Chapter 376: Trust Us

At this time of year, going home is a joyous occasion. At the same time, it can also be a difficult, even terrifying, affair.

Though many people had managed to snag tickets long in advance, the sea of people at the stations was no laughing matter.

Whether at high-speed rail stations, regular train stations, or bus terminals, the crowds lining up to get in were even more terrifying than on any previous Spring Festival eve. Only the airports were slightly better off, and that was simply because flights were almost entirely booked.

Niu Run was on duty with the soldiers of his squad at Shen City’s Lanqiao Railway Station. His entire company, over one hundred armed police officers, was present to maintain order.

In addition to the armed police, there was a considerable number of station security guards and regular police officers. The security presence was on a whole other level compared to previous years.

What the passengers didn’t know was that the rifles held by the armed police were all loaded with live ammunition. Some of the regular police, meanwhile, were issued firearms loaded with rubber bullets.

It was five days before the official Spring Festival holiday, and the flow of travelers had already reached its peak.

“Quick, look! Up in the sky!”

A sharp, high-pitched female voice suddenly cried out from within the bustling crowd. People nearby instinctively looked up, following her pointed finger toward the sky.

“What is that?”

“No way… is that a bird?”

“HOLY SHIT!!! A grasshopper!”

“That can’t be real. It’s a plane, isn’t it?”

…

The commotion grew, tempting even those at the front of the line to step out from under the station’s eaves for a look. Those with plenty of time before their trains departed decisively left the long queue to get a better view.

The police worked to maintain order. Niu Run shot a look at another armed police squad leader, then led ten of his men out from under the eaves to look up at the sky.

‘Is that… a locust?’

Several objects that strongly resembled locusts were flying in the sky. They weren’t very high, so from the ground, it was easy to see just how unusually large they were.

The high-frequency beat of their wings was faintly visible in the sunlight.

A “SCREE~~~” rang out.

Everyone’s ears seemed to prickle, and they felt a sense of discomfort at the shrill cry.

“Ah…” “What was that sound…?” “Shit!” …

A giant eagle streaked across the sky. It remained in view for only a few seconds before entering a blind spot, vanishing behind the buildings.

The two insect-like “flying objects” in the sky also vanished.

“Attention passengers, please maintain order in the station and do not block the walkways… Attention passengers, please maintain order…”

The station’s safety announcement echoed over the PA system. With the objects in the sky now gone, people gradually returned to their places.

Niu Run and his comrades exchanged a glance and returned to their posts. As long as no emergency broke out, maintaining order was primarily the job of the police and station staff.

But his hand gripped his rifle much tighter than before.

‘Those were definitely locusts. And that eagle’s cry… that was from one of our ‘War Eagles.”

‘But this is Shen City…’

Aside from this minor, almost-forgotten commotion, many of the young people and parents who had already made it home felt a sense of unfamiliarity as they stepped back into their old towns.

A netizen with the username “SweetiePY” immediately uploaded several photos to his Weibo and social media feed.

He lived in a rural village in the northeast. In past years, the landscape at this time would be a vast expanse of white snow, with no fresh greenery to be seen. But this year, not only was it unseasonably warm, but the environment itself was a world of difference.

He started to feel a bit lost after entering his township.

Green was everywhere. All kinds of vegetation were growing with unnatural exuberance. He pulled up some old photos on his phone to compare and was struck by how ridiculously drastic the change was.

Even though there had been news and rumors about this online for a while, it was still shocking to see it in his hometown with his own eyes. He had only been gone for a year!

There were plenty of netizens just like “SweetiePY.” Many were posting similar things online, and with the arrival of the Spring Festival, this trend of “then and now” comparisons peaked across the globe.

…

“Sir! The situation is developing faster than we anticipated! The ‘Memorandum Initiative’ needs to be moved up!”

In a modest office in the Huannan Sea compound, Tao Xingzhi stood ramrod straight as he delivered his report.

Several other generals stood with him.

The old man behind the desk stared intently at a printed map of Hua Country, which was covered in dots of various colors.

The old man’s brow was deeply furrowed. After a dozen or so seconds, he looked up at these men, the pillars of Hua Country’s new generation.

TAP, TAP. He tapped the cap of his pen twice on a document.

“Once we take this step, there’s no turning back!”

Tao Xingzhi didn’t know how to respond. He could only wait quietly for the order. The one making the final decision bore the greatest pressure.

“Notify our allies. Prepare to execute!”

This wasn’t so much contemplation as it was the man behind the desk hardening his resolve.

…

The New Year’s firecrackers and fireworks were as brilliant as ever.

Curiously, the usual text message alerts from previous years, warning against setting off fireworks and firecrackers within the city limits, never arrived this year.

Of course, even without the text alerts, most city dwellers refrained out of habit. In the towns and rural areas, however, they were set off as joyfully as ever.

The steaming New Year’s Eve dinner was the most important celebration of the year for every family.

Whether on a heated kang bed, around a small table, in a restaurant, or over a hot pot, families everywhere savored this moment of reunion.

According to preliminary estimates from the statistics department and a subsequent analysis of ticket data, over ninety percent of the population was able to reunite with their families before New Year’s Eve, excluding military personnel, some police officers who remained on duty, and other essential staff.

Most of the remainder were still on their way; very few people chose not to go home for the New Year at all.