Chapter 315: Zhijin
Just as He Jie said this, cannon fire everywhere had already erupted beyond the wall, with dense gunfire, bullet rain, and explosive frenzy drowning out the corpse roars, as if a massacre was unfolding outside.
“Clang clang——”
The Steel Barrier surrounding Chenxi Plaza opened four portals, and Armored Personnel Carriers loaded with cannons roared and jumped in, harvesting zombies like wheat in swathes.
Even Tier 1 Butchers were nothing more than slightly larger water bags in the face of righteous caliber.
The Tier 2 Zombies capable of blocking the cannon fire slaughter were all held back by Liang Kuan and others at this time.
This allowed the Armed Corps’ armored vehicles to enter as if there were no one there.
A gentle voice appeared in the ears of everyone in Black Star, “Sister Rong, hold on a bit.”
Hearing this voice, Jiang Rong felt a huge weight lift from her heart, tossed He Jie’s final gift downstairs, then led everyone toward the stairs.
On Chenxi Plaza.
Goat stood on the vehicle roof and roared, “By NCO Squad units, the ones who kill the most enemies get promoted and paid upon return! Last place goes back to the Recruit Camp, last twenty get extra training, last five get personally trained by He Jie!”
“The Recruit Camp is watching from the wall right now, and they’ll be your officers then!”
The originally high-spirited NCO Squads felt a chill in their hearts, looking back to see Old Er already deploying two hundred recruits on the barrier, the recruits rubbing their fists and staring at them eagerly.
Ordinary soldiers were fine, but the NCOs went mad—soldiers returning to the Recruit Camp was embarrassing but still soldiers with unchanged military rank, but they would effectively be demoted!
And Goat meant not this batch of recruits, but the next batch after graduation.
By the time he came out, his subordinates’ subordinates would all be chiefs!
Under this pressure, the seventy-five NCO Squads unleashed terrifying lethality.
The gains from the train’s journey were fully demonstrated on them.
Firepower Specialists vented ammunition freely, perception-type Commanders coordinated from the center, Snipers targeted high-value goals, close-combat Evolvers handled fish that slipped through firepower suppression, Medics and mechanical logistics often doubled as Assault Troopers to cover firepower.
A basic five-person squad covered near, mid, and long-range combat styles.
And within the Iron Wall of Chenxi Plaza were a full seventy-five NCO Squads.
Plus the elite squads like He Jie overseeing the overall situation from above, the battlefield instantly turned one-sided.
On the zombie side, both high-end and low-end were comprehensively suppressed.
Their only numerical advantage became a joke under the widespread use of the train’s “Firepower Specialist” Profession Potion.
Li Xinlong personally saw three Tier 1 Zombies assaulting the defense line formed by two NCO Squads; the first Jumper to leap up became a live target, locked by three Heavy Sniper Rifles nearby, with only one arm “jumping” down in the end, the rest who knows where it flew.
The Firepower Specialists didn’t waste bullets on the two foremost Skull Crushers, instead turning muzzles to suppress the ordinary zombies behind, isolating the two Skull Crushers.
Then the “Defenders” patrolling the foremost line as the first defense immediately moved to engage.
At this point, the two Skull Crushers faced not two squads’ “Defenders,” but one Tier 1 “Defender” leading four close-combat fighters.
Four to restrain, the Tier 1 Evolver to kill.
In a flurry of action, the two Skull Crushers’ heads were severed, and the five returned to their squad’s defense line.
The Armed Corps’ combat methods were fully witnessed by everyone in Black Star.
A main force of less than four hundred, under this calm and efficient coordination, pushed the zombie tide back step by step; in contrast, Black Star came with over a thousand plus over two hundred support, yet was beaten down to just over four hundred.
If not for the Armored Train arriving in time, they would have been flattened by a wave of zombies.
Looking at the battlefield below, Li Xinlong’s complexion was complex; he had thought the train was stronger than Black Star at best, like Jin Feng Chamber of Commerce level, something he could catch up to with a few more battles—handing over people was just a calculation to avoid other forces reaping benefits—but now it seemed utterly wrong.
Just like the steadily advancing Armed Corps below: armored vehicles, cannons, equipment, coordination…
Each one represented terrifying strength.
Black Star Convoy at its peak had over a thousand guns, but combat power not even militia level, compared to the Armed Corps below more like a bunch of armed women and children.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to train, but lacked resources and talent, and he didn’t even have a stable base…
In the entire convoy, only one of the Five Tigers, Chen Shan, was a veteran, but turning ordinary people into elite soldiers was a galactic gap!
Just full-time training alone he couldn’t achieve.
‘Could the Armored Train itself be composed of soldiers?’
The tactical details shown by those soldiers made Li Xinlong’s heart jolt.
“A Shan, have all the survivors learn this; from now on, we’ll train this way!”
A Shan’s eyes still held shock, snapping to attention and hurrying to notify others.
Actually no need for his reminder, all able-bodied in Black Star Convoy were at the windows, necks stretched watching the Armed Corps’ battle.
Compared to their painful struggles in the zombie tide, the Armed Corps’ battle was the finest interpretation of war.
“They have so many Tier 1 Evolvers; I’ve seen over a dozen in this short time, and those tangling with Tier 2 Zombies are the most ridiculous—clearly just Tier 1 level, but already killed two Tier 2 Zombies!”
Pang Ke exclaimed.
“Observe those soldiers; notice how each has distinct combat roles.” Yin Yinan pointed at the soldiers below, “That close-combat soldier is injured, but the one saving him isn’t the nearest soldier, but the one behind with the rifle—probably their Medic.”
“No, that one’s clearly a Commander; why is he charging to the front with dual handguns?”
Old Yang pointed at Lu Xiao, who was deep in enemy lines with dual guns.
“Because he’s handling Commander and Firepower Specialist duties.”
A golden-pupiled woman with cat ears suddenly hung upside down from the window, feet on the top frame, “Make way.”
Li Xinlong and others saw the gray-green trench coat and didn’t attack rashly, just vigilantly stepping back.
Mongoose’s ears twitched, turning to the woman approaching from the other side of the corridor, flipping down; a fluffy tail retracted under the trench coat, her expression relaxing, “Long time no see, Sister Rong!”
‘So she was hanging by her tail.’
Li Xinlong and others thought this simultaneously.
Jiang Rong’s face showed a soft smile of reunion, “Kitty’s gotten strong.”
Facing the praise, Mongoose calmly clapped her hands, “Just a tiny bit of progress, still far from General.”
But the tail flicking under the trench coat betrayed her excitement.
Jiang Rong smiled, not pointing it out.
Mongoose’s golden pupils scanned the crowd, finally landing on Li Xinlong’s face with curiosity, “Sister Rong, is this your son? How’s it feel having such a big son?”
Jiang Rong knew she couldn’t hide it, introducing helplessly, “Yes, Longlong, this is my former colleague… Mongoose.”
Li Xinlong’s mouth twitched, forcing out, “Aunt… Cat…”
Those around had strange expressions, eyes darting between the three.
To ease his good brother’s awkwardness, Pang Ke grinned and called, “Hello, Cat Aunt!”
With Master Rong and Pang Ke calling, the surrounding subordinates, no matter their age, had to follow with “Hello, Cat Aunt!”
Mongoose’s tail fluffed up in embarrassment, suppressing her body’s reflex stiffly, “No no no, each calls as they should, each as they should!”
“Catch-up time’s over, Mongoose.”
Qu Hang’s calm voice suddenly sounded in everyone’s ears, followed by the metallic sound of a gun bolt, then bang—a Tier 2 Night Demon’s head outside exploded.
Mongoose’s pupils contracted slightly, “Yes!”
She turned and flipped down, leaving Jiang Rong who wanted to say more.
But everyone’s attention was soon drawn to an off-road vehicle ignoring the surrounding zombie tide, slanting across the battlefield straight to the hotel, flanked by ferociously armed vehicles that blasted a blood path.
The off-road vehicle crushed over the half-dead corpse mountain, driving up to the hotel’s second-floor height.
The car door opened, a black-stocking-wrapped calf stunning everyone.
A figure utterly out of place in this bloody battlefield emerged from the vehicle, sharp tailored suit skirt draping from the waistline, knee-length pencil skirt with a rear slit no wider than three fingers, holding a tactical tablet, a stack of documents under her arm, calm eyes searching the hotel windows.
As if underfoot wasn’t a corpse mountain of zombies, but the gleaming floor of an office building!
This mad, disjointed scene left everyone bewildered.
As if finding her target, the woman leaped straight to Li Xinlong’s floor, a few bounds landing her on the windowsill Mongoose had just used—one on top, one on bottom.
“Secretary Shu…”
Jiang Rong felt inwardly uneasy; Shu Wei often conveyed the Train Conductor’s orders, so in a way, her appearance represented the Train Conductor.
Shu Wei’s icy complexion softened slightly upon seeing Jiang Rong, jumping down from the windowsill; a faint pine and bitter orange scent even masked the corpse stench below.
“The train is still en route; we came right after receiving the information, hope we’re in time.”
Jiang Rong nodded gratefully, then asked hesitantly, “What did the Train Conductor say?”
Shu Wei’s gaze was calm as she relayed, “Her military rank was given by me, Captain.”
This extremely concise line, emotionless, paired with the cannon fire booming below, carried an oppressive force strong enough to suffocate.
Though just relaying, Jiang Rong felt as if the Train Conductor sat opposite, nose sharp as a blade, eyes fierce.
No need for roars, no need for emotion, for the sound of flesh torn by steel was the best accent.
Shu Wei glanced at the time on her tablet, turning to gaze at the man with a cigar on the Iron Wall afar, calmly saying, “Train detection shows greater General Energy Fluctuation in Zhijin City center; train arrives in half an hour.”
“Orders?”
He Jie’s voice seemed close at hand.
“After successful support, blockade the battlefield, harvest Zhijin—Four Greats or zombies, none can slip away.”
Hearing this order, Li Xinlong and others drew sharp breaths.
So arrogant!
So domineering!
Utterly… but on that Train Conductor who dared block the Four Greats for a deal, it seemed fitting.
“None can slip away?”
He Jie looked at his circled Chenxi Plaza, realizing his vision was too small, then grinned ferociously and roared, “In fifteen minutes, if anything in this circle is still breathing, I’ll personally train you all myself, understand?!”
Goat had been leisurely observing the battlefield; hearing the roar, he drew his gun, eyes red, and charged out.
Don’t talk about just tens of thousands of zombies—even hundreds of thousands, he’d kill them all with tail between legs!
……
Meanwhile, the Armored Train, plagued by snail-like speed, was still crawling slowly inward from Zhijin City’s outskirts.
Though news of the zombie tide riot had spread, nearly two hundred thousand scavengers gathered at the outskirts couldn’t just withdraw at will.
Moreover, everyone had different information, and with Black Kite stirring trouble, the messages got garbled in transmission.
Before they could decide, the surging zombie tide bit into these scavengers, making them cry for parents.
Their equipment couldn’t even match the Four Greats; many carried homemade cold weapons to make a living in Zhijin City, planning to scavenge trash behind the Four Greats—trash not scavenged yet, and word came the Four Greats collapsed, food not eaten before feeding zombies.
With big forces like Jin Feng, Black Star, Tiejian City tanking ahead, but in one clash, these small forces and scavengers lost over ten thousand.
The unluckiest were the survivors originally in Zhinnan District.
Survival in a city with highly dense zombies was already tough, yet Black Kite’s incited zombie tide flushed them all out.
Like those hiding in Zhinnan District’s university, or Tiejian City entrenched there, all fleeing outward under zombie pursuit; scavengers cursed the Four Greats while running, Four Greats cursed Black Kite while running.
Some stubbornly trusted their hiding experience, staying put, only to be dug out by high-level zombies.
After half a year, entire Zhijin turned to Hell again, everyone as if back to the first day of the apocalypse.
Heavenly Calamity, man-made disaster, all sorts of human tragedies playing out in turn.
Strong-bodied men ran ahead, half-grown children cried while running behind, soft-hearted women just turning back got pushed into the zombie tide by children.
In a collapsing era, the first eliminated weren’t the weakest, but the most bloody-minded, most merciful, most emotional.
Crimson blood was overlaid with orange-gold glow by the horizon’s sunset, fleeing roars and clamor providing the most vivid music to the scene, even despair gaining texture here.
“Pairing such a beautiful sunset with such tragic flight—is it diluting the terror, or deepening the despair?”
A Steel Giant Beast breathing bloody wind advanced against the crowd, steadily toward the city bathed in sunset gold; a figure with golden-silver interwoven glow dangling from its ear suddenly asked.
