124: The legal code faced initial challenges, but the five regions worked together to overcome the crisis.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven: The Code's First Test, Five Districts United to Break the Crisis

Ten days after the promulgation of the "basic law of the eternal kingdom," an emergency suddenly occurred at the cross-district main water diversion canal in the Southwest Purification Zone.

The patrol team responsible for maintaining the canal section discovered a five-meter-long crack in the wall of the No. 3 Water Diversion Hub, located at the border of Sichuan and Yunnan. A large amount of fresh water was leaking through the crack into the adjacent pollution buffer zone. More seriously, weak traces of dark matter energy were detected around the crack—preliminary judgment suggested it was damage caused by residual Mutated Organismss lurking in the contaminated zone hitting the canal wall at night.

"Commander, the leakage at Hub No. 3 has reached 200 cubic meters per hour!" the person in charge of the Southwest Purification Zone reported urgently over the quantum communication link. "If we don't rush repairs as soon as possible, within three days, the water volume to the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone will drop by 50%. Farmland irrigation and industrial water use there will be affected!"

Lin Zhou had just put down this emergency report when another judicial letter from the Southwest Branch arrived on his desk: at the same time, a farmer in the Southwest Purification Zone, in order to expand his own rice field area, had unauthorizedly dug open the embankment of a water diversion branch canal, intercepting irrigation water that should have flowed to the neighboring village. According to Chapter 3, Article 23 of the "Basic Law," which states "the encroachment or misappropriation of public survival resources is strictly prohibited," this was an illegal act. However, the farmer insisted that "harvesting more grain from my own fields is also a contribution to the country," refused to restore the embankment, and even triggered a collective protest from the neighboring village's farmers.

On one side was a water diversion hub crisis concerning resource intercommunication among the Five Districts, and on the other was the first judicial practice after the promulgation of the Basic Law. These two events coinciding instantly put the newly stabilized Eternal Kingdom to the test.

"Activate the cross-district collaboration contingency plan immediately!" Lin Zhou made a prompt decision. "Have the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone urgently dispatch three large engineering robots equipped with anti-dark matter corrosion repair materials, to depart for Hub No. 3 within two hours. The Northern Territory Defense Line will dispatch a Gene-Enhanced Warrior Squad to clear the Mutated Organismss around the hub and ensure the safety of the repairs. Research personnel from the East Sea Base will provide simultaneous remote guidance and monitor changes in dark matter residues."

Hanging up the communication, Lin Zhou connected to a video conference with the Southwest Branch. On the screen, judges, farmer representatives, neighboring village representatives, and officials from the Ministry of Peoples Livelihood sat together, the atmosphere tense and explosive.

"I'm not wrong!" Old Wang, the farmer who had unauthorizedly intercepted the water, argued with a flushed face. "My boy is a gene-optimized children and is growing; what's wrong with harvesting a bit more grain? This canal water would just be watering fields in the neighboring village anyway, why can't my family have it first?"

The neighboring village representative immediately retorted: "According to the Basic Law, water resources are public! Because you intercepted it, our village's late rice will wither from drought! Was the 'resource intercommunication and distribution according to need' we agreed upon just empty words?"

Lin Zhou looked at the screen and said in a deep voice, "Comrade Old Wang, the Basic Law clearly states that citizens have the right to ensure their family's survival, but they have an even greater obligation to follow public rules. The water in the Southwest Purification Zone does not belong to any one village or household; it is a public resource meant to sustain the entire nation. By intercepting it for your own fields, you may think you're doing it for your child, but in reality, you are infringing upon the survival rights of other villagers and violating the principle of resource intercommunication among the Five Districts."

He paused, his tone softening: "Your child needs food, and so do the children in the neighboring village. The Ministry of Peoples Livelihood will provide your family with extra grain subsidies to compensate for the losses from your expanded planting, but you must immediately cooperate in repairing the embankment and return the water to the neighboring village. This isn't a punishment; it's to make everyone understand that the rules of the Eternal Kingdom apply to everyone equally."

Old Wang was silent for a long time before finally nodding: "I'll listen to the Commander."

A judicial dispute was properly resolved under the balance of 'legal principles and human sentiment,' also allowing the citizens of the five major settlements to truly feel that the Basic Law was not just cold text, but the baseline protecting everyone's fairness.

Meanwhile, the emergency repair of Water Diversion Hub No. 3 was facing an even greater challenge.

As soon as the engineering robots from the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone arrived on site, they encountered three lurking 'Dark-Erosion Worms'—these Mutated Organismss were massive, their bodies secreted corrosive liquid, and they could absorb dark matter energy; the previous cracks in the canal wall were caused by them. The Genetic-enhanced Soldiers from the North immediately opened fire, but the blue arcs from their Magnetic Storm Rifles only left shallow scorch marks on the worms.

"Activate the Purification Energy Module!" the research personnel providing remote guidance shouted.

The engineering robots immediately switched modes, emitting golden beams of purification energy. Upon contact with the energy beams, the Dark-Erosion Worms let out shrill shrieks, the corrosive liquid on their bodies evaporated instantly, and their bodies began to crumble inch by inch. The soldiers took the opportunity to step forward, piercing the worms' cores with purification daggers, completely eliminating the threat.

The repair work commenced immediately. The engineering robots extended their mechanical arms, precisely fitting the anti-dark matter corrosion repair materials onto the canal wall cracks, then using high-frequency vibration devices to press and secure them. Research personnel monitored dark matter residues in real-time, adjusting the energy frequency of the repair materials. Villagers from the Southwest Purification Zone also came voluntarily to help carry tools and clear silt from the bottom of the canal.

From day to night, the forces of the five major settlements converged at Hub No. 3: machinery from the Northwest, soldiers from the North, technology from the East Sea, and manpower from the Southwest, each performing their duties in tacit cooperation.

When the first ray of sunlight illuminated the repaired canal wall, the flow of the main water diversion canal returned to steady levels, and clear fresh water flowed continuously through the pipes toward the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone. On the monitoring screen, the dark matter residue values returned to zero; the emergency repair was a complete success.

The person in charge of the Northwest Heavy Industry Zone sent a thank-you video: "Commander, the water has arrived! The rice fields aren't dry, and the factories haven't stopped production. Thank you so much, brothers!"

On the screen, workers in the Northwest were cheering by the irrigation canal, and the rice seedlings in the fields stretched their leaves under the sunlight, full of vitality.

Lin Zhou stood in the command tower, looking at the real-time images of the five major settlements: on the ridges of the Southwest fields, Old Wang was irrigating alongside neighboring villagers; by the docks of South of the Ranges, the Coast Guard was on patrol; in the ecological conservation area of the Northern Territory, researchers were observing wildlife; in the laboratories of the East Sea, scientists were optimizing purification technology.

He suddenly understood that what kept readers patiently watching was not earth-shattering battles, but these 'realities of construction'—the friction when rules are implemented, the unity during cross-district collaboration, and the persistence of ordinary people protecting their homes in the apocalypse.

Chen Hao handed over a new report: "Commander, the representatives for the Citizens Representative Congress have been elected. The first meeting will be held next week, with topics including improving the cross-district collaboration mechanism and formulating a New Human Education Syllabus. Additionally, the first batch of gene-optimized children has started kindergarten, and the children are all very healthy."

Lin Zhou smiled and looked out the window. The words "Eternal" on the titanium alloy monument shone brightly in the sunlight. The construction of the Eternal Kingdom had no overnight miracles, only the determination to solve problems step by step. And these seemingly minor conflicts and resolutions were precisely the most solid footsteps for the continuation of civilization.

"Notify all settlements," Lin Zhou said into the communicator, "compile the cases of this water hub repair and judicial practice into promotional materials. Let all citizens know: as long as we stick to the rules and work together, there is no problem that cannot be solved, and no difficulty that cannot be overcome."