Wang Gang

Just as Chang Chengye was hesitating in his study, another storm was silently brewing in the headquarters building of "Andu Company" in the east of the city, with murderous intent lurking beneath the surface.

The boss, Wang Gang, is only 1.7 meters tall but weighs a hefty 180 kilograms, his bulky frame encased in a wrinkled suit.

At this moment, his broad face was clouded with rage, his eyes were bloodshot, and a near-visible fury was churning within them.

The news came ten minutes ago: the person sent to pick up the son has returned, but instead of bringing back a living person, he brought back a cold, hard news of death.

His only son, Wang Qiang, is dead. His Wang family line is about to end!

The air in the room was so thick it was suffocating.

Kneeling at his feet was Yang Wei, Wang Qiang's closest follower. At this moment, his cheeks were swollen, his mouth was cracked and bleeding, and his whole body was trembling like a leaf in the cold wind.

Two other henchmen were huddled in the corner, their faces also bruised and swollen, barely daring to breathe.

"You mean..." Wang Gang's voice rolled out from deep in his throat, like muffled thunder rolling across concrete, each word laced with bloodlust, "My son, died in Tianshui Garden... at the hands of a deputy commander? And he was even involved with Vice Mayor Jiang's daughter?"

He grabbed the phone with the shattered screen on the table, and the recruitment post that was circulating wildly in various survivor channels once again pierced his eyes—"Tianshui Garden Shelter, safe, well-fed, and dignified."

The accompanying picture shows neatly arranged container walls, dashing female soldiers patrolling with guns, and even a faintly visible green greenhouse... everything is orderly, so glaringly ironic.

He suddenly clenched his fingers, and with a loud crack, the phone was deformed and shattered by his forceful grip!

Yang Wei trembled with fear, enduring the burning pain on his face, and said urgently, "Yes, yes, Uncle Wang! I heard it with my own ears! That woman is their deputy commander. To save Jiang Ting, she shot... shot..."

"Where is Jiang Ting?" Wang Gang interrupted him, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal, his eyes bloodshot.

"Well, it seems... less than ten minutes before you arrived, she was picked up by her father's men..." Yang Wei's voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.

Wang Gang closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently, as if a dull knife was slowly twisting inside him.

The only sounds in the room were his heavy breathing and the barely suppressed trembling in the corner.

After a long silence, he waved his hand, his voice as cold as ice in a cellar: "Take him away. Don't let him die—he's still useful."

Yang Wei was dragged out like a tattered sack.

The moment the door closed, Wang Gang whirled around, veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth chattering.

He growled through gritted teeth at his trusted aide standing guard beside him, "Xiao Ma! I don't care what method you use, find out right now which rat hole Jiang Guotao is hiding in! And—"

His eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Keep a close watch on Tianshui Garden! I need to know everything—whether a fly goes in, male or female, when it went in, and when it came out!"

He suddenly turned to the lean man on the other side, his eyes like poisoned knives, piercing straight at him: "Xiao Cheng! Immediately spread the word that you're recruiting! No food? Go rob! Go steal from other hideouts! I need people, the more the better—especially those with superpowers, those who can fight, dare to fight, and aren't afraid to die, bring them all over!"

The words landed on the floor, and the air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

Xiao Ma and Xiao Cheng hurried out to get busy, afraid that being even a step too slow would displease Wang Gang.

"You surnamed Jiang, you were my dog ​​before the apocalypse. Now that it's the apocalypse, I'll make you wish you were dead! And that Tianshui Garden..." Wang Gang muttered, his voice growing softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

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4:30 PM, Command Center, Chengnan Military Region Base.

Commander Peng Jianguo, whose shoulder insignia were adorned with golden ears of wheat and three general stars, sat at the head of the long table.

His hair was gray, and his face was solemn. Even in the post-apocalyptic world where order had collapsed, he still exuded a mountain-like calmness.

It's as if even if the sky were to fall, he would only furrow his brow.

Special Forces Captain Song Jiangtao stood at the table, his voice clear and crisp: "Commander, the zombies in the camp have been basically cleared. However, there are still more than ten million zombies lurking in the entire Yangcheng city area."

Our unit suffered 80% casualties due to initial infections, and subsequent clearing operations also resulted in heavy losses. Our current total strength is less than 10% of our pre-battle strength. The General Military Region reports a similar situation. The General Staff recommends—immediately activating the 'National Disaster Contingency Plan' and depleting the national strategic reserves.

Commander Peng didn't respond immediately. He tapped his knuckles lightly on the table and asked, "Jiang Tao, what's the current situation with that guy who calls himself the 'Official Shelter of Guangzhou'?"

Song Jiangtao curled his lip, his tone laced with disdain: "The so-called 'official' system has long been a dead name; it's just the Chang family, where Chang Chengye is, using the old order as a front."

"What about Tianshui Garden?" Commander Peng's gaze shifted slightly, landing on a printed screenshot from the internet beside him—Lin Chen's recruitment notice.

This time, Song Jiangtao didn't even bother to hide it, and sneered: "A completely private force. Rumor has it that it's controlled by a man who has awakened powerful superpowers, and has coerced a group of young female students to establish a base."

To put it bluntly, it's no different in essence from bandits building strongholds and abducting their wives in the old days. I suggest adding it to the list of those that can be eliminated by force if necessary.

Commander Peng frowned slightly: "But they're also openly taking in ordinary people? Providing them with food, clothing, and safety as long as they're willing to work?"

"...Yes." Song Jiangtao paused for a moment, but answered truthfully despite his reluctance. "Moreover, this person's supernatural ability is indeed extraordinary. According to intelligence, he can single-handedly build high walls and summon dozens of standard shipping containers in the ruins in an instant, which can be described as building a city overnight."

"Oh?" Commander Peng's eyes flashed with surprise. "Didn't we just receive a retired special forces soldier a couple of days ago who single-handedly broke through a horde of zombies in the city center? How does his strength compare to ours?"

Song Jiangtao shook his head: "According to his analysis, this is a fundamental difference in the types of superpowers. That person is most likely a rare space-type ability user. As for their actual combat strength... without having fought them, it's impossible to judge."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a rapid but restrained knocking on the door.

"Enter."

The person who strode in quickly through the door was Major General Chen Jianhua, the base's chief of staff. His expression was more solemn than ever before, and he was holding a document tightly in his hand.