Redemption - Chapter 6 - The Riot

After a series of events, Zong Rui had completely lost his appetite. However, he still needed to eat, so he asked Jia Wei to buy some specialty bread. Even so, Zong Rui was still on edge; he had to tear the bread apart and check for cockroaches inside before he dared to take small, cautious bites.

Jia Wei, confused, asked, “What on earth is going on?”

Zong Rui frowned, saying, “I’m not sure. But generally speaking, there are three reasons for animal migrations.

“First, it’s a lack of food sources. When food resources are scarce, animals tend to migrate, especially social animals that often move in search of food and water, like the wildebeests on the African savanna.

“Second, there can be a shift or change in the Earth’s magnetic field. Many animals navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field, and if there’s a magnetic deviation, it can cause them to lose their sense of direction, leading to poor judgments, such as the phenomenon of mass strandings in marine animals.

“The third and more common reason is an indication of a looming disaster. Animals often have sharper senses than humans. They can hear infrasound that humans cannot, smell scents beyond our detection, see light that is invisible to us, and perceive bacteria that go unnoticed by humans. They can sense the approach of disasters, prompting them to migrate-what we human beings interpret as abnormal behavior. For example, before the Tangshan earthquake, there were unusual gatherings of dragonflies, dogs and various livestock showed signs of unease, and ants collectively moved their nests. So generally, these unusual behaviors in animals often predict an impending disaster.”

Listening to Zong Rui’s analysis, Jia Wei gave an awkward smile and said, “So, in short, this is… not good, right?”

Zong Rui frowned again and muttered three words:

“Very not good.”

The school quickly sent someone to handle the situation. Zong Rui returned to the classroom, filled with hunger and a bad mood, to continue the afternoon session.

But the chaos did not stop; it spread from the school to Nanhai City. In the afternoon, the city was filled with the blaring sirens of various emergency vehicles-police cars, fire trucks, ambulances… The cacophony blended into a chaotic mix, and sporadic gunshots could be heard. The city was bustling, filled with confusion.

Zong Rui’s father was the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau, and this made Zong Rui very worried. He knew that with his father’s temperament, he would not hide in the office but would be in the most dangerous situations. Although Zong Rui wasn’t clear about what was happening, one thing was certain:

Something was about to happen…

3:00 PM, April 3, 2012

24 hours until the disaster strikes

At this very moment, Zong Rui’s father, Zong Li, Deputy Director of the Nanhai City Public Security Bureau, was stationed at a traffic control point in the city center, utterly overwhelmed as he glanced at a report that had just been handed to him by his secretary.

“Six dead, 131 injured, 28 of them critically… What is this?”

The secretary wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief and cautiously replied, “Deputy Director, this document contains the casualty statistics for violent incidents in the city from midnight to now. I compiled it myself.” This thin, bespectacled man had only graduated from the police academy a few years ago. His naturally cautious demeanor made him appear meek in front of Zong Li, though in reality, Zong Li was doing nothing to intimidate him.

“That many!” Zong Li’s frown deepened. Since taking up the role of Deputy Director of the Nanhai City Public Security Bureau, he had maintained a tight grip on law and order, and incidents of violence were rare. Yet the number of casualties reported just today had already eclipsed the total number of violent incidents in Nanhai City over the past year. If word of this got out, there’d be no end to the trouble-he’d surely bear the brunt of the responsibility. Letting out a weary sigh, Zong Li said, “We’re all in trouble now… Alright, keep gathering the latest updates. The moment you have new information, report to me or the director immediately. I’ll remain here at this post. That’ll be all-you can go now.”

The secretary swallowed nervously and hesitated for a moment before cautiously adding, “Dir… Director, there’s… there’s one more piece of bad news.”

Zong Li, who had just lifted a glass of water to his lips, paused in confusion. “Another one? What else could possibly go wrong?”

The secretary hesitated, then reluctantly handed Zong Li another report. Zong Li took a sip of tea as he read it, but before he could swallow, the tea suddenly sprayed out of his mouth. Fortunately, the secretary dodged in time, narrowly avoiding being drenched. Zong Li, almost hysterical, shouted, “What kind of joke is this? In just six hours, 67 people died across the city in traffic accidents, and over 200 were injured? That’s the equivalent of a decade’s worth of incidents! What the hell is going on here?”

The secretary instinctively took a few steps back, stammering, “Everything today is… exceptionally abnormal. There’s been a surge in incidents… and the situation… it’s rapidly spiraling out of control.”

Zong Li snapped back, his tone sharp, “No! As long as we police officers are still here, the situation will not get out of control. Immediately notify all police officers, whether they are at the station or resting at home. Arm them, get them into patrol cars, and deploy them across the streets evenly. I want every street under strict surveillance. We must crush any danger in its infancy! I do not want to see any more casualties in Nanhai City!”

The secretary’s body trembled slightly, a barely noticeable gesture that nevertheless did not escape Zong Li’s watchful eye. Sensing something was wrong, Zong Li asked, “What is it?”

The secretary cautiously replied, “Well… there might be a bit of a problem, because… because…”

“What now?” Zong Li demanded, his voice filled with frustration. Then, as if a thought had suddenly struck him, his expression darkened. “You don’t mean to say… no, it can’t be!”

The secretary nodded reluctantly. “Yes. Some officers have also fallen into a state of mental chaos. About half an hour ago, a squad leader suddenly went berserk inside the Public Security Bureau. He fired a QSZ92-1 anti-riot gun wildly around the room, destroying a lot of equipment. He’s been subdued now, but some officers are completely shaken… I estimate about a sixth of the entire force has already lost their ability to operate effectively. As long as they don’t cause further trouble, I’d consider us fortunate. The director gave orders to confiscate their weapons to prevent any worse incidents, and thankfully nothing catastrophic has happened… yet.”

Zong Li remained silent for a moment, letting out a deep sigh. In a low voice, he muttered, “Even if I manage to get through this disaster unscathed, the nation won’t let me off the hook so easily…”

The secretary said nothing, matching Zong Li’s somber mood with his own heavy silence. The two of them stood beside a police car, its red and blue lights casting alternating shadows on their faces, while the cacophony of sirens and chaos surrounded them. They remained there for a long time, unmoving, wordless…