GBP Chapter 405 The flood is coming
Chapter 405 The flood is coming
These methods seemed unheard of to outsiders, but seeing Shi Wanxia's calm and organized command, coupled with the obvious success of her previous resettlement of disaster victims, everyone, despite their doubts, followed her orders.
Soldiers and militiamen worked tirelessly in the rain, the sounds of tamping the riverbank and the wind and rain mingling together to create a tense atmosphere.
Every day, Shi Wanxia personally patrolled along the riverbank. Rain soaked her clothes, and mud covered her skirt and boot soles, but she was completely unaware.
She carefully examined the stability of each section of the dike, inquired about the findings of the patrol personnel, and occasionally even personally tested the speed of the water flow and changes in the water level with her hands, her brow never relaxing.
The rain lasted for three days and three nights without any sign of stopping.
The river rose at a visible speed, filling the once wide channel with the surging floodwaters. The turbid waves crashed against the banks, emitting a deep and dangerous roar, like a giant beast poised to break free at any moment.
On the evening of the third day, the rain subsided slightly. Shi Wanxia was standing at the highest point of a river embankment, looking at the surging river with great concern.
Lin Yiyu came running from downstream in a panic. He was soaked to the bone, pale, and breathless, his voice trembling as he spoke, his words barely coherent: "Sister Shi... Sister Shi! It's... It's terrible! Downstream... in the valley... a flash flood... a flash flood is coming! It's... even bigger than the last flood! It's unstoppable!"
"what?!"
Shi Wanxia was shocked, as if struck by lightning. Her worst fears had come true.
The continuous torrential rains triggered flash floods, and once the flash floods flowed into the river downstream, the already precarious river embankments would inevitably be unable to withstand the pressure!
She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing.
Don't panic; the more critical the situation, the calmer you need to be.
She took a deep breath and glanced at the distant resettlement site and the direction of the city, where there were still tens of thousands of people and disaster victims!
"Lin Yiyu,"
Shi Wanxia's voice was unusually calm, carrying a convincing power.
"Go and inform Lord Cui immediately, and have him organize manpower to immediately transfer all the people in the city, as well as all the disaster victims in the resettlement sites outside the city, to the highest plateau outside the city!"
"Tell Lord Cui to mobilize everyone at all costs, and do it quickly!"
"Transfer...transfer?"
Lin Yiyu was taken aback. How could it be easy to deal with so many people? And the people might not be willing to cooperate.
"There's no time to explain!"
Shi Wanxia's eyes were sharp as knives. "The flash flood is coming soon, any later and it will be too late! Tell the people that staying here means certain death! Go now!"
"Yes!"
Lin Yiyu was stunned by the determination in her eyes and dared not ask any more questions. He turned around and ran back, tumbling and crawling, even faster than when he came.
Shi Wanxia immediately summoned all the soldiers and patrol officers around her: "Listen up, the situation is extremely critical, the flash flood is imminent!"
"Some of you should immediately come with me to reinforce the weakest sections of the riverbank. Every extra moment counts!"
"The other group will immediately disperse to various parts of the city and resettlement sites to assist Lord Cui in organizing the evacuation and tell the people that they must leave immediately!"
Upon receiving the order, although everyone was terrified, seeing Shi Wanxia remain calm in the face of danger, they all suppressed their fear and obeyed the command.
However, the evacuation process was far more difficult than expected.
When soldiers and officials went door-to-door to inform the people that they were to be moved to higher ground outside the city immediately, many people were bewildered.
"What? We need to move? Why would we need to move?"
"Isn't this rain a bit light? Where did this flash flood come from? Aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?"
"I haven't packed my things yet! What if my house gets burgled if I move out?"
"My wife can't walk anymore. It's too much trouble for her to go through all this. She'd rather stay at home!"
Doubts and complaints arose, and many people, clinging to a侥幸心理 (a sense of wishful thinking), hesitated to set off.
Some disaster victims were completely unmoved by any attempts to persuade them, feeling that although the resettlement sites were simple, at least they could provide shelter from the wind and rain, and they were unwilling to go through any more trouble.
Cui Zhihao was sweating profusely, explaining the dangers of flash floods over and over again until his voice was hoarse, but to little avail.
Just then, Shi Wanxia arrived from the direction of the river embankment with a group of people. She was covered in mud, and her hair was messy and stuck to her cheeks, but her eyes were unusually bright and firm.
Seeing the chaotic scene before her, she immediately understood the crux of the problem.
Without saying much, she walked directly to a high platform, channeled her inner strength, and her clear voice resounded throughout the entire area: "Fellow villagers! I know you are unwilling to leave your homes and abandon your possessions!"
"But now is not the time to hesitate! The flash floods downstream are already underway and will arrive here in less than half an hour!"
"When the flood comes, the houses will be destroyed and the dikes will collapse. Staying here will only lead to death!"
She pointed to the murky water that was already faintly visible in the distance, her voice carrying an undeniable force: "Look! The flood has arrived!"
"That's no ordinary rain; it's a ferocious beast that can devour everything! Every second we buy us increases our chances of survival!"
"The government will never abandon anyone! Temporary accommodations and food have been arranged on the high ground outside the city. As long as we can safely transfer there, we can save our lives!"
"Where there's life, there's hope! If we're alive, we can rebuild everything!"
She glanced at the crowd and, seeing the lingering doubt in some eyes, continued, "I know you don't believe me and think I'm exaggerating!"
"But I, Shi Wanxia, hereby swear that if I utter even the slightest falsehood, I am willing to be struck by lightning!"
"I've already ordered people to reinforce the river embankment to buy everyone time to evacuate, but the embankment won't hold for long!"
"For your own sake, for the sake of your families and children, come with us now, immediately!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud bang came from afar, as if the earth itself was trembling.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a section of the riverbank not far away had developed a huge gap due to the violent impact of the flood. The muddy floodwaters were rushing towards them like a wild horse!
"Oh my god! It really collapsed!"
"Flood is coming! Run!"
Having witnessed this breathtaking scene, all doubts and wishful thinking vanished instantly, replaced by a deep-seated fear.
The people dared not hesitate any longer. They cried out and pulled their families up, following the directions of the soldiers and officials, and ran towards the high ground outside the city.
Cui Zhihao breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Shi Wanxia on the high platform, his eyes full of admiration.
He immediately organized people to maintain order, prioritizing the elderly, women, and children to board the vehicles or to be assisted by young adults, in order to speed up the evacuation as much as possible.