Silently gripped.

——Ruins·Stagnation Zone!

Buildings, frozen in an instant. It's not just matter; even spiritual essence struggles to break free from eternal stagnation.

Then, a sudden tremor ran through everything.

Bang!

Outside the office building, Tong Hua heard the sound of returning footsteps as she quietly opened a bag of chips.

Behind Wen Wen, the vast office building slowly collapsed in the wind, turning into billions of sand grains, silently scattering down.

"Holy—"

Tong Hua was dumbfounded: "Wen, did you finally master your skills? When will we rule the world with literary and martial virtue?"

"Stop joking."

Wen Wen tapped her forehead with mock annoyance, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, instinctively flicked one up, but her hand froze in mid-air. For a long time, she took the cigarette down, crushed it to bits, and tossed it away.

"This is going to be a hassle…"

In the sky, a faint rainbow light shimmered, while in the distant chaotic slums, amid the post-rain mud, several fully developed Spiritual Worms rose into the sky.

As their wings flapped, they shed specks of phosphorescence.

.

An unexpected intensity and swiftness marked the outbreak.

After a few months of flourishing post-rainy season, the wilderness fell silent again, plunged into isolation, with all settlements shutting their gates or blocking roads.

Panic spread tangibly, escalating to the point of expelling all outsiders and even attacking smugglers.

Even Messenger Logistics halted operations briefly.

No orders to receive.

Contrasting the city's stability due to the recent full mobilization of the Security Bureau, the wilderness was in chaos, countless flying insects spreading and gathering, transforming into stunningly grotesque yet terrifying disasters.

Even animals couldn't escape.

Signs appeared of the insects specifically attacking and parasitizing small creatures.

In the massive drone images, animals with stiff postures sometimes walked a bit before collapsing on the roadside, with rapidly decomposing bodies giving way to a horde of quickly hatching insects spreading in mania.

This wave of disaster caught everyone off guard.

Thanks to the previous forceful push for vaccination on the Coast, few were harmed in the first wave. However, refugees from other states relayed tales of unfortunate settlements now entirely devoid of human life, eerily empty, with insects flying all over.

As panic spread, crowds began to gather towards New Fountain again.

Yet they faced numerous checkpoints outside, lingering futilely.

New Fountain was under lockdown.

Now, those who jeered or even violently expelled healthcare workers during the vaccine rollout started regretting their actions.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The densely packed heads gathered together, and even knowing the risk of infection, it was no longer a concern.

"Please, brother, let me in; my goods are going bad."

"The children are innocent!"

"You won't just watch us die, will you?"

"I'm just saying, how could you be so kind? Surely you did this!"

"Bring Ji Jue out here and give us an explanation!"

"Don't be afraid, let's charge together…"

The tumultuous, chaotic voices overlapped loudly, the agitated crowd growing hysterical.

Throughout it all, the gun-toting guards at the post remained expressionless.

"Damn idiots."

On the watchtower, Lu Feng finished his cigarette, disinterestedly waving a hand.

Then, high-pressure water cannons on armored vehicles started up in front of the checkpoint, spraying forcefully, dispersing the crowd amidst blaring sirens.

When vaccines were offered for free, you didn't want them, and now you're turning around and blaming.

Like total lunatics.

Besides… the vaccine is long out of stock.

Even the people of New Fountain aren't fully covered.

"Can't get through."

Yu Shu put down the phone, shaking his head tiredly: "At first, they'd make some excuses, but yesterday the advance payment and penalty were refunded."

No production, no logistics, unable to deliver, stuck waiting in line.

Excuses abound.

Dragged on and on, to the point we are now…

But in reality, vaccine production isn't that complicated, right?

It's simply pharmaceutical companies seizing the opportunity amidst chaos to sell the pile-up in their warehouses at Gold's price.

Even inciting enthusiasm.

Currently, every day on TV there's full-force propaganda on the dangers of 'new brain inflammation,' with mouthpieces trumpeting the gruesome aftermath, driving the black-market vaccine prices to insane heights.

Over by the Old Town, Chen Xingzhou managed to bring in some generic drugs from Thousand Islands out of friendship, but to no avail.

Among Ji Jue's acquaintances, Xie Lan theoretically had the capability, but he was just one person without professional equipment—how much can he produce working non-stop 24 hours?

For several days consecutively, Ji Jue's expression grew darker.

Originally, everything was salvageable, yet helplessly watched as it all decayed to this extent.

After it became unbearable, he turned his attention to the names of pharmaceutical and insurance financial groups, methodically memorizing them from top to bottom.

Drawing out and then thrusting back in, repetitively grinding, still unable to restrain.

In the ticking of the clock, across the office, Yu Shu processing files at the desk suddenly stiffened slightly, looking down at his phone.

Wanting to say something but held back.

Ji Jue looked up, gazing over thoughtfully, "What's up?"

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