Interrogation 011

As time passed, whether civilian or soldier, cases of zombification gradually dwindled and eventually disappeared. The convoy pressed forward with difficulty for four or five hours before arriving at the alternate camp—a residential district, the Harbin Aircraft Factory's test field.

Compared to Wanggang Airport, the advantages of the Harbin Aircraft Factory's test field lay in its tall, robust, and complete perimeter walls, its elevation at least a meter higher than the surrounding area, which, together with the walls, effectively blocked any prying eyes from any angle. The entrances and exits were few, making it easy for armored vehicles to guard and seal off, and the area of the airport itself was larger than Wanggang, accommodating all types of aircraft for landing without issue. The drawbacks were equally apparent: nominally a company test area, the enclosed space also included hangars, production workshops, assembly shops, residential buildings, and even a small school. The population density was far greater than at Wanggang Airport, so the quantity and concentration of zombies were certainly higher, making the clearing operation both more time-consuming and dangerous.

Fortunately, after the torrential rain, the clouds temporarily dispersed, and real-time satellite surveillance could track the movements of every zombie. Except for those inside buildings, where steel and concrete impeded observation and posed risks during clearing, the zombies wandering the open ground were essentially live targets; even if they hid in the convoy's blind spots, they could not escape the satellite's gaze.

The convoy first secured control over the two entrances to the factory, using the walls between them and vehicles to form a defensive circle: civilians inside, soldiers outside, picking off wandering zombies with rifle shots. Hu Chun and his companions sat in the off-road vehicle, listening to the gunfire that sounded like firecrackers, half-asleep as they endured until dawn.

As the red sun rose and the clouds dissipated, the pines and cypresses inside and outside the walls, cleansed by the rain, stood even taller and greener. The lilac bushes by the roadside, bathed in the morning light, seemed so lively that one could not help but feel invigorated. Beyond the sculpted woodland, on the open ground lay the corpses of zombies dispatched by soldiers before dawn. Thanks to the 5.8mm small-caliber bullets, most zombies bore only one or two tiny black holes in their heads; aside from the brown blood pooling here and there, the scenes of exploded brains were rare. Even their bodies, bizarrely posed, were gilded by the morning sun. These ordinary people, whose lives had been unremarkable and who never imagined they would become bloodthirsty zombies, departed this world with a semblance of peace, the sunlight lending them a final dignity.

The military, as always, worked efficiently: clearing the ground, setting up defensive lines. By the time Hu Chun parked his vehicle as directed by the soldiers, the field kitchen nearby was already emitting the aroma of rice porridge. After a night of hardship, everyone felt hungry, though the lingering scents of blood and raw meat in the air, mixed with the fragrance of rice, made for a stomach-turning combination.

With time before breakfast, Hu Chun and Li Changhuai watched over the still-sleeping Wang Chen, while Han Li hurried to find the military doctor. She hadn't gone far before several medical teams began checking the survivors' health, and one group soon