Zhao Qiang said, "We've gotten rid of them for now, but they're gathering in large numbers. The number of infected people in this area is surprisingly large, and I'm afraid the headquarters might be in danger."
Louis said, "They may be frenzied, but they are still flesh and blood. The command headquarters has ample ammunition; we can wipe them out no matter how many they come to attack."
Faced with powerful weapons and ample ammunition, these flesh and blood bodies do indeed appear somewhat weak, but if their numbers reach a terrifying level, then these flesh and blood bodies will also generate enormous destructive power.
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm afraid things won't be as you imagine. Think about what happened to us in the underground laboratory."
Louis thought of the chimpanzee and the wild boar; they were difficult to hurt with bullets and had incredible fighting ability.
"Let's hurry on our way. I need to report everything we've encountered to headquarters," Louis said anxiously.
After bypassing this area, they entered the main road. Of course, no one dared to walk openly on the street. They carefully weaved along the sidewalk and finally returned to the headquarters at daybreak. Along the way, they encountered more than a hundred survivors who followed the team into the headquarters area.
The headquarters was temporarily set up in an extremely open field in the suburbs. When Zhao Qiang saw the scene, he was dumbfounded. The crowds at the back door of a building he had seen when he took a detour were spectacular, but this was nothing compared to what he had seen here. The crowds there were only in a small area, but here there was no end in sight. There were dense crowds everywhere, and everyone was sitting on the ground close together. It wasn't because they were afraid of the cold, but because there was really no room. Was the entire population of New York City here?
Not only Zhao Qiang, but even Louis gasped: "This place wasn't like this when I left."
Zhao Qiang pointed to the hundred or so people following behind him and said, "There are still survivors arriving."
Several soldiers waved their guns and shouted, "Make way, make way, let us in!" The headquarters was located in the very center of this area.
It took a lot of effort to get into the central tent. Martin was carried in as well. He remained unconscious the whole way, which was quite lucky. If he had woken up, he might have become another infected person.
Louis went to report the situation to his superior. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun casually surveyed the area. There were approximately 50,000 survivors gathered here, with a large number of soldiers guarding the outermost perimeter. They had constructed a defensive line using armored vehicles, tanks, and artillery. However, due to the increasing number of survivors, this defensive line had been moved outwards three times, but there was no room to expand further. According to the survivors sitting on the ground, they would be relocated within the next 48 hours to a larger emergency shelter located five kilometers away.
Occasionally, there would be sporadic gunshots, which were soldiers on the outer perimeter shooting at the infected. They moved in from the outside in twos and threes, but they had no ability to break through the defenses and were simply targets for the soldiers.
When Zhao Qiang returned to the designated rest area, Louis had already come back. He was sitting on the ground smoking. When he saw Zhao Qiang, he immediately stood up. At this moment, he still had some respect for Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang asked, "How is the situation?"
Louis said, "Professor Martin has already handed it over to headquarters, and the drug has also been taken away by military researchers. I don't know the specifics based on my rank."
"What's the situation outside?" Zhao Qiang asked.
Louis said, "New York City is completely surrounded by the military, and it's impossible to escape from the city. The virus is temporarily under control in New York, which is good news."
It's certainly good news that the virus hasn't continued to spread outwards. Zhao Qiang asked, "Has this area ever been subjected to a large-scale attack by infected individuals?"
Louis said, "As far as I know, no."
Zhao Qiang sighed: "So, considering the situation we've arrived at, this place is very dangerous."
The sun had already risen, illuminating the earth, but the desolate scene before them was chilling. Louis shuddered: "You mean there will be a large-scale attack by infected?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't you think so?"
Louis said, "I'm afraid even if I told the people at headquarters, they wouldn't believe me."
Zhao Qiang said, "Do your best, we're leaving now."
(Thanks to sessi for the monthly pass support)
Volume 2 [693] Going to the TV Station
[69] Go to the TV station
The US military's responsiveness is undoubtedly world-class. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun flew into the air and had a clear view of their surroundings. New York was heavily surrounded, and it would be difficult for anyone inside, whether alive or dead, to get out. However, because a large number of troops had been deployed to the outer perimeter, the city's defenses were quite weak. Apart from setting up shelters in fixed locations for protection, a large number of soldiers could only guard important institutions that had not yet completed their evacuation. They were not capable of rescuing civilians. Even the troops responsible for guarding important institutions were frequently sounding alarms, with infected people constantly attacking them. Due to the shortage of ammunition, they could no longer hold out.
Yang Shiyun said to Zhao Qiang, "You won't blame me, will you?" You have to understand that the virus was created by Xiao Wei, and she bears an unshirkable responsibility for the current situation.
Zhao Qiang said, "Many people died in the war, but can you hold the weapon makers accountable?"
Zhao Qiang's description put Yang Shiyun at ease. She had indeed created the virus, but her purpose was not to cause a disaster. It was just that she was being used by someone with ulterior motives. As for who leaked the virus and who applied it to the human body, it wouldn't matter much even if the matter was found out. What was important was to prevent such a thing from happening again.
"Shall we go back to the hotel to find Lina first?" Yang Shiwei asked. Her identity was very complicated now, sometimes she was Yang Shiyun, and sometimes she was Xiaowei. Zhao Qiang was not used to it.
"Okay, then I'll go check on Donna, I wonder if she's been infected."
Yang Shiyun suddenly pointed to the urban area beneath her feet: "There are the survivors who once walked a part of the way with us."
Zhao Qiang glanced at them and confirmed that they were indeed the group he had encountered at the mall. However, the number of them was incorrect. Originally, there were about thirty people, but now there were only six left, and there were no men, only women.
Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun landed and appeared in front of the group unintentionally. The six women were startled, thinking they were infected. When they heard Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun speaking, they realized they were normal humans. Infected people could only utter monotonous syllables, a fact that everyone knew after encountering infected people a few times.
"Why are there only a few of you left?" Zhao Qiang asked.
The female shop assistants were filled with regret: "We encountered infected people when we took a detour, and they were all eaten."
Yang Shiyun sighed. Who could she blame? It was too late to say anything now; choosing to stay or leave was their right. The female sales clerks continued, "We regret it so much, that's why we're going with you this time. By the way, why are only the two of you left? Did he...did they also die in the accident?"
Yang Shiyun said calmly, "They've returned to the shelter, but you've gone the wrong way and are already far from it."
"Ah!" The female shop assistants turned pale with fright. The entire city had changed drastically, and they had no idea where they were. "What... what are we going to do? Will we be eaten too? Please save us, please save us!"
These tall American women clung to Zhao Qiang, practically clinging to him. Yang Shiyun pouted and glared at Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang could only push the voluptuous foreign girls away and said, "Listen up, everyone. I won't be going to the shelter for now, so you can't follow me. I suggest you find a safe place to store up food and hide it. Don't let the infected find you. Once more troops enter the city, you will be rescued."
"Where should we hide?" someone asked.
Zhao Qiang said, "How could I, a foreigner, know more about New York than you do?"
Yang Shiyun took Zhao Qiang's arm and said in a deliberately affectionate tone, "Let's go, we still have things to do."
When Zhao Qiang and his companion left, the girls followed. Zhao Qiang had no choice but to lead them to the hotel. Fortunately, the hotel had not yet fallen, but hundreds of infected people had gathered outside the hotel, eager to get close to the living presence emanating from inside.
Yang Shiyun frowned: "How do we get in?" If these American girls weren't with them, the two of them could have jumped out the window, but now it seemed the only option was the front door. However, expecting the hotel staff to open the door for them was simply impossible.
Zhao Qiang said, "Send a message to Lina, tell her to lower a rope down so we can climb up."
Yang Shiyun nodded, and everyone waited in the corner for a while. A rope made of bed sheet was lowered down, but the girls didn't dare to climb because the floor was too high. Zhao Qiang was worried that lingering there for too long would attract infected people, so he had no choice but to climb to the second floor first, open the window, and then let the American girls go up to the second floor before continuing up the stairs. After half an hour of this, they finally entered the room where Lina was waiting.
Zhao Qiang said to the American girls, "It's safe here for now. There's water and electricity. You can stay here and wait."
The girls still relied on Zhao Qiang and asked anxiously in unison, "Where are you going? Don't leave us behind."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's go out and look around. Are you planning to come along?"
Several girls shook their heads vigorously: "We'll wait for you here. We'll repay you as long as you come back." After saying that, the girls deliberately squeezed out deep cleavage for Zhao Qiang to see, almost as if they were about to take off their clothes and let Zhao Qiang touch them. Yang Shiyun snorted in anger, grabbed Zhao Qiang and walked out of the room. Lina naturally followed closely behind. Now she was the most loyal follower.
“Let’s go to the school and see how the equipment is doing,” Zhao Qiang said to Yang Shiyun. “If we want to develop a treatment drug as soon as possible, that equipment can save time.”
Yang Shiyun asked, "You should have a plan in mind by now."
Zhao Qiang said, "Almost, but there are still a lot of calculations to be completed. You know, biology is the most troublesome subject."
Yang Shiyun said, "My chip has only just been activated, and many functions are limited. More importantly, the computing power cannot be increased. I can only provide you with some assistance. The chips of Lina and the others are not known for their computing power. Even if they can help a little, it will not be of great importance. So the focus is on you. You must win, or I will be in big trouble."
Zhao Qiang comforted Yang Shiyun, saying, "This has nothing to do with you. If anyone is truly responsible, it's Professor Martin. He neglected the management of such an important virus sample; otherwise, things would never have turned out this way."
Yang Shiyun gritted her teeth: "And the person who released the virus, if I find him, I'll torture him to death."
Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun slipped out of the hotel. It was hard to see any pedestrians on the street. This was a stark contrast to the bustling scene yesterday. The army no longer patrolled the streets because the cost was too high. They were now stationed at fixed locations to guard the area. Survivors had to go to their protected locations to seek help from the army. Of course, most survivors chose to stay at home. With the outside world not yet stable and their homes having plenty of food, no one was willing to risk going out.
"I wonder how Donna is doing?" Zhao Qiang asked.
Yang Shiyun said sourly, "Missing her?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's only right for a friend to show concern for her."
Yang Shiyun said, "Brother, why don't we go find her and then go to school together?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Okay, let's go to the TV station and take a look."
Three infected individuals, who were wandering aimlessly in the street, spotted Zhao Qiang and his companions. They charged at them like mad dogs, their stomping feet making a loud thud. A sharp piece of metal pierced one of their feet and pierced through the sole, but the person seemed oblivious to the pain. Another person was missing an arm, perhaps eaten alive by an infected person before being infected. These were zombies, scenes only seen in movies. And these zombies were different from those in movies; they were incredibly fast, making it difficult for ordinary people to escape them.
Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun pulled out their electromagnetic guns. Yang Shiyun's ability to control energy was limited, so she couldn't make bullets herself. Therefore, Zhao Qiang picked up some metal from the ground, used energy to control it to form metal bullets, and then handed them to Yang Shiyun. Yang Shiyun pressed the metal bullets into the magazine, and the electromagnetic channel fired the bullets. As long as they hit the infected's body, they would burst open with a large hole. Both of them had good shooting accuracy and generally did not miss their targets. The two of them advanced while shooting at the infected rushing out from the roadside. Because they were not in large numbers, it was useless for them to run fast. They all fell down behind them.
While shooting, Yang Shiyun said, "Brother, what if one day we find out that there are ways to cure these lunatics? We've killed so many of them."
Zhao Qiang fired a shot that exploded, blowing the heads off a group of madmen who were rushing at him. "Their normal cells are almost completely gone, so there's no way to heal them. Kill them without worry."
Yang Shiyun chuckled: "Don't we need to care about the law?"
Zhao Qiang shot down two more. "Laws? Those are made for Americans. What use are they to you and me?"
The number of madmen near the TV station is decreasing. It's not that there are no people around the TV station, but that the TV station where Donna works has been requisitioned by the government and is now an important institution for the government to release information. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun came out from the corner and walked towards the TV station's main entrance. As for Lina, she could only wait outside for the time being. Her blank expression could easily be mistaken for an infected person.
"Stop!" Several bullets swept past their feet. Zhao Qiang raised his hands: "We are human beings."
The soldiers guarding the TV station finally released their fingers from the trigger. If Zhao Qiang had behaved in any way, they would have used machine guns to mow down the two men. Of course, in their minds, how could Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun possibly be hurt by them?
"What are you doing? Didn't we tell you to stay home and wait for rescue?" the soldier yelled. "You foreigners are so nosy."
Zhao Qiang said, "Brother Bing, we don't have a home in America. We're here for tourism. Can we go inside and take shelter for a while? There are just too many lunatics out there."
The soldier waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "No, no, this is a key military facility. You should stay away."
Zhao Qiang took a bag off his shoulder. He had picked it up from the street on his way here. Inside were junk food items that Americans used to look down on: chicken wings and hamburgers. Although they were all cold, the virus outbreak was sudden, and these soldiers were ordered to come to the TV station to protect it. They had only eaten one meal all day, and their stomachs were still growling.
Suddenly, they smelled the aroma of hamburgers and chicken wings. Even though these junk foods were not to their liking, they couldn't resist the temptation. The soldiers exchanged glances, took Zhao Qiang's bag, and then quietly waved inside. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun entered the TV station building smoothly. It seems that the rules outside are similar; as long as you have enough benefits, you can get anything done.
Volume 2 [694] Leaks
[694] Leaked information
Once past the outer defenses of the building, it was a completely different world inside. Because of its extraordinary status, this place had been protected from the start. Compared to the dilapidated and dangerous outside world, it was a paradise. No wonder the soldiers didn't allow survivors to enter casually; if they flooded in, the place would probably be paralyzed. However, the soldiers didn't expect Zhao Qiang to bribe them with food. This was something the previous survivors hadn't considered either. They had come to escape for their lives, so why would they think about carrying a bag of food? It was precisely for this reason that Zhao Qiang's bag of food became very important.
"It's so clean and bright!" Yang Shiyun exclaimed. "Compared to the outside, this place is simply paradise. No wonder Donna refused to come out and didn't give us any news. We thought she was really infected."
A staff member stopped Zhao Qiang and his companion. He was a security guard at the TV station. Because of the tense situation outside, the security guards had begun to patrol the station in full force so that if any infected person was found, the military could be notified in time to eliminate them.
What are you people doing?
Zhao Qiang said, "We've come to find Donna."
The security guard sized Zhao Qiang up and down: "Donna? What's your relationship with her?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Friend."
The security guard said, "Coming to see a friend at this hour? I think you're treating the TV station like a refuge. She's broadcasting live right now, so don't wander around. Go to the duty room and stay put. Otherwise, you'll be in trouble."
After saying that, the security guard led Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun to the security guard duty room. Inside, six or seven security guards were lying haphazardly on makeshift beds. With such a big incident in New York City, the TV station was in chaos, and they were all exhausted from patrolling everywhere. However, when they saw a beautiful Chinese girl come in, they sat up abruptly.
The security guard who brought Zhao Qiang in said, "They're here to see Donna. Tell them to wait here."
A chubby security guard said, "No problem, I'll definitely take good care of you. Go on patrol."
Zhao Qiang followed the security guard to the duty room because he didn't want to disturb Donna's live broadcast. Judging from the attitude of the security guards in the duty room, it seemed that these people had begun to indulge themselves when disaster struck, and had lost their restraint from normal society.
"Come here," a security guard pointed to a chair next to him, gesturing for Yang Shiyun to sit down.