Chapter 103 Zero Casualties Is Our Bottom Line
Acre is a small city.

In terms of administrative level, it is just an ordinary county-level city in Western Xinjiang, with a population of less than one million and an urban center area of ​​only a hundred square kilometers.

Compared to Jinghai and Chang'an, which Martha had been to before, this was undoubtedly an "underdeveloped" city. There were no towering skyscrapers, nor a well-connected subway network. The most prosperous commercial center was as shabby as a small store in front of Jinghai City...

And such a remote small town actually has to face a super storm that even super cities may not be able to withstand?
Martha held her head, unable to believe what she heard!

Although she usually seems a little naive, she is definitely not a foolish person without any knowledge.

This kind of super storm is top-notch super news no matter which country it happens to be in. Even in the United States, the number one country on the blue planet, super hurricanes sweep through many cities every year, causing countless deaths and injuries, property losses, water and power outages, social unrest... and many other disasters.

She has already guessed the headlines of tomorrow's news in all major media outlets, both local Chinese media and foreign media.

《Breaking news! A strong sandstorm hit the city of Ak, China, causing many casualties! 》

"Affected by the strong winds, the city of Ak has lost contact. Our reporters are rushing to the disaster area to report to you."

《Emergency! It has been confirmed that three citizens of the United Arab Emirates have lost contact in this disaster. The Chinese authorities are making every effort to organize rescue forces. If anyone sees the following three people, please contact the authorities immediately.》

It’s over. It’s really over this time.

Looking at the huge sandstorm in the distance that seemed to be about to swallow up the entire earth, Martha dropped her arms helplessly.

Should I confess to Yan now and also take the time to tell my father and brother in the live studio what I should say? I am already very satisfied with my life so that my father and others don't have to be sad...

Just as Martha was daydreaming, she suddenly felt a pain on her forehead.

"Ah, it hurts...Yan! Why did you hit my head again?"

Martha felt pain when Lin Yan suddenly hit her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Lin Yan was even more confused than her:
"I was just about to ask you something. You've been mumbling about pills and pills since a while ago. Can you please say something auspicious? It's just a little sandstorm. It's still a little dangerous in the wild. Why are you afraid of a ghost now that you're in the city? Don't just stand there. We're going to the parking lot soon. Get ready to get out of the car and take shelter."

Martha: “……?”

Breaking the sandstorm?

No, something is wrong!

The car drove into the underground parking lot, and the dust outside the city could not be seen for the time being. Martha asked in surprise: "Yan, this is a force 14 gale! According to the standard of Blue Star, it should be more than force 10, which is considered a super-large wind disaster. How can it be just a small dust storm?"

"And more! Didn't Mr. Yan say that you have a tough battle to fight? Isn't this talking about withstanding this sandstorm? Why do you seem to have nothing to fear?"

Lin Yan sighed helplessly: "Do you think this city has never suffered a sandstorm of this magnitude? A once-in-a-century disaster is just an abstract description. But no one has ever stipulated that such a disaster must only occur once every 100 years. What's more, a force 14 gale is not something that happens once in a century." Martha: "...Ah?"

Has Ake City experienced sandstorms of this level many times?
No, it can’t be! ?
Even the live broadcast room is now dumbfounded.

"A storm of this magnitude is enough to uproot a city, and this place has experienced it more than once?"

"Could it be that this city was rebuilt from the ruins after the disaster?"

"It's possible. Although these buildings are not as developed as places like Jinghai, it can be seen that they are all new houses."

"You're talking nonsense. Old viewers in the live broadcast room all know that China has undergone tremendous changes in the past thirty years. Almost all the houses are new within the past ten or twenty years. You are not convincing with this."

"F**k (American swear word)! I just checked it out, and this anchor actually didn't lie! Around February of this year, Western Xinjiang really experienced a force 2 gale! Although it wasn't in Ak City, this thing seems to be quite common in Western Xinjiang!"

"What did you say!?"

For a time, the search volume for keywords such as "Huaxia", "Western Xinjiang", "sandstorm", and "Level 14" on Google skyrocketed!

The result stunned everyone!
They were so frightened watching the live broadcast that they felt as if they were in the middle of that horrific natural disaster. But now they checked carefully and found that this 14-level storm was too mild, okay?
Xijiang is hit by this kind of strong wind once or twice every year! Moreover, there are records of storms of 15 or even 16! However, these storms are often born in uninhabited areas, and from their birth to their dissipation, they cannot cause any waves in human society, so they have not received any attention.

As for why it is such a "coincidence" that all of them happened in no-man's land...this is why these places became "no-man's land".

Therefore, Lin Yanzhen was not saying nice things to comfort people, but the Western Xinjiang, including Ak City, had long been accustomed to this kind of sandstorm. A mere 14-force gale wanted to uproot Ak City? Who were they looking down on? Would a 16-force gale wipe out the entire Western Xinjiang from the map?
"Then, then why were you so nervous after entering the city... Aren't you afraid of this sandstorm?"

Martha asked, stuttering.

Linkley looked a little strange. "Well, I'm not afraid. After all, a force 14 gale is not a lie. It's a tough battle for us, but it may not be what you imagine, sister-in-law."

"What's the difference?"

"It's normal for one or two casualties to occur in a disaster of this magnitude, but Ak City is a key desertification control area for both the military and civilians, and it's protected by our troops. If anyone dies, it would be a disgrace to our troops!!! The brothers in Chang'an District really gave a perfect answer in the face of a once-in-a-millennium disaster. If we in Xijiang District can't protect our fellow villagers in this small storm, how can we hold our heads up in the future!"

Is this the kind of tough battle?!
Martha almost vomited blood!

She originally thought that this tough battle should be a joint effort of the entire city's military and civilians, with everyone working together as one, and making huge sacrifices in the face of severe natural disasters, and even risking their own lives to protect the city - just like Chang'an City!

But their focus is on “no casualties”!

There was a sudden roar of thunder in the live broadcast room!
They had anticipated three or four digit casualties, or even a disaster that might uproot an entire city. However, in the eyes of the Chinese troops, the key issue was how to achieve zero casualties.
This battle is too tough, isn't it?

(End of this chapter)