010 wants to leave? Impossible!

The command center in Changchun, upon receiving Captain Sun's report, swiftly analyzed satellite mapping images to determine the source of the flood. The cause was straightforward: the upstream reservoir near Harbin, after days of torrential rain, had reached its warning level. Had there been any surviving personnel, the floodgates could have been opened in stages according to water demand, preventing any impact on the downstream embankments. However, the zombie outbreak had swept through; not only were there no staff on duty, there were no living humans at all. How could the gates be opened to release the water?

The reservoir held out for only three days before it was overwhelmed, first spilling over its banks, then collapsing entirely.

Fortunately, Captain Sun’s troops were merely fortifying their camp at the airport with the intention of clearing a large enough forward base for the follow-up forces, rather than immediately charging into the city to purge the zombies. Otherwise, they would have likely been trapped by the flood within the city, unable to retreat. Many roads in Harbin are hollow, riddled with subway lines, underground shopping streets, and multi-layered wartime bunkers built during the Japanese occupation. It wouldn’t take long for the floodwaters to undermine them; once the subgrade fills with water, forget armored vehicles—even a footstep could bring the ground down.

At that point, the city known as the “Northern Pearl” would not only become uninhabitable and dangerous, but with the river water backflowing, it could transform into a marshland. This flood was essentially a death sentence for Harbin. Any survivors still in the city could only pray for their own luck.

From civilization to barbarity—just a matter of days.

The troops stationed at the airport, along with the refugees, had even less time to spare. Using satellite remote sensing to determine the flood’s scope and its likely spread in the next few hours, Captain Sun immediately ordered his troops to assemble, utilizing every available vehicle to evacuate southward. At the very least, they needed to find higher ground to establish a new defensive line, and as soon as the flood receded, make their escape south.

The only comfort for Captain Sun was the array of contingency plans and alternative camps already prepared when the airport base was set up. Even if this natural disaster couldn’t be anticipated, finding a new camp wasn’t difficult. All that was needed was to add a requirement for higher elevation. He didn’t need to consult maps himself; the command center in the rear had already sent real-time satellite images and routes for alternative camps, leaving Captain Sun only to make the final choice based on personnel, equipment, and weather.

Some refugees suggested holding out in the airport terminal or other elevated buildings, but Captain Sun rejected this outright. If conditions allowed a defense, what need would there be for civilians? The flood was fierce and uncontrollable. With millions of zombies and corpses soaking in the water, and the high summer temperatures, it was clear that until winter arrived, the area around Harbin would become a forbidden zone for life—not just for the zombie epidemic, but for other plagues and pathogens as well.

Should the situation become irretrievable, the central command might even deploy tactical nuclear weapons for a thorough cleanup without environmental contamination. Thus, they needed to retreat to somewhere defensible, easy to leave, and at higher ground.

In short: Move quickly!

The evacuation plan was simple: leave via the ring highway before the water reached it. Civilian vehicles, unable to clear abandoned cars blocking the road, would have to use regular roads to reach the airport for refuge. With military armored vehicles leading the way, the situation was different. Anything pushable was pushed aside; buses and heavy trucks that couldn’t be moved were blasted out of the way and bulldozed over, leaving nothing behind.

Military efficiency far exceeded the civilians’. Even if some refugees tried to escape early or create panic, their ambitions became nothing more than suppressed fantasies and whispered complaints under the cold gaze of the military’s guns. The previous night’s zombie incident and the midday explosion in the catering truck had made it clear: crossing the line of military control meant risking being shot by soldiers unafraid to confront those who betray the people.

Thus, Captain Sun’s order spread through the camp within minutes. With armored vehicles holding the line, the principle of first arrival, first departure was enforced. Refugees followed instructions, retrieved their vehicles, and left the airport by barracks zone.

Wang Chen, Hu Chun, Li Changhuai and their group were ordinary civilians and complied as well. By the time it was their turn to evacuate, the floodwater had already reached their ankles, at least twenty centimeters deep. Murky water swirled throughout the camp, occasionally floating drowned rats to the surface, nauseating all who saw them.

It was only when they waded out to the parking lot that they truly understood the meaning of disgust beyond disgust.

The military’s barbed-wire fencing couldn’t hold back the flood, but it wasn’t washed away either. Dead rats and small debris floated in, but zombies and corpses were kept outside. Zombies, at least, could be tolerated—after many days of fighting, survivors’ fear had turned mostly to disgust, and zombies, for all their repulsive appearance, were “alive”: they c