novelhk Chapter 125 Evacuation
Chapter 125 Evacuation
Chapter 125 Evacuation
Intelligence observed by the fortress regarding the intense conflict between the new type of aquatic zombies and the mutated bird flock was quickly compiled and reported to the Jiangcheng Command Center.
The feedback came quickly, but not to the new type of zombies; instead, the focus was on a more pressing threat—the aggressiveness of a flock of birds.
On the public channel, A-02's somber voice rang out, beginning the roll call: "Attention all units, this is A-02. Emergency roll call is now in progress. Units whose numbers are called, please respond immediately and report your own and the fortress's structural safety status, with a focus on whether you have been attacked by mutated birds, and whether there are any casualties or signs of infection. A-01, please respond."
"A-01 received. The fortress structure is intact, and there was no direct bird attack. Personnel are safe. Over."
"A-03, please reply."
"A-03 received, safe————"
The roll call was conducted seriously and quickly. However, as the list was pushed down, an uneasy atmosphere began to permeate the invisible airwaves. A series of "no response" responses were recorded.
"F-10, please respond."
(No response)
"F-11, please respond."
(No response)
"F-12, please respond."
(No response)
When the roll call ended, the results were disheartening. More than ten forts had gone unanswered. The disappearance of forts F-10, 11, and 12 was expected, as Xu Mo knew they were already empty. But the silence of the other seven or eight forts strongly suggested that tragedy had already struck—the observers inside might have perished in the relentless attacks of the birds, or something even worse might have happened.
A-02's voice became more serious: "It has been confirmed that some units are out of contact. All remaining units, immediately move to the highest alert level. Reinforce all possible entrances and observation holes to minimize any gaps to the outside. Do not open any external passages unless absolutely necessary. Repeat, immediately implement the highest alert level. Command is developing follow-up plans. Please keep the channel open and await further instructions."
The instructions were clear and firm, and Xu Mo dared not be negligent. Although the C-07 fortress was not currently being targeted by the flock of birds, it was still necessary to be on the safe side.
With the observation port sealed, the last ray of light from the outside world was cut off, plunging the fortress into darkness, and the air seemed to grow even more stifling. This feeling of being completely enclosed in a steel coffin was enough to suffocate and terrify anyone with a weak will. Fortunately, the lighting was working, and everything returned to normal once the lights were turned on.
From that day on, the survivor observers inside the fortress had a new daily routine: at a fixed time each day, they would "check in" for safety via walkie-talkie to A-02.
"C-07 Report: Personnel safe, bunker structure intact, no abnormal intrusion detected. Over."
"B-04 Report, Security—"
"D-08 Report: Safe, but bird-colliding noises continue ————"
Behind every concise security report lies countless days and nights of agonizing endurance in darkness and constant noise.
Two days later, A-02 brought news from the Jiangcheng Command Center, also signaling the end of a phase: "Attention all units, this is A-02, delivering the latest notification from the Command Center. The Jiangcheng Shelter has recently been attacked by a large-scale flock of mutated birds. Due to timely warnings and effective prevention and control measures, no major losses have been caused, and social order remains stable. However, based on a comprehensive assessment of the current widespread and persistent aerial threats, as well as the pressure and risks borne by the forward fortifications, the Command Center has decided to terminate the long-term observation plan for the Hongxing Industrial Zone, effective immediately. All observers still on duty, please prepare for evacuation. The specific evacuation time, method, and route will be planned and issued by the Command Center. Please remain on standby, strictly adhere to instructions, and do not act without authorization. Repeat, prepare for evacuation and await specific instructions."
When the news arrived, a complex silence fell over the public channel, followed by scattered, suppressed responses. Some breathed a sigh of relief, while others felt disappointed.
Xu Mo had already anticipated this, so he remained remarkably calm. He simply replied, "C-07 received," and said no more.
Xu Mo had considered many possible reasons that might lead to the termination of this long-term observation mission. Perhaps the source of the zombies was identified or controlled, perhaps Jiangcheng's strategic focus shifted, or perhaps resources were insufficient to sustain it. But he never imagined that what would ultimately prompt Jiangcheng to make the decision to shrink its forward forces would be these flocks of birds from the sky.
Over the next few days, Xu Mo continued to open an observation hole regularly to observe the outside world. The flocks of birds in the sky not only did not disperse, but seemed to regard this industrial area, which could periodically produce zombies, as a stable "hunting ground" or "food source," staying, circling, and nesting on a large scale. The piercing cries and flapping wings almost became the new background noise in this area.
Over the walkie-talkie, the observers' anxiety began to shift from "whether we can hold out" to "whether we can evacuate safely."
"With so many birds, our convoy will definitely be attacked when we evacuate!"
"The helicopter is unusable, and the ground convoy is a bigger target. How do we get there?"
"Will command send a large army to wipe out these birds before letting us leave?"
"What are you thinking? What's the price to pay for clearing out so many birds?"
Worry and speculation mingled on the radio, but Xu Mo's focus was slightly different from theirs. He stared intently at the circling figures outside, especially some particularly striking individuals. Some of the mutated birds had wingspans estimated at four or five meters, casting chilling shadows as they glided through the air. Further on the horizon, occasionally, several even larger black shadows could be seen moving slowly high in the clouds. With his current eyesight, he could only barely make out that they were enormous birds beyond imagination; their exact size was impossible to estimate.
"If we roughly classify these mutated creatures according to the level of zombies, those with wingspans of four or five meters are probably at least level one mutated creatures, right? And those larger ones—" Xu Mo muttered to himself, "I just wonder if humans have a unified standard for classifying mutated creatures."
The unknown brought a deeper unease, so Xu Mo stopped looking and quickly resealed the observation hole.
Five or six more days passed amidst the waiting and the sounds of birdsong and birdsong.
Finally, the evacuation order was officially issued.
"Attention all remaining units, evacuation is about to begin. Repeat, evacuation is about to begin! Please prepare immediately according to the following instructions: 1. Carry only your essential personal items and abandon all non-essential supplies and fixed equipment;
2. Turn off all non-emergency power inside the fortress; 3. Upon receiving a call from this vehicle, leave the fortress with your belongings within ten minutes; 4. The receiving vehicle is a military armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle with clearly visible markings; please identify it accurately; 5. Strictly follow the instructions inside the vehicle and remain quiet during the evacuation. We will now begin notifying the receiving vehicle in the predetermined order.
"A-01, you are the first group. The pick-up vehicle is expected to arrive in fifteen minutes."
The instructions were clear and unambiguous, and the walkie-talkie was instantly filled with suppressed cheers and rapid confirmation replies. The long-suppressed tension and waiting had finally come to an end.
Xu Mo calmly began packing his belongings. He abandoned most of his personal items and equipment, carrying only the most essential items: a tactical backpack filled with ammunition and various magazines, disassembled parts of a Barrett sniper rifle, and shotguns and AWMs placed in a specially made extended gun bag. He carried an AK47, a pistol, and a machete with him. Finally, he carefully put away his recorded observation data and maps, some high-energy food, medicine, and supplements.
Even after streamlining, the package he finished packing still contained an enormous amount of stuff. After waiting for most of the day, a call came over the walkie-talkie for C-07: "C-07, this is Hound Three from the support convoy. They are expected to arrive near your fortress in twelve minutes. Please prepare for evacuation as instructed. Repeat, twelve minutes later..."
"C-07 received, ready," Xu Mo replied.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Mo took one last look around at the fortress that had been with him for nearly three months and witnessed his leap in strength.
Without much hesitation, Xu Mo first forcefully handed over his heavy luggage and gun pouch from the entrance, throwing them onto the open ground outside, before nimbly slipping out himself.
A few minutes later, the deep, powerful roar of an engine grew louder as it approached, drowning out the noise of the nearby flocks of birds. A wheeled armored personnel carrier, dark green with an additional armored vehicle on its roof and a remote weapon station mounted on it, broke through the thin dust cloud and came to a precise stop near the entrance to Fortress C-07. The conspicuous white serial numbers and evacuation markings on the vehicle were clearly visible.
The rear hatch of the vehicle swung open with a "whoosh." Without hesitation, Xu Mo picked up the heavy supplies with one hand and two gun sacks with the other, and rushed towards the infantry fighting vehicle.
"Brother, you've got a lot of stuff! Come on, let me help you!" Inside the hatch, a fully armed soldier wearing a riot helmet reached out to help.
"Thank you, I can manage on my own." Xu Mo's voice was steady. With a slight effort, he casually lifted the supplies, which probably weighed more than 200 pounds, over the hatch threshold and put them inside. He then jumped up himself.
The soldier was clearly taken aback. He looked at Xu Mo's not particularly burly figure, then at the pile of heavy equipment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. But he didn't say anything and quickly closed the hatch.
The carriage was dimly lit, filled with the smells of engine oil, sweat, and steel. Besides the soldier from before, three other people were already seated inside, each carrying packages of varying sizes, their faces showing exhaustion, tension, and the relief of finally being free. When they saw Xu Mo enter, along with his large, conspicuous pile of equipment, all three looked at him with surprise.
Xu Mochong and the others nodded slightly, set up their equipment in the corner, and found an empty seat to sit down. After a brief self-introduction and pleasantries, they learned that the three of them were from fortresses C-05, C-08, and C-12, respectively, and were all observers from Sector C.
Perhaps it was the habit of guarding alone for a long time, or perhaps it was the lingering shock of surviving a disaster, but after a brief exchange, the carriage fell silent.
All that remained were the roar of the engine, the clatter of the tracks over the rubble, and the constant, teeth-grinding thuds and sharp bird calls emanating from outside the vehicle.
Those were circling mutated birds attacking the moving steel monster. Although the armor and bulletproof glass of the infantry fighting vehicle were enough to withstand such an impact, the dense and continuous sound constantly reminded them of the dangers outside.
Xu Mo noticed that with each impact, the other three observers would involuntarily tense up slightly, their eyes revealing undisguised tension and fear. They gripped their luggage or seat armrests tightly, their knuckles turning white. The younger observer from C-08, in particular, was breathing noticeably more rapidly.
The infantry fighting vehicle continued its bumpy journey through the ruins and broken roads, picking up two more observers from fortresses C-02 and C-10 respectively. The compartment became even more crowded, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Apart from the necessary identification and seating arrangements, almost no one spoke; everyone silently endured the jolting and their inner unease.
Finally, after a brief report over the radio, the "Hound III" infantry fighting vehicle accelerated sharply and headed towards the outskirts of the industrial zone.
The birdsong and crashing sounds behind them gradually faded as the distance increased. Once the vehicle had completely left the core area of the Hongxing Industrial Zone and entered a relatively quiet buffer zone, the people in the carriage seemed to have been relieved of a heavy burden. They all breathed a long sigh of relief, and their faces showed genuine fear and relief.
After driving for a while, a temporary assembly point appeared ahead, where several reinforced buses were parked, and many observers who had arrived earlier were gathered around them, either queuing or resting.
Around the bus, several armored vehicles equipped with anti-aircraft machine guns or automatic grenade launchers were scattered in a guard formation, their cold gun muzzles raised high, pointing towards the sky, silently proclaiming the defensive strength of the area.
The atmosphere at the meeting point was relatively relaxed. People gathered in twos and threes, talking quietly, their faces showing the joy of escaping death and a little uncertainty about the future.
After Xu Mo and the others got out of the vehicle, the "Hound No. 3" infantry fighting vehicle did not stop at all, immediately turned around, and roared towards the Red Star Industrial Zone to pick up the next batch of personnel.
Standing at the relatively safe assembly point, Xu Mo immediately turned his gaze back in the direction he had come from. In the distance, above the iconic ruins and chimney outlines of the Red Star Industrial Zone, countless black dots still hovered, as if crowning this land of death with a malevolent black crown.
Sunlight occasionally pierces through the clouds, reflecting off that "crown" with scattered, unsettling metallic or horny sheens.
"My God, so many birds—this Red Star Industrial Zone is probably going to become a bird's nest and a zombie graveyard in the future." The observer from C-05 muttered to himself as he looked at the scene in the distance.
"In a sense, these birds helped us clear out the zombies?" the observer from C-10 said with a wry smile. "Although the way they did it was a bit... well, hard to accept."
"Clean up? I think a more troublesome monster has taken over that place!" The young man from C-08 exclaimed excitedly. "Did you see those big ones? Those wings... what if they attack Jiangcheng? Are our air defenses sufficient?"
"Yeah, at least zombies move on the ground, but these birds fly all over the place, it's impossible to defend against them!" C-02
The observers were deeply worried.
"Since Jiangcheng was able to issue an early warning, it must have had a countermeasure, right? Otherwise, why would it withdraw us at this time?" The observer from C-10 was relatively optimistic.
The crowd discussed the issue at length, with the topic always revolving around the threat posed by the mutated bird flock.
Xu Mo listened quietly without interrupting. He knew that the challenges these birds brought were probably only just beginning.
Their group behavior and aggression suggest that there may be a behavioral logic behind them that goes beyond the instincts of ordinary animals.
The waiting time wasn't too long. After the last infantry fighting vehicle returned and it was confirmed that all the observers who could be contacted had been safely evacuated, the officer in charge of on-site command began to organize personnel to board the vehicle.
Xu Mo followed the crowd and boarded a bus, which was already quite full. Outside the window, the escorting armored vehicles started moving, and the bus convoy slowly moved along the simply cleared road towards the Jiangcheng Shelter.
Xu Mo took one last look at the receding Red Star Industrial Zone in the rearview mirror. The ruins that had witnessed his cultivation breakthrough were slowly shrinking in his field of vision. His nearly four-month career as a fortress observer had come to an end.
Ahead lies Jiangcheng, a city with a population of one million.