Chapter 50.2 – Tongwan Hospital (4)
◎ Coolies, come quickly ◎
On this night, when the night was deep and quiet, Song Ke’s terminal suddenly rang. The glaring red light illuminated the entire room, and she sat up, the sleepiness completely gone.
On the terminal appeared an A-level urgent commission: “Hello, awakener. The following information is from the Tongwan City Hall. There’s a large-scale zombie tide near the Luojia Shelter. The crisis is urgent. Please assist with all your might in defending Tongwan.”
Luojia was the nearest shelter to Tongwan. If it was engulfed by the zombie tide, Tongwan would be wide open to danger, and its downfall was just a matter of time.
Song Ke grabbed her coat and rushed to the door.
“Bang, bang, bang!” She forcefully knocked on Zhuang Qingyan’s door. There was a slight movement inside. Song Ke couldn’t wait and barged in directly.
“Zhuang Qing–”
Before she could finish saying “there’s an urgent commission,” her eyes widened.
Zhuang Qingyan was leaning against the writing desk with his clothes disheveled. The silk pajamas were carelessly buttoned with two buttons, revealing clear clavicles and faint abdominal muscles. In the rush, he managed to put on some pants, but his hand was still on the belt, supporting himself against the table to maintain balance.
Song Ke’s mouth dropped open.
Zhuang Qingyan’s bangs were scattered on his forehead, and he sounded helpless, “You… just barged in like this?”
Huh? Song Ke was stunned and glanced at him again. She was in a hurry, and who knew he wouldn’t properly dress while sleeping?
No, he wasn’t wearing anything at all!
Not only did she barge in without any embarrassment, she stared at him unabashedly.
Zhuang Qingyan raised an eyebrow involuntarily. They used to share a room, and he could overlook it when she slept without covering, but now they had separate rooms, and she still came and stared like this. Did this young girl not see him as a man at all?
“You want to watch me change clothes?”
“No, I don’t.”
Song Ke looked disgusted, turned around, and stepped back.
“Close the door,” Zhuang Qingyan’s indifferent voice came from behind.
Song Ke hesitated and closed the door.
Five minutes later, the still sleepy Xu Xing was also awakened and brought into the impromptu meeting. V587 was dressed neatly, and they sat together.
“I want to go to Luojia,” Song Ke stated her thoughts.
This time, it wasn’t for money and points but for Tongwan.
If Tongwan fell, the medical resources here would be lost in an instant. Not to mention, Song Ke and their temporary shelter would be lost. For the entire Alliance, it would be a massive disaster, essentially extinguishing the faint hope of life.
Zhuang Qingyan also realized the severity of the situation and nodded in agreement, saying, “Alright, let’s go together, but we need to be careful. Zombie tides are not easy to deal with.”
The three quickly packed up and were getting ready to leave.
“Wait,” Song Ke suddenly stopped in her tracks, “I forgot, there are two more.”
Lin Youyou was abruptly awakened from her sleep by a series of urgent calls.
“Who is it?” Irritated, she ruffled her hair and answered with her eyes closed, “Who’s disturbing me in the middle of the damn night…”
“Come quickly, a commission, sending you the location.”
The person on the other side hung up after saying this, not giving her a chance to refuse.
“Seriously, who gives a commission in the middle of the night?” Lin Youyou grumbled and casually threw the terminal, attempting to go back to sleep.
However, soon, the constant beeping of notifications became unbearable for Lin Youyou. She picked up the terminal, squinting to adapt to the bright light, and identified the information on the screen. As if afraid she would fall asleep, the other side sent the location every few seconds, urging her.
“Come quickly, or I’ll report you.”
“Are you coming?”
“Hurry, seven commissions left.”
Lin Youyou: “Song Ke…”
These brats, I really owe them!
…
Luojia Shelter.
A circular iron wall tens of meters high separated the safe zone from the zombie tide. Inside the high wall, a solemn and killing atmosphere lingered, while outside the wall on the wasteland, an endless horde of zombies was converging towards this place.
As Song Ke hurried along, she tirelessly sent messages to her coolies: “Location, come quickly.”
A few minutes later, Lin Youyou, wearing a mask and sporting dark circles under her eyes, appeared with an unpleasant expression. Following her was a plain-clothed Su Cha, showing no expression as expected.
“…You better have a good reason.” Lin Youyou gritted her teeth with a bare face. Song Ke rushed her so much she didn’t even have time to wash her face.
“Of, of course, I do,” Song Ke gestured for both of them to look at the base of the wall. The horrifying zombies had already gathered by the wall, climbing and reaching the middle position. It was time to act quickly.
After observing the situation, Lin Youyou was first surprised, then felt a tightness in her heart. Did Song Ke really not regard her as an outsider? Every time there was dirty and tiring work, she never forgot them. Could they endure suffering for themselves?
Song Ke showed her awakener ID at the outer perimeter, and the group smoothly entered the security line.
At this point in time, there were very few external awakeners arriving for support; most of the people on the scene were members of the security team.
“Why did the zombie tide suddenly break out?” asked an external awakener.
“It’s not sudden,” sighed the uniformed security team captain. “The surrounding D-grade cities have been falling, and the number of zombies is increasing. They are gradually gathering here, and an outbreak is just a matter of time.”
“What do we do now? You’re not going to send us to our deaths, right?”
“No need to trouble you,” the security team captain’s expression was sorrowful and resolute. “The security team has a total of 230 awakeners, and we swear to fight to the end!”
The security team was composed of official awakeners from Tongwan, mostly local residents. After awakening, they registered locally, underwent verification, and joined the security team, enjoying the status granted by the Tongwan City Hall. Their families were here, and they had a strong sense of honor and belief compared to external awakeners.
In the short time Zhuang Qingyan spent in the archives, leaving aside other matters, he had a clear understanding of the personnel information for the entire Tongwan. He had a good grasp of the structure and situation of awakeners. He glanced around and, amidst the determined gazes of the security team members, he took the initiative to speak.
“Captain Zhao, the situation isn’t as dire as you think.”
“You are…” Security team captain Zhao Liqiang turned at the voice.
“Me? I’m just an ordinary citizen, working in the archives of the 119th Hospital.”
Here we go again, this familiar fabricating of identities. Song Ke shook her head in exasperation.
Zhuang Qingyan calmly introduced, “This is our captain, Song Ke, an A-level awakener and also an outstanding medical volunteer in Tongwan.”
Oh, how come her part is involved this time too? Song Ke was stunned, but after being called, she couldn’t help but stand up straight.
As for being an outstanding volunteer, it should be a compliment for her good work as a zombie cleaner, right?
Zhao Liqiang was not in the mood to verify Song Ke’s “outstanding” identity at the moment. He was more struck by her A-level status and looked at her for a moment longer.
“What do you mean by the situation not being so bad?” he asked.
“As long as we utilize the terrain and the awakeners cooperate properly, clearing these zombies won’t be a problem,” Zhuang Qingyan stated directly without further ado.
Zhao Liqiang’s face showed surprise. “Are you confident? You can’t joke about something like this.”
Zhuang Qingyan nodded calmly. “Yes, but the condition is that I take command.”
Zhao Liqiang fell into contemplation. He didn’t have a better plan, so he was willing to give this person’s words a try. But he stood up on his own initiative, and he didn’t know what his purpose was…
Zhuang Qingyan assessed his expression and added, “Of course, if we succeed, as for the commission rewards…”
Zhao Liqiang immediately felt relieved. He had overthought it. They, the external awakeners, were undoubtedly here for points. “No problem, I will report it truthfully to the magistrate.”
…
The battle horn sounded.
Zhuang Qingyan organized the awakeners on the scene into different groups: fire and wind, thunder and water, earth and rock types… then placed them in various positions. Everyone had their roles, and they strictly followed the order to use their abilities.
Bright fireworks rose into the air, spreading rapidly with the help of the strong winds, swallowing the ferocious roaring zombies in a raging blaze.
On the other side, a fierce storm raged, with thunder and lightning, and raindrops, a mix of both abilities, fell incessantly, causing the zombies to tremble from the electric shocks.
Other combat-oriented awakeners charged out from behind the high wall, fearlessly confronting the zombies.
At this moment, they were not just security team members or awakeners; they were not motivated by fame or gain. They had grown up enjoying the shelter of Tongwan, and now it was time for them to stand up, becoming the strongest shield to defend their homeland.
While individual awakeners had limited power, when they came together, their combined force was earth-shattering.
Zhao Liqiang watched the awe-inspiring scene before him, his eyes moist. Tongwan wouldn’t fall, and they still had hope!
Amidst the intermittent bursts of light coming from awakeners’ abilities, one scene stood out from the rest.
Xu Xing was like a human refrigeration unit. From his small body, a fierce snowstorm raged down, and countless ice crystals enveloped the zombies, freezing them into sculptures.
“Your indifference hurts the most~ like December’s snowstorm~ my heart has already broken into two pieces~”
Accompanied by a melodious and haunting song, the frozen, slow-moving zombies were instantly cursed, splitting into two pieces just as Lin Youyou had sung about!
However, the eerie singing did not stop. The melody changed, transitioning into another song.
“I want to borrow from you~ borrow from you, borrow a pair of invisible wings~ to take you flying, flying towards the brightest light in the world~”
Two assassin-like figures leaped down from the wall. Crack! As they landed, the ice-sculpted zombie wall split in half, and the shattered debris filled the air.
Like shooting stars, the two black dots charged into the densely packed sea of corpses. Soon after, waves splashed, and ripples appeared on the calm surface, disrupted by the intrusion.
Lin Youyou cast a speed buff on them. Song Ke and Su Cha went on a killing spree.
Su Cha was surrounded by a toxic mist. Even though the zombies couldn’t feel pain, their bodies rapidly disintegrated, turning into a pile of white bones. The former insect tide would probably be terrified encountering this kind of biochemical attack.
Song Ke, wielded a massive jagged blade longer than her own body, swinging it wildly. With each strike, it was as if a gust of wind swept fallen leaves. She mowed down the zombies in groups, and countless heads flew aimlessly.
The four worked seamlessly together. Whether in ranged or melee combat, each of them was at a monstrous level. When combined, they were catastrophic!
The awakeners atop the high wall were dumbfounded. What kind of monsters were these people?
“Don’t zone out. Speed up in the southeast; continue setting traps in the west.”
Oh, there’s one more here. He gave clear and orderly commands, overseeing the situation.
V587.
Everyone present silently remembered the name of this team.
…
Cleaning up the zombie tide took a little over an hour. In the end, the scattered zombies fled in all directions, and Zhuang Qingyan ordered the awakeners to stop.
A security team member responsible for guarding the shelter hurriedly came to report. During the recent skirmish, a section of the wall was broken through, and quite a few zombies rushed in. Although they were promptly eradicated, it still resulted in casualties. Many of the refugees in that area were bitten.
“Captain, how should we deal with these people?”
Zhao Liqiang sighed helplessly. “Check them one by one. If it’s a mild case, send them to Tongwan. If it’s above stage two mutation, handle them on the spot.”
The degree of mutation was based on the tiered system introduced by Tongwan. Level one was a mild mutation, also known as “pre-spread mutation.” As long as it’s detected early, the spread of zombification could be effectively halted through medical procedures by amputating the affected area.
For level two mutations, wounds festered and turned black. Excessive radiation entered the body, causing symptoms like grayish eyeballs and confusion. Even with treatment, patients couldn’t be saved; the best that could be done was to slow down the zombification until they eventually succumbed.
When Song Ke returned from outside the wall, she happened to witness the security team inspecting and cleaning up the scene.
A middle-aged man, his eyeballs cloudy and his fingers transformed into claws, was subdued on the ground, struggling desperately.
“Let go, I need to go to the hospital. I can still be saved!”
“No chance. You’re at stage three mutation.”
“Impossible!” The middle-aged man convulsed nervously, saliva flowing from his mouth, the sound of his throat raspy.
“Confirmed stage three, nearing complete zombification.”
A security team member drew out a particle gun, “Bang,” ending his life.
Sobs broke out, and the others who had been attacked by the zombies huddled together, their hearts in turmoil.
These were all vagrants who had just been driven away from Tongwan that afternoon. They thought Luojia was a safe haven, but little did they know they’d encounter a zombie tide at night. If they had just died outright, it would have been fine, but they were unlucky to be bitten by zombies, left to wait in a half-dead state for an inevitable fate.
Song Ke looked around and unexpectedly found a person still lying by the door.
As the middle-aged man’s body was being dragged away, the person seemed to sense something. Slowly, they turned over and faced upwards.
Song Ke caught a glimpse of a familiar logo in his pocket and took a step forward.
“Don’t go near,” Lin Youyou held her back, her expression serious.
“This person has been bitten.”
The scruffy-bearded vagrant stared blankly at the ceiling, the open collar revealing several black bite marks.
