### Chapter 7 New Era (8)
==============================
“Hello, dear audience! Here, we must express our heartfelt gratitude to the city government for making the bold decision to evacuate all citizens in advance.
Look up! The sky is completely shrouded! And pay attention—it’s NOT dark clouds, NOT dark clouds!
While we may not know what it is yet, one thing’s for sure: the moment a person touches these mysterious substances, they’ll go bonkers and become mindless puppets!”
As the battlefield reporter provided this commentary, a drone zoomed in on the dramatic scene ahead.
To everyone’s horror, a few residents left behind tried to escape the encircling dark mist, but their running speed was no match for the swift advancing fog.
In the blink of an eye, they were swallowed by the darkness.
Moments later, those unlucky few were rolling on the ground like they were auditioning for the next horror flick, shrieking in panic.
The audience watching couldn’t help but feel creeped out and on the edge of their seats.
Who would have thought that just a day ago, the tranquil Ocean City would transform into pure hell mode? First, it was monster attacks, then it was the ever-growing man-eating plants, and now this mysterious black mist? Humanity was being pushed to the brink!
The netizens who were whining about leaving their cozy homes had suddenly gone quiet.
The terrifying scenes on the screen had left them speechless and shaking in their boots.
“Yell! Why aren’t you continuing to yell?!”
“d*mn it! A bunch of keyboard warriors who were talking big just a moment ago—what’s up with that?”
“The Special Operations Bureau, the SWAT team, and the military are still here! Don’t they have families? Parents? Wives and kids?
Why should they shield you bunch of losers and keep your homes safe?
If I see anyone still trash-talking the Operations Bureau, I swear, I won’t want to live anymore! Dragging you down with me back to the city!”
“Remember all these IDs! Next time we see them flaunting around, let’s roast them alive online, real-name style!”
The netizens who had previously backed the Operations Bureau were finally venting their frustrations.
But as they glimpsed the increasingly dire situation on the screen, they couldn’t help but feel more worried about the safety of the soldiers.
Fifty kilometers away from Ocean City, at the temporary command post…
Zhao Nanyang wore a serious expression, the officials huddled around him maintaining a deafening silence.
Just earlier, they had been debating whether the massive evacuation of so many residents was worth the cost, especially given that they also had to coordinate food, shelter, and medical help for them. It was transforming into one gigantic mess! Did this even make sense? Or was the Special Operations Bureau just exaggerating the threat to showcase their importance?
This argument had persisted ever since Zhao Nanyang issued the evacuation order. Under their influence, he had started to question whether he had put too much faith in the Operations Bureau. After all, Bureau Director Lin was pretty young and might be a bit too competitive.
She seemed ready to sacrifice more than necessary just to make a name for herself.
So, when most of the citizens had evacuated Ocean City as required, Zhao Nanyang set up a temporary command post at the front lines to closely monitor the situation.
It was still possible to minimize losses.
After all, Ocean City was the largest city in the southeast and a benchmark for economic development nationwide—there was no way they could afford to lose the chance for year-round awards because of this!
Zhao Nanyang told himself to wait one more night.
He believed the Operations Bureau would thoroughly clear out those d*mn plants. If not, he would mobilize everyone to reclaim his city, no matter what.
But just then, footage from the reporters on the frontlines stunned everyone at the command post.
If residents couldn’t evacuate in time, turning nearly ten million people into zombies due to the unknown black mist would be an utter nightmare!
Police Chief Wang Shengli leaned closer to Zhao Nanyang and whispered, “I bet Bureau Director Lin anticipated this situation and insisted we leave Ocean City at all costs.”
Zhao Nanyang sighed, “Yeah, we can only blame ourselves for being outdated. We didn’t dare believe anything until it was too late, thinking it was all a tall tale. Little did we know, the existence of the Special Operations Bureau had surpassed our past understanding. But here we are, still asleep at the wheel, thinking everything could just go back to normal.
The revelation of superpowers is nothing short of the dawn of a new era for humanity worldwide. Starting today, we need new ideas and fresh perspectives to face all of this.
You and I have to remember, from now on, we can’t ignore anything Director Lin says!”
Meanwhile, several reporters on-site had quickly hopped into the broadcasting van after Lin Nan ordered the evacuation, sealing all gaps with tape and opting to use drones for all filming.
“Have we found Bureau Director Lin yet?”
“Not yet. Still searching!”
“Quickly! Remember, the hope of all Ocean City lies on her shoulders. As a government media outlet, how can we not have the firsthand information?”
“Great news from the main station! Our viewing ratings are set to rival the Spring Festival Gala! Holy cr*p! This has never happened before!”
“Absolutely! The whole world is watching the situation in Ocean City. I think our ratings can still go up, provided we find Bureau Director Lin.”
“Hey, hey, look! I see her! That girl blazing like the flames of hell in the dark!”
“Wait… did we forget to turn off the mic?”
“Oh cr*p, it’s really still on!”
“……”
“……”
Netizens chimed in, “We love your banter! Quick, quick! Point the camera at Bureau Director Lin, and we won’t hold it against you!”
“Yeah, yeah! As long as we see Bureau Director Lin, you’ll be the best reporters in the world!”
“We’re giving you three seconds! If you can’t find Bureau Director Lin, we’ll—uh, actually, we can’t switch channels right now… Just, please hurry!”
Two drones captured Lin Nan’s agile figure from different angles.
She must have noticed the drone flying from a distance, as her eyes met the lens for about a second.
But then, she didn’t even consider a friendly wave to the viewers; she charged forward like a spinning top, her fiery long kn*fe whirling at her waist, turning the black mist lunging at her into nothing but ashes.
“Holy cr*p! This is insane!”
“That amazing move is simply effortless and poetic! Love it, love it!”
“Go, Bureau Director Lin! Go!”
“Too bad the black mist has already engulfed the entire city; no matter how awesome Bureau Director Lin is, she might not be able to turn the tide.”
The reporter added, “Everyone, look! Bureau Director Lin isn’t moving aimlessly; she’s targeting those who have lost their rationality and consciousness after being consumed by the black mist.
From all directions, they are gathering together. Where on earth could they be headed?”
Just then, a gigantic figure shot through the air like a cannonball, slamming down to the ground and shaking the nearby buildings.
“Ahhh! Boss! It must be the boss!” people screamed in panic.
