binnovel Chapter 36 Ready to go
Chapter 36 Ready to go
After leaving the logistics department, Li Chenglong went to Qing'an Town Junior High School, which was 500 meters away. The school was quite large and had been converted into a military camp. He and Wu Gang had discussed inspecting the troops there that morning. However, to test the soldiers' ability to respond to emergencies, Li Chenglong arrived at the school's playground first and ordered the bugler to sound the emergency assembly call.
The urgent and loud assembly call blew for a full minute. Aside from the Fourth Battalion, which was on duty for guard duty this week, the school should house 900 people. Li Chenglong wanted to see how many could be assembled within five minutes. The First and Second Battalions, with veterans from the previous Second Company and the strict training of Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo, reacted quickly and were all assembled on the parade ground in no time. Hao Dahai's group was a little slower, but their assembly speed was still acceptable. Five minutes later, the vast majority of people were assembled on the parade ground. Li Chenglong nodded, satisfied with the speed. After all, less than two-ninths of them were former soldiers; such a transformation in such a short time was remarkable.
Li Chenglong stepped forward, and four battalion commanders jogged over, stood at attention, saluted, and said in turn, "The First Battalion is assembled and awaits the Regimental Commander's inspection. The Second Battalion is assembled and awaits the Regimental Commander's inspection. The Third Battalion is assembled and awaits the Regimental Commander's inspection. The Logistics Support Battalion is assembled and awaits the Regimental Commander's inspection." Li Chenglong solemnly returned the salute: "Please return to your posts, battalion commanders." After the four men returned, Li Chenglong immediately used his supernatural ability and shouted, "Your performance today was acceptable, but don't let your guard down. We are not facing an ordinary enemy, but a zombie army that never tires. They fight without any pattern, and they don't care about time or place. The reason I made you assemble so early today is to see if you can gather in a very short time."
Afterwards, the soldiers of the four battalions conducted drills, combat exercises, and shooting competitions. Li Chenglong was relatively satisfied with what he saw, but still pointed out some shortcomings. Two hours later, Li Chenglong dismissed everyone for lunch. Afterwards, he summoned the battalion commanders and deputy battalion commanders of each battalion. Looking at the eight men in front of him, Li Chenglong said, "We are about to launch the largest military operation in the history of this base. In one day, we will launch a surprise attack on 170 kilometers, and then attack the enemy base directly without rest, taking the entire enemy city before evening. I wonder if you have the confidence to do so."
Wu Gang immediately asked, "Is it one battalion or several battalions going?" Li Chenglong said, "The base on the other side is much larger than ours in terms of area, and there are many people defending it. So I plan to send four battalions with you this time, leaving four battalions to guard the base. But I have a requirement: you must win, fight hard, and completely crush their resistance forces. However, you must not infringe upon the interests of the civilians there. You must make sure the soldiers understand this clearly." After Li Chenglong finished speaking, he said to Yang Hu and Liu Cheng of the logistics support battalion, "Starting today, distribute ammunition and weapons, and prepare sufficient dry rations. We will depart no later than the day after tomorrow. We will hold a meeting this afternoon to discuss the attack on the Tianqi base and the subsequent arrangements."
After chatting for a while, the group dispersed. Li Chenglong then went to the Special Agent Company's training ground and saw Yun Lan giving a lesson. He found a place to sit down and observe the Special Agent Company's progress. The Special Agent Company currently had 26 members, all of whom were ability users, but their levels were generally low, with the highest being only level two. Li Chenglong had said he wouldn't transfer people from other battalions, so Yun Lan had selected these 25 people from the survivors and those who had joined later, making a total of 26 including Han Xiaoling. However, this was a group operation, so they weren't needed. Han Xiaoling glanced at Li Chenglong in the distance and waved happily. Yun Lan turned around and saw Li Chenglong smiling as he watched them train. Yun Lan walked over, grabbed Li Chenglong, and introduced him to the team members: "Some of the new recruits might not recognize him. This is our base's leader, and also our Special Agent Company's deputy commander, Captain Li Chenglong. Please welcome him."
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd. Li Chenglong smiled and said, "I hope everyone trains well under Captain Yunlan's guidance. If you encounter any difficulties, report them to her, or you can talk to me. Okay, you all continue training. Captain Yunlan and I have a few words to discuss." After saying that, he took Yunlan aside and told her about the parade that morning. Yunlan nodded, "Their training is really good. They've already gotten quite professional in such a short time. I just don't know how their actual combat effectiveness is." Li Chenglong nodded, "They won't be too bad. With their performance this morning, I'm confident I can propose the plan to attack the Apocalypse Base this afternoon." The two chatted for a few more minutes, and then Li Chenglong went to help Yunlan with her training. The morning passed quickly.
Li Chenglong had just returned to his dormitory at noon when he saw Yun Lan and Han Xiaoling carrying several lunchboxes, and even Cao Yuechan had one. Li Chenglong was puzzled: "It's so lively at noon today." Cao Yuechan pouted: "Mom said she needed to help Sister Yunqian with some urgent matters, so she sent me to find you, brother. You won't mind me, will you?" Li Chenglong laughed: "Not at all, you're welcome to eat with us. It's more fun with more people." Han Xiaoling kept staring at Yun Lan, then asked: "Brother, how did you manage to win over such a beautiful woman like your sister-in-law?" Yun Lan was drinking water at that moment and choked, spraying Li Chenglong's face. Li Chenglong wiped his face: "I'll tell you when I have the chance. Let's eat quickly." Today's meal consisted of hot and sour bean sprouts, pork stew with cabbage, Mapo tofu, and five boxes of rice. The group finished their meal amidst laughter and chatter.
After lunch, Li Chenglong was about to return the lunchboxes when the air raid siren suddenly sounded. He immediately directed the people in the office compound to evacuate and then went to higher ground. He saw a flock of large birds flying in from the distant horizon. Li Chenglong activated his True Dragon Eye: Level 2 Raven Zombie Beast, which feeds on fresh flesh and blood, with attributes of Constitution 25, Strength 17, Agility 27, and Spirit 22. At this moment, Yun Lan had also arrived beside Li Chenglong. Li Chenglong used the walkie-talkie to direct the First and Second Battalions to cooperate with the Fourth Battalion, which was on duty that day, and the Third Battalion to go to densely populated areas to minimize civilian casualties. As the zombie crows approached, the sounds of rifles and machine guns could be heard from afar. From here, Li Chenglong could see many crows being hit and falling. He could also see many traces of attacks from superhumans, such as fireballs and water bombs. However, the number of zombie crows was simply too great; despite the heavy resistance, many still managed to reach the residential area.
Li Chenglong and Yun Lan split up to intercept the enemy. As soon as he reached the front lines, he unleashed a galactic explosion on the flock of zombie crows, instantly turning dozens into fragments that fell to the ground. Wu Gang, along with his battalion of superhumans, used their abilities under cover of fire to bombard the swarming crows. After an hour of fighting, except for a few scattered zombie crows that escaped, they were essentially wiped out. Li Chenglong ordered his men to clean up the battlefield and remove the debris, then reported the losses before returning to the office compound. A short while later, Yun Lan returned as well. Seeing her, Li Chenglong quickly asked, "Did you encounter any danger? What are the losses?" Yun Lan replied seriously, "I'm fine, but several brothers were killed. I heard there were also losses in the survivors' quarters." Li Chenglong nodded without speaking.
Twenty minutes later, Yun Qian and Yang Hu arrived together. Yun Qian reported directly, "This zombie crow attack resulted in the deaths of 35 residents and serious injuries to 12 others. The seriously injured have all been treated by ability users with purification abilities, and there is no risk of them turning into zombies." Yang Hu added, "The Dawn Army suffered 42 casualties and 63 injuries, including 30 seriously wounded." Yun Lan sighed, "We have to move. Qing'an Town is definitely not a good base." Li Chenglong said to Yun Qian and Yang Hu, "You two go and notify all the officers of the Dawn Base and the Dawn Army. The Dawn Army needs to notify platoon leaders and deputy platoon leaders, and the Dawn Base needs to notify the middle-level managers of each department. We will meet at the town conference room at 3 PM for a meeting." The two acknowledged the order and left. Li Chenglong then said to Yun Lan beside him, "Originally, I wanted to wait until we were stronger before attacking the Apocalypse Base, but time waits for no one. We will set off the day after tomorrow."
At 3 PM, the town's meeting room was already packed. Some people couldn't find seats and had to move chairs to the aisles or the back of the room. Li Chenglong walked directly to the podium and said, "The main reason I've called this meeting today is to discuss the relocation. However, this isn't a simple relocation; it's a combat operation. 170km away from us is the Tianqi Base, built within the university town. That's our target location. Of course, they won't just let us move in easily, so this time we'll take it directly. Now, let's have Jiang Hui explain the history and structure of the Tianqi Base." Jiang Hui had let down his slicked-back hair and wasn't wearing sunglasses, finally not looking so out of place. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he used the map projected on the projector to explain in detail the location, area, and defensive forces of the Tianqi Base. Shen Menghua then went up to add some information.
After the two finished speaking, Liu Qingqing, a resident representative and member of the Dawn City Committee, asked, "I feel we're doing quite well here. Although there were some losses today, the residents are generally satisfied with their lives here. Now, we're sending so many people to attack a base so far away. If we succeed, great; but if we fail, we'll lose everything." Wu Gang immediately stood up and slammed his hand on the table: "I object to Committee Member Liu's statement. First, attacking Linhai City as a base was decided at the last meeting. I won't even go into the geographical importance of Linhai City; its military importance is also very high, and..." We still have the blueprints for Dawn City. Once we capture it, we'll have a very fortified city, a truly permanent solution. The Apocalypse Base is an excellent springboard; if we can occupy it, it will be a huge help in our future attack on Linhai City. Secondly, the Apocalypse Base's current combat strength isn't very high, but if we drag this out and wait for them to develop, the difficulty of attacking them will double. Thirdly, there's the weakness of our Qing'an Town: it's flat and lacks tall buildings. To put it bluntly, in battle, we won't even have cover, which is why we suffered such heavy losses in both previous attacks.
After speaking, Wu Gang slowly sat down, and Liu Qingqing nodded and sat down as well. Li Chenglong gestured for everyone to be quiet: "Battalion Commander Wu Gang has already said quite a bit, but I'd like to add two more points. First, the Tianqi Base is much larger than ours, and its infrastructure is much better. Going there will definitely be much better for us than staying here. Second, there's an old saying: 'The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people.' Those who act justly will find many helpers, while those who act unjustly will find few. Lei Bao is implementing a terrifying dictatorship at the Tianqi Base, and many people there are very dissatisfied with him. 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.' We can use this to overthrow Lei Bao's rule. Furthermore, I've already asked Shen Menghua to write a letter to Ma Tiancheng, the former mayor of Linhai City. A liaison officer delivered it this morning. Ma Tiancheng has completely lost his power and is not doing well. I believe he will help us. Finally, please don't be too afraid of the other side. Although Lei Bao's strength has reached level six, killing him is not difficult for either Yun Lan or me."
The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Zheng Yong, Yun Qian, Zheng Aiguo, and Wu Suqiang all gave speeches. At the close of the meeting, a resolution to launch a full-scale attack on the Apocalypse Base was finally passed. After the meeting, everyone except the leaders of the Dawn Army gradually dispersed. Li Chenglong gathered them together and said, "This time we must win, so I can only leave one battalion here to guard our home. Is anyone willing to stay?" Yun Lan added, "The task of staying behind is of utmost importance; we cannot be careless." Zheng Yong spoke up, "I'll stay. I'm not a superhuman now, so my role on the front lines is limited, but if it's about guarding our home, I can definitely complete the mission." Wu Gang then stepped forward and said, "We're marching over 170 kilometers a day, and we need to take down the Apocalypse Base before 5 PM. This is no easy task. Our First Battalion and Zheng Aiguo's Second Battalion are both veterans, so we're relatively stronger. We request to participate in this mission, and our First Battalion will be the vanguard." The Third Battalion Commander, Hao Dahai, and the Fourth Battalion Commander, Qian Guangming, immediately objected, "Our combat strength isn't weak either. Why can you go to war and be the vanguard while we can only stay in the rear? Besides, in the past week, our two battalions have killed just as many zombies as you have collected, as well as zombie crystals."
Seeing that all four battalions were determined to be the main attacking battalions, Li Chenglong was pleased with their fighting spirit. However, he immediately said, "This time, the Third Battalion will stay behind. Hao Dahai and Zhao Gang, don't rush. Leaving you behind is not because your battalion is bad. This mission is indeed quite special. The Third Battalion's predecessor, the Third Company, was a newly formed unit, and I have great confidence in its combat capabilities. That's why I'm having you guard the base. Do you understand?" Hao Dahai, seeing Li Chenglong's words, replied, "Thank you for your trust, Commander. All officers and soldiers of the Third Battalion will do our duty and will definitely protect the base." Li Chenglong then gave instructions: "The Tianqi Base has two main entrances. I will personally lead the First Battalion to attack their main entrance, the North Gate." Yunlan will lead the Second Battalion to attack their left flank gate. Qian Guangming and Yang Xuelin of the Fourth Battalion, you must get ahead of us and flank them from the rear to harass, attack, and divert their attention; don't linger in battle. However, everyone must make it clear to their subordinates that they are only allowed to attack their resistance forces; once inside the city, they must not do anything to harm the civilians. Yang Hu and Liu Cheng, you will take two-thirds of the logistics troops to resupply us; the rest will stay behind. As for my and Yunlan's special operations company, since it's newly formed and lacks combat strength, and this is a large-scale group operation, only Yang Liu, a level-three ability user, will be selected; the rest will continue their daily training at the base and their zombie-killing missions.”
After the meeting, Li Chenglong called Yang Hu and Liu Cheng aside and instructed them to prepare supplies, vehicle maintenance, and weapon upkeep, so they could depart early the day after tomorrow. After the arrangements were completed, it was already six o'clock in the evening. Remembering he still needed to have dinner with the two young women, Han Xiaoling and Cao Yuechan, Li Chenglong went to the staff canteen to get his food. Yun Lan, on the other hand, went to the special operations company to check on their work for the day.