The news of Pudong's distress suddenly reached everyone, leaving them stunned. In the southeastern region, there was a tradition of mutual protection. Jinling, having always considered itself the capital, could not stand by while nearby cities were attacked.
Thus, Ke Yiming and Yun Laizhe immediately responded, "We understand. We will pack our bags and depart with our subordinates shortly."
Yun Laizhe's gaze dimmed as he spoke to his wife, "The situation is urgent. I should be by your side, but a true man must serve his country. Therefore, I must leave now. I will return after victory."
Yun Laizhe's wife was very gentle. She said, "National affairs are paramount. Hurry and go. I will have no complaints. I will take care of the children."
Yun Laizhe felt fortunate to have such an understanding wife. He kissed her publicly before turning to leave.
Ke Yiming called out to Shen Feng and Mu Ying, "Although you two are not from the southeastern region, with the enemy at our doorstep, if you wish to help, you may join us! Every additional person is an extra force!"
Shen Feng thought carefully. His original excuse for going out was to hunt sea beasts. Pudong was in crisis and by the sea, so it was a good opportunity. If all else failed, he could pass by and hunt sea beasts in the Pacific.
Therefore, Shen Feng replied, "I was planning to head out to sea anyway. It's on the way this time. Mu Ying, if you want to go back, you can. Don't get involved in this mess."
However, Mu Ying was very stubborn. "Since you're going to Pudong, I'll go too. The mountains aren't that dangerous, and my sisters can handle it."
Shen Feng then said to Ke Yiming, "The two of us will accompany you. However, you have no authority to command us. We'll help if we feel like it, and you shouldn't force us!"
Ke Yiming readily agreed, "Of course, no problem. You are the Wind God. Who in the world can stop you if you want to leave?"
Afterward, Shen Feng and Mu Ying prepared to depart together. Shen Feng had intended to shake off Mu Ying, but it seemed impossible now.
Shen Feng suspected that Mu Ying had not given up on her previous intentions. Although she had been reprimanded, she was clearly not convinced. It would be troublesome if she tried to find other ways later.
Later, Shen Feng took the opportunity to call Yuzhou, informing them of his situation and promising to return as soon as possible. Chang Jianyi and the others did not suspect anything, only urging Shen Feng to be careful. Currently, Sichuan Province and Yuzhou were peaceful. Although mutated insects occasionally appeared, they were not a significant threat.
The night before their departure, Mu Ying quietly found Gu Yanxiao and asked how she could weaken herself and maintain a frail state for an extended period. Gu Yanxiao could only tell her the methods.
Mu Ying left satisfied after hearing the explanation. The next morning, the group departed from Jinling.
As the leader of the southeastern region, Jinling could not abandon its neighboring cities. They immediately dispatched esper users and the army. The esper users were naturally led by Ke Yiming and Yun Laizhe. Hearing that Shen Feng and Mu Ying would also be heading to Pudong, everyone's confidence grew.
The number of soldiers was five thousand, which was a considerable force. These soldiers were equipped with modern weapons, and five thousand men could easily conquer a city. With other cities also heading towards Pudong, the city would undoubtedly be defended with such support.
Shen Feng also learned the latest situation in Pudong from others. Pudong had been peaceful recently. However, that day, countless dense swarms of insects suddenly appeared in the sea. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that these swarms were all insects.
"Are there insects in the sea?" Shen Feng was filled with questions upon hearing this news. Shouldn't the sea be the domain of fish? Why were insects proliferating in the sea?
Others shared Shen Feng's confusion. Even if there were insects in the sea, they should have been food for the fish. It was truly strange that they could become a plague.
Ke Yiming quickly explained, "I didn't believe there could be an insect outbreak in the sea at first. But after reading a document, I realized it's a very complex issue. It's said to be related to the climate. We can discuss the specifics when we reach Pudong! Everything will be clear then!"
The group hurried towards Pudong. They had heard of Pudong's prosperity. It was China's most prosperous city and an important port. Whether in times of peace or war, it was undoubtedly a major city. Although its population had decreased to five million in the apocalypse, it was the most populous place after the fall of Yanjing. While Yuzhou's total population exceeded Pudong's, that was when all its inhabitants were counted.
In terms of urban population, Pudong had the largest. The attack on this crucial southeastern port had made the surrounding major forces very tense, and they had dispatched their core strength to protect the city.
As they were heading to Pudong, the sky suddenly became overcast and gloomy, followed by lightning and thunder. Before they could react, heavy rain began to pour.
"What bad luck, to encounter such terrible weather on the way to Pudong!" Mu Ying complained to Shen Feng beside her.
Shen Feng shrugged and said, "If you don't like it, I'll disperse the wind and rain in a few days. I can't do everything, but controlling the climate is something I can manage."
Shen Feng was confident in his ability to control the climate because he knew he could control typhoons and disperse clouds. As long as he flew into the sky and used his abilities to blow away the clouds, the heavy rain would vanish.
"You absolutely must not do that," Ke Yiming quickly stopped Shen Feng. "Many mutated locusts have appeared in central and southern China. They need heavy rain to kill them. If you disperse the wind and rain, these people will face famine!"
The appearance of locusts is closely related to climate. In years of drought, locusts have opportunities to reproduce, leading to large-scale outbreaks. This spring and summer, China experienced widespread drought, a result of the Little Ice Age, which caused chaotic weather. Winters were often marked by heavy snow and extreme cold, while springs and summers were dry, causing crops to wither.
Currently, central and southern China were affected by locust plagues, with vast amounts of crops being devoured. Heavy rain was needed to save these crops and kill the locusts. If the rain, which was about to enter the land from the Pacific, were to stop, the locust plague would undoubtedly spread further.
"Alright, alright, I won't interfere with the rain. I'll just endure a few days of being drenched. It's no big deal," Shen Feng shrugged.
The convoy continued its journey towards Pudong. They reached Pudong within a day. Upon arrival, they saw a dense black mass in the sky above the city. Those unaware would think they were flocks of mutated birds, but those in the know understood they were mutated insects.
"What are these things? They don't look very big," Shen Feng asked after seeing the dense mass in the sky.
"Don't be fooled by their small size, only about a finger long. These insects are bloodsuckers. They seem to be called midges or gnats. They specialize in sucking blood, and if they bite you, their proboscis will pierce your blood vessels to feed!" Yun Laizhe explained.
As the convoy appeared on the street, the insects in the sky saw the moving objects below as prey. They immediately swooped down, landing on the vehicles and beginning to bite. However, their proboscis could not penetrate glass and steel. Those inside the vehicles quickly closed doors and windows and pulled down the canvas.
"If we're surrounded by these insects, we'll be sucked dry!" Mu Ying exclaimed.
Shen Feng frowned and said, "After the wind and rain subside, we can use flamethrowers to eliminate these insects. Since these insects are so small, I'm worried they are moving with the wind and rain. Once the wind and rain dissipate, these insects will return to the sea."
On ordinary streets, many low-lying areas were already flooded. There were also many strange insects on the streets. The most noticeable were insects that could walk on water. If ordinary people saw these insects walking on water, they would immediately think they were water spiders, as they resembled spiders.
However, these insects that could appear on the water surface were actually water striders. The insects in the sea were called sea striders. The body structure of these insects was very peculiar. Their long limbs were covered with fine hairs, which increased their surface tension, preventing them from sinking into the water.
"Why are there such insects on the street too? Aren't there city walls for protection? Why can these insects still get in?" everyone wondered.
Upon entering Pudong, they saw crowds on the streets using nets to catch insects. These people were wearing thick clothing to protect themselves from bites. Even though it was still raining heavily, they did not stop their work.
"It's not that simple to kill these insects with just manpower!" Shen Feng judged after seeing this scene.
Mutated insects were actually more difficult to deal with than mutated birds. Mutated birds, with their increased size, also had larger targets. However, these insects, even with their increased size, were only about palm-sized. Even if they grew larger, they would only be about human-sized. Guns and artillery were clearly ineffective against them.
There is a saying, "Using a cannon to hit a mosquito," which describes wastefulness. This situation perfectly illustrated that the saying was impractical. Although the insects in the sky were dense, it was clearly impossible to cause casualties with bullets or artillery.
"Watch out on the sides, more insects are coming from there. This is another type of insect!" Ke Yiming quickly warned the convoy to be careful. Suddenly, a large, dark mass of spiders appeared on the side. These were true spiders that could live underwater, known as water spiders.
Seeing this, Shen Feng could no longer hold back. He said, "I'll deal with these spiders. They are just simple insects, yet they can cause so much trouble for humans. It's shameful!"
After he finished speaking, a tornado suddenly appeared on the side of the convoy. It was not very large, but once formed, it blocked the path of the water spiders. Any water spider that dared to approach the convoy would be immediately swept up by the tornado and thrown into the air.