Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 363 Tangshan Relocation Deployment

A glint of light flashed in Lin Yan's eyes.

"Lin San!"

This call was not a question, but an unquestionable awakening and command.

On the other side of his mind, Lin San's surprise was about to surface: "Young Master, you've emerged from seclusion..."

"Lin San, listen to me first!" Lin Yan decisively interrupted him. "Do we have anyone in Tangshan, Hebei, in a position of sufficient influence and power? Someone who can directly advise the provincial authorities!"

"Yes! The Party Secretary of Tangshan is one of ours!"

"Good! Make him act immediately! In his name, urgently submit a report to the provincial leaders stating that, based on certain indications, Tangshan City is highly likely to experience a major earthquake in the near future! Request that the province take this matter to the highest level, immediately study and activate the emergency evacuation plan for the masses, the sooner the better, and on a large scale!"

He paused briefly, thinking to himself, "A report alone is not enough."

"Wang Qin".

"Young Master! Do you have any orders?"

"Immediately dispatch two Nascent Soul cultivators skilled in illusion techniques to Hebei Province, China. Find the provincial governor and the provincial party secretary, and use the 'Dream Entry Technique' to repeatedly induce them to dream of the devastating earthquake. Hypnotize them with the core thoughts of 'Tangshan, massive earthquake, imminent danger, and the necessity of evacuation.' With this two-pronged approach, they will have no choice but to believe and act!"

"Yes, young master, I'll have them set off immediately."

Immediately afterward, Lin Yan entrusted Lin San with the following instructions: "Go see Elder Dan and ask him to secretly go to Xihua Hall as quickly as possible. He is a highly respected elder with considerable influence. Have him personally inform Uncle Zhou of the earthquake warning. Tell him that a reclusive but absolutely trustworthy close friend of our Lin family is well-versed in feng shui and geomancy, and recently, on a whim, divined an ominous sign pointing to Tangshan. Please ask him to trust this expert's judgment and also to trust our Lin family this once, as this concerns the lives of millions!"

"Don't worry, young master, I'll take care of it right away!"

Hebei Province, Tangshan City, Municipal Party Committee Compound.

It was late at night, but the light was still on in the office of Liu Weidong, the municipal party secretary. He had just finished a telepathic conversation with Lin San, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.

Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the red secure phone on the table, took a deep breath, and dialed the dedicated line to the provincial capital.

The long, drawn-out tone of the receiver pounded against his heart. Finally, the call was answered, and it was the steady yet slightly weary voice of Li Moran, the provincial party secretary: "Hello, this is Li Moran. Comrade Weidong, what's the matter so late?"

"Secretary Li, I apologize for disturbing your rest. But I must urgently report a matter of great importance!" Liu Weidong's voice was somewhat hoarse with tension, but he tried his best to remain clear. "Our municipal party committee has received some... some informal, but highly significant, early warning information. There are indications that Tangshan City, in the near future, is very likely... no, extremely likely to experience a powerful and destructive earthquake!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Li Moran's serious voice: "Comrade Weidong, do you understand what you're saying? Earthquake prediction is a global challenge. You say there are signs, but what exactly are those signs? What scientific evidence or observational data supports them?"

Liu Weidong was prepared, but could only offer the most "reasonable" yet ultimately weak explanation given by Lin San: "It's...it's been reported by some grassroots residents and observers that recently, there have been numerous instances of abnormal animal behavior in the Tangshan area, such as rats moving in droves, sudden changes in well water levels and turbidity, and rumors of nighttime noises and lights...Although these are scattered, they are very unusual when considered together. We feel it's better to believe it than not, especially since it concerns the lives and safety of millions of people!"

At that moment, another voice seemed to come through the receiver, followed by Governor Zhao Qinian's cautious voice: "Weidong, it's good that the public is reporting problems, and we must take it seriously. But initiating a large-scale population relocation based solely on animal anomalies and rumors is far too far-reaching. The social impact, economic losses, and resettlement of the affected people are all enormous issues. What if... it's just a false alarm? Who will bear the responsibility, the consequences?"

Liu Weidong felt a wave of helplessness. He knew the leaders' concerns were entirely reasonable. "Secretary Li, Governor Zhao, I understand these difficulties. But what if... what if it's really true? We can't afford to gamble! I guarantee with my Party spirit that issuing this warning is no joke! I earnestly request the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government to immediately convene an emergency meeting to study and formulate an emergency plan, even if it's just to do the most basic mobilization and preparation!"

Another silence fell, broken only by the faint crackling of electricity. The two leaders seemed to be exchanging opinions in hushed tones. After a moment, Li Moran's voice rang out again, making a decision: "Comrade Weidong, your alertness is commendable. Here's the arrangement: first, compile a detailed written report of the information you've gathered and submit it first thing tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, the Provincial Party Committee will dispatch a joint investigation team tomorrow, composed of experts from the Earthquake Bureau and relevant departments, to Tangshan for on-site investigation and consultation. Once the expert team has made its scientific assessment, we will then discuss the next steps—whether to issue a forecast or take other measures. Do you think this is a more prudent approach?"

"...Yes, Secretary Li, I will prepare a report immediately." Liu Weidong knew that this was the fastest response he could get under normal procedures.

He hung up the phone, clenched and unclenched his fist, looked out at the deep night, and silently said: Young Master, this is all I can do. The rest is up to fate and your arrangements.

That same night, in the provincial capital of Hebei, at the provincial party committee's residential compound.

The figures of the two Nascent Soul cultivators emerged silently from the night like melting ink, ignoring all physical barriers, and went straight to the bedroom of Provincial Party Secretary Li Moran and Governor Zhao Qinian. The two hadn't slept well because of the phone call they'd had that evening.

The cultivators exchanged a glance, formed hand seals, and an invisible yet powerful and pure divine soul force spread out, gently enveloping the two regional officials.

In his dream, Li Moran found himself standing in a square in the center of Tangshan city, under the blazing sun. Suddenly, a dull rumble, like the roar of a giant beast, came from beneath his feet, and the earth began to shake violently like waves!

The surrounding buildings twisted and collapsed like building blocks, and smoke and dust shot into the sky, instantly obscuring the heavens.

The screams, cries, and the sound of buildings crumbling were deafening.

He saw a mother holding her child buried under a half-collapsed floor, her hands reaching futilely towards the sky. He saw familiar streets turned into twisted cracks and mountains of rubble. He saw himself trying to shout out orders to organize a rescue, but no sound came out. Only endless despair and bloody scenes filled his vision.

A majestic voice resounded deep within his soul, echoing repeatedly: "Tangshan! A massive earthquake! Imminent danger! Evacuation is imperative! It is imperative!"

On the other side, Zhao Qinian dreamed that he was presiding over an emergency meeting about earthquake prevention in Tangshan, but suddenly the venue shook violently and the lights went out.

He struggled to run out of the building, only to find the entire city plunged into apocalyptic darkness and destruction.

Hands reaching out from the ruins, streets flowing with blood, the bewildered and helpless eyes of survivors… the images are fragmented yet incredibly powerful. Similarly, a voice keeps echoing in my mind: “Time is running out… earthquake… evacuate… immediately! Right now! Otherwise, millions will perish!”

As the first rays of morning light streamed through the window, Li Moran and Zhao Qinian woke up almost simultaneously, sitting bolt upright in bed, their pajamas soaked with cold sweat, their hearts pounding. The hellish scene from their dream and the order to "evacuate" were so vivid in their minds that it felt as if they had just experienced it firsthand.

Provincial Party Committee Office

"Old Zhao, I had a terrible dream last night," Li Moran said in a hoarse voice.

"...Me too." Zhao Qinian took a deep breath. "Dreaming of Tangshan...it felt so real, so unsettling. Combined with Liu Weidong's phone call last night..."

"We can't just wait for the experts to conduct their investigation step by step any longer." Li Moran interrupted him, his eyes bloodshot but unusually resolute. "I propose that we immediately activate the highest level of emergency response! While sending the expert team down as quickly as possible, we must immediately begin formulating a mandatory evacuation plan, and simultaneously report urgently to the central government! Better to be overly cautious than to be caught off guard!"

"I agree!" Zhao Qinian said decisively. "Do it immediately!"

On the same night, in Beijing, at Xihua Hall.

The lights in Xihua Hall were still on in the night. After going through layers of reporting, Elder Dan appeared outside Premier Zhou Enlai's office and gently knocked on the door.

The Premier was still working at his desk, his face gaunt and weary. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes when he saw Elder Dan arrive so quietly late at night. He knew this old man, with his close ties to the Lin family, would never visit without a reason.

"Mr. Dan, please have a seat. Coming here so late, there must be something important." The Prime Minister personally poured a glass of warm water.

Without any formalities, Elder Dan looked directly into the Premier's eyes and relayed Lin Yan's words verbatim: "...My young master instructed me to tell you personally: He has a reclusive but absolutely trustworthy close friend, an expert in feng shui and geomancy, who recently, on a whim, divined a terrible omen, clearly pointing to Tangshan, Hebei. He predicted that a devastating earthquake will strike Tangshan in the coming days, causing immense loss of life. This matter concerns the lives of millions of people; it is no exaggeration. My young master implores you to trust this expert's judgment, and also to trust our Lin family this once. A swift decision may save countless lives and property."

The office was silent, save for the ticking of the clock. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pressed his fingers firmly against his temples. His mind raced with various thoughts: the current state of earthquake research, Tangshan's strategic importance, the unimaginable impact of a large-scale evacuation, the Lin family's past mysterious sources of information, and the weight that Elder Dan's personal delivery of this warning carried…

This wasn't a report based on solid scientific data; it was a warning based on metaphysics. But he knew that sometimes, especially in the face of unknown and immense disasters, warnings that defy conventional understanding might be the first glimpse of divine intervention. With millions of lives at stake, he couldn't afford to risk even the slightest mishap.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Prime Minister suddenly opened his eyes.

He made a phone call, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable force:

"Immediately notify the principal leaders of the State Seismological Bureau, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council Duty Room, the General Staff Department, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs... and all relevant department heads to drop everything and come to me as quickly as possible for an emergency meeting!"

"At the same time, in my name, I directly contacted Comrades Li Moran and Zhao Qinian of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee, informing them that the Central Committee had received an extreme emergency disaster warning regarding Tangshan and ordered them to immediately enter the highest level of combat readiness, with all work making way for a possible mass evacuation of the masses! The Central Committee's expert group and working group will arrive in Tangshan as quickly as possible!"

"Hurry! Be quick! Time is life!"