Chapter 57: The Highway (1)

With vehicles at their disposal, the expeditionary army advanced to Wenyu Bridge by that afternoon; ahead lay the Capital International Airport. If it weren't for the flocks of birds overhead, Li Fengyi would have sent someone ahead to scout for a plane, though even if they found one, it would be useless now. In the inner city, aside from a few pigeon enthusiasts who released their birds, hardly any avian life was seen throughout the year, and no one had paid attention to any signs of bird mutations. For now, the sky could be disregarded.

Thus, combined air-ground tactics were rendered temporarily ineffective, much to the chagrin of Reconnaissance Battalion Commander Ma Xiaoshuai, who mourned the loss of this strategic advantage.

At Wenyu Bridge stood a massive overpass, the scene of severe traffic accidents, making it easy to block. This time, however, the reconnaissance battalion set up several small traps: levers were placed in various directions, with fresh meat stored in insulated containers positioned a few meters from the bridge. Should anything trigger the levers, the containers would shatter. If it were zombies, chaos would ensue—some might leap into the river, or at the very least, the horde would be thrown into disarray, preventing further advancement.

The Wenyu River had been designated as the eastern defensive line of Beijing. From the bridge, the staff officers surveyed the surroundings through binoculars, marking up their maps and devising various contingency plans for operations against zombie hordes based on the terrain.

Along the way, they rescued over three hundred survivors, most of them formerly well-dressed and glamorous, though after several days without a bath and with the weather growing hot, they reeked with a pungent stench. Once rescued, there was no time to rest; the survivors were all assigned to the refugee group organized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs personnel attached to the army.

When they finally stopped to rest, the refugee group erupted in commotion.

Li Fengyi regarded the scene with cold detachment. The PLA had always maintained strict discipline, and General Liu, himself of a military background, demanded even greater rigor. Both new and veteran soldiers respected this without question. Though there hadn't been time to instill the bearing and appearance of proper troops, their "minds are already those of soldiers," as General Liu insisted, refusing to relax his standards for the newly assembled First Provisional Army. To him, it would be preferable to feed a disorganized unit to the zombies than to command them. As a result, the Special Committee had also adopted a distinctly military style, and such loud disturbances had never occurred before.

The soldiers around straightened, looking in the direction of the noise. After a moment, perhaps sensing the attention, a Ministry of Civil Affairs field agent came running over, breathless.

"Reporting, Director Li!" She was not a soldier, but stood at attention and said, "I am Yang Xuelan, the Ministry of Civil Affairs' field representative for this mission. Among those we rescued, fifty-seven claim to be children of officials." She paused to catch her breath, her chest heaving—Li Fengyi, who hadn't seen Wang Shujuan in days, found his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. "We explained to them, under Special Committee regulations, that all jurisdictions have vanished, that previous positions are suspended pending central government orders, and that for now, they are to be treated as survivors. We will assist them in seeking..." At this point, her anger flared. "But they refuse to accept it, demanding to enjoy the privileges of their parents' official status. Out here in the wilderness, where am I supposed to conjure that up for them?"

She, too, was a survivor from an ordinary city family. In normal times, the abuse of power by officials and their children had been merely an annoyance, but to see them clinging to their privileges in a crisis was unbearable.

Li Fengyi questioned her further. On this expedition, army personnel and staff received work rations—meat for breakfast and lunch—while all survivors, regardless of background, were given non-work rations: three vegetarian meals a day. The children of officials objected, resorting to intimidation through their parents' influence. When the Civil Affairs representative read them the policy, they could not accept it and caused an uproar. Back in the city, since most of the cleanup focused on ordinary neighborhoods, this situation had never arisen before, despite clear policies.

The Special Committee believed their policy to be both thorough and humane: official positions were centrally appointed, and with current chaos, only the central government could resolve their status. The Special Committee had neither the obligation nor authority to grant them privileges, especially since all its members had earned their own posts through civil service exams.

Who could have foreseen that the first time they rescued the privileged, this would occur? And these weren’t even the officials themselves—just their spoiled offspring.

Li Fengyi was struck by the complexities of real life. The moral standards of the elite had always differed from those of the common people, and in a crisis, this difference became starkly apparent. Few high-ranking officials were as self-disciplined as General Liu.

"I recall you passed the civil service exam to get your post?" Li Fengyi did not answer Yang Xuelan directly but asked, "In cases like this, what does your ministry prescribe?"

"Refer them to the Public Security Bureau," Yang Xuelan replied quietly, "but they..."

"No buts," Li Fengyi interrupted, his tone decisive. "When I lead troops on campaign, we are soldiers; the military does not meddle in civil affairs."

"Understood, sir," Yang Xuelan said, turning to leave, glancing back at Li Fengyi as she went. She had hoped for a clear directive or for him to lend her support, but since it was a matter of principle, Li Fengyi refused to risk trouble for his future career. He intended to explain, should the issue arise, that it had all been handled by Civil Affairs.

Li Fengyi considered carefully whether, in the end, it would be better to hand over a few scapegoats, or perhaps dispose of these privileged brats by feeding them to the zombies, letting the whole matter vanish without a trace.

"Man cannot be an official," Li Fengyi sighed in disillusionment. "Once you enter office, your morals are bound to falter. I was a commoner for so many years, and already, after just a few days as an official, I'm showing signs of it. Once the chaos subsides, I should resign my post and return to farming, care for my elderly mother, and raise my children to live decent lives."

At the request of the Civil Affairs representative, a field agent from the Public Security Bureau was dispatched to resolve the situation. He, too, was a survivor from an ordinary family.

He hefted a steel pipe and put on a demonstration: one man battering an entire group. Some of the official offspring tried to fight back, but even as a group, they were no match for him.

The soldiers stood by, gripping their own steel pipes with pointed tips, casting sidelong, mocking glances that quickly cowed the troublemakers.

As the official offspring lay sprawled on the ground, the man with the steel pipe gently inquired, "Anyone else not convinced?"

When the Civil Affairs Ministry re-announced the principles for refugee management, things went far more smoothly: all survivors were allowed to keep seven days' worth of food and permitted to carry weapons, but unless the Special Committee's enemies fired first, no one was allowed to open fire under any circumstances. Anyone who violated the firearms ban would be executed on the spot; anyone unwilling to comply would immediately be expelled from the group.

After dinner, Civil Affairs staff assigned tasks to build vehicle barricades. The official offspring, once again, could not stand it and attempted another collective revolt.

Once again, the steel pipe spun through the air. The civil agent from the Public Security Bureau, a survivor from the ordinary ranks, felt as though he was finally venting a lifetime's worth of anger.