Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Rescue Plan 1

Zhang Ji’s gaze swept back and forth across Third Brother Gu Ning’s face, as if weighing something.

The previously chattering Special Ability users were all stunned by Third Brother’s words, some looking suspiciously at the Three-Linked Team, only to find that their members all seemed to take it for granted, with no one objecting.

They really couldn’t understand. Given the “substantial” strength the Three-Linked Team had shown, both in terms of supplies and Crystal Cores, the amount of rice they traded daily had already exceeded several thousand kilograms. The number of Crystal Cores they exchanged for was unimaginable. Why would they take such a huge risk for a few hundred kilograms of rice offered by the base?

Could there be some secret agreement between the Three-Linked Team and the base that they didn’t know about?

But the Three-Linked Team was indeed powerful. Even the little girl who looked about seven or eight years old was a Psychic System Special Ability user. It was said that a month ago, when Zhang Ji’s team entered the base, a conflict broke out, and that little girl alone used her Spiritual Power to block the Special Ability attacks of more than a dozen Special Ability users! Of course, these were just rumors from the base, unverified. But other teams, from the time they entered the base until now, had suffered casualties when going out to kill zombies. Even Zhang Ji’s team, with more than a dozen Special Ability users, had already lost two members in just one month since entering the base. Yet, the Three-Linked Team, after nearly two months in the base, hadn’t lost a single person, not even an injury.

Every day, a few people would go out, and the same number would return, laughing and chatting along the way. To the uninformed, it seemed like they weren’t out killing zombies but rather on an autumn outing.

However, this team often went to areas densely populated by zombies, places ordinary people avoided. Few could cross paths with them, so the true strength of the Three-Linked Team remained a mystery.

Thus, this mission was a great opportunity.

Following the Three-Linked Team out to kill zombies would allow them to gauge the team’s true strength. Moreover, given the Three-Linked Team’s capabilities, if they dared to take on this mission, they must have some confidence.

Honestly, fifty kilograms of rice per person was still a relatively high price.

For a moment, the other Special Ability teams in the conference room began to stir, but they didn’t immediately voice their intentions. They were still observing, particularly the stance of Zhang Ji’s team, which had yet to make a move.

Zhang Ji could naturally sense the atmosphere in the room. The undisguised glances came his way, but he acted as if he didn’t notice, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his thigh under the table. What the other teams were thinking, he could guess as well. Although their need for supplies wasn’t as urgent after trading with Gu Ning, fifty kilograms of rice per person was still a considerable amount.

Moreover, if he agreed to go, at least half of the Special Ability users in the room would follow.

Plus, the strength of the Three-Linked Team…

Finally, he made his decision. He smiled and said, “Director Zhong is right. Since we are under the protection of the base, it’s only natural that we fulfill our obligations. Count me in.”

As soon as Zhang Ji spoke, the room erupted. The other Special Ability teams, who had been reluctant and hesitant, now saw that both the Three-Linked Team and Zhang Ji’s team were going. This was like double insurance, and they all became enthusiastic.

Gu Ning’s team wasn’t sending everyone out either. Shi Tou, Luo Long, and Xiang Yi, along with others without Special Abilities, were left behind. To avoid exposing Gu Ning’s healing abilities, Gao Yue was also brought along.

So, the Three-Linked Team sent out nine people: Gu Ning, Xiang Xu, Third Brother, Jia Daozhang, Zhang Xiaobai, Cheng Ming, Method, Zhong Xu, and Huang Mengyao.

Zhang Ji’s team, being entirely composed of Special Ability users, naturally went all out.

Other teams also signed up, one by one.

After all, an extra person meant fifty kilograms of rice!

From start to finish, the base leader sat in the main seat without saying a word. After the meeting, he left directly.

Others also went to prepare one after another. The Three-Linked Team left last, and Director Zhong stopped Third Brother and the others.

The supplies he provided this time were donated by Gu Ning last night. He knew full well that Gu Ning and her team weren’t in it for the supplies. If Third Brother hadn’t stepped up first, he really wouldn’t have known how to convince the others to participate: “Third Brother, Gu Ning, thank you so much this time.”

Third Brother said seriously, “Director Zhong, I am still a soldier, and many in my team are soldiers too.” After the apocalypse, many things might have changed, but Third Brother, having been a soldier for over a decade, still carried the honor and sense of duty ingrained in his bones. Gu Ning, understanding this feeling and recalling her own oath in the Five-Star Brigade, knew they were committed to this muddy water.

Gu Ning remembered the hostile look Zhou Yan gave her when Zhang Ji’s team left. Her eyes sharpened. Zhou Yan held a grudge against her and might try something. She had to be careful with that woman. If necessary, she could strike first.

Gu Ning’s team didn’t have much to prepare. They just informed Gu Dad and Gu Mama. Gao Yue had no objections to joining the mission. Her medical kit was filled with various emergency medicines Gu Ning had equipped her with, ready for any sudden situations.

Gu Ning’s two chipped long blades had been replaced with relatively new ones.

Each team member carried at least three replenishing Crystal Cores, just in case.

Then they went downstairs to meet up with the others.

In the end, a total of fifty-eight people set out.

Gu Ning’s team had nine.

Zhang Ji’s team had fourteen.

There were also four other teams.

One was called the Night Eagle Team, the strongest among the four, formed by the merger of two previous teams. They had ten Special Ability users, led by a tall man named Wang Sheng, about thirty years old, a third-tier Earth-type Special Ability user.

Another team was called the Yuezhou Team, as its members were all from Yuezhou. They had seven Special Ability users, led by Wei Xin, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing thick glasses, a second-tier Fire-type Special Ability user.

Another team was called the Survival Team, with eight Special Ability users, led by Yuan Ge, a young man in his early twenties, also a third-tier Wood-type Special Ability user. This team looked very young overall.

The last team caught Gu Ning’s attention. This team was called the Green Tree Team, led by Liang Le, the only female captain among the teams, a second-tier Water-type Special Ability user. Her team of ten had seven females, the youngest being a girl of about sixteen or seventeen.

Among the fifty-eight Special Ability users, Jia Daozhang was the oldest, followed by Third Brother. The youngest was in their team, naturally Xiang Xu. The ratio of female to male Special Ability users was almost 5:1.

Besides Gu Ning, there was another Space System Special Ability user in the Survival Team, a young man in his twenties. Perhaps due to the dangers of the Space System, he always seemed on guard, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

In contrast, Gu Ning, “loaded with resources,” appeared much more relaxed.

At least a dozen of these Special Ability users had evolved their abilities in the last two weeks, with limited combat experience.

After gathering, Director Zhong naturally handed over command of the mission to Third Brother, and no one objected. Whether this command would be effective on-site was another matter, and no one took it seriously.

They all boarded the bus sent by the base, finally getting their wish.

The bus was packed.

Jia Daozhang naturally took the driver’s seat.

Then the gates opened, and the bus slowly left the Zhongnan Base, heading towards the Baoxi District.

Without anyone needing to remind him, Xiang Xu’s Spiritual Power spread out from the bus, covering a radius of five hundred meters. Because Spiritual Power was so crucial, the evolved Crystal Cores were always given to Xiang Xu first. In just a month, Xiang Xu had jumped two tiers, becoming a fourth-tier Special Ability user. Her control over Spiritual Power was terrifying. With her strength, she could easily kill a fifth-tier Special Ability user!

The tiers of Special Ability users were divided based on the capacity of their Special Ability pools.

Gu Ning had no idea what tier she was. She tragically possessed the world’s largest but non-renewable Special Ability pool.

Apart from the noise of the bus, there was no other sound inside. Although they had interacted before, this was the first time so many people were going out together, especially with the usually “aloof” Three-Linked Team present. For a while, no one spoke, and the atmosphere in the bus was somewhat strange.

The zombies near the base had been mostly cleared. The bus traveled a long distance without encountering a single zombie. The shops on both sides of the road were wide open, all in disarray. The zombies and human corpses on the ground had been gathered and burned, so this stretch of road looked relatively clean.

Finally, someone couldn’t stand the silence and started talking in a low voice.

Xiang Xu used the map provided by Director Zhong to guide Jia Daozhang.

About five miles from the base, they started seeing one or two zombie corpses on the road. Five months into the apocalypse, zombies that still had relatively intact faces were those recently turned. Zombies turned more than three months ago had faces so decayed they were almost unrecognizable.

In a hurry, Jia Daozhang simply drove over any zombies on the road. The bus shook violently, and everyone inside clung to the seats in front to steady themselves.

The bus drove for nearly an hour. Apart from having to get off to clear abandoned cars blocking the way, the journey was relatively smooth.

But Gu Ning didn’t relax because of this.

Soon, the bus stopped.

“We can’t go any further,” Jia Daozhang explained with a serious expression. “Ahead is the densely populated zombie area.”

The people who had relaxed during the smooth journey now tensed up again at Jia Daozhang’s words.

The Three-Linked Team and Zhang Ji’s team got off first, followed by the others.

As soon as they stepped off the bus, they encountered a small wave of zombies attracted by the noise.

The Three-Linked Team didn’t need any commands. Zhong Xu shot out dozens of water arrows, which seemed to miss, heading straight for the zombies’ heads. Just as the other Special Ability users were about to laugh at Zhong Xu’s poor aim, the water arrows flew over ten meters in the blink of an eye, reaching the zombies’ heads. Zhong Xu’s lips moved, and he uttered a single word: “Explode!”

The water arrows exploded with a bang over the zombies’ heads!

What? What kind of skill was this? Could Water-type Special Abilities be used like this?!

Huh? But the zombies, apart from getting wet, didn’t seem to be harmed…

Just as everyone was still processing this, Zhang Xiaobai’s hands slightly opened, and two lightning dragons instantly formed in his palms, winding around his arms. With a wave of his hands, the two lightning dragons shot towards the small wave of zombies with a thunderous roar!

Crackle!—A series of explosive sounds mixed with the zombies’ screams, followed by a smell of burning and decay wafting over. But no one waved it away. Except for the Three-Linked Team, the other teams stared in shock at the seven or eight zombies lying charred on the ground.

Method dashed over, and in less than thirty seconds, he had dug out the heads of the seven or eight charred zombies. He sheathed his knife and held a dirty Crystal Core, not minding the filth, and stuffed it into a pouch hanging from his waist.

Then the Three-Linked Team continued forward.

The other Special Ability teams, including Zhang Ji’s, were still processing what had just happened. If not for the decapitated zombie corpses on the ground, they might have thought they were hallucinating.

Seven or eight zombies, including an evolved one, wiped out in less than ten seconds?!

The Survival Team’s leader, Yuan Ge, gaped, staring at the eight charred, headless zombie corpses on the ground, and finally muttered, “Holy crap.”

Zhang Ji was also stunned.

What shocked him wasn’t just the tactical combination of Water-type and Lightning-type Special Abilities, but the seamless coordination of the Three-Linked Team. They hadn’t spoken a word or even exchanged glances, yet their teamwork was flawless… He prided his team on their combat experience, but they could never achieve such默契.

“Everyone, don’t just stand there. We’re on a tight schedule,” Jia Daozhang called out, seeing them all frozen.

They snapped out of it and quickly followed.

The teams naturally had their own agendas, but the real heavy hitters hadn’t shown up yet. They didn’t want to waste their Special Abilities prematurely. The teams, who thought they’d have to engage in a battle of wits to conserve strength, realized they were overthinking it. The Three-Linked Team seemed to have no intention of holding back. Whenever a group of zombies appeared, the Three-Linked Team would rush out and take care of them before they even got within ten meters.

Along the way, they had dealt with over a dozen small zombie groups, but they never asked for help from the other teams. The other teams, happy to conserve their strength, couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease.

Then, slowly, they began to notice something.

The zombies here were densely packed, with a few popping out from the alleys every three minutes, both regular and evolved.

The Three-Linked Team took care of everything, killing zombies and digging out Crystal Cores as they went. They had already collected over a dozen Crystal Cores, one of which was an evolved one! And with their bizarre tactics that no one else had thought of, their Special Ability consumption was almost negligible!

The other Special Ability users, who had been hanging back, suddenly caught on and quietly moved to the front.

Strangely, the Three-Linked Team didn’t compete with them. They let the others take the lead, following behind, except for Xiang Xu occasionally giving directions. The rest of the team, who had been so fierce earlier, now seemed as relaxed as if they were on an autumn outing.

The other teams struggled to kill zombies, occasionally glancing back to see the Three-Linked Team leisurely pointing out how the attacking teams should handle the zombies. They couldn’t help but feel something was off again.