Chapter 285: Deadly Order

Chapter 285: Deadly Order

The villagers of Xu Family Town heaved a sigh of relief when they heard it was only their communication devices being confiscated. Smiles appeared on their faces. Although losing their phones meant no more entertainment, they didn’t think the actions of the Special Forces were unreasonable.

The people here had one key trait: obedience. As long as they weren’t being asked to die, they could tolerate most intrusions on their lives. So, the situation remained orderly as everyone handed over their devices without protest.

In the crowd, however, Fatty Xu was anxious, his heart racing in fear. Others weren’t worried because they had no contact with Zhang Yi, but Fatty Xu was Zhang Yi’s mole in Xu Family Town! Fortunately, he had been prepared for this day ever since he started working undercover. He deleted his chats with Zhang Yi daily and even had a shortcut set up to delete his contacts.

When Xu Dongtang came around to collect phones, Fatty Xu swiftly deleted Zhang Yi as a friend. Now, there was no trace of Zhang Yi left on his phone. Unless they performed a data recovery—which was highly unlikely, given the number of villagers and the lack of advanced equipment—they wouldn’t find anything.

Xu Dongtang approached him. “Chunlei, where’s your phone?”

Fatty Xu quickly handed over his phone and said, “My computer’s at home. I’ll bring it later.”

Xu Dongtang, aware that Fatty Xu might eventually go to West Hill Base, treated him fairly well. “Alright, wait until Captain Ling finishes speaking before you go get it.”

After Xu Dongtang left, Fatty Xu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Although he had dodged this crisis, how would he contact Zhang Yi in the future? Could it be that West Hill Base had already discovered there was a traitor among them?

Once all the devices were confiscated, Ling Feng began assigning the next task. He declared that everyone in Xu Family Town was to enter a state of war, assisting the Special Forces in attacking Zhang Yi’s shelter.

“I hope you’ll all cooperate with us. This is for your own safety,” he said. “As long as we eliminate the murderer Zhang Yi, your future will be much brighter!”

The villagers were stunned, fear creeping into their hearts.

“Are they really going to make us attack Zhang Yi’s shelter?”

“I don’t want to go! So many people died the last time.”

“We’re just farmers and fishermen. What can we do against him?”

“Exactly! You’re trained soldiers. Why make us fight?”

The villagers, clearly upset, voiced their concerns. Ling Feng reassured them, “You won’t have to charge into battle. We just need you to help with some engineering work. Rest assured, we’ll be the ones directly confronting Zhang Yi.”

He pounded his chest confidently. “Trust us. It’s a soldier’s duty to protect the people!”

Leaders like Xu Dongtang also spoke up to support Ling Feng’s plan. Though some villagers grumbled, no one wanted to be the first to oppose the order, and so the matter was settled. But in reality, their opinions didn’t matter. Ling Feng was merely informing them; they had no choice but to obey.

Fatty Xu’s anxiety grew. He was not only worried about his cover being blown but also realized that Zhang Yi’s warnings were coming true. At first, West Hill Base’s forces only demanded food from the villagers. Then, they stationed troops and requested information on Zhang Yi, putting the town at risk. Now, they were asking the villagers to help in the assault on Zhang Yi’s shelter.

Knowing Zhang Yi’s personality, if he survived this ordeal, he would undoubtedly seek revenge on everyone in Xu Family Town. As for West Hill Base, Fatty Xu wasn’t sure if they’d spare the town either.

Behind Ling Feng, Liang Yue stood next to Zheng Xuerong and Shi Dayong, feeling relieved that she had prepared two phones. If she were asked to hand one over, she could easily avoid detection. However, Ling Feng hadn’t suspected her yet.

First, Liang Yue’s strength had earned the Special Forces’ respect. Second, Ling Feng couldn’t fathom why Liang Yue would betray West Hill Base, where she enjoyed the privileges of the Fourth Life Pod. In his mind, it was unthinkable that someone would give up such a comfortable life to save people unrelated to her.

Still, Liang Yue felt a sense of wariness towards Ling Feng. His sudden actions were not only unexpected but also excluded her from the planning process. Was this because he suspected her, or was there something even more secretive going on?

After thinking it over, Liang Yue decided to ask. As a member of the Special Forces, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to inquire about the mission.

“Captain Ling, with such a large-scale operation, do we have a big action planned?”

Ling Feng glanced at her and smiled faintly. “We’ve received a death order from above. Zhang Yi’s shelter must be taken down, no matter what.”

“So now, we have to mobilize every possible resource!” he added. Not wanting Liang Yue to feel left out, Ling Feng explained, “I only came up with this plan last night. Since it was urgent, I didn’t have time to inform you.”

Liang Yue remained calm. “No problem. You’re the captain, so you make the decisions.”

Ling Feng nodded and began assigning tasks to his soldiers. Then he called Liang Yue, Zheng Xuerong, and a few others into a room to discuss his plan. The intelligence officers in the Special Forces were already in the loop.

“We’ve made several attempts to attack the shelter, and though we’ve suffered losses, we’ve figured out Zhang Yi’s abilities,” Ling Feng explained, pointing to a 3D model of the shelter.

“Ballistic weapons like guns and rocket launchers are useless; he can absorb and reflect them. However, his offensive capabilities are limited. He only dares to attack with a sniper rifle and never ventures out of the shelter.”

“So, my plan is for us to attack continuously from his shelter’s blind spots using our superpowers!” He pointed to the model again, highlighting the areas with no windows.

Liang Yue raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? This could take forever. Even if we rotate, it might take over a year to break through.”

She continued, “I don’t think the base will give us that much time, and why involve the villagers if it’s just us fighting?”

Ling Feng chuckled. “As expected of a teacher, Liang! You’re sharp.”

“I’m a P.E. teacher,” she replied coldly.

“Well, teacher or not, you’re right. The real attack isn’t from the surface—it’s underground,” Ling Feng said, his eyes hardening as he pointed to the soil beneath the shelter on the model.

“We’re going to blow it up from below. TNT is still the most effective way to deal with a fortified structure.”

Liang Yue’s heart froze as she grasped the plan. “You’re sending the villagers to their deaths?”

Ling Feng’s expression turned icy. “I’m doing this for their own good. Zhang Yi has already slaughtered hundreds of them. If we leave now, they’ll have no chance against him.”

“Sacrifices are necessary for victory,” he said coldly. “As soldiers, our first duty is to follow orders. And we’ve been ordered to take Zhang Yi’s shelter at any cost.”

Liang Yue’s fists clenched in fury. ‘At any cost—but it’s the villagers who will pay the price!’

Though she had known West Hill Base was ruthless, she hadn’t expected the soldiers to be this heartless.

“I’m not a soldier! I can’t do this!” she spat.

Ling Feng’s gaze turned sharp. “Since joining the Special Forces, you’ve been one of us. Unless you have a better plan, you’ll follow the order.”

Liang Yue fell silent. What could she do? She had secretly allied with Zhang Yi and wanted him to survive. But how could she watch the villagers march to their deaths?

Zheng Xuerong intervened, placing a hand on Liang Yue’s arm. “We have no choice, Liang. Zhang Yi controls supplies for thousands. He’s vital to West Hill Base.”

“In the apocalypse, only a few can survive. Protect yourself and those close to you—like your students.”

Hearing this, Liang Yue calmed down. Confronting Ling Feng now wouldn’t end well for her or her students.

Author's Note