Chapter 1196 Lin'an Gathering Place 2

As dusk approached, the dim sunlight pierced through the pervasive dust, barely illuminating the massive construction site.

The air was filled with the smells of dirt, sweat, and diesel exhaust.

Most of the workers were working at their posts, and the sounds of tamping earth, the clanging of tools, and the roar of generators created a tiring and monotonous background melody.

Sudden--

A rapid static crackled from the loudspeakers, powered by generators, set up throughout the assembly area, and from the makeshift walkie-talkies carried by some key personnel. Then, a voice, slightly distorted due to the unstable signal, yet brimming with unprecedented excitement and solemnity, rang out—

That was the voice of the spokesperson for the Provisional Government of the Eastern Theater Command:

"Fellow countrymen! All officers, soldiers, and workers who are steadfastly working on the front lines of construction! This is the Provisional Management Committee of the Eastern Theater Command! We are now broadcasting a major piece of news of the highest order!"

The sound echoed through the loudspeaker across the empty construction site, instantly drowning out all the work noise.

Countless people stopped what they were doing, subconsciously raised their heads, and looked in the direction from which the sound came, their faces filled with confusion and a hint of expectation that had been forcibly aroused.

"Through in-depth consultations with representatives including Zhou Wei, Director of the Joint Political Department of our theater command, and Wang Zhiming, Deputy Commander, a consensus was reached with the Central Theater Command, the Southern Theater Command, and the Western Theater Command!"

"A brand-new supreme authority—the 'Zhou Bang's End-of-Days Emergency Military Committee'—aimed at unifying forces and overcoming difficulties together, has recently been officially established!!!"

The broadcast continued, but when the words "Zhou Bang's End-of-Day Emergency Military Committee" and "Joint Command of the Four War Zones" were clearly uttered, the entire "Lin'an New City" seemed to be put on pause, and then—

boom!

An indescribable, immense shock and the ensuing ecstasy, like the shockwave of an explosion, instantly swept across the land!

Inside the core command post of "Command Hill," the officers and civilian staff who remained on duty suddenly stood up from their seats. Some even knocked over water glasses on the table, but they were completely unaware of it. They just stared intently at the loudspeaker, their faces filled with unbelievable excitement.

"A...a committee?! The four war zones have joined forces?!"

“We…we are not fighting alone! We still have the South, the West…and the Central Plains!!” A middle-aged staff officer’s voice trembled, and his eyes instantly reddened.

As a grassroots cadre who had experienced the initial collapse and internal strife of the apocalypse, he knew all too well what "isolation and helplessness" meant, so much so that he overlooked the fact that a 'strange war zone' had infiltrated the joint command of the four war zones.

Meanwhile, on the noisy construction site, a construction worker covered in mud put down his shovel in a daze. His companion next to him rubbed his ears hard, wondering if he had misheard.

"Hey...did you hear me? The committee? A joint operation by the four major war zones??"

"The four war zones have joined forces???! This means the entire nation has regained communication, and we are no longer fighting alone??? It means that in many corners of the apocalypse, there are survivors like us??? It means that so many powerful forces have survived and are resisting???"

This exciting news spread like wildfire, raging through the crowd. At first, it was a hushed, incredulous discussion, but it quickly turned into a louder and louder cheer!

In the crowded medical tent area, the wounded and sick struggled to sit up, straining to listen to the detailed information being broadcast repeatedly over the loudspeaker.

When they heard that "the committee will give priority to ensuring the opening of the Yangtze River waterway" and "fully support all member war zones," a glimmer of hope was rekindled in the eyes of many.

The opening of the waterway means supplies, medicine, and fuel! It means they may no longer have to endure the torment of hunger and injury!

“We’re saved…we’re really saved!” a young soldier lying on a stretcher said, choking back tears, and tightly grasped the hand of the nurse beside him.

Even the survivors at the very bottom, who usually had numb expressions and only knew how to do mechanical labor, seemed to have been injected with some kind of stimulant at this moment.

They may not fully understand the political significance of the committee, but they clearly grasped the key words—"support," "unity," and "no longer isolated."

For people who have struggled in despair for too long, this is like seeing a ray of dawn piercing through the clouds in endless darkness!

Soon, more specific information about the committee's structure, Chairman Gu Chengyuan, and the Eastern Theater Command's role within it was rapidly disseminated through command systems at all levels.

At the same time, the names of many core leaders of the committee, including Chairman Gu Chengyuan, Vice Chairman Gao Jianguo, Vice Chairman Wu Xianglin, and Vice Chairman Wei Jingfang, resounded throughout the gathering place.

Apart from Gao Jianguo, the commander of the Eastern Theater Command, many survivors in the Lin'an settlement were hearing the names of so many high-ranking leaders for the first time. Unlike before the apocalypse, the survivors were particularly sensitive to information about leaders who were related to their life and death, and they were especially impressed by the name 'Gu Chengyuan'.

"The highest leadership body? Chairman Gu Chengyuan?? I don't think our Zhou Bang cabinet's chief minister has that name, do he?" A middle-aged worker with a dusty face asked in a puzzled tone.

Upon hearing this, an older worker with slightly protruding teeth and thick-rimmed black glasses retorted irritably:

"What do you know? The cabinet changes every time! Do you think this is some ancient imperial era? These days, it's a rotation system, and it's definitely this new leader's turn!"

"So that means that from now on, our weekly ranking leader will be this leader named Gu Chengyuan?" a simple, honest voice concluded.

"Of course! In the past, the Chief Secretary concurrently served on the Military Commission. Just talking about the Military Commission, can't you work backwards from the problem?"

"Great!! After so much chaos, our country has finally recovered!! The next step should be to completely eradicate the apocalypse, right??"

"Finally, I see hope!!"

"Long live the Committee!!! Long live Zhou Bang!!"

"The invincible Zhou people will surely end the chaos!!!!"

Ooooooooo!!!

...

For the first time, the unfinished construction site of "Lin'an New City" has erupted with an unprecedented wave of hope and vitality.

People hugged and shook hands, and many tough guys couldn't help but shed tears. This was not sadness, but a release after long-term suppression, and a renewed belief in the future!

Although the road ahead is still long, construction remains arduous, and the threat of sea monsters has not yet been eliminated, the establishment of the "Zhou Bang's End-of-Day Emergency Military Committee" is like a lighthouse suddenly appearing in the fog, pointing the way for "Lin'an New City" and the entire Eastern Theater Command, and injecting a powerful driving force called "hope".

They knew that from this moment on, they were no longer a lone boat adrift in the apocalypse, but had joined a massive fleet powerful enough to shake the era!