readytorunbook Chapter 1391 Public Broadcast, Flags Fly to Half-Mast
Chapter 1391 Public Broadcast, Flags Fly to Half-Mast
At 7:00 a.m., in Beibei, Chongqing.
The pale light of dawn dispelled the darkness of night, and the thin mist mingled with the wisps of smoke rising from the public canteens, casting a hazy and gentle filter over this land of revival.
As usual, the community awakens in a regular rhythm.
A small queue formed by the public well, with people yawning and talking quietly about their day's work, occasionally punctuated by coughs and splashing sounds.
What's even more vibrant are the public canteens and supply stations of all sizes. Although the lines are long, they move in an orderly fashion as cooks efficiently distribute hot breakfasts.
A bowl of vegetable porridge, two multigrain pancakes, and a spoonful of pickled vegetables—while far from lavish, they were distributed free of charge without any conditions, primarily to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who were unable to work.
As for students and workers, they can eat at their schools and workplaces, where the food is much better than in public canteens.
On the street, several children with schoolbags on their backs chased each other across the street, adding a rare touch of liveliness to the early morning.
On the street corner, someone had set up a makeshift repair stall and was clanging and banging on an old tool.
Further away, a "Clean and Infrastructure Day" team organized by the management committee was gathering. The team leader waved a simple flag and loudly assigned tasks: clearing a silted-up ditch or reinforcing the fence of a public vegetable garden.
Although life in the Beibei settlement remains difficult and resources are still scarce after development and recovery, there is no doubt that a sense of hope is driving away the gloom in people's hearts.
beep...beep...
Just then, the familiar preparatory tone came from the loudspeaker, interrupting the morning noise. Many people subconsciously looked up, their faces showing the usual attention.
Radio is an important window for obtaining information, understanding the outside world and the dynamics of the war zone, and even a source of policy changes or new skills training notices. As a result, many people have developed the habit of listening while eating or working.
However, today...
After the pre-broadcast announcement, the usual military music or news prelude was not played.
Instead, a slow, heavy, solemn melody that is so intense it makes your heart pound.
funeral music!
The powerful yet mournful sound of the brass instruments, like a sudden cold front, instantly swept through the gathering place, which had just begun to warm up.
In an instant, all sounds seemed to be muted.
People queuing for water stopped moving, the sound of flowing water particularly clear; behind the canteen window, a cook's hand, offering a rice scoop, hung suspended in mid-air; a running child was pulled back by an adult, his eyes wide with confusion; the knocking at the repair stall abruptly stopped; the members of the "Cleaning and Infrastructure Day" team, who were gathering, froze on their faces, all turning towards the loudspeaker.
Shock, bewilderment, and a sense of foreboding quickly replaced the faint freshness of the morning, creeping onto everyone's faces.
Li Gensheng had just received his mother's portion of porridge and bread and was carefully carrying the enamel bowl, intending to hurry back home.
However, the moment the funeral music started, he seemed to be nailed to the spot, the steam rising from the bowl blurring his suddenly narrowed vision.
He looked around and saw faces filled with astonishment and unease, all struck by the same heavy music.
The children's play, the clattering of tools, and the team leader's shouts vanished without a trace. Only mournful music echoed through the empty streets and buildings, coldly striking everyone's eardrums.
The funeral music lasted for a full minute.
In that minute, the morning light seemed to dim, and the chill of early spring returned to its biting edge.
Countless hearts were suspended high, caught in the mournful melody.
Finally, the music stopped.
That brief silence was more suffocating than the sound itself.
Then, the heavy voices of a male and female announcer rang out, each word like a weight of lead:
"Fellow countrymen and comrades, this is Zhou Bang Wartime Broadcasting Station, Chongqing Branch. I am your announcer, Liao Xiaoyu!"
"I am the announcer, Zhang Xinghui!"
After a brief self-introduction, there was a short, almost suffocating silence, with only mournful music playing in the background.
Then, Liao Xiaoyu's voice rang out again, even lower than before, as if she had used all her strength to suppress a sob:
"Now, we are broadcasting a joint announcement from the Zhou Bang Military Commission and the Central Plains War Zone Command."
"In accordance with the orders of the Standing Committee of the Central Plains War Zone and Comrade Gu Chengyuan, Chairman of the Military Commission of Zhou Bang and Commander of the Central Plains War Zone, I hereby announce to all compatriots with the deepest sorrow..."
Zhang Xinghui's voice followed, resounding yet sorrowful, each word as if engraved:
"Since the outbreak of the apocalyptic crisis, the people and soldiers of Zhou have united as one and waged a great and arduous struggle to protect the flame of civilization and reclaim the lost lands of mankind. Countless heroic soldiers shed their blood on the battlefield and their souls returned to the mountains and rivers for the survival and future of hundreds of millions of compatriots behind them."
"Recently, in the Battle of Gucheng Lake during the Battle of Nanjing, the troops under the Central Plains Theater Command, in order to cover the safe transfer of hundreds of thousands of people, fought a fierce battle for three and a half hours against a number of mutated bacteria and a high concentration of spores, despite being at a significant disadvantage and relying on rudimentary fortifications!"
Liao Xiaoyu's voice trembled slightly, yet became even clearer as she began to recite the unit numbers destined to be etched in history:
"The entire First Infantry Brigade of Yezhou, from Brigade Commander Zhao Jie down, has heroically sacrificed their lives!"
"All officers and soldiers of the Third and Fourth Battalions of the First Regiment of the Gucheng Lake Garrison have heroically sacrificed their lives!"
"The officers and soldiers of the First and Fourth Battalions of the Second Garrison Regiment of Gucheng Lake have all heroically sacrificed their lives!"
"And the officers and soldiers of the artillery, engineers, reconnaissance, and air defense units assigned to this operation also sacrificed their lives!"
Each number read out was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the deathly silence of the settlement and the heart of every survivor.
In the cafeteria, someone's lunchbox slipped from their hand, spilling porridge all over the floor; from the crowd queuing, suppressed, uncontrollable sobs could be heard; many men clenched their teeth, their eyes red-rimmed, while women covered their mouths, tears rolling down their cheeks silently.
The broadcast continued, Zhang Xinghui's voice carrying an almost sacrificial solemnity:
"In the final moments when the defense line was breached by a high-concentration cloud of spores and a swarm of fungal beasts, not a single soldier retreated or abandoned his post!"
"With their flesh and blood, they built the final dam; with the flame of their lives, they ignited the beacon to comfort the souls of the departed. In the end, they bought crucial time to cover the transfer of the main force and the evacuation of the masses!"
Liao Xiaoyu's voice rang out again, choked with sobs, yet she struggled to maintain the integrity of the broadcast:
"According to incomplete statistics, our army lost a total of 7,643 soldiers in this battle. At present, there are still some missing personnel and the situation of the positions are being verified with all our efforts."
"They are husbands, sons, and fathers; they are wives, daughters, and mothers. They came from all corners of the country, and for the same belief, they shed their last drop of blood on the land of Nanjing!"