Chapter 23: In Just One Night, Everything’s in Chaos!

#High-Temperature Alert!! Global Geologic Storms May Strike!!#
#Those Who Do Evil Will Bring It Upon Themselves! Two Typhoons Form Suddenly and Move Toward the Island Nation! Three Strong Earthquakes Within 24 Hours! The Ocean’s “Revenge” Has Arrived!#
#Giant Two-Mouthed Mosquitoes Found Near an Abandoned Nuclear Power Plant on the Island Nation! Each Can Suck an Adult’s Blood Dry!!#
#Shocking!! The Only Two Mosquito-Free Places in the World, Ice Island and the South Pole, Are Now Infested with Giant Mosquitoes!!#
#Red High-Temperature Warning and Giant Blood-Sucking Mosquitoes Strike Simultaneously! All Citizens Should Stay Indoors as Much as Possible for the Next Three Days!!#

Jiang Yan skimmed through the news and took a deep breath.

Overnight, global disaster reports about extreme heat and giant blood mosquitoes flooded the internet.

Even the end-of-the-world warning post she had quietly posted in some corner went viral, trending on social media, with countless people searching for the poster.

Some were calling her a god.

However, the phone card associated with that account had already been cut up and flushed down the toilet while she was abroad.

According to the reports, giant blood mosquitoes had begun appearing in various regions a few days ago.

But back then, their numbers were small, so most countries and regions suppressed the information.

Until today, it was as if all the mosquitoes had suddenly hatched at once.

Increasing numbers of humans were being attacked, forcing governments to issue official announcements to the public.

These mutated mosquitoes weren’t like ordinary ones: both females and males sucked blood, and they primarily targeted humans.

Of course, like normal mosquitoes, people with type O blood or stronger body odors were more likely to be bitten.

Additionally, these mosquitoes could resist both heat and cold and lived three times longer than normal mosquitoes.

Whether they carried pathogens or caused other adverse effects had not been officially disclosed.

However, official reports did mention that radioactive contaminants were detected in the mosquitoes’ bodies.

Among all the sightings, the island nation had the highest number and widest variety of these blood mosquitoes.

Genetic tracing indicated that all the mosquitoes appearing worldwide were closely related to the first batch discovered near the island’s abandoned nuclear plant.

From a scientific perspective, evolution and mutation in flora and fauna don’t happen overnight.

This suggests that the island nation had likely been secretly discharging nuclear-contaminated water for years after a nuclear accident.

Usually, at the onset of disasters, governments tell the public to remain calm and trust the authorities.

The sudden, explosive release of information today was highly unusual.

After all, this kind of announcement could easily trigger panic buying and chaos.

Yet, the government went ahead and published it.

This could only mean the actual situation was far worse than what she had seen or guessed.

Another report concerned the global heatwave.

The extreme temperatures had only just begun in the past couple of days, catching people off guard.

Since yesterday, temperatures worldwide had only risen, never fallen.

In some tropical areas, within a single day, temperatures had shot up to 50–60°C.

Officials advised citizens to stock up on food and water and stay indoors or work from home whenever possible.

Non-essential outings were discouraged, and if going outside was unavoidable, full-body protection was mandatory.

Many schools issued emergency notifications, suspending in-person classes and switching to online lessons.

Electric grids were overloaded, and some factories were temporarily shut down to prioritize residential electricity.

The internet was flooded with speculation about the end of the world.

Some people posted early-morning reports of supermarkets being emptied of supplies, though they had been orderly just the day before.

Authorities quickly sent personnel to large supermarkets and malls to restore order.

On Anming’s local news board, air-conditioning installation orders exploded, trending immediately.

Compared to other regions, Anming, with its mild winters and cool summers, rarely had air conditioners installed.

Yet, just early this morning, installation lines were flooded with calls.

While air conditioners were widely available, local installers were limited in number.

Online discussions about the possible apocalypse grew, with many livestreamers focusing on survival content.

Graphic photos of humans attacked by blood mosquitoes also circulated.

Jiang Yan realized she had returned home just in time.

The news about two typhoons approaching the island nation also weighed heavily on her mind.

As expected, the apocalypse had arrived early.
And it was a whole month ahead of schedule!

No matter what, she had to wrap up the tasks she had planned for today.

Otherwise, with temperatures only rising, it would become impossible to go outside.

Jiang Yan pinched the bridge of her nose, called the ride-hailing driver, and asked them to pick her up early from Qianshui Bay.

The driver, having seen the news and the extreme heat, was hesitant.

He hadn’t even left home yet, but Jiang Yan’s offer of triple the fare convinced him to drive quickly toward Qianshui Bay.

Jiang Yan had heat-resistant clothing and helmet in her space. She also wore a neck fan and, fully armored, stepped outside.

The building and community gates were temporarily sealed, similar to the mask-wearing era.

Security guards said they received orders early in the morning. To prevent chaos and panic buying due to the heat, only one person per household could go out for supplies.

Anyone exposing skin without mosquito protection was turned back.

All others had to stay indoors.

Property staff blocked common areas and potential mosquito entry points.

Thanks to experience from the mask era, her relatively ordinary community responded fairly quickly.

The guards stared in surprise at Jiang Yan’s fully armored appearance for a few seconds.

Showing her outing pass, she left the community.

The driver picked her up and navigated quickly toward the warehouse.

On the roads, the city seemed paused overnight, with few people and vehicles outside.

Water trucks sprayed mist over the streets, though the cooling effect was minimal.

Occasionally, fire trucks and police cars rushed past, sirens blaring.

These were the brave responders most worthy of respect during such critical times.

Especially in today’s extraordinary circumstances.

After arriving at the warehouse, Jiang Yan let the driver leave.

Before the suppliers’ goods arrived, she retrieved the photovoltaic solar panels she had stored in her space.