As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall exchanged glances.
Some showed confusion, others sudden realization, and some cried out in excitement on the spot.
"I know! Isn't that Lao Fu's daughter?! She went around telling everyone the apocalypse was coming, and she ended up being sent to a psychiatric hospital!"
"I heard about that too! She even told me in person!"
The hall erupted into an uproar.
Seeing that his initial goal had been achieved, Su Jin felt a surge of reassurance.
He pressed a couple of buttons on his phone, raised the megaphone, and called out, "Please be quiet, everyone! Quiet, please!"
After several commands, silence returned to the room.
Many of the faces that had previously looked downcast and demoralized now glowed with newfound life.
Su Jin smiled. Just as he was about to raise the megaphone to speak, a crisp ringtone sounded from the device in his hand.
Over a hundred pairs of eyes instantly snapped toward the phone.
Poised and composed, Su Jin answered the call, his voice broadcasting to everyone through the megaphone.
"Please confirm your identity."
"9527, Li Haocheng."
"Director Li, this is a notice from the Combat Readiness Command. The apocalypse contingency plan 'Dawn-Zero' has been activated. Please reorganize your unit within three days, equip live ammunition, and proceed to assemble at the Northern Suburbs First Military Base as soon as possible. Branch forces have commenced mopping-up operations and will rendezvous with you once the sweep is complete. Acknowledge and repeat, over."
Su Jin looked up across the crowd, holding the phone close to the megaphone. "Please notify Command that our personnel have been initially organized, but conditions are harsh. The civilians are in poor physical condition and lack equipment; we cannot reach the Northern Suburbs Base within three days. I will continue to report our status to Command, over."
A brief pause lingered over the line before the response finally came.
"Acknowledged, over."
With the simulated call—pre-recorded by Cheng Du—at an end, the people below began swallowing nervously, their bodies trembling faintly.
A phone... A working phone still existed?
And the military had already launched large-scale mopping-up operations! The country truly had an apocalypse contingency plan, and it was already in motion!
Su Jin held up the phone and said calmly, "You all heard what was just said. I won't waste time explaining it to you again. As for why my phone still works, it's quite simple: Mayan communication devices do not rely on cellular base stations; they use point-to-point communication. The state possesses another such unit."
"Now, back to the point! Many of you present have already guessed who the Savior mentioned in the Mayan legacy is, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. This person is right here in our residential complex!"
Su Jin pointed toward the entrance.
Fu Hu and Cheng Du exchanged a look and pulled the double doors open.
Dressed in pure white with light makeup on her face, Fu Qingdai walked in serenely from behind the doors.
Amidst a crowd of people who had gone unwashed for days, Fu Qingdai's ethereal countenance radiated a pristine glow. The flutter of her clothes sent a faint fragrance drifting through the room, making her appear, for a moment, like a celestial being.
Over two hundred gazes locked firmly onto her, tears welling in their eyes.
The Savior—a true Savior really existed, and she possessed such an extraordinary presence!
Fu Qingdai's eyes met Su Jin's. Completely ignoring the presence of everyone else, she walked straight toward the makeshift stage.
Su Jin offered a slight smile and extended his hand toward her.
Fu Qingdai's heart fluttered inexplicably. Then, smiling gently, she took Su Jin's hand and stepped onto the stage.
"Tsk! What is this, a wedding?" Cheng Du muttered under his breath.
"Can't you keep your mouth shut?! Don't let anyone hear you!" Fu Hu cursed in a low whisper. "Do you have a fucking problem with my daughter? Stir up trouble again and I'll choke you to death!"
"Whoa! As if I'd dare!"
On the stage, Su Jin and Fu Qingdai stood side by side.
Su Jin turned his head toward the crowd and announced, "Let me introduce her to you all. Her name is Fu Qingdai. She is the Savior discovered and verified by the National Intervention Bureau, having displayed her gifts before the apocalypse began. Both the state and I firmly believe that she will help us and our nation overcome this catastrophe."
"Furthermore, I can tell you unequivocally that she foresaw the future once again after the apocalypse struck."
Faced with all those fervent gazes, Fu Qingdai felt her throat tighten. Finally summoning her courage, she parted her lips softly.
"I have seen the future. This disaster will eventually pass, and our country will be rebuilt. But everything will still depend on everyone's united efforts."
Su Jin took the lead in applauding!
The core team from the sixth floor joined in at once, and with their prompting, thunderous applause instantly swept the entire hall.
Some of the more emotional survivors could no longer hold back their excited cheers.
The community activity center transformed into an ocean of applause.
His face flushed red, Su Jin tossed the megaphone aside.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "I know everyone is thrilled, but if it were merely a prophecy discovered by Qingdai, it wouldn't be convincing enough! Miracles surrounding her have already begun to manifest! Under her guidance, we have already gained abilities that defy common sense!"
"This is a crisis! But every danger is accompanied by opportunity! Next, we will show you the new changes brought by the Savior... Cheng Du!"
At Su Jin's call, Cheng Du eagerly bounded onto the stage.
He stretched out both arms and unleashed his ability!
Vigorous flames erupted along his arms, dazzling the entire room with an intensely striking visual spectacle!
Ghosts of gasps rippled through the crowd before another fresh wave of climax burst forth!
At this moment, the fear in everyone's hearts had plummeted to near zero.
"The path of evolution has begun!" Su Jin's tone was rapid and impassioned. "Every one of us may possess this extraordinary ability in the future under Qingdai's guidance! We will no longer be ordinary people! And with the firepower of the military to aid us, our chances of victory will be vastly greater... Every single one of you will survive, and you will become heroes of the new world!"
"Now tell me, do you have the confidence to win this war?!"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The whole room pumped their arms, shouting in unison.
"Can you protect Qingdai?!"
"We can! We can! We can!"
"Can we win this war?!" Su Jin roared in passion.
"Win! Win! Win!"
The mobilization reached its absolute peak, and the cheers threatened to tear the roof off the activity center.
Su Jin took two steps back. He gazed at Fu Qingdai's back while keeping an eye on the crowd below from the corner of his vision.
Fu Hu and the others had not been swept away by the collective fervor; instead, each of them looked toward him with glistening eyes.
Seeing this, hot tears finally spilled from Su Jin's eyes.
It was not merely the success of the rally, but the overwhelming surge of shared empathy.
He had suppressed himself for far too long, and he had witnessed far too many deaths.
This rotting, reeking world disgusted him to his core.
Now, this rare spark of hope was like a beam of light in the darkness... even if it was born of lies, and even if their chances of future survival remained slim.
Yet he would rather die under the light of hope than fall once more to despair.
Even if he was like a moth darting into a flame, he was completely willing.
As time passed, the clamor gradually died down. Su Jin guided Fu Qingdai down from the stage, lifted a hand to wipe away the remaining tear tracks on his face, and spoke to the crowd in a solemn tone.
"From this moment on, we will reorganize our ranks! You must hold yourselves to the standards of professional soldiers! Every person will report their special skills, and we will reassign groups and schedule tasks accordingly! Anyone who violates orders will be expelled from the team without exception!"
"I expect everyone to cooperate with our efforts so we can organize a convoy as soon as possible and head for the military district!"
Chapter 63