Chapter 442: Feasibility Study
Yangsheng Base.
Xiao Honglian sat at her desk, her hands clasped beneath her chin, her expression grim.
Beside her, Zhuge Qingtian remained silent, his face equally somber. Moments ago, the reconnaissance team they sent to investigate the zombie horde had been completely wiped out.
Before her lay a communication device, displaying a video sent by Dong Hu in his final moments. Through it, Xiao Honglian saw the terrifying zombie horde deep within the subway tunnels, along with rats the size of small dogs.
But what unnerved her most were the colossal, grotesque Bronze Armored Zombies, their appearance resembling giant stick insects. Their combat abilities rivaled those of Superhumans.
"I never expected such monsters to exist underground," she said.
"If they all swarm out, even with our base fully armed, we wonāt be able to hold them back," Zhuge Qingtian replied.
"Should we consider moving underground?"
This suggestion implied abandoning everything on the surface, including the massive refinery.
Xiao Honglian frowned deeply.
"Absolutely not. If we lose the refinery, we lose the foundation of our survival."
"No matter the cost, we must protect it," she said firmly.
"But if they do attack in full force, can we really defend it?" Zhuge Qingtian asked cautiously.
Xiao Honglianās eyes flashed with cold resolve.
"Then weāll pour our stockpiled oil around the refinery. If the zombies come, weāll ignite the oil and burn them all!"
This plan would come at a tremendous cost, akin to cutting off their arm to save their body. Yet preserving the refineryās remaining crude oil would sustain their survival for a long time.
The drastic proposal left Zhuge Qingtian speechless. But given their lack of better options, it seemed unavoidable.
"If we proceed, we should at least move the soldiersā families underground first. That way, even if something happens to us, there will be people below to carry on," Zhuge Qingtian suggested.
Leaning back in her chair, Xiao Honglian let out a long sigh.
"Do it," she said.
Back at the Shelter.
When Zhang Yi and his team returned, they were greeted by Zhou Keāer and the others. However, the groupās subdued expressions immediately caught their attention.
The women in the household quickly realized that this mission had not gone smoothly.
"Did something happen? Was there trouble?" Zhou Keāer asked gently.
Fatty Xu and Uncle You exchanged wry smiles, while Zhang Yi maintained his usual warm demeanor.
"We did encounter a little problem, but nothing too serious," he said reassuringly.
Zhang Yi believed that the burden of fighting should rest on the combatants, not the women at home, who were responsible for logistics. At the very least, he didnāt want to bring negativity into their sanctuary.
The group changed into casual clothing after returning indoors. Yang Siyah brought over hot drinks, which helped warm them up.
Afterward, Zhang Yi turned to Yang Siyah.
"Could you bring Xinxin and Keran over? I have something to discuss with them."
"Sure, just a moment," Yang Siyah replied, heading to the back to call them.
A short while later, Yang Xinxin arrived, pushing her wheelchair. She immediately noticed the heavy atmosphere.
Though Zhang Yiās expression was calm, there was a certain depth in his eyes, betraying the weight on his mind. Uncle You and Fatty Xuās expressions clearly conveyed that their mission hadnāt gone well, while Liang Yue remained her usual icy self.
"Brother, how did the mission go?" Yang Xinxin asked with a smile. She knew something was wrong but wanted to hear the details to see how she could help.
Zhang Yi gestured for Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran to come closer.
"I have a very important question to ask you," he said.
The two exchanged a surprised glance. It was rare for Zhang Yi to seek their advice, which made his request all the more intriguing.
"Ask away, Brother," Yang Xinxin replied with a smile.
Zhang Yi explained, his tone serious.
"I have an idea I need your help to implement. I need a way to freeze seawater quicklyāa very large amount of seawater. Do you have any solutions?"
The task wasnāt just about flooding the subway tunnels with seawater. If left unfrozen, many zombies and giant rats might survive and escape, creating an even bigger problem.
The ideal plan was to collect seawater in his spatial storage, then rapidly freeze it after flooding the tunnels, turning the subway system into a massive block of ice. At such depths, this would effectively trap most zombies and rats, sparing only the strongest creatures like the Bronze Armored Zombies or the Zombie King.
Zhang Yi laid out the plan, but its feasibility depended on technical expertise.
Lu Keran, who specialized in chemical materials, pondered for a moment.
"There are definitely ways to do it. Weād just need to prepare the right chemicals. But how much seawater are we talking about?"
Zhang Yi chuckled.
"A very, very large amount."
"To put it simply, I need to freeze an entire subway lineāover 20 kilometers of tunnels!"
The women in the room were stunned. The sheer scale of the task was mind-boggling.
Meanwhile, Uncle You, Fatty Xu, and Liang Yue showed no surprise, their faces filled with anticipation as they looked to Lu Keran and Yang Xinxin for answers.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Keran replied,
"Itās not impossible. With enough time to prepare, it could be done."
Author's Note