nycdaug Chapter 18: Providing a Safety Net for the Masses and the Law of the Strong
Chapter 18: Providing a Safety Net for the Masses and the Law of the Strong
With the official update of [Doomsday 1.00 Version],
The contingency plans and instructions, as dense as snowflakes, surged through encrypted channels to every corner of the country.
From the fleet listening to the sound of the waves in the Spratly Islands to the watchtowers gazing at the dark clouds in the Behe River.
From monitoring stations in the East China Sea to military camps guarding the border on the western plateau.
In this restless night, countless comrades joined the massive pulse of the state apparatus.
They are engineers, soldiers, technicians, the smallest yet most indispensable cogs in the nation's machine, driving the National Machine of Dongda University to operate efficiently with absolute precision.
Meanwhile, the hundreds of millions of students at Dongda University, who were being silently protected, heard about the official update of "Earth's End 1.00".
Even though they were panicked, they were actively responding to the country's call and staying quietly at home, not going out to cause trouble for the government officials.
Among the hundreds of millions of people, there may be some opportunists, but the vast majority chose to believe in the country at this moment.
Since the country was able to make preparations a month in advance.
The people then believed that by following the country, they would surely overcome the difficulties!
Faced with an absolute crisis, the ancient land and civilization of Dongda University once again demonstrated an unprecedented level of cohesion.
but,
This silent solidarity exists only at the University of Tokyo.
The situation abroad is already in an uproar.
[Ding—Doomsday 1.00 version update.]
[Due to the rapid decline of nuclear fusion reactions inside the sun, the world will enter an ice age; this version will remain unchanged for three years.]
As the cold, mechanical voice is translated into various languages, it appears in the minds of billions of people around the world.
This supernatural power finally made everyone realize that the doomsday prophecy of Tokyo University was true!
Kimchi Country, Seoul.
At this moment, all the supermarkets, big and small, in Seoul were blocked by crowds.
"Hurry and grab it! If you're too late, there won't be anything left!"
"Damn it, can't people afford to live anymore?! They're even trying to steal my packet of spicy noodles and a slice of cheese!"
The cart was overturned amidst screams and curses, and the shelves were emptied at lightning speed, like crops being devoured by locusts.
In the shoving and pushing of the crowd, some people were quickly swept into the throng, screaming in pain, causing a horrific stampede.
Even so, countless people still flocked to the supermarket, making it feel like a crowded can of sardines, squeezing everyone's bodies.
The land of cherry blossoms, Tokyo.
Long lines formed at all the gas stations.
Countless people scrambled for diesel fuel at the gas station, and some even used large plastic water tanks to rudely cut in line at the gas pumps, trying to shove the nozzles into the tank openings.
"Baka! How could you draw so many copies?!"
This action quickly led to shoving and then escalated into a physical altercation.
Further away, the windows of an electronics store were smashed, and people rushed in to loot warm appliances.
United States, Los Angeles.
Compared to unarmed combat uniforms in other cities, this is a knife-fighting uniform.
The gunfight suits of the United States Federation were already physically destroyed.
The piercing sirens of police cars and the sound of shattering shop windows echoed through the streets.
In addition, the sound of gunfire was incessant, and Molotov cocktails were even burning in the streets, causing traffic congestion.
In the distance, inside the church, the priest and believers cried out, "God, forgive us!"
At this moment, panic, like the most deadly infectious disease, quickly spread abroad.
Inside the White House in the United States.
The noise and chaos outside did not affect the tranquility and peace of the presidential office.
The President of the United States leaned back in his leather chair, listening to an elegant vinyl record, and silently took a puff of his cigar.
"Charles, did you just hear a 'ding' sound in your head?"
"Mr. President, you've asked that question three times now."
"I'm pretty sure that not only I heard it, but all of humanity in the world heard it."
Of course, it's possible that my daughter's silly dog could hear it too, but perhaps the intelligence of animals other than humans isn't sufficient to understand its meaning.
Even at this moment, Charles still had the mood to tell corny jokes.
After all, he had already prepared a way out for himself and his family, so he was not worried at all.
The Ice Age only lasted three years, but the food, wine, and even cigarettes he prepared were enough to last for more than a decade.
Even if an ice age were to descend, he could still retreat to his warm mansion with the fireplace burning and live a carefree life.
For him, this glacial apocalypse was more like a paid vacation.
Charles may not care, but the President of the United States cannot simply wash his hands of the matter.
He puffed out smoke rings from his cigar, looking somewhat melancholy, and asked:
"What should we do now?"
"As you said before, with our current financial and organizational capabilities, the United States Federation has no chance of resisting the Ice Age apocalypse."
But if we don't do anything, those mobs... at least we need to stabilize the current situation in the United States.
Charles took a sip of coffee, cleared his throat, and said:
"Mr. President, we actually have a very mature and tried-and-tested crisis response strategy that is also very flexible and versatile."
The president's eyes lit up: "Tell me in detail."
Charles extended his index finger, speaking calmly:
"In the first phase, we declared to the public that nothing had happened."
The unusual activity of the sun is actually a normal, periodic fluctuation. The so-called "doomsday version update" is a collective illusion or a deliberate attempt by hostile forces, such as Tokyo University, to influence us.
Actually, everything is under the control of our United States Federation.
Charles then raised his second finger and said:
"In the second phase, when the evidence became too overwhelming to deny, we changed our tune and said that perhaps something was indeed happening."
However, given the unclear nature and unknown impact, it is not advisable to take any drastic actions at this stage to avoid unnecessary panic and social costs.
"In the third phase, the situation in the Ice Age continued to worsen, and we can admit that perhaps some action should be taken."
Unfortunately, due to the dire situation, we have not yet found an effective solution.
"The fourth stage is when the disaster has fully struck and is irreversible."
We must stand up and look back on the past with a somber tone.
Perhaps we should have done something in the first place, but unfortunately, it's too late now.
"..."
The President raised his head suspiciously:
"Charles...it sounds like we haven't done anything from step one to step four."
Charles put down his coffee cup and smiled:
"Dear Mr. President, we have been doing it all along."
"What did you do?"
"Let the people of our United States, at every stage, believe that they are being protected."
At least, I believe someone cares about them.
"As for whether it truly protected anyone..."
Charles shrugged and said:
"That's not really important, is it?"
After all, we're not Tokyo University, but a capitalist world where the strong prey on the weak. The Federation won't bail out the weak.
"If they can't survive, they can only blame themselves for not having enough. From the moment they became citizens of the Union, they should have been prepared to be exploited and annihilated by this cruel country if they fell behind!"