48: Chapter 48 Blood and Fire

At 4:17 AM, inside the convenience store of the eastern suburb gas station, the pale light of an emergency lamp shone on an unfolded map of the gas station.

Commander Lin Dong's fingertip rested on the map; the chill seeping from the paper kept him absolutely clear-headed.

"Within a 300-meter radius of the target area, there are approximately 237 F-Class Zombies."

His voice was as calm as if he were delivering a pre-battle briefing, "The margin of error is no more than five percent."

Li Na sat nearby, the bandage on her shoulder still seeping with faint traces of blood.

She stared at her panel—ever since the blood transfusion, she found that she could see more detailed data.

For instance, right now, she could even sense the reserves in the oil tanks buried beneath the gas station: 8.7 tons of gasoline and 12 tons of diesel.

"Team Leader Lin, do you mean..."

She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "We are going to take the initiative?"

Commander Lin Dong did not answer directly, instead continuing to mark the map, "The east side of the gas station is open ground, the west side is an abandoned auto repair shop, the north is a village-in-city, and the south is the road we came from."

"The zombie horde is mainly concentrated in the north and east—that used to be a morning market, where the most people were when the meteorites fell."

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the five people present: Li Na, a former Communications Soldier with an abnormal panel; two college students, a man and a woman, who survived by hiding in the supermarket's freezer and whose legs were still shaking; and a middle-aged man in his forties, the owner of the auto repair shop, who knew this area better than anyone else.

And, in the corner of the convenience store, stood five silent figures.

Conscripts.

This was the first time Commander Lin Dong had formally displayed them in front of survivors.

The five men wore washed-out training uniforms, standing as straight as javelins.

Their faces bore no expression, and their eyes were as hollow as... no, not hollow, but absolutely obedient.

The auto repair shop owner, Old Zheng, couldn't help but glance again, lowering his voice to ask Li Na, "Girl, where did those guys come from? Why do they not look like living people to me?"

Li Na didn't make a sound.

She was also looking at her own panel—

【Conscript (Directly under Commander Lin Dong)】

Level: Lv.3

HP: 300/300

Equipment: AK-47 assault rifle / 4 magazines / bulletproof vest / 2 grenades

Loyalty: 100%

Note: Basic unit of the Red Alert Corps, absolute obedience to orders, emotional modules restricted

Red Alert Corps.

This was the term Commander Lin Dong had told her.

She didn't know what this meant, but she knew that just now, when asked about his blood type, the Conscript with a bleeding rose tattooed on his arm had, without hesitation, used a dagger to slice his own wrist and dripped blood into a test tube to hand to her.

No frowning, no hesitation, not even a pain reflex.

"Old Zheng," Commander Lin Dong's voice interrupted her thoughts, "You said the tanker trucks can be driven?"

Old Zheng nodded, "Yes. There are three parked in my repair shop; they belong to a nearby logistics company. The day the meteorites fell, the drivers all ran away, but the keys are still in the trucks. The batteries are dead, but they can start with a jump."

"Good."

Commander Lin Dong drew a line on the map, "This is your mission. Leave at 4:30, and before 5:00, drive the tanker truck to a position 100 meters east of the gas station."

Old Zheng's face turned pale instantly, "Th-that's suicide, isn't it? That whole area is full of zombies!"

"I'm not asking you to drive into them."

Commander Lin Dong's finger moved to another point on the map, "Here, the east wall of the repair shop. You drive along the base of the wall, with the front of the truck facing north. After you park, open the tanker's valve, then run back through the rear door of the repair shop."

Old Zheng paused, suddenly realizing something, "You want to..."

"Use it as bait."

Commander Lin Dong's gaze turned to the five Conscripts, "And then, the slaughter."

At 4:32 AM, the rear door of the repair shop was quietly pushed open a crack.

Old Zheng's figure disappeared into the night.

Commander Lin Dong crouched by the door, the military wristwatch on his left wrist emitting a faint glow.

The second hand ticked along.

Li Na's voice sounded in his ear, "Team Leader Lin, Old Zheng's panel... his fear value is rising; it's at 72 percent now."

Commander Lin Dong did not turn back, "Normal. If he can persevere, he is a hero."

"What if he can't persevere?"

"Then he will die."

Commander Lin Dong's tone was without the slightest fluctuation, "Data does not lie. From the rear door to the tanker truck, the straight-line distance is 40 meters. Opening the door, getting in, and starting it takes 30 seconds. The auditory radius of a zombie is 50 meters; as long as Old Zheng doesn't make a loud noise, he will be fine. The real danger is the 15 seconds after parking when he gets out and runs back—by then, the tanker will have started leaking oil, and the scent will attract the zombies."

He paused, "But that is a matter of probability. His panel agility is 7, and the zombie's movement speed is 3.2 meters per second. As long as he runs fast enough, the probability of survival is 83 percent."

Li Na fell silent.

For the first time, she realized that in this man's eyes, human life could be calculated.

4:47 AM.

A dull roar of an engine came from the distance—that was Old Zheng successfully starting the tanker truck.

Immediately after, the distinct chugging sound of a diesel engine moved from near to far, heading toward the east side of the gas station.

Commander Lin Dong's wristwatch emitted a slight vibration.

He pressed the timer button, "Phase one complete. Everyone, prepare."

The two college students huddled in the innermost corner of the repair shop, the boy gripping the girl's trembling hand tightly.

On their panels, the fear values were both over 90 percent.

Commander Lin Dong glanced at them, "Your mission is the simplest. Stay here, don't make a sound. If you hear gunfire getting closer, run out the back door toward the military camp. Don't look back when you run; sprint in a straight line."

"Th-then what about you?"

The girl gathered her courage to ask.

Commander Lin Dong had already turned and left.

4:53 AM.

The engine sound of the tanker truck stopped.

Immediately after, the sound of metal clashing came—that was Old Zheng using a wrench to unscrew the valve at the bottom of the tanker.

Li Na's breathing quickened, "Team Leader Lin, I sense the zombies moving. The horde in the east is beginning to gather toward the tanker truck, speed... 3 meters per second, consistent with F-Class standards."

"Number?"

"120... no, 137. Still increasing."

Commander Lin Dong nodded, his hand resting on the holster at his waist.

This was not his main weapon—the real killing blow was those five Conscripts who had already disappeared into the night.

4:57 AM.

A pungent smell of gasoline drifted from the direction of the tanker truck.

Immediately after, new data popped up on Li Na's panel—

【Warning: Increased concentration of flammable and explosive gas detected, explosion risk within a 50-meter radius: High】

Her heart skipped a beat, "Team Leader Lin, the gasoline is evaporating too fast; if it were now..."

"Not now."

Commander Lin Dong interrupted her, "The zombies haven't gathered enough yet. 137, plus those arriving later, the estimated total is around 200. The lethal radius of the tanker explosion is 30 meters; within the effective lethal range, it can cover at most 150."

He raised his wrist to check his watch, "30 seconds to go."

Li Na's eyes widened, "You even calculated the explosion time?"

"Not calculated."

Commander Lin Dong's mouth twitched—the closest expression to a smile she had ever seen, "It's waiting."

5:00 AM.

From the direction of the tanker truck, a crisp gunshot suddenly rang out.

That was not the AK-47 assault rifle of a Conscript, but the handgun that Old Zheng had placed in the cab before leaving, as instructed by Commander Lin Dong.

The muzzle was tied to the steering wheel with a thin string, and the other end was tied to the valve handle of the tanker—when the valve was opened to the maximum, the handle would turn, pulling the string and squeezing the trigger.

The gunshot traveled very far in the early morning air.

Immediately after, Li Na's panel exploded—

【Eastern Zombie Horde Count: 237】

【Movement Speed: 3.2 m/s → 4.7 m/s (Berserk State)】

【Target: Gunshot source (Tanker Truck)】

Commander Lin Dong stood up, drew the flare gun from his waist, and pulled the trigger toward the night sky.

A red flare trailed sparks as it rose into the sky, illuminating the entire eastern suburb.

In those few brief seconds of light, Li Na saw a scene she would never forget—

Over two hundred zombies swarmed densely toward the lonely tanker truck.

Their movements were twisted and frantic; some even fell to the ground because they were moving too fast, only to be immediately trampled into meat paste by the ones behind.

And around the tanker truck, five figures were moving rapidly in a tactical formation.

Those were the Conscripts.

On their panels, the final order issued by Commander Lin Dong popped up simultaneously—

【Fire.】

Gunfire completely tore through the silence at 5:07 AM.

Commander Lin Dong stood at the second-floor window of the repair shop, the binoculars in his hands never stopping for a moment.

He did not fire—at this distance, his handgun's range could not reach, and his mission was to command, not to charge.

The five Conscripts were divided into two squads.

A three-man squad hid behind abandoned cars 40 meters to the west of the tanker, and a two-man squad was on the roof of the repair shop further away.

This was a classic three-three tactical formation, except the opponents had changed from humans to zombies.

The first round of gunfire came from the roof.

Two Conscripts pulled their triggers simultaneously; the sound of the AK-47 assault rifle's burst fire was crisp and rhythmic.

At the back of the zombie horde, the heads of two F-Class Zombies simultaneously burst into sprays of blood, their HP hit zero, and they collapsed to the ground.

On the data panel, [237] changed to [235].

The zombie horde showed no reaction. They had only one target—the oil tanker that was still leaking oil.

The second round of gunfire came from behind the car. The trio's firepower was more intense, pouring out fifteen bullets in five seconds. Seven zombies fell, but more zombies had already swarmed to the side of the oil tanker.

What are they doing?

Li Na saw it clearly through the binoculars—those zombies were using their bodies to ram the tanker's tank. The metal tank emitted dull thudding sounds, and every hit made her heart jump into her throat.

"They want to push the oil tanker over." Commander Lin Dong's voice suddenly rang out, "Mutants don't have such high intelligence, but group instinct will make them destroy everything that makes a sound."

"Then, what if it tips over..."

"It will leak even faster." Commander Lin Dong's tone remained calm, "But this is exactly what we are waiting for."

He pressed the walkie-talkie: "Second team, switch to armor-piercing rounds. Target the tires at the bottom of the oil tanker."

A brief reply came from the walkie-talkie: "Received."

Thirty seconds later, the gunfire from the roof changed—it was no longer crisp bursts, but dull single shots. That was the characteristic sound of 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds.

The first shot hit the oil tanker's left front tire. The tire burst, and the vehicle body sank sharply.

The second shot hit the left rear tire. The vehicle body tilted completely to the left, and the gasoline inside the tank poured out from the valve even faster.

The smell of gasoline was already suffocatingly strong.

Li Na's panel was sounding alarms frantically—

【Explosion Risk: 97%】

【Estimated Remaining Time: 30 seconds】

【Recommendation: Evacuate immediately】

"Team Leader Lin!" She almost shouted.

Commander Lin Dong finally moved. He shoved the binoculars to her and turned to run downstairs: "Follow me. Evacuate to the repair shop basement as planned."

"But they—"

"Their mission isn't over yet."

5:11.

The number of the zombie horde had already decreased to around 180. The Conscripts' shooting was terrifyingly accurate; every gunshot took away an F-Class Zombie. But they were also moving—shooting while retreating toward the direction of the repair shop.

The two Conscripts on the roof jumped into the second-floor window first and ran down the stairs. The trio behind the car began to retreat with alternating cover.

This was the hardest part.

The zombie horde finally discovered them—not discovering a threat, but discovering a target closer than the oil tanker. A portion of the zombies began to turn and pounce toward the trio.

"120 meters." Commander Lin Dong's voice rang out in the repair shop's basement, as if talking to himself, "110 meters, 100 meters..."

The second hand on his wristwatch was still ticking.

The last soldier of the trio was still 50 meters away from the repair shop's back door. Behind him, more than twenty zombies were in hot pursuit, with the closest one only ten meters away.

He suddenly stopped.

Turn, raise gun, single shot.

Three zombies fell.

But his speed slowed down, and the other five zombies had already pounced within three meters.

Just at this moment, the two Conscripts who had jumped down from the roof rushed out from the side. They didn't fire—the distance was too close, risking friendly fire—but instead directly smashed the butt of their guns into the head of the nearest zombie.

Bang!

The F-Class Zombie's skull shattered under the metal gun butt, and brain matter splattered all over that Conscript's face. His expression didn't change at all, and he backhanded another gun butt, smashing the second one.

The last soldier of the trio finally rushed into the back door.

Immediately after, the second, the third...

"Close the door!"

The heavy iron door was slammed shut. From outside came the dull thuds of zombies ramming it with their bodies, one, two, three times.

But everyone's attention was not here.

They were waiting.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Boom—!!!

The ground shook violently. Even separated by the reinforced concrete of the basement, the explosion made everyone's ears ring. Li Na's vision went black, and she nearly fell over.

When her vision recovered, she saw Commander Lin Dong staring at his own panel.

【Explosion Coverage: 37-meter radius】

【Zombie Kill Count: 146】

【Oil Tanker Status: Completely destroyed】

【Conscript Status: All survived, 3 lightly injured】

He raised his head and glanced at her: "The data matches."

Twenty minutes later, in the repair shop's basement, the emergency light illuminated everyone's faces.

The two college students hugged each other, shivering, their bodies covered in muddy water that had seeped in through the door cracks. Old Zheng sat on the ground, smoking one cigarette after another, his hands shaking so much he couldn't even flick the ash properly.

Five Conscripts sat against the wall. Three of them had bloodstains on their clothes—that was from being scratched by flying shrapnel. But their expressions remained calm, and they were using the first-aid kits they carried to bandage their own wounds. Their movements were mechanical and standard, like a pre-set program.

Li Na's gaze fell on one of them—the Conscript with a bleeding rose tattoo on his arm. His left arm had been sliced open by shrapnel, deep enough to see the bone, but his bandaging movements didn't tremble in the slightest; he didn't even frown.

"Does it hurt?" She couldn't help but ask.

The Conscript raised his head. His eyes were gray, like two lifeless glass marbles. He looked at her for a second, then lowered his head and continued bandaging.

No answer.

Commander Lin Dong's voice came from the side: "They don't feel pain."

Li Na turned to look at him.

"Or rather, they can feel it, but it won't affect their actions." Commander Lin Dong's tone remained calm, as if stating the weather, "This is the Red Alert Corps' setting. Loyalty is 100, pain suppression is 90%. As long as they don't die, they can continue to fight."

Li Na's throat moved. She wanted to ask, are they still human? But the words reached her lips, and she swallowed them back.

Because she suddenly realized that if it weren't for these five "non-human" soldiers, everyone in the basement right now, including herself, would already be dead.

"Casualty data." Commander Lin Dong opened his notebook and started recording, "Killed 146 F-Class Zombies, consumed 403 rounds of ammunition, two grenades. Oil tanker total loss, but that was Old Zheng's property, subsequent supply. Our side had three lightly injured, zero deaths."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "Mission accomplished."

No one cheered.

The two college students just hugged tighter. Old Zheng stubbed out his cigarette and asked in a hoarse voice: "Th-those zombies... are they all dead?"

"The 146 within the explosion range are dead." Commander Lin Dong closed the notebook, "But there are over ninety outside the explosion range, and they are currently rushing back. Plus, there might be ones in the urban village to the north that weren't attracted over; before dawn, this area is still not safe."

"Then what do we do?" Old Zheng said anxiously, "We can't just keep hiding in this basement, right?"

"Wait for dawn." Commander Lin Dong stood up, "After dawn, visibility is better, and we can use the same method to clear out the rest. And—"

He paused, his gaze cast toward the entrance of the basement. Through the heavy iron door, the sound of zombies ramming was still coming from outside, but it was already much sparser than before.

"And, you should see our spoils of war."

He pushed open the door and walked up the stairs.

Li Na hesitated for a moment, then followed.

In the repair shop's courtyard, the moonlight was blocked by the dust raised by the explosion, and visibility was very low. But Li Na still saw it—in the center of the courtyard, a silver-gray heavy truck was parked.

It was too big. So big that it almost occupied the entire courtyard; the front of the truck was almost touching the repair shop's rolling shutter door, and the rear was almost hitting the back wall. The vehicle body was covered with a layer of strange metal armor, shimmering with a cold, chilly light under the moonlight.

Li Na subconsciously opened her panel.

【base vehicle (undeployed)】

Length: 22 meters

Deadweight: 80 tons

Armor thickness: 50mm homogeneous steel

Status: Dormant (requires power connection to activate)

Note: Red Alert Corps base core unit, unlocks complete technology tree after deployment

Her breathing stopped all of a sudden.

"Th-this is..."

"Our new home." Commander Lin Dong's gaze fell on that huge base vehicle, "Or rather, our only hope for surviving in the apocalypse."

Before his words had faded, a burst of dense gunfire suddenly came from the distance.

That was the east side.

That was the direction where the signal flare rose.

On Li Na's panel, a new piece of data popped up—

【Detected human unit engagement】

【Coordinates: 15° East of South, distance approximately 9 km】

【Firepower density: Moderate】

【Engaging parties: Suspected military remnants vs. unknown Mutant】

Commander Lin Dong also saw it. His gaze shifted from the base vehicle and cast toward the east.

On the horizon, a hint of dawn had already appeared.

And the new day was destined not to be peaceful.

【End of Chapter】