I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 246: Chapter 140: Refugees Head South (2)

At two in the morning, all was silent. Even the most bustling streets of the New District had gradually fallen quiet. Yang Wenqing was in a profound state, his Divine Sense turned inward, when the badge on his chest suddenly pulsed with an extremely distinct fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.

His eyes snapped open. He quickly activated the badge, and Deputy Director Qi Yue’s crystal-clear voice emerged from it:

"Wenqing, this is Qi Yue. I’ll be brief. The conflict in Mingbei City has intensified, and the higher-ups have decided to evacuate a portion of the populace. A group of about three hundred people has been temporarily diverted to your location. They are expected to arrive at the Lingshan New District docks in two hours."

"They’re on the ’Shun’an,’ a civilian passenger and cargo ship. These are extraordinary times, so we can’t rule out the possibility of individuals with ulterior motives mixed in. I need you to go to the docks personally to handle their reception and settlement, as well as the initial screening. Any problems?"

Yang Wenqing hadn’t expected the turmoil up north to affect them so quickly and in this manner.

"I’ll coordinate the response immediately," he replied without a moment’s hesitation.

"Good. Xiaogao is at a critical juncture in his cultivation right now, so you need to shoulder the responsibility."

"I will," Yang Wenqing accepted readily.

"Alright, I’m leaving it to you. Be careful." With that, Qi Yue cut the communication.

Yang Wenqing immediately stood up and quickly retracted the Array he had deployed. He then activated his badge’s Communication Array to contact the duty office of the mining district’s security station. This station also co-managed the Lingshan New District docks.

"This is Yang Wenqing. Confirm immediately, is a civilian passenger and cargo ship named the ’Shun’an’ scheduled to dock in two hours?"

The security officer on duty was clearly startled by a call from the deputy director this late at night. However, he was well-trained and responded immediately after checking the records: "Yes, Director Yang. This was a last-minute arrangement by the city bureau."

Yang Wenqing instructed further, "Have Du Hong take two patrol teams to the docks. Also, organize a hundred-man militia unit to maintain order."

Before the other side could reply, Yang Wenqing was already connecting to Liao Tianming.

"Director Yang?" Liao Tianming was clearly also burning the midnight oil.

"Director Liao, in two hours, about three hundred refugees diverted from Mingbei City will arrive in the New District. I need the Civil Affairs Bureau to immediately activate the emergency settlement plan. Set up temporary shelters for three hundred people, and prepare basic drinking water, food, warm clothing, and a simple medical station. This is a direct order from Deputy Director Qi of the city bureau."

Liao Tianming was silent for two seconds before replying, "Director Yang, rest assured. I will immediately coordinate with all departments to activate the emergency settlement plan. Supplies and personnel will begin mobilizing toward the dock area within half an hour."

For his third call, Yang Wenqing tried to contact Gao Zhen. As expected, no one answered. ’He must be in closed-door cultivation.’

Having done all this, he strode out of his office. Liu Qin hadn’t gone home either. As Yang Wenqing emerged, she immediately awoke from her meditative state, taking out a ’Dust Clearing Skill’ rune paper and using it on herself.

"Xiaoxian, come with me to the docks. Notify the command center to raise the surveillance priority for the docks and surrounding areas to the highest level. Also, have Xia Meng dispatch an operations squadron to the perimeter of the docks on standby. They are not to enter the core dock area without my command, but they must be prepared to respond to any sudden incidents."

"Yes, Director!" Liu Qin clutched a portable command terminal, jogging to keep up as she contacted people on the move.

「The Flying Shuttle soon arrived above the Port District.」

The port at night lacked its daytime hustle, but it was still brightly lit. The silhouettes of large hoisting equipment and warehouses looked enormous under the lights.

The dock was a large passenger and roll-on/roll-off terminal. The security station’s Flying Shuttles and patrol cars could already be seen, their emergency lights flashing as they set up a cordon near the entrance and berths.

Yang Wenqing’s Flying Shuttle landed on the dock’s dedicated emergency landing pad. Just as he stepped off, Du Hong, the head of the mining district security station, was already waiting with two deputies. Upon seeing Yang Wenqing, he immediately stepped forward and saluted. "Director Yang!"

He then reported, "The two patrol teams are on standby at the docks. The militia unit is still assembling and should be ready within an hour."

Yang Wenqing cut to the chase, telling him about the refugees and ordering, "Establish contact with the ’Shun’an’ now. I need to know the specific situation on board."

’He hated these kinds of last-minute assignments. It meant no advance notice and everything had to be handled on the spot.’

Du Hong immediately arranged for the dispatch center to try and establish a stable connection with the ’Shun’an.’

But communications at sea were unstable, and they only received a few garbled replies. The gist was that the passengers were generally stable, consisting mainly of women, children, and the elderly. There were a few minor injuries, and they urgently needed to dock for rest and supplies. However, key information, such as the specific makeup of the group and whether any officials were on board, remained vague.

Yang Wenqing’s expression didn’t change. He ordered Du Hong to keep trying to hail them while turning his attention to the arrangements at the docks.

「One hour later.」 The supplies and staff mobilized by the Civil Affairs Bureau began to arrive. A relatively open area behind the docks was quickly cleared out, and rows of simple shelters—enough to provide cover from the wind and rain—were erected.

Then, water distribution points, a temporary medical tent, and a registration area were also set up.

Meanwhile, the militia unit had finished assembling. Led by security station officers, they formed a cordon around the perimeter of the settlement area, holding standard-issue batons and shields.

With all preparations complete, all that was left was to wait.

Time ticked by, drawing closer to the estimated arrival time. Yang Wenqing stood at a command post on the pier’s edge, with Liu Qin just behind him.

Finally, at around 3:40 a.m., the massive, dark silhouette of the ’Shun’an’ slowly glided into its berth, illuminated by the harbor’s navigation lights.

The ship looked somewhat old. Its hull showed numerous signs of repair and some unidentifiable stains, and the deck was crowded with shadowy figures. As the ship docked, dropped anchor, and lowered its gangway, the previously silent pier immediately burst with activity.

As a crew member’s voice boomed through an amplification Array, figures carrying simple luggage began to descend the gangway in a line. Most of their faces were etched with the exhaustion of a long journey, though their clothes were still relatively neat.

As pre-arranged, security officers and Civil Affairs staff stepped forward to guide the crowd. Shouting instructions, they directed the refugees to form an orderly line and pass through a security checkpoint. From there, they were to go to the registration area to record their basic information before finally being assigned to shelters for rest.

Yang Wenqing didn’t get closer. He stood on high ground, slightly further away but with a clear view, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the chaotic yet barely orderly stream of people. At the same time, he quietly released his Divine Sense, letting it cover the pier’s edge and the area with the disembarking crowd.

His Divine Sense could now stably cover a radius of nearly two hundred meters, a range comparable to that of an ordinary Marrow Cleansing Realm Cultivator.

The auras of most refugees were chaotic—they were ordinary people without systematic cultivation training. A few were slightly stronger, likely having practiced some rudimentary skills for a few days or possessing a bit of talent, but they posed no threat. There were also several injured individuals with weak auras who needed immediate medical attention.

Just as his Divine Sense swept over a group of refugees halfway down the gangway, he discovered three individuals whose Qi Seas had already formed a major cycle. ’They’re Qi Cultivators.’

At the same time, the monitoring Array that had been set up also detected their presence. Du Hong immediately had two patrol captains take some men and lead the three of them aside for a separate inspection.

Of the three, the slightly older man and the timid-looking young man beside him showed a flicker of surprise and unease, but they quickly regained their composure. They presented their identification cards, confirming they were registered Qi Cultivators.

The third person, however, gave no response when the patrol captain’s gaze fell on him. Instead, he took a slight step back. Then, his right hand blurred at his waist, and a streak of black light shot like a venomous snake toward the throat of the nearest captain.

It was a poison-tipped dart.

"Look out!"

The other captain, who had been watching him intently, shouted a sharp warning. Already prepared, he thrust out his left hand like lightning, and a small, rune-inscribed buckler on his arm instantly blocked the attack.

A crisp CLANG echoed as the poison dart was knocked away. Simultaneously, both captains drew their sidearms and aimed them at the man.

But the lean man’s figure blurred as he tried to dive into the panicked crowd of refugees, intending to create more chaos and escape in the confusion!

"Halt!"

BANG!

A gunshot rang out, and the fleeing Qi Cultivator fell to the ground.

Yang Wenqing, however, frowned slightly. ’Firing a gun at a time like this isn’t the right choice.’

Du Hong immediately cursed, "A bunch of idiots!"

"They’re killing people!"

"Run!"

"Don’t push!"

The refugees near the incident surged backward in terror. The people further back, who didn’t know what was happening, were slammed into, and the crowd instantly descended into chaos.

The line that had been barely maintained instantly collapsed. People scattered in every direction like headless flies, and the entrances to the settlement’s shelters and the security cordon were both overrun.