222: Chapter 222 Rescue Team

The rescue team sent by Third-Party Technology to Tuvalu consisted of six people. They first arrived in the capital, Funafuti, and headed straight for the government building.

However, this building, which originally symbolized national power, was now empty, with documents scattered all over the floor. After some searching, they learned that the head of state and their family had long since relocated to an emergency shelter located more than ten meters underground.

After navigating many twists and turns, the Third-Party Technology rescue team finally met with the head of state. Had they not been wearing sealed protective suits and identified themselves, the head of state would not have agreed to see them.

Under the onslaught of the Medusa Virus, the regime of this small country had all but vanished. However, to avoid leaving any handle for future criticism, the rescue team had to make this trip.

The Captain of this rescue team was named Zhang Yu Ming, a 26-year-old from the Central Continent. He had passed the Third-Party Technology interview a year ago and joined the Inner World. Now, his clearance level in the Inner World was B2, arguably the fastest progression among that group.

As for the other five members of the team, two were responsible for security during the trip and were from the Comprehensive Department. The other three were ordinary researchers, people from the Outer World who were unaware of the existence of the Inner World.

But they all shared one identity: employees of Third-Party Technology.

"Your Excellency," Zhang Yu Ming's voice came through his gray-white protective suit mask, "Responding to the global humanitarian appeal, Third-Party Technology has come to provide emergency medical assistance. We respect Tuvalu's sovereignty and your leadership, but before we can carry out any rescue operations, we need to obtain formal authorization and cooperation from you and your government."

Zhang Yu Ming took a two-centimeter-thick document from his bag, his tone sincere. "There is a simple document here that requires your signature."

"No problem, thank you for your help to Tuvalu," the head of state said without even looking, scribbling their name on the document before retreating back into the shelter, terrified that they might be ensnared by that horrific virus if they were even a second late.

"Your Excellency, once we have established the quarantine site, you could actually come there; it will be much safer."

"No, my family and I are staying right here, we aren't going anywhere!"

Seeing this, Zhang Yu Ming shook his head and left with the others.

Upon going outside, onto the streets of Funafuti, the leisure and vitality of the former tropical island were gone, replaced by a post-apocalyptic scene.

On the roads and inside some of the open houses, there were stone statues in various poses everywhere. The air was filled with a complex, foul odor, a mixture of rotting food, accumulated garbage, and other gases.

However, this small city was the only place in Tuvalu with survivors. Before arriving, Zhang Yu Ming had passed by a village named Taruru, where there was only deathly silence.

In the team, the three ordinary researchers were clearly uncomfortable after seeing this scene, but they tried their best to overcome it.

The quarantine site was chosen in an open space far from residential areas. Once the location was confirmed, the rescue team immediately began working, setting up layers of quarantine tents around the center. The ground also needed to be isolated, followed by thorough disinfection.

After working for five hours, the quarantine site, capable of accommodating about a hundred people, began to take shape.

Leaving two people to continue the finishing touches, Zhang Yu Ming, after a short rest, took the other three to search for survivors.

In the ambulance, a male researcher looked at the stone statues on the road and sighed, "Actually, if people had just stayed home properly, the virus wouldn't have spread so fast. This only spreads the virus to even further places. The officials here are truly useless."

The only female researcher in the team sighed, "Who doesn't want to live..."

But after searching for half an hour, the rescue team did not find a single normal human being; they were all cold stone statues.

Just as the rescue team was preparing to change direction, the female colleague in the team noticed some movement.

"Captain, there is a person here, but it..."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu Ming immediately rushed over to check.

Sure enough, the man on the ground was still moving, but his body had already mostly turned to stone, with only his head still the normal color of flesh.

At this moment, the man lying on the ground saw the people in protective suits, and a glimmer of the desire to survive appeared in his eyes. He made a hissing sound in his throat, trying to say something.

"Let's go, he's beyond saving," Zhang Yu Ming said, getting up and leaving the area.

"Understood..." The female researcher paused, cast an apologetic look at the person on the ground, and also left.

If she were someone who didn't understand the situation, she would never have been able to pass through the doors of Third-Party Technology.

After changing direction, Zhang Yu Ming discovered quite a few survivors in one block, but trouble soon followed.

Upon seeing the group and the Red Cross symbol on the ambulance behind them, dozens of residents hiding in the block opened their houses and ran out, instantly surrounding the four of them tightly.

In their eyes, these people were their hope for survival. The situation immediately spiraled out of control, and the sounds of wailing and howling were incessant.

"Save me! I beg you!"

"Let me get in the car, take me away from this place."

"I don't want to turn into stone..."

Some people were even clawing at the protective suits of the researchers, and the female researcher was almost scared to tears.

"We are the Third-Party Technology rescue team. We have set up a quarantine site in the open space. If you want help, you must maintain order and form a line; we will guide you to the quarantine site! Anyone who charges the rescue team will be refused admission!" Zhang Yu Ming shouted loudly.

Damn it, these people might all be carrying the virus. If their protective suits were torn, the risk of infection would be immense.

Just as the group was at a loss, the man who hadn't spoken in the team pulled an SR-3M compact assault rifle from his waist and pulled the trigger.

Bang, bang, bang, bang—

The violent sound of gunfire echoed through the air, and the aura of death it represented finally silenced the crowd, who looked at the shooter with fear.

"They wouldn't dare against us..." Before the person who was still grabbing at them could finish, half of their head exploded into nothingness.

Fortunately, the expert from the Comprehensive Department was there. Zhang Yu Ming breathed a sigh of relief and did not feel that there was anything wrong with him opening fire on these residents.

Half an hour later, the rescue team returned to the quarantine site and began testing these people for the virus.

At this point, the quarantine site had also been set up with simple barbed-wire fences.

Zhang Yu Ming took out the test kit.

The task given to him by the company was, in addition to necessary rescue efforts, to bring back a batch of people who were initially carrying the Medusa Virus but had not yet begun to petrify. They would assist the company in conducting more in-depth research on living subjects.