Chapter 40: Air Raid Alarm |
In a dimly lit basement room, the faint light from half-empty bottles of red wine glinted on a table scattered with high-end, empty canned food containers.
Tang Hai reclined in a tactical chair, his expression grim.
“Yuming, those two young ability users… I can’t shake the feeling they’re a risk,” Tang Hai said.
Feng Yuming, lounging with his legs crossed and casually eating a fruit can, replied dismissively, “That girl’s a bit tricky, sure, but I’ve been observing her. She’s actually very weak, just putting on a brave face. She’s no real threat. Besides, now that they’ve walked into the bunker, they’re stuck—they can’t run.”
“Is everything ready on Huang’s side?” Tang Hai asked.
“Relax, Uncle,” Feng Yuming replied with a smug grin. “With all the equipment we’ve taken from the other convoys, we’ll be out of this hellhole soon enough.”
Tang Hai’s expression darkened slightly. “Don’t underestimate the Black Jiao Convoy. They’re not that simple. Tonight, we need to stay patient.”
Feng Yuming nodded and added, “Uncle, if there’s a chance later, I’ll see if we can keep a few of the women behind. The boys have been holding it in for far too long...”
Tang Hai chuckled coldly. “The prettiest one is also the most dangerous. Do you dare keep her?”
“By the way,” Tang Hai said, his tone sharpening, “keep an eye out for other ability users. That big guy in the group, for instance—I have a feeling he won’t be easy to deal with.”
“I know. He seems like a brute-strength type. But even so, a sweep of machine gun fire will tear him apart,” Feng Yuming replied, shrugging as if it was no big deal.
The uncle and nephew continued plotting, clearly confident in the fates they’d planned for everyone else, just waiting to claim their spoils.
Meanwhile, the dozens of vehicles and hundreds of survivors in the courtyard remained on high alert, unaware that a human-engineered disaster was quietly brewing.
...
Back in the armory, Lin Xian explained his discovery to Kiki.
“Another backup energy system? What does that mean?” Kiki asked, rubbing her tired eyes.
Lin Xian’s tone was grave. “This power system is independent. It supplies electricity to the base’s defense systems and… a short branch railway’s overhead power grid.”
Kiki’s brows furrowed. “A branch railway? Are you saying Tang Hai’s group plans to escape by train?!”
“That’s one possibility. Judging by the power configuration and load voltage, the range is limited—it won’t get them very far.”
“They don’t need to go far,” Kiki said, her eyes widening as she realized something. “They just need to get out of the fog… or to Beiwang Station?!”
“Then why…” Kiki trailed off, her expression suddenly stiffening. She gritted her teeth. “Damn it, those bastards! We need to leave now!”
She scrambled to her feet, but Lin Xian grabbed her arm, his face serious.
“Leave? Leave to where? If we try to leave now, the other convoys will descend into chaos, and that’ll make things worse,” Lin Xian said calmly.
“But if we stay, isn’t that just waiting to die?” Kiki said, her voice tinged with panic.
Lin Xian’s intense gaze locked onto hers. “Do you remember something you said earlier? It was spot on.”
“What did I say?” Kiki asked, confused.
“You said that even if we escape the fog now, it’s still dark outside.”
Kiki blinked in realization. “You mean… they’ll probably make their move before dawn?”
“Earlier than that,” Lin Xian corrected. “Which means we still have some time.”
“Time for what?”
Lin Xian dragged over a dirty sleeping bag and dropped it next to her. “Sleep.”
“Are you crazy?!” Kiki looked at him as if he had lost his mind. She reached out to touch his forehead, frowning. “Has the stink in here gotten to you? You’re telling me to sleep at a time like this?”
“We have to sleep,” Lin Xian said firmly, his expression serious. “You need to rest. You’ll need your strength later to help me execute my plan.”
With that, he pulled Kiki closer and whispered his bold plan into her ear.
Lin Xian was convinced Tang Hai wouldn’t act too early. First, as Kiki had guessed, they’d likely wait for the middle of the night when fatigue and vigilance among the survivors would wane. Second, Tang Hai would want to ensure complete control of the situation.
But Lin Xian knew he had to prepare for any eventuality. For his plan to work, Kiki needed to regain some energy to maximize their chances of breaking through.
Kiki listened to his plan, her expression shifting. “What about Shasha and the others? Should we…?”
Lin Xian shook his head. “We can’t worry about them now. Even if we told them, they wouldn’t be able to help and might tip Tang Hai off.”
“Enough talk. Go to sleep!”
Reluctantly, Kiki furrowed her brows and obeyed, lying on the sleeping mat and forcing herself to rest despite the horrendous smell in the room.
Lin Xian said nothing more. He placed his hand on the generator and activated Mechanical Devour!
[Devouring Progress: 1%]
Sweat began to bead on Lin Xian’s forehead as he watched the slow progress on his interface.
This was the first time he had attempted to devour such a massive setup—a 1900KW diesel generator combined with an energy storage system. This system alone could power an entire residential block as a backup source, making it incredibly difficult to absorb.
With his physical energy already significantly drained, Lin Xian wasn’t even sure if he could last until the generator was fully devoured.
His mind raced as he pieced together Tang Hai’s true intentions, and he couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. Looking back, his initial suspicions had been far too naive…
In the dead of night, the tension was palpable. The survivors, many of them exhausted after days of stress, clung to what little vigilance they could muster. Elderly men, women, and children had drifted off to sleep, while the guards fought their fatigue with splashes of cold water or sips of coffee if they were lucky enough to have it.
The thick fog still blanketed the outpost, muffling sounds and casting a suffocating silence over the high walls. Only the occasional chirp of insects could be heard, interrupted by a child’s soft cries quickly silenced by a protective mother afraid of drawing something sinister in the dark.
Everyone shared an unspoken understanding: stay quiet and wait for dawn.
Woo~
But the sudden, piercing shriek of an air raid siren shattered the fragile peace, its blaring tone growing louder and more intense with each passing second. It jolted everyone awake and sent a cold sweat down their backs.
“What the hell is that sound?!”
“Air raid alarm! F***!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Who set it off?!”
In the Black Jiao Convoy, Qian Yu, who had been dozing, snapped awake in fury. His eyes widened as he cursed loudly, “Damn it, those sons of b****es!” He grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted, “Everyone, stay on guard!”
“What about that old bastard?!”
“Haven’t seen him since last night!” Eagle, stationed on top of another vehicle with his gun, scanned the area for any trace of Tang Hai’s group, but there was no one in sight.
The deafening air raid siren reverberated through the valley, and before long, the horrific howls of zombies echoed from the surrounding fog. The dreadful sound grew closer and closer, sending chills down everyone’s spines.
“We’ve been played!” Qian Yu roared. “No wonder that bastard insisted on inviting everyone into the bunker—it was a f***ing trap!”
“Should we run to the bunker now?!”
“Run to hell! It’s probably locked already!” Qian Yu snarled.
Despite his precautions against Tang Hai, he had never expected such ruthless tactics. To set off a trap right in their own refuge? It was almost beyond comprehension.
The realization dawned on the other convoys as well, and chaos erupted in the courtyard. Shouts filled the air as engines roared to life. Curses against Tang Hai echoed as survivors scrambled to figure out their next move.
Some smaller teams abandoned their vehicles and rushed toward the bunker’s entrance, hoping to find safety.
But when the Black Jiao Convoy opened the outpost’s gate, they were greeted by an unexpected sight—massive barricades and marble blocks had been set up outside without their knowledge.
Seeing this, Qian Yu’s face twisted with rage. “Clear the obstacles! Now!”
A modified heavy truck equipped with a steel plow lowered its blade with a mechanical whine. Revving its engine, it charged forward, crashing into the barricades with explosive force.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The plow cleared a path through the debris, leaving a temporary escape route for the vehicles behind.
“Brother, should we go too?!”
On another pickup truck, Luo Shasha looked nervously at the chaotic scene unfolding around them, her voice trembling.
Luo Ye hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the bunker.
“I can go get them!” Shasha shouted.
“Wait!” Luo Ye grabbed her arm, his eyes focused. “They… they have abilities.”
Shasha bit her lip, nodding in agreement. “Alright, then we’ll wait for them.”
Meanwhile, the survivors who had rushed toward the bunker’s entrance reached the iron door. But before they could even attempt to open it, a sudden flash of fire illuminated the darkness.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the courtyard, and a ball of fire engulfed the survivors, swallowing them whole.
“Damn it!”
“Kiki! Are they—?!”
The horrific sound of the zombie horde’s howls grew louder and louder, echoing through the fog. Gunfire erupted as survivors fought back, but the chaos was too overwhelming.
On the pickup, Shasha’s face turned pale as she watched the carnage unfold. Despite waiting as long as she could, there was still no sign of Lin Xian or Kiki.
“Brother!!”
“We have to go!” Luo Ye said decisively, slamming his foot on the gas pedal.
The pickup truck roared to life, speeding out of the outpost.
If they hesitated any longer, neither of them would make it out alive.
The scene in the courtyard had descended into utter madness. Waves of zombies, grotesque undead creatures, corpse dogs, and black centipede-like monsters surged through the fog, flooding into the outpost like a tidal wave.
One van that failed to start in time was instantly swallowed by the horde, while an off-road vehicle crashed into a cement block in the chaos. Its passengers, unable to restart the vehicle, were forced to abandon it, firing their guns as they ran toward the bunker.
But they didn’t get far. In the darkness, a corpse dog pounced, dragging one of them to the ground.
“Ahhh!”
“Help me!”
“Run, honey! I’ll hold them off!”
Inside the bunker, the sound of the explosion and the arrival of the horde had thrown the survivors into a frenzy. The undead poured into the shelter, and the confined space erupted in horrific screams and chaos.
The valley echoed with the chilling sounds of panic, gunfire, and inhuman shrieks.
Outside, the fleeing vehicles formed a frantic convoy, their headlights piercing through the fog. But the monsters pursued them relentlessly, and every time a vehicle lost control, it triggered a chain of crashes, with the wreckage quickly consumed by the zombie tide.
Qian Yu’s armored vehicle followed closely behind the plow truck that was clearing the way. His bloodshot eyes darted nervously as he shouted into the walkie-talkie.
“Car 4! Car 4! Respond!”
“Damn it!”
“Wu Songlin! Have you found the route yet?!”
“We have to go through the city and circle back to take the side road!” someone shouted back through the walkie-talkie.
“F***!” Qian Yu growled.
“Boss, something doesn’t feel right…” one of his subordinates said suddenly.