23: Chapter 23 Facing Death

At this moment, even with Su Mingyuan's dull reactions, he already understood.

What these thirty soldiers were going to do.

They were going to lure the zombie horde.

To lure those fifty thousand zombies, hundreds of evolved ones, and that terrifying leader——

All in the opposite direction.

With their lives.

To fight for a chance of survival for the people in this building.

In Su Mingyuan's mind, the scene of being hunted by the corpse tide last time emerged.

A pitch-black mass.

Overwhelming the heavens and earth.

Desperate to the point of suffocation.

If the portal hadn't appeared in time, he would have died long ago.

Torn apart and devoured.

In the end, not even bones would be left.

And now——

These thirty soldiers were going to proactively face such a Hell!

"No..."

Su Mingyuan muttered to himself.

"You can't go..."

He suddenly rushed forward, opened his arms, and blocked in front of Fang Zhiyuan.

His eye sockets were red.

"You can't go!"

His voice was trembling:

"Do you know that this is going to your deaths!"

"Fifty thousand zombies! You won't survive at all!"

"I'm begging you... don't go..."

"Mr. Su."

Fang Zhiyuan looked at him calmly:

"Thank you, but please step aside now."

"I won't step aside!"

Su Mingyuan blocked stubbornly:

"I cannot watch you go to your deaths with my own eyes!"

"There must be other ways!"

"There must be!"

Professor Li also walked over, his eye sockets moist:

"Captain Fang, let's discuss this again, there must be other ways."

Su Mingyuan's voice was somewhat hoarse: "Right, you can't go!"

Professor Zhou also choked up:

"These are all good sons of the country..."

"How can you... how can you let them go to their deaths..."

Dr. Lin turned around and wiped away tears.

All the scientists' eye sockets turned red.

They were scholars.

They had studied science for a lifetime.

But at this moment, they truly understood——

What sacrifice meant.

What dedication meant.

What a soldier——meant.

Fang Zhiyuan looked at Su Mingyuan blocking before him and gently patted his shoulder:

"Mr. Su, you are a good person."

"But——"

"This is our duty."

After speaking, he bypassed Su Mingyuan and continued walking forward.

"Captain Fang!"

Su Mingyuan turned around, wanting to chase after him.

But the other soldiers had already walked over.

Li Ming walked past and smiled at Su Mingyuan:

"Brother Su, don't be sad."

"We are soldiers, this is what we should do."

Wang Yong also walked past and gave a thumbs up:

"Brother Su, you must live well."

"Carry our hopes and live on."

Liu Qiang walked past and patted Su Mingyuan's arm:

"Brother Su, take good care of yourself, you must live on."

Thirty soldiers walked past Su Mingyuan one by one.

Each person gave him a smile.

But those smiles——

Were so calm.

As if they were not going to their deaths.

But going to complete an ordinary task.

"Wait!"

Su Mingyuan staggered and chased up:

"Wait a moment longer!"

"There must be other ways!"

"There must be a way that doesn't require people to die!"

He rushed in front of Tao Zhe, almost pleading:

"Dr. Tao!"

"You are so smart! Think about it again! There must be other ways!"

"There definitely are!"

Tao Zhe looked at him and fell silent for a few seconds.

Then he shook his head.

"This is already the best way..."

"No!"

Su Mingyuan interrupted him:

"I have a portal!"

"I will go with them!"

"As long as we can hold out for 8 hours, the portal will appear!"

"At that time, we will return to the Main World together!"

"That way no one will die!"

His voice grew louder and louder:

"Right! Just like this!"

"I am going with them!"

"Enough!"

Tao Zhe suddenly shouted sternly.

He stepped forward, staring fixedly into Su Mingyuan's eyes:

"Don't you understand yet?!"

Roared at by Tao Zhe, Su Mingyuan was instantly stunned.

Only hearing Tao Zhe continue to say:

"Do you know why these soldiers are going to their deaths?"

"Because——"

He said word by word:

"These soldiers can die."

"These scientists can die."

"Even I can die."

"Only you——"

He pointed at Su Mingyuan:

"Cannot!"

"You must live on!"

"Why?!"

Su Mingyuan roared:

"Why can't I die?!"

"I'm just an ordinary person! What rights do I have to be more important than them?!"

"Because of the portal!"

Tao Zhe roared back as well:

"Because only you can freely use the portal!"

"Only you can travel back and forth between the two worlds!"

"Do you know what this means?!"

He took a deep breath:

"This means——you are the only bridge connecting the two worlds!"

"You are our only channel to obtain Otherworld resources!"

"You are the core of the entire project dawn!"

"If you die——"

Tao Zhe's voice became hoarse:

"If you die, everything is over."

"Those soldiers' sacrifice will be completely meaningless."

"That set of energy conversion devices can never be brought back."

"Those crystal cores can never be obtained."

"project dawn will also become a joke."

"And our Daxia will forever be plagued by the energy crisis."

"Will forever be suppressed by the USA."

"Will never be able to hold our heads high!"

Meanwhile,

The thirty soldiers, already fully armed, stood at the entrance of the building.

In the night, their figures appeared exceptionally resolute.

Everyone carried a heavy backpack—filled with ammunition, grenades, and explosives.

Fang Zhiyuan checked his equipment one last time, then pressed the walkie-talkie:

"Everything is normal outside."

"No zombies found."

He turned his head and looked at person standing at the entrance:

"person!"

"Here!"

person stood at attention, his eye sockets red.

"Listen well, you brat!"

Fang Zhiyuan said in a deep voice:

"After we leave, immediately seal all exits of the building tightly!"

"Block all doors and windows on the first floor with heavy objects!"

"Set up roadblocks at the staircase entrances!"

"Do not leave any gaps!"

"Even a fly must not be allowed to fly in!"

"Do you understand?!"

"Under... understand..."

person replied with a crying tone:

"Guaranteeing completion of the mission..."

His voice was trembling.

He knew this might be the last time he saw Captain Fang and the others.

"Good."

Fang Zhiyuan patted his shoulder:

"You are a good soldier, don't disgrace your father."

"Protect Su Mingyuan well."

"Protect the scientists well."

"This is your mission."

After speaking, he turned around and disappeared into the night with twenty-nine soldiers.