Chapter 258 Tornado
I don't know when it started, but the three numbers "907" seem to have some kind of magic, making people subconsciously feel trust, awe, admiration, and a sense of distance when they hear them. When the virus is raging and the symptoms spread to all kinds of living things around the world, this number is synonymous with hope. Just hearing this pronunciation makes people tremble subconsciously, as if lightning is running from the auricle to the coccyx, and the whole body becomes weak in an instant.
You Rongying stood up subconsciously, staring at the person who suddenly ran to the front of the stage, and did not dare to extend his hand for a moment.
He had been waiting for this news, but at this moment, his strongest feeling was fear.
He was afraid. He was afraid that the 907 Institute would tell them something like "Sorry, there's nothing we can do about this" or "The institute is working hard to develop a vaccine as soon as possible." If that happened, he really didn't know what would keep him going. He didn't know what the people outside, who were threatened by the fear of death and barely maintaining basic order under the government's forced constraints, would do.
There was a sword stabbed in his back and an abyss in front of him. He could neither advance nor retreat. Under the intense fear, he felt a little exhausted, but the look in his eyes as he stared at the man opposite him looked fierce.
A bald uncle in his early forties suddenly ran up. He rushed to the front in excitement, but forgot that the studio was broadcasting live at that moment. He handed over the note, but saw that You Rongying was slow to take it. He blinked blankly, and suddenly realized where he was. He froze. He turned his head inch by inch to look at the producer behind the camera. He could almost hear the sound of the bones in his neck rubbing against each other.
So audiences across the country saw this unshaven middle-aged man with a cigarette between his ears, slippers on his feet, and a confused expression on his face. His silly look seemed as if his soul had left his body, and was funnier than any comedian's expression. But no one could laugh. Everyone stared at the note in his hand, wishing they could get into the TV and pull it out to see what was on it. Some people even started cursing in front of the TV.
——Although he was badly scolded at the time, this scene was later called "the cutest look back in the world". This screenshot occupied the front page headlines of major websites, and foreign media also made a lot of jokes. The bald uncle's face was made into emoticons and photoshopped onto the heads of many film and television characters. For a while, he was second only to one person and surpassed millions of people. This former passerby uncle became well-known because of this. With just this face, he was mixed in various talk shows, reality shows, interview programs, and even appeared in several popular movies and TV shows. He was more popular than many big stars, and his life was like a wild horse running away and heading in a completely unexpected direction.
At this point, the producer with a stern face behind the camera was the first to come to his senses. He stopped the audience from wanting to insert an interview video and said calmly, "Take it and read it!"
Although he didn't specify who he was talking to, it was self-evident who he was talking to. Under the pressure, You Rongying took the note and found that his fingers were trembling slightly, and his back was soaked with sweat. He was afraid of the worst but most likely outcome, and glanced at the camera anxiously. Then, he used his long-term news anchor's qualities, forced himself to keep a serious expression and not show his complicated thoughts, and unfolded the note.
The bald uncle stood nearby, not knowing whether he should go down or not, and no one gave him instructions. He tried to make himself stand more attractive, but his calves trembled uncontrollably, and his whole body felt as if ants were crawling all over it making him feel uncomfortable.
"Producer..." a recording staff member whispered involuntarily. The consequences that You Rongying was afraid of were exactly what he was worried about.
The producer shook his head and interrupted him, his eyes fixed on the screen. No one noticed that goose bumps had appeared on his arms, veins bulged on the back of his hands, and the muscles on his face were tenser than anyone else's.
He naturally thought of the consequences that others had thought of, and at the same time, he thought more far-reachingly.
I don't know what was wrong with that guy, he actually rushed directly to the studio. If he had been shown the note first, no matter whether the news was good or bad, the program team could have made arrangements more calmly and naturally. However, since it was so sudden, they could only choose to announce the news on the note on the spot. If they interrupted it at this time, it might immediately cause some bad consequences, and when it was announced later, the credibility would be greatly reduced. No matter what the content was, people would imagine many unfounded conspiracies and frauds.
Furthermore, he believed that with the intelligence of the people in the 907 Institute, they would know what was going on. Even if those nerdy scientists didn't know, there would always be people around them who knew and knew what to say and what not to say. The news from the Institute couldn't have been just someone who decided to call them on a whim. It must have gone through a lot of review and consideration. So, it was fine if there hadn't been any news before, but once there was news, it must have been good news!
Many thoughts flashed through his mind in just a few seconds. The producer stared at the note on the screen that was opened by You Rongying's trembling fingers. He saw that the man's expression was neither joy, disappointment, nor fear, but... astonishment?
You Rongying looked at it for two seconds, and then for two more seconds. After making sure that he had not seen it wrong, he hesitated and read out in a very uncertain tone: "Notice, at 19:30 Tangguo time, the whole world will simultaneously expel the virus. Everyone, please open the windows and cabinets, go out of the room, and do not stay in a closed environment - the person in charge of the 907 Institute... Rong Yuan?"
Unable to suppress his surprise, You Rongying raised his voice involuntarily at the end, turning the originally straightforward recitation into a question.
Everyone in the studio was stunned, and the audience watching the news also had a look of confusion on their faces.
The producer subconsciously glanced at the time - 19:20.
There are only ten minutes left until the time given in the note.
At this moment, his cell phone rang. A late notification, which was delayed due to the chaotic and urgent situation, finally came. After reading it, the producer's expression relaxed slightly and he breathed a sigh of relief.
You Rongying still had a suspicious look on his face.
The content on the note was too bizarre and unbelievable. This content might be fine in normal times, but it was read out in the most authoritative and influential news in the country as a way to treat the virus... oh no, to expel the virus. It was extremely absurd. And going outside can expel the virus? How? The sun has already set!
You Rongying's doubts and hesitations were clearly written on her face. The producer frowned and switched the camera to the female host's slightly open mouth with a bit of surprise on her face. This expression looked much more pleasing to the eye. However, the female host opened her mouth several times and didn't know what to say next. The manuscript about the overseas medical conditions in her hand didn't seem to fit the situation. Then she tilted her head slightly and heard the producer's instructions from the headset. Although she still didn't understand, she smiled obediently and said, "Please all the viewers in front of the TV follow the instructions..."
…
The studio is just a corner of this huge world. In other parts of the world, everyone has received the same instructions.
The news media is just a means of notification. The government is doing its best to ensure that everyone can see this news. Not only in live news broadcasts, but viewers watching other TV programs at the same time will find that half of the TV screen is covered by a line of notifications with red text on a yellow background, which scrolls repeatedly, and there is a countdown urging people to take immediate action; Internet users, whether playing games, reading novels or posting on Weibo, also see a pop-up window with the same content popping up at the bottom of the screen, appearing every 30 seconds, as if they have been infected with a virus; with the cooperation of the telecommunications company , anyone with a mobile phone received this life-threatening text message; orders were issued layer by layer, and countless supermarkets, restaurants, entertainment venues, etc. that were still in business received notifications, and the additional severe penalties forced the store owners to bear the pain of driving customers out.
There were people who didn't believe it, people who cursed, and people who didn't take it seriously, but the terrifying power of UCOC had frightened many people. Even if it was an obviously unreliable straw, they would desperately grasp at this ray of hope. So most people immediately followed Rong Yuan's request and opened all the windows, drawers, cabinets, and even the boxes stuffed under the bed. Then the family urged each other, and even ran out the door in their pajamas, looking at the sky eagerly, wondering how Dr. Rong would help them "expel the virus."
The patients who have been "infected" and lying in the hospital are the most efficient executors. No matter if they have just discovered symptoms or are already terminally ill, no matter if they are on a stretcher, wheelchair, or carried on their backs, they are all moved outside within the specified time. The doctors and nurses are all exhausted. They sit on the grass outside, panting, and looking up at the sky.
56, 57, 58, 59, 00! !
The second hand ticked away, and people waited anxiously, feeling for the first time that time was passing so slowly. When it finally ticked to 19:30, everyone held their breath involuntarily, and their hearts seemed to stop beating.
They waited, waiting for any sign of salvation. They would not be surprised if bells and drums rang, Buddha's light suddenly descended from the sky, or alien spaceships appeared and blocked out the sky.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
A minute passed.
The sky did not collapse, the earth did not crack, and no miracles occurred.
Nothing happened.
The blood was surging, cold water was dripping into the oil pan, the piston air wave rushed to the top, the mine broke its fuse, and the volcano spewed smoke...
Disappointment, despair, and anger at being fooled were boiling over, and no one knew what would happen if this silence continued.
Because just before the explosion, someone finally noticed something was wrong and shouted, "Look, what is that?"
On the ground, on the water, on leaves, on furniture, on roofs, and even on many people, wisps of something like white smoke rose up, becoming more and more numerous and more obvious, gradually covering the sky and the stars like a thick fog. The smoke seemed to glow, and could be seen clearly even in the dark. In an instant, it seemed as if this unknown smoke was rising all over the world, as if it was boundless and endless.
On the grass in front of the hospital, the white fog was more spectacular than anywhere else. Everyone was stunned to see the inpatient building, which was so close but almost invisible because of the fog. A patient lying on a stretcher, barely conscious and dying, suddenly saw the same fog coming out of his mouth and nostrils. He screamed and almost jumped up. He immediately closed his mouth, but suddenly felt something was wrong. He opened his mouth and looked at the thick and thin white fog that kept rising. He felt like his soul was running out of his mouth, but when he thought about what these were, he felt very sick and couldn't help but lie on the side and vomit loudly.
On the grassland, several elephants surrounded a baby elephant lying weakly on the ground, constantly touching its body with their long trunks. Suddenly, they saw mist floating out of its body. They were so scared that they took a few steps back, thinking that the baby elephant was about to die, and let out one cry after another.
In the bird's nest on the treetop, a bird with a long tail and white head squatted on the branch, tilted its head to look at the white smoke floating from its eggs, and chirped twice curiously.
On the sea, a creature with a human body and a fish tail emerged from a school of fish. Ke Ke looked at the white mist floating up on the tranquil sea like backward raindrops. He stirred the sea surface curiously and looked at the red spots on his arms. He felt that his body seemed to be a little more relaxed.
From a microscopic perspective, from a certain moment on, all the blue dragonflies seemed to be greatly stimulated, fleeing around frantically, and finally, as if forced by something, they all chose the direction of continuous upwards. They kept flying and dying, and in order to survive, all the blue dragonflies gathered together in layers, just to protect the survival of the most central part of the group. The connected volume became larger and larger, gradually turning into smoke and dust visible to the naked eye.
Deadly dangers were chasing after them, reaping the lives of their compatriots. They were getting faster and faster, gathering in greater numbers, moving upwards, upwards, upwards!!! Gradually forming a huge momentum like a tsunami!
The relationship between humans and chrysalis seemed to be reversed in an instant. On the ground, people looked at the inverted pillar of heaven and the huge tornado-like white smoke, and were all speechless.
