allonlinenovel Chapter 25 Someone is coming
Chapter 25 Someone is coming
At 7 a.m., when Li Chenglong woke up, he found that Yun Lan was gone. Using his ring, he sensed her presence and discovered she was running downstairs. "Have I become lazy too? I can't do this again," he thought, then put on his coat and went to wash his face and brush his teeth. Just as he finished, Yun Lan came upstairs and said, "Zheng Yong is looking for you. He says he has something to discuss with you, it seems to be about ammunition." Li Chenglong nodded. "Yes, Xue'er told me yesterday that we're severely lacking in weapons. There are over 400 Dawn Army soldiers, but only 100 guns. We don't even have as many bullets as guns. It's a real problem." Li Chenglong took out three cartons of milk, several bags of bread, and three chicken legs from his storage ring and placed them on the table. "Yun Lan, you eat some first, then bring some to Xue'er later. I won't eat any." He then went downstairs to the temporary office at the Dawn Base.
As soon as he entered, he saw Zheng Yong, Yun Qian, and the company commanders and deputy company commanders of each company were already there. "Sorry I'm late," Li Chenglong said as he walked to his seat. Zheng Yong smiled and said, "Not late at all. Actually, it wasn't a meeting, just a few of us chatting." At this moment, Yun Lan knocked on the door and came in. Seeing that most of the key personnel of the Dawn Army had arrived, Zheng Yong said, "I believe everyone knows that the reason for gathering the main personnel of the army here is that, based on the reports from each company and Yun Qian's statistics, we currently have 101 rifles, 40 pistols, 204 rounds of ammunition, 5 hand grenades, and 200 kg of explosives. The current shortage of ammunition is seriously affecting our soldiers' combat capabilities." Wu Gang, the company commander of the first company, also said, "That's right, half of our company doesn't even have a decent weapon. We only have baseball bats and fire axes."
Company Commander Zheng Aiguo sighed, "You still have fire axes, but many of our weapons are just imitations from a martial arts training camp, and thirty men were each issued a staff." Li Chenglong listened patiently, also somewhat helplessly, "Our current supply of firearms and ammunition is indeed a serious problem, but it's not as easy to obtain as food. Xia Guo is a country that strictly prohibits guns, so the only way to get these supplies is through various bases. As you all know, we are completely separated by zombies and alien beasts."
Hao Dahai also said, "There's always a way. Didn't the captain say that we'd head south to Linhai City soon? There's a nationally designated high-tech development zone there, involving industries like military, medicine, and machinery manufacturing. Once we get there, we can make bullets, let alone guns." Wu Gang laughed and said, "You make it sound so easy. With the equipment we have, let alone Linhai, even walking 100km feels difficult. We superhumans aren't afraid of zombies, but there are still so many survivors and ordinary soldiers."
After discussing for half an hour without reaching a conclusion, and remembering that everyone still had tasks to complete, the meeting adjourned. Yun Qian then walked over and said, "We've found a place to raise pigs." Li Chenglong and Yun Lan were very surprised, not expecting to find a place so quickly. The group followed Yun Qian to a spot 500 meters from the office compound, where they found a large shed surrounded by reinforced fences. Yun Qian explained, "This used to be where the villagers raised cattle. It's quite large, and we modified it overnight. It should meet the requirements for raising mutated pigs. We also hired three experienced pig farmers from among the survivors."
After inspecting the pigs, Li Chenglong nodded in satisfaction: "This place is good. It's enough for three pigs, let alone three more." He then took three mutated piglets from his storage space and placed them in the pen. A large-scale pig farmer exclaimed, "These are piglets! They look as big as our adult pigs!" Li Chenglong smiled and said, "You must feed them well; they can grow quite large." The group nodded and went to prepare food for the pigs. Li Chenglong instructed Yun Qian, "There's a lot of grain contaminated with the zombie virus. Although it's not safe for humans, it's perfectly fine for mutated pigs. I tested this in my storage ring yesterday. Also, make sure to keep a close eye on these pigs, and be wary of these three people." Yun Qian replied with a smile, "I've already arranged all that. We'll have two soldiers here watching over them and keeping a record of what they're fed each day." Hearing this, Li Chenglong became increasingly pleased with his earlier decision to transfer Yun Qian to the logistics department.
At this moment, Li Xue rushed over and said, "Brother, a few people have arrived from elsewhere. They seem to be from the military, and several of them are seriously injured. Some of their injuries are beyond my ability to treat." Upon hearing this, Li Chenglong greeted Yun Qian and immediately took Yun Lan and ran towards the town office compound. Before they even entered the compound, Li Chenglong saw a heavily damaged military truck parked outside, surrounded by a crowd. As soon as Li Chenglong entered the compound, he saw several stretchers on the ground, each carrying a wounded soldier. However, based on Li Chenglong's observation, these wounded soldiers were mostly beyond saving. There were also more than thirty people in military uniforms bearing the markings of the Jinghai Base in the compound.
Upon seeing Li Chenglong arrive, Zheng Yong immediately brought two men over and said, "This is Captain Li, the highest-ranking officer of our Dawn Base. You can speak to him." A man with bandages wrapped around his head said, "I am Yang Hu, the quartermaster of the Jinghai Base, and this is my adjutant, Liu Cheng. We've heard that you, Captain Li, are also a soldier, and Zheng Yong is from the Jinghai Base. Captain Li, please help us." The quartermaster was about to kneel when Li Chenglong quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't do that. Speak slowly and clearly before we can help you." Li Chenglong first gestured for Zheng Yong to take the two men back into the house, then had Li Xue take the thirty-odd men to the canteen for a meal. After making the arrangements, he went into his office.
Zheng Yong poured some water for Yang Hu from a thermos, then took out a few loaves of bread from a drawer and said, "You two eat some first, and then tell us slowly after you're done." Yang Hu finished a loaf of bread in a few bites, and then slowly began to speak.
Yang Hu and Liu Cheng were quartermasters of the First Regiment at Jinghai Base, ordered to receive a batch of military supplies in Jinghai City. On their way back, they encountered a zombie outbreak and were ordered to wait for rescue. However, after 10 days, communication with their superiors was cut off. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, they continued north along the highway. When they were 35km from Qing'an Town, they were suddenly blocked by a group of very strong individuals.
The group called themselves the National Salvation Association, but in reality, they were a gang of thugs and hooligans. During their growth, they recruited many members from criminal gangs and escaped prisoners, eventually amassing a force of over 200. Although the supply corps had a considerable number of men, many had already perished along the way due to the zombie outbreak. Furthermore, the National Salvation Association had two Level 4 ability users, creating a significant power imbalance. As a result, over a dozen truckloads of military supplies were seized, and many members of the supply corps were killed. Only about thirty men managed to escape. Upon arriving in Qing'an Town, they were discovered by the Dawn Army. Hearing that there were also troops there, they immediately sought help.
After hearing Yang Hu's account, Li Chenglong and his men were also furious. Li Chenglong immediately said, "Don't worry, you two, we will definitely rescue the people they've captured and resolutely fight back against them." Yang Hu immediately stood up, grasped Li Chenglong's hand, and said excitedly, "Thank you, thank you so much. I heard from Zheng Yong that the General Affairs Department has ordered local forces to resist the zombies. Along the way in Qing'an Town, we saw that the people here are living well under your management. So we just discussed it, and as long as you can rescue our people, we'll join you, and you can use the dozen or so truckloads of military supplies as you please." Li Chenglong said seriously, "We're not doing this to ask for your gratitude, but because we're also planning to go south to Linhai City in a while. If we don't eliminate them now, they'll grow faster and faster and become a major threat. Of course, we would certainly welcome you if you could join us."
After saying this, Li Chenglong immediately ordered his men to summon the company commanders and deputy company commanders of the First and Second Companies, who were not currently on duty, along with several platoon leaders, for a combat meeting. The company commander and deputy company commander of the Third Company were also to attend. Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo, among others, immediately expressed their willingness to participate in this operation. Li Chenglong said, “This is the first major combat mission since the establishment of our Dawn Army. This time we are dealing with the enemy, and they are living, breathing people, not zombies, so everyone participating in this battle must be mentally prepared. Secondly, the enemy is also very strong. We currently know of two Level 4 ability users, and the number of other ability users is unknown; it could be a tough battle.”
Li Chenglong paused, then said, "But for the defense of such a large base, I can only take a company this time. I hope I bring a steel blade; do you understand what I mean?" Wu Gang and Deputy Company Commander Qian Guangming immediately stood up and said, "The entire First Company is ready to attack. Please grant us permission, Captain Li, to go together." Zheng Aiguo of the Second Company also immediately stood up and said, "In terms of combat power, our Second Company is stronger. Of our 140 men, 11 are Level 1 Ability Users, 12 are Level 2 Ability Users, and 3 are Level 3 Ability Users." Wu Gang retorted, "Although we have fewer Ability Users than you, we have more former soldiers. This operation will definitely be a blitzkrieg. In terms of execution, we are the best."
Seeing the argument between the two men growing increasingly heated, Li Chenglong interrupted, "Yesterday, the Second Company followed me to the grain depot, so they're relatively tired. This time, we really need to launch a surprise attack, so I'm planning to lead the First Company instead." Upon hearing this, Wu Gang immediately puffed out his chest proudly. Zheng Aiguo, hearing his captain's words, didn't say anything more. Li Chenglong continued, "Since the military commanders of the three companies are mostly present, on behalf of the Dawn Base's Dawn Army Committee, I announce that due to our increased numbers, a Special Service Company has been specially established. Yun Lan will concurrently serve as the company commander, and Li Chenglong will be the deputy company commander. This company will consist entirely of ability users, but not all will be combat-type; there will also be support-type ability users. Furthermore, every member of this company must possess at least assassination, espionage, and raiding skills. But don't worry, we won't be taking personnel from you. The personnel will be selected by Yun Lan from among the newer ability users, with a maximum of 40 people."
After the meeting, Li Chenglong called Wu Gang and Qian Guangming over: "We'll depart in an hour. Your company, go and prepare immediately. Meet in this office compound then." Li Chenglong then went to the Coordination Committee and reported the news of the planned attack on this hostile force to the committee members. He also briefly reported on the Dawn Army Committee's decision to establish a Special Service Company. Li Chenglong said to the committee, "Establishing the Special Service Company serves two purposes: first, to cultivate our talent, giving us a sharp blade to strike at the right moment; second, as our numbers increase, some lawbreakers will emerge. The current security department is insufficient to handle these individuals, and our Special Service Company will also purge those who have seriously damaged our base's interests." The Coordination Committee unanimously agreed to both proposals.
As soon as they left the committee office, Yunlan said, "Why did you make me the company commander? Wouldn't it be more suitable for you?" Li Chenglong smiled and said, "I'm far inferior to you when it comes to judging people, so you must help me select the right people. As for training them, we'll train them together, whoever has time can do it. I hope the Special Service Company can become the strongest and best." Yunlan nodded, "I will definitely do my best for you. By the way, are you not planning to take me with you on tonight's mission?" Li Chenglong replied, "That's right, I took the whole company with me this time, which will leave the base's defenses weak, especially since we have too few high-level combatants now. I can only entrust this mission to you. Can you understand me?" Yunlan smiled and said, "I understand. I will definitely help you protect this home and come back soon." After saying that, Yunlan went to prepare for recruiting the Special Service Company.
Li Chenglong watched Yun Lan leave, then glanced at his watch. There were still 10 minutes until the scheduled time. Yang Hu, Liu Cheng, and a female soldier approached and said, "We heard that Captain Li is personally leading the team. Originally, my brother and I were going to be your guides, but one of us has an injured eye, and the other has a broken arm, so we really can't go. But we brought someone with us this time. Her name is Yang Liu. Don't let her appearance fool you; she's a key member of our team's reconnaissance force. To be honest, without her, none of us thirty-odd people would have made it this far. Yang Liu, this is Battalion Commander Li of the Dawn Army. Please get to know her." Li Chenglong carefully examined the female soldier. She was about 1.65 meters tall, with long limbs and relatively defined muscles, indicating regular exercise. Her eyes were bright and lovely, and her fair face was dotted with freckles. Her hair was cut into a neat short style.
The female soldier stepped forward, saluted, and said, "Yang Liu, soldier of the reconnaissance company, 1st battalion, Jinghai base, reporting for duty." Li Chenglong nodded and said to Yang Hu and Liu Cheng, "So she's a reconnaissance soldier too. Very good. Don't worry, you two, I'll bring her back unharmed." The two were about to speak when the assembly whistle sounded in the office compound. Li Chenglong said, "Alright, we're setting off. Just wait for our victory news."