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墨書 Inktalez
"This is called a road?" Liu Xin looked at the path ahead with a bitter smile. This was hardly a road.
The convoy was currently taking a shortcut identified by the police through the city design blueprints. In strict terms, this path could not be considered a road, as it was designed for viewing purposes only.
Indeed, Chen Rui and his team were driving over a scenic lawn, an action that drew considerable discontent from many citizens. Whenever the convoy approached a spot near the traffic, the sound of flutes would echo, and even the flashing lights of Chen Rui's vehicle could not silence the music.
"Alright, this is it. You all need to walk from here," Lujie’s voice came through, prompting Chen Rui to order the vehicle to stop.
"The road ahead is completely blocked because too many people are trying to take advantage of the situation. The airport parking lot is already full, and most people have simply parked their cars and walked into the airport. So it's impossible for you to drive through from ground level," Lujie explained.
"Understood. Everyone get out!" Chen Rui accepted the suggestion with enthusiasm and decisively issued the order to proceed on foot.
Chen Rui had initially planned to park in this area, fully aware of the situation at the airport. A large number of civilians wanted to take flights to reach safer places further away.
However, most of these individuals hadn’t even prepared passports and were thus unable to board international flights. Many hadn’t even booked tickets; they had come here impulsively.
The attire of Chen Rui's team was very distinctive, making them stand out in the crowd and quickly drawing attention.
"Pick up the pace. No one is allowed to answer any questions without my instruction, and don’t look around!" Chen Rui whispered, his voice just loud enough for his team to hear but too quiet for the noisy crowd.
Soon, someone began walking toward Chen Rui, followed by more and more people who surrounded him and his team.
"What is the government doing? Why haven't they released any real information until now?" a boy demanded aggressively.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to answer that question. Secondly, we don't know either; we are just following orders. Thirdly, we are currently in an emergency situation, so I have law enforcement and conviction powers. For everyone's safety, please allow us to proceed to the airport," Chen Rui replied, looking directly at the boy with a deep voice that exuded an impressive presence.
After a moment, the crowd decisively parted to create a path straight to the airport terminal. Chen Rui nodded in thanks as his team resumed their journey.
"But what if you all board a plane and leave? What will happen then?" the boy asked again, though this time his tone was noticeably gentler.
Without Chen Rui's gesture, everyone continued forward; however, he stopped and walked over to the boy. Facing an armed FBI officer clad in tactical gear made the boy appear somewhat nervous.
"I assure you, I will not leave any of you behind. Not just me, but every member of my team feels the same way. We will not abandon any citizen," Chen Rui said solemnly. "However, I hope everyone can cooperate. If any of you do not have a booked flight, please go home and store some water and food. Even if the flu does come, you will be able to hold on until help arrives, rather than adding to the burden of public servants here. You must understand that those airport security guards and inspectors do not have tickets either! Yet they are still holding their posts. What about you?"
By the end, Chen Rui was almost shouting. After finishing his words, he immediately turned and joined his team, leaving behind a crowd of bewildered people looking at each other.
"They probably won't listen to your advice and go home," Li Xue remarked as she watched Chen Rui. "Is it meaningful?"
"It is! As long as one person goes home, it is meaningful!" Chen Rui replied with a smile.
A medium-sized jet took off with a roar, soaring into the clouds and disappearing from view.
"They're really bold to still be sending flights out now. I doubt there are many airports willing to let planes land anymore," Li Xue sighed. "It's truly commendable that they have managed to hold their positions until now."
"The tower staff are somewhat fortunate; it's the security and inspection personnel who deserve the most respect. They witness people fleeing for their lives while they themselves don't even have a boarding pass," Chen Rui said helplessly.
Chen Rui's team entered Terminal 1 of McCarran Airport, which handled domestic flights, so there were slightly fewer people waiting here compared to other terminals.
As soon as they entered the terminal, a female security inspector approached them and asked, "Has the Vice President arrived yet?"
Looking at the sea of people in the terminal, Chen Rui shook his head slightly. "No, it will take at least another hour and a half for him to arrive here. We are here to manage the situation."
The girl smiled wryly and said to Chen Rui, "It's better that you came; your presence clearly indicates that something serious has happened. How do you plan to stabilize emotions and control the situation?"
Chen Rui realized she was right. Most people here were still following the rules, but their arrival was like throwing a stone into a still pond.
"Take us to the control room in the tower; we need to manage from a high point. Also, you should prepare to start the VIP passage; when he arrives, board immediately!" Chen Rui instructed quickly. Even now, he could still think about such deep issues.
"Understood," the security girl said as she lowered her hat's brim and walked briskly toward the tower.
Chen Rui and his team hurried after her. She was right; their arrival had already stirred some unrest in the waiting area.
People who had been quietly queuing or sitting in their seats began to fidget as they saw a group of heavily armed FBI agents walk by.
Chen Rui suddenly saw a girl who seemed to be underage frantically shoving her boarding pass into the hands of a boy who was half a head shorter than her. The boy stubbornly refused to take it, while an adult nearby scolded and reprimanded the fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl.
Not every family could secure enough tickets for everyone; being able to book even one was already something to be grateful for. Couples often let the girl go first, as it was generally believed that boys had better resilience and might survive a disaster. Within families, wives were often prioritized to escape, and among children, the eldest son or daughter would typically be allowed to go first, as older children were more likely to survive on their own even if contact was lost.
The girl and boy, now at the boarding gate, shared a tearful kiss through the glass. Those in line quietly put away their boarding passes, while some couples suddenly embraced tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
Some even attempted to force their way through or rob a ticket for their loved ones.
Most security personnel merely checked tickets, choosing silence regarding whether the names matched. After all, the hopes of entire families rested on these individuals; what reason did they have to stop them from leaving?
“Hurry up,” the girl said as she swiped her work badge at the door. Chen Rui and the others filed in behind her. She followed in and closed the door, leaning against it with a look of relief.
“Look at what you’ve done…” she said resentfully. “The situation is about to spiral out of control, all because of you.”
“There’s nothing we can do; this is already the best-case scenario,” Chen Rui replied calmly.
“What’s really going on? Why hasn’t the government taken any action? Why is the infection spreading so quickly? Is the infection rate one hundred percent? What about the death rate? No one knows what the actual situation is—has the government controlled the information?”
The girl clutched Chen Rui's collar with both hands. Being half a head shorter than him, this gesture didn’t come off as intimidating; it even had a somewhat flirtatious vibe that made Li Xue blush with anger as she watched.
Chen Rui wasn’t angry; instead, he gently asked, “What’s your name?”
“Why should I tell you? You’re here with a team of armed soldiers but can’t reassure citizens?” she replied defiantly.
“Exactly! So why should I tell you anything? Just because you’re a security officer?” Chen Rui abruptly changed his gentle demeanor, swiftly pulling her hands away and quickly walking up the stairs, ignoring her further.
The others also hurried up the stairs. The girl stood frozen for a moment before bitterly smiling: What right do I have to know these state secrets? Isn’t he just like me, still holding onto his responsibilities? What authority do I have to question him?
“Who’s in charge here?” Chen Rui pushed open a door. The control room had few people inside, but since there were fewer flights, operations were still running smoothly.
“I’m in charge. What do you need?” A middle-aged man turned around and waved but didn’t come over to shake hands; instead, he continued operating at his station.
"From now on, until the Vice President's private jet takes off, I will take control here," Chen Rui said seriously.
The man who claimed to be in charge showed no reaction, merely shrugging as if it didn't matter to him.
Chen Rui walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the few passenger planes scattered across the airport. He couldn't help but furrow his brow and asked, "Is this really all the planes? There are more than a thousand people holding tickets in the Waiting Hall."
His logic was sound; among the remaining six aircraft, five were medium-sized twin-engine planes, each with a capacity of just over two hundred passengers. The last one was a large twin-engine plane that could carry around four hundred. Yet, there were clearly more than fourteen hundred people waiting in line at the airport!
The person in charge chuckled lightly. "At this time, whether they bought tickets or not, everyone will come to the airport to try their luck. Moreover, many flights are unwilling to land here, which is why there are fewer planes than expected. You know the reason better than I do."
Chen Rui smiled slightly; he couldn't argue with that. The nearby large cities had been hit hard by an outbreak, and the situation was grim. Las Vegas had become a frontline, and many flights naturally preferred not to land here.
"Tower! Tower! This is United Airlines Flight 18, preparing for landing. Please provide instructions."
Upon hearing this news, Chen Rui's brow furrowed even tighter as he asked the person in charge, "Shouldn't this flight be landing here?"
The man shot Chen Rui a glance; even if it wasn't supposed to land here under normal circumstances, did they really want to prohibit landings given the current situation?
Though he felt frustrated internally, he couldn't express it openly. The person in charge flipped through the takeoff and landing reservation records and said, "It should be landing here."
After pondering for a moment, Chen Rui nodded and replied, "Allow it to land!"
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