Chapter 1

Longcheng, the Kong family compound.

In the bedroom, Kong Zhengui received Zhou Tonghui's call informing him of the evacuation. He thought for a moment and asked, "Has the assembly point been confirmed? Which unit issued the notification?"

Zhou Tonghui immediately replied, "It was determined by the garrison and the notification was issued by the National Unification Bureau."

"Okay." Kong Zhengui nodded. "Where is the location?"

Zhou Tonghui told him, "It's Sanhe Road in the Zhanan District, assembling nearby. The garrison is carrying out military control here, you'll see it when you arrive. You need to hurry, the sooner you leave, the better."

Kong Zhengui pressed, "How are we leaving? By plane or convoy?"

"I don't know, I'm on my way there now." Zhou Tonghui wasn't sure either. "Everyone should be evacuating to Banana City, maybe it'll be by plane. Alright, hurry up and pack, come quickly!"

Kong Zhengui nodded. "Okay, I understand, I'll head over now."

"Okay!"

The two hung up. Kong Zhengui pondered for a moment, then turned to Kong Zhengqi and said, "Notify the family, grab your belongings and get in the cars immediately, no dilly-dallying."

"Okay!"

Kong Zhengqi immediately left the room to arrange the family's evacuation.

Soon, the entire Kong family, about a hundred people, got into their cars and left the compound.

...

Twenty minutes later, more than a dozen cars arrived at Sanhe Road in the Zhanan District.

By this time, the entire area was under military control, and a large number of soldiers had blocked off the streets.

As the convoy approached the intersection, Kong Zhengui showed his identification. After verification, they were immediately allowed to pass.

Soon, the convoy arrived at the assembly point, but it was already crowded with people. The street was packed with heads, roughly estimated to be around six or seven hundred people.

Kong Zhengui recognized some of them: some were from the police department, some from the tax authority, all middle-level cadres from the administrative faction, and their families.

These people stood in line on the street, carrying their luggage, with anxious expressions on their faces. Some even burst into tears.

Kong Zhengqi, sitting in the passenger seat, saw this scene and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, are all these people evacuating together?"

Kong Zhengui's face was grim, and he glanced at him without saying a word.

He thought for a moment, opened the door and got out of the car, and walked towards a young battalion commander, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, standing by the road. He asked directly, "Hello, I'm Kong Zhengui from the Huatong Association. I'd like to ask, are all of us leaving together?"

The battalion commander glanced at him and nodded. "Yes, and there are still some people who haven't arrived yet."

Kong Zhengqi also got out of the car at this time. Hearing this, he immediately asked, "Does my family also need to leave with so many people?"

The battalion commander replied without thinking, "Yes."

After giving a hasty reply, the battalion commander turned to look at the crowded people next to him and shouted, "Move faster, don't gather on the streets! Take cover in the buildings next to you, otherwise if the First District's fighters see this and drop a couple of bombs, we'll all be finished. And you, don't block the way, go over there and wait. Come over when you hear your name called!"

Watching the battalion commander directing the scene, Kong Zhengui's face was gloomy. He suppressed the anger in his heart and asked again, "Excuse me, how are we evacuating? By helicopter or convoy?"

"Helicopter?!" The battalion commander turned to look at Kong Zhengui and pointed to the chaotic crowd. "Look around, where are you going to find a helicopter now! So many people need to evacuate, can helicopters even carry everyone? Of course, it's a convoy! Hurry up, take your family to the nearby buildings and wait, don't gather here, it's dangerous."

Kong Zhengui frowned, clenched his fists, and didn't say anything.

At this moment, not only him, but the entire Kong family felt very uncomfortable. Because most of the six or seven hundred people gathered here were the families of middle-level cadres.

For Kong Zhengui, with his family's status, under normal circumstances, they would definitely not leave with the main group. As a top-level executive, they should have this privilege.

Therefore, the Kong family felt extremely unbalanced and started cursing in the car. This wasn't just picking a fight. In terms of contribution, the Kong family, as elders of the Association, had contributed money and effort before. Now, evacuating with so many people was too risky.

Kong Zhengqi was also furious and couldn't help but curse, "This is too ridiculous! Our Kong family has worked so hard for so many years, we're not asking for any privileges, but at least we should be treated equally within the same level, right? Brother, look at this whole compound, where are the vice-chairman level people? It's just our family, right? Also, look at those convoys, are they just going to rely on four wheels to get to Banana City? By the time we get to Banana City, it'll be next month! What if we encounter something on the road?"

Kong Zhengui gritted his teeth, remained silent for a long time, then turned back to the car and said to the driver, "Leave here, we'll go on our own."

"Okay."

The driver, also a member of the Kong family, had been full of resentment for a long time. Hearing this, he immediately stepped on the accelerator, and the convoy slowly left the assembly point.

The soldiers on the side of the road were already too busy dealing with the situation here, so they didn't stop the convoy from leaving on its own.

Kong Zhengui sat in the car with a gloomy face, without saying a word, seemingly pondering something.

"Ring ring ring!"

They hadn't driven far when the phone rang. Kong Zhengui took it out and saw that it was Zhou Tonghui calling. After hesitating for a moment, he answered the phone. "Hello?"

In the phone, Zhou Tonghui asked with some concern, "Zhengui, have you arrived at the assembly point?"

Kong Zhengui pondered for a moment and replied, "I have, but I'm planning to take my people and leave separately."

Zhou Tonghui was stunned for a moment and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Why leave separately?"

Kong Zhengui explained, "There are too many people here, almost seven or eight hundred, and who knows when we'll leave. Since no one is helping us find a solution, we'll find our own."

Although he spoke casually, Zhou Tonghui heard the emotion in his words and quickly reassured him, "Zhengui, the situation in Longcheng is a bit chaotic right now. I heard that even Wang Daolin's family is evacuating with the main group at the assembly point."

Kong Zhengui smiled and said, "Hey, I know my own situation. Enough about me, how's your situation?"

"I just got in the car." Zhou Tonghui deliberately added, "After all, I only have my older brother, and no family here, so the process was faster. Why don't you come find me? I'll talk to the people here, and we can leave together."

Kong Zhengui declined, "No need, you go ahead, I'll figure something out on my end."

Zhou Tonghui said with some hesitation, "Alright then... give me a call if anything happens."

"Okay."

The two ended the call. Kong Zhengui thought for a long time, then turned to Kong Zhengqi and said, "We're not leaving. I'll give you an address, you take the family there."

Kong Zhengqi's eyes lit up and he immediately said, "Okay, I understand!"