Chapter 124: Cangzhou Survivor Zone (5) Devising a Plan

When the food supplies ran low, the survivors revolted. Although the officials were armed and had soldiers, when the crowd demanded the truth, and considering everyone had some martial arts training, they managed to break open the officials’ luggage. Piles of cash, gold, silver, and treasures spilled onto the ground. Even the emergency rations the officials claimed to have already consumed were found hidden in their bags and pet food bowls.

These people and their possessions were thrown out of the shelter. The discovered food allowed the survivors to live comfortably for a few days. Then, compelled to form teams, they began hunting zombies before eventually reclaiming Cangzhou.

“Why didn’t that Wu fellow die?” Ye Liusun found his luck puzzling.

“He’s been practicing light-footedness since childhood,” Feng 16 sneered. “After being expelled from the shelter, he climbed to high ground where the zombies couldn’t catch him. Except for his wife, his second and third concubines were arrogant and overbearing—they got kicked out and fed to the zombies.”

“Oh, it’s true that among any group, there are both good and bad people.”

“Do you have a list of officials under investigation for disciplinary violations?” Ye Liusun thought it a good idea. These people had severed ties with the people, so using them as examples could restore some hope. Unless they returned to a path of complete ignorance, it was impossible to expect the public to be thoroughly deceived again.

“We’ll do some practical work and see the results,” Ye Liusun said. After reporting to the Special Committee, Li Fengyi demanded solid evidence before conducting trials and executions. To strengthen the deterrent effect and create a strong impression, they sent radio broadcasters to provide live coverage. There were so many such cases that Li Fengyi prepared to unleash major blows, showcasing examples from various angles.

The Special Committee’s Discipline Inspection Commission and Procuratorate mobilized immediately. They gathered files on Cangzhou officials who were under disciplinary review or investigation before the apocalypse. Many were slated for investigation once the time was right, to avoid causing too much social unrest. After all, arresting too many officials would paralyze many government functions.

There was no need to worry about leaks or flight with airplane tickets. Nor was there concern about human rights violations. They simply raided these officials’ homes, opened their safes one by one, dug into basements, and obtained property certificates from the real estate bureau for these officials and their relatives. One individual owned as many as sixteen properties in Cangzhou and six in Beijing. Properties elsewhere were not yet verifiable.

News of their crackdown on corrupt officials was reported to the Martial Arts Association Council, which unanimously approved. To identify which officials were still alive, they agreed to organize a census through the Human Resources Department. Though aware this would expose their own information, their attitude toward government conflicts made them unwilling to resist, even if reluctant to cooperate.

Ultimately, it was revealed that over 20,000 officials survived in Cangzhou. Among them, more than 5,000 held departmental ranks or higher, with over 1,000 corrupt officials. Those with no corruption were ordinary clerks without power. Many officials were indeed honest, though few held high positions.

Calculating the pre-apocalypse civil servant ratio, including all government-funded personnel, there were 130 million people on government payrolls, with 21.46 million officials. That meant roughly nine ordinary citizens supported one government employee. Even ordinary civil servants earned higher wages than the average citizen, and government spending on official expenses exceeded 900 billion annually.

This data came from the government’s 2009 report on human rights progress. Out of nearly one million survivors in Cangzhou, only about 20,000 officials remained. During the national upheaval, the common people helped reduce officials’ proportion from 10% to 2%. It was clear that being an official was a high-risk occupation even before the apocalypse.

On November 15, 2015, a public trial was held for these officials. According to new laws amended by the People’s Congress, corruption was equated to treason, with sentencing guidelines aligned with robbery crimes. Over 300 were executed on the spot, and nearly 500 were sent to labor reform camps for basic labor retraining.

The air dynamics doctorate holder who had completed cremations in Tianjin then oversaw the cremation of these bodies at a designated incineration building.

From that day, the Special Committee’s logistical departments and civilian companies gradually entered Cangzhou to provide various services.

Despite the Special Committee’s many days of hard work, including large-scale anti-corruption efforts, nothing left as deep an impression on the people of Cangzhou as the air dynamics doctor overseeing cremations.

Clad in full plate armor, wielding a steel pipe gun at his waist, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and a telescope in the other, he shouted continuously, “Yes, that’s the building. Red team, clear the area. Yellow team, prepare for construction. Blue team, count zombie numbers and map their distribution in Cangzhou. Green team, ready transportation. Purple team, prepare cremation operations.”

Many personnel in the transport and cremation teams were convicted criminals. These two teams had the worst conditions—corpses so decomposed they could hardly be moved, with fluids flowing everywhere. Severed limbs often had to be carried in arms.

Most corrupt officials spared from execution were assigned to these two squads, drawing attention and often having trash hurled at them by the locals.

Groups of armored soldiers wearing different colored armbands operated separately.

Supplies inside the building were cleared out, and the yellow team had already begun noisy construction. The green team, following blue team instructions, used excavators and heavy trucks to transport bodies. The purple team directed them on how to arrange the corpses to conserve fuel and improve cremation efficiency.

In the height of summer, the heavily populated pre-apocalypse areas were thick with the stench of decay. Without enhanced physical resilience, the epidemic would have spread long ago. Although the people of Cangzhou cremated many corpses themselves, it was still insufficient compared to regions with over seven million people. They followed the Special Committee’s plan for the cremation building but often failed, and no one was eager to undertake the task.

As fierce flames rose, mournful music played over loudspeakers. No matter where they were or what they were doing, the people of Cangzhou observed a moment of silence.

The Special Committee cleverly avoided political issues, instead assisting the Martial Arts Association with planning. They agreed to build schools, recruit workers, and allow companies to operate in the area, with tax revenues partially allocated to the Martial Arts Association. The Committee regarded this as equivalent to local tax revenues from before the apocalypse.

The Martial Arts Association agreed, relieved that at least they could enjoy wine and meat without worrying about damaged furniture. In theory, the heroes of Cangzhou resembled those of Liangshan Marsh, loving hearty feasts and generous drinking. As long as corrupt officials were kept at bay, they cherished this chivalrous lifestyle.