Upon returning to the shopping mall, Cheng Ke immediately arranged for everyone to set up defenses around it, with guards taking turns at the exits, awaiting further aid. The moment Cheng Ke saw the sewer pipe, he understood why the Corpse King of Yuzhou had never been found. The answer was simple: the Corpse King was hidden within the sewer system, allowing it to move continuously and remain undiscovered as long as it stayed hidden.
Therefore, proceeding to the other two buildings was now pointless, as the Corpse King was not inside them. It could move freely through the sewer system, and no one knew its current location. All they could do now was hold their ground and wait for rescue. The mission to prevent the zombies from leaving Yuzhou had, once again, failed.
Cheng Ke silently took out his pistol. At this moment, he wished to atone for his mistakes with his own death. Since he hadn't died at the hands of the zombies, he felt it would be better to commit suicide, thus making amends for his errors.
However, just then, Cheng Ke remembered the scene from earlier when he had led five hundred men in a charge. He had promised them ultimate victory, which was why the battalion commander and his brothers had charged fearlessly. The final outcome was likely due to running out of ammunition, leading to their demise in the zombie horde.
"I must die, but not now!" Cheng Ke silently put away his pistol. He knew how easy it was to simply end his life, but doing so would feel like evading responsibility. At this critical juncture, with so many soldiers awaiting rescue, his suicide would be abandoning them. Without leadership, even greater losses could occur.
Therefore, Cheng Ke decided to commit suicide only after the soldiers had been rescued. He acknowledged that if not for his own arrogant proposal of a deeply flawed plan, everyone would not be in their current predicament. His sole reason for living now was to ensure the survival of the remaining soldiers.
Once the soldiers were saved, Cheng Ke resolved to kill himself. Though he didn't know how he would face his comrades who died due to his plan in the afterlife, living on in shame would be even more disgraceful. He believed one must bravely accept responsibility for their mistakes.
Subsequently, Cheng Ke used a satellite phone to contact headquarters, informing them of the possibility that the Corpse King was hiding in the sewers. Upon hearing this, headquarters instructed Cheng Ke to hold his position and await further support. The operation to hunt the Corpse King was to be discontinued.
Cheng Ke took stock of his remaining soldiers. There were only one thousand two hundred and forty-five left, a reduction of over seven hundred. Ammunition was also running low. At this point, even holding their ground would only last for about half a day. Meanwhile, the zombies had stopped their assault on the shopping mall and were gradually retreating. Cheng Ke knew that the Corpse King was leading the zombies in their withdrawal. Millions of zombies, he wondered how many humans they would kill!
Previously, the army had annihilated millions of zombies, but that was within the city, where they held absolute firepower superiority. With tanks, machine guns, and helicopters for reconnaissance and artillery support, they were in an invincible position. The zombies in the city could only await their doom. Now, with the Corpse King leading the zombies into the open, they could flee if outmatched. During their escape, the zombies would continuously transfer, making their complete annihilation an impossibility.
In a hidden street in Yuzhou, a sewer cover was gently pushed open. A zombie with a large head slowly emerged, then merged with the zombie horde, fleeing into the distance. Simultaneously, in two other districts, Corpse Kings also appeared, retreating towards the east and west respectively. Staff Officer Li and General Wang, upon witnessing this, quickly reported the news to headquarters and initiated an assault.
It was then that headquarters realized there were indeed three Corpse Kings in Yuzhou. Thus, even during their retreat, zombies had gathered in three different districts, not as a ruse by the Corpse King, but because three Corpse Kings were separately mobilizing such large forces. Currently, the three Corpse Kings were leading three massive zombie hordes towards the city outskirts. During their movement, they encountered zombies in the suburban areas, who were then absorbed into the hordes, moving in the direction the Corpse Kings intended.
As dusk fell, Cheng Ke observed the dwindling number of nearby zombies, deducing that the Corpse King had led most of them away from Yuzhou. He then began to return to the previous stadium. Upon arrival, he found all the soldiers in low spirits, some weeping quietly. Not only were his own men dejected, but the other two units also appeared dispirited.
Witnessing this scene, Cheng Ke felt a sense of foreboding. He quickly surveyed the number of people inside the stadium, only to discover that there were just over three thousand soldiers, and most of them were injured. He immediately inquired, "Where is General Wang?"
A soldier pointed towards a tent not far away, then lowered his head, remaining silent. A piece of flesh had been bitten off his arm by a zombie.
"I'll go see!" Cheng Ke hurried to the tent and pushed it open. Inside, he found over a dozen field beds, covered with white sheets. Beneath the sheets, figures rose and fell, clearly indicating that those beneath the sheets had died. Cheng Ke lifted the sheets one by one, only to discover that not only General Wang had perished, but several important officers were also dead. Even Staff Officer Li, who had led another team, was now dead.
"How could this happen?" Cheng Ke asked blankly.
Cheng Ke had initially believed his mission was the most dangerous, yet he had returned alive. However, the other two teams had suffered even heavier losses, with their commanders dead. Had they been surrounded by zombies?
A soldier explained, "General Wang and Staff Officer Li were ambushed and killed while pursuing the Corpse King. General Wang had discovered the Corpse King's trace and led everyone to charge, intending to kill it. Unexpectedly, a Level 3 S-type zombie was hidden on the flank. As they passed through an alley, the Level 3 zombie burst out, and its thirty-centimeter bone spur pierced the General's chest on the spot. Ultimately, we fought with all our might to break through."
Another soldier recounted Staff Officer Li's experience. He had also occasionally spotted a Corpse King on the street, accompanied by over thirty mutated zombies, heading towards the western part of the city. Staff Officer Li did not want to miss this opportunity and charged out, only to encounter two Level 3 O-type zombies, also known as spitters. They immediately spewed acid over ten meters, hitting Staff Officer Li. Then, a P-type zombie threw an S-type zombie at them. Caught off guard, the S-type zombie instantly killed Staff Officer Li.
Now, Cheng Ke was the highest-ranking officer present. He had to continue commanding the remaining three thousand-plus soldiers. He recalled how, when they first entered Yuzhou, they were unstoppable. Even zombies standing in their path would be annihilated by a single shell. Now, with more than half their forces lost and their commanders dead, it was truly unpredictable.
Looking at General Wang's pale face, Cheng Ke felt a pang of sadness. He had thought it was just a simple farewell, but the few words spoken then had turned out to be their last. As for his own unit, they had been prepared to die but had not, returning instead in a dejected state.
At that moment, Cheng Ke took out his pistol, intending to die with them. However, his hand trembled slightly. He was now their commander. Would his death now be considered cowardice? Or, with the other commanders fallen, did he have any right to live?
"To be or not to be, that is the question!" Shakespeare had uttered these words. Cheng Ke had not understood their meaning before, but now he felt a sudden resonance. When one's life and death are in their own hands, they tend to consider many factors. What problems would arise if he were to die?
Cheng Ke ultimately put away his pistol. He did not fear death, but he feared a meaningless death. If his death caused no trouble to others, then so be it. However, with over three thousand people now leaderless, he had to step up and lead them.
Cheng Ke walked outside the tent and began to rally the troops, transforming their sorrow over fallen comrades into anger. Why anger? Because of the zombie outbreak, the turmoil of their homes. To bring peace and stability, they must eliminate the zombies and avenge the dead.
At this moment, a squadron of military helicopters arrived at the stadium. Cheng Ke quickly organized everyone to board the aircraft. According to headquarters' instructions, Yuzhou was no longer to be recaptured. His remaining forces were to be reassigned to the Three Gorges command, preparing to counter the two hundred thousand zombies advancing eastward from Yuzhou. They must not allow these zombies to threaten the central region's cities, especially the Three Gorges, which supplied power to dozens of cities. Any threat to the Three Gorges would consequently threaten all these cities.
Concurrently, headquarters began urgently contacting nearby cities to prepare for the zombie onslaught. Fifty thousand zombies were advancing northwest, sweeping through numerous villages and towns along the way, absorbing large numbers of zombies. Their numbers were gradually reaching one million, and no one knew the Corpse King's ultimate destination.
When Shen Feng received the notification, the zombie horde led by the Corpse King had already reached a scale of one million. The zombie tide, with a diameter of forty kilometers, was advancing northwest. Xiang'an City, where Shen Feng was located, lay directly in its path.
Meanwhile, in Luzhou, Chang Jianyi also received a notification: thirty thousand zombies from Yuzhou were advancing towards Luzhou, expected to arrive in about two days, and preparations for defense were requested. Upon hearing this news, Chang Jianyi was stunned. Why were the zombies from Yuzhou heading towards Luzhou? Why was this happening?
Luzhou currently had only three to four hundred old-fashioned rifles, some of which couldn't even mount bayonets. There were also just over two hundred evolvers. While this seemed like a considerable number, it was insufficient to withstand thirty thousand zombies. Fortunately, Zhou Xiaoxiao's earlier suggestion to build city walls had been implemented, and the city gates were now equipped with hollow iron gates weighing over ten tons. Thus, Luzhou still had a city wall as its final barrier.
Upon learning of the situation, Chang Jianyi immediately wanted to contact Shen Feng and have him bring his forces back for reinforcement. However, headquarters stated, "Shen Feng has another mission. The Three Gorges will provide a batch of firearms to you; you only need to defend Luzhou!"
Receiving this reply, Chang Jianyi felt a sense of unease and urgently asked, "What other mission does Shen Feng have? Why can't he return to protect Luzhou?"
Headquarters remained silent for a moment before replying, "The largest zombie horde appearing in Yuzhou is likely targeting Rongcheng. Rongcheng is currently undermanned and requires protection. Shen Feng will be requisitioned to protect Rongcheng. Please be understanding!"
Chang Jianyi continued to inquire, "How many zombies are there?"
"Currently, there are one million, but after the zombie tide crosses the entire plain, their numbers could reach over three million!" Headquarters did not conceal the information, directly stating their projected scenario.
This time, Chang Jianyi strongly objected, saying, "No, without Shen Feng, Luzhou may not be able to hold. Shen Feng must return. If you do not help me contact Shen Feng, I will send my own people to find him and bring him back to Luzhou. As for Rongcheng, you can find your own way to protect it!"
Chang Jianyi was not foolish. How could they possibly resist three million zombies? Sending Shen Feng to protect Rongcheng would be sending him to his death. Moreover, Luzhou was also not safe, with thirty thousand zombies approaching. They also needed protection, so why send Shen Feng elsewhere?
"This is headquarters' decision; please be understanding. The loss of control over the zombies in Yuzhou was unexpected by everyone. Rongcheng still has nearly ten million people seeking survival, and Rongcheng cannot be in danger! As for Luzhou, with the protection of the city walls, I believe you will find a way to repel the zombie attack!" headquarters stated.
Chang Jianyi gritted her teeth, finding herself in a difficult dilemma. However, time was short. After careful consideration, she suddenly said, "Give me ten thousand assault rifles with ample ammunition!"
At this point, Chang Jianyi knew that headquarters' orders were resolute, and she likely could not object. Moreover, Shen Feng would certainly go to Rongcheng, as his family was there. Shen Feng would not abandon his family for the sake of protecting Luzhou, which already had defenses. If he were to do so, he would not be Shen Feng. Therefore, she could only try her best to acquire resources, hoping to strengthen Luzhou's self-preservation capabilities.