Chapter 33: Journey to Huan'an (3)

Volume 1 “Year of Calamity”

Today was a day of bountiful harvest. The extensive weaponry and equipment exhilarated everyone in the search team. These lethal instruments forged from steel and gunpowder represented tangible hope for survival among the fortress survivors.

With three Type 59 anti-aircraft guns hitched to the cargo trucks and the armored assault vehicle leading the way, the convoy slowly departed from the compound of Huan’an Reserve Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. Every survivor in the convoy was equipped with a brand new Type 81 automatic rifle. Most convoy members were military veterans familiar with firearms – even Commander Zhang, who had served as a firefighter, had handled rifles during basic training, though his marksmanship was another matter entirely.

The convoy progressed slowly along Huan’an County Town’s ring road. Towing the artillery pieces inevitably affected the convoy’s speed, especially since most drivers weren’t professionals and all vehicles carried substantial amounts of weapons and ammunition, causing some underlying anxiety among the crew.

Just as the vehicles were about to exit the county town and enter the national highway, a piercing air raid siren sounded from within the town, growing progressively louder. The armored assault vehicle at the forefront immediately halted, and Nie Chong, clutching his rifle, disembarked and ran toward the truck driven by Old Zhang.

“Old Squad Leader! There are survivors in the town!”

The activated air raid siren could mean only one thing – survivors! In Nie Chong’s understanding, mindless zombies driven solely by instinct and those low-intelligence mutated creatures were incapable of such actions. Driven by military duty, he wanted to rescue the survivors inside the town, but he had to consult with Old Zhang, the de facto leader of Yushan Fortress, since he currently commanded only four soldiers, not all of whom had joined this search mission.

Old Zhang was no fool – he could guess Nie Chong’s thoughts. Truth be told, he also wanted to enter the town for rescue operations, but this wasn’t a simple matter that could be resolved with mere words. Setting aside the unknown situation inside the town, common knowledge dictated that zombies were highly sensitive to blood and sound. The air raid siren would likely attract every zombie in the county to its source. With just over a dozen people, even armed with rifles, could they truly rescue the survivors there?

Instead of immediately stating his position, Old Zhang turned his gaze toward An Sheng in the passenger seat. He knew only An Sheng possessed the capability to survive within corpse hordes, and only he had the ability to conduct rescues.

“Commander Zhang, I’ll follow your decision.” With this simple statement, An Sheng had clearly expressed his stance.

An Sheng had always followed Old Zhang’s directives without question – this man had provided him with too much assistance. Furthermore, An Sheng considered that the fortress currently had ample supplies and they possessed substantial weaponry. If they could rescue more people and have Nie Chong train them, it would strengthen Yushan Fortress’s defensive capabilities.

Old Zhang looked at An Sheng with gratitude. He knew his decision might plunge this young man into dangerous circumstances again – this wouldn’t be the first time. But as a military veteran, if he didn’t rescue those in need, his conscience would torment him, which was equally unacceptable.”The convoy will return to the artillery regiment’s warehouse. We can’t drive these trucks into the county town. Let’s hide the vehicles in the warehouse first, then discuss how to proceed with the rescue operation.” Old Zhang was always like this—thorough in his considerations.

The convoy turned around on the highway and headed back to the Reserve Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment. After hiding several vehicles in the warehouse, the dozen or so search team members gathered to discuss their next steps.

Nie Chong held a distribution map of Huan’an County Town that he had found at the artillery regiment’s base, studying it carefully. This reflected the discipline of a professional soldier—before every mission, he would meticulously analyze the geographical environment of the target area and make effective plans accordingly.

“Old Zhang, you’re a local. Where is the county town’s Air Raid Siren deployed?” Nie Chong asked Old Zhang earnestly.

Although they could locate the siren’s exact position by sound, knowing its precise coordinates in advance and planning based on the map would significantly increase their chances of a successful rescue. Such a simple logic was not lost on Nie Chong.

“If I remember correctly, it should be on the rooftop of the Power Company building, right here.” As he spoke, Old Zhang marked the location of the Huan’an County Power Company on the map.

Looking at the Power Company’s location and the distribution of surrounding buildings and streets on the map, Nie Chong felt troubled. The Power Company was situated in the central area of Huan’an County Town. Huan’an County was a semi-mountainous town built against the hills, with narrow streets and densely packed buildings. Combined with the chaotic road conditions following the disaster, this undoubtedly complicated the rescue operation. A small number of survivors would be manageable, but if there were many, large vehicles would be essential for a single evacuation. With their severely limited manpower, the feasibility of a second rescue was uncertain. It was best to rescue all survivors in one go; otherwise, if something went wrong, they might end up trapped by hordes of corpses and mutated creatures—a classic case of “going for wool and coming home shorn.”

An Sheng noticed Nie Chong’s concern. He patted Nie Chong on the shoulder and said with feigned ease, “Nie Chong, don’t worry. If necessary, I’ll go in first to scout the situation. If the roads are passable, I’ll come back to notify you. If not, we’ll figure out another way. It’s just that your walkie-talkies don’t have enough range—otherwise, things would be much easier.”

“Here’s what we’ll do: Peng Yu, Skinny Monkey, and I will go into the town with you. We’ll station one person at each extreme communication range to relay messages. This way, we can maintain communication. If the roads are clear, we can quickly coordinate with the convoy for the rescue.” Trained soldiers like Nie Chong were different from ordinary people like An Sheng—their approach to problem-solving was far more comprehensive.Nie Chong’s proposal was met with general agreement. After some additional arrangements, An Sheng and the other three proceeded into the county town on foot. The decision not to drive the Armored Assault Vehicle was based on the consideration that the engine noise would attract the attention of Zombies. A team consisting of three well-trained special forces soldiers and one mutated individual with enhanced physical abilities would have been an elite combat unit that struck fear into the hearts of their opponents in the past. Even in this post-apocalyptic world, they were undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.