Invasion of the United States

Three days in, not just the 700,000-plus population of Washington D.C., but all major cities in the United States were in uproar.

The sick couldn't get medical care, the healthy were short of clothing and food, and "zero-dollar purchases" were happening everywhere.

Logically, the officials should be coming up with solutions, but the news broadcast brought even more outrageous messages.

A congressman in a suit blustered on the show, "The government shouldn't enforce a lockdown, it should fully open up!

Citizens shouldn't blame and complain, the government doesn't owe anyone anything. Rescue? That's something only 'Dongda' would do.

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Lockdowns hurt the economy too much, let natural selection determine the fate — the strong survive, the weak are eliminated."

The light from the TV screen shone on Lucy's face, her expression turning from shock to anger, and finally, she angrily turned off the TV.

The worry on Old Hammer's face was etched into the deep wrinkles on his forehead, "These statements are testing public opinion.

After just three days of lockdown, the 'White House' must be feeling the strain. The cost is too high, many must be pressuring the Vice President."

The United States had long ceased to be a manufacturing country, relying on finance and consumption. Once everything stopped, society would collapse in moments.

Sure enough, on the fourth day, the governor of Texas was the first to stand up against continuing the "White House" lockdown order.

"We are resuming logistics and the internet, the economy must restart. Every day of stagnation kills more people than the virus."

Soon, several West Coast states followed suit, their spokesperson declaring, "The economy is the lifeline; lockdowns are slow suicide."

By the fifth day, the East Coast couldn't hold on either.

The Mayor of New York shrugged helplessly at a press conference, "As an international city, the flow of people is the guarantee of wealth, lockdowns are digging our own grave."

The laughable part was that those high-ranking elites feared economic collapse but also feared catching the virus themselves. Thus, the only ones gritting their teeth and holding onto lockdown were Washington D.C. and its surroundings.

By dusk on the fifth day, there was another knock on the door of the Thomas family's villa.

Lucy frowned as she opened the door. The neighbor across the street stood there, urgently asking, "Do you have any food left? Can you sell us some? I'm willing to pay double the price."

His eyes darted past Lucy, trying to peer inside, seemingly searching for a glimmer of hope. If he didn't know that there was still a young man inside filled with hopelessness, he might not have restrained himself from barging in to rob them.

Lucy no longer mocked Zhou Qingfeng's "making a fuss over nothing" days ago — the flour, sugar, and butter he had stockpiled for thousands of US Dollars before the lockdown were now her and her grandfather's trump card for survival.

Faced with the neighbor's request, she shook her head, "Sorry, we're short on food too. The refrigerator is almost empty. Maybe we should go find the soldiers blocking the roads and ask them for food."

The neighbor gave a bitter smile, "I already asked them. The soldiers just said supplies would be delivered soon.

But they didn't come the day before yesterday, not yesterday either.

Today when I went again, they couldn't even be bothered to say anything, just told me to wait. At this rate, I don't even know what my family will eat tonight."

Lucy remained unmoved, but offered some advice, "Perhaps you could wait for those soldiers enforcing the lockdown. When they eat, you can ask for some then."

The neighbor sighed, shook his head, and turned to leave, his back hunched like an old man, trudging away into the night.