Simulation Game: Crisis Management-Chapter 342 - 168: Riot (Happy New Year)

He decisively walked towards the fire truck’s pickup vehicle, but the next second, three to five firefighters stopped him.

"Why?"

"What you’re doing is against the rules! Didn’t the chief say they would send a car over in a moment?"

"Does being a soldier mean you can do whatever you want?"

...

Faced with the chattering rebuttals of the people in front of him, the formerly calm aura of Gu Ji gradually turned into an astonishingly violent and fierce temperament, even making "Vidi’s" originally handsome and kind features become sinister and severe.

"Against the rules? I’ve already shown you the government military order. I’ll repeat for the last time, please cooperate with the dam demolition plan action, this is to save the lives of 50 million people in the southern part of West Bengal. If anyone maliciously obstructs the rescue, I’ll immediately order the soldiers to take mandatory measures, move aside!!"

Gu Ji spoke word by word, his tone chilling.

At his side, Marlo even rushed forward with his subordinates, guns in hand.

The firefighters hadn’t expected Gu Ji’s attitude to suddenly become so forceful, and with the pitch-black gun barrels near their heads, they dared not obstruct further, fearing they might be shot by an accidental discharge from a soldier.

Just like that, Gu Ji took two pickup trucks successfully with eight special border troops soldiers.

His tough demeanor won the respect of the soldiers.

Marlo asked for his opinion for the first time.

"Vidi, what should we do next?"

"Captain Marlo, time is of the essence. You immediately drive back to the transport aircraft with the soldiers, prioritize transporting the demolition equipment and high explosives to the Farakka Dam, I can continue to lead people to search for other transport means along the riverbank!"

"Vidi, I’m worried something might happen if I’m not there. How about this, Duvasas, Karuna, each of you take one person and return to Hippo 4 and 5, report the situation to Mr. Swaraj, the others, coordinate with Vidi and execute the riverbank search!"

Marlo did not choose to return alone but assigned the task to his subordinates and split the team of eight in two.

As the vehicles departed.

Gu Ji and his group continued to move upstream along the river.

As they passed through the villages and towns along the riverbank, he noticed that all the house lights were out, indicating that the Special Zone government had already begun evacuating the people on both sides of the river, which was somewhat conscientious at least.

Since they couldn’t find vehicles, the group had to continue on foot.

About five minutes later, a warning came from the soldier responsible for bringing up the rear, saying a vehicle was approaching.

Upon observation, they found it was the pickup returning from earlier.

At this point, the back of the truck was already filled with explosives and various equipment, with B group’s soldiers lying next to the truck bed or hanging on the side of the door.

"Vidi, I got word from the Minister that 80% of the population in East and West Midnapore Districts oppose blowing up the Farakka Dam, citing that the reservoir’s flood discharge will destroy their homes and farmland, and since March next year is the reelection for West Bengal’s Chief Minister, the Special Zone’s District Commissioner promised the populace to fully prevent the Central Cabinet Government’s dam demolition plan to secure votes from both districts!"

Damn!

Gu Ji felt furious after hearing Fatima’s report from inside the car.

Here they were, risking their lives to save people’s lives, while the populace there was determined to stop them by any means.

Even more disgusting.

The Special Zone government not only failed to guide correctly but, for selfish gain, utilized the public’s ignorance, fanning the flames, completely disregarding the people’s lives!

"What does Capital Calcutta think?"

"Although some officials and residents in Calcutta also do not wish for the Farakka Dam to be destroyed, because it’s downstream of the Hugli River, once the dam breaks, it would become a disaster zone, hence the reason why real power officials like the State’s Chief Minister and the Capital’s County Magistrate support the demolition plan."

"Support makes it easier, quickly contact the Chief Minister, have him immediately send over more riot police forces and engineering teams for support, the more people the better, now!!"

Besides the previous flood train distress incident, this was the second time Fatima had seen him with such a severe expression, vaguely realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickly pulled out the contact list.

As the team continued uphill.

After about a kilometer or so, they heard the rushing sound of water, and with the headlights’ illumination, they could see countless large and small whirlpools swirling on the river surface. Further away, a massive steel-reinforced concrete structure spanned the Hugli River.

Indeed, this was Gu Ji and the others’ ultimate target, and the largest one in the dam demolition plan: Farakka Dam.

At this moment, it looked like a silver dragon lying between the mountain ravines.

Just as Mr. Swaraj ordered to speed up the advance.

Suddenly.

The scout perched atop the vehicle’s front suddenly shouted: "Right front, two o’clock direction, lots of bright lights! Watch out! Lots of bright lights!"

In an instant, a flurry of bright lights emerged from the darkness, Gu Ji squinted and saw at least dozens, some were high-power flashlights, others were orange-yellow kerosene lamps.

The entire solitary, desolate hill appeared as if split by lightning, with the lights and rain’s hues revealing a dense mass of shadows, turmoil and unrest quickly spreading.

It’s a crowd!!

At least several hundred people!!

"A Group and B Group! Check ammunition! Level one alert! Repeat! Level one alert!!"

Marlo shouted, his eyes instantly becoming fierce.

In a flash, all 16 special border troop soldiers jumped off the vehicles, adopting shoulder-to-shoulder shooting stances, aiming their systems at the dense crowd.

"Drive away these demons!!"

"Defeat them! We must not let these outsiders destroy our homes!"

"Fuck! Try shooting at me if you dare! See if I’m afraid of you!"

"Shiva is watching your evil deeds from the sky, all that you do will come back to haunt you!!"

...

As the distance drew nearer, Gu Ji heard the cursing and reprimands from the crowd.

Until they were only about 20 meters apart.

Gu Ji and his party finally saw the crowd’s full picture.

There were about seven to eight hundred of them in total, with the vast majority being local villagers from East and West Midnapore District, each wearing coarse cloth garments, some with turbans, others with red marks on their foreheads, old and young, everyone holding something, some with sticks, others with hoes, and some even picking up stones from the ground.

From this attire, they appeared to be Indian farmers.

It’s no wonder that with the dam destroyed, not only would the farmland be submerged, most importantly, they would lose stable water sources for irrigation during the fall and winter seasons, so their spontaneous defense of the dam was normal.

But what really enraged Gu Ji and his team.

Was that behind these local Indian farmers stood a group of government officials in suits and holding umbrellas, and next to the officials were seventy to eighty Indian police officers in khaki uniforms and armed.

Needless to say, these people were certainly the Midnapore government officials Fatima mentioned, those trying to gather votes.

In other words.

This was an official-led, organized, premeditated riot!!

"Hurry up and get out of here!"

"As long as I’m here, you won’t blow up the dam!"

"Get lost! If you don’t, we’ll act!"

Just as the words fell, swish, suddenly, a black object flew in from afar.

"Watch out! Something’s coming! Take cover!"

A soldier shouted, and everyone hid behind the two pickup trucks until the object fell at Gu Ji’s feet, revealing itself to be a stone.

"Captain Marlo! Don’t shoot! We need to find a way to stall, leave it to me!"

Seeing Marlo about to fire a warning shot, Gu Ji quickly dashed over, pressing down the barrel.

Fatima held her breath, staring with wide beautiful eyes, anxiously watching the scene unfold before her.

It was only at this moment.

Did she understand the severity in Gu Ji’s expression when he earlier told her to call for reinforcements from the Calcutta government.

This was nothing less than a large-scale riot!!