18: parents

The Lujiang City Economic Development Zone had shed its former bustle under the erosion of disaster, leaving behind only a deathly silence. The jungle of reinforced concrete stood in silence, and sparse, slow-moving, foul-smelling figures wandered the streets like ghosts lingering in an abandoned nest.

The hind attack helicopter carrying Zhang Lei and the elite Red Alert Squad was currently like a steel falcon tearing through the silent firmament; the roar of its engines rudely shattered the dead silence of the area. Its massive frame carried a heart-palpitating sense of oppression, yet it displayed incredible agility as it sped past at low altitude. The airflow stirred by the rotors kicked up clouds of dust below, like an invisible giant hand sweeping across the ruins. Its massive shadow flickered over dilapidated buildings at a staggering speed, like a bolt of lightning flying close to the ground, swiftly weaving through the skies above the dying city.

The advantages of the hind attack helicopter were fully revealed at this moment. As an overlord of the skies, the zombies on the ground—moving slowly like dense swarms of ants—posed no threat to this steel giant bird, no matter how vast their numbers. They looked up their rotting heads in vain, letting out meaningless roars and stretching out withered claws toward the void, only able to watch as the roaring machine vanished into the distance.

In less than half an hour, the iconic, slightly aged silhouette of the Economic Development Zone Industrial Park appeared at the edge of the horizon. Zhang Lei stood tall in the cockpit, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's, piercing through the porthole to urgently scan the once-vibrant land below. His gaze quickly swept over the empty factory roads and the squares piled with abandoned shipping containers, finally locking onto a row of grayish-white dormitory buildings with precision. His heart rate involuntarily quickened, and taking a deep breath, he issued instructions through the communicator in a steady, clear voice: "Front left, third building, fourth-floor balcony!" The pilot moved accordingly, adjusting the control stick. The massive hind, as if pulled by invisible threads, let out a deafening whistle and hovered steadily outside the balcony of the target dormitory. The entire process was smooth and seamless; without firing a single shot, Zhang Lei successfully reached his parents' location.

However, this massive roar was like a stone thrown into a pool of stagnant water, instantly stirring up layers of ripples. The silence was completely broken. Behind the rust-stained windows of nearby factories and the dark doorways of office buildings, faces filled with terror, despair, and disbelief peeked out. Like drowning people grabbing at the last straw, they waved their arms and screamed hysterically toward the sky:

"Help! Save us!"

"Take us with you! Please!"

"Don't leave us behind!"

The voices converged into a wave of despair, battering against the fuselage of the helicopter.

Zhang Lei's gaze swept over those distorted faces, his eyes instantly becoming as hard as steel, without a hint of wavering. He was not cold-hearted, but at this moment, he knew very well that he was by no means an omnipotent savior. The limited carrying capacity and unknown risks made it impossible for him to respond to those cries of despair. He pressed his lips together and thought to himself: 'Sorry, the difficult task of being a savior is best left to Brother Jiang!' Without hesitation, he turned and gestured decisively to the soldiers in the cabin. Two soldiers immediately leaped out of the hatch, landing nimbly on the narrow balcony. Zhang Lei followed closely behind, practically crashing through the closed balcony door.

Inside the door, Zhang Yun and Yao Chunhua were curled up against the bed, their faces devoid of color, scared out of their wits by the sudden loud noise and the intruders. It wasn't until he saw the familiar figure in the lead that Zhang Yun's clouded eyes widened, and his lips trembled: "Lei... Xiao Lei?!" Yao Chunhua's tears instantly flooded out, and she covered her mouth in disbelief.

"Dad! Mom! It's me!" Zhang Lei rushed forward in one stride and tightly hugged his trembling parents, his voice filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster. "Quick! There's no time to explain, come with me!"

The soldiers moved swiftly and powerfully, practically half-supporting and half-carrying the two elders, guarding them as they quickly boarded the violently jolting helicopter. As soon as the hatch closed, Zhang Lei roared toward the cockpit: "Target, County! Full speed!" The hind suddenly tilted its nose up, its engines letting out a deafening roar, and without hesitation, it abandoned the cries below, shooting through the air like an arrow toward Yongjiang County.

Inside the cabin, the roar of the engines remained deafening. Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Yun calmed down slightly and finally had the presence of mind to carefully observe their surroundings. Seeing the upright, fully armed soldiers with cold faces like stone carvings, as well as the weapons and equipment emitting a cold luster, the old couple was so stunned they could barely speak, feeling as if they had fallen into a bizarre dream. In their wildest dreams, they never thought that in this chaotic moment of the apocalypse, an armed military helicopter would descend from the sky specifically to pick up ordinary workers like them!

Zhang Yun struggled to calm his racing heart, his rough hands tightly gripping the edge of the seat until his knuckles turned white. He looked at his son, Zhang Lei, his voice filled with unbelievable confusion: "Son... these... these soldier comrades... what's going on? How... how are you with so many soldier comrades?" His gaze moved back and forth between the soldiers' cold, hard military insignia and his son's young yet exceptionally steady face.

Zhang Lei had already prepared his explanation on the way. He took a deep breath, forcing a bit of pride and certainty onto his face to make his voice clearly heard over the engine noise: "Dad, Mom, don't worry. They are elite troops of the National Rescue Army! I am now a nationally certified high-level talent! I... I awakened a powerful Superpower! It's very useful! The country needs me, so I have officially been invited to join the army!" He straightened his back to make himself look more convincing.