeshift defensive line on the outskirts of Cangnan City had been completed.
Upon seeing Lin Chen arrive, Zhao Lei immediately wiped the dust and sweat from his face and strode forward.
"Brother Chen, construction has started at all eight main entrances and exits on the perimeter. We're working through the night and expect to complete the first phase of closure and reinforcement within five days."
"Highway entrances and national highway checkpoints should be sealed off first, leaving only one hidden emergency gate, which will be guarded by dedicated personnel around the clock."
Lin Chen approached the wall, reached out and tapped the newly solidified concrete wall, then touched the thickened steel plates embedded within it.
Hardness, toughness, and impact resistance all meet the standards.
It's more than enough to deal with the initial aftershocks of the earthquake, scattered zombies, and low-level mutated beasts.
"Speed up the process, work all night shifts." Lin Chen said calmly, "Three days later, the chemical plant leak will occur in the west of the city. At that time, the whole city will be in chaos. We can take advantage of the chaos to quietly complete most of the lockdown and avoid attracting too much attention."
Premature large-scale lockdowns will only be seen as madness or extremism, attracting police and official intervention and disrupting all plans.
The safest approach is to take advantage of the chaos caused by a minor disaster.
Zhao Lei instantly understood the key point and nodded immediately: "Understood, I'll arrange for two shifts to work 24 hours a day."
Just then, a patrol team member came running over quickly, his face serious.
"Brother Lei, Brother Chen, a group of idle people have come to the west intersection. They're pointing and gesturing around our construction site, and they're making provocative remarks, saying we're blocking the road and illegally constructing, and they're going to report us."
Lin Chen's eyes turned slightly cold.
Even in times of peace and prosperity, there is never a shortage of petty people who take advantage of the rules to act shamelessly, greedily, and selfishly.
When the end times arrive, those who are first to become plunderers and harm their fellow countrymen are often this group of idle and wicked scum.
"Take me there."
The group quickly arrived at the intersection on the west side.
Seven or eight thugs with dyed hair of various colors and exuding a violent aura were leaning casually against the roadside, pointing at the wall under construction and swearing incessantly.
"Blocking up a perfectly good road is just asking for trouble!"
"Tear it down immediately, or we'll call the municipal government and report you, and they'll make you stop all work!"
"It looks like an illegal construction project. Are they planning something shady?"
The blond-haired man at the head of the group, hands in his pockets and looking arrogant, saw Lin Chen and his group approaching. Far from being afraid, he stepped forward and spoke rudely:
"This road is a public area. What right do you have to block it up without permission? Tear it down immediately, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
Zhao Lei's face darkened, and he instantly released a soldier's murderous aura. He took a step forward, and the oppressive feeling was overwhelming.
These street thugs, who could bully ordinary people on a regular basis, turned pale instantly and subconsciously took a half step back in front of veterans who had actually been on the battlefield and seen blood.
Lin Chen raised his hand to stop Zhao Lei, his gaze calmly sweeping over the group, his voice devoid of any warmth:
"This area will be completely closed off for construction soon. It's a private project, and no one else is allowed here. Leave immediately."
"Private project? What a joke! Do you own the road?" The blond-haired man retorted defiantly, "If you don't demolish it today, we'll stay here and nobody will get any work done!"
They could tell that there were many construction workers on this side, but they thought that if there were many people, the other party wouldn't dare to make a move; they just wanted to extort money from them.
They simply wanted to use the disturbance to extort kickbacks, cigarettes, and alcohol.
Even before the end times have arrived, the greed and ruthlessness of human nature have already been fully revealed.
A murderous intent subtly arose in Lin Chen's eyes.
In their past lives, like this group of thugs before them, after the catastrophe broke out, they quickly banded together into a plundering squad, committing all sorts of evil deeds such as burning, killing, and looting.
Innocent survivors from several nearby neighborhoods were all brutally murdered at their hands.
In my past life, I was powerless to stop them from doing evil.
In this lifetime, I will leave no cause for trouble.
"I'm giving you one last chance," Lin Chen said in an extremely calm tone. "Get out of here now."
"What are you pretending for?" The blond-haired man was enraged and reached out to shove Lin Chen.
Just as his palm was about to touch the hem of Lin Chen's clothes.
boom!
With a muffled thud, Zhao Lei moved with lightning speed, accurately grabbing the opponent's wrist and twisting it.
A piercing scream instantly rang out.
The blond-haired man's wrist was bent backwards, causing him to tremble with pain and turn pale. He was no longer arrogant at all.
The other thugs were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they dared not step forward.
"The end times are coming; if you keep to your own business, you may still survive."
"If you continue to do evil, the day of catastrophe will be your death day."
Lin Chen looked down at the wailing blond man on the ground, his words icy cold.
"Drive them all away from this construction area and prohibit them from approaching any defensive positions."
"If they cause trouble again, detain them immediately. Once the blockade is lifted, expel them from the city."
In the apocalypse, there is no need for pushovers.
The current leniency will be a disaster for everyone in the base in the future.
"Understood." Two team members stepped forward and swiftly drove away the group of thugs.
After resolving the minor issue, the surrounding area returned to quiet.
Zhao Lei whispered, "Brother Chen, we're still in peacetime. Won't taking action now cause trouble?"
"It's nothing." Lin Chen shook his head. "If the chemical plant has an accident in three days, the whole city's attention will be drawn to the disaster. Nobody will care about this little thing."
"Compared to the lives of tens of thousands of people in the future, a little trouble is nothing."
Time was of the essence, and he didn't have the extra energy to appease the wicked.
Subsequently, Lin Chen inspected each construction site one by one to confirm that the supply of building materials, the defense layout, and the personnel shifts were all properly arranged.
The city defense blueprints were hand-drawn by him, drawing on his five years of disaster experience from his previous life. They included a mix of high and low elevations, coverage of blind spots, traps, and firing positions, taking everything into account.
It can withstand natural disasters, and also protect against man-made calamities and ward off strange beasts.
The patrol ended, and night had fallen completely.
The city lights shone brightly, and the night was gentle. No one could have imagined that beneath the calm, the fangs of doomsday were already lurking.
Back home, Lin Chen locked the doors and windows and entered his consciousness space.
Within the 3,000-square-meter storage space, supplies are stacked layer upon layer, neatly arranged.
Rice, flour, cooking oil, compressed rations, canned and dried goods—enough to feed dozens of people for several years;
Antibiotics, wound medicines, epidemic prevention drugs, and emergency equipment were piled up like mountains;
Warm clothing, heat-insulating gear, tents, and sleeping bags are all available.
Large quantities of gasoline, diesel, coal, and solar power generation equipment ensure a continuous energy supply;
Various cold weapons, crossbows, modified weapons, and protective armor are neatly arranged.
Seeds, farm tools, breeding equipment, and water purification equipment were all stocked up in advance.
Short-term survival depends on stockpiling; long-term survival depends on self-sufficiency.
Extreme cold, scorching heat, storms, and earthquakes come one after another; only by being self-sufficient can we establish ourselves permanently.
Lin Chen slightly raised his five fingers, and a faint light flowed from his fingertips.
[Gene Anchoring] The talent operates quietly, slowly absorbing the thin pre-catastrophic radiation in the air.
With less than ninety days remaining until the global catastrophe, the Earth's overall radiation levels are slowly rising, though ordinary people cannot detect it.
It was precisely because of this that he was able to temper his physical body ahead of time, step by step stepping into the Gene Awakening Realm, thus surpassing all ordinary people.
Physical strength, reaction speed, and sensitivity of the five senses are all steadily improving.
This is his unique advantage, and also his capital to sweep away mutated beasts and suppress evildoers in the future.
Silent all night.
The next morning.
As dawn broke, the roar of construction machinery resumed.
The citywide lockdown project is proceeding at full speed, day and night.
Lin Chen received news early in the morning that the final payment for the property had been settled and all of his idle assets had been cashed out.
With ample available funds, it is sufficient to support subsequent large-scale material procurement, base research, and fortification upgrades.
After a quick breakfast, he immediately began planning the next steps.
First, contact an engineering design institute to customize a design for an ultra-high-strength, enclosed city wall that will eventually replace the temporary perimeter wall.
Second, acquire abandoned factories and warehouses in the suburbs and transform them into reserve material transfer stations, training grounds, and breeding areas.
Third, we will seek out doctors, mechanics, repairmen, veterans, and skilled farmers to continuously attract reliable talent.
Fourth, conduct advance reconnaissance of future zombie-infested areas and mutated beast lairs, and prepare marking and clearing plans.
He has firmly grasped the game of doomsday.
Meanwhile, in Cangnan City, walls were quietly being built and undercurrents were surging.
The national weather forecast quietly issued a warning:
Over the next week, air pressure in East China will fluctuate abnormally, with some areas experiencing severe convective weather, including strong winds, heavy rain, and extreme temperature differences.
The authorities treated it as a normal extreme weather warning.
Only Lin Chen knew the truth.
This is the first prelude to a global catastrophe.