90: Chapter 90 Notification of Evacuation

But at the very last moment, he stopped, let out a soft sigh, and turned to leave the room.

The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains and spilled into the room. Xiao Bei packed his luggage softly. He touched his forehead; the fever had broken, but his body still felt weak.

His phone screen lit up with a message from Qin Ruoxi: "I heard you have a fever. Take another day to rest; there is no need to worry about Bishi Town."

Xiao Bei's fingers paused on the screen for a few seconds before he replied: "Thank you for your concern, Leader. I am much better and can return to work today."

After sending the message, he glanced back toward the bedroom. Su Yun was still fast asleep; she had taken care of him all night.

Xiao Bei let out a soft sigh, took a sticky note out of his pocket, wrote a few lines, and gently placed it under the teacup on the coffee table.

The sound of the door closing woke the light-sleeping Su Yun. She sat up abruptly, only to find that Xiao Bei was no longer on the bed. Only the faint warmth on the sheets proved he had once lain there.

Su Yun ran out of the bedroom barefoot and saw the note on the coffee table: "Su Yun, I have returned to Bishi Town. Thank you for taking care of me last night. There is porridge I cooked in the kitchen. — Xiao Bei"

The handwriting was a bit messy, clearly written in a hurry. Su Yun held the note, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart.

After five days of spending time together, Xiao Bei had left an indelible mark on her heart.

She picked up her phone, intending to send Xiao Bei a message. Her fingers hovered over the screen for a long time, but eventually, she only typed: "Remember to take your medicine on time." Before sending it, she deleted it and changed it to: "Travel safely."

In the courtyard of the Bishi Town Government, several staff members were gathered together discussing something. When Xiao Bei's figure appeared at the entrance, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"Xiao Bei! Why are you back?"

Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang was the first to approach him, "Didn't Mayor Qin say you were sick and needed to rest for another day?"

Xiao Bei waved his hand, "It's just a minor cold; it's no big deal."

His voice was still a bit hoarse, but his eyes had regained their usual sharpness. "What were you discussing just now?"

"It's about the cracks that have appeared in the mountainside at Shiping Village," Secretary He Mingxuan reported hurriedly. "The Village Party Secretary, Old Zhou, called early this morning to say the situation has worsened after last night's heavy rain."

Xiao Bei frowned, "Notify the Emergency Office, the Land and Resources Bureau, and the heads of the Village Construction Station immediately. We will have a meeting in the conference room in half an hour. Also, contact the geological experts from the county and ask them to send someone over to assess the situation as soon as possible."

"Understood, I will arrange that immediately." As Secretary He Mingxuan turned to leave, he looked back and asked with concern, "Xiao Bei, your complexion still doesn't look good. Should you go to the hospital to get checked out first?"

"No need." Xiao Bei was already striding toward his office. "Oh, and have the cafeteria prepare some ginger soup. Make sure all the cadres going down to the villages have some."

In the conference room, Xiao Bei listened carefully to the reports from the heads of various departments, taking notes from time to time. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but his gaze remained focused. After the meeting, he stood up, "I will go to Shiping Village personally to take a look. Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang, you stay in town to coordinate all parties. Contact me immediately if there are any developments."

"Xiao Bei, your health..." Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang started to say, then hesitated.

"It's fine." Xiao Bei had already picked up his coat. "Also, contact the County Television Station and ask them to send a reporter to cover this hazard so that all parties will pay attention to it."

Meanwhile, the News Department of Canglan City Television was holding its morning meeting. The director of the News Department tapped on the table, "There is a landslide hazard in Shiping Village, Bishi Town. We need to send a reporter to cover it. Xiao Li, you go."

Su Yun, who was sitting in the corner, suddenly raised her hand, "Director, let me go. I've covered similar topics before and am quite familiar with them."

The director looked a bit surprised, "Didn't you just recover from your injury? The conditions there are harsh... are you sure?"

"I'm fine," Su Yun smiled, "and I am quite familiar with Bishi Town."

"Alright then. You and Xiao Zhang go together. Stay safe." The director nodded in agreement.

Su Yun walked out of the conference room, her heart racing slightly. She told herself that this was just for work, and definitely not because she wanted to see someone who had left less than six hours ago.

The dirt road in Shiping Village was muddy and treacherous from the rain. Xiao Bei walked in front, taking uneven steps, followed by several town and village cadres.

They arrived at the foot of the hillside where the cracks had appeared. Xiao Bei squatted down and used his fingers to measure the width of the crack.

"It has widened by nearly two centimeters compared to yesterday," the Village Party Secretary, Old Zhou, said with worry. "There are over twenty households on the mountain. If something happens..."

Xiao Bei stood up and brushed the mud off his hands, "Organize the evacuation of the villagers living below the mountain immediately. Set up a cordon and forbid anyone from approaching the danger zone. When will the geological experts from the county arrive?"

"They are already on the way and should arrive in about an hour," replied the head of the Land and Resources Bureau who was accompanying them.

"Good. Let's go visit the affected villagers first." Just as Xiao Bei was about to step forward, a wave of dizziness suddenly hit him. He stumbled and was steadied by a cadre next to him.

"Xiao Bei! Are you alright?"

Xiao Bei waved his hand, took some pills out of his pocket, and swallowed them, "I'm fine. Let's continue working."

Just then, an interview vehicle with the County Television Station logo drove into the village entrance. Xiao Bei narrowed his eyes, and when he saw the familiar figure stepping out of the car, his heart skipped a beat.

Su Yun was wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, her hair tied in a neat ponytail. She was walking toward them with the cameraman, Xiao Zhang.

The sunlight shone on her, outlining her full hips and slender legs. She looked up and saw Xiao Bei, clearly stunned for a moment, before immediately breaking into a professional smile.

"Xiao Bei, I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Su Yun walked up to Xiao Bei. Her tone was strictly professional, but her eyes held a glimmer that only he could understand.

Xiao Bei gave a light cough, "Reporter Su, you've come at the right time. We are just about to go check the danger zone. Let's go together."

The two walked side by side on the muddy mountain road, maintaining a proper distance. However, whenever the road narrowed, their arms would inadvertently brush against each other. Each contact felt like an electric current passing through, reminding Xiao Bei of Su Yun's gentle fingers as she took care of him the night before.

"Has your fever broken?" Su Yun asked in a low voice when no one else was paying attention.

Xiao Bei nodded, "Yes, thanks to your care."

"Did you take your medicine?"

"I did."

Beneath the simple dialogue was undeniable concern. Xiao Bei looked at Su Yun's profile lit by the sunlight, and suddenly felt an urge to hold her hand.

But the sound of footsteps behind him brought him back to reality.

"Xiao Bei," the geological expert hurried over, "Preliminary judgment indicates this landslide mass is very unstable. The residents must be evacuated immediately."

Xiao Bei's expression immediately became serious, "Old Zhou, notify all villagers to evacuate immediately. The town will arrange temporary shelters. Reporter Su, this situation needs to be reported immediately to ensure all parties pay attention."

Su Yun nodded and had already begun her on-site report to the camera, "Dear viewers, I am currently in Shiping Village, Bishi Town. A serious landslide hazard has appeared here..."