37: Tai'an County Action

The 12th day of the apocalypse.

In the command room of Yongjiang Ancient City, Jiang Xin looked at the slowly fluctuating funds on the system interface—3,700 gold—and frowned. The hero badge count was also stuck at 7. The pace of development was still too slow! His plan was to first promote his two core officers, Chen Hao and Li Ang, to Hero units to solidify his top-tier combat framework, and then redeem the Valkyrie Tanya he had been dreaming of! Only by wielding a sufficiently powerful and absolutely loyal Evolver force could he have the confidence to gradually open up zombie crystal core redemptions to survivors and awaken controllable Evolver legions in batches. The thousands of white crystal cores collected so far were the seeds for the future. These crystal cores were of minimal use to Zhang Lei; only first-order yellow crystal cores could help him progress further.

Looking across the country, the seven major survivor bases established by the authorities were also rushing along the path of Evolvers. Relying on its foundation and a massive survivor base, Kyoto Base had already cultivated over 300 Evolvers! Among them were Element Controllers, Spirit Summoners, Morphers, Body Enhancers, and individuals with special Supernatural Abilities. However, facing the hundreds of millions of zombies surrounding Kyoto, mixed with millions of first-order mutants and deep-hidden, unrevealed high-order threats, Kyoto's defense line remained precarious. Not to mention the terrifying amount of food and supplies consumed by a million mouths every day, which weighed like a mountain on the hearts of all decision-makers.

(The power of the state apparatus will not be too weak in this book. The protagonist's advantage lies in Red Alert technology and infinite ammunition; he will gradually show dominance in the later stages.)

In contrast, the small city of Yongjiang County, with its population of hundreds of thousands mostly scattered in towns, faced much less pressure. More importantly, Jiang Xin possessed the heaven-defying advantage granted by the red alert system—ammunition refreshed every other day! For the past dozen days, the three hind attack helicopters, like tireless death scythes, had emptied their daily ammunition, repeatedly "plowing" the main streets of Yongjiang County. Under the artillery coverage, the zombie density in the blocks had dropped to the bottom. The number of survivors in the Yongjiang Ancient City base had also steadily grown to over two thousand.

...

Yongjiang Base Air Command Center:

Beside the metallic conference table, the base's core leadership sat in a circle. Jiang Xin, at the head of the table, tapped his fingers rhythmically against the surface, emitting a steady, light sound. He scanned the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, the base's development speed is slowing down. Resources in the county area are nearly exhausted. I plan to dispatch an elite force, via helicopter, to Tai'an County, 120 kilometers away, to seize the gold and silver reserves there and obtain development funds! What do you think?"

Zhang Long was the first to state his position, his voice steady and powerful: "Commander, the plan is highly feasible. Our current four aircraft (three hind attack helicopters and one chinook armed transport helicopter) all have a range exceeding 500 kilometers, sufficient to support a round trip. After days of high-intensity clearing, the number of three-star elite soldiers in the troops has exceeded 200. Withdrawing half for this mission will still ensure base defense and internal city clearing."

Zhang Lei's eyes flashed, and he nodded in agreement: "I agree with Zhang Long's view. The speed of zombie evolution is faster than we anticipated, especially with the increasing frequency of first-order evolved zombie appearances. We must accumulate strength faster and seize the initiative!"

Li Wei, Chen Hao, Li Ang, and other officers also nodded, their eyes filled with fighting spirit. Resources were the lifeline of survival!

The final plan was quickly finalized: Dispatch three hind attack helicopters and one chinook armed transport helicopter. Zhang Lei (first lieutenant) would serve as the overall Commander of the operation, with Li Wei (Hero-level Riot Trooper), Li Ang (Second Company Commander), Chen Hao (First Company Commander), and other experts accompanying him. A total of 85 battle-hardened three-star elite soldiers would be deployed (10 per hind, 55 in the chinook).

Before departing, Jiang Xin looked at the remaining 3,700 gold in his account without any hesitation. He was not a conservative gambler, but he understood the necessity of investing in strength. "Build 36 Conscripts!" As the order was issued, the funds instantly returned to zero. One more soldier meant one more point of clearing efficiency and one more point of safety assurance. Although Yongjiang Ancient City was not yet saturated, Jiang Xin's gaze had long been cast further afield—he wanted to clear the zombies from the entire city, restore water and electricity, and organize production! Only by building a sufficiently large and stable safe zone could he support faster development than other bases!

...

Air Command Center Tarmac:

The massive rotors began to turn slowly, churning the air and emitting a deafening roar that eventually converged into a surging sound wave tearing through the clouds. Zhang Lei stood at the open cabin door of the chinook, his hand on the cold metal frame, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's. Through the glass of the firing port, he saw the three hind attack helicopters at the forefront of the formation, like agile steel falcons, uniformly slicing through the pervasive morning mist and taking off first.

Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, dancing and refracting on the dark green rotor blades of the hinds, casting fine, scattered spots of light. Inside the cabin, most of the soldiers closed their eyes to rest and regulate their breathing; the air was filled with the smell of machine oil and a pre-battle calmness. Only a few new recruits gripped their gun handles tightly, their knuckles turning slightly white.

"Report, sir, the formation flight is stable. We expect to arrive in the airspace of Tai'an County in fifteen minutes." The pilot's voice came clearly through the built-in earpiece of Zhang Lei's tactical helmet.

Just then!

A massive golden shadow, like golden lightning tearing through the sky, streaked past the right porthole of the chinook transport helicopter at an incredible speed!

"Attention! Unidentified flying creature approaching at high speed!" The alarm sounds of the three hinds rang out in the communication channel almost simultaneously! The autocannon turrets turned instantly, locking onto the target, and the rocket pods under the wings reflected a cold, deadly luster in the sunlight! The violent airflow stirred up by the rotors pressed the golden rice fields below into neat, wavy patterns.

Zhang Lei's heart instantly leaped into his throat! It was a giant eagle with a wingspan of over five meters, its body covered in dark golden feathers! Its sharp gaze swept over the helicopter formation, carrying the oppressive aura of a king looking down from the sky. Its speed... had definitely broken the sound barrier! A chill crept up Zhang Lei's spine. This giant eagle had likely already reached the second order! As the absolute overlord of the sky, if it launched an attack, Zhang Lei currently had no ability to fly and could only rely entirely on the helicopters' firepower to counter it; the outcome was unpredictable!

Fortunately, the golden eagle seemed to be just passing by, or perhaps it had no interest in this steel "flock of birds." It let out a cry that pierced the clouds, its massive wings flapped violently, and it transformed into a golden line that was almost invisible to the naked eye, disappearing at the edge of the sky in the blink of an eye.

Inside the cabin, an invisible tension permeated the air, and the recruits' breathing quickened slightly.

"Hoo..." A faint sigh came from the side, followed by a hand holding a cigarette reaching out, "Sir, got a light?" It was Li Wei. There was a trace of lingering fear on his face, but more of the rough calmness typical of a veteran. In the Red Alert troops, tobacco was allowed and was indeed a good medicine for relieving high pressure at times, but only Li Wei, who was also a Hero-level unit, dared to ask Zhang Lei, this powerful "sir," for a light.

Zhang Lei smiled bitterly, said nothing, and just extended his index finger. A stable, orange flame sputtered into existence at his fingertip. Li Wei leaned in to light his cigarette, took a deep drag, and let the pungent smoke circulate in his lungs before slowly exhaling. The swirling smoke seemed to carry away some of the heavy atmosphere in the cabin. The soldiers' tense nerves also relaxed slightly with the familiar smell of tobacco.

...

Over the commercial street of Tai'an County:

The helicopter formation arrived at the target area. Zhang Lei looked down through the porthole, and his heart sank. The once bustling commercial street had now become a paradise for zombies! Dense swarms of zombies, like a black tide, crawled and hissed among the dilapidated streets and buildings, their numbers far exceeding any area in Yongjiang County!

"Attention, all units! Arrived at target airspace! Ground zombie density is extremely high! Everyone, prepare for battle! Execute according to the predetermined plan!" Zhang Lei's voice was clearly transmitted to every soldier through the communication channel, carrying undeniable authority.

The three hind attack helicopters, like raptors hovering over a flock of sheep, began to lower their altitude. As the pilots pressed the firing buttons, the multi-barrel autocannons under the fuselages were the first to emit a terrifying roar like tearing cloth!

"Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—!"

The dense rain of bullets, like a metallic storm, instantly plowed alleys of flesh and blood into the streets below! Shattered limbs and filthy blood splattered everywhere! The gunfire was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the zombies in the entire block! Countless heads lifted, emitting earth-shattering roars, and like a black swarm of ants, they frantically converged beneath the helicopters!

"Rocket coverage!!"

"Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—!"

The rocket pods under the wings of the three hinds simultaneously spat out tongues of deadly fire! Dozens of rockets, trailing long tails of flame, whistled like death's invitations as they slammed into the densest areas of the Zombie Horde!

"Boom! Boom! Rumble—!"

The earth-shaking explosions merged into one! Fire soared into the sky, smoke billowed! The shockwaves tore apart and blew away swarms of zombies! Shattered shop windows and billboards fell like rain! In just a few minutes, this core street of Tai'an County had been thoroughly ravaged by violent firepower, leaving it scarred and covered in charred corpses and debris!

The massive body of the chinook transport helicopter hovered steadily above the explosion area. The cabin door opened wide, and thick ropes were thrown down.

"Quick! Quick! Quick! Rappel! Establish a defense line!" Chen Hao's (First Company Commander) voice exploded in the cabin!

The fully armed three-star elite soldiers slid down the ropes quickly and orderly like dumplings being dropped into a pot! Upon landing, they immediately relied on broken walls and armored debris to form a tight circular defensive formation, their gun barrels vigilantly pointing at their surroundings! The machine gunners on the hinds and the chinook continued to provide fire cover, clearing the sporadic zombies struggling to crawl out of the ruins.

"Target: The gold shop and bank ahead! Assault team, follow me!" Zhang Lei was the last to rappel down. Upon landing, he immediately drew the military knife from his waist and pointed it toward the target building.

The elite assault team soldiers immediately broke away from the defensive circle, formed an assault formation, and like a sharp blade, quickly pushed toward the gold shop and bank entrance not far away! Victory seemed within reach!

However, just then!

"Roar—!!!"

"Boom! Crash—!"

The ear-piercing roar, accompanied by the loud noise of walls being violently smashed, suddenly erupted from a narrow, dark alley nearby! Five figures emitting powerful, ferocious auras, like evil beasts breaking out of cages, suddenly rushed out amidst gravel and smoke, blocking the path of the assault team!