46: Chapter 46 Fire and Blood

Commander Lin Dong crouched behind the shattered glass door of the gas station convenience store, his tactical flashlight casting a circle of cold white light onto the spread-out map.

The map had been ripped from the wall of the gas station office; it was a map of the eastern suburbs of Beiling City, its laminated surface stained with dried, brown blood.

He tapped his knuckles against the map, where three red dots marked the locations of the zombie hordes currently under reconnaissance.

"West side, around the abandoned bus, estimated one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty." The speaker was Conscript No. 3, the scout sent out half an hour ago.

His voice lacked any inflection, like he was reading from a training manual, "East side, auto repair shop ruins, approximately sixty, with a seventy-three percent probability of two Mutants among them."

Commander Lin Dong looked up at him: "How did you calculate that probability?"

"Report, Commander. There is a large dog kennel sign inside the auto repair shop, which housed stray dogs before the apocalypse. The success rate for canine mutation is five point three times that of humans." Conscript No. 3 stood at attention and replied, "Since no canine zombies were found, it is highly probable they have evolved into Mutants."

Commander Lin Dong nodded, neither praising nor questioning him. He turned his gaze to Conscript No. 2—this member of the squad was implicitly considered the deputy squad leader back at the Barracks, with a three-centimeter scar on his left cheek, a "Veteran Trait" bestowed by the system.

"What about the gas station itself?"

"Report." Conscript No. 2 pointed to the main building of the gas station on the map, "The fuel tank area is underground, with two thirty-cubic-meter gasoline tanks and one fifty-cubic-meter diesel tank. There are four fuel pumps on the surface, and an oil storage room behind the convenience store containing about two hundred liters of drummed gasoline. The building structure is brick-concrete, with load-bearing walls two hundred forty millimeters thick, theoretically capable of withstanding an F-Class Zombie assault for over thirty minutes."

"Theoretically?"

"The fuel tanker." Conscript No. 2's finger moved to the red fuel tanker parked at the gas station entrance, "The vehicle is fully loaded, with about twenty tons of gasoline. If detonated, the explosive yield would be equivalent to..."

"Equivalent to thirty heavy aerial bombs." Commander Lin Dong took over, "There won't be any living things within a radius of one hundred fifty meters."

Silence.

Outside the convenience store, the May night wind blew through the abandoned street, kicking up a few old newspapers. In the distance came the distinct, intermittent roars of zombies, like a worn-out bellows gasping for air.

Li Na leaned against the back of the checkout counter, her face pale. A thick bandage was wrapped around her left shoulder; it was from a first-aid kit scavenged from the Barracks medical room, and the gauze had been soaked through with blood and then solidified, turning a dark brown. The blood loss left her lips white, but her eyes were still bright.

"Company Commander Lin." She spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse, "Must we fight this battle?"

Commander Lin Dong did not answer immediately.

He, of course, knew what Li Na meant. The base had already been built; although it was only the most basic outpost, the power plant was running, the Barracks stood in the center of the underground garage, and defensive machine gun turrets covered the main entrance. They could completely bypass this gas station and go further away to search for fuel—though it would cost twice the time and risk.

But Commander Lin Dong had seen the data.

Just twenty minutes ago, he had habitually opened the 【Resource Prediction】 function on the system panel. A line of text popped up on the screen: 【Current gasoline reserves: 0.7 tons. Estimated consumption: base vehicle patrols require 0.3 tons per day, generator unit backup requires 0.1 tons per day, estimated remaining usable time: 32 hours.】

Thirty-two hours.

If they didn't go find fuel, the base would grind to a halt by the early hours of the day after tomorrow. Although the power plant used nuclear fusion batteries, those could only maintain the basic operation of the base; to drive vehicles, to expand, and to produce more units, they had to rely on fossil fuels.

And the nearest fuel supply point was right here.

"This battle must be fought." Commander Lin Dong's tone was calm, as if he were stating a weather forecast, "But not now."

He stood up, walked to the glass door, and used binoculars to observe the zombie horde by the bus in the distance. Those monsters that were once human were moving slowly under the moonlight; some dragged broken legs, some had half their heads missing, and some had large holes ripped in their abdomens, their entrails dragging on the ground like a disgusting tail.

The panel displayed:

【Zombie · F-Class × 147】

【HP Range: 80-120】

【Average Movement Speed: 3.2 m/s】

【Auditory Sensitivity: High-frequency sound trigger probability 97%】

【Visual Sensitivity: Reacts only to moving objects】

Commander Lin Dong lowered the binoculars, his brain working at high speed.

147 zombies, distributed over an area of about two thousand square meters. If they engaged in direct combat, the five Conscripts plus himself could theoretically wipe them all out, but it would require consuming at least four hundred rounds of ammunition, and it was highly likely to trigger a chain reaction—gunshots would attract all the zombies in the vicinity, including the unknown number of enemies at the auto repair shop.

No.

Must fight with brains.

"No. 2." He turned around, "Can that bus still be driven?"

"Report, Commander. The vehicle damage assessment is complete."

Conscript No. 2 pulled a small notebook from his waist—Commander Lin Dong noticed that every Conscript had such a notebook, with a red hammer and sickle emblem printed on the cover, and various data recorded densely inside—and flipped to a certain page:

"Target bus, model Yutong ZK6125HG, diesel-powered. Front bumper damaged, left front tire blown out, cab glass shattered, but no obvious damage to the engine compartment. Preliminary judgment: the battery has power, fuel level is approximately thirty percent, theoretically can be started."

"Theoretically?"

"There is a zombie in the driver's seat." Conscript No. 2 said expressionlessly, "The seatbelt binds it to the seat, unable to break free. Currently, the zombie is in a dormant state, but the vibration and engine sound when starting the vehicle will activate it."

The corners of Commander Lin Dong's mouth curled up slightly.

A zombie? Perfect.

"Pull up its data."

"Yes. F-Class, HP95, trapped status, threat level: None."

Commander Lin Dong turned to the other four Conscripts: "Did you all hear that? Our plan is as follows—"

He crouched down and used his finger to draw a route on the map:

"No. 3, you are responsible for the first part. Start from here, go along the east alley to get behind the bus, and approach stealthily. Once we are ready, you use this—"

Commander Lin Dong took a small black box out of his backpack, palm-sized, with a red button on top.

"What is this?" Li Na asked curiously.

"A remote detonator." Commander Lin Dong explained, "Found in the Barracks armory, used with explosives. But we won't install explosives; we will utilize the bus's own fuel tank."

He continued:

"After No. 3 enters the bus, do not disturb the zombie in the driver's seat yet. What you need to do is: First, confirm the vehicle can start; Second, jam the accelerator pedal with something; Third, put it in gear, the lowest gear; Fourth, activate the remote detonator and place it on the accelerator."

Conscript No. 3 nodded expressionlessly, as if the task he accepted wasn't to tamper with a bus full of zombies, but to go to the cafeteria for a meal.

"And then?" Li Na asked.

"Then withdraw." Commander Lin Dong said, "The remote detonator's receiving distance is five hundred meters; we will control it from the gas station. Pressing the button is equivalent to stepping on the accelerator; the bus will start, crash through the obstacles in front, and follow this road—"

His finger traced a straight line on the map.

"—and charge straight into the auto repair shop."

Li Na was stunned, then gasped.

"There are Mutants in the auto repair shop!"

"Correct." Commander Lin Dong nodded, his eyes frighteningly calm, "So our second phase plan is: use the bus's impact and engine noise to activate all the zombies inside the auto repair shop. The Mutants will be startled, but their primary target will not be the bus—because there is a trapped, living zombie driver inside."

He paused:

"Mutants are smarter than ordinary zombies; they will prioritize attacking living things. So when the horde swarms the bus, we will do the third thing."

His finger pointed to the gas station's fuel tanker.

"No. 5, you are responsible for the fuel tanker. After confirming the fuel tanker is fully loaded, drive it onto the path that must be taken to the auto repair shop entrance. The position must be precise—twenty-five meters from the auto repair shop gate, and one hundred eighty meters from the gas station."

"Yes."

"There is an abandoned van behind the fuel tanker. No. 4, you install explosives at the bottom of the van. Remote detonation."

Li Na finally understood.

"The bus draws the horde, the fuel tanker blocks the retreat, and the van explosion triggers a chain reaction—"

"No." Commander Lin Dong shook his head, "The explosives in the van cannot detonate the fuel tanker. That is military-grade explosive; although powerful, the tanker's tank has a protective layer, requiring a higher level of detonation method."

He pointed to a certain point on the map:

"See this here? The power distribution room next to the auto repair shop."

Everyone looked over.

"There is a high-power transformer in the power distribution room. If we detonate the van after the fuel tanker is in position, the explosion itself won't damage the fuel tanker, but it will cut the wires in the power distribution room. The power distribution room has a backup diesel generator that will automatically start thirty seconds after the power is cut—"

Li Na's pupils contracted.

"The generator starting will produce electric sparks."

"Correct." Commander Lin Dong said, "And the gasoline vapor leaking from the fuel tanker will diffuse into the air. The moment the generator starts—"

He did not finish.

Everyone understood the consequences.

That would be a truly devastating explosion.

"Commander, I have a question."

Conscript No. 2 raised his hand. This was a special setting of the Red Alert Corps: they absolutely obeyed orders, but could raise questions at the tactical level.

"Speak."

"The fuel tanker leaking gasoline vapor requires time. How can we ensure the gasoline vapor has already diffused to the power distribution room before the generator starts?"

Commander Lin Dong took a small device out of his backpack—a metal canister connected to a thin tube and a small electric pump.

"This is a fire department demolition tool, used with hydraulic shears. But another function of it is to spray high-pressure water." Commander Lin Dong explained, "I modified it; now it can spray gasoline."

He looked at Conscript No. 5:

"After you position the fuel tanker, use this device to extract gasoline from the bottom valve of the fuel tanker and spray it towards the power distribution room. The spraying time is set for twenty-five seconds—exactly the time window from the power cut to the generator starting."

No. 5 took the device and checked it carefully: "Requires a power source."

"Use this." Commander Lin Dong handed over a square battery, "Twelve volts, enough to drive the electric pump for one minute."

"Understood."

"Commander." Conscript No. 3 also raised his hand, "After the bus starts, the zombie in the driver's seat will be activated. Will it interfere with the vehicle's driving route?"

"It will." Commander Lin Dong admitted, "But its interference is controllable. Trapped in the seat, all it can do is struggle and roar, unable to control the steering wheel. The bus will move in a straight line according to the initial direction until it hits an obstacle."

"What if it hits something early?"

"Calculated based on road conditions and bus speed." Commander Lin Dong pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, which had the data he had recorded when he was scratching on the ground with a branch earlier, "After the bus starts, it takes about eight seconds to accelerate to maximum speed, with a top speed of about forty kilometers per hour. The distance from the starting point to the auto repair shop gate is about three hundred meters, with a theoretical travel time of twenty-seven seconds. Potential obstacles encountered during this time—three abandoned vehicles, but all have space to bypass. The only uncertainty is—"

He paused.

"What is it?"

"The bus's left front tire is blown out, which will cause the direction to veer slightly to the right. No. 3, when you place the remote detonator, you need to turn the steering wheel half a turn to the right. This way, after starting, the vehicle will automatically correct its route."

A gleam flashed in Conscript No. 3's eyes. It was not emotion, but a kind of "recognition" at an algorithmic level—the Commander before him had considered every detail.

"Commander, have you calculated the success rate?"

Commander Lin Dong was silent for two seconds.

"Sixty-three percent."

Li Na was stunned.

"So low?"

"If all links are executed according to plan, the success rate is eighty-three percent. But there are uncontrollable factors." Commander Lin Dong listed them one by one, "First, the number and level of Mutants inside the auto repair shop are unknown; if they are strength-type Mutants, they might destroy the bus prematurely. Second, whether the fuel tanker's valve can be opened normally is unknown; if it is rusted shut, the gasoline spraying will fail. Third, whether the power distribution room's generator is normal is unknown; if it cannot start, the detonation will fail. Fourth—"

He looked at the zombie horde looming in the darkness in the distance:

"Any unexpected gunshots will attract the bus zombie horde. If that situation occurs, we will be attacked from both front and rear."

Li Na's face turned even paler.

"Then... why do we have to take this risk? Can't we wait until dawn, pick another time?"

Commander Lin Dong looked at her, a hint of imperceptible softness in his gaze.

"Li Na, you have lost fifteen hundred milliliters of blood; if you don't get medical supplies before dawn tomorrow, you will die."

Li Na froze.

"The military first aid kit only has hemostatic bandages; it lacks blood transfusion equipment, plasma, and antibiotics. Your wound has already started to inflame. The panel shows your body temperature is 38.7 degrees, heart rate is 110, and blood pressure is low." Commander Lin Dong's voice remained calm, but every word felt like a nail. "We must return to the base before dawn. If we don't have gasoline, the vehicle cannot start. Carrying you back on foot would take three and a half hours—your body won't hold out."

Li Na opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found she couldn't speak.

Tears suddenly welled up.

Not because of fear, nor because of being moved. It was because, seventy-two hours after the apocalypse broke out, in a world where everyone only cared about saving their own lives, there was one person who, in the calmest and most rational way, told her: You will not be abandoned.

"Execute the mission." Commander Lin Dong stood up.

Five Conscripts stood at attention simultaneously.

"Yes!"

The operation began at 2:20 AM.

Conscript No. 3 disappeared into the darkness like a cat. His camouflage uniform allowed him to blend perfectly into the night, and he moved with almost no sound.

Commander Lin Dong led the remaining men to the predetermined position—the second-floor office of the gas station, with windows facing the repair shop.

Twenty minutes later, the voice of No. 3 came through the walkie-talkie:

"Commander, I have arrived. Confirming the status of the bus: battery voltage is 12.4 volts, fuel remaining is 32%, and it is ready to start. The zombie in the driver's seat is in a dormant state. I am installing the remote ignition device now."

"Received. Stay safe."

"Understood."

What followed was a long wait.

Three minutes. Five minutes. Eight minutes. Commander Lin Dong stared at his watch as the second hand ticked forward, one notch at a time. Every second felt like a century.

Suddenly, a faint sound came through the walkie-talkie—it was the breathing of No. 3, which quickened for a moment before returning to calm.

"Report. The zombie in the driver's seat has activated and is struggling. I have completed the installation and am evacuating."

"Did it attack you?"

"No. The seatbelt has it firmly fixed to the seat; it can only hiss at me. I have evacuated through the back door and expect to return to the rendezvous point in three minutes."

Commander Lin Dong breathed a sigh of relief.

"No. 2, prepare for detonation."

"Yes."

Another three minutes passed. No. 3 climbed up to the second floor, panting, covered in motor oil and dust, but completely unharmed.

"Report, mission accomplished."

Commander Lin Dong nodded and raised the remote control in his hand.

It was a modified walkie-talkie with its button replaced by a red switch. He took a deep breath and pressed the switch.

A muffled engine roar came from the distance.

The bus's headlights suddenly turned on, piercing the darkness. Immediately after, the engine speed soared into the red zone, the exhaust pipe spat out a plume of black smoke, and the massive vehicle body lunged forward—

It smashed through a small car blocking the way, like an angry iron bull, and charged straight out along the street!

In the driver's seat, the trapped zombie twisted its body frantically, its hissing audible even from two hundred meters away. Its hands clawed wildly at the steering wheel, but the wheel had been secured with wire by No. 3 and did not budge.

The bus charged forward at a speed of over thirty kilometers per hour.

The zombies in the repair shop were startled by the engine noise.

Looking through the binoculars, Commander Lin Dong saw the dilapidated gate of the repair shop being smashed open from the inside, and dozens of zombies stumbled out. And behind them, two figures that were faster and larger—

Mutants!

The panel data popped up instantly:

[Mutant · Lv.5 Speed Type × 1] [HP 450] [Move Speed 8.7 m/s] [Threat Level: High]

[Mutant · Lv.4 Strength Type × 1] [HP 680] [Move Speed 4.2 m/s] [Special Ability: Heavy Strike] [Threat Level: High]

There really were two!

Commander Lin Dong's heart skipped a beat, but his brain continued to operate calmly.

"No. 5, prepare the tanker truck."

"Yes."

Conscript No. 5 had already been waiting in the cab of the tanker truck. Seeing the signal, he started the vehicle. The diesel engine let out a low roar, and the massive tanker truck slowly drove out of the gas station, heading toward the designated position.

Meanwhile, the bus had already charged to the entrance of the repair shop.

A loud bang!

The bus crashed into a pile of abandoned vehicles in front of the repair shop. The front bumper was completely deformed, the hood popped up, and white steam vented from the radiator. But the engine was still running, its rear wheels spinning wildly and emitting blue smoke.

The zombie in the driver's seat was dazed from the impact but not dead. Its hissing became even more shrill, attracting the surrounding zombies to swarm toward it.

The two Mutants charged at the very front.

The Speed Type Mutant was like a blur, pouncing on the side of the bus almost instantly, its sharp claws creating a piercing metallic screech against the vehicle body. The Strength Type Mutant grabbed an abandoned motorcycle and hurled it at the bus like a pebble—with a loud boom, all the side windows shattered!

"No. 5 in position!" The report came through the walkie-talkie.

Commander Lin Dong turned to look; the massive tanker truck had stopped at the designated position—twenty-five meters directly in front of the repair shop entrance, perfectly blocking the retreat of the zombie horde.

"No. 4, prepare to detonate the van."

"Yes."

But at this very moment, an accident occurred.

From deep within the repair shop, a deeper, more terrifying roar suddenly erupted.

The sound was not like that of an ordinary zombie, nor a Mutant. It sounded like something more ancient and massive, coming from deep underground, shaking the very air.

Commander Lin Dong's panel flickered wildly:

[Warning! Unknown lifeform detected!] [Level: ???] [HP: ???] [Threat Level: Extremely Dangerous!]

His pupils constricted sharply.

There was a third one in the repair shop!

And at this moment, the tanker truck was in position, the van was rigged with explosives, and all plans were running on their established tracks—

There was no turning back.

"No. 4, detonate!" Commander Lin Dong gritted his teeth and gave the order.

"Boom!"

The van turned into a fireball, the shockwave swept across the street, and all the glass shattered simultaneously!

The lights in the repair shop went out instantly, and the power distribution room plunged into darkness.

At the same time, No. 5 activated the gasoline spraying device. White gasoline vapor gushed out from the bottom of the tanker truck, forming a visible wall of mist in the air, spreading toward the power distribution room.

Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Twenty-five seconds—

The roar of the generator starting up came from the power distribution room.

Immediately after came that indescribable moment.

The moment the gasoline vapor made contact with the electric spark, time seemed to freeze for a tenth of a second.

Then—

The world turned into fire.

The explosion was not a single sound, but a series of them.

First was the explosion in the power distribution room, the shockwave flipping several cars nearby. Immediately after, the flames traveled back instantly along the path of the gasoline vapor, igniting the gasoline leaking from the bottom of the tanker truck—

The tanker truck did not explode immediately. The tank began to deform under the high heat, the safety valve emitted a shrill screech, and it spewed out even more violent flames.

Commander Lin Dong roared: "Get down! Everyone get down!"

Everyone simultaneously threw themselves onto the second-floor floor.

Three seconds later, the true apocalypse arrived.

The moment the twenty tons of gasoline were detonated, all the windows on the second floor of the gas station bowed inward simultaneously and then shattered. The shockwave was like an invisible wall, overturning all the tables and chairs in the room. Commander Lin Dong felt his eardrums being pressed painfully, and the entire world was left with only a buzzing ringing sound.

He lifted his head from the floor and looked out through the windows that no longer had glass—

Where there used to be a repair shop, streets, and abandoned vehicles, it had now turned into a sea of fire.

The flames reached tens of meters high, illuminating half the sky. The repair shop building collapsed rapidly under the high heat, its steel frame twisting and deforming like a melting candle. The bus was no longer visible, leaving only a burning skeleton. The two Mutants—without even a chance to scream—were swallowed by the sea of fire.

And in the center of the sea of fire, there was a larger figure.

Commander Lin Dong narrowed his eyes, trying to see clearly what it was.

It was a huge zombie. No, it could no longer be called a zombie; it was a monster.

It stood over three meters tall, its entire body covered in a grayish-black horny layer, as if wearing a suit of armor. Its head was almost integrated with its shoulders; it had no eyes, only a huge mouth filled with three rows of inward-curving sharp teeth.

Flames were burning on its body, but it seemed to feel no pain. It moved slowly through the sea of fire, leaving charred footprints on the ground with every step.

The panel finally refreshed:

[Mutant · Lv.12 Carapace Type] [HP 3200/4700] [Status: Severely Injured · Burning] [Threat Level: Extremely High] [Note: This unit has sustained heavy damage in the explosion; it is recommended to finish it off immediately]

Commander Lin Dong's heart pounded violently.

Severely injured! Burning! This was the best opportunity!

"All personnel!" He roared, his voice exceptionally clear in the silence after the explosion, "Aim at the target, fire at will! Do not save ammunition!"

Five Conscripts stood up simultaneously, raised their rifles, and poured firepower into the monster in the sea of fire.

The 5.56mm bullets hit the carapace, sparking, but could not penetrate. However, Commander Lin Dong noticed that when the bullets hit the connection between the monster's head and neck, its body would tremble slightly—that was the weak point!

"Aim for the neck connection! Continuous fire!"

The gunfire was as dense as popping beans.

The monster roared in the sea of fire, trying to move toward the gas station. But its left leg had been severely injured in the explosion, and it wobbled with every step. The flames burned on its body, and the charred flesh emitted a foul odor.

Commander Lin Dong raised his own rifle, his scope aimed at that weak point.

He took a deep breath, calculating the ballistic drop, wind speed, and the target's movement speed—

He pulled the trigger.

A short burst, three bullets.

The first one hit the carapace and ricocheted off. The second grazed the neck, leaving a bloody streak. The third—

Hit the target dead on.

The monster's body jolted violently, its massive head reared upward, emitting an earth-shattering roar. The sound contained too many emotions—pain, anger, and something Commander Lin Dong could not understand.

Then, it fell.

Like a mountain collapsing, it crashed into the sea of fire, sending sparks flying into the sky.

[Killed Mutant · Lv.12 Carapace Type] [Obtained Experience: 1200 points] [Obtained crystal core: Lv.12 Defense Type × 1] [Level-gap kill reward: Additional skill point obtained × 1]

Commander Lin Dong had no time to check the system prompts.

He stared at the sea of fire, stared at the fallen figure, stared at the flames gradually swallowing it.

Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds.

It did not stand up again.

"Hoo—" Commander Lin Dong let out a long breath, only then realizing his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

He turned around and looked at Li Na.

Li Na was leaning against the corner, her face pale as paper, but her eyes were still open; she was still alive.

"Mission accomplished." Commander Lin Dong said, his voice hoarse, "Retreat."

The five Conscripts quickly packed their gear, preparing to evacuate.

But just at this moment, Conscript No. 2 suddenly pointed into the distance:

"Commander, we have a situation."

Commander Lin Dong looked in the direction his finger was pointing—

In the distance, in the darkness of the city, a point of light was moving.

That was not a flame; it was the light of a flashlight.

Someone was coming. And not just one person.

Commander Lin Dong raised his binoculars and adjusted the focus—

He saw a group of people. About a dozen or so, wearing various clothes, holding weapons in their hands. They were moving rapidly toward the gas station, clearly attracted by the explosion.

And at the very back of the crowd, there was a thin man wearing glasses.

Even across a distance of two hundred meters, even with only the faint light of a flashlight, Commander Lin Dong recognized that face.

That was the prisoner who escaped from the underground garage yesterday.

The man who, before escaping, had turned back to look at the base vehicle.

Commander Lin Dong's gaze turned cold.

"Speed up." He said, "We have guests."

Five minutes later, Commander Lin Dong led his team and disappeared into the darkness behind the gas station.

And that group of people rushed into the still-burning gas station, rummaging around for something.

The man with glasses stood in front of the broken glass door, staring at the direction of the second-floor office.

He saw the bullet casings on the floor.

He saw the bloodstains by the window.

He saw—on the ground, there was a discarded military walkie-talkie.

He picked it up and pressed the talk button.

A rustling static sound came from the walkie-talkie.

He smiled.

"Found you."

In the darkness in the distance, another walkie-talkie at Commander Lin Dong's waist suddenly emitted a piercing static noise.

He stopped walking and looked back.

The fire at the gas station lit up half the sky, like a burning lighthouse.

And under the reflection of the flames, the figures of that group of people were, in their direction—

Step by step, closing in.

[End of Chapter]