Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Wang Zhi and the others spent nearly 500 Survival Points on ammunition practice at the Shooting Range. Wang Zhi felt quite heavy-hearted about this mission. This was because their enemy this time was human—their former compatriots—and soon they would be slaughtering each other. This was one of the significant factors troubling Wang Zhi.
Over several months, Wang Zhi realized he had changed too much. He, who previously wouldn't kill even a fish, was now a cold-blooded warrior who killed Zombies without batting an eye.
That day, Wang Zhi woke up very early; it was the day they planned to set out. In fact, no one had slept much. Seeing the living room lights on, everyone walked out.
Wang Zhi checked their gear for the expedition: weapons, ammunition, food, medical kits. After confirming everything was fine, Wang Zhi instructed everyone to put on their Bulletproof Vests and Hazmat Suits before heading to Duan Qingtian's residence. After picking up Duan Qingtian, the group arrived at the Command Department on the first floor, belonging to Adam.
According to the scheduled time, the ten soldiers arranged by Jie Xi for the Tower Master were already assembled at Adam's location, ready to depart at any moment.
"Hello, Captain Adam, I am Wang Zhi, the captain of the Sunset Glow. We have an operation that requires the assistance of these ten soldiers here," Wang Zhi stepped forward and said.
"Mm, everyone is here. Come over here!" Adam called toward the back.
Immediately, ten fully armed soldiers emerged from the room.
"Hello, Captain Wang, I am their squad leader, Wei Songyuan. You can give instructions to me."
"Mm, then let's not delay. Let's set off. Duan Captain and Zhang Ming, you two lead the way."
After Wang Zhi confirmed there were no issues, he spoke to the two of them.
Duan Qingtian led the group to Elevator No. 7, which led down to W City. That encampment was established in a village within W City.
...
November 2025, Sunny.
Two months had passed since the Cataclysm broke out. Without human carbon emissions, the Earth's temperature had dropped. The late autumn wind blew across Wang Zhi's face as he looked up at the sky. He didn't know if the zombies would freeze to death in winter, nor did he know how long zombies could go without eating before starving. These were all unknowns to Wang Zhi.
"Wow, it's been over a month since we were last out. The air outside is getting better and better!"
Fatty was running around excitedly outside, much like a little dog kept indoors for too long.
"Hey, Fatty, be careful. Don't drop my sniper rifle, or I'll feed you to the zombies," Su Muying warned from the side.
"Come on, Sister Ying, do you know how heavy this thing is? And you're still making jokes!"
"Then how about I carry it, and you go up and chop those zombies?"
"I think I'd better carry it. Getting fit starts with me, hehe."
After Wang Zhi and his group had walked for nearly three hours, they arrived at the camp where Duan Qingtian had met his misfortune. In the distant woods, Wang Zhi raised his binoculars. Just as Zhang Ming had described, the camp was backed by a river and flanked by a mountain. At the entrance, there were two Watchtowers, each manned by a soldier, and inside the camp, many soldiers were moving about.
Wang Zhi instructed everyone to rest where they were. It was still early, and getting too close risked detection, so they decided to wait until nightfall to move.
"At night, our people will first sneak to the outer perimeter of the wall. At that time, Ying will take care of sniping the sentinels in the towers. We must ensure the sentinels cannot send out an enemy alert signal; this step cannot go wrong. If any issue arises, we must retreat immediately; a direct confrontation carries too high a risk. If the first step goes smoothly, those of us on the perimeter will immediately infiltrate the camp. Then, leveraging our advantage with night vision goggles, we will first assassinate any isolated soldiers. If the enemy sends a distress signal, we will immediately open fire. Anyone hearing gunfire must instantly cease the assassination and switch weapons to engage in a firefight," Wang Zhi explained the operational plan.
"The wind is strong today; the bullet trajectory might be affected. The initial plan might fail," Su Muying stated.
"No matter how strong the wind blows, there will eventually be a moment when it stops. When that time comes, find the right opportunity, don't rush. The first step is crucial; if we can infiltrate smoothly, we can eliminate nearly half the personnel before the actual fight begins!" Wang Zhi said, looking at Ying.
"Don't worry, if things go wrong, we can just slip away."
Su Muying said nonchalantly.
Everyone sat resting in the woods, waiting for nightfall.
During this time, Duan Qingtian was the most restless; in his current state, he wished they could move immediately.
Although this state was quite irrational, Wang Zhi tried to put himself in his shoes. If one of his own teammates had been sacrificed, his state probably wouldn't be much better than Duan Qingtian's.
Soon, night descended. Wang Zhi kept observing the camp's movements through binoculars. At this time, lights were on in the camp, engines were running hard, and soldiers were gathered around bonfires, roasting food, talking, and laughing.
"I'll go find a good shooting position first," Su Muying said as she stood up.
"Jia Liuli, you will be responsible for ensuring Ying's immediate safety."
Wang Zhi was afraid that zombies might sneak up on Su Muying while she was concentrating, so he had Jia Liuli guard her. Another reason was that Wang Zhi didn't want Jia Liuli to kill anyone.
"Captain Wei, you and your team will infiltrate from the left side of the wall shortly. Report any unexpected situations immediately via radio."
After Wang Zhi and the others confirmed the radio channels, one team approached the camp wall from the left and one from the right.
Since Duan Qingtian and Zhang Ming had been here once before, Wang Zhi assigned Duan Qingtian to Captain Wei's team.
"Sister Ying, are you ready on your side?"
Wang Zhi spoke over the radio.
"Mhm, I've found the position, but the wind is a bit strong right now; we need to wait a bit longer."
Ying's reply came through the earpiece.
Wang Zhi waited by the wall for a moment, then Ying's voice reached his ear.
"One neutralized, unnoticed."
"Good, hold steady on the remaining one."
Wang Zhi waited for a long time, and when Ying didn't respond for a while, he grew a little anxious.
"Ying, are you done yet?"
"The wind speed keeps fluctuating; there hasn't been a good opportunity."
After receiving the reply, Wang Zhi and the others could only lean quietly against the wall and wait.
Time passed minute by minute. Wang Zhi felt that if they delayed any longer, they would inevitably be discovered. He was prepared to retreat at any moment; as long as Su Muying missed her shot, he would immediately give the order to withdraw.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the other side of the wall—someone was approaching...