<h4>Chapter 1017: Chapter 1017 Measures</h4>


    Wu Zhi picked up the phone.


    "Who is it?"


    His tone was, of course, unfriendly. Anyone woken up in the middle of the night would be in a bad mood.


    The guard on duty immediately recognized the voice as possibly belonging to Mayor Wu and was startled, as he hadn’t expected Mayor Wu to be on duty today.


    "Mayor Wu, a security director from Ji Vige just arrived here saying there’s been an outbreak of an infectious disease in their vige. It’s very serious, and someone has died."


    If he hadn’t heard the words "infectious disease," he probably wouldn’t have dared to call the duty office so casually.


    Even as a guard, he understood that an infectious disease is vastly different from other issues.


    Wu Zhi was shocked, and instantly became fully awake.


    "Where is the person? Quickly bring them up here, I’m in the duty office."


    As the mayor, he naturally knew that an infectious disease was not like other matters.


    The duty guard hesitated, "Mayor Wu, this security director ising from an area with the infectious disease."


    The implication was clear; the guard feared the person might be carrying the disease.


    Ji Tiande, upon seeing the guard making a call, also feared not being seen due to concerns of contagion. He hurriedly shouted from outside the gate, "The doctor checked me, and I have no illness, so they allowed me toe find the town leaders."


    Wu Zhi replied sternly, "Stop the nonsense, bring him up quickly."


    It wasn’t that he didn’t fear death, but hearing the mention of a doctor implied they had medical assistance in the vige.


    But Wu Zhi was still puzzled; why would there be a doctor in the vige at this hour?


    Suddenly, he thought of Old Lu, who visited viges every month to treat and check on the vigers. Perhaps Old Lu coincidentally arrived during such an incident.


    He sighed, uncertain about what the situation was like now.


    Ji Tiande was brought to the duty office by the guard. He sat somewhat uneasily on a chair in front of the desk, recognizing the person before him as Mayor Wu.


    They had met when funds and grain for poverty alleviation were distributed.


    "Mayor Wu, I’m Ji Tiande from Ji Vige. We’ve met before."


    Seeing a higher-up, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    As he rxed, a wave of exhaustion and dizziness almost caused him to fall off the chair.


    Wu Zhi saw him swaying and quickly steadied him, "Comrade Ji Tiande, are you alright?"


    How could he be alright?


    Wu Zhi quickly called for help. With the mayor on duty, there must be others nearby. Hearing the mayor’s call, his secretary promptly appeared. Having heard the phone in the duty office earlier, but unaware of the situation, Li Xiang had been waiting, already dressed, sitting on a chair.


    Upon hearing the mayor’s call, he wasn’t caught off guard.


    "Quickly, get a ss of water."


    Seeing Mayor Wu holding the disheveled viger, Secretary Li Xiang hurried to fetch a warm ss of water.


    Ji Tiande gulped it down in one go, finally feeling revived.


    He tightly grabbed the mayor’s hand.


    "Mayor Wu, you must save our vige people quickly!"


    Wu Zhi was relieved. It seemed the man was fine, likely exhausted and thirsty from the hurried journey, which exined his condition.


    "Comrade Ji Tiande, exin the situation clearly. Only then can we figure out a solution."


    An infectious disease hadn’t urred in their area for decades. Mayor Wu feared misinformation. After all, rumors were more terrifying than tigers.


    Ji Tiande exined the vige’s situation in detail. He mentioned that doctors from the city, equipped with medical gear, came to the vige. During the examination, they discovered the disease was infectious and detailed the measures taken in the vige.


    Mayor Wu arranged for his secretary to let Ji Tiande rest.


    Since city doctors with equipment confirmed it, it probably wasn’t a rumor.


    He checked the time; it was only 5 a.m.


    Wu Zhi, like an ant on a hot pan, paced around the office. If it really was an infectious disease, it had to be reported to the county and city leaders. The resources of their town’s hospital were utterly insufficient. Even though doctors from the city were there, it was only two people.


    Caring for many patients required more than one or two people.


    Thankfully, Ji Vige’s vige chief and director were so clear-minded, isting patients and locking down the vige even before the town or county made a decision.


    But he also heard Ji Tiande say that to prevent a panic, the vige hadn’t told outsiders it was an infectious disease.


    People are unaware and clueless; the situation can’t be dyed. A minute’s dy could mean vigers leaving.


    If an infected viger came into contact with outsiders, it wouldn’t be just one vige’s problem. It might affect several viges.


    He picked up the phone and immediately dialed the county mayor’s home number.


    Mayor Zhang had not yet woken up, so it was his wife who answered. A call at this hour was usually extremely urgent.


    Mayor Zhang’s wife wasted no time and immediately woke him up.


    Hearing the news, Mayor Zhang promptly instructed Mayor Wu to contact guards from the town immediately. If such a situation urred, the vige had to be locked down.


    Since it was confirmed as an infectious disease, the source had to be eliminated within the vige to prevent further spread.


    As he instructed Mayor Wu, he immediately had his driver mobilize for an emergency meeting.


    He organized a medical team from the county and staff from the epidemic prevention station, who set off toward the vige with the infectious disease, carrying equipment.


    The meeting concluded in almost twenty minutes.


    All attendees were stunned, as it was the first time anyone had heard news like this. Such infectious disease or epidemic situations hadn’t urred in their area for years.


    Whether it was an infectious disease or an epidemic was unclear, but everyone knew that if the situation severely erupted, dozens, even hundreds of surrounding viges could face a dire situation overnight.


    The county hospital had organized and deployed its capable doctors, nurses, and epidemic prevention staff, forming a 20-person team tobat and prevent the disease, immediately driving towards Ji Vige.


    However, by the time they arrived, it was already evening. Not only did they have to stop when they reached the big river, but it also took time for all the equipment and personnel to cross.


    Fortunately, the armed police officers who arrived earlier modified the original wooden bridge; otherwise, crossing it might not have been possible before dark.


    When they reached the vige, the perimeter was already secured with masked armed police officers setting up checkpoints, strictly forbidding entry or exit.