Dawn of a New Era-Chapter 417 - 392: Faith Returns to the Gods

Qian Pengcheng appeared to be in his fifties, with a thin, dark build. He was wearing an old-fashioned jacket, and beneath his semi-bald head, a few sparse strands of hair valiantly swayed in the breeze.

If he hadn’t revealed his identity, Chen Shouyi would never have guessed that this little old man was a district chief, no, the acting mayor!

He shook hands separately with Chen Shouyi and Zhang Miaomiao, finally gripping Chen Shouyi tightly. A string of transparent blisters at the corner of his mouth became shiny as he spoke hoarsely:

"Chief Advisor Chen, I’ve seen your name in Everyone’s Daily. With your arrival, we feel assured!"

Chen Shouyi gently struggled, but his counterpart seemed unaware. He had to endure the discomfort of being tightly held by an old man, and he said, "Mayor Qian, you’re too kind. I’ll do my best. Can you let go of my hand first?"

"Sorry, sorry, I got too excited." Qian Pengcheng quickly reacted, awkwardly releasing his grip, "Let’s head to the temporary City Government now. The conditions are a bit crude, please don’t mind!"

Only when he saw it in person did Chen Shouyi understand what "crude conditions" truly meant!

The two reached the parking lot of the building, only to see an empty parking lot with just two bicycles placed there.

"I’m really sorry, cars are easily attacked by Barabarians now. Bicycles are the safest and don’t attract attention," Qian Pengcheng hurriedly explained.

"Is it that severe already?" Zhang Miaomiao asked, feeling a gloom in her heart upon hearing this.

"It’s more serious than I’ve stated. Do you know why a district chief like me is now the acting mayor? It’s because those ahead of me in line are either temporarily ill or have already sacrificed themselves, so I had to step up." A hint of self-mockery flashed across Qian Pengcheng’s face, and then he sighed, "Even the officers of the guard troops have been replaced once."

Zhang Miaomiao’s expression turned somber. If the terrible Barbarian in Hedong from a few days back hadn’t been defeated and killed by Chief Advisor Chen, Hedong City would have likely ended up the same.

No amount of troops can counter the slash tactics.

The defense always has its lapses. There’s no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days, only having thieves for a thousand days.

"Enough talk, Chief Advisor, you can take my bike. It will only take a few minutes!" Qian Pengcheng expressed warmly.

"No, thank you; I’ll ride myself!" Chen Shouyi responded.

"Then Director Zhang can accompany you!" Qian Pengcheng turned to Zhang Miaomiao, saying.

"I don’t need it either; I’ll ride with Chief Advisor!" Zhang Miaomiao quickly replied. Who would want to ride your bike with the smell of smoke and grease all over it.

Chen Shouyi naturally had no objections to Zhang Miaomiao wanting to ride with him.

She probably weighed under a hundred pounds, so he wouldn’t be too burdened!

After Chen Shouyi got on the bike, Zhang Miaomiao jogged a few steps, skillfully sitting sideways on the rear seat, naturally wrapping her arms around his waist.

Chen Shouyi’s body tensed slightly but soon relaxed again.

As they left the parking lot, Chen Shouyi keenly noticed that Qian Pengcheng wasn’t alone; there was a casually dressed middle-aged man riding a bicycle on the street, secretly offering protection, likely a Martial Artist from the area.

The three of them didn’t speak but silently rode together.

Perhaps due to the soldiers enforcing martial law, the streets were relatively safe, and there were no signs of chaos.

Actually, slash tactics are somewhat effective against humans but don’t have much impact overall.

In a mature and stable government, no one is irreplaceable. A large team of government officials deeply embedded from the top down to the grassroots would ensure continuity even if the upper layers were all taken out, preventing chaotic collapse and allowing for quick stabilization.

However, if these fears persist and everybody feels vulnerable, the city could completely collapse.

A few minutes later, the bicycles entered a heavily guarded park and finally stopped in front of a green brick building from the 1950s or 60s.

Above it were several large red characters:

"Civil Defense Facility Entrance"

Chen Shouyi was momentarily stunned as he got off the bike.

This was too exaggerated.

It felt just like an underground party.

Qian Pengcheng seemed to sense their surprise, opening the outer iron gate while hoarsely explaining, "This is for safety; there’s no other choice. Otherwise, no one can work peacefully!"

Chen Shouyi nodded, remaining silent.

When the three stepped inside, they found the inside less relaxed and more intense. Just 200 meters ahead of the passage, two armored vehicles were parked side by side, each armed with two 35mm caliber rapid-fire guns aimed at the entrance.

These guns typically mount shrapnel shells filled with powder and steel balls or steel arrows, iron fragments, etc. Their warheads have timed fuses, capable of exploding over the intended target or upon impact. If a Barbarian dares to enter, even a legendary powerhouse would face death in such a narrow, inescapable space.

Moreover, there’s more than just one defense setup; similar arrangements are found at intervals.

Watching the gasoline lamps on the walls, Zhang Miaomiao asked, "Has there been a power outage here?"

Now, after grid renovations, major cities in Jiangnan Province have restored power supply.

"The power lines were destroyed a few days ago, but phones still work!" Qian Pengcheng explained.

In the depths of the bunker, people gradually increased in number.

Before long, the acting city officials and their team enthusiastically approached.

After some pleasantries.

The city officials immediately invited the two to the meeting room to discuss the situation in Dongxing City.

Chen Shouyi discovered that Dongxing City was already quite dire. In recent days, there had been daily attack incidents, with a substantial number of assailants, and none of them were ordinary Barbarians. They were not only powerful but also extremely cunning. Martial Artists from Dongxing City couldn’t withstand them, and the only two significant Martial Artists in the city have already sacrificed themselves.

So far, only five Barbarians have been killed.

Behind every kill, a heavy price was paid.

Dongxing City, located next to Dongning, was obviously a key target for attacks.

Just as they were talking, there came a sudden knock on the door. When the city official said, "Please come in," a secretary entered quickly, leaning close to whisper with a solemn expression, "A small number of civilians in Haicheng District are walking the streets, shouting slogans demanding... demanding..."

"Don’t beat around the bush, what are they demanding?" The city official interrupted.

"Demanding no war, peace, faith should belong to the gods, and secular matters to the government!"

"Utterly foolish, there must be sinister cult elements inciting this!" The city official slammed the table fiercely, his face red with anger, neck veins bulging.

Faced with the province’s envoy and the province’s Chief Advisor, such a major blunder left him somewhat disgraced.

Dongxing City’s proximity to Dongning caused fear of the Barbarian God and skepticism about the future. He had long known that quite a few ignorant people, especially in some rural outskirts, secretly worship the Barbarian God, hoping for peace of mind.

It’s even formed some underground secret circles.

Although the City Government conducts periodic and repeated grassroots propaganda campaigns and strictly cracks down on those worshipping the Barbarian God, unfortunately, this cannot be completely eradicated, especially since worshiping the Barbarian God has indeed produced some tangible effects, leading to a gradual spread.

"What’s the current situation?"

"The crowd has been dispersed by the soldiers, but a soldier was killed." The secretary said.

"What happened?" The city official’s face changed.

"The soldier was stabbed by a murderer taking advantage of the chaos during the dispersal, then blended into the crowd. We haven’t located him yet!"

ps: Today there’s only one Chapter; tomorrow there will be two.