203: Battle of Lingnan (2)

One of the ace units under the 2nd Army Group of the Southern Military Region—the 6th Combined Arms Brigade (Heavy)—received its mission: to completely eliminate all zombie threats in County 5 of Mei City.

County 5 was the largest county-level area in Mei City besides the core municipal districts, with a pre-apocalyptic population exceeding 800,000. This meant that the zombie density and potential high-tier threats within its borders were extremely significant.

As an elite heavy combined arms brigade of the Southern Military Region, the 6th Brigade commanded 10 modern combat battalions, including 4 core Heavy Combined Arms Battalions, 1 Artillery Battalion, 1 Air Defense Battalion, 1 Reconnaissance Battalion, 1 Combat Support Battalion, 1 Logistics Support Battalion, and 1 Drone Battalion.

For this operation, the Military Region also supplemented the 6th Brigade with an Army Aviation Group (12 Z-15 Attack Helicopters) under its command.

In terms of conventional army firepower configuration, the 6th Brigade was considered top-tier in the Southern Military Region. It was equipped with a large number of advanced armored vehicles, long-range rocket launchers, and self-propelled howitzers, possessing formidable capabilities in armored assault, long-range precision strikes, electronic warfare, and informationized combat.

However, battles in the apocalypse were different from any modern conventional warfare of the past.

Facing a Zombie Tide that surged like a flood and feared no death, heavy armor and large-caliber shells were often the only truths.

The 6th Brigade's artillery ranged from individual mortars to tank main guns, then to 155mm self-propelled howitzers and various rocket launchers; they had everything.

Its largest caliber weapon, the 370mm long-range rocket launcher, was enough to turn vast areas into scorched earth. If they encountered a terrifying existence that even such firepower could not resolve, the Brigade Headquarters was also equipped with a final trump card—Vehicle-mounted Heavy Anti-ship Missiles. However, such strategic-grade weapons were costly, and production lines had long since halted; every shot fired was one less available. The 6th Brigade only carried 12 missiles this time and was strictly ordered not to use them unless absolutely necessary.

After a forced march, the entire 6th Brigade arrived at the outskirts of County 5. The well-trained Sappers immediately began constructing forward command posts, defensive fortifications, and temporary logistics bases. The torrent of steel paused for a moment, yet it emitted an even more suffocating sense of pressure.

Inside the Brigade Command Post, the lights were bright, and the electronic sand table clearly displayed a 3D model of the county town. Brigade Commander Wang, a middle-aged general with a resolute face and steady eyes, turned his gaze toward an extraordinary young man sitting below him.

“Captain Feng,” Brigade Commander Wang spoke politely, “In this assault, there will surely be many high-tier zombies within the county town. The heavy responsibility of clearing and decapitation operations will rely heavily on you and your Evolver Brigade.”

The man addressed as Captain Feng was none other than the famous Third-Tier Expert of the Southern Military Region, the Wind Elemental Mage Feng Wu. He did not show the slightest arrogance due to his strength and responded steadily: “Rest assured, Brigade Commander Wang. My Evolver Brigade will go all out to coordinate with the main forces and eliminate high-tier threats at specific points.” He knew that in such large-scale urban warfare, the conventional army's firepower coverage and armored advances were the main components, while Evolvers served more as 'firefighters' and 'decapitation blades.'

Brigade Commander Wang nodded, quite satisfied with Feng Wu's attitude. He turned to his subordinate generals and began deployment: “Our brigade's four Heavy Combined Arms Battalions, totaling 112 Type 9A Main Battle Tanks and supporting armored assault vehicles, will serve as the spearhead of the attack. Commanders of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Battalions!”

“Present!” The four battalion commanders stood up abruptly, their voices like booming bells.

“I am assigning your four battalions three Z-15 Attack Helicopters and 50 Evolver members each. You will advance toward the county center along designated roads from the East, South, West, and North directions! You must fight steadily and clear the area step-by-step; avoid reckless advances!” Brigade Commander Wang’s finger pointed heavily at four light spots on the sand table.

“Drone Battalion and the Reconnaissance Battalion's drone company, take off immediately! Coordinate with the attack helicopters for battlefield broadcasts to guide survivors in self-rescue, and precisely mark all suspected high-tier zombie gathering points!”

“Sappers, speed up the establishment of temporary survivor shelters and field hospitals! The Anti-viral Serum issued by the Military Headquarters must be distributed to every combat squad!”

“Logistics Support Battalion, ensure the smooth supply of fuel and ammunition!”

...Order after order was issued from the Brigade Headquarters.

Before long, the drones sent back the first batch of high-definition images and data analysis results. Brigade Commander Wang frowned slightly as he looked at the heatmap being rapidly marked by the staff officers. He projected the map onto the large screen.

“Everyone, the situation is more severe than expected,” Brigade Commander Wang’s voice was low. “According to drone reconnaissance, multiple locations such as the railway station in the western suburbs, the commercial streets in the New and Old City Districts, and the industrial park in the east have formed large-scale zombie gathering points with extremely high density. Preliminary image analysis shows at least three energy signatures of Tier 3 Zombies in these areas alone! What are your thoughts?” Though he already had a decision in mind, he still needed to gather collective wisdom.

The Brigade Chief of Staff was the first to speak, his tone decisive: “Brigade Commander, I believe that for areas like the railway station, where zombies are highly concentrated and the probability of survivor survival is extremely low, we should not hesitate. We certainly cannot let our troops go in for hand-to-hand combat. We should act decisively and use long-range artillery for carpet-bombing! This will maximize the elimination of their effective strength at the lowest cost. Afterward, armored units can move in to clear the remnants and collect crystal cores. We cannot lose the big picture; we shouldn't let our soldiers suffer unnecessary casualties for a few survivors who might not even exist!”

Brigade Commander Wang scanned the other officers. Seeing that everyone looked in agreement, he no longer hesitated and gave a categorical order: “Good! Pass on my command: the Artillery Battalion is to immediately conduct firepower coverage on the County 5 Railway Station! Do not be stingy with ammunition; hit them hard! After the bombardment ends, the nearest unit, the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, will move forward immediately to eliminate remaining enemies and clean up the battlefield!”

The Artillery Battalion's position was located in a hidden, open area several kilometers outside the county town. Rows of 155mm self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers, covered in camouflage netting, raised their grim barrels like crouching beasts baring their teeth.

“Reporting to Brigade Headquarters! The howitzer company has finished calibrating its parameters and is ready to strike at any time!”

“Rocket launcher company ready, target parameters set!”

...The Artillery Battalion Commander stood by the command vehicle, listening to the readiness reports from each company. He spoke into the communicator in a deep voice: “All batteries attention, based on real-time drone fire correction, conduct the first round of volleys on the designated target area in three minutes! Repeat, first round of volleys!”

“1st Company understands!”

“2nd Company understands!”

...“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!”

“—Fire—!”