41: Ironclad defenses, first battle against the zombie horde

Chapter 42: Steel Line of Defense, First Battle Against the Zombie Tide

"Buzz—Buzz—"

On both sides of the steel gate halfway up the mountain, two Machine Gun Turrets began to rotate. They were firmly embedded in the rock walls, their muzzles aimed precisely at the only three-meter-wide dirt road leading up the mountain.

This road was the only way into the mountain, with steep cliffs on both sides. The smooth rock walls were barren of vegetation, making it impossible for the zombies to climb or bypass them. They could only squeeze into this narrow passage and charge toward the steel gate.

"Machine Gun Turrets, free fire! Cover the area fifty meters in front of the passage!"

Lin Zhou's command was transmitted through the communicator, and the two Machine Gun Turrets responded instantly. Dense bullets poured out like a rainstorm, weaving an airtight web of fire at the entrance of the passage. Dark green foul blood splashed as the front row of zombies fell. The moment their bodies hit the ground, they turned into wisps of black smoke and were silently absorbed by the red alert system, leaving not a single trace of remains. The zombies behind them, however, showed no fear and continued to surge forward with roars.

Just then, the 30 Conscripts Lin Zhou had summoned with 3,000 energy points arrived. They merged with the original 6 soldiers, bringing the total strength of the Qicheng Army to 36 men.

This force size happened to meet the promotion requirements. A prompt immediately popped up on the system panel:

commander promotion conditions met: Summoned force of 30 men (Platoon level) + red alert barracks upgraded to Intermediate.

Rank Promotion: second lieutenant → first lieutenant.

commander Authority Increased: Unlocked Intermediate Barracks summoning permissions, allowing the summoning of higher-tier unit types.

Extra Reward: energy points × 5,000.

Lin Zhou made a decisive move and promoted the 6 experienced veterans to Squad Leaders, each leading 5 new recruits, dividing them into six combat squads. The system then added an additional reward:

Six Squad Leaders have gained Tactical Command Authority +1. Each rewarded with 500 energy points, totaling 3,000 energy points!

The six Squad Leaders accepted the orders in unison and quickly led the recruits to the firing positions on both sides of the steel gate. Their movements were crisp and efficient, without a hint of hesitation.

Worried about the sheer number of zombies, Lin Zhou immediately utilized his resource points. Four Simple Machine Gun Bunkers, exchanged for 2,400 resource points, rose from the ground on both sides of the passage behind the steel gate. Together with the two heavy Machine Gun Turrets on the rock walls, they formed a high-low crossfire network, covering all blind spots of the passage and the cliffs on both sides.

At this time, the system panel displayed clear data:

- energy points: 12,700 (Including 5,000 from commander promotion + 3,000 from Squad Leader rewards)

- resource points: 0

It was worth mentioning that every soldier's tactical vest was standard-equipped with three High-Explosive Grenades. This was the trump card for dealing with mass zombie charges and an emergency gear setup Lin Zhou had planned long ago.

"commander! The count of the ordinary zombie tide is complete, totaling over 1,800! The vanguard has reached thirty meters in front of the passage!"

Zhou Lei's voice carried a hint of tension as he transmitted real-time footage from the drone. The suburbs were sparsely populated to begin with, so these 1,800+ zombies might be the entire population of the surrounding area. On the screen, dense crowds of zombies squeezed into the narrow passage, slamming against the fire net like a black tide. As the front row of zombies fell and were absorbed by the system, the back row immediately filled the gaps. There was no concern about piles of corpses accumulating, but this also allowed the zombies' charging rhythm to maintain a high-pressure state.

"All Squad Leaders, hear my command! Lead your teams in free fire! Prioritize clearing the zombies closest to the passage entrance!"

After Lin Zhou's command was issued, the six Squad Leaders responded immediately. They each directed their squads to switch their firing rhythm, alternating between single shots and bursts, precisely harvesting the zombies at the very front.

"Bang bang bang—"

The 36 Conscripts fired simultaneously, every bullet precisely blowing apart a zombie's head. The sound of gunfire and the roars of the zombies intertwined, echoing through the entire valley. The kill count on the system panel kept ticking upward, and energy points were also slowly climbing—each zombie killed and absorbed converted into 100 energy points.

As the battle continued, more and more zombies gathered in the passage. The front row of zombies was almost charging over the "afterimages" of their fallen companions. The dense formation caused the efficiency of ordinary shooting to drop. Seeing the zombie swarm only twenty meters from the steel gate and about to break through the Machine Gun Turrets' optimal suppression range...

"Emergency situation! All Squad Leaders, grenades!" Lin Zhou made a split-second decision. "Aim for the center of the zombie cluster, free throw High-Explosive Grenades!"

The six Squad Leaders responded instantly, pulling High-Explosive Grenades from their tactical vests, yanking the pins, and hurling them with all their might into the zombie swarm. The other soldiers followed suit, grenades drawing arcs through the air.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of massive explosions made the valley hum. The resulting shockwaves instantly sent the dense zombie swarm flying, and dark green foul blood splattered across the passage walls. The zombies killed by the grenades were likewise instantly absorbed by the system. An empty area appeared at the previously crowded passage entrance, and the zombies' charging rhythm was completely disrupted.

Taking advantage of the gap between explosions, Lin Zhou activated his Mind Decomposition ability. His will was like an invisible net, covering all man-made objects within twenty meters outside the passage: scrapped car frames, scattered steel rebar, and even loose rocks on the canyon walls. (The rank upgrade had expanded the decomposition range.)

These items were precisely screened and decomposed, turning into a stream of silver-gray data that flowed into the system panel: resource points +2,400.

Lin Zhou did not hesitate for a second and immediately used these resource points to upgrade the defense line:

- Consumed 1,600 resource points to exchange for two Wall Reinforcement Modules, deployed on the rock walls on both sides of the steel gate to enhance their impact resistance and prevent zombies from crashing through;

- Consumed 800 resource points to exchange for two Individual Bunkers, deployed in front of the soldiers' firing positions to provide solid protection for the combat personnel.

The explosive power of the grenades was strong, and the terrain influenced the subsequent zombies, significantly weakening the momentum of the charge. Lin Zhou felt it was a bit of a waste of ammunition. Zhou Lei maneuvered the drone higher for reconnaissance and confirmed there were no new zombies coming from behind; these 1,800+ were the entire combat force of the suburban area.

"All personnel, hear my command!" Lin Zhou's voice rang out across the defense line through the loudspeaker. "Hold the steel gate at all costs! Do not retreat a single step without my order! All soldiers, divide into six groups to take turns on watch; only shoot the ones that slip through. Conserve your ammunition and grenades!"

"Yes, commander!"

The 36 Conscripts responded in unison, their voices powerful and resonant. The six Squad Leaders immediately led their assigned soldiers to execute the order, staring firmly at the zombies at the passage entrance, their rifles occasionally spitting tongues of fire.

Lin Zhou stood at the command post, watching the kill counter on the system panel continuously tick—827 killed, 973 remaining, with a total of 13,520 energy points. The situation had stabilized. Leaving the soldiers to hold the line, he took Old Zhou's family into the base.

The number of zombies in the suburbs was limited, so the scale of this defensive battle would not expand indefinitely. However, completely wiping out these nearly one thousand zombies would still be a test of endurance and tactics. His newly promoted rank of first lieutenant and the unlocked Intermediate Barracks would be the ultimate trump cards supporting the Qicheng Army in holding the line.