On the fifth day, rain poured over Yun City. Around the globe, a fever that wouldn't subside, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and eventual organ failure leading to death, plagued numerous patients.
It was no mystery now that this was undoubtedly related to the Crimson Mist.
The idea that the Crimson Mist was the cause of the illness spread like wildfire across the internet, instigating widespread panic. Opportunistic criminals wreaked havoc on the streets, while pessimistic doomsayers incited those drowning in despair to revel in an apocalyptic frenzy.
Fu Shiwu scrolled through the alarming photos circulating online, his mood growing heavier by the minute.
At this point, he almost felt grateful for their isolation within the Tianjing Garden. Guards armed outside prevented the madness from breaching their sanctuary.
After days of searching, Fu Shiwu finally discovered a method to sift through the vast sea of the internet for obscure information.
Within a forum, an analysis suggested that the Crimson Mist contaminated certain atmospheric components, causing the widespread outbreak. The reason behind the higher death toll among the elderly and children was attributed to their weaker immune systems. However, the source of this information harbored no optimism. They claimed that as long as the Crimson Mist persisted, the pollution would exacerbate, overpowering even adult immune systems.
"Hmm?" Fu Shiwu frowned, perplexed by the sudden disappearance of the page he was monitoring. Despite refreshing, the webpage ceased to exist.
He'd never encountered such a situation before, prompting him to attempt various checks and methods, yet he couldn't reopen the previous page.
In an office building in Yun City, a young man with a fair, short face busily typed away on the keyboard.
"Haha! Another one down by me!" His excited eyes gleamed as he muttered, "Huh? You dare resist? Come at me again!"
Several computer screens and keyboards cluttered his desk, facing a sizable data cabinet across from him.
"Using a supercomputer is way cooler! My little laptop is just too weak! Being a hacker openly is so cool. All those years at the police academy weren't in vain, haha!" The young man, Miao Jia, savored his decision.
At that moment, a weary middle-aged man entered the room. "Miao Jia, how's the cleanup of inflammatory online content going?"
"Chief!" Miao Jia's playful demeanor vanished as he stood up, solemnly reporting, "All sites promoting dangerous rhetoric have been shut down. I've even tracked down the physical addresses of these individuals." He handed a paper over, saying, "Here's the address list."
Glancing briefly at the paper, the chief commended, "Excellent work. Keep the online environment under control and clean."
Disappointed by the lack of an arrest order, Miao Jia felt let down. This was his first major case after graduation.
The chief noticed his disappointment but with the current stretched police force and everyone on the streets detaining troublemakers, Miao Jia, being young and excelling only in information security and management, lacking in physical prowess and marksmanship, would be deployed as well.
The chief couldn't dampen his enthusiasm and encouraged, "You're doing great. Fewer dangerous speeches online mean fewer troublemakers on the streets. It provides significant security for our frontline officers. Keep up the good work! I have faith in you! I'll keep this list, and once the situation relaxes, we'll proceed with the arrests."
Miao Jia knew the chief's words were merely to comfort him, but even if he knew it was just consolation, he had to comply with the leader's intention to be reassured.
With enthusiasm, Miao Jia replied, "Leave it to me! I'll ensure the internet stays absolutely clean! Not a chance for anyone to take advantage!"
However, this overzealousness led to a wide net—any content even remotely unsettling was swiftly terminated.
No wonder Fu Shiwu couldn't access the forum anymore, no matter how hard he tried.
After fruitless attempts, Fu Shiwu had to concede. Soon, his stomach growled vehemently.
Leaving the study, he headed to the kitchen, retrieved a large dehydrated vegetable cake from the cupboard, set up a portable stove, and tossed some noodles into a pot.
Once the noodles were done, he strained them and poured the dehydrated vegetables into the broth, adding a spoonful of chili paste. And that was it—a steaming bowl of vegetable chili noodles.
Despite years of living alone, Fu Shiwu's culinary skills were rather average, only managing to cook and stir-fry the basics. Gourmet dishes were beyond his capability.
Opting for convenience, he ordered dehydrated vegetable cakes online—simple and easy, the ideal companion for a homebody!
With a heavy heart, the flavorful chili noodles seemed tasteless. After finishing his meal and dumping the bowl in the sink, he returned to the study.
He retrieved a box from the bookshelf, his expression hesitant.
After pondering, he eventually opened the box and retrieved a dark, portable hard drive-like object, plugging it into the computer via a data cable.
He cleared any traces of internet browsing and desktop clutter, opening his computer to directly access the hard drive and launch a particular software.
A web-like window popped up on the screen, a login interface. Fu Shiwu entered his username and password, clicking enter.
Upon entry, he wasn't disappointed. There lay a single piece of information inside.
His excitement quickly turned to disappointment as he stared blankly at the computer.
Counting over and over, those were the only few words there; no other information.
"Well, this is better than usual. Normally, we only exchange information during New Year's," Fu Shiwu consoled himself, originally not expecting much.
His parents worked abroad year-round, reportedly in a highly secure, strictly confidential location. He used to accompany them until he reached school age, after which, under the care of a nanny, he completed his education alone.
Over the years, he only received snippets of information. The thought of returning to that place or visiting his parents was impossible. It would only happen when his parents retired, allowing the family to reunite.
However, this unexpected occurrence of the Crimson Mist phenomenon and the current unclear situation made Fu Shiwu worry about their safety. This was why he resorted to using this specific software for communication.
Even with this software, most of the time, he could only choose to receive messages. Unless his parents also logged in, which was rare; they were too busy.
Feeling inexplicably saddened and disappointed, Fu Shiwu's eyes lingered on those few words.
At that moment, a red light on the hard drive suddenly lit up, startling Fu Shiwu. He hastily unplugged the data cable, causing the window to vanish instantly.
"Phew." Fu Shiwu breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first time in many years that the red light had come on, surprising him.
As he placed the hard drive back, a commotion erupted outside.
Fu Shiwu rushed to the door.
"We've been abandoned! We're forsaken! The apocalypse is here! Hahaha!" A man, with a bizarre and manic expression, yelled loudly in the corridor, banging on doors one by one.
"Light! Light!" He pounded on the door opposite, ignoring whoever might be inside, just shouting, "No one's managing us. We're free!"
"Is he crazy?" Fu Shiwu gaped at the man's frantic behavior. As the man approached to bang on his own door, Fu Shiwu quickly shut it.
In a matter of seconds, the loud banging on his door reverberated, "Everyone, come out! Let's have one final revelry!"
Only after the madman had knocked on all eight households on the eighteenth floor did the sound fade away.
Finally at ease, Fu Shiwu checked the security peephole, ensuring no one was outside, and then opened his door.
It seemed the man had left, but Fu Shiwu wasn't sure if he had gone upstairs or downstairs.
At that moment, the adjacent door also opened, and a much worn-out woman peered out, visibly startled upon seeing him.
Fu Shiwu instinctively smiled and nodded calmly at her.
The woman managed a brief smile before retracting her head. Unable to resist, Fu Shiwu asked, "May I inquire about the old gentleman in your home?"
Surprised, the woman glanced at him and sadly replied, "Sent to the hospital, but passed away within a day."
Fu Shiwu was taken aback by this outcome, even though he had read many times online about cases where hospitalization only meant waiting for death. It was still shocking to encounter a real-life example.
This was a living example close to him.
Clearly not in the mood for conversation, the woman closed the door after saying this.
Fu Shiwu sighed and the corridor became extremely quiet, making his sigh seem quite loud.
Soon after, Fu Shiwu seemed to hear faint sounds of an electric wheelchair moving. He glanced at the door opposite, which remained motionless, showing no sign of opening. Thus, Fu Shiwu closed his own door.
In this building, Fu Shiwu wasn't the only one who never stepped out. Therefore, he was a step behind when he learned that the armed police outside had unexpectedly withdrawn.
But that wasn't the most shocking part. It was that a family on the ground floor had escaped, got caught, and after that, the entrance and exit of their building had been sealed off.
Now, it seemed, they were trapped!
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