The contingent from the Military Department was massive. With 10,000 Combat Robots, it couldnât be anything but.
To coordinate these 10,000 Combat Robots, the Military Department had also specifically dispatched five control teams.
As the Combat Robots gathered, the rapid response forces and artillery squads following behind them also arrived.
The one leading the Military Departmentâs team this time was, once again, Zhang Yue.
However, when Zhang Yue approached, Lin Xinghai noticed that the insignia on his shoulder had changed from a colonelâs rank to a Major Generalâs.
"Congratulations on the promotion! I didnât expect you to become a Major General so quickly. At this rate, Iâll probably be calling you General in another year or two," Lin Xinghai said with a surprised smile.
"Promotions donât come so easily at my level. But with your abilities, if you were to join the military, youâd definitely make General long before I ever did. What do you say? Interested in joining us?" Zhang Yue extended the invitation once again as he spoke.
"Uh... Letâs talk about that later," Lin Xinghai said with a laugh.
He had more contact with the Military Department recently and had a good impression of them, but he still hadnât decided whether to join the military.
After all, he still cherished his freedom, and joining the military would certainly mean losing a lot of it.
Seeing this, Zhang Yue didnât press the issue and instead asked, "Are we moving out now?"
"Letâs look at the intel first. The reconnaissance teams the Military Department sent out should have a good handle on the situation in the surrounding area by now, right?" Lin Xinghai asked.
"Yes, theyâve scouted it out pretty thoroughly." As he spoke, Zhang Yue activated the projection function of his wrist-mounted computer. A holographic map quickly materialized before them.
The map not only marked the terrain and buildings but also displayed Zombie density and their approximate distribution.
Lin Xinghai stared at the map in thought for a moment. Then, he had Zhang Yue open the editing function and drew a red line across the airborne map.
"Have the staff office calculate the estimated size of the Zombie horde weâll trigger if we follow this route," Lin Xinghai said.
"Alright!" Zhang Yue agreed and immediately complied.
The group of Mercenary Corps Leaders who had been watching from the sidelines were still stunned, even though they already had a very high estimation of Lin Xinghaiâs status.
During wartime, it was always the staff office that commanded them. But with Lin Xinghai, the roles were completely reversed.
However, watching Lin Xinghaiâs series of arrangements, they felt an immense sense of security.
At this point, the operation hardly seemed like something thrown together at the last minute. All the arrangements felt as if they had been meticulously planned.
The staff office sent back a reply shortly after. Zhang Yueâs expression grew grim as he read it.
"Based on current intel, if we proceed along the route youâve planned, the Zombie horde weâll encounter could exceed 80,000."
"Furthermore, there are too many uncertain factors here in Guanghan City. In the end, itâs possible that number could even double."
"And then thereâs the variable of Mutated Zombies. If they show up and summon a horde, the final outcome will be completely unpredictable."
Zhang Yue paused, then tried to persuade him. "Honestly, we donât have to go that far. If we just operate within a 5-kilometer radius of here, it should be much safer."
"Iâm not deliberately choosing a dangerous path," Lin Xinghai said with a soft sigh, then suddenly asked, "Do you think those Mutated Zombies will launch a horde attack while weâre establishing the sub-base?"
Zhang Yue was momentarily unable to follow Lin Xinghaiâs train of thought. He didnât quite understand why Lin Xinghai had suddenly asked that question, but he nodded anyway. "According to the staff officeâs analysis, the probability of the Mutated Zombies attacking is likely over 85%."
"Exactly," Lin Xinghai said seriously. "Iâve never liked waiting passively. The reason Iâm making such a big sceneâtriggering a horde and heading so far outâis to lure out some of the Mutated Zombies and kill them preemptively. Itâll serve as a warning to the others."
Zhang Yueâs expression changed slightly. He hadnât considered that.
It wasnât just him; the other Mercenary Corps Leaders felt the same. At the same time, however, they felt a newfound sense of purpose for this mission.
After heâd laid it all out, no one questioned Lin Xinghaiâs decision anymore.
Soon, the group adjusted their formation and set off immediately.
The team had barely left the Industrial Park, not even 100 meters out, when the fighting erupted.
After all, the number of Zombies in the vicinity was unusually high. As gunfire rang out, a group of just over 100 Zombies was gunned down in a little over ten seconds.
The team maintained its formation and advanced in an orderly fashion. As they moved further from the Industrial Park, the Zombie groups they encountered became larger and more densely packed.
The Armored Vehicles and Combat Robots at the front were responsible for killing Zombies and clearing a path, while the people at the rear collected the Elemental Crystals.
Lin Xinghai continuously communicated with the various Mercenary Corps Leaders, coordinating changes in formation to maximize the teamâs combat effectiveness.
Beside him, Zhang Yue constantly directed the control teams, having them adjust the Combat Robots to coordinate with Lin Xinghaiâs arrangements.
Everyone knew that as the team pushed deeper, the intensity of the battle would skyrocket, and they wouldnât have many more chances for this kind of combat shakedown.
And that was exactly what happened. After the team had killed a few more waves of Zombies and were just one kilometer from the sub-base, the hordes began to charge, one after another, almost without pause.
At this point, it was no longer a matter of them encountering Zombie groups; the groups were now actively seeking them out.
And it wasnât just the Zombies on their current street. The hordes from several nearby streets were being drawn in as well.
Even though Zombies were constantly being killed, the number in the besieging horde continued to grow.
One thousand, two thousand, three thousand... in the blink of an eye, their numbers swelled to five thousand.
Watching the Zombies multiply at such a terrifying rate, even though everyone had been mentally prepared to some extent, the various Mercenary Corpsâespecially those that had never worked with Lin Xinghai beforeâstill showed signs of panic.
The speed at which the horde was forming had somewhat exceeded their expectations.
Lin Xinghai had already activated his Perception Power, and he frowned slightly upon seeing this.
âLogically, these are all battle-hardened Mercenaries. They shouldnât be reacting like this.â
âThe reason theyâre like this now is probably because they havenât gotten into the zone yet.â
After all, only half an hour had passed between him proposing the plan and its execution. They had just left the sub-base, and now a full-blown horde was on the verge of appearing. For most of the Mercenaries, the change was simply too fast.
âLooks like Iâll have to give them a little confidence boost,â Lin Xinghai thought with a soft sigh.