32: Chapter 32 Base Restoration

While going all out to expand the scale of his army, Wang Jie did not forget that the repair work on the base still needed to move forward.

Following the previous soul-stirring and horrific battle, the base had suffered extremely severe damage and trauma. The originally impregnable walls had actually collapsed in several places, with two sections even splitting apart completely. Those two once-imposing Machine Gun Bunkers with their formidable firepower had been utterly destroyed by the enemy beyond recognition! Furthermore, even vital military facilities like the Barracks and the War Factory had inevitably suffered various degrees of structural damage.

Facing such a difficult situation, those hardworking, brave, and highly skilled Engineers worked day and night, forgetting food and sleep as they buried themselves in their tasks. After a full week of non-stop hard work, they finally succeeded in meticulously repairing and perfectly restoring all the damaged buildings.

At this moment, Wang Jie stood steadily atop the wall, which was now as good as new, gazing out at the unknown and dangerous world beyond.

Since that horrific zombie tide had gradually receded, the number of zombies in the surrounding area had plummeted by more than half. Especially in the areas meticulously cleared by the professionally trained Radiation Engineers, it could be said that almost no living zombies could be found. Only a few lonely, helpless stragglers would occasionally wander by, but they would quickly become prey in the eyes of the Patrol Teams and be swiftly eliminated without mercy.

It was worth mentioning that as time passed, the number of survivors in the base also showed a positive trend of steady growth.

Once news of the Safe Zone spread, a steady stream of survivors arrived from all directions. Some had narrowly escaped from destroyed camps, some were rescued from hiding spots by Patrol Teams, and others had braved many dangers to seek it out themselves.

In just one week, the base gained more than thirty new people.

Lin Waner and Chen Xue were so busy their feet barely touched the ground, performing physical check-ups, assigning residences, and arranging labor for the newcomers every day. Yet, smiles never left their faces—every additional person meant another glimmer of hope in the apocalypse.

Wang Jie looked at these new arrivals—white-haired elders, frail children, and young men and women. Their faces were etched with fear and exhaustion, yet a faint but steady light burned in their eyes.

It was the desire to survive, the light of hope.

At that moment, Wang Jie suddenly felt that all his fighting and perseverance had gained a truly profound meaning.

It wasn't about grand ideals or goals; it was simply to let these ordinary people live.

To let children run freely in the sunshine, to let the elderly enjoy peace in their later years, and to let ordinary people live ordinary, stable lives.

That was enough.

At nightfall, Lin Waner found Wang Jie.

"Have you been too tired lately?" she asked softly, her eyes filled with worry. "I see you staying up late every night."

Wang Jie shook his head. "I'm not tired. I've long since gotten used to it."

Lin Waner gazed at him quietly. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly, "Wang Jie, do you know? I often wonder where I would be right now if I hadn't met you."

Wang Jie didn't say anything, just listened quietly.

"Perhaps I would have died in a zombie's mouth long ago, or become a walking corpse, or maybe been taken by a villain like Jingang, living a life worse than death." She paused, her voice gentle yet firm. "But after meeting you, I survived, and I'm living well. Everyone in the base is living well."

She looked up at Wang Jie, her eyes sparkling like starlight. "So, don't push yourself so hard anymore. You need to take care of yourself too. You are the hope for all of us."

A surge of warm emotion welled up in Wang Jie's heart. He slowly reached out and tightly grasped her hand.

"Alright," he replied softly. "I promise you."

The two stood side by side, the moonlight spilling down gently, stretching and overlapping their shadows. In the silent base, there were no zombies, no gunpowder smoke, and no death—only two hearts, clinging closely to each other in the night.