Chapter 1047: North Sector Three in Emergency

"Director!"

From the position where the dark shadow had appeared and her movements, the security team members had already deduced her identity. After matching the password and hearing Xia Qing's voice, they immediately lowered their guns and let her through.

The workers at the Ninth Center who were covering the rainproof tarps and digging isolation ditches felt as if they'd taken a calming pill when they heard Xia Qing had arrived, and worked even faster.

Though Xia Qing was taciturn and strict, she was a dual-ability advanced Evolver and a top-tier sniper. With her here, everyone's confidence in surviving this natural disaster grew a little stronger.

The head of the security department stepped forward and briefly briefed Xia on the current situation. "The Magnetic Sense team has confirmed the disaster is most severe near the north gate. The Deputy Director is directing operations over there, Magnetic Sense Team One is also there, and Magnetic Sense Team Two is patrolling the corridors outside."

The Magnetic Sense Evolvers had only left the Ninth Center and were still within North Sector One's territory, with elite security personnel protecting them, so there was no need to worry about their safety. Xia Qing acknowledged and hurried toward the north gate.

At the northernmost end of the Ninth Center there were six large sheds. The isolation ditches had to be dug as quickly as possible, otherwise the Yellow Lantern rice that was already heading in the sheds would be destroyed by the Calamity Grass in the corridor.

Xia Qing arrived at the north gate and found Yan Yue, wearing a Level-3 field protection suit and leaning on a single crutch, was also there. She was using the walkie-talkie to arrange for off-duty Ninth Center employees to go out and support the undermanned territories in digging isolation ditches against the aggressive Calamity Grass.

Xia Qing greeted Yue Haiying and checked on construction progress. The Ninth Center's isolation ditches against aggressive Calamity Grass were not straight but U-shaped. The recessed section was where the main gate was located. This further confirmed to Xia Qing that someone had deliberately scattered Calamity Grass seeds.

The reason they hadn't scattered seeds on the isolation belt along the outer perimeter of North Sector One's territory was that the iron-mesh walls on the outer perimeter had surveillance cameras installed, making it easy to be detected.

After confirming work was progressing smoothly, Xia Qing took a few steps back.

The rainproof tarps could block the continuously falling Calamity Rain, but they couldn't block the intense magnetic field emitted by the aggressive Calamity Grass beneath them. Standing beside the corridor, Magnetic Sense Evolver Xia Qing had to endure tremendous pressure.

"Director!"

Xia Qing had only retreated two steps when Yue Haiying turned back to report the latest situation. "Wu Xinlian and Lü Ziqiang have reported that the magnetic field intensity of the Calamity Grass in the corridor between Territories 14 and 16 of the Central Corridor has surged."

Unlike Xia Qing, who purely relied on her formidable willpower to resist the magnetic field's assault on her brow, the Magnetic Sense Evolvers at the Ninth Center had all taken Magnetic Sense Pain-Relief Tablets when the Calamity Rain began.

This was a symptomatic remedy developed by Red One Base to alleviate the headaches suffered by Magnetic Sense Evolvers under magnetic field attacks. After taking a Magnetic Sense Pain-Relief Tablet, a Magnetic Sense Evolver exposed to close-range magnetic field attacks within 24 hours would not feel obvious pain and could use their Magnetic Sense abilities normally.

This medicine was rationed. Xia Qing holding back two tablets to give to Zhang Shi, who was taking Little Eleven to Blue Five Base, was already the absolute limit of what she could spare.

Leaning on her crutch, Yan Yue also turned back to report. "Director, according to the weather forecast, in twenty-five minutes the Calamity Rain level will be upgraded to red."

Xia Qing nodded and immediately contacted Tan Junjie. "Captain Tan, the eastern section of the Central Corridor hasn't been covered yet?"

Tan Junjie replied, "The lords aren't cooperating actively. I'm pressing them harder and leading the construction crews."

The members of the Territory Alliance, who trusted Xia Qing absolutely, immediately dropped what they were doing upon hearing her command and, under Zhao Ze's direction, covered the rainproof tarps and dug isolation ditches.

The other lords of North Sector One's territories, during the Calamity Rain period, still focused primarily on the farmland within their territories, treating the clearing of Calamity-evolved crops and weeds sprouting in the farmland as their top priority.

Aggressive Calamity Grass in the corridors? In their view, the corridors belonged to the public, not their private land. Aggressive Calamity Grass growing in public areas should be cleared by the inspection teams!

Xia Qing ordered expressionlessly, "Captain Tan, turn on the loudspeaker."

"Xia Qing, wait." Zhang San spoke up, reporting the Calamity Grass test results to Xia Qing on the lord channel. "The test results are out. The gas released by the Calamity Grass in the corridor after flowering shares the same origin as the gas emitted by the flesh worms carried by wanderers. This gas is fatally attractive to carnivores, so the danger level of this Calamity Grass is classified as medium-high. It must be covered immediately to block the flowering and the spread of the odor."

"Xia Qing." Seeing Xin Yu also spoke up. "A beast tide has formed on the north side of Mountain Forty. We can't determine the direction of movement yet. We can't rule out that it's heading for our territories."

Hearing Zhang San and Seeing Xin Yu's words, the Territory Alliance members' hearts all began to pound at the same time. They roared at the workers and helpers in their territories to speed up, to finish digging the isolation belts and stuff in the rainproof tarps as quickly as possible.

Red-level Calamity Rain and a beast tide were already on their way!

"Received. Thanks for your hard work, Third Brother. Seeing Xin Yu, keep observing and report the beast tide's movements at any time." After calmly responding, Xia Qing ordered, "Captain Tan, turn on the loudspeaker."

"Yes, the loudspeaker is on."

"Attention all lords, attention all lords: North Sector One Territory Disaster Relief Commander Xia Qing is now reporting the disaster situation to everyone and issuing instructions."

Standing inside the Ninth Center, Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button and spoke in a stern voice:

"All lords, I am Commander Xia Qing. The gas released by the Calamity Grass in the corridor after flowering is fatally attractive to carnivores. Once the odor spreads, the birds and beasts in the evolved forests around the territories will attack the territories. I am now issuing an emergency disaster-elimination mission: territories that have not yet completed Calamity Grass coverage and isolation ditch digging—the lords and territory members of working age must immediately bring tools and rainproof tarps, and follow the inspection team's requirements to cover the Calamity Grass and dig isolation ditches."

"This mission must be completed within twenty minutes. Territories that disobey orders or fail to actively carry out construction—even if you happen to survive until this Calamity Rain ends—will have all territorial preferential policies you enjoy revoked, and will be punished according to law according to the severity of the violation."

The "law" Xia Qing referred to was the "Hua Nation Emergency Natural Disaster Response Law." During disaster relief, orders must be obeyed, and violations will be severely punished.

Hearing Xia Qing's command, the territories that hadn't yet finished covering the corridor Calamity Grass and digging the isolation ditches no longer dared to complain or dawdle. They grabbed their tools and rainproof tarps and rushed out of the sheds and houses, charging into the north-south corridor through the rain.

"Tan Junjie, Ceng Quan, Ding Yongwei—dispatch one inspection team member to each territory to supervise construction progress."

From the loudspeaker came Tan Junjie's voice. "Sixth Inspection Squad received. Territories 1-10 have completed corridor Calamity Grass coverage, and isolation ditch digging progress is past halfway."

Hearing Tan Junjie's words, the lords carrying rainproof tarps ran even faster.

Ding Yongwei responded, "Fifth Inspection Squad received."

Ceng Quan responded, "Fourth Inspection Squad received."

Xia Qing immediately followed with another order. "Tan Junjie, immediately check the battery levels of North Sector One's iron-mesh walls and prepare to electrify them."

Tan Junjie immediately responded, "Received."

Xia Qing issued another order. "Inspection teams, Territory Seven, check the surface-to-air weapons and prepare to respond to bird tide attacks. All territories, construct at full speed!"

She Xing, who was leading people in digging isolation ditches, heard Xia Qing's command, gritted her teeth, and dug the soil vigorously with her shovel.

After releasing the walkie-talkie button, Xia Qing looked at Yan Yue. "Recall the outside Magnetic Sense Evolver teams and activate Plan Two."

"Yes." Yan Yue immediately used the Ninth Center's internal channel to issue the order.

"Brother Yue, I'll leave this place to you. I'm going to the eastern section of the Central Corridor to supervise construction."

Xia Qing had just turned around when the phone in her pocket began to vibrate. After answering, an urgent cry for help came through her Bluetooth earpiece:

"Director Xia, North Sector Three is in emergency, requesting North Sector One support, requesting support!"

Xia Qing calmly refused. "North Sector One is also in emergency. We have no capacity to provide any form of support to North Sector Three."