36: Chapter 36 First Cry

The air in the underground garage was thick with the smell of blood, gunpowder, and the acrid stench of scorched metal.

Commander Lin Dong crouched beside the base vehicle, his fingers brushing against the massive side of the hull. A faint vibration hummed through the metal surface, like some gargantuan beast breathing in its sleep. On his retina, the system panel was flickering:

[base vehicle Deployment Progress: 76%]

[Estimated Remaining Time: 47 minutes]

[Warning: External interference risk detected. Recommendation: Clear all hostile targets within a 50-meter radius.]

"Forty-seven minutes left." He stood up, his gaze scanning the environment of the underground garage.

This was Level B2 of the military camp's underground garage, covering an area of about two thousand square meters, packed with dozens of military vehicles. The load-bearing pillars were spaced eight meters apart with a ceiling height of four point two meters. Visibility was limited and firing lines were narrow—a textbook environment for close-quarters combat.

The garage entrance was in the northwest corner, a two-way, two-lane ramp about thirty meters long with a 15-degree incline. There had originally been a boom gate at the entrance, but it had been smashed through; the faint roars of zombies could be heard from outside.

In the northeast corner was a fire door leading to a stairwell, which went up to B1 and the ground level. That group of prisoners had infiltrated from there just moments ago.

"Platoon Leader." A low voice sounded from behind him.

Commander Lin Dong turned around; it was the five soldiers who had just walked out of the Barracks.

They wore deep green fatigue uniforms, bulletproof plates strapped to their chests, Kevlar helmets on their heads, and ak-47 assault rifles in their hands. Each man had a small red flag on his left arm, with two lines of text underneath—

[Red Alert Corps · 1st Combined Battalion · 1st Infantry Squad]

[Serial Numbers: RA-0101 to RA-0105]

Panel data surfaced before Commander Lin Dong's eyes:

[Unit: Conscript (Standard Infantry of the Red Alert Corps)]

[Level: Lv.3]

[HP: 300/300]

[Strength: 8 | Agility: 9 | Spirit: 7 | Constitution: 10]

[Equipment: ak-47 assault rifle (7.62mm) ×1, 150 rounds of spare ammunition; Type 67 wooden-handle grenades ×4; Type 95 multi-purpose bayonet; Bulletproof plates (can withstand 3 rounds of 7.62mm rifle fire)]

[Skills: Squad Tactics (Passive, +5% to all attributes during coordinated combat); Resolute Will (+20% mental resistance)]

[Note: Absolute obedience to orders, but retains basic tactical judgment capabilities.]

The five men stood in a row without a single wasted movement; even their breathing frequencies were nearly identical.

Commander Lin Dong suddenly remembered the recruit company he had led years ago—it took three months of training to barely reach this level of discipline. Yet these five men were like this the moment they stepped out of the Barracks.

"Report your designations," he said.

"Red Alert Corps, First Infantry Squad!" The lead soldier took a step forward. "Squad Leader Zhang Jianguo, former deputy squad leader of a reconnaissance unit in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Discharged five years ago, was working at a nearby construction site when the apocalypse broke out. Retained all memories and skills upon system conscription."

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted slightly.

Retained memories?

He looked at Zhang Jianguo—early thirties, square-jawed, with steady eyes and calluses on the webbing of his left hand from long-term firearm use. There was a fresh scrape on his right cheek, likely left from the apocalypse before he was conscripted.

"You remember what happened after the apocalypse broke out?"

"I do," Zhang Jianguo nodded. "Meteorites fell, many people turned into zombies. I hid in a sewer manhole and held out for over ten hours. Then I felt a summons, and my body moved toward this place uncontrollably. I lost consciousness when I reached the Barracks entrance, and when I woke up, I was like this."

Commander Lin Dong was silent for two seconds.

This was more complex than he had anticipated. The Red Alert Corps weren't simple "digital creations"; they had their own memories, personalities, and even post-apocalyptic experiences. This meant—

They weren't just soldiers; they were people.

"What about the others?" he asked.

"Reporting!" The second soldier stepped forward. "Company Commander Zhao Gang, 22 years old. Before the apocalypse, I was a senior at the Sports Institute and a member of the school shooting team. My shooting skills were enhanced by the system after enlistment. Before being conscripted, I was hiding on the roof of a school dormitory, watching the ground below turn into a sea of corpses."

"Wang Lei, 26 years old. Before the apocalypse, I was a construction worker, capable of operating excavators, cranes, and other heavy machinery. Before being conscripted, I was trapped on a construction crane for two days without food or water."

"Liu Dong, 29 years old. Before the apocalypse, I was a delivery man, familiar with all the streets in Beiling City. Before being conscripted, I fled through three districts on an electric bike, watching my girlfriend get bitten with my own eyes..."

He paused briefly at this point, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Li Yang, 24 years old. Before the apocalypse, I was an internet cafe manager, a vocational college graduate in computer science. Before being conscripted, I hid in the internet cafe basement, surviving on snacks and mineral water until now."

Five men, five different identities, five post-apocalyptic nightmares.

But now they stood here, wearing uniform military gear, holding uniform weapons, with the same thing in their eyes—

A complex light that was a mixture of relief, hatred, and absolute obedience to orders.

Commander Lin Dong didn't say any words of comfort. In the apocalypse, comfort was the cheapest luxury.

He only needed to do one thing—lead them to survive, and then fight back.

"Zhang Jianguo," he called out.

"Present!"

"The prisoners' attack was just repelled, but they won't go far. This underground garage has only one entrance; they only need to block the ramp, and we'll be like turtles in a jar." Commander Lin Dong crouched down and drew a diagram on the ground with his finger. "The base vehicle needs forty-seven minutes to fully deploy, and there will be construction time after that. We need to hold this place for at least two hours."

He looked up at the five men. "Two hours, using the terrain to fight a defensive battle. Any problems?"

"None!" the five men shouted in unison.

"Good." Commander Lin Dong stood up. "Zhang Jianguo, take Company Commander Zhao Gang and Wang Lei to the ramp and use the vehicles to construct a defensive line. Liu Dong, Li Yang, come with me to check the northeast fire door; we must seal it shut. Li Na—"

He looked at the pale Communications Soldier leaning against the humvee.

Li Na's shoulder had been hit by a stray bullet. The bleeding had stopped, but the excessive blood loss had turned her lips white. Commander Lin Dong had just had one of the Conscripts give her a transfusion—coincidentally, the athlete named Company Commander Zhao Gang happened to be Type AB.

"You stay here and guard the radio. If there's any signal, notify me immediately."

Li Na gritted her teeth and tried to stand up, her body swaying, but Commander Lin Dong pressed her shoulder down.

"Obey the order," he said.

Li Na looked at him and finally nodded.

The light at the ramp entrance was very dim; outside was a gray, overcast sky.

Zhang Jianguo lay in the gap between two military off-road vehicles, his muzzle pointed toward the top of the ramp. To his left was Company Commander Zhao Gang and to his right was Wang Lei. The three of them were in an inverted triangle formation, each with their own cover while being able to form crossfire.

"Squad Leader," Company Commander Zhao Gang lowered his voice, "how many are out there?"

Zhang Jianguo didn't speak, only narrowing his eyes slightly.

He also had a panel on his retina—a standard feature for the Red Alert Corps. But unlike Commander Lin Dong's comprehensive data, they could only see basic battlefield information:

[Current Area Threat Assessment: High]

[Detected Hostile Units: 47 (F-Class Zombie) + Unknown number of human armed personnel]

[Recommendation: Utilize cover, conserve ammunition, precision shooting.]

47 zombies.

Zhang Jianguo calculated silently. The previous chaotic battle, with its gunfire and explosions, had certainly attracted the surrounding hordes. 47 F-Class units would be easy for three men to handle in an open area. But this was a ramp with limited visibility, and they had to watch out for when those prisoners might double back.

"Leizi," he called out softly.

"Yeah."

"How's it on your end?"

Wang Lei was prone behind the front of a military truck. The steel plates of the truck's engine compartment could stop bullets, but not a zombie's claws. His muzzle was aimed at the other side of the ramp, forming a ninety-degree angle with Zhang Jianguo.

"Good visibility, clear firing line," Wang Lei said. "It's just that this truck is a bit in the way. If we need to shift positions, I'll have to crawl over."

"No need to shift," Zhang Jianguo said. "Our mission is to hold, not to attack. If they don't come down, we don't move."

Just as he finished speaking, a rustling sound came from the top of the ramp.

The three muzzles adjusted slightly at the same time.

A figure in a tattered suit appeared in their vision. It had once been a middle-aged man; now half his face was gone, revealing white bone, with one eyeball dangling outside the socket, swaying with every step.

F-Class Zombie. HP 50.

It seemed to catch the scent of the living. Its head turned, and its hollow eye socket pointed down the ramp.

Then, it began to walk down.

"Let it get close before firing," Zhang Jianguo's voice was very soft. "Fifty meters, headshot."

The zombie's movement wasn't fast, but it certainly wasn't slow either. It only needed ten seconds for the thirty-meter ramp.

Twenty-five meters... twenty meters... fifteen meters...

Zhang Jianguo's finger rested on the trigger, his breathing as steady as if he were at a shooting range.

Twelve meters. He could even see the maggots writhing on the zombie's face.

"Fire."

BANG—

Three gunshots rang out almost simultaneously. Three 7.62mm rounds flew toward the target in a triangular pattern; two hit the head, and one pierced the neck. The zombie's body slumped like a sack with its bones removed, twitching twice before going still.

[Killed F-Class Zombie. Obtained Energy Points +1, crystal core ×1 (Automatically collected)]

Zhang Jianguo didn't look at the panel, his muzzle continuing to point at the top of the ramp.

After that gunshot, the outside went silent for two seconds.

Then, came an overwhelming roar.

"Damn it," Company Commander Zhao Gang cursed, "they're all coming."

At the top of the ramp, dense figures began to appear. F-Class Zombies—ten, twenty, thirty—Zhang Jianguo counted rapidly while constantly micro-adjusting his aim.

"Leizi, the batch on the left is yours. Company Commander Zhao Gang, the right. I'll take the middle."

"Copy that."

"Understood."

The gunfire began to intensify.

The sound of AK-47 semi-automatic fire echoed in the ramp, each shot accompanied by a falling zombie. But the zombies behind them kept charging forward, stepping over their comrades' corpses; some that were shot in the torso and fell were still crawling, dragging half their bodies forward.

Zhang Jianguo finished a magazine and ducked back behind cover to reload quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a problem on Wang Lei's side—a zombie had rushed too close, reaching the front of the truck. Wang Lei's muzzle was blocked by the engine compartment; he couldn't get a shot.

"Leizi, three o'clock!"

Wang Lei didn't say a word; he stood up directly from behind cover and kicked the zombie in the chest. The zombie was knocked backward, and before it could react, Wang Lei's muzzle was already pressed against its head—

BANG.

Plasma splattered everywhere.

Wang Lei crouched back down and continued firing, his face devoid of expression.

Thirty-seven seconds. Seventeen zombies, all down.

The ramp was covered in corpses, blood flowing down the incline and merging into a dark red stream.

Zhang Jianguo did a quick tally: 87 rounds consumed, 24 zombies killed (including the first one). He had gone through two magazines and had one left. Company Commander Zhao Gang had half a magazine left, and Wang Lei had one and a half.

"Rotate positions," he ordered. "Company Commander Zhao Gang, go to Leizi's side and take his spare magazine. Leizi, come behind me to get ammo."

The two moved quickly. This was a standard alternating cover tactic—one person stays on alert behind cover while another moves quickly, then the mover alerts from the new position while the third person moves.

Ten seconds later, the three had finished rotating and reformed their field of fire.

The top of the ramp went quiet again.

But Zhang Jianguo knew this was only a temporary lull. The prisoners hadn't appeared; something was wrong.

What were they waiting for?

In the northeast corner of the underground garage, Commander Lin Dong was checking the fire door with Liu Dong and Li Yang.

This was a standard steel fire door, about five centimeters thick with rust on the surface. Faint light leaked through the door cracks, along with a rotting stench.

Commander Lin Dong pressed his ear to the door and listened for five seconds.

There were zombie roars outside, not far away but few in number. There were also human footsteps—very light, very cautious, not the irregular shuffling of zombies but a deliberate, quiet movement.

The prisoners indeed hadn't left.

He stepped back two paces and looked at the door frame. The fire door opened inward, with the hinges on the right. The other side of the door should be the stairwell, leading up to B1 and possibly down to B3 (if there was one), with fire partitions in between.

"Liu Dong, keep watch at the door. Li Yang, come with me to find something to seal the door shut."

The two searched nearby. Various items were piled in the corners of the garage—discarded tires, several buckets of motor oil, a bundle of steel cable, and two woven bags filled with construction waste.

Commander Lin Dong weighed a woven bag; it was about forty or fifty pounds. Not enough, far from enough.

"Platoon Leader," Li Yang suddenly lowered his voice, "there's a forklift over here."

Commander Lin Dong walked over to look; it was an electric forklift with a two-ton capacity. The battery indicator showed 70% charge remaining. The key was in the ignition, covered in a layer of dust.

"Can you drive it?"

"I can," Li Yang said. "The internet cafe owner had a small warehouse and had one of these things. I helped him move goods before."

"Drive it over and jam it against the door."

Li Yang jumped onto the forklift and turned the key. The dashboard lit up, showing 67% battery. He pushed the control lever, and the forklift made a faint electric hum as it slowly moved forward.

Commander Lin Dong looked at the forklift's forks—two steel prongs about one point two meters long, reaching about three meters at max height. They were indeed enough to jam the door, but the shape of the forks wasn't ideal; they could easily slip.

"Wait a minute," he stopped Li Yang. "Lower the forks to the bottom first, then raise them to just above the door handle and use the back of the fork carriage to press against the door. That way, there's more surface contact and it won't slip as easily."

Li Yang nodded and adjusted the fork height. The steel carriage pressed against the center of the fire door. With the forklift's own weight plus the battery, it was about a ton and a half. Unless they used a truck to ram it from the outside, this door was temporarily secure.

Commander Lin Dong had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly heard a faint sound of metal scraping.

It was coming from behind the fire door.

He immediately raised his hand, signaling the two to be quiet.

The three held their breath, staring at the door.

The metal scraping sounded again. This time it was clearer—it was the sound of a key being inserted into the lock, trying to unlock it.

The prisoners were trying to open this door.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Commander Lin Dong glanced at the forklift, then at the door lock.

It was an old-fashioned mechanical lock that could be locked from the inside.

He walked quickly to the door, gently gripped the knob on the inside, and turned it clockwise.

"Click."

The latch popped out and slid into the hole in the door frame.

It could no longer be opened from the outside with a key, unless the door was forced open.

The sound of the key turning outside the door stopped.

It was quiet for three seconds.

Then, "Bang—"

A dull impact shook the door panel, causing dust to shower down.

They were ramming the door.

Commander Lin Dong stepped back, thinking quickly: the fire door opened inward, so it was actually hard to ram open from the outside, because the more it was rammed, the tighter the door panel pressed against the frame.

But if they had tools like a crowbar and worked from the gap, things might be different.

"Li Yang, shut off the forklift and take the key. Liu Dong, go find a steel cable and tie the door handle to the forklift."

The two acted immediately.

Commander Lin Dong walked to the door himself and carefully inspected the door frame and hinges.

The hinges were old-fashioned, consisting of three sets, each fixed to the door frame and door panel with two screws.

If the people outside had an electric drill and removed the hinge screws, the whole door could be taken down.

But it had only been three days since the apocalypse; could ordinary prisoners have an electric drill?

The probability wasn't high, but he couldn't gamble.

"Platoon Leader." Liu Dong returned with the steel cable. "It's tied."

Commander Lin Dong took a look; it was tied professionally—not a simple knot, but wrapped three times, with each knot pressing against the door handle, a technique that tightened as it was pulled.

"Good." He nodded. "Now, back up five meters and set up the guns. If anyone breaks through, open fire immediately."

The three retreated behind a military truck, using the vehicle body and wheels as cover.

Liu Dong aimed his gun at the fire door, while Li Yang was responsible for guarding the flank.

Commander Lin Dong glanced at the base vehicle progress on the panel:

【base vehicle deployment progress: 92%】

【Estimated remaining time: 19 minutes】

Hold on for another nineteen minutes.

Then—

"Bang!"

The fire door shook violently, and fine cracks appeared on the wall around the door frame.

The second time. The third time.

Each hit was heavier than the last.

Commander Lin Dong narrowed his eyes, his finger resting on the trigger.

The tenth minute.

The fire door had been rammed open, leaving a three-centimeter gap; the door frame was deformed, and the wall was cracked.

Through the gap, one could see the swaying lights outside—high-intensity flashlights, at least three.

"Platoon Leader." Liu Dong's voice was very low. "I see at least seven or eight people outside, and they have guns."

Commander Lin Dong didn't speak.

His gaze was locked on the gap, waiting for that moment—the moment the first person stuck their head in.

"Bang—"

Another hit.

The gap widened to five centimeters.

A hand suddenly reached in through the gap, fumbling for the door handle.

Commander Lin Dong's gun muzzle dipped slightly, aiming at that hand.

But the hand fumbled twice, then suddenly retracted.

Then, a dark object was pushed through the gap and landed on the floor.

Commander Lin Dong's pupils shrank.

A grenade.

"Take cover!"

The three of them shrank behind the truck's engine compartment simultaneously.

"Boom—"

The shockwave of the explosion burst in the enclosed garage, and the blast carried fragments flying everywhere.

Commander Lin Dong felt a buzz in his ears, a brief moment of deafness.

When he raised his head, he saw that the fire door had completely deformed, the door frame had fallen off, and the whole door had fallen inward, crashing onto the forklift.

Outside the door, figures began to rush in.

The first, the second, the third—

Commander Lin Dong's gun fired.

The roar of the ak-47 assault rifle exploded in the basement.

Blood bloomed on the chest of the person rushing in front, and their body fell backward.

But the people behind immediately scattered, using the load-bearing columns as cover, and began to return fire.

Bullets whistled over Commander Lin Dong's head, sparks flying as they hit the truck.

"Provide covering fire, retreat!" Commander Lin Dong ordered. "Retreat towards the base vehicle!"

The three fought while retreating.

By the time Liu Dong emptied a magazine, Commander Lin Dong had already retreated behind the next load-bearing column, while Li Yang used the forklift as the final cover to suppress the flank.

But the enemy's firepower was fierce—at least four automatic rifles, plus pistols and shotguns.

Bullets rained down, pinning them down so they couldn't lift their heads.

"Platoon Leader!" Zhang Jianguo's voice suddenly came through the communication headset. "There's a situation on the ramp! The prisoners are starting to rush down, about twenty of them!"

Attacked from both sides.

Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath, his mind racing.

Zhang Jianguo and the others were on the ramp side and could hold on for now.

But there were at least seven or eight gunmen on this side, and he only had two people (Li Yang's marksmanship was poor, so he could only count as half a firepower point).

If they were caught in a pincer attack, they would surely die.

They had to finish this quickly.

He glanced at the panel—

【base vehicle deployment progress: 98%】

【Estimated remaining time: 3 minutes】

Three minutes.

As long as they held on for three more minutes, the base vehicle could build a defense tower after deployment.

Even if it was just the most basic machine gun tower, it could turn the tide of the battle.

But the problem was, how to hold on for these three minutes?

He quickly looked around, his eyes suddenly stopping at the corner—there were a dozen oil drums piled up there, discovered during the previous search, and he hadn't had time to deal with them yet.

Each oil drum had three large characters on it: Gasoline.

"Li Yang!" He lowered his voice. "Do you see those oil drums?"

Li Yang looked in the direction of his gaze, his expression changing. "Platoon Leader, are you thinking..."

"Your marksmanship isn't good, so no need to engage in a shootout." Commander Lin Dong said. "I will provide you with cover; you crawl behind that pile of oil drums. Wait for my order, then push the oil drums towards the enemy."

"Push them over? But..."

"Gasoline drums aren't that easy to explode unless hit by bullets. When you push them, pay attention to cover, and try to get the oil drums to roll near them."

Li Yang swallowed and nodded.

Commander Lin Dong looked at Liu Dong. "You fight with me and suppress their firepower. Pay attention to saving ammunition; stop after every three shots, and change positions."

"Understood."

The two opened fire simultaneously.

The point fire from the ak-47 assault rifle forced the enemy to shrink back into cover, and Li Yang took the opportunity to crawl quickly through the gaps between the vehicles, hunched over.

Thirty seconds later, he successfully reached behind the pile of oil drums.

The enemy seemed to have noticed something, and someone started shooting in that direction.

Bullets hit the oil drums, making a "clang-clang" metal impact sound, but there was no explosion.

【base vehicle deployment progress: 99%】

【Estimated remaining time: 1 minute 30 seconds】

Commander Lin Dong changed a magazine and continued shooting.

His marksmanship was extremely accurate; every shot hit the edge of the enemy's cover, forcing them to stay hidden.

Liu Dong's cooperation was also very good, and the two formed a crossfire, temporarily suppressing the opponent.

But the good times didn't last long.

"Bang—"

A dull gunshot rang out; Liu Dong groaned and his body leaned back.

Blood bloomed on his left shoulder, and he fell to the ground.

Sniper.

Commander Lin Dong caught a glimpse of the source of the fire—the upper level of the stairwell, at the corner of B1, a black shadow was setting up a gun.

Damn it.

He gritted his teeth and ignored Liu Dong, continuing to shoot.

Getting distracted now was suicide.

"Platoon Leader!" Li Yang's voice came through. "The oil drums are ready!"

"Push!"

Li Yang took a deep breath and pushed the outermost oil drum with all his might.

The oil drum rolled, hitting the oil drum next to it, and after a series of collisions, seven or eight oil drums began to roll towards the enemy.

The enemy panicked.

Someone stood up to run and was shot down by Commander Lin Dong.

Someone fired wildly at the oil drums; bullets penetrated the iron skin, and gasoline began to leak.

But there was no explosion.

Commander Lin Dong frowned.

Gasoline needs an open flame to ignite, and simple bullet penetration won't cause an explosion—

Wait.

He reached for his waist, where there was still a grenade.

"Li Yang, get down!"

He pulled the pin, delayed for two seconds, and threw it hard at the pile of oil drums.

The grenade drew an arc in the air and landed accurately in the leaking gasoline.

"Boom—"

The fire of the explosion soared into the sky, and the air blast carried burning gasoline splashing everywhere.

The enemy's hiding place instantly turned into a sea of fire, and screams rose one after another.

Commander Lin Dong stood up and took advantage of the enemy's chaos to make a quick advance.

He fired the last magazine, took down two burning enemies, and then hid behind the last load-bearing column to reload.

The flames illuminated the entire underground garage, and the thick smoke was choking.

Just then—

【Ding!】

【base vehicle deployment complete!】

【Red Alert Outpost Base is ready】

【Unlocked buildings: power plant, Barracks, Ore Refinery, defensive weapon tower】

【Current energy points: 347 | Ore: 0】

【Please Commander give construction orders】

Commander Lin Dong did not hesitate and operated quickly on the panel:

【Build defensive machine gun tower — Location: inside the ramp entrance — Confirm】

【Building... Estimated time: 5 minutes】

Five minutes.

He looked at the ramp direction again.

The gunfire there was very dense, and Zhang Jianguo and the others were still holding on.

Hold on for another five minutes.

Just then, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a figure—under the cover of flames and thick smoke, someone was quietly moving towards the base vehicle.

It was that thin man with glasses.

He crawled out of the sea of fire, half of his clothes scorched, his face covered with smoke and dust, but his eyes were fixed on the silver-gray giant truck.

Commander Lin Dong raised his gun and aimed.

But that person was faster—he rolled and hid behind the hummer vehicle, then stood up abruptly, holding something in his hand—

Molotov cocktail.

"Damn it!"

Commander Lin Dong didn't have time to aim and fired directly.

Bullets hit the hummer vehicle, sparks flying, but the man had already lit the Molotov cocktail and threw it hard at the base vehicle.

The Molotov cocktail drew an arc in the air.

Commander Lin Dong's heartbeat almost stopped at this moment.

Then—

"Bang!"

A gunshot, and the Molotov cocktail exploded in mid-air, flames splashing, but it was at least five meters away from the base vehicle.

Commander Lin Dong turned his head abruptly and saw Li Na leaning against the other side of the hummer vehicle, the pistol in her hand still smoking.

Her face was pale as paper, the bandage on her shoulder was bleeding again, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.

The man with glasses froze for a moment, then turned and ran, disappearing into the smoke.

Commander Lin Dong didn't chase.

He walked quickly to Li Na's side and supported her swaying body. "Are you fucking tired of living?"

Li Na twitched the corner of her mouth, wanting to say something, but her body went limp and she fainted.

Commander Lin Dong laid her flat and checked the wound—fortunately, it was just the wound splitting open, not life-threatening.

He stood up and looked at the surrounding battlefield: burning oil drums, scattered corpses, the injured Liu Dong, three soldiers still holding on at the ramp direction, and—

That silver-gray, beast-like base vehicle, flashing with steel light under the reflection of the flames.

【Defensive machine gun tower construction complete】

【Red Alert Outpost Base, officially put into operation】

Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath, smelling only gunpowder smoke, blood, and a burnt stench.

But in this pungent smell, he heard a new sound—

The machine gun tower began to roar.

In the ramp direction, screams sounded.

Then, there was dead silence.

Five minutes later.

The battlefield was cleaned up.

Liu Dong's shoulder injury was treated urgently; the bullet had grazed the scapula without damaging major blood vessels, but he wouldn't be able to fight for at least a month.

Zhang Jianguo and the three were intact, but their ammunition was almost exhausted.

Li Yang was choked by smoke and coughed for a long time, but was otherwise fine.

Li Na had excessive blood loss, but her vital signs were stable.

On the prisoner's side, eleven corpses were left at the scene, and at least five people were injured and fled, including the thin man with glasses.

Commander Lin Dong stood in front of the fire door, looking at the dark stairwell outside.

Zhang Jianguo walked to his side. "Platoon Leader, do you want to chase them?"

Commander Lin Dong shook his head. "No need to chase. They know we are here, they will come again."

He turned and looked at the base vehicle—now it should be called "Red Alert Outpost Base".

The huge truck had disappeared, replaced by a semi-permanent base covering five hundred square meters.

Gray metal walls, three meters high, with electric fencing on top.

Inside the wall were the prototype buildings of the power plant and Barracks, and a rotating machine gun tower.

"Zhang Jianguo." He said.

"Here."

"You take two people, go outside and drive that forklift in. We need to transform it into a mobile cover."

"Yes."

Zhang Jianguo left with his men.

Commander Lin Dong walked to Li Na's side, squatted down, and looked at this unconscious Communications Soldier.

On her panel, the 【???】 talent column was flickering with faint blue light at this moment.

Commander Lin Dong reached out and clicked on that column.

【Detecting...】

【Talent: Psychic (Unawakened)】

【Ability: Can perceive zombie thoughts at short range, predict danger within a certain range】

【Awakening condition: Mental attribute ≥ 15, and have experienced a near-death experience】

【Current Mental attribute: 9+6 (temporary boost, from blood transfusion)】

【Awakening probability: 47%... 62%... 81%...】

The numbers were jumping.

Commander Lin Dong frowned.

Blood transfusion causes a temporary boost in mental attributes? What kind of mechanism is this?

Just then, Li Na's eyelids moved.

She opened her eyes, looked at Commander Lin Dong, her lips slightly parted. "Platoon Leader..."

"Don't talk, you have excessive blood loss."

"No..." Her eyes suddenly became unfocused, then suddenly became extremely clear. "I... I saw..."

"Saw what?"

Li Na's pupils contracted violently, staring at something behind Commander Lin Dong, as if seeing something extremely terrifying.

"It... is watching us..."

Commander Lin Dong turned his head abruptly.

Outside the fire door, in the darkness of the stairwell, there was nothing.

But just then, his panel suddenly popped up a new prompt—

【Warning! High-energy reaction detected!】

【Distance: about 1.7 kilometers】

【Direction: East by South 15°】

【Threat rating: A-level (suspected intelligent leader)】

【Suggestion: Immediately strengthen defenses, prepare to deal with large-scale zombie tides】

Commander Lin Dong's fingers tightened slightly.

East by South 15°.

That was the location of the iron ore found by the ore detector.

It was also the direction from which the military signal flare rose.

【End of Chapter】