6: Chapter 6 Data and This Year

The air in the underground garage was filled with the mixed scent of gunpowder and blood.

Commander Lin Dong leaned against the hood of the hummer vehicle, the tactical knife in his left hand still dripping blood.

His gaze crossed over the hood and landed on the burly corpse twenty meters away—the prisoner ringleader who called himself "Brother Long" was now lying face up on the concrete floor, with dark red liquid still slowly oozing from the bullet hole in his chest.

Panel data danced across his retina:

[Kill Target: Liu Long (Lv.5 Supernatural Ability user)]

[Strength-type Supernatural Ability: Strength increases to 23 points in burst state, duration 4.7 seconds, cooldown 2.3 seconds]

[Kill Reward: Energy Points +50, crystal core ×1 (Unextracted)]

"2.3 seconds." Commander Lin Dong repeated the number in a low voice.

This was the key to winning this battle.

From the moment Brother Long first unleashed his strength to smash through the door of the hummer vehicle, Commander Lin Dong had been counting silently in his mind.

When he charged again, Commander Lin Dong sidestepped at 2.1 seconds and fired at 2.4 seconds—the bullet precisely pierced the opponent's right patella.

Data does not lie, but it requires someone to interpret it.

"Company Commander!" The voice of Communications Soldier Li Na came from behind, noticeably weak. "The prisoners... eight prisoners escaped, they ran deep into the east side of the underground parking lot."

Commander Lin Dong turned around.

Li Na was leaning against a load-bearing pillar, pressing her left hand tightly against her right shoulder, with blood constantly seeping through her fingers.

Her complexion was terrifyingly pale, and her lips had lost all color, but her eyes remained clear.

"Let me see." Commander Lin Dong walked over quickly and knelt on one knee.

He carefully moved Li Na's hand away.

The wound was at the deltoid muscle of her shoulder, a through-and-through wound—the bullet had entered from the front and exited from the back, missing the bone and major blood vessels.

However, the blood loss was significant, and the upper half of Li Na's combat uniform was soaked through with blood.

[Target: Li Na]

[Status: Blood loss (estimated blood loss 1200ml-1500ml), blood pressure dropping, heart rate 122 beats/min]

[Remaining time of consciousness: approximately 45-75 minutes (requires emergency blood transfusion)]

Commander Lin Dong frowned.

1500 milliliters of blood is equivalent to one-third of the total human blood volume.

If this were in a field hospital, it would not be a fatal wound, but now it was the third day of the apocalypse in an underground garage; there was no plasma, no medical equipment, not even clean gauze.

"Company Commander..." Li Na managed to force a smile. "I'm fine, I'm just a little cold."

Coldness is a typical symptom of hemorrhagic shock.

Commander Lin Dong didn't waste words; he tore open the lining of his own combat uniform and pressed it firmly onto the wound.

Li Na gasped in pain but didn't cry out.

"Hold it down." Commander Lin Dong placed her hand on the makeshift gauze and then stood up. "Everyone else, report!"

The survivors in the underground garage responded one after another.

Soldier Zhang Hai poked his head out from behind an SUV: "Here!" He had a scratch on his left arm, but his movement was unimpeded.

Two rescued students stood up from the corner, supporting each other.

The boy was named Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo, a high school senior, with an abrasion on his right arm; the girl was named Zhou Tian, his classmate, who had no physical injuries but was paler than Li Na—purely from fear.

There was one more person.

The Conscript who had first responded to Commander Lin Dong's summons, numbered "Red Alert-001," was currently standing by the machine gun turret at the garage entrance, guarding the outside with an expressionless face.

There were three claw marks on his combat uniform, left by a zombie that had suddenly rushed in while covering Commander Lin Dong, but the bulletproof vest had blocked the fatal wound.

"Reporting to the Commander," the Conscript's voice had no emotional fluctuation. "The perimeter guard is complete, no large-scale zombie horde activity within a 300-meter radius. The remaining enemies have fled to the third underground level; shall we pursue?"

Commander Lin Dong glanced at the deployment progress bar of the base vehicle.

[base vehicle deployment progress: 47%]

[Remaining time: 3 hours 28 minutes]

[Current status: Deployment process interrupted ×1, system is repairing minor damage]

If he pursued now, the base vehicle would lose its protection.

If he left them alone, those eight escaped prisoners could cause even bigger trouble.

"No pursuit." Commander Lin Dong made his decision. "Zhang Hai, drag the corpses of those prisoners and pile them up at the garage entrance. Zombies are sensitive to the smell of blood, but they are even more afraid of the corpses of their own kind—this is an instinct written into their genes."

Zhang Hai was stunned for a moment: "Company Commander, this..."

"Do it."

"Yes!"

Ten minutes later, Commander Lin Dong stood in front of the Barracks control console.

This newly built structure was smaller than he had imagined—it covered only about one hundred square meters, with silver-gray metal outer walls, and inside was an operating interface that was simple to the point of being crude.

In the center was a huge holographic screen displaying several options:

[Recruit New recruit]

[Basic Training]

[Equipment Distribution]

[Medical Support]

Commander Lin Dong's finger hovered over "Medical Support."

The screen popped up a prompt:

[Medical Support: Can perform emergency treatment on injured units]

[Currently available resources: Basic medical kit ×3, field plasma ×0]

[Note: The Barracks medical station has blood typing capabilities but does not have blood production capabilities]

Blood typing.

Commander Lin Dong's eyes lit up, but then dimmed immediately.

Blood typing requires a blood source.

Among those present, Zhang Hai was type O, the two students were unknown, and he himself was type A—what was Li Na's blood type?

He walked back to Li Na quickly and crouched down: "Li Na, blood type."

Li Na's gaze had already begun to unfocus: "Type AB... Company Commander, I am type AB..."

Type AB.

The universal recipient, but conversely, she can only receive type AB blood.

Among everyone present, there was no one with type AB.

Commander Lin Dong clenched his fists.

"Company Commander..." Li Na's voice grew lighter. "Don't worry about me, you first... first get the base set up... I'm fine..."

"Shut up, conserve your energy." Commander Lin Dong interrupted her, then stood up and shouted toward the garage: "Number 001, come here!"

The Conscript appeared silently behind him.

"What is it, Commander?"

"Your blood type."

The Conscript was stunned for a moment—this was the first time Commander Lin Dong had seen an emotion similar to a human's on this "artificial human's" face.

It was a kind of confusion, as if he were wondering, "Do I have a blood type too?"

Three seconds later, the Conscript replied: "Reporting to the Commander, my physical data is set to type AB."

Commander Lin Dong turned his head sharply.

"What did you say?"

"According to the system settings, the blood type for the first batch of mass-produced Conscripts is uniformly type AB." The Conscript's tone remained calm. "This is to enable mutual blood transfusion on the battlefield and increase squad survival rates. Do you need me to donate blood?"

Li Na's eyes widened.

Commander Lin Dong did not hesitate: "How much do you need?"

"Based on the blood loss, it is recommended to collect 800ml-1000ml." The Conscript extended his left arm. "My body functions can regenerate 800ml of blood within 24 hours without affecting combat capability. But within 1 hour after donating blood, I need to replenish with high-calorie food and two liters of water."

"Zhang Hai!" Commander Lin Dong shouted. "Go to the convenience store and find food—chocolate and mineral water, the more the better!"

"Yes!"

Fifteen minutes later, in the Barracks medical station, the vein in the Conscript's arm was connected to a simple blood transfusion device, and dark red blood was dripping into Li Na's blood vessels, one drop at a time.

Commander Lin Dong stood to the side, watching Li Na's complexion regain color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[Blood transfusion progress: 35%]

[Recipient vital signs: Blood pressure rising, heart rate dropped to 98 beats/min, out of danger threshold]

"Company Commander..." Li Na spoke weakly, her eyes slightly red. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." Commander Lin Dong pointed to the expressionless Conscript beside him. "Thank him. His name is 001; remember this face."

Li Na looked at the Conscript.

This "soldier," who had been as cold as a machine in the battle just now, was sitting there quietly, letting his own blood flow into her body, without any expression on his face and without any complaints.

"Thank you..." Li Na's voice choked up slightly. "Thank you, Comrade 001."

The Conscript nodded slightly, his tone remaining calm: "It is my duty."

Commander Lin Dong turned around and walked out of the medical station.

His mind was calculating rapidly.

[Current human resources: Commander Lin Dong (Type A), Li Na (Type AB/injured), Zhang Hai (Type O), Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo (Unknown), Zhou Tian (Unknown), Conscript 001 (Type AB/weak after blood donation)]

[Needs for the next 24 hours: 2 healthy combat personnel + 2 support personnel + 1 injured person]

[Gap: Need to replenish at least 2 combat personnel, and it is best to include type O or type AB]

He glanced at the [Recruit New recruit] option on the Barracks operating interface.

[Recruit 1 Conscript: Consumes 200 energy points]

[Current energy point balance: 320]

[Available to recruit: 1]

The main source of energy points is killing zombies and enemies.

That battle just now, plus the zombies killed before, had accumulated a total of 320 points.

If he recruited a New recruit now, the energy points would drop to 120, which would not be enough to build the next critical structure—the Ore Refinery.

But if he didn't recruit, and there was a new threat after dawn tomorrow, the existing combat personnel might not be enough.

Commander Lin Dong closed his eyes, letting his brain enter a pure "calculation mode."

[Plan A: Recruit 1 Conscript now]

Force: 2 Conscripts (001 in weak period) + Commander Lin Dong + Zhang Hai

Energy points remaining: 120

Mine construction: Delayed by at least 12 hours

Risk: Resource gap, subsequent development lag

[Plan B: Postpone recruitment, prioritize building the mine]

Force: 1 Conscript (weak) + Commander Lin Dong + Zhang Hai

Energy points remaining: 320 (can cope with emergencies)

Mine construction: Can start after 6 hours

Risk: High defensive pressure tonight, may be difficult if there is a night zombie horde

[Plan C: Reconnaissance around the area after dawn, look for survivors to replenish]

Force: Same as above, but may obtain free manpower

Energy points: Reserve 320 for emergencies

Mine construction: Advance simultaneously

Risk: Survivors may bring hidden dangers, and their quality varies.

Commander Lin Dong opened his eyes.

"Zhang Hai." He called out.

Zhang Hai, who was moving mineral water over here, ran over: "Here!"

"After dawn, take Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo out for a scout. The gas station to the east, and the convenience store to the south. Mainly check for gathered zombies, usable supplies, and... other survivors."

Zhang Hai was stunned for a moment: "Company Commander, Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo? That kid is just a high school student..."

"High school students run fast, have good eyesight, and he didn't wet his pants just now." Commander Lin Dong said expressionlessly, "I trust you to take him."

Zhang Hai was silent for two seconds, then stood at attention: "Yes!"

Two in the morning.

The underground garage fell into the darkest moment of the day.

The emergency lights had run out of power, leaving only the faint fluorescence emitted by the outer walls of the Barracks and the machine gun turret.

Commander Lin Dong sat leaning against the driver's seat of the hummer vehicle, his eyes half-closed, but his consciousness was completely clear.

This was a habit he had developed in the army—light sleep, keeping alert at all times.

A light sound of footsteps came from outside the car window.

Commander Lin Dong opened his eyes, his hand already touching the tactical knife at his waist.

It was Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo.

The high school senior was approaching cautiously, holding half a bottle of mineral water in his hand.

"Company Commander Lin?" Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's voice was very low, "Are you awake?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't move: "What is it?"

Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo hesitated for a moment, then passed the mineral water in: "That... I saw you hadn't been drinking water. This bottle is clean; I found it at the convenience store this afternoon."

Commander Lin Dong took the water but didn't drink it, just placed it to the side: "Speak your mind."

Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's face couldn't be seen clearly in the darkness, but one could feel him taking a deep breath.

"I... I want to ask you, that... that Conscript, what kind of person is he exactly?"

Commander Lin Dong's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo struggled to organize his words, "He is too... too unlike a real person. When fighting, he charges at the very front, bullets flying past his ears, and he doesn't even blink. I saw with my own eyes him being tackled by a zombie; he just twisted the zombie's head off with his hands, then stood up and kept fighting, without a single expression on his face. Normal people... normal people wouldn't be like that."

Commander Lin Dong was silent for three seconds.

"What do you think he is?"

"I..." Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo gritted his teeth, "I have read many novels and played many games. That... that base vehicle of yours, and those buildings, they really look like Red Alert. Is that Conscript... is he summoned by you?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't deny it, nor did he admit it.

"What do you think?"

Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo took a deep breath: "I think so. But I don't care."

Now it was Commander Lin Dong's turn to be stunned for a moment.

"You saved my life," Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo continued, his voice trembling slightly, "My dad taught me that a life-saving grace is never to be forgotten. No matter who you are, no matter what that Conscript is, I only know that when that gang of criminals wanted to kill me and Zhou Tian just now, it was your people who stood in front of us. That is enough."

Commander Lin Dong looked at this eighteen-year-old youth.

In the darkness, he couldn't see Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's expression clearly, but he could feel that stubbornness and sincerity unique to adolescence.

"Your dad taught you well." Commander Lin Dong finally spoke, "Go back to sleep. After dawn, go out to scout with Zhang Hai."

"Scout?" Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo's voice revealed excitement, "You want to use me?"

"Didn't you want to repay the favor? This is your chance."

"Yes!" Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo shouted in a low voice, then turned and ran back.

Commander Lin Dong watched his back disappear into the darkness, then lowered his head, looking at the mineral water bottle in his hand.

There was a sticky note on the bottle, with a few words written crookedly in ballpoint pen:

"Thank you, Company Commander Lin. — Zhou Tian"

Commander Lin Dong put the sticky note in his pocket, didn't drink the water, and continued to close his eyes and doze.

Four-twenty in the morning.

Commander Lin Dong suddenly opened his eyes.

He heard a sound—very faint, very distant, but it was a sound carved into his bones.

Gunshots.

Not sporadic single shots, but rapid bursts.

The sound of Type 95 single-shot bursts, three rounds per group, was a standard infantry squad tactical maneuver.

Commander Lin Dong sprang up from the car almost instantly and rushed to the garage entrance.

In the eastern sky, the darkness had not yet faded, but right in the direction of the horizon, a cluster of red light points was slowly rising, then exploding in the air—

Three long and two short.

That was the standard PLA "request for support" signal flare.

Commander Lin Dong's pupils contracted violently.

Judging by the distance, the location of the signal flare was about ten kilometers away—exactly the direction of the small iron mine shown by the ore detector.

There were people there. Soldiers. And they were fighting.

The afterglow of the signal flare gradually extinguished, but Commander Lin Dong's heart sank.

He glanced at the base vehicle behind him—deployment progress 82%, it needed at least another hour.

In the Barracks, Li Na had just escaped danger, and Conscript 001 was still in the recovery period.

If he took the team to leave now, the base would lose its main defensive force.

If he didn't leave, that group of soldiers might not last until dawn.

【Choice A: Depart immediately for rescue】

Pros: Potential to gain military personnel, significantly increasing combat power.

Cons: Base defense left empty, Li Na and the two students might be in danger.

Probability: 40% chance to make it in time, 60% chance the battle will be over upon arrival.

【Choice B: Depart after dawn】

Pros: Base deployment completed, defense stable.

Cons: Rescue targets might be completely wiped out.

Probability: 10% chance to save people.

【Choice C: Send only the Conscript to scout】

Pros: Fast speed, does not expose the base.

Cons: Conscript has limited individual firepower, might not be able to provide effective support.

Commander Lin Dong's brain raced at high speed for three seconds.

Then he turned around and walked towards the Barracks with long strides.

"Number 001!"

The Conscript walked out of the medical station, his face still a bit pale, but his footsteps were already steady: "Commander."

"With your current physical state, how far can you run?"

"Ten kilometers at a steady pace, it will take 35 minutes. Upon arrival, I can maintain 60% combat effectiveness for 15 minutes."

Commander Lin Dong nodded: "15° east by south, there is a battlefield ten kilometers away. Your mission is to scout, not to fight. After arriving, observe the situation, record the number and type of enemies. If you see soldiers, tell them: Underground garage on the east side of Beiling Military Camp, there is a safe zone and fire support. Then return immediately to report."

"Understood."

The Conscript didn't waste words, directly picked up a Type 95 from the weapon rack, three magazines, two grenades, then turned and rushed into the night.

Commander Lin Dong stood at the garage entrance, watching his back disappear among the ruins.

The eastern sky began to show a fish-belly white.

A new day was about to arrive.

Fifty minutes later.

Commander Lin Dong was assisting the base vehicle in completing the final 5% of its deployment progress when he suddenly heard rapid footsteps coming from outside the garage.

Not one person.

Two people.

Commander Lin Dong grabbed his gun instantly and aimed at the entrance.

Conscript 001 rushed in first. His combat uniform was stained with fresh mud, but there were no bloodstains.

Following closely behind him was a thin, tall figure wearing tattered camouflage—the person's left arm was wrapped haphazardly with bandages, and his face was covered in dust and bloodstains, but his eyes were as sharp as knives.

The first moment he saw Commander Lin Dong, he blurted out:

"Company Commander Lin?!"

Commander Lin Dong was also stunned.

That face, although covered in stains, he recognized.

"Wang Hao?!" Commander Lin Dong said, losing his voice, "How did you..."

"No time to explain!" Wang Hao panted heavily, grabbing Commander Lin Dong's arm, "Our squadron is still holding on, we can hold for at most one hour! I need your soldiers, your guns, and—that big guy!"

He pointed at the base vehicle that was completing its final deployment.

Commander Lin Dong looked in the direction of his finger.

On the holographic screen of the base vehicle, the last line of prompts was flashing:

【base vehicle deployment complete 100%】

【Red Alert Outpost Base activated】

【Unlocked new buildings: Ore Refinery, War Factory, Radar Station】

【High-intensity combat signal detected within a 10km radius, launch emergency defense protocol?】

Commander Lin Dong didn't hesitate and pressed "Confirm" directly.

On the huge screen in the center of the base, a three-dimensional topographic map instantly unfolded.

A red light point was flashing ten kilometers away, surrounded by dense green light points—those were Wang Hao's comrades.

And further away, another huge red light mass was moving slowly.

The system automatically marked it:

【Unknown large biological signal detected】

【Threat level: A-】

【Distance: 12.7 km】

【Moving direction: Directly towards the battle site】

【Estimated time of arrival: 47 minutes later】

Commander Lin Dong's pupils contracted violently.

What was that?

Wang Hao saw his expression, looked in the direction of his gaze, and his face instantly turned pale.

"That is..." His voice was trembling, "That is the monster we saw last night. We call it a 'Tyrant'."

【Chapter End Data Panel】

【Current time: Day 3 after the apocalypse, 5:13 AM】

【Base status: Red Alert Outpost Base activated】

【Energy points: 320】

【Troops: Commander Lin Dong (Healthy), Zhang Hai (Slightly injured), Conscript 001 (60% status), Li Na (Injured/Recovering), Technical Staff Officer Chen Mo (Healthy), Zhou Tian (Healthy)】

【Arriving reinforcements: Remnants of the Armed Police Squadron, approx. 15-20 people】

【Arriving enemies: Unknown A-level threat creature "Tyrant", expected to arrive in 47 minutes】

【Chapter ending cliffhanger: The base has not yet built defensive fortifications, severely lacking manpower, how to deal with the A-level threat?】

【End of Chapter】