386: How cannon fodder is made

This proposal was met with unanimous opposition in the Command Center; the strategy Tian Quan had adopted was already ruthless enough. Tian Ming’s proposal, however, was even more outrageous, practically making him a living King of Hell.

At this moment, Tian Quan said, “According to my deduction, based on what Manager Lu said, the overall win rate can be increased, but there is a seventy percent or higher probability that the fleeing survivors will be completely wiped out. I agree, but whether or not to implement it is for you all to discuss among yourselves.”

Bai Yan took a deep breath, his brows furrowed: “This plan is too risky. We cannot gamble with the lives of so many people. This is tantamount to using these people as cannon fodder.”

“You all discuss it yourselves. If you agree, I will replicate various weapons, ammunition, and armored vehicles. If you don’t agree, then forget it. There’s still some time; ten hours will be up very soon.”

Silence fell over the Command Center, with everyone contemplating the pros and cons of the plan.

Finally, Bai Yan broke the silence: “I agree with Manager Lu’s proposal. Even if it’s inhumane, we can’t afford to consider too much now.”

Day began to break, and ten hours had passed in a flash. Most of the fleeing teams had completed their Grouping and were heading south via multiple routes.

Zhu Qing and Ji Wenhao also joined a team, which was not large, only about fifty people. Everyone carried a large amount of ammunition, which they had all snatched from others.

Ordinary people injected with the Superpower Potion were like chickens on steroids, covering about one hundred fifty kilometers along the previous road in just ten short hours.

There were at least ten thousand such teams, and most people chose to travel along various main transportation routes, because only by taking such paths could they quickly escape the zombie stronghold.

Zhu Qing’s team captain was a retired special forces soldier named Gao Shengqiang. He possessed excellent qualities, and with the boost from the Superpower Potion, he became the leader of this small team.

Zhu Qing, on the other hand, was the team’s vice-captain. The group traveled through the snow, their breath freezing in the extremely cold weather.

Zhu Qing caught up to the captain ahead and said, “Brother Qiang, I suggest we don’t take the main road. Ten hours have passed now, and there are too many people on the main road, which will inevitably attract a large number of zombies. Our safety period is over. I suggest we enter the mountainous area; crossing the mountains directly would be safer.”

Gao Shengqiang nodded. He had already realized this problem. Although their speed would be much slower, the risk of losing their lives would also decrease accordingly.

He took out his navigation device and said, “The mountainous area is not easy to traverse. We don’t have enough supplies right now. If we can’t cross the mountain range ahead and reach the town for supplies within twenty-four hours, we’re finished.”

Zhu Qing said, “Ahead is Qingyang Village, about eighty kilometers from here. It’s been two years since the zombie outbreak. Even if there’s food, it’s probably expired. Moreover, zombies aren’t brainless now; they definitely know that a considerable number of us will go there for supplies, so there will naturally be a large number of zombies lying in wait there.”

What Zhu Qing said made sense; venturing into a town for supplies would surely lead to death. Suddenly, a car with iron chains added to its tires and steel plates installed on it sped past. Among the released people, there were many who understood modifications.

These people found vehicles, didn’t rush to escape, but rather directly created means of transport, catching up from behind.

One person in the team couldn't stand it. “Damn it, I’m walking, why are you driving?” That person picked up a gun and fired a burst at the car.

Clang, clang, clang. A dense spray of sparks erupted from the steel plate, to no avail. The car sped away in a puff of smoke.

“Damn it!”

Gao Shengqiang rushed over and slapped the person who fired the gun.

“Are you an idiot? Do you have too many bullets, wasting them like this?”

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? I’m going to shoot you!”

Gao Shengqiang pulled out his pistol and pressed it against the person’s forehead.

“Brother Qiang, don’t be impulsive!”

Seeing this, Zhu Qing quickly stopped Gao Shengqiang.

Gao Shengqiang glared at the person who fired, angrily saying, “Do you know how precious that burst of bullets is? It’s enough to buy you a coffin! If others are riding in a car, it means they have the ability. If you have the ability, go fix a car yourself.”

Zhu Qing said, “Captain, now is not the time to be angry. We don’t have many bullets. Unless we encounter zombies, everyone, don’t fire indiscriminately.”

Gao Shengqiang put away his pistol and roared, “Listen up, everyone! No firing without my command. If anyone dares to waste bullets again, I’ll be the first to blow his brains out!”

The group continued their journey. Soon, the sky was fully bright. High-intensity travel, even with the injection of the potion, did not mean they could go without sleep. Everyone was very tired.

“Rest in place, get something to eat,” Gao Shengqiang ordered, and the team members began to move.

Some took out self-heating food from their backpacks and started heating it, while others took out compressed biscuits from their pockets and distributed them to everyone.

“This small path should be safer than the main road. Right now, wherever there are many people, that’s where the danger is!” Gao Shengqiang held a self-heating hotpot and shared some with Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing was a very calm person, which Gao Shengqiang greatly admired. But currently, everyone was living on a knife-edge, their lives hanging by a thread, and they didn’t know if they could wait for the second wave of airdropped supplies, or if they would be eaten by zombies before then.

“Zhu Qing, when do you think we can expect the second wave of airdropped supplies?” Gao Shengqiang asked.

Zhu Qing was silent for a moment, then replied, “That’s hard to say, Captain. Have you noticed something?”

Gao Shengqiang asked with a puzzled expression, “Noticed what?”

Zhu Qing pointed to the sky and said, “How long has it been since we, these people, have seen the sun, being kept in the base by zombies?”

“About a year and a half. Zhu Qing, don’t play guessing games. Do you know something?”

Zhu Qing stroked his beard and said, “The Star Ring, the Star Ring is gone. Haven’t you noticed? This indicates that the Alliance not only survived but also developed, and it’s even possible that they have made breakthroughs in a lot of technology.”

“The Star Ring?” Gao Shengqiang was startled. He quickly looked up and saw that the Star Ring was indeed gone, yet he had never paid attention to it.

Zhu Qing said, “When the Corpse King leader released us, I suspect it was to set a trap for the Alliance and deplete the Alliance’s effective forces. So, our escape is just a formality; most people will die on the way. Once the Alliance sends people to rescue us, they will inevitably suffer heavy losses as well.”

As Zhu Qing spoke, there was a flash in the sky. A thick plasma beam ionized the surrounding air, forming a bright glow. This pillar of light shot straight into the sky, accurately hitting a low-altitude unmanned probe from Donghai City.

Gao Shengqiang was instantly dumbfounded. Looking at that beam of light, he suddenly understood why the Alliance wouldn’t send people to rescue them. If zombies could emit plasma beams, then north of the defense line was undoubtedly purgatory for humans.

When they were released, they were also told that the corpse race would not take any countermeasures within ten hours, but once ten hours passed, the air defense in the north would be taken over by these plasma-beam-emitting zombies.