Wang Wenhua had already made hundreds of phone calls in his office, but there were still hundreds of emails left unanswered. His office was cluttered with all sorts of documents and files, contrasting sharply with the neat, trimmed potted plants by the window.
"Yes, yes, this is Wang Wenhua. Alright, please make sure the planes are ready. Okay, thank you," Wang Wenhua sighed as he put down the phone.
Finally, the evacuation flights had been arranged. After much negotiation, he had managed to secure two Air China 737s, which were now scheduled to depart tomorrow. But now, it wasn't just a matter of the airline—pilots were reluctant to stay on British soil any longer. In fact, if they had a choice, the pilots preferred to stay in the air and never land.
"Consul Wang," a knock came at the door, and his secretary entered, holding a phone. "There's an elderly couple vacationing at the Diamond Hotel. They're asking us to send a car to pick them up. One of them is disabled and has difficulty moving."
"How many cars do we have left?" Wang Wenhua asked.
"We're out. Johnson just drove the last one to take Mr. Yang and his wife to the airport."
Wang Wenhua closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Diamond Hotel… Tony is closest to that area. Ask him if he can go there after picking up the Dentons."
"Alright, I'll contact him right away," the secretary nodded and left in a hurry.
Wang Wenhua sat back at his computer, his inbox still full of hundreds of unanswered emails. Though many calls and emails had already been handled by his staff, the messages from the public kept coming in. Not only were there emails from local survivors, but also from relatives back in China, anxiously seeking news.
Since the mutation outbreak began, Wang Wenhua hadn't had a good night's sleep. Yesterday, he had organized the evacuation of over 3,000 people, and today, he estimated that there were still another one to two thousand left to evacuate, and that was only for Chinese nationals.
The situation today was even worse than before. In the morning, mutated creatures were chasing after the living in the streets. The previous days hadn't been this severe—there had been riots and chaos, but the streets were still somewhat passable, with police and ambulances rushing by. Now, things had escalated, and mutated creatures were everywhere. The consulate's own staff had begun to show symptoms and had requested leave to return to their dormitories or head back to China.
With fewer staff remaining, and many more trapped in the quarantine zone, the consulate's situation was growing more desperate. Security forces had fired their weapons multiple times today, and the number of mutated creatures was increasing. It wouldn't be long before their numbers exceeded those of the living.
Wang Wenhua knew the longer they stayed, the more dangerous it would become. The simple notion of "going home" had never felt so heavy.
The British government could no longer be relied upon. They were too overwhelmed, focusing on their own citizens, let alone managing the safety of foreign nationals.
He dialed another transport company. The task of getting so many people to the airport was far beyond the consulate's capacity.
"Consul Wang, Consul Wang," as he was discussing logistics with the third transport company he had contacted, the secretary rushed in.
"The British police stationed outside the consulate just left," the secretary reported. "They said the police force in the city is about to collapse and they can no longer stay here."
Wang Wenhua followed the secretary downstairs, and as soon as they stepped outside, they saw the police cars speeding away.
"They're fast," the secretary muttered, watching the cars disappear.
"Close the gate," Wang Wenhua turned to the secretary. "Everyone needs to find whatever weapons they can. No one should be left on the first floor."
"Shouldn't we block the door?" the secretary asked.
"Don't block it," Wang Wenhua replied. "What if someone comes for help? Don't block it, just keep an eye on the situation from the stairwell."
The few other staff members on the first floor heard Wang Wenhua's orders and scattered to find weapons.
"Xiao Li," Wang Wenhua turned to the secretary, "I've arranged two buses for the evacuation this afternoon, they'll bring 120 people to the airport. Take a few senior colleagues and head to the airport with them."
"I'm not leaving," the secretary replied firmly. "If you don't leave, I won't either."
"I need you at the airport to assist with boarding and evacuations," Wang Wenhua said, glancing toward the door. "Given the situation, I don't know if I'll make it back. Someone has to stay behind to keep things under control."
The secretary was about to argue further when Wang Wenhua cut him off.
"Send out a notice. Tell everyone outside the quarantine zone to arrive at the consulate before 5 p.m. Those who live nearby and have transportation should head straight to the airport."
"And what about those in the quarantine zone?" the secretary asked.
"Contact them one by one. I've already coordinated with the embassy. The situation inside the quarantine zone is complicated. We'll hold out for another week to help them get home," Wang Wenhua paused. "The situation is getting worse by the day."
Suddenly, a loud commotion from outside the consulate caught their attention. A crowd of people was rushing toward the consulate, fighting over supplies.
A young staff member rushed to the door, attempting to lock it, but before he could do so, the consulate's main entrance was violently smashed open. A mutated creature charged in and lunged straight for the young man trying to close the door.
Wang Wenhua reacted instinctively, rushing forward and pushing the young man aside. The mutated creature tackled Wang Wenhua, sinking its teeth into his arm.
"Consul Wang!" people nearby quickly gathered and began striking the mutated creature with whatever weapons they had.
Though the creature was beaten, it clung to Wang Wenhua, its jaws locked onto his arm, even tearing a chunk of flesh off.
It was only after a heavy blow to the creature's head that it finally stopped moving. The group quickly moved the mutated creature's body aside and helped Wang Wenhua to his feet.
"I didn't expect this old body of mine to move so quickly," Wang Wenhua muttered as he clutched his bleeding arm, blood dripping through his fingers.