5: Chapter 5 Steel in the Underground Garage

The air on the B2 level of the underground garage was filled with concrete dust and a certain sweet, rotting stench.

Commander Lin Dong knelt beside the third set of tires on the right side of the silver-gray heavy truck, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness to illuminate a deep gash on the tire's surface.

His fingertips brushed over the edge of the wound—smooth and neat, clearly caused by a sharp blade.

"Not an accident," he said in a low voice.

Behind him, Li Na clutched her bandaged shoulder, her face pale to the point of transparency, "You mean... someone did this on purpose?"

Commander Lin Dong did not answer.

He stood up and swept the flashlight beam around.

There were fresh scuff marks on the load-bearing pillars of the underground garage, and several sets of messy footprints on the ground—left behind by the prisoners when they retreated.

But his gaze lingered on one of the sets of footprints: it was a medium-sized sneaker, with clear tread patterns and an even stride, completely different from the panicked steps of the other prisoners.

Someone had specifically stopped to slash his tire while retreating.

[Data Analysis: Retreat time 21:35, time spent slashing the tire approximately 8 seconds, this person's psychological quality score is 87, danger level: High.]

The data on the panel flashed silently.

Commander Lin Dong turned off the flashlight, and the darkness instantly swallowed everything.

His eyes needed three seconds to adjust, but he couldn't wait three seconds—he was listening with his ears.

The underground garage was too quiet.

The faint sounds of footsteps and breathing from before had all vanished.

It wasn't that there was no one there, but rather that the opponent had stopped all movement and was waiting for him to expose himself.

"Get down," Commander Lin Dong's voice was as light as a feather hitting the ground.

Li Na reflexively threw herself to the ground.

Almost at the same instant, a black shadow darted out from behind the humvee 15 meters away, the steel pipe in his hand tracing an arc in the dim light, aimed straight at Commander Lin Dong's head.

Commander Lin Dong did not dodge.

His body tilted 15 degrees to the right, and the steel pipe grazed past his left shoulder, the wind it generated fluttering the corner of his clothes.

At the same time, his right hand had already gripped the military knife at his waist, the tip pointing upward, and he thrust it out along the predicted trajectory—

[Attack trajectory calculation: Target sprint speed 5.2 m/s, steel pipe attack range 1.2 m, counterattack window 0.3 seconds, optimal stab point: 2cm below the right collarbone.]

The moment the blade entered the flesh, Commander Lin Dong could feel the change in resistance: skin, fat, and then the slight tremor of muscle fibers being torn.

It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was enough to incapacitate his opponent.

The shadow let out a muffled grunt, the steel pipe dropped to the ground, making a dull echo.

Commander Lin Dong did not pursue; instead, he stepped back, and with his left hand, he turned on the flashlight, the beam shining directly into the other person's face.

It was a young face, at most twenty years old, with a buzz cut, an old scar on his brow bone, and eyes that held no fear, only a kind of near-maniacal stubbornness.

He was wearing a gray prison uniform, the wound on his right shoulder was seeping blood, but his hand was already reaching toward his waist—where a homemade zip gun was tucked.

"Don't move," Commander Lin Dong's voice was very calm. "Your deltoid muscle is torn, it will take 1.8 seconds to raise your arm, which is enough time for me to slit your carotid artery."

The young man's hand froze in mid-air.

"Name."

"...Zhao Qiang."

"Why come back?"

The corners of Zhao Qiang's mouth pulled into a twisted smile, "I wanted to know what was inside that big vehicle. The things you're risking your lives to protect must be valuable."

Commander Lin Dong stared into his eyes, seeing something familiar—the look of a gambler.

This type of person is the most dangerous on the battlefield because they don't fear death, only the lack of gain.

"Valuable?" Commander Lin Dong sheathed his military knife but kept his body in a posture ready to strike at any moment. "In the current world, what do you think money is good for?"

"It can get you out of this hellhole," Zhao Qiang said. "There are boats outside the city, fishing boats by the river. If you have money, you can buy a spot."

Outside the city. A boat.

Commander Lin Dong's heartbeat quickened, but his expression remained unchanged. "How many people?"

"I don't know. I heard it from the boss." Zhao Qiang's eyes flickered. "Let me go, and I'll take you there."

"Who is your boss?"

"Zhou Long. The prison guards call him Brother Long." Zhao Qiang pointed to his own brow bone. "This scar is what he gave me. I risked my life for him for three years, and this is what I got in return."

Commander Lin Dong did not commit to anything.

He was analyzing—Zhao Qiang's micro-expressions, heart rate (visible through the faint pulsing of the blood vessels in his neck), and pupil dilation.

The comprehensive data pointed to one conclusion: this person was likely telling the truth, but he was holding something back.

[Psychological assessment: Target trust level 63%, probability of hidden information 37%, recommend continuing to apply pressure.]

"You slashed my tire just now," Commander Lin Dong said.

Zhao Qiang's expression changed.

"Do you know what that vehicle is?"

"...I don't know."

"That is the life of everyone here," Commander Lin Dong said, enunciating every word. "You slashed it once, which is equivalent to killing everyone here."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of faint, quick footsteps came from the darkness.

Five figures closed in from different directions, their movements uniform and orderly, without any unnecessary sound—they were Conscripts.

Zhao Qiang's expression finally changed.

He saw their equipment clearly: ak-47 assault rifle, bulletproof vests, tactical helmets.

These were not ordinary survivors; this was an army.

"Private Battalion Commander Wang Hu, reporting to the Commander." The leading Conscript stood at attention and saluted, his voice echoing in the empty garage.

Commander Lin Dong nodded.

This was the first time he had officially received summoned units; the system panel displayed the basic data for the five people:

[Conscript · Battalion Commander Wang Hu: Lv.3, HP 300, Strength 14, Agility 12, Spirit 9, Constitution 15. Equipment: Type 56-2 Automatic Rifle x1, Magazine x6, Type 67 Grenade x4, Bulletproof Vest, Helmet.]

[Conscript · Zhang Qiang: ...]

[Conscript · Liu Dali: ...]

[Conscript · Li Erniu: ...]

[Conscript · Chen Shitou: ...]

Five names, five people.

Their faces were ordinary enough to blend into any crowd, but their posture, gaze, and the angle at which they held their guns all betrayed the marks of professional soldiers.

The system had implanted them with basic military training and absolute loyalty—at least that was what was shown on the data panel.

Zhao Qiang completely gave up resistance.

He moved his hand away from the zip gun and raised it above his head.

"Take him up," Commander Lin Dong said to Battalion Commander Wang Hu. "Lock him in the gas station's duty room and give him something to eat."

"Yes!"

Two Conscripts hoisted Zhao Qiang up and disappeared into the stairwell leading to the surface.

Li Na walked over and looked at Commander Lin Dong, "Do you believe what he said? That there are boats outside the city?"

"It's not important," Commander Lin Dong turned and walked toward the base vehicle. "What's important is that this news will spread."

"Spread?"

"Zhou Long knows, Zhao Qiang knows, and now we know too." Commander Lin Dong crouched down to examine the wound on the tire. "It won't be long before all the survivors in Beiling City know there are boats outside the city. When that happens, everyone will crowd toward the river."

Li Na's pupils contracted slightly, "Then... many people will die."

"They will," Commander Lin Dong stood up and brushed the dust off his hands. "But it will also allow some people to survive."

He walked to the driver's cab of the base vehicle and opened the door. Inside was an operating interface he had never seen before—not a traditional steering wheel and dashboard, but a huge holographic screen displaying the real-time status of the base.

[Power: 47/100 (Consuming)]

[Energy Points: 320]

[Ore: 0]

[Buildings: power plant (Operating), Barracks (Operating)]

[Buildable Units: Conscript (50 Energy Points), Attack Dog (30 Energy Points)]

[Buildable Buildings: Ore Refinery (200 Energy Points, requires 4 hours), Defensive Machine Gun Turret (100 Energy Points, requires 2 hours)]

Commander Lin Dong's gaze lingered on the "Ore Refinery".

The system had prompted that there was a small iron mine 9 kilometers away at 15° east of south.

Without ore, he could only rely on the initial 320 Energy Points, which wouldn't last long—one Conscript cost 50 points, five cost 250 points, and added to the consumption from the previous defensive battle, he was almost at the bottom.

[Warning: Energy Point balance is below the warning line, recommend prioritizing the construction of an Ore Refinery.]

"I know," Commander Lin Dong said in a low voice.

He looked at the top right corner of the holographic screen, where there was a countdown:

[Base Defense Status: Mild Damage]

[Time Required for Full Repair: 23 hours 47 minutes]

[Defense Capability Decrease During Repair: 30%]

The wound on the tire was just the surface; the real problem was that the deployment of the base vehicle had been interrupted by the prisoner gang, causing tiny but fatal cracks in the core structure.

The repair time given by the system required a full day, and during this day, any decent attack could reset everything to zero.

"We need manpower," Commander Lin Dong jumped off the vehicle. "More people."

Li Na followed him, "Where can we find them?"

"We don't need to look," Commander Lin Dong walked toward the Barracks. "People will come to us on their own."

The Barracks was located 20 meters behind the base vehicle, a low, gray building covering about 100 square meters. It looked like some kind of military prefab, but the material was clearly different—the sound when tapping it was dull, like tapping on something solid, without any echo.

Commander Lin Dong pushed open the iron door, revealing a long, narrow corridor with five rooms on each side.

At the end of the corridor was a larger space, where shower heads and long benches could be vaguely seen.

Battalion Commander Wang Hu was busy tidying up with the other four Conscripts.

The bedding on the bunks was folded into standard "tofu blocks," weapons were arranged by model on the nightstands, and even the slippers were lined up in a straight line.

"Commander!" Battalion Commander Wang Hu stood at attention.

"At ease," Commander Lin Dong glanced around the room. "How do you feel?"

Battalion Commander Wang Hu was stunned for a moment, then revealed a simple, honest smile. "Report, it's quite good. It's just... my mind is a bit messy."

"Messy how?"

"It's just..." Battalion Commander Wang Hu scratched his head. "I know who I am, I know what I should do, but I don't know where I came from. It's like I opened my eyes and was already here, but it also feels like I've been here for a long time."

Commander Lin Dong nodded.

The system instructions had mentioned that summoned units would have basic memories and personalities implanted, but they wouldn't be made to realize they were "manufactured."

This design was to ensure the psychological stability of the units—no one could maintain absolute loyalty while knowing they were just a "product."

"You are soldiers," Commander Lin Dong said. "Soldiers don't need to know where they come from, only where they are going."

"Yes!" the five of them answered in unison.

Commander Lin Dong turned to leave, but stopped when he reached the door. "Battalion Commander Wang Hu, come out with me."

The two of them stood on the open ground outside the Barracks.

Commander Lin Dong pointed to the ramp leading to the surface in the distance. "Up there is a gas station. Inside, there are 7 tons of gasoline, 12 tons of diesel, and enough food for 20 people to eat for half a month. But there is no defense there; a few people with guns could just come and take it."

Battalion Commander Wang Hu's expression turned serious.

"From now on, the five of you will split into two groups. One group will operate with me, and one group will remain to guard the base," Commander Lin Dong said. "The mission for those remaining is to protect the base vehicle and the supplies above. If anyone approaches, give a warning first. If the warning is ineffective—"

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Understood." Battalion Commander Wang Hu hesitated for a moment. "But Commander, there are only five of us. If many people come..."

"How many people can come?" Commander Lin Dong countered. "47 escaped from the prison, 11 were killed, leaving 36. Zhou Long has to manage these people; he can't send all of them out. Ten people at most, no more than that."

"Even ten people..."

"You have five guns," Commander Lin Dong interrupted him. "The ak-47 assault rifle has an effective range of 300 meters, a 30-round magazine, and can be emptied in six seconds. It takes ten people 45 seconds to charge down the slope, which is enough time for you to change magazines four times. Even if your hit rate is only 20%, you can still take down 24 people."

Battalion Commander Wang Hu fell silent.

"You are not an ordinary person," Commander Lin Dong looked into his eyes. "You are one of the first soldiers of the Red Alert Corps. The system has given you data, skills, and equipment, and now I need you to turn them into real combat effectiveness."

"Yes!" Battalion Commander Wang Hu straightened his back, and there was something more in his voice—not fear, but ignited blood.

Commander Lin Dong patted him on the shoulder. "Go make the arrangements. In two hours, I will take a team to scout the iron mine."

Meanwhile, in an abandoned residential building three kilometers away from the gas station, Zhou Long was sitting in the living room on the fifth floor, staring blankly at the night outside the window.

He was a middle-aged man in his early forties, burly, bald, with a scar on his left face extending from his brow bone to his jaw—that was left in prison fifteen years ago. Back then, he was just a small-time character, doing anything to survive. Now, he was the leader of this survivor group from the prison, with over thirty men, seven guns, and three "experts" who had awakened their Supernatural Ability.

But at this moment, his brows were tightly knit.

"What is the background of that soldier?" he asked.

The thin man standing next to him pushed up his glasses—the same person who had taken an extra look at the base vehicle during the retreat. His name was Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo, and before the apocalypse, he was a high school physics teacher who had been sentenced to three years for molesting a student. But Zhou Long didn't care about that; he only valued Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's brain.

"Not sure," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said, "but that vehicle of his is not ordinary."

"No kidding, I can see it's not ordinary." Zhou Long waved his hand impatiently. "A big truck over twenty meters long, even a fool would know it's not ordinary. I'm asking where it came from?"

Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo was silent for a few seconds. "The underground garage. Before we attacked, that vehicle wasn't there."

Zhou Long's gaze sharpened. "You mean..."

"I don't know how it appeared," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo pushed up his glasses. "But I know that thing is worth more than everything we've snatched."

"How much is it worth?"

"It's not a question of money," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said. "After that vehicle unfolds, it can turn into a house."

Zhou Long was stunned.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's voice was very soft, but every word nailed into Zhou Long's ears like a nail. "After that vehicle stopped, the surrounding ground began to glow, and then that light turned into walls, turned into a roof, turned into things I don't know. In less than ten minutes, a building appeared next to that vehicle."

"You're fucking talking in your sleep."

"I also hope it's sleep talk," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said, "but Zhao Qiang didn't come back just now."

Zhou Long's expression changed. Zhao Qiang was the scout he had sent out, with the task of finding out the details of that vehicle during the chaos. According to the plan, Zhao Qiang should have returned to report an hour ago.

"Was he caught?"

"Very likely."

Zhou Long stood up and walked to the window. The city outside was pitch black, with only sporadic sparks flickering in the distance—those were campfires lit by other survivors. A city that once had over a million people was now left with only a group of rats shivering in the dark.

"How many men does that soldier have?"

"When we attacked, we saw seven or eight. But..." Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo hesitated for a moment. "A few of them are not quite right."

"What's not right about them?"

"The guns they are holding." Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said. "ak-47 assault rifle. But those guns are too new, as if they were just taken out of an arsenal. And their shooting posture is too standard. Standard military movements, not something we wild amateurs can compare to."

Zhou Long fell silent.

He had seen real soldiers. Fifteen years ago in prison, a new prison guard was a veteran; that kind of standing posture, gaze, and way of speaking were completely different from ordinary people. Later, that prison guard was transferred, but he always remembered that feeling.

"How many people did you say they have?"

"Seven or eight."

"We have over thirty."

Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo did not respond.

Zhou Long turned around and stared at him. "What are you worried about?"

"I'm thinking," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said, "how those seven or eight people managed to hold that vehicle against our attack of over thirty people."

Zhou Long's expression froze.

Exactly. They had over thirty people, seven guns, and three users of Supernatural Ability. The other side had seven or eight people, at most three or four guns. And the result? Eleven dead, seven or eight injured, and they didn't even snatch a single hair.

"That soldier," Zhou Long said slowly, "what is his background?"

"I don't know," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo said, "but I know we messed with the wrong person."

At 3:00 AM, Commander Lin Dong left the base with Battalion Commander Wang Hu and Zhang Qiang, moving forward in the dark along a direction south-southeast.

Li Na originally insisted on coming along, but was blocked by a single sentence from Commander Lin Dong: "Your shoulder injury hasn't healed yet, you've lost 1500ml of blood, and you can't even run now. Why follow? To be a burden?"

Li Na was so angry her face turned red, but she couldn't say anything to refute. Her panel data was right there: HP 180/450, Strength 7, Agility 8, Spirit 16 (abnormal). She was indeed a burden.

The night was as thick as ink, with only the starry sky above providing faint light. Commander Lin Dong walked in the lead, every step landing in the gaps between gravel and ruins, making almost no sound. Battalion Commander Wang Hu and Zhang Qiang followed five meters behind him, maintaining a tactical formation.

【Current Location: East District, Beiling City】

【Distance to Target Iron Mine: Approx. 6.5 km】

【Expected Threat Encounter: F-Class Zombie horde (Probability 87%), Mutant (Probability 34%), Human Survivors (Probability 12%)】

These data jumped on Commander Lin Dong's retina; this was the ability he gained after awakening—not given to him by the system, but a mutation resulting from the combination of his own 【Military Expert】 talent and the panel. He could see the threat probability in the environment, just like a pilot can see the parameters on a head-up display.

"Stop."

Commander Lin Dong raised his fist, and the two behind him immediately crouched down.

Thirty meters ahead was an intersection. Seven or eight cars were crashed together in the middle of the road, forming a natural barrier. But in the gaps between those cars, Commander Lin Dong could see some blurry shadows moving.

【Zombie: F-Class × 23, E-Class × 1】

【Threat Rating: Low】

【Best Response Plan: Detour (Time + 15 minutes) or Clear (Ammunition consumption approx. 80 rounds, time 8 minutes)】

Commander Lin Dong chose to detour.

They moved east along the shops on the side of the road, passed through a looted convenience store, and entered an alley through the back door. The alley was piled with garbage bags and cardboard boxes, emitting a pungent odor, but at least there were no zombies.

Fifteen minutes later, they bypassed the intersection and returned to the main road.

Just then, Commander Lin Dong's panel suddenly flashed.

【Warning: Abnormal energy fluctuation detected】

【Source: 500 meters ahead】

【Energy Type: Unknown】

【Threat Rating: Medium】

Commander Lin Dong stopped and narrowed his eyes to look ahead. In the darkness, he could vaguely see the outline of a building—that was the Beiling City No. 3 Steel Plant, which was also their target for this trip.

But above the steel plant, a faint red light was flickering. It wasn't fire, but more like some kind of energy leak, like... the system's prompt light.

"What is that?" Battalion Commander Wang Hu asked in a low voice.

Commander Lin Dong did not answer. A thought flashed through his mind: If zombies can be digitized, if he can awaken the system, then in this world, could there be other things that have also been digitized?

【Task Update: Explore abnormal energy source】

【Reward: Unknown】

【Risk: Medium】

"Let's go," Commander Lin Dong said. "Be careful."

They continued moving forward, getting closer and closer to the steel plant. The red light became clearer—it came from the top of the steel plant's chimney, like some kind of signal light, flashing once every three seconds, lasting 0.5 seconds each time.

Three long and two short.

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted sharply.

That was the military's distress signal.

At 4:20 AM, Commander Lin Dong's trio arrived at the perimeter of the steel plant.

The factory area covered a large area, with a brick wall two meters high, topped with rusty barbed wire. The gate was closed, the glass of the guard room was shattered all over the floor, and there was no one inside.

But the red light was still flickering, coming from deep within the factory area.

"Scout, go ahead." Commander Lin Dong commanded in a low voice.

Battalion Commander Wang Hu nodded and took a micro-drone out of his backpack—this was one of the pieces of equipment that came with the Barracks, with a battery life of 30 minutes, capable of transmitting images in real-time. He controlled the drone to take off, cross the wall, and fly deep into the factory area.

On the holographic screen, images began to transmit.

The factory area was a mess. Everywhere there were overturned vehicles, scattered steel, and solidified bloodstains. Zombies were wandering in the factory area, not many in number, but densely distributed. And at the entrance of the smelting workshop in the center of the factory area, three military trucks were parked.

Real military trucks, with military emblems on the doors.

Around the trucks, a dozen or so people in camouflage uniforms were on guard. Their movements were very standard, and their holding posture was very professional; one look and you could tell they were regular troops.

"Military personnel," Zhang Qiang whispered.

Commander Lin Dong did not respond. His gaze rested on the upper right corner of the holographic screen—there was a small mark there that he hadn't noticed just now.

On the roof of the smelting workshop, there was a huge circular antenna, which was transmitting a signal. That red light was emitted from the top of the antenna.

【Analysis: Military emergency communication equipment, power 50kW, coverage radius 100km, signal encoding: PLA standard distress code.】

Military personnel were here, sending a distress signal at maximum power.

What does this mean?

It means they have lost contact with the outside world, it means they are also trapped, it means—

【Warning: Threat approaching detected】

【Direction: Northwest, distance 300 meters】

【Quantity: Approx. 50】

【Composition: F-Class × 47, E-Class × 3】

Commander Lin Dong closed the screen and put away the drone.

"Retreat."

"But—" Battalion Commander Wang Hu pointed to the factory area, "there are military personnel inside!"

"There are military personnel inside," Commander Lin Dong said, "but outside, fifty zombies are moving this way. If those zombies rush in, the military personnel will either shoot or run. Shooting will attract more zombies, and if they run, this signal will be cut off."

Battalion Commander Wang Hu was stunned.

"Let's go back." Commander Lin Dong stood up and took one last look at the red light deep in the factory area. "Now is not the time to make contact with them."

The three of them disappeared into the darkness.

Behind them, that red light was still flickering, three long and two short, repeating tirelessly, as if waiting for a response that would never come.

And in the ruins three li away, a pair of eyes was watching them leave.

Those eyes belonged to a thin man wearing tattered prison clothes; he pushed up his glasses and revealed a trace of a smile in the darkness.

"Found you."

He said.

【End of Chapter】