49 Apocalypse Rules

Chapter 303: Chapter 282: The Quarantine Zone Plan

In less than a week since the fourteenth Apocalypse Rule was released, the number of people cultivating the Cosmic Divine Spore Technique had already become incalculable.

Despite the continuous warnings and even bans issued by nations around the world, it was all to no avail.

Many initiatives could only be successfully implemented with public cooperation. Without it, so-called advice and regulations were completely ineffective.

Many people now believed that cultivating this divine technique brought all sorts of health benefits. Ordinary people, in particular, saw the spores as their one chance to turn their fortunes around in this new era.

Under these circumstances, official enforcement was almost completely useless.

The Strategy Research Room had no choice but to convene an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures for this situation.

"Why don’t we just cut off internet access for now?" someone proposed. "This whole cultivation thing spread because of the internet, and a lot of people are using it to organize group sessions. Shouldn’t we tackle it from that angle?"

Someone refuted the idea. "I doubt that would be very effective... There are tons of places where people gather to practice offline. You can see them just by taking a stroll outside."

"Exactly. Right now, in city squares, parks, and other public spaces, you can see huge crowds practicing together. According to video surveillance, many of them aren’t just meditating anymore. They’ve fashioned homemade helmet-antennas to wear, claiming it boosts the signals they receive from the Alien Civilization."

"...These people have gone completely mad, if you ask me."

Zhang Minglu looked at Gao Liangwei, his face etched with worry. "Director," he said anxiously, "I hate to admit it, but it looks like we’ve failed this time... We’re completely helpless in the face of this public mania."

In a situation like this, not even brute force would work.

Many of them simply aren’t afraid to die. It’s just as that popular online post said: "A mediocre life is more terrifying than death." And that’s what a lot of people believe.

This left the government seemingly powerless, able only to watch helplessly as vast numbers of citizens became addicted to the spores and deeply parasitized.

No one yet knew what the Parasites’ final form would look like. Perhaps it would take several more stages to become clear, or maybe it wouldn’t be revealed until after this Rule ended.

But regardless, the amount of trouble such a vast number of Parasites would eventually cause for humanity was simply unimaginable.

No one in the conference room spoke, all of them waiting for Gao Liangwei to make a decision.

Faced with this situation, Gao Liangwei mulled it over for a long while before finally speaking.

"I have a proposal; hear me out. If you all think it’s viable, we’ll submit it to the higher-ups today."

Everyone pricked up their ears and listened intently.

"My proposal is this: we have the government designate specific sites for this practice. We then have everyone who insists on cultivating gather at these designated locations."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the others looked at him in confusion.

’It was one thing for the government not to intervene, but to actually help them find sites? Wasn’t that just adding fuel to the fire?’

Only a select few vaguely grasped the true meaning behind Gao Liangwei’s words, and a chill ran through their hearts.

Gao Liangwei continued, "People who are addicted to this practice will, in all likelihood, become completely hooked on the spores and eventually turn into Parasites. We don’t yet know what these Parasites will be like, or whether they’ll pose a threat to ordinary humans, so..."

When he said what came next, everyone in the conference room felt a chill run down their spine, as if the temperature in the room had dropped by several degrees.

"So, while on the surface these are practice sites, they are, in reality, massive quarantine zones."

"Correct. My proposal is that, since we cannot stop these people from practicing, we should isolate them ahead of time. Once they become Parasites, we’ll place them under observation."

"If they turn into monsters that are harmful to ordinary humans, and if we’ve tried every possible method to save them and still failed... then no matter how much we hate it, for the sake of the people who are still living, we must do what has to be done."

Gao Liangwei hadn’t said it outright, but the implication behind his words could not have been clearer.

They would establish quarantine zones and gather everyone addicted to the practice inside. If, in the future, they transformed into irredeemable monster-like Parasites, just like the Living Dead had... then the only option left would be to use armed force to completely "purify" every last quarantine zone.

The conference room fell deathly silent. A plan like this was something only a man with a military background like Gao Liangwei could conceive of so quickly; the various doctors and scholars from other walks of life had never even considered such a possibility.

"I agree with the Director’s proposal."

Zhang Minglu was the first to voice his support.

"For the sake of humanity as a whole, it’s necessary to prepare for the worst-case scenario."

"...I agree as well."

"Let me add one more thing. This plan must be kept top secret! If word gets out, it will almost certainly inflame tensions and lead to violent conflict."

"Then let’s put it to a vote."

...

When the vote was concluded, over ninety percent of the attendees approved Gao Liangwei’s proposal. Of the remainder, some voted against it and some abstained.

The proposal was quickly submitted, and the response from the higher-ups came much faster than anyone had anticipated.

It was submitted and approved on the same day. The response from the higher-ups consisted of just two words: "Request granted." They also decided that Gao Liangwei would be put in charge of the "Quarantine Zone Plan," granting him supreme authority to mobilize and coordinate all relevant departments.

Once he had the authority, Gao Liangwei immediately notified the senior leadership of all official departments. After a series of briefings to coordinate and explain the plan’s requirements, the gears of each department began to turn at high speed.

First, locations were selected in every city, with the requirements being a large area and the ability to be sealed off.

Large stadiums, factory complexes, office parks, and even some public parks—all were considered viable options.

Next, a massive propaganda campaign was launched. It had a single objective: to guide everyone obsessed with the practice into the designated quarantine zones.

This turned out to be much easier than anticipated. The practitioners themselves were already inclined to share experiences and tips. Once they heard that a particular location had a massive gathering of fellow cultivators, they were more than happy to go.

In this way, the government could gather the most fanatical practitioners of the Cosmic Divine Spore Technique into fixed, concentrated areas.

Next came the preparations for locking down the quarantine zones.

Armed forces were secretly moved into the surrounding regions and placed on standby. At the critical moment, as soon as the order was given, these units could lock down the quarantine zones in the shortest possible time, allowing no one in or out.

As for how to handle the situation after the lockdown... that would depend entirely on what the Parasites turned out to be.

If they were still human, there might be a chance to save them.

If they had turned into some kind of monster, then they would have to be eliminated.

The operation was launched swiftly and with great intensity. Due to the plan’s highly classified nature, most of the people involved had no idea what was actually happening.

The personnel responsible for promoting the practice sites genuinely believed that’s what they were—places for people to practice.

The armed forces deployed nearby were equally in the dark. All they knew was that they were to be stationed there. As for their specific objective, they would only learn the nature of their unit’s mission when the order was finally given at some point in the future.

And so, shrouded in secrecy, the Quarantine Zone Plan was quietly set into motion...

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