Chapter 1184 Fleeing in Panic
boom!
This news was like a psychological bomb dropped into the conference room!
"Baka na!!!" (Impossible!!!) The old man in the general's uniform roared, but his voice trembled slightly.
He snatched the electronic tactical board from the staff officer's hand. It clearly displayed the radar-captured trajectory and data, and the constantly flashing red warning signs stung his eyes.
"Zhou Bang!!!...How...How dare they?! They wouldn't have dared even before the apocalypse!!"
"How dare they launch an intercontinental ballistic missile attack against us without regard for international repercussions?!" The tycoon's patriarch shouted in a fit of rage, his facial muscles contorted, his previous composure completely gone.
"Is it confirmed?! Could it be a misjudgment?! Or... a meteorite?!" Someone asked, their voice trembling, clinging to the last shred of hope.
"The match rate is over 95%! The trajectory calculation... it's aimed at us! At most... at most fifteen minutes left!!" The staff officer's voice was choked with sobs; his last psychological defense had collapsed.
He could almost see the destructive flames descending from the sky.
"Fifteen minutes..."
The folding fan in the prince's hand fell to the tatami mat with a "thud." He absentmindedly repeated the time, his body swaying slightly, as if he might faint at any moment.
The carefully maintained elegance and grandeur that represented a thousand-year heritage were shattered at this moment by the most primal fear.
Inside the meeting room, all the previous intrigue, power struggles, and indifference towards the survivors at the bottom of society seemed so ridiculous and insignificant at this moment.
The military force they relied on to maintain their rule, their meticulously constructed defenses, and their strict hierarchical system were as fragile as paper toys in the face of a single, destructive intercontinental ballistic missile from afar.
A deep-seated fear called "being purged" instantly coiled around the heart of everyone present, like a cold, venomous snake!
They remembered the immense bloodshed that had taken place on that continent, the irreconcilable conflicts and historical grievances between the two sides before the apocalypse…
The apocalypse shattered all the constraints of rules.
And now, retribution... has arrived!
In the most direct, cruel, and unquestionable way!
"Quickly! Activate the highest emergency plan! All air defense systems at maximum power! Notify... notify everyone to enter the shelter! Hurry!!" the old man in the general's uniform roared hoarsely, but his orders sounded so pale and powerless at this moment.
Everyone knows that when faced with an intercontinental ballistic missile that is traveling at more than twenty times the speed of sound and has terminal maneuverability, their remaining air defense capabilities are utterly futile.
Despair, like the lingering gloom outside the window, instantly engulfed everyone in this luxurious conference room.
...........
Woo woo woo woo——————
Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, chaos erupted at the entrance to the "Underground Shelter of the Divine Kingdom," located deep within the "Nest of a Thousand Cranes," which was built specifically for the core members of the Revival Society and their immediate family members.
The heavy alloy door, strong enough to withstand the impact of a nuclear explosion, slowly opened, revealing a dark passage leading deep underground.
The usually dignified and elegant heads of Chinese and wealthy families had long since abandoned all pretense of decorum.
Surrounded by their retainers and private soldiers, they were pale-faced and staggering, rushing towards the only way out like frightened rabbits.
The women's gorgeous furisode kimonos were trampled and torn in the rush, their delicate hair was disheveled, and screams and cries mingled with the men's rude shouts.
Some people clutched tightly to boxes containing family heirlooms or important documents, while others dragged small suitcases filled with jewelry and gold—even in their final moments, they could not bear to part with the burdens that symbolized power and wealth.
"Quick! Move aside! Let me in first!" A portly tycoon forcefully pushed aside the old butler blocking his way, his fat face covered in greasy sweat and fear.
"Father! Wait for me!" A boy in a school uniform was knocked down by the crowd and cried out in terror, but no one paid any attention.
Supported by his servants, the royal prince staggered toward the entrance. He glanced back at the complex of buildings that symbolized the pinnacle of power, his eyes filled with no pity for the people, but only a deep fear of his own uncertain fate.
The shelter was incredibly sturdy and well-stocked, enough to allow them to survive for a while in the post-nuclear hell.
As for the millions of people outside? They are nothing more than consumables that can be replenished at any time to maintain the operation of the "divine kingdom".
Just as the powerful and wealthy in the core area were fleeing underground in panic, the rusty loudspeakers set up in various places in the settlement once again blared that cold and rigid female voice.
However, the content of this broadcast was even more chilling than the threat of a nuclear explosion:
"Emergency broadcast. All citizens are on standby in their own homes and designated work areas. All orders are on hold."
(Emergency broadcast. All citizens are to immediately stand by at home or in their designated work areas. This is an order.)
"My がKyoto は, the immortal spirit of the Kingdom of God により, my あらゆるdifficulty をovercoming する."
(Our Kyoto, with the indomitable spirit of our divine kingdom, will surely overcome all difficulties.)
"There are no interruptions in the outside, and the movement of the group is all recognized. Violators will be punished immediately for rebellion."
(Unauthorized departures and group movements are strictly prohibited. Violators will be executed immediately for treason.)
"Everyone has a calm heart, a calm mind, a strong spirit, and a strong sense of endurance. The only way to survive is to maintain order."
(Each person must calm their mind and endure this trial with mental strength. Obeying the rules is the only way to survive.)
The broadcast repeated itself over and over, its tone unwavering, filled with the cold, impersonal characteristics of old-era militarism that emphasized "spiritualism," disregarded individual life, and stressed absolute obedience.
There were no public shelters, no evacuation guidelines, and not even a word of comfort.
All that exists is high-pressure control and the self-deception of placing one's hopes for survival in the vague notion of "spiritual power" and the "immortal divine kingdom."
In the ground-floor residential area, the last trace of color drained from the faces of those who heard the broadcast.
Despair, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed them.
Like a flock of sheep being driven, they numbly and silently retreated into their narrow, dark "home" cobbled together from sheet metal and wooden planks, under the rough shouts and shoves of the patrolling soldiers.
These makeshift shacks offered absolutely no protection against the impending nuclear explosion and shockwave.
Their only function seems to be to serve as collective coffins to collect their remains in the final moments.
Some people held their children tightly, their bodies trembling uncontrollably with fear, yet they couldn't utter a sound.
The boy named Masao was held tightly in his mother's arms. He looked out at the gray sky through the cracks in the shed, his big eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
He didn't fully understand the meaning of death, but the almost tangible despair of the adults around him instilled in him an instinctive fear.
Maintenance worker Matsumoto squatted in the corner, looking at the half-eaten, hard-to-swallow algae paste in his hand. Suddenly, he let out a whimper that sounded like both crying and laughing, and then threw the lump of food hard on the ground.
"くそったれ! Psychic power だと?! こんなもので, atomic bomb defense げるか?! ばかばかしい!"
(Damn it! Mental power?! Can this thing really protect against a nuclear bomb?! Utterly absurd!!!!)
But his roar was quickly drowned out by the deathly silence and the cold, repetitive loop of the broadcast...
..........
