Chapter 498 – The Shadow in the Grass

Just as Ling Mo was patiently waiting for his contact, a group of uninvited guests was quietly approaching the Air Force Corps, following the scent…

By now, the sky had begun to gradually darken, and within the Air Force Corps, the task of cleaning up the battlefield was nearing its end.

“Hey, have you noticed? There aren’t many dead…”

In a certain area of the airport, a man suddenly grabbed his companion and, lowering his voice, said mysteriously, “A lot of them are just injured or knocked out…”

“Nonsense, isn’t being injured worse? They have to be gathered and observed to see if they mutate.”

The other man shot him a sideways glance and said, “Once any of them show signs of mutation, the soldiers standing by will kill them immediately. As I see it, it’s just a matter of dying sooner or later.”

Although both of them were members of the Air Force Corps, they were only responsible for logistics.

They usually took care of infrastructure repairs, cultivated some vegetables in the vacant areas, cleaned, cooked, and did laundry for the soldiers and officers…

In a large air force base, all kinds of miscellaneous tasks needed to be done by someone.

And not every survivor who joined the Air Force Corps had combat capabilities.

The elderly, women, children, and some disabled individuals were designated as logistics personnel to maintain the daily operations of the Air Force Corps.

The smooth operation of this enormous machine couldn’t be achieved without the work of the logistics staff.

Currently, the task of cleaning the battlefield also fell to them.

The cleanup involved transporting the wounded inside and wiping away the bloodstains.

Most importantly, they had to patch up the gaps in the barbed wire fence.

After a day of chaos, tonight’s guard force was stronger than ever.

No one knew where these zombies came from, nor how those that infiltrated the buildings managed to get in.

Zombies were a species that was both mysterious and awesome. They were constantly evolving, and nothing they did was really surprising.

Moreover, although this disturbance was severe, the actual casualties were not high.

Especially for the logistics staff, they were hardly affected.

So, while these two men looked a bit pale, they didn’t show too much fear. They still had the energy to gossip.

“True…” The man shivered immediately, then added with some doubt, “But most of the injuries were caused by iron pipes. They shouldn’t cause infections, right?”

“Regardless, we have to isolate them first. That’s the rule, isn’t it?”

The other man, slightly impatient, shook his half-arm and said, “When I first came here, they locked me in a small room for two hours. Damn it!”

“By the way, did you hear? Almost all the captain-level officers died this time…” The man lowered his voice even further.

The other man snorted coldly and said, “They always looked down on us. It’s better they died! They did nothing but bully people. Weren’t they chasing some ordinary guy these past few days? Such bullies, isn’t it embarrassing?”

“Shh! Are you looking to get killed?”

The man quickly glanced around and said, “We’ve pretty much finished the cleanup and made temporary repairs where needed. Let’s go…”

As they walked and talked, their voices gradually faded away.

Rustle.

A figure suddenly emerged from a patch of wild grass.

Those sharp eyes stared at the backs of the two men for a moment, then turned and waved.

Two more figures followed, emerging one after the other, standing on the cleared area around the airport.

The leader was short and skinny like a monkey, wearing a red jacket and black-framed glasses. Unfortunately, he didn’t look scholarly; instead, he gave off an awkward vibe.

Squinting, he scanned the surroundings and said, “This is the place.”

“Did that person come to the Air Force Corps? Could they have been captured already? Did we come all this way for nothing?”

The previous man was very tall, making a comical contrast when they stood together.

“No, he’s not over there.” Monkey pointed to the buildings in the middle of the airport, then turned his head to look at the wilderness. “He’s in here.”

“To think he dared to come this close…”

“Is he brave or just stupid…”

The three of them had just arrived, missing a good show.

Although they found the situation within the Air Force Corps strange, the distance between them and the two logistics personnel was quite far, and the conversation was held in hushed tones.

They didn’t hear what was said or know what had happened.

However, their attention quickly shifted to something more important to them.

“Isn’t it better they’re here? We can kill them just as they attack the Air Force Corps. The credit for that… heh heh.”

Monkey adjusted his glasses and chuckled sinisterly. “And we can report back immediately. By the way, where’s Captain Liu?”

As soon as he asked, the woman at the back chuckled dryly, turned around, and parted the grass, dragging out a guy who looked as exhausted as a dead dog.

“Zhen-Ge…”

Liu Baodong’s throat was parched from the frantic running and constant searching, pushing his stamina to its limits. “Here…”

A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes, but before he could speak, Zhen Zhiyuan said, “Captain Liu, once we kill those people, you can take us back to the Air Force Corps.”

“Uh…” Liu Baodong struggled to stand up and nodded.

He understood this well; following these maniacs was extremely exhausting.

Although the Air Force Corps was in sight, he couldn’t return just yet.

Not only would these superhumans from the Fire Base not let him go, but even if they did, Liu Baodong wouldn’t dare return without completing his mission…

“The rest of your people from Fire…”

Liu Baodong had just started speaking when Zhen Zhiyuan interrupted him. “They are short-sighted. No matter how good a wolf pack is, without a leader, it can’t reach its full potential. Cooperation is just an empty promise. Once we complete this mission and receive the benefits promised by the Air Force Corps, a wolf king will naturally emerge within Fire.”

As he said this, Zhen Zhiyuan’s lips curled into a cold smile, making his already oddly-shaped face even more unsightly.

Especially when he confidently adjusted his glasses, trying to look intellectual…

The woman nodded in agreement. “Even in a game, solo players can’t compete with a well-organized guild for resources and reputation. If we keep messing around like this, we’ll never become a major force.”

“Black Cat is right, haha.” The man named Loong laughed and said, “Food is getting scarcer. Without expanding our strength, we have no capital to trade. Falcon can grow their own food, but if we want to trade with them, we need something to offer. Just gathering together to survive is meaningless… But I’m not really interested in power.”

With a sparkling gaze, he continued, “You say those people are strong, well, I want to see how strong. I’ve faced every superhuman in Fire, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who can really challenge me.”

“Comparing this to a game is a bit childish! And your motives sound so lame! The creepiest guy among you turns out to be the most normal one!”

Liu Baodong was getting a headache. These unruly individuals were far more dangerous than regular Air Force Corps members.

Despite their different motives, the three of them shared a common goal.

“So, you’re saying Ling Mo is in this area?”

He glanced at the wilderness behind him and involuntarily took a step back.

Seeing Zhen Zhiyuan nod, Liu Baodong said, “I’ve told you repeatedly, this group is really tough. You need to be careful.”

The thought of ambushing Ling Mo made Liu Baodong quite fearful.

“What are you thinking?” Black Cat, a woman with a perpetually cold smile despite her nice name, stared at Liu Baodong and asked.

“N-nothing…”

With Zhen Zhiyuan’s further sensing, they re-entered the wilderness.