Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 364 Fighting Against Fate

July 21, sunny turning cloudy

The directive from Beijing resounded throughout the Hebei Provincial Party Committee in the early hours of the morning.

When Li Moran and Zhao Qinian received the call directly from the Central Committee, the lingering nightmares and the urgent orders from the highest levels instantly merged, crushing the last trace of hesitation and hope in their hearts.

An emergency meeting of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee was held at 5:00 a.m., and the meeting room was filled with smoke.

Li Moran's eyes were still bloodshot, his voice hoarse but filled with an iron will: "...The Central Committee's instructions are very clear: extremely urgent, highest level of combat readiness! Time is our greatest enemy now, and perhaps the only thing we can grasp. I propose that the 'Hebei Province Earthquake Relief Frontline Command' be established immediately, with myself as the commander-in-chief and Comrade Qi Nian as the first deputy commander-in-chief. The command will have seven working groups: expert research, mass evacuation, material support, public security and stability maintenance, publicity and mobilization, medical and epidemic prevention, and transportation. We must set up the framework now, get personnel in place immediately, and begin operations!"

No one dared to voice dissent; the only sounds were quick note-taking and obedience. But the pressure was visibly written on everyone's face.

The large-scale relocation of the population of an industrial city and its surrounding counties was unprecedented in the history of the People's Republic of China. The number of people involved was not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, but millions! Food, housing, transportation, medical care, public security, production stagnation... every problem was enough to overwhelm the conventional administrative system.

A joint investigation team composed of experts from the China Earthquake Administration, the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Hebei Province arrived in Tangshan on the morning of the 21st.

They brought the most sophisticated instruments available in the country at the time to visit the abnormal locations mentioned in Liu Weidong's report and interview the people who reported the situation.

The results are very worrying. Animal abnormalities? Yes, but they are scattered, and not all species show obvious signs, so they cannot form a recognized "prodromal pattern".

Changes in well water? Some wells do show turbidity and fluctuating water levels, but there is a lack of systematic data to support this, making it impossible to rule out other interfering factors.

Earth sounds and lights? Those who hear and see them speak with certainty, yet they cannot be captured or reproduced by instruments.

There are macroscopic anomalies, but the level of earthquake science at this time, especially short-term prediction theory, is far from sufficient to support a definitive judgment on "what magnitude earthquake will occur at a certain time".

The expedition team also had its own disagreements. Some senior experts, combining historical earthquake data and geological structure, believed that there was indeed a risk of a major earthquake in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan area, and that the current anomalies warranted "high vigilance."

However, many experts who rely on data and models hold a cautious or even skeptical attitude. "Science is not metaphysics; early warning requires solid evidence." "Evacuating millions of people based solely on this is a responsibility and historical judgment we cannot bear, and the country cannot afford to suffer, should there be no earthquake."

When the expedition team sent its preliminary report back to the provincial command and Beijing on the evening of the 21st, the wording was extremely cautious. The core conclusion was: "There are abnormal crustal activities in the Tangshan area that deserve high attention. There are some macroscopic precursors, but the scientific basis for short-term forecasts is still insufficient. It is recommended to strengthen monitoring and prepare corresponding emergency plans."

This report gave some people in the command center a slight sense of relief, as if they had found a basis for "following scientific procedures".

But as Li Moran and Zhao Qinian looked at the report, they recalled the nightmarish experience that had pierced their very bones and the undeniable phone call from Xihua Hall. They realized that behind the "insufficient scientific evidence" lay the cold reality that the lives of millions hung in the balance.

They ordered expert teams to take turns monitoring the situation 24 hours a day, and at the same time, preparations for the evacuation of the masses had to be carried out without any hesitation and with all efforts!

The evacuation area became the first point of contention in the command center.

The initial proposal was to evacuate only the population of Tangshan city proper. However, this was quickly rejected—the impact radius of the massive earthquake extended far beyond the city center.

Based on historical earthquake intensity distributions and Tangshan's geological conditions, and after round-the-clock calculations and debates with urgently dispatched earthquake geology experts, a preliminary, alarming evacuation zone was outlined:

Core mandatory evacuation area: All of Lunan District, Lubei District, Kaiping District, and Dongkuang District in Tangshan City. Some townships in Fengnan County and Luan County near Tangshan City. The estimated population exceeds 150 million. All evacuees are required to leave buildings and assemble in designated open shelters, with further relocation to more peripheral areas as needed.

Key evacuation areas: Other districts under the jurisdiction of Tangshan City: New District, Guye, Fengrun County, Yutian County, Zunhua County, areas close to Tangshan, and some townships in Ninghe County and Baodi County of Tianjin.

The estimated population is approximately 200 million. The elderly, women, children, school teachers and students, and those in non-essential positions are required to evacuate first. Government agencies and enterprises are required to develop emergency evacuation plans, and all residents must be prepared to evacuate at any time. Dilapidated and unsafe buildings should be inspected and reinforced.

The warning and prevention zone covers the entire eastern part of Hebei Province, most of Tianjin Municipality, and even parts of Beijing. Extensive earthquake prevention and disaster reduction publicity is required, along with hazard investigation and preparation of emergency supplies and personnel.

The moment this area was announced, a collective gasp filled the command center. It involved two major cities (parts of Tangshan and Tianjin), several counties, and affected millions of people! Correspondingly, the mobilization of transportation (trucks, buses, trains), the arrangement of temporary shelters (tents, makeshift sheds, borrowed schools and public facilities), and the guarantee of food, drinking water, medicine, and clothing… the numbers were astronomical, and they had to be procured and in place within just a few days!

The head of the transportation team immediately teared up: "Secretary, Governor! Even if we include all the trucks and buses that can be mobilized from the entire province and even neighboring provinces, it won't be enough! Railway transportation requires scheduling, and time is even tighter! Also, where will we transport so many people? How will we organize them? What about their eating, drinking, sanitation, and safety along the way?"

The head of the supplies support team said in a trembling voice, "Food reserves, tent inventory... at this scale, the shortage is too great! Emergency procurement and allocation will take time, and large-scale procurement will cause market panic!"

The head of the public security and stability maintenance team frowned deeply: "With millions of people moving around at the same time, if panic spreads, it could easily lead to stampedes, looting, the spread of rumors, or even more serious security incidents! We need to deploy a large number of police officers and militiamen, but this will take time to approve and deploy!"

Every problem was real, and every difficulty seemed insurmountable. The meeting room was filled with a cacophony of arguments, explanations, calculations, ringing phones, and hurried footsteps.

Li Moran slammed his hand on the table. The sound wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone: "Listen up, all of you! This isn't the time to ask 'can we?' It's the time to ask 'how can we?' The Central Committee's order is 'All work must give way to the possible mass evacuation!' This means we can mobilize all necessary resources and break all conventional procedures! Not enough transportation? Contact the People's Liberation Army! Not enough supplies? Allocate them nationwide and open strategic reserves! Not enough security? The Armed Police and garrison troops can assist in maintaining order if necessary!"

I now authorize each working group to directly contact the corresponding central ministry or commission if they encounter any problems, report to the command headquarters for record-keeping, and resolve them as quickly as possible! Anyone who delays the opportunity because of fear of difficulties or taking responsibility will be punished by me, Li Moran, the first to be punished!

Liu Weidong then called, "Secretary, the Lin family in Hong Kong is willing to mobilize all the vehicles in the black markets in the surrounding areas of Henan, Tianjin, and Beijing. About 80 trucks carrying food and medicine are all heading to Tangshan to provide support."

This was truly exhilarating news! The entire command center breathed a slight sigh of relief. But an even greater challenge lay ahead!