allonlinenovel Chapter 168 Going North
Chapter 168 Going North
On February 5th, just a few days after the Spring Festival, Li Chenglong received a call from General Sun Tianlong. According to Sun, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Military Region and the Northeast Military Region were preparing to hold a military conference. The main purpose of the conference was to deepen cooperation between the various military regions and discuss future operational plans.
In addition to the main commanders of the two military regions, the attendees of this conference also included the heads of various bases, large and small, within the jurisdiction of the military regions. The meeting was held at General Sun Tianlong's Qianyun Base, located in Tianjing City, approximately 530km from Shuguang City. Currently, Shuguang City's network coverage is within a radius of 600km, so it is still possible to make real-time calls with Shuguang City using crystal mobile phones from this base.
Although Sun Tianlong told Li Chenglong during the call that it wasn't a mandatory order, he still hoped Li Chenglong could come if possible, his words seeming somewhat hesitant. Later, Li Chenglong learned that the Northeast Military Region's aggressive approach had put them under considerable pressure, and they hoped Li Chenglong could come and lend them support. Along with inviting Li Chenglong, Sun Tianlong also extended an invitation to Feiyun Base and Heijin City.
Currently, all of China is divided into six major military regions: the Northwest Military Region, the Southwest Military Region, the Central Military Region, the Northeast Military Region, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Military Region, and the Southeast Military Region. The Provisional China Military Commission is composed of the commanders of these military regions. The commendation given to Li Chenglong last time was proposed by General Sun Tianlong, and only after the China Military Commission approved it did the subsequent events take place.
Upon receiving the news, Li Chenglong convened the Dawn Army Military Committee and the Dawn City General Committee. Although many disagreed with his going, he overruled their objections and decided to go and see for himself. Knowing his capabilities, the others didn't object further. Li Chenglong ultimately decided that, in addition to himself, the special forces team would accompany him. Yang Liu and the others were overjoyed to be able to go with Captain Li.
After deciding to depart, Li Chenglong contacted the Feiyun Base, proposing to travel together for mutual support. Xu Limin and Wei Jing agreed to the suggestion and immediately set a time. Yun Lan initially didn't want Li Chenglong to go so easily, but considering that he was attending the meeting for future joint operations, she reluctantly agreed.
During dinner that evening, Qin Fangyu decided to take leave to look after Yunlan, since Yunlan's due date was less than two months away and Li Chenglong had to attend a military conference, a long journey that would take at least ten to twenty days. Yunlan initially disagreed, saying that Li Xue was at home and Wang Xiao in the assistant's office would also take care of her. However, under her mother's insistence, Yunlan had no choice but to agree.
Qi Guoan didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He was certain there wouldn't be any problems during the meeting, after all, it was a military meeting between two military zones; what could possibly happen? The main concern was the potential dangers of encountering zombie hordes, advanced alien beasts, and advanced zombie beasts along the way. However, with the special forces team traveling with Li Chenglong, safety was definitely not an issue. Erica, on the other hand, stated that she wouldn't leave during Li Chenglong's absence to ensure the safety of Dawn City.
2月8日一早，许清明和卫华升两人率领他们的团队便来到了曙光城，稍作补给之后便和李成龙出发了。李成龙的团队是他和20名特战队员，许清明这次带了许虎和许龙加上5名5级异能者和10名4级异能者。卫华升则是带了5名6级异能者和15名4级异能者。
The convoy formed a long line and proceeded according to plan. Li Chenglong and Yang Liu rode in the same car, and Li Chenglong recounted his nine years of trials and tribulations at the Donghai base. When the women heard that Li Chenglong had led the Xiaolong detachment to achieve numerous feats of merit, received many military awards, and even been personally received by the supreme commander, they were all deeply moved.
Han Xiaoling asked curiously, "Brother, you're so amazing, how did you retire? I asked my sister-in-law before, and she told me to ask you." Yang Liu, who was driving, nodded and said, "I only heard Wu Gang mention it once, but I don't know the specifics. Captain Li, could you tell me?" Li Chenglong, who was in the passenger seat, was studying the map and route. Seeing the girls looking at him with curiosity, he began to explain.
That happened in September 2022. At that time, Li Chenglong and Han Yang, the two captains and deputy captains, received intelligence that a group of terrorists had infiltrated China and were preparing to carry out terrorist activities to split the country. The superiors ordered Xiaolong's squad to quickly go and eliminate these terrorists, and to ensure that they did not cause any harm to the country and the people.
While the intelligence was accurate, it wasn't complete; it wasn't one terrorist group, but two. Just as Li Chenglong and his team were about to eliminate the terrorists, another group surrounded Li Chenglong's Xiaolong Squad, resulting in a fierce firefight. Three soldiers were killed, and several others were wounded. Yun Lan was focused on dealing with a terrorist wielding a sniper rifle when a thug suddenly appeared from behind her. Li Chenglong immediately pinned Yun Lan to the ground, shielding her from the thug's bullets.
Li Chenglong said with a smile, "The doctors removed five bullets from my back, two of which broke my spine. Fortunately, those bullets were specially made to penetrate bulletproof vests; they had strong penetrating power but caused minimal damage. However, the doctors gave me a death sentence. After a consultation by several military region doctors, they unanimously agreed that I would be permanently disabled and would never be able to stand up again. Later, in order to protect me, the organization completely sealed my file. I declined the offer to keep me as a clerk and returned to Qing'an Town with my demobilization allowance and compensation, where I lived with my sister."
After a pause, Li Chenglong continued, "Li Xue was originally studying nursing and had already started her internship at Jinghai First People's Hospital, arranged by the organization. However, after learning about my situation, she gave up her internship and came back to take care of me. I donated almost all of the 300 million yuan in condolence money and demobilization pay to welfare homes and welfare primary schools, hoping to help orphans like us have a better living and learning environment. With the remaining money, I bought a small courtyard house for 6 yuan and opened a small department store for Li Xue for 20 yuan. We lived like that for a year until the apocalypse broke out."
After Li Chenglong finished speaking, the car fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the vehicle moving. After a long while, Zhao Liying slowly asked, "From the captain of the special forces team to being disabled, Captain, you've really had a tough time." Li Chenglong smiled and said, "It's really nothing. Although I knew at the time that I would never be able to stand up again, I don't regret it. My family has been in the military since my grandfather's generation. My grandfather fought in the Vietnam War, and my father was a border guard who later sacrificed his life in a drug enforcement operation. My mother passed away when my sister was two years old. It was because of the care and love from my grandfather and the organization that my siblings and I were able to grow up."
He then said calmly, "I hate this apocalypse, but I'm also grateful for it. It's because of it that I was able to stand up again, see Yunlan again, and meet comrades and friends like you. However, this year is the most difficult year for us. I hope you can help me fight against this apocalypse and the alien invasion together." The four women in the car said in unison, "We will always follow Captain Li and fight against the apocalypse together!"
Liu Fang then asked, "By the way, Captain Li, what should we do with the major general's uniform that General Sun Tianlong sent? Should we wear our Dawn Army uniforms or the ones issued to us?" Actually, after so much development in Dawn City, almost all soldiers were issued uniforms with Dawn City characteristics, and there were several sets available to adapt to different combat environments and seasonal changes. However, General Sun Tianlong had also sent a large number of uniforms, which were currently stored in the logistics department's warehouse and had not yet been distributed.
For the special forces members, since their numbers were relatively small—only about 20 people besides Yun Lan and Li Chenglong—Li Chenglong specially ordered the light industrial zone to create combat uniforms using special materials and silk spun by the exotic beast silkworms. Each uniform was custom-made based on their gender, height, weight, and special abilities, making them truly unique. The clothing made from the exotic beast silkworms was warm in winter and cool in summer, and could absorb some of the ability users' power, allowing for free stretching. This eliminated the problem of strength-type ability users tearing their clothes as their bodies grew. Furthermore, in the commercial streets of Dawn City, men's and women's underwear made from exotic beast silkworms was very popular, with no drawbacks except for its slightly higher price.
Li Chenglong thought for a moment and said, "Let's wear our special forces combat uniforms for now, and we'll talk about it later." Yang Liu then reported, "Currently, excluding Captain Li and Captain Yun, our special forces team has 20 people, including 3 at level 7, 11 at level 6, and 6 at level 5." Li Chenglong said approvingly, "Since the Battle of Langley in September, our Dawn City has made great progress. Yesterday, I saw the statistics, and there are already more than 50 at level 7 and more than 100 at level 6, which gives me even more confidence."
Zhao Liying nodded: "I heard Team Leader Yun is level 8?" Han Xiaoling quickly replied: "Yes, my sister-in-law reached level 8 a few days ago. That means we have two level 8 Awakeners in Dawn City." Liu Fang was a little curious: "Team Leader Li last leveled up in September, and you've hunted so many zombies and zombie beasts since then, even killing level 10 monsters, yet you haven't leveled up yet." Li Chenglong smiled and said: "Actually, I also reached level 9 yesterday with Miss Erica's help."
Li Chenglong's words caused a stir, and the women in the car immediately became excited, congratulating him on reaching level 9. Li Chenglong waved his hand, saying, "Not many people know about my level up yet. We're in an unfamiliar place for this meeting, so let's not make a fuss. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and we shouldn't be the first to do so. Keep it a secret for now." The women nodded, deeply agreeing.