Looking at it from another angle, the losses brought about by the pandemic chain-reaction storm to various countries are incalculable. In order to maintain stability and provide every Federal citizen with a living allowance, the officials would have to print a huge amount of currency, leading to constant inflation and gradually moving towards a bubble phase.

The actual situation was even worse than imagined. The punishment of the disaster did not distinguish race or nationality—everyone could get sick, and every country's situation was equally bleak.

At first, people did not anticipate, or rather, no one paid enough attention to the dangers and the rapid spread—including the incubation period—of the pandemic. It was only when the outbreak truly exploded that people desperately tried to remediate, leaving countless property speculators filled with regret.

When factories couldn't generate funds during the pandemic, when children cried out in hunger wanting to drink milk powder, when you heard the sigh of your 80-year-old father with every breath, when you were unable to repay loans and couldn't liquidate your property, only then did people suddenly realize the era of cash supremacy—how important the meaning of money ought to be.

Having a house and a car but no money, you can't afford medicine, can't get treated for illness, and also can't buy bread and milk. What's the point of a property you struggled half your life for if it's left empty after you're gone?

Amidst the economic crisis, governments of various countries also considered letting people find their own livelihoods, like setting up street stalls, especially since the pandemic severely obstructed transportation. Air freight became the biggest problem, so what could be said about online shopping. But the ordinary people had no experience in setting up stalls—wasn't this going back to twenty years ago?

A decade ended and another began. Times were changing, life was changing, but the pace of human development seemed to be regressing.

Of course, some people went with the flow, while others tried every means to change it all. That man was Hans, but unfortunately, he never succeeded and nearly went bankrupt.

As a devout adherent and believer of the Revenge Shadow Rider, Hans believed that in his position, he could do more for the people. Precisely because of his position, he would occasionally hear some news about the Shadow Riders. Like the current Revenge Shadow Rider not really being the original Shadow Rider, or rumors of Feng Yi's death.

But rumors were just rumors, Hans refused to believe that his faith would collapse. Only this unwavering will could not be shaken. Even in death, he was determined to awaken at the moment when the world needed him most, returning with his powerful divine consciousness.

However, could he even get a full meal now? Did he have the energy to consider issues beyond the Revenge Shadow Rider and beyond life itself?

Since the pandemic began, the number of Star Wars online players had drastically reduced. Server maintenance costs were an exorbitant expense. With air transport restrictions impacting online shopping and a massive accumulation of goods going bad, even Roland, the Sword Holder of Star Wars, had declared bankruptcy last week.

It wasn't that Hans's ability to withstand pressure was low. He tried to maintain the status quo, to continue to struggle along, but he just couldn't see any hope. He didn't know what lied ahead, so rather than watching his company progressively decline, it was better to declare bankruptcy.

The pandemic changed the fate of too many people, whether friends, colleagues, or the entire world. Hans donated most of the remaining money to undeveloped impoverished areas, keeping only a small portion for living expenses—perhaps this was what an ordinary Shadow Rider believer should do.

And just at this critical moment, a massive fire irreversibly changed his family's fortune, suddenly deteriorating their once relatively affluent life.

Life's surprises are everywhere. Just after the fire was extinguished, his wife's health collapsed. Her sudden serious illness added to the already strained finances of the family. Fortunately, they had the help of Charlotte and the others.

Hans's life was full of ups and downs, and it seemed the fire had taken him back 20 years. Looking at his haggard face in the mirror, he began to contemplate life once more that day.

"Dad, your beard's grown half a foot long. I think you should shave it off. Charlotte said she's coming over today with lots of food. Hehe, money just can't compare to these things—it's so much more substantial."

Hans's eldest daughter hadn't eaten meat for a week. Meat had become a luxury during these trying times.

"No, no need to shave; it's fine as it is," Hans ignored Charlotte's suggestion.

"Oh... okay then."

Turning away, his daughter exited the room, speechlessly. She still had to go to the Relief Center to pick up rice and flour for tomorrow. As she left, she couldn't help but pat her chest lightly, the terrifying memory of the supermarket robbery across the street days ago still sending shivers of fear through her. It seemed that the law was hardly reliable these days.

A week later, incomplete statistics showed that the infection rate of the epidemic had surpassed 50%. A 50% infection rate effectively meant the situation was out of control. Apart from the New Humans who were generally immune due to genetic evolution, the mortality rate for ordinary people was extremely high. This news, released seven days later, caused widespread panic, triggering spontaneous street protests in various regions around the world.

Two weeks later, the air quality had noticeably improved. However, this did nothing to turn the tide of the epidemic. Outside of the major cities, power outages were rampant across multiple areas of the Federation, with electricity only being provided from 6 pm to 9 pm. Most civilian networks were down; ordinary citizens could only stay updated with the world's affairs by tuning into the evening news via radio and wireless devices.

After a month, the infection rate had soared above 80%. Employees at many hospitals, big and small, had gone on strike, causing a day-by-day collapse of the healthcare system.

Simultaneously, collective strikes erupted worldwide. Some freezing regions lost heating, and people began to flee in private cars towards temperate and tropical zones. Others stayed home, waiting for government rescue operations, while some took their families and desperately plundered nearby resources, including energy crystals.

Energy crystals were magnetic levitation power sources. Now, a bag of rice, a handgun, or an energy crystal could be exchanged for a villa. The housing market in frigid regions was the first to crash into worthless bubbles.

As the epidemic continued to evolve, remote areas across the country plunged into complete lawlessness. Even in the Federal Capital Earth District, the situation was dire, with unmanageable crime rates skyrocketing.

Families flocked to the main cities; those with private cars drove, those with mines or shuttles flew straight towards the Capital in a frantic race...

Perceptive individuals had already detected the unusual signs of impending doom.

The Federal Government, amidst the chaos, could only strive to maintain order, though to little effect. What was needed was someone to step forward, a great individual of unmatched influence.

In the Federation, that person was neither President Adams nor General Greedy Wolf, but Feng Yi, who had fought and won countless battles.

But that was impossible, and fortunately, the public was unaware of the real situation, each occupied with their own immediate concerns.

Even the longstanding feud between Zana and the Federation seemed trivial amidst the epidemic storm.

Under mounting pressures, the Federation had yet to announce Feng Yi's death publicly. The government's ability to sustain itself was just a matter of time. As time went on, it seemed likely that official concern for any individual's death would dissipate, whether you were a president or a beggar; surviving the epidemic and the cruel culling of fate was the real challenge. It may sound callous, but reality was far more desperate than most people could imagine.

On another front, there was the situation of Satellite 8. According to observations and messages from Roland to the nations over the past month, major powers had come to realize another problem—what that thing was, and where humanity should go from here.

During this period, the nations had considered various means to suppress the Bizarre's growth. Even without modern weaponry, there were plenty of ways to strike at the Bizarre.

But the problem was, as much as it could be injured, the Bizarre was fundamentally an energy entity. No matter how you attacked it with thermal weapons, the effect was like splashing water in a basin, creating countless ripples or even a hole, but the mass would not diminish in the slightest.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.