"So the butterflies have already fled everywhere! I must report this to Madam immediately and strengthen our defenses against the butterflies. You people are truly useless. If you mess things up, you should notify people nearby right away. How can you conceal this? What kind of logic is this?" Luo Hui was stunned by the answer, never expecting the crisis in Butterfly Valley to have spread to the surrounding areas.
Luo Hui was furious at this moment because if the insects from Butterfly Valley had escaped, then the surrounding regions would be in danger. If they didn't respond in time, the northern Sichuan-Chongqing region would also be attacked. Yet, the people here had concealed the information, making it imaginable that countless people would eventually face danger.
The few responsible individuals explained helplessly, "Actually, we didn't want to conceal it. After all, if we hide enemy information, people will die, and they will die cluelessly. But the higher-ups simply didn't allow us to disclose this information, so we had no choice but to keep it hidden."
"Why is there such a situation?" Luo Hui couldn't help but ask for the reason.
Qu Zhaoqian, standing nearby, bowed his head and said, "It's all because they're worried about being blamed. After all, once the butterflies escape, we don't know to what extent they will spread. If they admit that the disaster was caused by their own operational errors, then Yunnan Province will certainly become the target of public criticism."
"Really, everyone is only thinking about their own interests and not at all about others. How selfish!" Luo Hui couldn't help but curse. The people from Yunnan could only show embarrassed expressions upon hearing such criticism, as they had no confidence to refute it.
"It's too late to say all this now. We should quickly inform Madam about what happened here so that we can make preparations in advance!" Qu Zhaoqian hadn't expected to encounter such a situation. He was originally here to support Yunnan Province, but now the mutated butterflies had spread, and his plans to make a grand display of his abilities were thwarted.
Thus, the two quickly reported the events in Yunnan Province to Chongqing. Upon hearing the news, Chang Jianyi felt a sense of foreboding. If these southern butterflies had remained in place, there would be nothing to fear, as it would only affect one region. But now that the butterflies had spread, it was unknown what kind of casualties they would cause, especially since these butterflies also caused significant damage to agriculture.
"Yang Chang, immediately take ten thousand people to the south to hunt for butterflies. As soon as you find any butterflies or eggs, exterminate them without delay," Chang Jianyi commanded.
After receiving the order, Yang Chang set off immediately. The situation was extremely serious. If they continued to observe, they would suffer immense losses.
After Yang Chang and the soldiers departed, soon people sensed something different. For them, the current situation had become very dangerous.
"Chongqing has never dispatched troops so hastily before. It can be imagined that there is a great danger in the south!" someone whispered and analyzed.
"Don't talk nonsense. From the beginning of the apocalypse until now, Chongqing has encountered dangers only a handful of times. At this moment, things surely haven't reached such a critical point. As long as the soldiers go out, they will eventually resolve all threats." Someone immediately refuted this statement.
However, by the time Chongqing began to pay attention to this matter, they discovered that the situation had already gotten out of control. This was because in the southern region of Sichuan-Chongqing, bordering Yunnan Province, numerous butterflies had appeared. These butterflies had very wide wings, much larger than ordinary butterflies.
The appearance of these butterflies directly brought a crisis to Chongqing, because with so many butterflies, each one carried a lot of poisonous powder. As they flew, they spread the poisonous powder. As long as someone accidentally touched it or inhaled the powder, they would quickly fall into hallucinations.
The combat power of the mutated butterflies was not very strong. Ordinary people could kill them. After all, even with their increased size, humans still had an overwhelming advantage over lower species. However, the most disgusting thing about butterflies was their ability to lay eggs, and they laid eggs very quickly.
Butterflies were purely pests. For humans, after laying eggs, these butterflies would begin to develop. Many insects fed on crops, so their harm to crops was not as severe as locusts. However, when calculated, the appearance of butterflies still brought danger to agriculture. In vast fields, caterpillars appeared one after another. These insects were seen devouring crops, and they could quickly consume large amounts of crops.
"Quickly spray pesticides and see if they have any effect on these butterflies," Yang Chang immediately ordered his subordinates.
Consequently, many soldiers took helicopters to spray pesticides. If the pesticides had an effect on these butterflies, it would be good news. However, the results were very disheartening. The larvae and adult butterflies had a strong resistance to pesticides.
"How unlucky. I didn't expect all the insects to have evolved pesticide resistance so quickly. It will be even more difficult to deal with these insects in the future," Yang Chang said with a headache.
Compared to locusts, butterflies had more advantages. One advantage was that butterflies were not too afraid of water. Excessive rainwater could kill locusts, but it could not easily eliminate butterflies.
"Quickly mobilize all the masses and have them go to the fields to help catch butterfly larvae. Remember to wear masks to avoid inhaling the poisonous powder. If you inhale the poisonous powder, quickly go to another place to recuperate," Yang Chang ordered helplessly.
Upon learning of this, the masses rushed out of their homes and went to the fields. They found many butterfly larvae in the fields and immediately crushed them with their feet. For them, these crops were their hope for survival. If they were eaten by butterflies, they would have no harvest this year.
"Agricultural production will decrease this year. This is a foregone conclusion," Yang Chang made his judgment at this time.
Among the major factors affecting crop cultivation, one was the occurrence of pests and diseases. Once pests and diseases appeared, they would have a huge impact on crops, leading to reduced yields in many places. However, since the advent of pesticides, humans could avoid the impact of pests and diseases, as pesticides could not only kill insects but also prevent their occurrence.
It was just that no one expected that these insects would eventually evolve pesticide resistance, which directly gave the insects the power to resist pesticides. They would no longer be easily killed by pesticides. Moreover, if too much pesticide was used, it would cause irreversible damage to humans.
While clearing butterflies in the southern part of Chongqing, an event that left Chang Jianyi helpless occurred within Chongqing city. In the past few days, Shen Feng's sister, Shen Yu, had been coming to her to complain. She had many bruises on her body, clearly indicating that she had been a victim of domestic violence.
"I really didn't expect a man's attitude to change so quickly. Before we got married, we were very affectionate. But now, he beats me every day, treating me like a tool to vent his anger," Shen Yu said to Chang Jianyi.
Therefore, every family has its own difficulties. However, in this situation, Chang Jianyi could not stand by and do nothing, as they were relatives. If she remained indifferent, she would appear too heartless.
So, Chang Jianyi tentatively asked, "Is there anything you've done wrong recently? Otherwise, he doesn't seem like someone who would turn his back on you so easily. Why would he commit domestic violence against you?"
"Sister-in-law, you have no idea of the suffering I've endured. It would make you laugh if I told you. Every day I take care of him, who is paralyzed, serving him food and drink, and bathing him. Whatever he wants to eat, I go and buy it. Whatever he wants, I try my best to satisfy him. Yet, he treats me like an enemy!" Shen Yu's heart was filled with a sudden pang of bitterness as she spoke.
Chang Jianyi continued to ask, "I actually think the reason for his drastic change in attitude is that he can no longer walk. Therefore, he resorts to domestic violence against you every day. There is nothing that cannot be discussed between husband and wife. Why don't you find an opportunity to sit down and talk properly?"
"I did think about talking to him properly before, at least to understand the reason for his change in attitude. But every time I try to open my heart to him, he avoids the matter. Now, not only do I have to face his cold words, but I also have to guard against his domestic violence. I can't even go home now. Please help me! Sister-in-law, you are my only relatives. Only you can help me now!" Shen Yu pleaded.
Chang Jianyi was also helpless. In her current situation, her sister had clearly married the wrong person. She thought she had found a perfect match, only to discover that this guy was a violent scoundrel.
"I will not stand by and do nothing about this. I will definitely help you solve this problem! For the next few days, you stay at our house. You can rest and recover from your injuries here. I will find someone to talk to Xiao Sheng about this," Chang Jianyi quickly said.
"Then I'll trouble you. It's quite ironic that we have to rely on you to solve our family matters," Shen Yu said bitterly.
Soon, Li Keyi brought Shen Yu to an empty room in Fengshen Palace and arranged for her to stay there. She seemed too fragile these days. Upon arriving at a safe place, she immediately lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
After settling Shen Yu, Li Keyi found Chang Jianyi and asked, "How do you plan to handle what happened to my sister? Are you going to send someone to beat up Xiao Sheng?"
In Li Keyi's opinion, Shen Feng only had his sister as his remaining relative. Now that his sister was in danger and facing daily violence from a domestic abuser, how could she stand by and do nothing? The simplest solution was to find Xiao Sheng and beat him up.
"I personally believe that violence cannot solve problems, and we don't have time to keep an eye on him. If he continues to commit domestic violence after some time, what will we do then? Therefore, violence cannot solve the problem. It's better to find someone to talk to him properly," Chang Jianyi gave her answer.
"I actually think talking is the most useless thing. After all, if talking could solve problems, he would have clarified things long ago. I think Xiao Sheng is a scumbag. He sweet-talked my sister before, but in the end, he reverted to his true nature and became violent towards her," Li Keyi expressed her conjecture.
"Nothing can be said now. It's better to find someone to talk to Xiao Sheng!" Chang Jianyi also sighed.
In fact, most women in the world fear one thing: marrying someone they don't love, or marrying someone who was initially good but later turned into a scumbag.
For a long time, women were almost appendages to men. Thus, men who held power devised many plans specifically to restrict women, and women were completely denied any respect in such circumstances.
Once they discovered the man's true nature, these women often lost their chance to resist, ultimately having to spend their days in an unhappy life. Shen Yu clearly encountered such a situation.