234: People from Hongdu Base

After the tour concluded, it was already evening.

Yao Ke and Huangfu Yao enthusiastically invited Officer Zhang Lei and his party into a renovated state-owned enterprise administration building.

The spacious conference hall had been set up as a banquet venue. The long tables were filled with delicacies carefully prepared from various mutated beast meats—legs of Giant-Horned Antelope roasted until crispy and dripping with oil, Iron Back mountain boar meat stewed until tender and flavorful, and fragrant, stir-fried mutated beef slices... It was a dazzling array. Beside it, piles of various fine wines from pre-apocalypse stocks were stacked like small mountains, ranging from Baijiu to red wine, everything available.

Everyone took their seats, clinking glasses, and the atmosphere was lively. After several rounds of drinks, just as everyone was conversing happily, a Second-Tier Evolver wearing light armor trotted into the conference hall. With a hint of hesitation on his face, he stood at the doorway, wanting to speak but holding back.

"There are no outsiders here, only my friends and honored guests. If you have something to say, just say it directly," Huangfu Yao said, setting down his wine glass and speaking first in a steady tone.

"Right, don't stutter, just say it!" Yao Ke also waved his hand, signaling that he should speak freely.

"Yes! Two Commanders!" The team member straightened his body and reported loudly, "People from Hongdu Base have come again. This time... it is Colonel Yang Kang personally leading the team."

"Yang Kang? He actually came in person?" Hearing this, Yao Ke raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and looked at Huangfu Yao. "It seems they attach great importance to this. After all, he is one of Hongdu's top combat forces. We should still give him this face and go greet him."

"Yang Kang? Who is that?" Officer Zhang Lei asked, holding his wine glass, slightly curious.

Huangfu Yao, sitting next to Officer Zhang Lei, immediately explained in a low voice, "Yang Kang is one of the two current Third-Tier Masters at Hongdu Base. His Supernatural Ability is Berserker, which is very special. Once he enters battle, he can trigger a berserk bloodthirsty state, causing his strength, speed, and recovery ability to skyrocket. Moreover, it is said that the more he kills, the stronger his combat power becomes. He is simply a killing machine born to clear out Zombie Tides. In terms of pure personal combat power, he is a cut above Hongdu's other Third-Tier Earth Element Evolver."

"Oh? Berserker Supernatural Ability? That's interesting." A flash of interest crossed Officer Zhang Lei's eyes. "Since he's here, shall we go meet this top master from Hongdu?"

"Good! Brother, I'll take you to see him." Yao Ke nodded, put down the beast leg in his hand, and wiped his hands with a napkin.

Yao Ke and Huangfu Yao stood up, leading Officer Zhang Lei, who was dressed in a crisp Senior Colonel military uniform and exuded an extraordinary aura, out of the noisy banquet hall and into a reception room specially used for meeting guests.

Inside the reception room, a man about thirty years old, with the rank of Colonel on his shoulders, was standing there waiting with his hands behind his back. His face was resolute, but the most striking thing was his blood-red eyes, which were different from ordinary people's, as if containing endless violence and killing intent. Behind him followed a dozen soldiers wearing armed police combat uniforms, with sharp eyes and fierce, capable auras; they were clearly elites.

"Leader Yao, Leader Huangfu, long time no see." Seeing Yao Ke and Huangfu Yao enter, Colonel Yang Kang immediately cupped his hands in greeting. His tone was polite, but his blood-red eyes involuntarily glanced toward Officer Zhang Lei, who was walking at the back with a composed demeanor.

"Colonel Yang, you are too polite." Yao Ke laughed heartily, returning the greeting.

Officer Zhang Lei followed, walking in slowly. He didn't even deliberately release his aura, but the invisible pressure honed from long periods in high positions and countless bloody battles, along with the dazzling Senior Colonel rank on his shoulders, instantly made Colonel Yang Kang feel a heavy pressure. His heart started beating faster uncontrollably, and his eyelids twitched violently. "Someone from the National Government has come? Which big shot is it? This aura... it's like an abyss, like the sea!"

Almost by instinct, Colonel Yang Kang and the dozen elite soldiers behind him stood at attention with a "swish," saluting Officer Zhang Lei with a standard military salute. Their movements were uniform, and their voices were loud: "Hello, Officer!"

Officer Zhang Lei's expression was calm as he returned the salute casually. He said lightly, "Hello to you all. No need to be constrained. You talk about business; I just came over to take a look with Yao Ke and the others." He deliberately stood a little further away, adopting the stance of an observer.

However, how could Colonel Yang Kang dare to truly ignore him? He asked cautiously and with full respect, "May I ask, Officer, are you... from the National Government, or..."

"I am Zhang Lei." Officer Zhang Lei smiled slightly and stated his name.

Colonel Yang Kang was stunned at first, and then his blood-red eyes widened suddenly. His face was instantly filled with shock and disbelief, and his voice even rose a few octaves due to excitement: "Zhang Lei?! Are you... are you Officer Zhang Lei from Lujiang, known as the ice fire divine lord?!"

"Haha! You flatter me, it is indeed I." Officer Zhang Lei was not surprised that the other party recognized him. The Red Alert Legion was now famous throughout the country, and they had conducted many radio consultations with Hongdu Base regarding the recovery of Hongdu City, though they had not yet officially sent high-level personnel for contact. His title of "ice fire divine lord" was already no secret among the top leaders of various survivor bases.

"I have long admired Officer Zhang Lei's great name! It is like thunder to my ears! To see you today is a great honor! I am Yang Kang, currently the Brigade Commander of the Hongdu Base Defense Force Special Operations Brigade!" Colonel Yang Kang saluted again excitedly, his tone full of respect for the strong. The soldiers behind him also showed expressions of awe; clearly, they had all heard of Officer Zhang Lei's legends.

"Colonel Yang, no need for such formalities, please sit down first." Officer Zhang Lei waved his hand casually, signaling him to relax.

Seeing this, Yao Ke cut straight to the point, his tone flat: "Colonel Yang, you wouldn't come here for no reason. Since you came in person this time, what advice do you have? Speak directly!"

"This..." Colonel Yang Kang glanced at the calm and composed Officer Zhang Lei, then at Yao Ke and Huangfu Yao, whose attitudes were obviously tougher than before, and was momentarily speechless. As an old hand in officialdom, he couldn't figure out Officer Zhang Lei's stance at all at this moment. This scene could be called a shura field, leaving him at a loss for how to respond.

"Hmph, what else could it be? It's nothing more than seeing that our West Suburb Base is strong and well-equipped, and coming again to sing the old tune of 'incorporation'!" Huangfu Yao snorted coldly, stood up, and pointed it out directly without any avoidance, a hint of arrogance on his young face.

"Leader Huangfu, you speak too severely! There is absolutely no such intention!" Colonel Yang Kang waved his hands quickly, explaining with a bitter smile, "General Lu and Governor Wu have discussed this many times and decided to officially report to the National Government to request merit and confer titles upon you two leaders! From now on, we will be colleagues serving under the National Government; where does the talk of incorporation come from? Of course..." He changed the subject and added very tactfully, "Whether it is our Hongdu Base or the future West Suburb Base, naturally, both should be under the jurisdiction of Officer Zhang Lei, working together to recover the West River Region and save the people!" These words of his not only indicated Hongdu's attitude but also cleverly placed the decision-making power in Officer Zhang Lei's hands. With this "ice fire divine lord" present, how could he dare to mention any leadership rights?

"Colonel Yang." Officer Zhang Lei spoke slowly at this moment, interrupting him. His tone was calm but carried an unquestionable meaning. "Since General Lu and Governor Wu have such sincerity, I think we should do this. You go back and report that I, Zhang, will personally visit Hongdu Base in the near future to pay a visit to the two elders. Some matters can just be discussed in detail in person." He said this politely, but the meaning was as clear as could be: I, Officer Zhang Lei, am here; it is not Hongdu's turn to lead the affairs of the West Suburb Base. If there are to be official titles and integration of forces, it should naturally be presided over by my Red Alert Legion.

How shrewd was Colonel Yang Kang? He immediately heard the subtext and sighed inwardly, knowing that today's matter had completely failed. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Officer Zhang Lei, you are too kind! It is our great honor that you can personally come to Hongdu Base to guide our work! General Lu and Governor Wu will surely sweep the couch and wait! Then... I will not disturb you all any further and will take my leave. Hongdu Base awaits your arrival, Officer." After speaking, he saluted again, then took his subordinates and left the reception room quickly, almost as if fleeing, fearing that staying even a moment longer would cause unnecessary trouble.