Zombies spread across thirteen cities, causing a sensation worldwide
On the other side, the zombie hordes led by Lu Xueqing, Cheng Yong, and other second-tier zombies lived up to expectations.
After leaving Tongzhou, Wuzhou, and Quanzhou, they went on a rampage of infection and destruction.
In just one night, twelve out of fifteen cities were infested with zombies due to their influence.
Survivors in those twelve cities were plunged into a state of fear and panic, fighting against the zombies.
The howls of the zombies and the desperate screams of the survivors echoed through the cities.
Prosperous cities were devastated to varying degrees by the zombie hordes, leaving them in a state of chaos.
Among them, the three cities traversed by Cheng Yong saw the highest number of survivors infected and transformed into zombies.
His toxic infiltration ability left the survivors in the cities defenseless.
Wherever Cheng Yong went, survivors were infected and transformed into zombies within an hour, without any effort or time wasted.
By the time the first rays of sunlight illuminated the land, only Liuli Prefecture, Shanwei Prefecture, and Jinmeng Prefecture, which relied on their moats, remained untouched by the zombie hordes.
Even so, survivors in these three cities remained highly vigilant.
In each of these cities, police officers took charge.
They rallied large numbers of survivors to gather in warehouses, factories, and other large spaces, which served as shelters for everyone.
They taught the gathered survivors techniques to combat zombies and encouraged them to overcome their fears.
Around the shelters, simple watchtowers were built, and traps were set up using all available materials from surrounding buildings.
Most importantly, while the zombies were still at bay, survivors were ordered to frantically raid supermarkets, pharmacies, and malls within the cities.
Regardless of the type of food, daily necessities, or medicine, everything was transported to the shelters for storage.
Preparations were made thoroughly for the arrival of the zombies and their eradication.
...
At the edge of the moat, the wire fence erected overnight had been replaced by a thick wall, three meters wide and one meter high.
With the bustling activity of construction workers, the height of the wall continued to rise.
Responding to the call, survivors gathered within a five-kilometer radius outside the moat.
Looking out, every street was lined with tightly packed armored tanks, armored vehicles, and anti-riot vehicles.
They were arranged in an orderly manner, leaving ample space for movement.
The black gun ports of the armored tanks were aimed at the direction of the moat, ready to unleash their fury.
The rooftops of towering buildings were filled with the shadows of fighter jets.
Hovering like eagles soaring through the sky and gazing down on the earth, they were poised to unleash devastating firepower on the ground at any moment.
Police officers were busy transporting military supplies and deploying battle sites outside the moat.
Together with the heavy walls under construction, they formed an impenetrable fortress.
Within the quarantined fifteen cities, even a fly could not escape.
...
Wudu.
Inside the conference room.
The executives had been awake for two nights and a day straight.
Each one sported huge dark circles under their eyes, looking utterly exhausted.
They were so tired that their eyes could barely stay open, yet none dared to let their guard down.
All of them clenched their fists tightly, their bloodshot eyes fixed intently on the footage transmitted from the aerial cameras.
They watched as three evacuation teams were annihilated, as zombies emerged in thirteen cities one after another, occupying the streets.
They repeatedly watched the footage from Huanzhou, where a single zombie slaughtered a hundred police officers left behind, cut off the highway all by itself, and spoke human language while terrifying tens of thousands of fleeing civilians.
They felt numb, their minds blank.
In the span of two nights and a day, the "surprises" brought by the zombie hordes had completely shattered their perceptions.
The terror and strength of the zombies repeatedly exceeded their comprehension.
It was like a science fiction movie or novel, unrealistic yet so real.
"In just one night, thirteen out of fifteen cities are now plagued by zombies. How long before they are completely overrun?"
"Aside from the mysterious red-eyed zombies, that female zombie is probably the strongest and most ferocious one we know. Can we really kill her with firearms?"
"In just two nights and a day, we've already encountered zombies that are not afraid of bullets. We're gradually learning about the zombies, but their rate of growth is far outpacing us, leaving us no room to catch up."
"Liu Xiamu's speculation about the zombie evolution theory is correct. The future of our nation may ultimately be decided by the Scientific Research Department."
"The Scientific Research Department... can they really unravel the secrets of the zombies and solve the puzzle of human evolution before the zombies breach the moat?"
The executives let out helpless sighs and lamentations.
They gazed at Qingzhou, Tongzhou, Wuzhou, and Quanzhou, which had been drastically transformed.
They watched as the thirteen cities under attack were being ravaged by zombies.
They watched as the survivors in Liuliuzhou and other cities were actively preparing to confront the zombies.
They seemed to see the end of the world, yet they also saw a glimmer of hope.
The blueprints they had for the future had been shattered, and all they could hope for now was that sacrificing those fifteen cities would truly bring peace and stability.
They hoped that the time gained by sacrificing those cities would allow Liu Xiamu's speculations to come true.
That this massive "testing ground" would truly demonstrate its value.
"Crack!"
At that moment, the conference room door opened.
Wu Boxue walked in, gently rubbing his temples, and sat down slowly in the head seat, glancing at the footage transmitted from the aerial cameras on the big screen.
"Based on the current situation, which city has the fewest and weakest zombies?" Wu Boxue asked the executives.
"Your Excellency, according to the footage from the aerial cameras, Heishi Prefecture has the fewest zombies, only a few thousand. But as for their strength, we... can't really tell," Police Chief Li Changqing immediately replied.
While the other executives focused on the multiple cities infested with zombies and the horror they brought, Li Changqing's attention was on the current state of each city, the casualties among survivors, and the sacrifices of police officers.
He truly managed to grasp the situation in each city as soon as the zombie hordes spread.
"Li Changqing, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself."
"You will lead an elite team on a fighter jet to Heishi Prefecture and capture a live zombie for us!" Wu Boxue said, his eyes glinting with determination as he stared at Li Changqing.
Li Changqing was taken aback for a moment, but the next second, he stood up straight. "Yes, Your Excellency."
With those words, Li Changqing strode out of the conference room to gather his team.
Though he knew the dangers of this mission, he didn't hesitate in the slightest.
If a female officer could enter a quarantined city for the greater good and to stabilize people's hearts,
How could he, a man of iron will and the Chief of Police, be intimidated?
"Crack!"
Just as Li Changqing left the conference room, the door was pushed open again.
A woman in a hurry walked in quickly, took a deep breath, and said:
"Your Excellency, various countries have called to inquire about the current situation of the zombie disaster in Wu and requested an explanation from us."
"Diplomats from several neighboring countries are also on their way to Wu, wanting to witness firsthand whether Wu has the ability to control this disaster."
"In addition, led by Bai, five countries' militaries are heading towards the border of Wu, and the other side has not yet provided an explanation."