You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!-Chapter 295 - 294 Riot

The speed with which the news spread far surpassed what Li Wanhao and the others had imagined.

After Wu Yue, the captain of the armed unit, informed District Chief Li Wanhao that the water plant had been devoured by a swarm of rats, the two swiftly reached an agreement and decided to keep this information under wraps for the time being.

They were acutely aware that once the news leaked, the entire Wanhao District would fall into uncontrollable panic.

"This matter must not be leaked," Li Wanhao said in a firm tone, "We need time to repair the water plant and ensure the water supply remains unaffected."

Wu Yue nodded and added, "Everyone in the armed unit has been ordered not to discuss what happened during this operation with outsiders."

To ensure the news did not leak, even the ordinary members of the Urban Management Bureau and Security Bureau were kept in the dark, with only the heads of these two departments—Zhang Meng, the chief of the Urban Management Bureau, and Li Rong, the chief of the Security Bureau—in the know.

Although Zhang Meng and Li Rong often crossed swords and were at loggerheads, they still knew what was at stake when it came to major issues.

Upon hearing the news, both Zhang Meng and Li Rong immediately said they would have their subordinates cooperate in keeping the news sealed.

However, plans can never keep up with changes.

An armed unit member accidentally let the information slip out to a friend.

"Did you know? Over at the water plant..."

"Something happened..."

He had clearly had a bit too much to drink.

Even his tone of speech had become somewhat stammering.

The friend next to him couldn’t contain his curiosity and cautiously asked, "What could go wrong with the water plant?"

The armed forces member chuckled but a look of fear crossed his face.

"It’s gone."

"It’s all gone."

"When we... when we got there, the water plant, the hundreds of people inside had all been gnawed to the bone by the rats."

These words exploded like a bomb, and the news of the water plant’s destruction by rats rapidly spread throughout Wanhao District. Explore more adventures at novelbuddy

At first, some people were skeptical, but soon the news was confirmed by other members of the armed unit, and the settlement plunged into chaos. The survivors all crowded at the entrance of the government compound demanding an explanation.

"Where’s the District Chief?"

"Quick, bring out District Chief Li!"

"We heard the water plant has been destroyed, is it true?"

An angry man at the front of the crowd yelled at the top of his lungs.

Seeing this, others around him echoed loudly, "Yeah, where’s the District Chief? Why weren’t we informed about such important news?"

"What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Are you trying to kill us?"

"Damn it, you were so active when collecting taxes, now why are you silent as a fart?"

The crowd outside the government compound shouted, while inside, the members of the armed forces desperately tried to stop these troublemakers from storming the compound, sometimes even swinging their iron clubs to violently strike the few ringleaders.

However, the normal docile and submissive crowd was unusually resistant today.

Even as the armed unit raised their guns, the shouts continued and people still pressed forward, some even snatching the guns from the hesitating armed forces in a swift move!

"Bang!"

The gun spat out flames.

A bullet instantly pierced through the chest of an armed unit member.

The already impatient members of the unit instantly tensed up, subconsciously aimed their guns at the crowd, and pulled the trigger!

Screams erupted among the crowd, and fear spread rapidly down the road in front of the government compound like a plague.

Meanwhile, a few people in the mayor’s office were discussing countermeasures.

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It was clear that the news could no longer be concealed.

"We can’t keep hiding this," Zhang Meng’s face, normally the picture of slickness, now looked particularly serious.

"We have to give them an explanation."

"An explanation?" Li Rong sneered, "What explanation? This is our territory; allowing them to live here is already the greatest mercy. Why should we owe them an explanation?"

As he spoke, his expression was one of utter disdain.

Obviously, the head of the Security Bureau did not hold those survivors in high regard.

Just when Li Rong figured Zhang Meng would immediately refute, Wu Yue, the typically silent head of the armed forces, spoke up with gravity, "Old Zhang is right. We can’t keep this hidden any longer. We need to give the people below an explanation."

Li Rong felt some discontent but before he could speak, his brother, the district chief, already sighed and said:

"What a mess this has become."

"If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you go there."

"Now look, the water purification plant is gone. We should have been happy about it, but now we can’t even sleep in peace."

As he said this, he glanced at his brother and instructed, "Li Rong, it’s up to your Security Bureau to pacify the populace. Try to avoid conflicts, understand?"

Seeing this, Li Rong could only obediently nod and say, "Understood, brother."

He had just been about to inquire about how exactly to write the announcement when a commotion erupted outside, and the four people in the office realized that members of the armed forces had already begun to fight with the survivors.

"Mayor, I’m heading down!"

Wu Yue was the first to rush downstairs.

By the time he came out, the situation before him had already descended into complete chaos, with many of the survivors rushing towards the courtyard, many of them armed with guns procured from who knows where.

At that point, there was no concern for who had smuggled the weapons, as he immediately directed the armed forces to suppress the riot in front of them.

The members of the armed forces, bolstered by the presence of their leader, took on a renewed vigor.

In less than an hour,

The riot had been quelled.

Everyone who had seized weapons and stormed the government compound was apprehended, one and all, and subsequently executed in the district square for the crime of rebellion.

Meanwhile, the Security Bureau seized the opportunity presented by the execution’s deterrent effect to immediately announce a public notice.

"Dear residents, the water purification plant has indeed been damaged by a horde of rats."

"We are working hard to repair it and ensure that water supply is restored as quickly as possible. Additionally, we will strengthen our defenses to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. We hope everyone will remain calm and trust that we will overcome this difficulty."

Despite the release of the announcement, panic continued to spread, and the entire settlement began to swarm with undercurrents.

The armed forces and the Security Bureau were engaged in a widespread hunt for survivors holding secret meetings.

Once caught, these individuals were executed.

Far from stabilizing due to the announcement, the situation in Wanhao District became even more chaotic. People were panic-stricken, and there was a significant number of them wanting to flee the settlement.

Seeing this, Zhang Meng cursed Li Rong in his heart for being incompetent and simultaneously rushed to have his subordinates blockade the several entrances to Wanhao District.

After all, it was under his suggestion that Wanhao District’s policy of accepting survivors from all over had been promoted.

No one understood the importance of the population more than he did.

If the rats had yet to arrive but the people had already fled, it would be a real joke, enough to make the people of other settlements laugh their heads off.