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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 232: Countdown
The towering skyscraper, standing at five hundred twenty-eight meters, offered a fleeting chance for Jiang He and the others to survive, but it sealed the fate of the CBD Defense Line soldiers. Once the Zombies broke through the blockade, they surged forward like a flood, swiftly overwhelming the safe zone behind the defense line. The Establishment soldiers and RCA Field Operations personnel, who fought while retreating, ultimately did not make it back to the rooftop. The interconnected streets had previously provided them with opportunities to set up barricades, but after the collapse of the defense line, those same streets became a clear path for the Zombies to pursue and annihilate.
Wang Zhongyu had not intended for their defensive fortifications to hold for long; they relied solely on bullets and blades to resist. The earlier precise airstrikes had completely destroyed what little remained of their precarious defense network. Moreover, since their fortifications were propped up by the surrounding buildings, when those structures were bombed, they crumbled as well. Most of the soldiers didn’t even manage to escape the blockade area. The only team that entered the building fell midway; they could not wait for reinforcements to arrive. The seemingly endless staircase spiraled upward, and exhausted soldiers could not withstand the relentless assault of the Zombies. They climbed for over ten floors with all their might, but reaching the top felt like an unattainable dream as the Zombies closed in.
The team responsible for extraction did not witness the final grim scene in the stairwell. In fact, they had just descended to the eightieth floor when they received their teammates' desperate call.
“Don’t come down! Block off the floors! They’re coming—”
The voice abruptly cut off; that was the last message transmitted through the radio.
The Field Operatives had no time for further contemplation. The acoustics in the stairwell were excellent; despite being separated by dozens of floors, they were certain they heard the roars of Zombies. After a brief pause, the Field Team decisively turned back and began implementing blockades from the eightieth floor onward, utilizing every resource available to delay the Zombies' advance. They carried only a few grenades and performed simple directional demolitions along their path, sealing off the Zombies' ascent while effectively cornering themselves onto the rooftop.
With Wang Zhongyu's sudden death and the collapse of the outer defense line, what remained of their group faced more than just the threat of Zombies. At least in Jiang He’s eyes, this truly felt like being trapped with no way out.
Yan Guofeng and American Guy Jones were on the rooftop when Jiang He and Song Yao found them. The base of the building was already completely submerged by a tide of Zombies. A few corpses lay on the rooftop—members of RCA Field Operations—while over ten despairing faces clustered behind Yan Guofeng. They stood at the edge of the rooftop, looking down at a vast sea of bodies below them. The turmoil within them gradually settled into a stillness akin to stagnant water.
“Where’s the plane?” Jiang He asked dryly, leaning over to glance beyond the railing as dizziness washed over him.
“It flew away,” Yan Guofeng replied with a slight grimace, pointing toward the dazzling sunlight on the horizon and murmuring, “It probably won’t be coming back.”
Jiang He was not surprised by this response. He turned to look at the girl beside him; her long hair was tousled by the wind, making her stunningly beautiful.
"It seems... the experiment needs to be interrupted," Song Yao said, sticking out her tongue and breaking into a smile as she tugged at Jiang He's arm. "It's windy; let's head back to the room."
"Okay," Jiang He replied, tightening his grip on her hand as they turned to leave the rooftop.
Yan Guofeng glanced back at their retreating figures, narrowing his eyes slightly, remaining silent for a long moment.
Inside the building, many people were still busy, the chaotic footsteps and the chatter of walkie-talkies blending together, creating a cacophony that was quite unsettling. The lower-level experimental team had all moved up, and many researchers in white lab coats still seemed confused about what was happening. They watched as armed personnel around them appeared tense and alert, stirring whispers of uncertainty within them. A few researchers spotted Jiang He and Song Yao; the calm demeanor and steady pace of the pair stood in stark contrast to those around them. They seemed unaffected by the atmosphere, even wearing smiles and occasionally whispering to each other, their eyes sparkling with delight.
Curious about how these two remained so composed, several researchers decided to follow Jiang He and Song Yao in small groups as they walked through the Glass Workplace and entered a large office that included a bedroom.
The noise level in the building was so high that Jiang He didn’t notice the group trailing behind him until he turned around to close the door and was startled to find a dozen lab-coated individuals standing there with expectant expressions. He felt a bit awkward about turning them away.
"Is there something you need?" Jiang He asked.
"Uh, could you tell us what happened here?" asked a middle-aged woman at the front of the group. Her colleagues seemed hesitant to speak up, so she took it upon herself to ask. "Why are we stopping preparations for the experiment?"
"Because..." Jiang He suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Looking at the puzzled faces of the researchers, he wasn't sure how to explain the situation. Should he really tell them, "No need for experiments anymore; everyone just clean your necks and wait for death"?
Song Yao noticed his discomfort and spoke up, "Everyone should go back and rest for now. Later, our leader will come to explain."
"But Wang Lianzhang said we were in a hurry! We need to be ready," the middle-aged woman replied, clearly not understanding Song Yao's intent. She frowned and added, "If we stop now and have to start over later, it will waste too much time!"
"Yeah, that's right! The power won't last much longer anyway!"
"Yes, Wang Lianzhang just said he would think of a way. Where is he?"
"What about Professor Yang? Why is his office locked?"
"Why is there no one in the laboratory?"
"…"
The white-coated individuals were chattering away, completely oblivious to the grim expressions on the faces of the Field Personnel around them.
Jiang He closed the door, shutting out the chaotic noise, and picked up Song Yao, carrying him toward the relatively soft bed in the bedroom. The sunlight outside was just right, casting a warm golden beam at the foot of the bed.
"Shaoshan said he would come to pick us up, right?" After a long silence, Jiang He couldn't help but murmur, as if asking Song Yao or perhaps just talking to himself.
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