Chapter 137

“August 27: The third batch of Hugua Supplies from Longxia has been shipped to Longbei and Longzhong. Nationwide Hugua Testing is progressing smoothly.”

“August 29: The Longxia Academy of Sciences visited the Dongshan production facility. Dongshan Hugua is scheduled to begin construction on September 1.”

“As of August 29, there have been 1,733 confirmed Hugua H1 cases nationwide, with 278 deaths…”

…

Over the next two days, Hugua Supplies were steadily delivered to various regions.

“Nancheng Market sees heavy foot traffic. Everyone, make sure to take proper precautions.”

“Clean out trash bins and sanitize hard-to-reach areas…”

…

At 5 a.m. on September 3, Liu Yumei was fully suited up and cleaning the streets. She was fifty-seven years old and worked for Qiuhe Environmental Services. Since global temperatures began rising in May, her workload had increased significantly. In addition to street cleaning, she was now responsible for sanitation and disinfection across the district.

At 5:20, after finishing basic cleaning, she began spraying disinfectant in front of each produce stall. This was part of the daily disinfection routine.

“Disinfecting again, Sister Liu?” A woman in her forties entered the market as Liu Yumei sprayed.

“Just getting started,” Liu Yumei replied.

The woman was a vegetable stall owner. She wore a mask and was wrapped in a raincoat, bundled up even more tightly than Liu Yumei. After a brief chat, Liu Yumei asked curiously, “Why the raincoat?”

The woman said, “The virus is getting worse, and I can’t get my hands on any protective suits.”

Since the Hugua H1 outbreak, prices for medicine and masks had skyrocketed across the country. When Longxia implemented quarantine measures, the government ordered major companies to ramp up production of medical supplies. While masks were no longer in short supply, protective suits required more advanced manufacturing and were still temporarily scarce.

The woman glanced at Liu Yumei. “Did your company give you that?”

At the time, Liu Yumei was wearing a white protective suit and a mask, looking quite official.

“Yeah, company issued,” Liu Yumei said, tugging at the hem of her suit. She wasn’t well-educated, and when she first put on the suit, she had proudly posted three photos of it on her social media.

By 6 a.m., stall owners began setting up. Nancheng Market was the largest vegetable market in Qiuhe’s southern district. To ensure a steady supply of vegetables for the area, the market wasn’t under lockdown, but residents needed entry passes to come and go. Most visitors were neighborhood procurement agents. Outside of that, communities had also implemented online ordering apps to minimize contact while ensuring supply.

At 7:20, some of the community agents began shopping. Liu Yumei was sweeping the restroom. Because she was wearing a protective suit, many vendors kept their distance. By the time she finished, it was already 7:50.

Just as she was about to return to the office, her phone rang.

“Mom, have you eaten yet?” her daughter asked on the other end.

“About to. Have you?” Liu Yumei replied. Her daughter was a junior at Qiuhe University. Since the lockdown began, the campus had been under strict closed management.

“I had some rice porridge.”

They chatted for a bit. Then, her daughter asked with concern, “I saw on the news that there’s a new case at the Qiushan Fruit Market…”

Qiushan and Qiuhe were both prefecture-level cities in Su Province, about 200 kilometers apart.

“I saw that too,” Liu Yumei said. The company had held an emergency meeting last night because of the fruit market case. Everyone was on edge now.

“Maybe you should quit?” her daughter suggested hesitantly. She’d been worried ever since reading the news that morning.

“Our company is fine,” Liu Yumei reassured her. Her husband had passed away early, and with her daughter now in college, it wasn’t easy for someone her age to find another job. Quitting wasn’t an option.

“I’m done here. Heading back to clock in,” Liu Yumei added. Her daughter had grown up and become sensible. She didn’t want to keep talking and risk losing control of her emotions.

At 8:20, Liu Yumei arrived at the Environmental Services office to check in.

“Don’t clock out yet, everyone. We’re having a meeting in the conference room,” the supervisor instructed.

The workers made their way to the environmental conference room.

Qiuhe Environmental was an outsourced service company. By the time Liu Yumei arrived, over seventy sanitation workers had already gathered.

“We just had a meeting yesterday. What’s this one about?”

“No idea.”

“Is it because of the fruit market?”

…

People whispered among themselves, curious about the sudden meeting.

At 8:30, a middle-aged man stepped into the center of the room.

“Good morning, everyone.”

He was the General Manager of Qiuhe Environmental Protection, a rare sight at the company. Before anyone could react, three staff members carried boxes up to the front.

“These are Hugua Supplies issued by the state. Please collect them using your ID number,” the man announced directly.

“Hugua Supplies?”

“Are these the ones they’ve been talking about online?”

…

The workers were stunned.

A week ago, after Hugua Supplies were sent to Longnan and Longbei, everyone had learned about the distribution policy. The supplies were free, but there was a priority system. Sanitation workers like them didn’t fall under the Environmental Bureau. And yet… they were getting supplies early?

“Are they really free?” one worker asked, raising a hand.

Everyone kept up with local news. Aside from hospitals and testing stations, many public institutions hadn’t received any supplies yet.

“They’re free,” the man confirmed, signaling the workers to line up and collect their kits.

Each worker received a set. Once they held the masks and protective suits in their arms, they finally believed it was real.

“This is amazing.”

Next to Liu Yumei sat a sixty-two-year-old woman with graying hair. She touched the mask and thought of her grandson, who had just started kindergarten.

“Can I give this mask to my grandson?” she asked Liu Yumei.

“Probably,” Liu Yumei replied, thinking of her own daughter. Qiuhe University was under lockdown—she wasn’t sure if they were even allowed to send things in…

As she pondered, someone else raised a hand. “Can we give them to our families?” Most of the workers were elderly, and their first thought was always their loved ones.

“These are issued by the Environmental Bureau. There will be inspections this afternoon. Anyone not wearing them will be dismissed,” the man said.

“What if it breaks?” someone asked. Hugua Masks cost 5,000 yuan each—an extravagant luxury for them.

“If it breaks, it can be repaired. But if it’s damaged due to misuse, you’ll have to buy a new one,” the man replied, then played a video explaining how to use the Hugua Mask.

According to tests by the Longxia Academy of Sciences, the Hugua Mask featured a USB charging port and was waterproof and dustproof. If dirty, it could be cleaned using specialized equipment. The filter needed to be changed every three months, at a cost of thirty yuan per replacement. As long as it wasn’t damaged through misuse, the mask could last over ten years.

“Check your equipment. If there are no issues, activate it following the video instructions,” the man said.

Though reluctant, the workers followed the steps to activate their gear.

The Hugua Mask and protective suit were finely crafted. After careful inspection, no one found any defects.

In the back row of the conference room, Liu Yumei checked her mask and suit three times, then took a photo and sent it to her daughter.

“You got Hugua Supplies?” came the instant reply.

“Just handed out,” Liu Yumei said, then explained the distribution process.

“【Awesome】!” Her daughter sent three excited emojis in a row, then added, “Activate the mask using the video instructions. Wear it while you’re working, and take it off at night and put it back in the box.” Liu Yumei was a sanitation worker. With the whole city under lockdown, her daughter didn’t say it outright, but she was deeply worried about Liu Yumei’s safety.

Liu Yumei felt a pang at the thought of a mask costing five thousand yuan, but since it was tied to her job, she thought it over and decided to follow the usage guidelines.

Half an hour later, Liu Yumei had the mask on. Whether it was psychological or not, the air in the meeting room suddenly felt fresher.

“On September 3rd, Qiuhe Blue Sky Environmental Protection, Qiuhe Street Office, and 27 other organizations received Hugua Supplies. Distribution of additional materials is ongoing.” That evening, news related to Qiuhe made the local headlines.

On September 12th, in Dongshan, the Fengmai Hugua production line was completed. Longxia, through technical collaboration, began purchasing Hugua Masks at low prices from major enterprises, rapidly boosting the nationwide mask adoption rate.

The Longxia masks required large quantities of cotton and padding. Due to reduced vegetation, on September 15th, Longxia issued a Cotton Procurement Order. Major clothing companies began supplying cotton at fair prices, and many home textile companies dismantled old inventory quilts. With national support, Hugua Mask production proceeded smoothly.

By September 20th, the nationwide Hugua Mask adoption rate had reached 57%, and individual citizens began receiving masks. This mask policy involved 850 billion yuan, marking one of Longxia’s largest expenditures in recent years.

“Waaah, just got my Hugua Mask from the community center. It’s amazing!”

“Waited a whole month, now every member of the family has one.”

“The city’s still under lockdown, but I finally feel safe going outside.”

…

On September 23rd, #LongxiaHuguaMask# trended on social media. During this period, Longxia reported 78 new H1 cases and 37 deaths. Hugua H1 could be controlled in its early stages, but once it spread to the lungs, there was no cure. Most new cases had occurred before the Hugua Mask awareness campaign. As the masks became more widespread, the growth rate of new infections approached zero.

“Wearing a mask outside gives me such a sense of security.”

“Supermarkets now have mask scanners. Only those wearing Hugua Masks can enter.”

“Here, we use Hugua Masks and also check body temperature. Double screening.”

…

Hugua Mask was a virus detection device. As the masks were distributed, some supermarkets and malls began reopening. Compared to the total lockdown a month ago, the country’s markets were starting to show signs of life again.

As the national economy slowly recovered, on September 25th, Long Xia Daily announced two pieces of good news—

【On September 25th, sugarcane, peaches, grapes, and over a dozen other fruits in Longnan have ripened. Longnan Fruits will be available nationwide starting the 28th.】

【The 500,000-mu medicinal herb base in Longnan is now fully operational. By February next year, it is expected to significantly ease the national shortage of medicine…】

…

“Longnan is amazing!”

“Longnan, you rock!”

…

The moment people saw the news from Longnan, excitement swept across the country. Since the Sandstorm in February, the nation had been grappling with a shortage of fruits and medicine.

In May this year, Longxia developed Soil Improvement. It allowed normal planting, but after three years of lacking food and clothing, people were still anxious about whether fruits could grow properly. Now that the fruits had ripened, it meant they could finally eat fresh, real fruit again!

“I’m so happy, I want to eat lychees.”

“They developed the soil in May, and by October we have fruit. Our great Longxia really has a talent for farming!”

“I want whole grain flour, I want black bean cake!”

…

There was only one feeling among netizens: relief.

People still wore masks when going out, and those with the means wore protective suits too. Life felt like a disaster movie every day. Everyone had gotten used to it, but seeing the country’s plant life gradually flourish still brought joy.

Three years ago, during the Global Food Crisis, they had endured.

Now, with the Hugua H1 virus spreading, as long as they took proper precautions, things weren’t as bad as they had feared.

In that moment, people regained confidence in living with the virus.

The virus might be frightening, but they could keep overcoming it. They had survived the Food Crisis, and they would survive this too.

“It’s grown taller…” While netizens across the country were scrolling through the news, at Fengshan Farm, Liu Wensheng was carefully observing the Hope Tree. A month ago, it had stopped growing and its leaves had turned gray.

Now, after a month of development, the Hope Tree had grown from five meters to seven. Its trunk was thick, and Liu Wensheng had to tilt his head back to see the branches.

He studied it for a while, then turned to Qin Yun. “Any changes?”

Qin Yun opened the System Interface.

Name: Thriving Hope Tree

Status: Growing Strong

…

There was no achievement notification for the Hope Tree. [The Beginning of a Disaster] was still marked with a red icon.

“No fruit yet,” Liu Wensheng said, a little disappointed.

Since obtaining the Hope Tree, it had only borne fruit four times. He was disappointed, but compared to before, he couldn’t help smiling from ear to ear.

Whether or not it bore fruit, the fact that the Hope Tree was growing again was a good sign.

The two stayed in the Hope Greenhouse for a while longer, then prepared to leave.

But after just a few steps, Qin Yun suddenly stopped.

“What is it?” Liu Wensheng asked.

Qin Yun shared the System Interface.

“Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Sell 500 million Dual-Machine Series. Mission Interface is refreshing…”

The Hope Tree hadn’t borne fruit, but the Dual-Machine Task was complete.