97: Disaster relief across thousands of miles

At a quarter past nine, Lu Fan's chartered plane had already flown over Sichuan Province.

Looking down from the plane, the land of central Sichuan was like a living hell.

The scorching sun baked the cracked earth, and deep ravines crisscrossed like hideous wounds on the land.

The once lush mountains and forests were withered and yellow; the rivers had dried up to the bottom, and the riverbeds were cracked.

Not a speck of green could be seen in the fields; the scorched yellow seedlings had long since turned to dust.

The air was filled with dust and a suffocating aura of despair.

As the plane landed, he rushed to Rong County, the hardest-hit area, with a medical team and supplies.

Dead bodies could be seen everywhere along the way, with swarms of flies circling over the corpses and the dying, making a sickening buzzing sound.

The apocalyptic scene of widespread starvation shocked the soul of every newcomer.

The villages they passed were mostly deserted; the tragedy of exchanging children for food was no longer a legend, but a reality happening every day on this desperate land.

Traveling day and night, Lu Fan finally arrived at the Rong County area, where the disaster was most severe.

The tragedy before his eyes was far more shocking than anything he had heard or imagined.

Suppressing the heaviness in his heart, he immediately set up the first large-scale disaster relief point on a relatively open piece of wasteland outside the county seat.

At the same time, relief measures were quickly launched:

Simple thatched sheds were built, and several huge iron pots were set up on temporary brick stoves.

Firewood was lit, and clean water purchased at a high price was poured into the pots to start cooking porridge.

This long-lost aroma, symbolizing life, immediately attracted the surrounding victims like a magnet.

They struggled and supported each other, emerging from their hiding places in broken sheds and tree shadows to gather together.

Seeing the rice porridge in the large pots, the desire for life was rekindled in their eyes.

The guard team led by Zhao Chengqiang formed a human wall, shouting hoarsely to maintain order: "Line up! Get in line! There's enough for everyone!"

They also began registering names and handing out simple bamboo sticks as vouchers for the porridge.

Meanwhile, Lu Fan led the medical team to quickly set up tents next to the porridge shed.

They were no longer treating common illnesses, but providing emergency care for severe dehydration and injuries from falls caused by weakness.

As well as severe vomiting and diarrhea caused by stomachs being unable to handle food after prolonged starvation.

In an instant, the medical and first-aid knowledge learned from the Barefoot Doctor's Manual was put to use.

Assisted by his multifunctional glasses, Lu Fan handled cases on-site and taught as he went, using practice to test what the students had learned.

Just as order was being established and the victims were eagerly waiting for the first pot of porridge to be ready, a harsh clamor was heard.

Several litters, surrounded by a group of servants, swaggered into the relief point.

Sitting on the leading litter was a middle-aged fat man with large ears and a silk shirt; it was Ma Dahong, the largest local landlord.

"Stop! Everyone stop for me!"

Ma Dahong's steward, Wu Long, rushed to the stove arrogantly and pointed at the pot. "Who told you to cook porridge here?

This land belongs to Master Ma! Who gave you permission to use it?

And this firewood, this water—where did they come from?

Did you ask our Master?"

The hope that had just ignited in the eyes of the victims was instantly replaced by fear; they backed away, angry but afraid to speak out.

Zhao Chengqiang's gaze turned cold as he stepped forward: "The land is wasteland, the firewood consists of gathered dead branches, and the water was bought from five miles away.

We are providing disaster relief and saving lives; what's wrong with that?"

"Disaster relief?" Ma Dahong sneered from his litter, his beady eyes sweeping over the emaciated victims with pure disdain.

"A bunch of poor devils with worthless lives deserve to starve to death. Who told you to save them?

Setting up a porridge shed here and attracting all these people is defiling the Ma family's land. Get out of here, now.

Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The servants behind him immediately rolled up their sleeves, revealing fierce expressions.

"Ruthless?" Lu Fan's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying endless fury.

"You heartless rich man, it's one thing not to help with the disaster, but now you're here to sabotage the relief efforts."

He stepped forward to face Ma Dahong with a cold stare: "I'd like to see how ruthless you can be. Men!"

"Here!" the guards shouted in unison. Zhao Chengqiang immediately led the guards forward for a confrontation.

These people were drawn from Chen Liting's factory; although there weren't many—only about a dozen—

they had followed Chen Liting across the country and were mostly capable men who had seen blood.

Their sharp gazes fixed on the opposition, and their momentum instantly overwhelmed the other side's thuggish servants.

Ma Dahong was startled by this display and pointed at Lu Fan with feigned bravado: "Who... who are you? How dare you interfere with the Ma family's business?"

"I am the one who brings grain to save lives."

Lu Fan stared at him, enunciating every word. "Now, take your people and get out. If you dare cause trouble or obstruct the relief efforts again, you will face the consequences!"

Ma Dahong looked at Lu Fan's icy eyes and murderous expression.

He also saw the guards with bulging waistbands—clearly carrying weapons—who were obviously not to be trifled with.

Looking at the suppressed rage in the eyes of the surrounding victims, he felt a bit intimidated.

He snorted and waved his hand resentfully: "Let's go! We'll see about this!"

The litters turned around, and they left dejectedly, surrounded by the servants, as the victims let out a wave of suppressed cheers.

The porridge was finally ready, the thick rice porridge emitting a life-saving aroma.

The victims collected it with their vouchers, carefully holding their broken bowls and greedily sipping the long-lost warmth.

Seeing their faces regain a bit of vitality after drinking the hot porridge, Lu Fan breathed a small sigh of relief.

However, before he could finish that sigh, the steward in charge of the grain ran over, drenched in sweat and looking anxious.

"Boss... Boss! It's bad! The grain... the grain is disappearing too fast!"

"What's wrong?" Lu Fan's heart tightened.

"There are... too many people! People are pouring in from all directions, far more than the few thousand we expected.

Those ten pots just now used half a ton of rice. At this rate... fifteen tons of rice... won't last past tomorrow noon!"

The steward pointed into the distance, where a dense crowd was frantically swarming toward the relief point.

Lu Fan looked outside the porridge shed and saw clouds of dust billowing on the dirt road leading to the relief point.

More victims were surging in like a tide from all directions, merging into an ocean of despair and longing.

A vast sea of heads stretched as far as the eye could see.

Lu Fan also realized that the grain he had brought was like a drop in the bucket in the face of this ocean of hunger.

What's worse, with so many people swarming in at once, his small team of guards was simply not enough.

Without enough force to maintain order, the relief site could easily turn into a battlefield for grain.

After all, at this point, the veneer of civilization had shattered, and the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—had returned.

Everyone wanted to secure more resources to keep themselves and those around them alive.

If handled poorly, his entire group might end up buried there.

A massive weight of pressure bore down heavily on Lu Fan's shoulders.

More grain was still on the way, but distant water could not quench a nearby thirst.

What worried him even more was that the guard force he brought was limited.

Maintaining order among this vast and desperate crowd was already pushing them to their limits.

If anyone were to cause trouble intentionally, the consequences would be unthinkable.

How could they overcome the crisis before them?