Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 883 - 839 Im Going to the Epicenter

Chapter 883: Chapter 839: I’m Going to the Epicenter

Chapter 883 -839: I’m Going to the Epicenter

The Deputy Secretary-General was still feeling a bit uneasy at the moment, apprehensive about barging into the Standing Committee meeting room—it was his first time taking such a bold step. Would he face censure later?

But right now, the Deputy Secretary-General couldn’t afford to worry about all that. He continued, “Just now, I received a phone call from the Office of the State Affairs Council, saying that Prime Minister Leng Yunfei has already taken a special plane to Bashu.”

Upon hearing this, the officials of the Bashu Provincial Party Committee, including all the standing committee members, showed little surprise. Su Xuan nodded and waved his hand, “Mhm, got it.”

Speaking of which, he turned his head to the other committee members, “Comrades, time is of the essence. Let’s proceed according to the prearranged plan. Everyone should immediately head to the various municipalities and disaster areas. As for Prime Minister Leng’s arrival, Governor Nie and I will go to welcome him.”

Nie Zhenbang also added, “Comrades, I believe everyone is aware of Prime Minister Leng’s character and pragmatic style. The fact that the central government has responded so swiftly this time is sufficient proof of this. I won’t say much else. I trust you all understand. Once you’re there, we need you to report back as soon as possible with information about the disaster zones: are there any casualties, how many buildings have collapsed, and approximately how many people are trapped. Additionally, we need rough estimates of shortages in drinking water, food, tents, and medical supplies.”

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Su Xuan nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. Nie Zhenbang’s considerations were very thorough. Prime Minister Leng would certainly inquire about the situation in the disaster areas when he arrived. If the Bashu Provincial Party Committee were clueless when asked, it would be a dereliction of duty.

Then he also said, “Comrades, at this time, in the face of a major disaster, we must be united and work together to carry out earthquake relief. Here, Governor Nie and I are entrusting you with this task.”

…

Just after four in the afternoon.

As a matter of fact, not even two hours after Nie Zhenbang returned to Bashu Province, Prime Minister Leng’s special plane had already landed at Tianfu International Airport.

This meant that, discounting the time it took for Prime Minister Leng to travel to the airport, board the plane, and for the flight to take off and land, the national response was mobilized in less than two hours after the earthquake struck.

The apron at the airport was extremely tense, with police officers and security personnel from the airport police station serving as guards.

At this time, Prime Minister Leng’s party could be considered a light entourage. Accompanying him was an old acquaintance, Nie Zhenbang’s father, Nie Guowei, the Deputy Premier, and another was a major general from the military commission. The rest of the personnel were Prime Minister Leng’s security detail.

As soon as they got off the plane, without the usual pleasantries and smiles, as Leng approached them he asked, “How is the situation in the disaster area?”

At this moment, Su Xuan had no reason to hide anything and reported, “Prime Minister, the other standing committee members have already been dispatched to the surrounding disaster-stricken cities of Yizhou City. The latest condition of the disaster has not yet been reported. At present, communication throughout Bashu has been cut off. There has been no report on the condition of the provincial expressways for the time being. As for the national highways, landslides have occurred in several places due to the earthquake. Additionally, transportation and communication in Yizhou City, the epicenter of the disaster, have been completely severed. I have already coordinated with the Tianfu Military Region. A small detachment from the troops stationed in Changhong City will be dispatched to Yizhou City to send back the firsthand data as quickly as possible.”

Hearing Su Xuan’s report, Prime Minister Leng appeared very somber, and nodded, “Comrades Su Xuan and Zhenbang, let’s go to the Provincial Party Committee first.”

The group boarded the business vehicle parked on the apron. At the front, a police car switched on its siren and raced out of Tianfu International Airport.

Along the way, they had an unobstructed passage straight into the courtyard of the Bashu Provincial Party Committee and Government. Prime Minister Leng did not rest and went straight into the meeting room.

As soon as he entered, Prime Minister Leng requested, “Comrade Su Xuan, bring over a map of Bashu Province’s transportation network.”

No one dared to disobey Prime Minister Leng’s request, and soon the transportation map was laid out on the table. Prime Minister Leng’s gaze fixed on Yizhou City on the map, drew a circle around it with a water pen, and looked up at those present, “Before coming here, I had already discussed with Deputy Premier Nie on the plane. Bashu Province, especially Yizhou City, is a marginalized poor region with difficult road access. There are only two national highways that can be relied upon to enter and leave Yizhou, one being National Highway 18 and the other being National Highway 03. After consulting with earthquake and transportation experts on the geological conditions of Yizhou City, their feedback is not optimistic. It is certain that National Highway 03 is definitely blocked. So, there’s only National Highway 18 left as a route into and out of Yizhou. And National Highway 18 will also have had several landslides and collapses. At this point, Yizhou has virtually become an isolated city.”

As the voice fell, nearby, Deputy Prime Minister Nie also spoke, “Comrades, I am also aware of the situation in Yizhou City. The land is vast and sparsely populated, and right now, traffic is congested and communications are cut off. We are completely in the dark regarding the disaster relief situation in Yizhou City. Not only does the urban area need the party and the government to carry out relief work, but relief efforts must also be fully rolled out in every county and township throughout the city. At this moment, the people of Yizhou City are undoubtedly isolated and without support. We must open up communication with Yizhou as fast as possible and obtain firsthand disaster data.”

Nie Guowei’s words were also resolute. Just as he finished speaking, a knock on the door came from outside. Su Xuan raised his head and said, “Come in.”

From outside, a staffer from the Provincial Party Committee’s office reported, “Leaders, Secretary Su, we have received the disaster reports from some cities. According to the message from Changhong City, the two national highways leading to Yizhou City are both completely blocked.”

Hearing this, Nie Zhenbang immediately stepped forward, took the documents from the staffer’s hands, and handed them to Prime Minister Leng.

According to the latest news, it was just as the experts had predicted, transportation in Yizhou City was completely obstructed.

At that moment, Prime Minister Leng’s expression became very grave. The transportation blockage meant that the actual situation in Yizhou City was unknown, and the earthquake had struck right during working hours. The status of the leadership team of the Yizhou City Party Committee, whether they were safe, was also unclear. If Yizhou City lacked a strong leadership team at this moment, one could imagine that the city would be completely chaotic.

After pondering for a moment, Prime Minister Leng spoke slowly, “Time is life. The disaster situation is a command. Comrades, Yizhou City is a part of the land under the governance of the Republic of Huaxia. At this very moment, the 3 million people of Yizhou need us, need our support and help. Right now, we must send a team to advance into Yizhou immediately. I don’t care how, whether by foot, by flight, or even swimming. Even if you have to crawl, crawl into Yizhou for me.”

As the voice fell, Nie Guowei spoke up from the side, “Prime Minister, helicopters are probably not viable, the risk is just too great. Yizhou City is surrounded by mountains, and there are peaks thousands of meters high all around. Helicopters cannot reach that altitude from above. The air is thin at high altitudes, and the slightest misstep could result in the loss of the machine and lives. As for passing through the mountains, the ongoing aftershocks and air currents make it utterly unsuitable for helicopter deployment. Currently, the only way is to send an army to cross the mountains on foot and enter Yizhou City.”

As Nie Guowei finished speaking, Nie Zhenbang stood up, his expression solemn. He looked at Prime Minister Leng and the others and said in a heavy tone, “Prime Minister, leaders, Secretary Su, let me lead the team in.”

“You? No. As the governor, the entire province’s earthquake relief work still needs you in charge. If you go to Yizhou, what about the other places?” Without thinking or giving any chance for consideration, Prime Minister Leng immediately stopped Nie Zhenbang’s proposal.

As for Nie Guowei, his expression was complex as he looked at his son, somewhat emotional. Entering the epicenter at this time, he was very clear about the implications—the significance was poignant. Just in the short time they had been talking, there had been four noticeable aftershocks. That was here in Tianfu, more than 300 kilometers away from Yizhou. If one were in Yizhou, the aftershocks could be even more frequent. Going there now, there was a risk to life at any moment. A slight misstep could mean staying there forever.

Nie Guowei fell silent for a moment, his gaze firm, as he said in a deep voice, “Nie Zhenbang, tell us your reasons.”

As he spoke, Prime Minister Leng looked somewhat surprised and said, “Old Nie!”

Nie Guowei waved his hand and said, “Prime Minister, privately, Nie Zhenbang is my son, Nie Guowei. But publicly, he is a Communist Party member; he is the governor of Bashu Province. I want to hear his thoughts.”

At that moment, Nie Zhenbang’s face was very serious. Looking at Prime Minister Leng and his father, he said, “Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, at this time, I believe I am the most suitable person to go. I have three reasons.”

“First, as the governor of Bashu Province, Yizhou City is under its jurisdiction. At this moment, someone with strong leadership must be present to stabilize all sides. Second, I am familiar with Bashu Province. I have also been to Yizhou City before. Reliance solely on the military isn’t sufficient, as they are unfamiliar with the local conditions and are not part of the government system, which prevents them from carrying out rescue operations promptly. Third, I have undergone military training at the Xibei Military Region. My personal military competence and capabilities are beyond question. I request the organization to approve my leading the team into Yizhou City.”

Listening to Nie Zhenbang’s words, silence filled the meeting room. With Prime Minister Leng and the Deputy Prime Minister not speaking, no one dared to make the decision.

Prime Minister Leng’s gaze turned to Nie Guowei, who, after a moment of thought, nodded and said, “Prime Minister, I agree with Comrade Nie Zhenbang’s opinion.”

As he spoke, Nie Guowei looked straight at Prime Minister Leng and said, “In the face of major disasters, compared to the interests of the nation, what does an individual’s safety and loss matter? This was a teaching that Nie Zhenbang’s grandfather had always imparted to us. I believe Nie Zhenbang is the most suitable candidate. I agree.”(