"The request to evacuate the entire town is too difficult," Zi frowned upon hearing Fang Senyan's words. "The problem isn't the evacuation itself, but that we have absolutely no authority. How can we convince them to leave?"

"Furthermore, it's currently 4:40 AM. If you ask them to evacuate, you at least need a destination."

"Beyond that, when organizing the departure, we must account for all sorts of contingencies involving the weak, the elderly, the sick, and the infirm. If we act rashly in this environment, it could easily turn into a disaster."

Fang Senyan smiled. "The retreat organization will be handled by me, Old Charlie, and Black Bro."

"Zi, you managed such a massive company with tens of thousands of employees; who else is better suited to organize the evacuation? Stick with us for now; the mayor is a crucial figure for this task."

"The evacuation site was already designated by Kurutgo. As for Reef, he will handle the mobile response, organizing manpower and preparing the medical team for emergencies. OK, let's move!"

Zi shot him a look but said nothing further.

The first thing Fang Senyan needed to do was find the mayor. This fatherly, portly man was still by his son's bedside in the infirmary, making him relatively easy to locate.

Upon meeting the mayor, Fang Senyan didn't expend much effort to pull him aside before saying, "Mr. Mayor, based on reliable intelligence I possess, this beautiful little town of Fox is about to be inundated by a debris flow. We have, at most, forty minutes."

The mayor looked stunned. "Is such a thing possible? But I haven't received any notification from my superiors! Forgive me, my friend, but nights with this level of rain occur hundreds of times a year in Fox, and this town has stood for over three hundred and ten years..."

The stout man clearly didn't believe him. Fang Senyan couldn't very well tell him the apocalypse was coming and that his superiors were worried about anything other than their own survival. Nor could he drag Mr. Kurutgo over to explain the specialties of mountain cyclopes... Therefore, Fang Senyan adopted the simplest, most direct method of persuasion: force.

Black Bro pressed the muzzle of his gun against the mayor's temple and said coldly, "Sir, I apologize for the offense. The lives of thousands in this town are at stake; you must believe what we are saying."

Mayor Stilla was obviously not a man of great courage. His entire body began to tremble violently, sweat pouring down like rain. "Gentlemen, I can still offer fifty or sixty thousand dollars in cash, along with jewelry and other valuables. Please, do not harm me and my family!"

Fang Senyan tipped his chin toward Zi and said lightly, "He's yours. I have more important matters to attend to."

Zi nodded. "OK, go ahead."

After Fang Senyan and Morgansa walked about ten meters away, Fang Senyan mused thoughtfully, "This mayor doesn't seem to carry much weight. He might not be able to mobilize everyone to leave. Charlie, what's your suggestion?"

Old Charlie followed closely beside him, saying with impeccable demeanor, "Master, it’s quite simple. I've just examined the town's architectural structure. It's not scattered but divided into five interconnected blocks. If there are residents unwilling to leave, we simply force them out."

Fang Senyan looked at him with interest. "How do we force them?"

Old Charlie replied, his tone both gentle and chilling, "By setting fires."

"In this weather—cold, torrential rain—the houses are already soaked through. It would take at least an hour for the fire to spread and collapse a building. Thus, the flames and smoke will only serve to threaten and incite panic. The debris flow should arrive before anyone is burned alive. Therefore, dousing the premises with accelerant and igniting it to drive out those unwilling to leave is an excellent choice."

"Do as you say," Fang Senyan decided instantly. "Morgansa, starting fires in this climate won't be easy. Let's find some gasoline. We need to finish this in fifteen minutes."

As Fang Senyan entered the town's only gas station, a piercing alarm was already blaring across the town. The mayor's stammering voice, amplified many times over the broadcast system, began to ring out: "An Orange Alert Level One has just been issued from Mortgen City: A debris flow is imminent, a debris flow is imminent!! Attention, this is not a joke, nor is it a drill! All residents must wake up immediately and proceed as quickly as possible to the road near the hospital entrance, where we will establish an emergency escape route! We repeat, this is not a drill; the debris flow could arrive at any moment!"

"Zi's efficiency is truly commendable," Fang Senyan murmured to himself. He then roared at the stunned gas station attendant, "What are you waiting for! I'm here to inform you of this! If you don't want to be buried under forty feet of mud and rock, get out now! Also, prepare a fuel tanker and drive it immediately to the hospital entrance—in this wretched weather, if we don't have material for fires, everyone will freeze to death!"

The gas station employees panicked but appeared quite cooperative, raising no objections to Fang Senyan and his group. Fang Senyan and his team drove off in a high-displacement Ford F-150; its 280-liter tank, when full, would be enough for their arson efforts, not to mention the extra fuel drum Fang Senyan had loaded onto the truck.

Under the mayor's repeatedly strained shouts, the town descended into chaos, resembling a boiling pot. At this point, Zi began to demonstrate her exceptional organizational talent. Banners recruiting volunteers were swiftly hung, and volunteers, wearing the hospital's spare white coats, positioned themselves in groups of three at congested intersections to assist or direct the evacuees.

Old Charlie took charge of driving, parking a vehicle every hundred meters, using their bright headlights as road markers to indicate the path to safety. Fortunately, the safe zone Kurutgo had found was less than two kilometers from the town.

By now, Zi couldn't spare any attention to monitor the mayor. However, she crisply told him, "The debris flow will happen in half an hour at most. I am utterly swamped right now and have no time to watch you. You can have the sheriff monitor my every move as someone completely unconnected to Maxx Town. Do I look like I'm here because I have nothing better to do than mess with you?"

"Or, Mr. Stilla, you can retract everything you said right now and tell the townsfolk to return to their homes. But in half an hour, you will be tormented by the ensuing tragedy for the rest of your life, until the very moment you draw your last breath—your remaining years will be spent in repentance and agony!"

The mayor, too, sensed the indescribable oppression emanating from the surrounding mountains. His face turned pale. He silently nodded, choosing to cooperate. He had never been a man of strong resolve, and the psychological pressure exerted by Zi's words was immense; thus, he could only opt for temporary compliance.

Reef had also selected several people from the pool of volunteers to form a temporary patrol team. Their first task was to set up a temporary camp, erecting as many rainproof tents as possible.

Relative to Zi's operation, which was falling into place, Fang Senyan and Black Bro began pouring gasoline onto the houses. They attempted to soak one entire section at a time, then waited silently. The timing for ignition could not be too early, nor too late.

If they ignited it too soon, it risked inciting panic among those already willing to evacuate. These people were already on edge; adding the threat of fire could easily cause them to collapse from sheer terror.

When the countdown reached fifteen minutes remaining, the trickle of escapees began to thin out. Black Bro took a deep drag from his cigar and flicked it toward a nearby gasoline can. Instantly, a fierce blaze surged, spreading rapidly along the trail of spilled fuel, quickly engulfing large areas. Correspondingly, doors to several houses suddenly burst open, revealing people fleeing in utter disarray while shouting curses!

Seeing this result, Fang Senyan and Black Bro exchanged a glance and immediately headed toward the next section to set fire. The sudden flames also stunned some people, a few of whom tried to turn back to fight the fire.

Fortunately, at that moment, an indescribable, colossal sound boomed from the depths of the mountains—a sound like a giant beast swallowing something, or perhaps ten thousand brittle bones snapping simultaneously. It was long and terrifying, and even the ground vibrated clearly, the trees crying out in panicked distress!

Hearing such a horrifying sound, the fleeing residents were instantly overcome with terror. Many began to weep loudly, including some of the volunteers, and some even collapsed onto the ground, paralyzed by fear.

Those who had claimed they would return to fight the fire immediately fell silent, many even dropping their buckets and turning to run toward the assembly point! Many with weaker psychological fortitude screamed in terror as they fled, as if shouting was the only way to vent their inner dread.

A few elderly couples, burdened by heavy suitcases as if preparing for a vacation, were torn between abandoning their possessions and being too paralyzed by fear to move their limbs. They could only collapse to the ground and wail in despair... The scene immediately devolved into greater disorder.

Zi paused briefly, knowing that the people before her were ordinary folk. Precious as time was, they needed a moment to process.

But just then, a girl, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, stepped forward. Her damp, linen-colored hair clung to her forehead, giving her a distinctive air. She bravely stood up and shouted to the fleeing crowd, "You cowards! They need help! These aren't strangers; they are your neighbors, friends, and family!"

The girl repeated these words again and again until her voice grew hoarse, and she began to actively help those who had collapsed, persuading them to abandon their packs and find the courage to walk. In that moment, the girl’s frail body and pale skin vividly radiated her bravery!

Inspired by her example, more and more people turned back to help. A smile touched Zi’s lips as she watched. This girl had done what she intended to do, and she had done it even better than Zi could have. Unable to help herself, she grabbed the mayor and asked, "Who is she?"

The mayor, now completely convinced by Zi’s warnings and frantically preparing for the evacuation, looked up and gasped, "Isabella? Marie Swann. She moved to our town from out of town. I never realized how brave she truly was."

Hearing the name, Zi's expression instantly changed: "Isabella Marie Swann... Fox Town!!! Could this be... Heavens! If Water Sailor and AK are setting fires, they might run into unforeseen, major trouble!" (To be continued...)