Wu Zhenyuan looked back and was stunned. It was dusk, and night combat was not suitable for fighter jets, so they had to return as soon as possible. But at this moment, bathed in the setting sun, a flock of large birds flew from the distant mountains. The number of these large birds was truly astonishing; at a glance, one would think locusts had appeared. So many large birds were flying towards Yanjing.
With the large birds silhouetted against the setting sun, they appeared as mere black shadows from the ground. Only their general shapes could be discerned, with no other features visible. It was different when viewed from the aircraft. Looking back, one could clearly see the true appearance of these large birds. There were white cranes, wild geese, and even swans. Numerous large birds were flapping their wings.
The large birds spread their wings, which were four to five meters long. Their colossal bodies were simply unprecedented. Even a golden eagle's wingspan was only a little over two meters, yet these birds' wingspans reached four to five meters. It was evident they were extraordinary. There was only one explanation for the size of these large birds: mutation!
The zombie virus had two outcomes when it affected humans: either they turned into zombies or they developed antibodies. A small number of humans would evolve. When the zombie virus affected other animals, the animals either remained unchanged or mutated.
The mutated large birds were immense, but what was most concerning were their claws. In the claws of these large birds were held many humanoid objects. Upon closer inspection, these objects turned out to be zombies, not just mutated zombies but also ordinary zombies!
"Headquarters, headquarters! This is the southeast sector of Yanjing. Large numbers of mutated birds have been spotted. Zombies are about to conduct an aerial assault on Yanjing. Please prepare for defense, please prepare for defense!" The squad leader was the first to react and immediately contacted headquarters with his walkie-talkie.
When headquarters heard the news, everyone was bewildered. An aerial assault? April Fool's Day was still a month and a half away. Why were people playing pranks now? Could zombies really conduct aerial assaults? If zombies were capable of aerial assaults, why hadn't they done so earlier?
Everyone at headquarters wore expressions of disbelief. Zombies could not possibly master aerial assault methods. The idea of zombies falling from the sky was pure fantasy. Since the zombie outbreak, there had been no reports of zombies descending from the sky in global combat. How could zombies have prepared aerial assault capabilities within a single day?
However, subsequently, hundreds of people reported what they had seen and heard. All these reports shared one common point: zombies were being carried by mutated large birds and were flying towards Yanjing. Although the timing of the zombies and mutated birds' joint operation was unknown, the fact remained that zombies had utilized the birds' wings to gain the ability to air-drop into Yanjing!
The command staff immediately erupted in chaos. No one had anticipated that zombies would have aerial assault capabilities. No one had prepared anti-air defenses, and it was now dusk, meaning the combat effectiveness of fighter jets at night might not be optimal!
The situation was like a nightmare descending. The zombies' true killer move had appeared: an aerial assault! The human side had no countermeasures for aerial assaults. If they had known earlier that zombies would choose aerial assault tactics, Yanjing would have long been equipped with large-caliber machine guns and anti-aircraft artillery mounted on its tall buildings. Unfortunately, fate had intervened, and the zombies had chosen to attack from a direction humans had overlooked!
"How could the Zombie King possess such high intelligence? How is this possible?" A general collapsed onto his chair, as if struck by a heavy hammer, unable to utter a word.
The other command staff were not much better. They were all engaged in heated discussions, wondering when the zombies had allied with the mutated birds and why no clues had been received earlier.
The people in the command center were military experts, proficient in formulating both tactics and strategies. They believed they had already seen through the zombies' feint, so they had not taken it seriously. But now, the truth was laid bare: zombies would descend from the skies above Yanjing, and Yanjing might very well fall into the hands of the zombies!
It was not that everyone had underestimated the enemy, but rather that the zombies' tactics were too cunning. The approaching zombie horde was a diversion, and the tunnels dug from all directions were also diversions. The real killing blow was only now being revealed. At this point, the fighter jets' fuel would not last much longer.
The current situation, if described as a duel, would be akin to both parties extending their fists to strike, only for the opponent to suddenly produce a third hand from the shadows and deliver a punch to one's soft spot.
In the command center, Cheng Ke was extremely anxious. He quickly said, "Everyone, quickly think of a way to respond! As for when the zombies and mutated birds allied, that's secondary! If we don't think of something soon, aren't we just going to watch the mutated birds appear above Yanjing?"
Cheng Ke's words awakened many of the contemplating commanders. If they simply watched the zombies descend at this moment, wouldn't it be tantamount to surrendering without a fight?
The immediate priority was to prevent the mutated birds from approaching Yanjing city. Fortunately, half of the fighter jets were still circling above Yanjing. This was their last resort. Regardless of the fighter jets' condition, the command center issued the order:
"Notify all fighter jet pilots outside the city to do their utmost to prevent the mutated birds from approaching, at all costs!" The command staff reluctantly issued this order.
Cheng Ke heard the order, and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. He knew that the air force would inevitably suffer casualties in this battle. After all, the fighter jets were not equipped with ammunition. What other means could they use to intercept the mutated birds now?
Cheng Ke could do nothing to stop it. Once the zombies descended from the sky into Yanjing city, it would undoubtedly bring disaster. Yanjing's defensive forces were all concentrated near the city walls. Inside the city were ten million elderly, weak, women, and children. If the zombies entered the city, it would be like a sharp knife piercing the heart, and the city would inevitably descend into chaos.
The pilots currently in the air were stunned upon hearing this order. They had no idea what they were supposed to do. The fuel in their fighter jets was nearly depleted, and the missiles they carried had long been used to kill zombies. The fighter jets were not equipped with ammunition, so how could they kill mutated birds?
The fighter jets were equipped with fully automatic machine guns that could fire directly in the air. However, using bullets to kill zombies was too inefficient. Therefore, the fighter jets had not carried ammunition when they departed, to reduce weight and conserve fuel. Now, facing an unexpected aerial battle, they could not use their machine guns. How could they fight?
When Wu Zhenyuan heard the news, he reflexively asked, "Squad leader, squad leader, what should we do?"
There was no response from the headset for a long time, and Wu Zhenyuan had a premonition. Why was the squad leader silent? Why wasn't he speaking?
"Squad leader, what are you doing? Say something!" Wu Zhenyuan panicked, losing the composure he had just gained, and shouted into his microphone.
When in an unfamiliar environment, people tend to rely on others. At home, one relies on parents; when away from home, one relies on friends. And when deployed, Wu Zhenyuan relied on his squad leader. Although he had only been a squad leader for over a month, and they hadn't spent much time together, it was the squad leader who provided him with psychological comfort. Now, with the squad leader remaining silent, Wu Zhenyuan was completely panicked, reverting to being an ignorant child.
Finally, the squad leader's voice came through the headset. His voice sounded very relaxed. "What are you panicking about, you kid? I was just thinking about tactics. Now, I order the four of you rookie novices following me to return to Yanjing airport to replenish ammunition. I will engage these beasts. After you replenish your ammunition, come and support me immediately. Do you understand?"
Hearing the squad leader's voice, Wu Zhenyuan felt somewhat relieved. He knew that as long as he could still hear the squad leader's voice, he could still follow orders. He was timid, but he had gone to the battlefield by obeying commands. It was the same now.
"Squad leader, can you handle it alone? There are at least ten thousand of these mutated birds. Why don't we stay and help you?" Wu Zhenyuan quickly said.
The squad leader replied, "You rookies haven't experienced aerial combat. Staying here will only be a hindrance to me! I order you to return immediately, replenish your ammunition and fuel, and then get back on the battlefield. We will buy you time. I still have many comrades!"
Wu Zhenyuan looked around. There were indeed many fighter jets in the sky. When the squad leader was fighting, he was not alone.
Therefore, Wu Zhenyuan and the other rookies chose to return to the airport to replenish their ammunition. The squad leader pulled the control stick, instantly raising the fighter jet's position. He then circled around to face the setting sun, a look of relief flashing across his face, as if he had finally found release.
Wu Zhenyuan looked at the fuel gauge and murmured, "There's enough fuel to return to the airport, but replenishing ammunition will take too long. I don't know if the squad leader can hold on until our support arrives."
Hundreds of fighter jets flew back to the airport from the front lines. The pilots of these fighter jets were all rookies, and most of them were on their first battlefield. Now, safely returning to Yanjing, they felt a sense of relief.
But at that moment, a vibrant flower suddenly bloomed in the distant sky. "Boom..." A flash of fire lit up the sky, and a fighter jet violently collided with a mutated bird. Accompanied by thick black smoke, the fighter jet's fuel tank was deformed by the impact and eventually exploded. The fire and black smoke mixed together, resembling a dazzling flower blooming in the sky.
Wu Zhenyuan turned his head and saw the strange flower appearing in the sky. He immediately felt unwell, his pupils shrinking, his eyes fixed on the distant sky. Thousands of fighter jets were still charging towards the mutated birds. Although he couldn't see the pilots' backs, he could imagine their resolute expressions.
"Squad leader..." Wu Zhenyuan murmured, only able to see the distant flowers blooming through the cockpit window.
Flowers bloomed in the sky, composed of white, yellow, and red. The moment of explosion was white, followed by red and yellow flames. The falling wreckage of the fighter jets trailed thick black smoke, and as the wind blew, these flowers gradually lost their color, as if someone were erasing the scene with an eraser.
The fighter jets charged towards the mutated birds one after another, each fighter jet facing death unflinchingly. Birds were naturally no match for flesh and blood. So, when they knocked down a fighter jet, they were instantly shattered, their blood splattering all over the fighter jet. However, as the mutated birds flew at high speed, they carried immense kinetic energy. After colliding with the aircraft, they inevitably caused the aircraft to deform. This repeated process would damage even the hardest steel plates.
The mutated birds were numerous, estimated at tens of thousands. So many birds, carrying zombies, were about to conduct an aerial assault, only to encounter a group of pilots who faced death with resolve.
Each fighter jet that collided with a mutated bird took the lives of several mutated birds. The birds were shattered, and sometimes the birds' beaks and claws would pierce the bulletproof glass. As the glass shattered, strong winds would blow onto the pilots, lifting their clothes. Then, amidst the fiery explosion, inconspicuous blood mist would appear, and the pilot would perish.
The flowers in the sky blocked the mutated birds' advance. The mutated birds intended to fly low to the ground to evade the fighter jets, but the fighter jets preferred to crash on the ground rather than let these mutated birds heading for Yanjing escape.
Ultimately, the mutated birds changed their direction of attack, scattering and entering Yanjing city from several directions. By this time, only dozens of fighter jets remained. The suicidal charge had taken effect. The mutated birds changed their direction of advance, and even with only dozens of fighter jets remaining, they dared not charge directly towards Yanjing.
The pilots, with the flowers blooming in the sky, told the mutated birds that to enter Yanjing, they would have to cross over their corpses!