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墨書 Inktalez
There might be a free lunch down here, but not everyone is lucky enough to encounter it. Often, the bad things we pray won't happen seem to manifest almost immediately. Or deep down in our hearts, the final outcome of events is already quite clear; we just refuse to acknowledge it because it doesn't align with our desires.
Lin Yi was frustrated to be abruptly awakened from a deep sleep. He didn't want to admit he had morning grumpiness, but he was genuinely irritated and felt like he could kill someone.
"Sorry everyone, Commander wants to meet you all!" Slo quickly apologized with a smile when he noticed the way everyone looked at him as if he were a sworn enemy.
Seeing Slo had arrived, Lin Yi knew he had to suppress his anger. He rubbed his face vigorously to maintain a good state of mind.
"Mr. Slo, may I ask what brings you here?" Lin Yi approached Slo. He actually liked this young officer, after all, it was he who had saved their group.
"Mr. Lin Yi, allow me to introduce the gentleman beside me. This is Commander Mandray of the Golden Card Fortress, who is fully responsible for the fortress's security operations. He learned that you just escaped from a horde of zombies and came over to understand the situation," Slo said, pointing to a middle-aged man beside him who appeared to be around forty-five or fifty.
Lin Yi had been in a daze and hadn't really noticed this not-so-tall middle-aged man until now.
"Hello, Commander. It's an honor to provide you with some information," Lin Yi realized the man's authority and immediately understood how to proceed.
At this point, everyone had woken up and stood behind Lin Yi, aware that they were a team sharing both honor and disgrace.
"Mr. Lin Yi, I am Mandray. It's a pleasure to meet survivors from the Death Zone. I believe this will be a great encouragement for our publicity efforts," Commander Mandray said in a low, somewhat hoarse voice, indicating that the current situation was indeed grim.
"Death Zone?" Lin Yi felt a jolt at this term; had he really been wandering on the edge of hell?
Mandray nodded. "Yes, Mr. Lin. We all admire your bravery. No, your ability to come safely from the Death Zone goes beyond mere courage." Mandray's expression was somewhat exaggerated as he looked at Lin Yi with excitement.
"I wonder if Mr. Mandray could provide more details," Lin Yi felt uneasy under Mandray's peculiar gaze; it seemed there wasn't anything good coming from it.
Mandray smiled ambiguously before finding a place to sit down and slowly began recounting the situation.
The leader of Ethiopia received an urgent notification from Kenya about large-scale zombie cannibal incidents. After several battles, Kenya summarized that zombies could generally be divided into three categories: most were ordinary zombies that only acted on instinct to eat people; next were the Giant Zombies, which possessed immense strength and some intelligence; finally, there were intelligent Abominations capable of commanding the first two types of zombies—these were exceedingly rare. Kenya had encountered them three times but each time they either fled or nearly wiped out human forces entirely. After confirming the authenticity of the situation through various means, Ethiopia's leader immediately ordered nationwide defensive measures—everyone was responsible for protecting their homeland. However, the spread of zombies far exceeded their expectations, forcing them to abandon large areas.
Currently, the largest fortress in Ethiopia was in the capital city of Addis Ababa, with a radius of one hundred miles securely incorporated into its defenses. Each region had fortresses of varying sizes but were simultaneously surrounded by citizens turned into corpses. Considering future solutions for the Zombie Virus, Ethiopia's leader refrained from ordering an all-out massacre; instead, they could only adopt passive defense measures at most.
It was merely a wishful thinking on everyone's part; those Zombies clearly wanted more of their former companions to join them. Ordinary Zombies lacked the sufficient attacking power against these iron-clad fortresses, but the Giant Zombies, with their speed and brute strength, posed a significant threat. As each fortress needed to be connected to enhance cooperation among them, someone had to venture out of the city to establish pathways. Despite sending out enough guards, the occasional attack from a group of Giant Zombies severely impacted the entire networking project.
Given the urgent situation that had just emerged and swept across continents, countries were too preoccupied with their own defenses. The United Nations suggested that each government handle their own defense, but high-level communications were ongoing to resolve the issues. The current reality was that if one wanted to survive, they had to fight for themselves. Thus, it was the young people who bore the greatest burden; even the elderly were doing their part.
Lin Yi and his group arrived here knowing they couldn't expect protection without contributing in some way.
"Are you suggesting we go out and hunt those Zombies?" Mandray's words lacked a clear focus, but it was evident that they needed to take action to assist.
"Mr. Lin, you are indeed clever; I do have such a need," Mandray admitted openly without further concealment.
"Do you mean to say you don't even have this little bit of manpower?" Lin Yi frowned; he had no intention of becoming cannon fodder for others.
"Haha, Mr. Lin, you truly deserve your position as the leader of this group with such quick reactions," Mandray laughed heartily before continuing, "Our forces are indeed sufficient for defense, but if we send out enough guards, our fortress's strength will weaken. The Zombies outside are not fools; if we send people out, they will attack. I cannot risk the safety of hundreds of thousands of citizens here."
Lin Yi found it difficult to refuse now but had to consider whether his group had the combat capability to handle those threats. If they ventured out and were unable to deal with the Zombies, it would be too late for regrets.
"How can you be sure we can help?" Lin Yi wanted to gauge the combat strength of those Zombies indirectly in order to formulate a strategy.
Mandray smiled mysteriously: "Currently, all types of Satellites from various countries are being converted into surveillance Satellites for global monitoring. We were fortunate enough to receive battle footage from your capital; with such formidable combat power, I believe even a battalion might struggle to eliminate your team."
Lin Yi felt a shock; no one wanted their every move exposed so blatantly. He thought carefully—he hadn't done anything inappropriate or sneaky—but it still left him feeling displeased; he didn't want to feel completely vulnerable.
"Of course, according to previously signed global agreements, we won't monitor everyone without reason. However, since you managed to survive from the Death Zone now occupied by Zombies, we naturally need to investigate," Mandray quickly explained, aware of Lin Yi's discomfort. After all, asking someone to risk their life required honesty.
Regardless, Lin Yi and his group still felt uneasy. Although Lin Yi believed he hadn't done anything questionable, he couldn't rule out that his teammates might have acted otherwise. Many people glared at Mandray with hostility, clearly unconvinced.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you that your efforts won't be in vain; we will provide sufficient compensation and various material support," Mandray threw out an enticing offer just as tensions were about to boil over.
"The money doesn't matter; we just hope to reach a safe place and stop running around," Lin Yi stated firmly despite Li Qiweng tugging at him from behind when he mentioned money being unimportant.
"For you all, where you are is indeed a safe place. I regret to inform you that there may not be any truly safe places left; survival depends entirely on your own efforts," Mandray stood up and conveyed the seriousness of the situation to everyone.
For a moment, everyone fell into deep thought. It was impossible for them to do nothing. Striving to help connect the passageway was an additional layer of security. The current situation meant they could only work hard to assist the people of this fortress and gain the support of Mandray. They wanted to leave, but without sufficient backup, stepping outside would quickly lead them into crisis.
"Well then, we need to discuss this. After all, I can't decide everyone's fate," Lin Yi leaned towards agreeing with Mandray; it was his only option. He just needed to consult with everyone to seek more resources.
Mandray nodded and left with Slo, fully aware that Lin Yi would ultimately agree. His Golden Card Fortress did not accommodate waste; refusal meant they would have to fend for themselves.
"What do you think, everyone? Is this a reasonable deal?" Lin Yi scanned the crowd, silently noting their expressions. He couldn't force anyone into a death trap.
"Clearly, this isn't about whether we agree or not; it's about how much benefit we can gain from this mission to ensure we don't become cannon fodder," Bai remarked after observing the group.
"Brother Bai is absolutely right," Jiao Jiao chimed in, while Flower Cannon and Hai nodded along, having once been part of the same team and sharing a strong understanding.
"What about the others?" Lin Yi worried that some might resent being directed and pressed on.
To his surprise, everyone unanimously agreed, clearly recognizing that this matter was already set in stone.
Since it was decided, Lin Yi no longer hesitated. Before long, Slo returned with the weapons they had previously confiscated and brought new equipment supplies. It seemed Mandray was confident they would accept his proposal, as there were no signs of retreat. Lin Yi didn't raise the issue of compensation; safety in returning was the priority, and everything else could be negotiated later.
As night fell, after replenishing their food supplies, everyone began to rest and gather their strength in anticipation of the new challenges ahead.
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