Chapter 96: The Wind Rises |
The 3rd Battalion of the Governor’s Infantry Regiment would be responsible for food security and, incidentally, for Osena’s personal safety.
Of course, relying solely on one infantry battalion would not be sufficient.
At this time, the efforts of Yan Fangxu finally came into play.
He had not shown up in Revival City because he was stationed outside the city with the 4th Battalion and fifty political commissars, working in the prisoner-of-war camp.
With Osena short on manpower, she submitted a request to the Governor. Gu Hang then turned to Yan Fangxu to inquire about the reorganization of the prisoners.
In just a few days, it was impossible to fully reorganize over seven thousand prisoners.
Their training level was adequate, though not up to the T5 level produced by the system, but they were still former regular troops of the Alliance.
The main issue was their reliability.
However, it was still possible to draw some manpower if necessary.
In these seven companies, the political commissars had successfully established soldier committee branches and had done a good job with ideological work.
As they were put into practical action, they faced their first test.
…
Osena was quite overwhelmed.
Her administrative team had virtually no grassroots control over the outer city of Revival City.
Everything had to start from scratch.
And it was challenging to establish control quickly.
So how was Osena going to widely announce the food distribution schedule?
The old-fashioned way.
They rigged up several tricycles with loudspeakers, recorded the food distribution announcements, and drove them around the city to ensure everyone could hear.
As for the Governor’s directive on cult screening, Osena understood it as a task that needed to be done but with a relatively lower priority.
She knew very well that if those cultists weren’t caught, they would cause trouble and create chaos. However, comparatively, if the residents of the outer city could fill their stomachs, it would be much harder for the cultists to stir up trouble.
When people have hope for the future, who would follow a cult?
Of course, the screening work still needed to be done.
Three nuns were assigned by Sister Superior Gretel to assist in the final processing of the screening work.
But clearly, relying on just three nuns, it was impossible to screen tens of thousands of people.
In her busy schedule, Osena managed to draft a registration form.
When receiving food, residents needed to register their personal information and cross-verify it with others.
The hope was that through this method, they could identify if anyone’s behavior had been abnormal recently, if there were people living nearby whom no one was familiar with, or even more directly, people could report those they suspected of being cultists.
Those identified as suspicious would undergo further scrutiny, with the final stage involving direct participation by the nuns.
This was the best method Osena could come up with in a short time and under limited conditions.
Her core focus remained on food distribution.
However, just as the tricycles with loudspeakers were spreading the word everywhere, and food distribution points guarded by squads of soldiers were set up throughout the outer city, waiting for the food to arrive and everything to proceed smoothly, bad news arrived.
A convoy transporting food from the inner city was ambushed.
Upon hearing the news, Osena felt as if she was struck by lightning.
If there was a problem with the food transport, it would cause major trouble.
The anticipation among the populace had already been heightened by the continuous loudspeaker announcements.
According to reports from the front, many people were already lining up at the distribution points, waiting for the food to arrive.
What to do if the food encountered problems halfway?
Would they have to tell the hungry, queuing people that there was no food?
That would be nonsense.
It might spark a riot on the spot!
Osena was somewhat panicked.
Her experience was not extensive enough.
In her past management work, she had done well, usually identifying problems, thinking of solutions, and finding ways to implement them. Often, things would be resolved by following her plans.
This time, facing such a sudden major incident that could collapse everything if not handled properly, Osena indeed had never encountered such a situation before, and it was natural to feel panicked.
But she quickly forced herself to calm down: “Osena, Osena, you can’t panic. Think of a solution… just like before…”
Calming herself, she began to think.
Handling the food distribution for the tens of thousands of people outside the city was indeed a complex process.
First, she had designated six locations in the outer city as warehouses, serving as food distribution hubs.
The food transported from the main inner city warehouses would first be stored at these hubs. Then, each hub would correspond to about ten specific food distribution points.
The food transported to the hubs would be further distributed to the ten points. Residents could register their identities here and receive food directly.
Security was a significant concern.
The troops Osena could mobilize, including the seven companies provided by Yan Fangxu and the 3rd Battalion sent by the Governor, totaled ten companies.
Each distribution hub would be guarded by one company.
They would station at the hub, ensuring the safety of the food once it arrived; they would also oversee each food distribution point and provide immediate support in case of any emergencies.
Two additional companies were responsible for escorting the food. Six routes, each needing a platoon to accompany the convoy.
The remaining two companies were pulled out to act as clerks.
They would be stationed at all the food distribution points, serving as guards and handling registration and distribution tasks.
Clerks were insufficient, so soldiers filled in.
Now, the issue lay with the food transportation routes.
Osena received reports that a group of armed rioters had emerged from the slums and attacked the convoy as it passed through the complex terrain. The outcome of the battle was still unknown.
Six food transportation routes were almost simultaneously attacked.
After understanding the current situation, while not entirely composed, Osena steadily issued one command after another.
“Immediately send a telegram to the Governor, reporting our current situation and requesting support. We need loyal and reliable forces to assist us.”
“Immediately order all companies stationed at the food distribution hubs to fully mobilize and support their respective food convoys, eliminating all armed elements.”
“The troops stationed at our sixty food distribution points must not move. Focus entirely on the conditions of the queuing residents, with the highest priority on calming them down. Do not use force unless absolutely necessary.”
“Contact Captain Yan Fangxu. I need him to prepare the military rations from the prisoner-of-war camp… Yes, I know those rations are crucial for maintaining stability among the prisoners. I hope we don’t need to use them, but if any food transportation route faces issues, we’ll need those rations for emergency use. Also, reassure him that I’ve already coordinated supplies from the Governor’s camp’s starch block production plant. A convoy carrying 100 tons of food is on the way to replenish the camp’s needs. Our synthetic starch factory is also operating at full capacity.”
Her clerks went off to execute her orders.
As Osena pondered over her commands, considering if there were any issues or areas needing further attention, she glanced out the window.
The wind was picking up outside.
The hastily constructed houses in the slums creaked in the wind.
Watching the wind, Osena’s anxiety deepened.
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