When the location to attack was decided, everyone quickly began preparations. After dividing the departure teams, they set off from the top of the stadium. The stadium's main gates were now blocked by zombie corpses, and the constant seepage of corpse fluid emitted a foul odor, leading to bacterial growth. Fortunately, the food and water for the soldiers were air-delivered, ensuring their safety from infection.
Cheng Ke took a deep breath, only to inhale the stench. Eight days had passed, and the smell of rotting corpses was unbearable. With the accumulation of bodies, tanks were unusable. Therefore, this charge would be carried out by the soldiers themselves, their flesh and blood against the zombies.
"Depart!" Cheng Ke opened his eyes, looking at the distant zombies, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Kill the Corpse King, protect our compatriots!"
Then, Cheng Ke leaped down. The pile of corpses was thick, making the landing soft and injury-free. These bodies now served as a buffer for everyone jumping down. After ensuring that all two thousand people were ready, Cheng Ke took the lead, heading towards the eastern district, which was occupied by five hundred thousand zombies.
Staff Officer Li led another contingent to a different district. Before leaving, he shouted to Cheng Ke, "You better not die, you brat!"
"You too!" Cheng Ke shouted back.
As for the zombies in the west, they would have to be dealt with by General Wang. Although Cheng Ke was worried about General Wang's health, the number of zombies facing General Wang was the smallest. They could only trust General Wang now. In reality, the best approach for these areas would be missile bombardment, but launching missiles required layers of approval, and time was of the essence. Missiles were no longer an option. The only way was to charge into the buildings and kill the zombies within.
Each soldier carried ten ammunition clips, enough for them to charge into the zombie horde!
However, just as Cheng Ke and his men were preparing for their offensive, the zombies suddenly surged forward like a tide, desperately blocking their advance. Cheng Ke stood at the front, firing his rifle, and a row of the foremost zombies fell. The other soldiers also opened fire, managing to tear a gap in the zombie encirclement.
Cheng Ke led the soldiers like a sharp blade, breaking through the encirclement. The zombies attempted to close in, but it was clearly impossible at this point. Over two thousand people, armed with rifles, broke through the encirclement and charged towards the district where five hundred thousand zombies were gathered. There, a cinema, a mall, and two other buildings were the most suspicious, and the Corpse King was likely hidden within them.
As they broke out of the encirclement, Cheng Ke saw many fallen zombies on the ground, their bodies oozing pus. Some were still alive, while others were dead, their bodies gnawed by other zombies. This indicated that the plague had spread among the zombies long ago. If the Corpse King did not lead the zombies away from here, they would all die from the plague.渝州 would likely become a plague-ridden city for a long time to come!
"Since the plan to retake 渝州 has failed, I will give it one last desperate effort!" Cheng Ke thought to himself.
Cheng Ke chose the most dangerous place, essentially carrying the idea of atoning for his mistakes. After all, many cities were now threatened because of his plan. At this moment, he should step forward. If he could turn the tide, that would be best. If not, he would die for his country!
Cheng Ke relied on his superior firepower to force his way through the zombie encirclement. Then, the more than two thousand men continued their charge. The streets were chaotic, with vehicles scattered haphazardly and debris littering the ground, making it easy to trip. Under these conditions, Cheng Ke and his men were still being pursued by tens of thousands of zombies from behind. In a normal combat situation, Cheng Ke could have used his existing firepower to eliminate these zombies, but time was of the essence, and they could not afford to delay. If the Corpse King led millions of zombies out of 渝州, then anywhere would face utter destruction!
Therefore, they could only advance rapidly. Fortunately, the soldiers were all rigorously trained and possessed excellent physical fitness, making it impossible for the pursuing zombies to catch up. After running for an hour, they breathlessly saw their target ahead: the district where five hundred thousand zombies were gathered. From a distance, the streets were densely packed with zombie heads, more terrifying than an ant nest!
Cheng Ke looked behind him. The zombies that had been chasing them were now far behind, meaning they would not face an attack from both front and back. However, charging into a horde of five hundred thousand zombies was clearly impossible. To put it nicely, it was a suicide mission; to put it bluntly, they wouldn't even reach their destination!
Cheng Ke gritted his teeth and said, "I'll take five hundred men to draw the zombies away from the flanks. Commander, you lead your men to seize the opportunity and charge in to find the Corpse King. You must kill the Corpse King, otherwise, the surrounding areas will be ravaged by millions of zombies."
Upon hearing this, the commander immediately shook his head and firmly stated, "I will draw the zombies away! Commander, you lead the brothers to find the Corpse King. You are our commander, you cannot be the one to draw enemy fire. I will handle this!"
"This is an order. A soldier's duty is to obey orders!" Cheng Ke attempted to suppress the commander with his authority. After all, he had set out with a death wish. At this moment, drawing enemy fire was likely a death sentence for him, which could be considered a form of atonement.
However, the commander insisted, "I am not good at commanding operations; I only follow orders. If you don't lead everyone, and I fail to find the Corpse King, wouldn't that be a sin?"
Cheng Ke fell silent upon hearing the commander's words. He knew he should stay and continue commanding the operation, but that would mean sending the commander to his death. How could he allow that?
The commander did not show any fear of going to his death. Instead, he said righteously, "I can die, but Commander, you cannot. You must lead everyone to victory. As for me, to sacrifice myself for the final victory would be a worthy death!"
Cheng Ke finally nodded in resignation, grabbed the commander's shoulders with both hands, and said, "I will not fail your expectations. I will find the Corpse King, and I will protect the safety of the people. You... go with peace of mind!"
A smile appeared on the commander's face. He immediately gathered five hundred fearless men and charged out from the side streets, launching a fierce assault. Bullets pierced through the zombies' bodies, and they fell in swathes, like wheat reaped by a scythe. A single burst of gunfire would take down over a dozen zombies, and the charge of five hundred men tore a wound in the vast sea of zombies, then quickly plunged in.
Ammunition was being rapidly depleted. Before the ammunition ran out, the zombies could not get close to them. The commander and his five hundred brothers plunged directly into the depths of the street. At this point, the zombie horde had received orders and were swarming towards the five hundred men. Even if it meant filling the gap with their flesh and blood, they would not let these men charge further!
Cheng Ke watched as the zombies on the street were gradually lured away. He was also listening to the gunfire from a distance. The once intense gunfire seemed to be gradually fading. He wondered if it was due to heavy casualties or if the commander and his men had charged deep into the street, making the sound inaudible from afar.
When most of the zombies had been drawn away, Cheng Ke led the remaining fifteen hundred men in their charge. At this point, there were not many zombies directly in front of this district, it was almost an open gate. Cheng Ke led his men straight to the heart of the enemy, his target simple: the cinema. This place was often frequented by mutated zombies, making it the most likely hiding place for the Corpse King!
Cheng Ke and his men charged directly, firing their bullets at the zombies on the street. Instantly, all the zombies on the street fell. Mutated zombies, witnessing this, immediately retreated, seemingly afraid of Cheng Ke's firepower.
As Cheng Ke cleared one street, more zombies appeared ahead, blocking their path. Cheng Ke's side could only carve a path with bullets, advancing over the corpses of zombies. However, zombies from the flanks began to encircle them. At this point, casualties began to occur within the army. Some soldiers were grabbed by the legs and arms by zombies, their speed slowing down, allowing other zombies to swarm and tear at them. They only had time to let out a scream before being bitten to death.
Gradually, the screams from the soldiers increased. Cheng Ke wanted to turn back and fight the surrounding zombies, but they were still several hundred meters away from the cinema. If they stopped, they might not be able to cover these few hundred meters. The opportunity was fleeting; they had to seize the moment!
Ultimately, Cheng Ke's side sacrificed over a hundred men, but they successfully stormed the cinema. A thousand men guarded the outside of the cinema, establishing a defensive line to prevent the zombies from breaking through. The soldiers who had formed the line fired ferociously, determined to avenge their fallen comrades! The zombies continued to surge forward, but under the dense firepower, they were unable to get within twenty meters. All zombies within this range were killed!
Upon entering the cinema, the soldiers quickly searched. There were indeed many zombies inside the cinema, including mutated zombies. Unfortunately, under the onslaught of bullets, even mutated zombies fell! However, after searching the entire cinema, Cheng Ke still could not find the Corpse King. The gunfire outside continued, meaning the Corpse King was not currently under threat.
Cheng Ke gritted his teeth. Although the Corpse King was not found in the first building, there were still three more buildings where they might find him. So, he gave further orders: "Depart immediately, let's check the mall!"
Cheng Ke led the remaining thousand-plus men towards the mall. By this time, charging through the crowded streets had become very difficult. Every step forward required killing hundreds of zombies. By the time they reached the mall, each person had only about two ammunition clips left!
After entering the mall, the usual procedure was followed: a thousand men guarded the various exits of the mall, while Cheng Ke led his men to search inside. This time, Cheng Ke was lucky. As soon as he entered the mall, he saw that the central hall was filled with red soil, and in the center, there was a large, dark, and terrifying pit. This pit must have been dug by the Corpse King!
Cheng Ke didn't care why the Corpse King had dug a pit. Since there were traces of the Corpse King here, he should hurry and find him.
Cheng Ke and his men killed all the zombies inside the mall, then he leaped into the pit first. About five meters down, there was a horizontal passage, leading to an unknown destination. Cheng Ke turned on his flashlight and proceeded along the passage.
The soldiers also jumped down from above, following Cheng Ke. They encountered no zombies in the pit, but the place had clearly been dug by zombies, making it the most likely hiding place for the Corpse King!
At this moment, Cheng Ke felt a difference under his feet. Before, he had been stepping on dirt, but now it felt wet. Cheng Ke quickly shone his light downwards and immediately noticed a lot of sewage flowing underfoot, accompanied by a foul odor. Cheng Ke sensed that something was wrong. Why was there so much sewage in the tunnel?
Cheng Ke advanced rapidly. After walking for more than ten meters, he discovered that he had entered a sewer pipe. The sewage in the sewer pipe was flowing continuously, emitting a foul stench. Cheng Ke looked at the empty sewer pipe, his heart sinking to the bottom. He stood there, staring at the dark pipeline in the distance, unable to speak.
"Commander, if we didn't find the Corpse King, let's move to the next location!" a soldier quickly said.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ke suddenly roared in anger and punched the concrete wall of the sewer pipe. His roar echoed through the sewer pipe. As his fist struck the concrete wall, blood instantly flowed from his hand. At this moment, Cheng Ke knew it was all over!
"Commander, what are you doing? Commander!" The soldiers were all stunned by this scene, not understanding why their commander had suddenly become like this. Had he broken down?
Cheng Ke bit his lip until it bled, and after a long pause, he said, "Let's go out! Prepare to contact headquarters. From now on, we will prepare to hold our ground!"
When Cheng Ke saw that the tunnel dug by the Corpse King led to the sewer pipes, he understood that he would never find the Corpse King again, nor would he be able to hunt him. This was because the Corpse King had been hiding in the sewer pipes all along, and satellites could not see what was happening inside the sewer pipes. Therefore, the Corpse King's whereabouts were always beyond control. Since his whereabouts could not be traced, victory could not be declared!