235: surrender

Watching the slightly disheveled figures of Yang Kang and his group disappear through the doorway, Yao Ke could no longer contain himself. He suddenly jumped to Zhang Lei's side, slapped his shoulder hard, and said with a face full of amazement and a proud smile, "My dear brother! What exactly is your status now? Those high-and-mighty officials and military bigwigs from Hongdu Base looked like mice seeing a cat when they saw you—they didn't even dare to breathe loudly! Didn't you see just now? Yang Kang was literally sweating!"

"Hahaha!" Zhang Lei was amused by his cousin's exaggerated behavior and burst into laughter, vigorously ruffling his hair. "Xiao Ke, all you need to know is that on this land of Xijiang Province, what your brother says still carries quite a bit of weight!"

"Xiao Ke," Huangfu Yao also walked over, his eyes flashing with shrewdness and determination. "I think our previous plan to seek refuge with Hongdu Base was too small-minded! Isn't there a much thicker thigh right in front of us? Instead of joining them, it's better to follow Big Brother directly!" Having been the decision-maker for the survival of over a hundred thousand people during this time, the pressure had been immense; he had long felt exhausted and yearned for a stronger pillar to lean on.

"Right, right, right! Huangfu, your idea is spot on! There's no future in joining Hongdu compared to following my brother!" Yao Ke immediately chimed in, nodding like a chick pecking at grain. He then leaned closer to Zhang Lei and asked with a grin, "Brother, give us the inside scoop—just how strong is your Red Alert Legion now? Let us brothers broaden our horizons and solidify our resolve to surrender!"

"Haha, you brat, trying to fish for your brother's secrets, aren't you?" Zhang Lei pointed at Yao Ke and laughed heartily, though he had no intention of hiding it. "Fine! Since we're brothers, I won't keep it from you. As of now, our Red Alert Legion has basically liberated the major cities of Xijiang Province except for Hongdu, including our hometown Lujiang, Qianzhou, Region, Region, Chuping, Yushui, Region, Cidu, Jiangzhou, and other places. We have currently gathered over two million survivors, with more than fifty thousand combat troops of various types under our command, and over two thousand five hundred registered Evolvers." He spoke in a flat tone, as if describing a trivial matter, but every number struck Yao Ke and Huangfu Yao's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"Two... two million people?! Fifty thousand troops?! Two thousand five hundred Evolvers?!" Yao Ke sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes wide and round, his voice changing pitch. "My goodness! Brother! This... this isn't just impressive, this is going to the heavens! How long has it even been?!"

Beside him, Huangfu Yao was also too shocked to speak. He had originally thought that West Suburb Base, with its hundred thousand people and few thousand troops, was already a major power. He never expected that compared to the Red Alert Legion, it was like a firefly next to the bright moon!

Seeing their shocked expressions, Zhang Lei smiled and threw out a proposal that made their hearts race even more: "Xiao Ke, Huangfu, have you ever flown in a supersonic fighter? Want to experience what true speed and passion feel like?"

"A fighter jet?!" Yao Ke's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs. He excitedly grabbed Zhang Lei's arm, "Yes! I really want to! Brother! Take me! You have to take me to see it!" He was so excited he almost jumped up.

Although Huangfu Yao was more composed, he couldn't suppress his inner excitement at this moment and nodded vigorously. Even though his tamed War Eagle could carry him through the sky, how could it compare to the peak crystallization of human industrial civilization, the fighter jet that represented extreme speed and power? This was a dream practically etched into every man's genes!

The members of the Demon Hunting Squad also benefited from the association. Almost everyone was riding an apollo aerospace fighter for the first time; even Luo Chen had only ridden in one a few times. As a mixed unit, Zhang Lei had given him a complement of 6,000 men, equipped with 60 Kamikaze military trucks, 60 armored personnel carriers, 25 Grizzly light tanks, 10 rhino heavy tanks, 10 ifvs, 2 apocalypse tanks and 2 tesla tanks each, 8 hind attack helicopters, 2 chinook armed transport helicopters, as well as various models of artillery, mortars, heavy machine guns, and Military Dogs assigned down to the company level. The only things not provided were high-end weapons like the apollo aerospace fighter, which were reserved for the core Red Alert elite forces.

(Tang Qi's Mixed Brigade One had the same firepower configuration as Luo Chen's 2nd Brigade after it was enhanced.)

...Hongdu Base

Carrying a lingering sense of tension, Yang Kang rushed back to Hongdu Base without stopping and immediately went to meet the base's top leaders—Governor Wu Changming and the Provincial Military District Commander, Major General Lu Qinian.

After listening to Yang Kang's detailed report, Lu Qinian slammed his palm onto the heavy solid wood desk with a muffled "bang," making the lid of the teacup on the table jump. His face was ashen, and his voice carried an unmistakable displeasure and a hint of frustration: "You're saying the people from the Red Alert Legion have already beaten us to it and officially contacted West Suburb Base?!"

"Yes, General Lu," Yang Kang stood straight and nodded with certainty, adding, "And the one who appeared was the Red Alert Legion's number two figure, Senior Colonel Zhang Lei himself."

"Zhang Lei? The one known as the 'ice fire divine lord'?" Lu Qinian's brow furrowed as he asked in a seeking tone, "Is his strength truly as... unfathomable as the rumors say?"

"Very strong, extremely strong!" Yang Kang took a deep breath, recalling Zhang Lei's seemingly peaceful yet abyss-like, inscrutable aura. His tone was heavy. "Although I didn't dare to rashly test him, the Superpower fluctuations radiating from Officer Zhang Lei were condensed and vast, at least several levels higher than mine. I have an intuition that if we really fought, I'm afraid... I wouldn't last a single move."

Lu Qinian fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, his expression shifting. Beside him, Governor Wu Changming sighed and patted his old partner's shoulder, smiling bitterly. "Old Lu, stop harboring any illusions. He is the nationally designated second-ranked expert by the National Government, said to have fought to a draw in Kyoto with that 'Reincarnated Lü Bu,' General Lü Yan. Yang Kang's judgment won't be wrong. Can we really expect him to go and test how deep Zhang Lei's waters are?"

"Sigh..." Lu Qinian let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly, his face written with exhaustion and helplessness. "That's true! It's just that this way, the bargaining chips we have for negotiations are significantly reduced. Moreover, will the National Government blame us for poor performance and failing to integrate local forces in time?"

"Alright, Old Lu, things have come to this; there's no use overthinking it." Wu Changming was more open-minded. He adjusted his glasses, his tone turning firm. "What we need to do now is pull ourselves together and prepare to welcome the Red Alert Legion's arrival! This 'ice fire divine lord' is a genuine legend. In the battle of Lujiang, he controlled divine fire to slaughter enemies in the center of the Zombie Tide, and his physical body could even clash head-on with a Diamond Zombie. He also fought Lü Yan to a standstill in Kyoto. To be personally integrated by such a figure might not be a bad thing for us at Hongdu Base and for these hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. At least the burden on our shoulders will be much lighter, and the future path will be brighter! This is not shameful!"

Wu Changming's words seemed to inject a shot of adrenaline into Lu Qinian. He suddenly stood up from his chair, his chest puffed out, the sharp spirit of a soldier reigniting in his eyes. He looked at Yang Kang and ordered in a loud voice, "Old Wu is right! Pass down my order: the entire base is to undergo a first-level reorganization immediately! Sanitation, military appearance, and discipline—I want everyone in their best state! We want our colleagues in the Red Alert Legion to see that even if we are being integrated and reorganized, the troops from our Hero City still maintain their heroic spirit and iron discipline! We absolutely cannot let anyone look down on us!"

"Yes! General! I guarantee the mission will be completed!" Yang Kang snapped to attention and saluted, a burning glow erupting in his blood-red eyes. He knew well that Xijiang Province was an inland Region with weak military strength before the apocalypse and no border defense pressure. The main forces included the Provincial Military District, the Xijiang Armed Police Corps, and several military academies, and they were extremely lacking in heavy weapons. For Governor Wu and General Lu to integrate limited resources and support this massive base of nearly five hundred thousand people on these ruins, they were already mentally and physically exhausted. Now that a strong ally like the Red Alert Legion was taking over, it was undoubtedly the best outcome for the future of Hongdu Base.