The first thing that caught his eye was a group message directly from the Jiangcheng government.
【Jiangcheng Emergency Alert】 : « According to reports from coastal monitoring stations, a super-scale typhoon is forming on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, which may cause a large-scale tsunami upon landing. To ensure the safety of citizens' lives and property, all citizens are requested to return home immediately to pack their luggage and await organizational arrangements for evacuation. No one is allowed to drive away privately to avoid causing chaos and affecting traffic efficiency. Violators will be prosecuted for disturbing order! »
A few short lines, yet they made Chen Jin's heart pound with fear!
Super-scale typhoon? Return home immediately to pack and await evacuation?
As a coastal city, Jiangcheng, in Chen Jin's memory, was hit by typhoons almost every year.
Although after the Spiritual Energy Revival, Earth's area had increased significantly, and the power of various natural disasters had also intensified, even those super-scale typhoons at most meant doing protective measures at home, stocking up on food in advance, and not going out. Never before had there been a situation like this, where the government's tone suggested organizing a large-scale evacuation of all Jiangcheng residents!
Moreover, this message was a special emergency notification, which would ring continuously even if the phone was set to silent, until the confirmation message was clicked, or it would stop after ten minutes!
Although the text did not explicitly state the reason, anyone with a bit of sense felt that something was wrong. He saw that with a few exclamations, the boss of the barbecue stall next to him pulled down the rolling shutter, and the diners who were chatting and laughing cheerfully also left with worried expressions.
And compared to ordinary citizens, Chen Jin received a second message!
【Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School Academic Affairs Department】 requests all students to rush to school within half an hour! Go to your respective grade auditoriums! Important matters will be announced! Failure to arrive on time may result in expulsion!
Arrive within half an hour!
This was also an emergency notification message!
As far as Chen Jin knew, large-scale mobilization of students usually meant bad news!
He looked at Chen Wei worriedly. She also looked at him, and for the first time, a hint of panic appeared in her usually fearless eyes.
« Xiao Wei ? »
« You got it too? »
« Mhm. »
« Don't be scared, we'll go to school first. If anything really happens, I'll protect you, » Chen Jin said solemnly.
Chen Wei fearfully grabbed Chen Jin's arm, just like when she was little. Chen Jin could feel her heart beating wildly. He didn't say much more and led the young girl to rush towards the school.
On the way, he saw many students coming out of their homes. Not only Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School, but all high schools were mobilizing.
Everyone's face was filled with anxiety and fear of the unknown.
« Xiao Wei ? »
As they approached the school gate, an uncertain call suddenly came from behind Chen Jin. He turned his head and saw eight students gathered together, both boys and girls, who seemed to be Chen Wei's classmates.
They looked at Chen Jin, initially with some confusion, but soon turned to surprise. A girl exclaimed, « Xiao Wei, is this... your brother? »
Chen Wei nodded, and immediately, eight admiring gazes turned towards Chen Jin, as if their worries had lessened considerably.
Chen Jin smiled and nodded at them, then turned to Chen Wei and said, « Go ahead, Xiao Wei. I'll come find you after the assembly. »
The first and third years had different assembly points. Chen Wei seemed reluctant to leave Chen Jin, her hand on his shoulder tightening slightly, but she finally let go and walked to her classmates.
Chen Jin also felt some worry, but ultimately said no more and walked towards the third-year auditorium.
When the auditorium doors were opened, half of the seats were already occupied. Everyone was discussing animatedly, and the vast auditorium was noisy and chaotic.
Everyone's face showed fear and unease. After all, they were still high school students, and this might be the first time they encountered such a major event in their lives!
« What's going on? Why did the school suddenly call us here? Did you guys receive the warning notice from the Jiangcheng government? »
« Brother Xia, your dad is an official, you must have heard something, right? What exactly is going on? »
« I don't know either! My dad left after getting a phone call! This is the first time I've seen him so flustered! »
« Brother Jiang, what about you? Your family owns a major conglomerate! You should know something, right? »
« ...I don't know, but the elders in my family are all very flustered... If they need us all to gather, can it be good news? »
Everyone was asking questions, venting their inner unease. Just then, Chen Jin walked in.
First, one or two glances swept over him unintentionally, followed by a light « yī » sound, and then more gazes turned his way. Suddenly, someone stood up from the crowd and said in disbelief, « Brother Chen? You're back? »
This person was handsome and refined; it was the rich second generation, Jiang Zhun. As his voice rang out, the auditorium fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at Chen Jin.
Chen Jin simply nodded calmly at everyone.
The news of his return had only been announced to Xia Duoduo and others. He was too lazy to tell those who weren't as close to him.
Upon seeing him appear, after the initial shock, a huge cheer erupted in the auditorium.
It was obvious that the students present felt much more at ease.
« Chen Jin is back, so it must not be a particularly serious situation. »
« Yeah, he's the top genius in Huaxia this year. The government wouldn't put him in danger. Maybe this is just a drill. »
« Even if there's real danger, with Brother Chen here, we're much safer. »
« That's right, that's right. You guys don't know, but it's said that Brother Chen even captured a martial artist from the Carefree Realm alive! »
« Carefree Realm? Oh my god, he's only eighteen, that's terrifying. How can the gap between people be so big! »
People in this era paid particular attention to martial arts geniuses, even more so than ordinary celebrities.
The Hidden Dragon Program was a national focal point, and Chen Jin's ascent to the Heart-Judging Platform had long been widely publicized.
If he were to open a social media account now, he would have millions of fans in minutes.
With Chen Jin around, the students of Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School could stand tall, even against top schools in first-tier cities. These students were his fervent fans.
Amidst a sea of eager gazes, Chen Jin was pulled to sit with Jiang Zhun's rich second-generation group. These rich second-generation individuals looked at him with shining eyes, which made him quite helpless.
Soon, more and more students arrived, and in a short while, everyone was present.
At this moment, Sun Zhenyuan walked onto the stage.
His expression was solemn, causing everyone present to feel a sinking feeling in their hearts.
« Students, you should have all received the messages on your phones, but I believe the vast majority of you are unaware of what is truly happening. »
Sun Zhenyuan's voice rang out, instantly silencing the previously noisy auditorium.
« Now, I will tell you what has happened. Please note, to avoid causing panic and hindering evacuation arrangements, what I am about to say is strictly forbidden to be spread! Not even to your parents! »
Sun Zhenyuan's voice was grave, making the students below even more uneasy. Even Chen Jin's face showed a hint of solemnity.
Under everyone's tense gaze, Sun Zhenyuan opened the projection screen, and immediately a weather map appeared in everyone's sight. In the center of the map was a super giant typhoon!
« Just now, on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, influenced by an unknown force, a brand-new typhoon suddenly emerged! Under the influence of this typhoon, two typhoons that were originally heading towards Magic City and Honshu Island actually changed direction and began to converge at their intersection! »
« The three typhoons rapidly merged, forming an unprecedented super giant typhoon! »
Sun Zhenyuan's words caused Chen Jin's eyes to widen in shock!
The mechanism of typhoons is very complex. When two interact, they don't necessarily merge; they could also weaken each other. Moreover, typhoon growth takes time, and it's rare for a typhoon to suddenly appear.
But this time, not only did a new typhoon mysteriously appear out of nowhere, but it also perfectly caused three typhoons to merge! There must have been an intervention of extraordinary power behind this!
Indeed, the next second, Sun Zhenyuan's heavy voice sounded: « According to monitoring satellites, the location where the new typhoon appeared is precisely the location of the Beast King Kunwu! »
« Now, the three-in-one super giant typhoon is driving a storm surge towards our coastline! What's worse is that monitoring data shows a large number of mutated beasts are rapidly gathering, forming a beast tide stretching for thousands of kilometers, and launching an attack under the cover of the storm! »
« This is the latest video footage from the coastlines of Honshu Island and Treasure Island! »
Sun Zhenyun pressed the remote control, and the screen switched. Torrential rain, like a mountain flood, filled the entire screen!
Large trees on the coast were swaying wildly, some bending to a terrifying ninety degrees as if they would break at any moment. Heavy rain poured down, and the entire coastline was shrouded in rain, making it seem like a world of water! At the end of the scene, waves tens of meters high, like a giant wall rising from the horizon, were rapidly surging towards the coastline!
Countless mutated beasts rolled and roared in the waves! Artillery positions set up in the mountains erupted with astonishing firelight. Over a hundred thousand cannons fired simultaneously, unleashing millions of artillery shells in an instant!
However, the fortress defense line, which the Chinese Government had continuously strengthened for decades, costing trillions, appeared so insignificant in the face of these monstrous waves! The shells fell into the giant waves like small firecrackers in the vast ocean. The impact of the explosions was absorbed by the seawater, rendering them ineffective!
Not to mention that in the strong wind and heavy rain, the shells severely deviated from their trajectories, making aiming impossible!
Even from a distance, the despair of the soldiers near the artillery positions could be clearly felt. In the end, they simply gave up aiming and mechanically loaded ammunition, firing towards the endless, unseen sea!
Boum ! Boum ! Boum !
The deafening roar drowned out the heavy rain. Countless flashes of fire lit up and then extinguished in the mountains, while the waves continued relentlessly, as if mocking humanity's overconfidence.
Finally, the seawater surged over the land, and the artillery positions were instantly submerged. Thousands of tons of cruisers were tossed by the waves. The massive creations forged of steel were as fragile as plastic before the hundred-meter tsunami, crashing into the mountain peaks like toys and shattering instantly!
All facilities were destroyed. In the face of these earth-shattering waves, human technology seemed so insignificant!
The front line collapsed, and everyone fled but was soon caught and swallowed by the sea. Even the mountains were submerged. In the end, the vast projection screen showed only layers of surging, roaring waves.
As the video ended, Sun Zhenyun's heavy voice sounded: « This video was received fifteen minutes ago. The beast tide destroyed the defense lines on Honshu Island and Treasure Island at an astonishing speed and is now moving towards our coastline. »
« The power of the tsunami was blocked by the mountains on the two islands, but unfortunately, the typhoon did not weaken at all; it even gradually strengthened with the boost of a mysterious force! »
« Now, it is passing through the center of the two islands and approaching our coastline! »
« According to its trajectory, our Jiangcheng is not the center of the typhoon's landfall, but with such a huge typhoon, the entire coastline of our country will be impacted! No one can be spared! »
« And not only the storm surge, but we also have to face the already assembled beast tide! The Beast King Kunwu is also approaching us! »
« In at most fifteen hours, the typhoon will make landfall on our coast! »
As his words fell, a deathly silence filled the scene. Everyone's face was pale, and they looked at each other, hoping to find some comfort in their eyes, but only fear was found!
Suddenly, a girl couldn't help but burst into tears. This suppressed sob was like a fuse igniting gunpowder, and more crying erupted. An atmosphere of despair and panic spread throughout the auditorium!
Even Chen Jin's expression was extremely grim!
He clearly understood what this meant.
This typhoon was not just a natural disaster; it was a premeditated, organized, all-out surprise attack!
The sudden gathering of the beast tide eight months ago was likely just a drill, aimed at significantly increasing the concentration of mutated beasts on the west coast of the Pacific, allowing for rapid assembly when needed!
If they attacked head-on, the marine mutated beasts, which are not good at land combat, would inevitably suffer heavy casualties against the steel defense lines set up by the Chinese Government for decades. However, with the power of the typhoon, all defensive measures of the Chinese Government could be rendered useless!
Chen Jin felt his scalp tingle. This was not an instinctive attack by wild beasts, but a well-prepared war!
If he could think of it, other students naturally could too! Everyone was panicking, and many girls had already broken down! Even though the boys maintained a calm exterior, their chattering teeth and trembling hands betrayed them!
Everyone realized what this meant! When the beast tide arrived, all students in the Martial Arts Class would have to fight! This was a government regulation!
Enjoying the resources of the Martial Arts Class, they must step forward in times of crisis! Those who fled in the face of the enemy would be expelled immediately! They would be permanently barred from the Martial Arts Exam! In the future, if they wanted to practice martial arts, they would have to pay their own way!
Seeing everyone fall into a state of panic and collapse, Sun Zhenyuan quickly reassured them, « Students, you don't need to be afraid. Although the regulations state that students in the Martial Arts Class must obey orders when necessary, you are not professional soldiers, so you won't be sent to the front lines. You will only be responsible for auxiliary work such as maintaining order during the evacuation, so don't panic. »
« You must believe that the government will not waste your lives arbitrarily! »
However, his words did not have much effect. The scene remained chaotic, and the emotion of fear spread uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Sun Zhenyuan sighed lightly and asked Xia Lin to go on stage to continue comforting the students. He himself went backstage and called Chen Jin over.
« Teacher Sun, you're looking for me? » Chen Jin asked in surprise, not knowing why Sun Zhenyuan was looking for him at this time.
« Come with me. » Sun Zhenyuan said nothing more, his expression extremely somber. This was the first time Chen Jin had seen him wear such an expression.
His departure attracted the attention of nearby students, and it was clear that everyone felt even more uneasy.
Soon, Sun Zhenyuan led him to the rooftop, where a helicopter was parked. An Liang was already sitting in the helicopter. Beside her were two familiar faces, who turned out to be commissioners from the Education Bureau, Qu Jianbai and Wei Zun.
« It's been a while, Classmate Chen. I heard you've been shining in the Hidden Dragon Program recently. Congratulations. »
Seeing Chen Jin, Qu Jianbai stepped forward with a smile, showing no fear of the impending disaster.
Chen Jin looked at An Liang, who was sitting in the helicopter, with confusion, then at Qu Jianbai. He asked in confusion, « Uncle Qu, is this... »
« To take you to the inland. » Qu Jianbai said.
Hearing this, Chen Jin's expression changed slightly: « Uncle Qu, deserting is illegal and will result in the forfeiture of your identity as a Martial Arts Class student! »
« I know, » Qu Jianbai nodded and said with a smile, « but there are always exceptions. »
« For geniuses like you, your true value will be realized in the future. Before you have fully grown, the country will naturally not place you in a dangerous situation. »
Qu Jianbai's words left Chen Jin stunned.
Just now, he truly thought he was going to be forcibly conscripted to fight the mutated beasts.
But he still hesitated: « Isn't this inappropriate? »
Looking at his shocked expression, Qu Jianbai said leisurely, « Classmate Chen, don't feel pressured. In fact, this is a very common practice, but it has always been kept secret for the sake of social stability. »
« Think about it, in the past, wealthy individuals with money didn't treat laborers as humans. Now that martial artists possess extraordinary power, how can they really risk their lives for ordinary citizens? »
Qu Jianbai pointed to the horizon. Several planes were cutting through the night sky, flying into the distance: « See, although the conscription order has been issued, those influential families and conglomerates are all using their connections and loopholes to arrange for their evacuation! »
« We specifically came to pick you up. We will also arrange for your parents to be picked up. Even the news of your departure will be sealed. Other students will only think that you are staying with them on the front lines. This has become an unwritten rule among the upper class, and you don't need to worry about any negative consequences afterward. »
Wei Zun, standing beside him, also nodded: « That's right. I was also ordered by the martial arts hall to bring the students they value away. »
« Alright. »
Facing the stunned Chen Jin, Qu Jianbai patted his shoulder with a faint smile.
« Hurry up and get on the helicopter. Let's leave early to avoid being seen and gossiped about by others. »