072 Something Is Wrong with the Strategy-2

Ren Wanrong expressed his concerns, but it was Wang Chen who comforted him. An armored vehicle wasn't strictly necessary; the six Mengshi vehicles lined up were already intimidating enough. With their full complement of vehicle-mounted weaponry, unless Boss Tian truly believed himself to be made of steel and immune to bullets, anyone would soften their stance when staring down the barrels of fierce heavy machine guns and grenade launchers.

Now that he had six vehicles with heavy infantry firepower, Wang Chen could overhaul his plans and directly clear the zombies from the barracks. After careful consideration, however, he abandoned this tempting idea. Instead, he allowed the civilians to practice their marksmanship by picking off the converging soldier-zombies. His reasoning was simple: he wanted to leave the soldiers’ remains intact so they could be given a proper burial at a later time.

Wang Chen did not realize that this unintentional act earned him the respect of everyone. Not only did veterans like Ma Tian secretly admire him, but the civilians also whispered among themselves that although Captain Wang was young and possessed a fierce aura, he was not truly cold-blooded or heartless. His attitude toward the fallen soldier-zombies proved that as long as one lived with a clear conscience and served their home and country, Captain Wang would ensure their safety while alive, and even if they were unlucky enough to perish, he would at least ensure they were buried whole—and might even offer a stick of incense on holidays.

In peaceful times, such superstitious views would have been mocked, but in the apocalypse, the opposite was true. The constant cycle of death and separation left the living trembling and cold, creating a desperate need for psychological comfort to find some semblance of peace and hope. Otherwise, they would suffer from nightmares or succumb to madness and suicide. It was no surprise that religious and spiritual beliefs had regained popularity. At the very least, when surrounded by zombies and facing death, one could deceive oneself: *It’s alright, don’t be afraid! Someone will collect my body and pay respects after I die; this life was worth it!*

Sometimes, people can only survive by deceiving themselves.

Or, by facing death head-on.

With a heavy military truck at his disposal, Wang Chen decided to scavenge every weapon, piece of equipment, and round of ammunition he could find. Even gear whose purpose he didn't understand was taken; with a veteran like Ren Wanrong around, he wasn't worried about how to use it. The return journey was smooth; they had made the trip four times in a week, and the convoy had already cleared out most of the surrounding zombie hordes, making this the easiest outing the camp had ever had.

By the time the impressive convoy returned to the camp, a light snow had begun to fall. Sparse snowflakes drifted down, landing gently on the ground, trees, and vehicles, melting into tiny droplets before vanishing. Most magically, the moonlight was not obscured by clouds; the faint silver glow painted the snowflakes in shimmering hues. Occasionally, as the cold wind blew, the flakes that had yet to land danced through the air like specks of silver, creating a uniquely romantic atmosphere.

As the convoy reached the concrete bridge, the ground was muddy and slick from the rain and snow. The heavy truck carrying the ammunition easily rolled over it, and the armored vehicles and off-roaders were likewise unaffected. Without Wang Chen needing to step out, the civilians guarding the bridge, having received the news over the radio, jogged forward. Working in pairs, they pulled back the barbed wire and pushed aside the barricades to let the convoy through. These civilians didn't care about the technical differences between armored vehicles and SUVs; they only knew that Captain Wang had gone out for half a day and brought back six monsters, all bristling with guns and cannons! With them around, what was there to fear from zombie hordes? Or Boss Tian? They could take on whoever came!

That night, the morale in the camp soared once more. The most tangible evidence was the depletion of their condom supply; Fang Qiang wasn't the only one knocking on doors in the middle of the night asking for leftovers.

By five in the morning, as the sky began to gray and the surroundings were still only visible under artificial light, Fang Qiang climbed out of his warm bed and finished dressing. Standing before two rows of thirty-six people, he held his head high and said in a deep voice, "From today on, you are no longer civilians. You are armed militia! Do you understand?!"

"Understood!"

"Louder!"

"Understood!!!"

"Very good." Fang Qiang nodded, unexpectedly concise. "This is the armed militia's first official mission. We are going to rescue the civilians enslaved by Boss Tian. I have only two requirements: follow orders and come back alive! Everyone, turn about! Board the vehicles!"

Once seated in the armored vehicle, Ma Tian’s teasing voice crackled through the headset: "Can't tell, Brother Fang, you actually look like a captain. I thought you'd ramble on for at least ten minutes. I lost a whole pack of cigarettes to Shu Chang because of you; I'm gutted."

"Serves you right for betting on me!" Fang Qiang’s nerves settled, and he laughed. "I was so nervous my mouth was dry. Having thirty pairs of eyes staring at me wasn't easy. Brother Chen, how did you handle it?"

"Huh? Handle what? Don't drag me into this." Wang Chen was driving a Dongfeng Mengshi. He’d had a tiring night himself, but fortunately, Sheng Qingru knew this morning’s mission was critical—especially since Wang Chen might have to lead a breakthrough into the camp—so she hadn't been too demanding, unlike Fang Qiang, who would actually go door-to-door borrowing condoms.

"You forgot? That time at the Shanghai barracks, when we were surrounded by a mob of civilians and almost got lynched."

"That time? My mind went completely blank. 'When a thousand fingers point, one dies without illness'—the ancients weren't just spouting nonsense. Enough, let's get down to business. Xiaohua, report the latest situation."

Yang Xiaohua, who had replaced Dai Jian at the drone controls, sat at the communications station while secretly whispering to Ma Tian. Hearing Wang Chen’s question, she paused and quickly replied, "At six yesterday evening, the last of Boss Tian's vehicles returned to the factory, and no others have left. Nighttime observations show the last clear signs of activity were at ten, likely arranging the loading of vehicles. I estimate Boss Tian’s entire team might be heading north today. Also, there has been no radio contact from Tian Maocai since the day before yesterday. I had him call Boss Tian this morning, but there was no response. It’s likely Boss Tian has already withdrawn the scout boats he had on the reservoir."

"Good. I’ll add one thing: from now on, stay alert. We’ve acquired a lot of military hardware, but it will take time to master it. This time, it’s mostly for show! Boss Tian is no pushover. If we get careless and capsize in the gutter, there’ll be nowhere to cry!" Wang Chen didn't name anyone specifically, but he felt the atmosphere in the team was becoming too relaxed, and he couldn't help but issue a warning.

"Yes! Understood, Captain Wang!" Yang Xiaohua realized she had been too lax and sat up straight at her station to begin her work.

Fang Qiang wisely shut his mouth and focused on driving, though he couldn't help but think of something Ren Wanrong had said: This kid is starting to look like a real captain.

As they neared the processing plant, they could see groups of three or five zombies feasting on corpses. The scene was gruesome. Judging by the freshness of the bodies, Boss Tian was even more insane than anticipated; these people had likely been driven out of the plant to serve as bait, distracting the stray zombies so that his vehicles could pass through without obstruction.