“What’s going on?”
Hearing the gunshots, the people queuing for supplies became agitated.
However, the rescue team and police were unfazed, seemingly accustomed to such sounds.
They soothed the crowd: “Please do not panic, and collect your supplies in an orderly manner.”
Before long, a rescue team member came up from downstairs and reported on the situation next door.
It turned out that someone next door had tried to snatch another person’s supplies in front of the rescue team. When stopped by the police, they attempted to attack the officers, forcing the police to fire a warning shot.
However, in a way, that person was also wronged.
During the thunderstorm, they lent their food to someone else, with the agreement that it would be returned once rescue supplies were received. However, the other party denied the agreement, forcing the person to resort to snatching the supplies.
Now, that person was detained, while the one who owed them supplies was still at large.
Sometimes, one had to admit that the shameless were invincible.
Of course, this was only when order still existed.
Once order collapsed, it would naturally become the law of the jungle, where the strongest prevailed. Thick skin would be useless.
Soon, it was Tang Li’s turn to collect supplies.
After receiving the free supplies, Tang Li registered and exchanged rice and flour for some eggs. She didn't take anything else.
As for items like gas tanks and stoves, although provided by the rescue team for shared use by the building, Tang Li still gave them to the “Self-Rescue Alliance.”
After all, it was thanks to the “Self-Rescue Alliance” that she could enjoy her current relatively stable life.
The rescue team also commented that their building had excellent public order.
Besides protecting the rescue team, the police had another duty: investigating illegal activities during the thunderstorm.
Because of the martial law, anyone found to be involved in illegal activities could be arrested on the spot.
Other buildings had arrested or detained several people, while their building only had one person who was making a fuss about wanting to buy supplies with money.
Taking her supplies, Tang Li returned to her home.
For a period afterward, the rescue team continued to visit every three days.
During the martial law, patrol boats occasionally passed by the city, and martial law enforcement personnel in speedboats would also enter the residential areas for inspection.
After the thunderstorm passed, the rain in City A began to subside gradually, and the water levels started to recede.
By the end of August, although the weather remained overcast, the rainfall had become intermittent.
However, while the heavy rain and thunderstorms had left City A, they continued to spread westward and northward.
In the southwestern regions, natural disasters such as landslides and mudslides occurred frequently.
In the north, the famous Yellow River embankment breached in multiple places due to the storm, causing vast areas to be flooded.
Although the rainfall in City A had decreased, due to the heavy rainfall upstream, the floodwaters receded very slowly. The floodwaters from upstream needed to pass through City A before being discharged into the sea.
On September 1st, the state announced a nationwide state of martial law and imposed military control over important units and paralyzed or semi-paralyzed areas.
Simultaneously, “Supply Allocation Vouchers” were issued as temporary currency to collect all survival supplies held by individuals and groups for unified dispatch.
After announcing these news, the announcer continued with an inspiring speech:
“Fellow countrymen, our nation is a nation that has endured many disasters, but even more so, it is a nation that grows stronger with every setback! Facing this sudden and immense natural disaster, we must join hands to overcome this difficult period together.”
“As early as five thousand years ago, we had the story of Yu the Great controlling the floods. For five thousand years, we have recounted the tales of Yugong moving mountains, Jingwei filling the sea, and Hou Yi shooting the sun. ‘Man will conquer nature’ is a belief etched in the very bones of our nation!”
“Our nation is a civilization that has stood for five thousand years without falling. This natural disaster is merely a test in our millennia-long history. I believe that we can, just like our ancestors, overcome the disaster and rebuild our homes!”
This broadcast was nationwide.
The broadcast was quite long, lasting over ten minutes.
Listening to the voice from the radio, even Tang Li, who had lived in the post-apocalyptic world for four years, felt encouraged.
The martial law patrol boats also carried loudspeakers, repeating this message many times a day so that people without radios could also hear it.
The inspiring words, the ample rescue supplies, and the restored order after martial law gradually calmed people down and rekindled their hope for the future.
Tang Li couldn't help but wonder—was rebuilding homes truly feasible?