Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 147 "Go in alive, come out alive"

Since the command post was located in the town's train station, many people who were to carry out missions initially set off from there.

The same applies to the commando team that is about to head to the danger zone. They will take a train to the front line in White Tower Town, where they will complete their final preparations.

It was nighttime, but the actual operation was scheduled to begin the next morning. Day and night were meaningless to the zombies, which meant the battle would never stop. However, for humans, the danger was always less during the day.

When Su Xun arrived, he could see a group of soldiers already lined up and waiting in the distance.

He took a deep breath; Su Xun actually felt somewhat overwhelmed by this team.

Although theoretically, the mission they are about to undertake is not impossible, theory is still just theory.

After all, it meant sending a small team deep into a dangerous area alone, where they would have to deal with everything on their own, and the condition of the target was uncertain.

If an accident occurs, it will mean being trapped in a desperate situation, isolated and helpless.

Therefore, this can actually be considered a suicide squad.

As expected, there were an unusually large number of applicants from Haizhou Division, to the point that the crowd was almost excited, so much so that Liu Zhen had to draw a third-level ability user from elsewhere to serve as the captain of this assault team.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Upon seeing Su Xun, the entire twelve-member assault team saluted him in unison.

"Hello, comrades." When he actually stood in front of these people, Su Xun still managed to present a calm and composed demeanor.

With a solemn expression, he said in a deep voice to the soldiers in front of him, "To make a long story short, you should all know the objective of the operation. The survivors you need to contact are located quite deep inside the danger zone. Find them, check their condition, and establish contact. If all goes well, the main force will bring you and these people back together."

"To be honest, the task is very difficult and the details are very vague. Once inside, you will have to make your own decisions on the specific action plan."

"Chief of Staff Liu should have already explained the level of danger of this mission to you in detail, but I still want to confirm it with you again."

“We will never force you to participate in this mission. If you still have concerns, you still have a choice. I will accept it regardless of the reason.”

His words met with unwavering resolve from the soldiers, showing not a trace of hesitation.

“If we don’t go, other comrades will.”

"If we don't sacrifice ourselves, other comrades will."

The sergeant, who was in charge, said, "Please rest assured, Commander-in-Chief, we are fully prepared. Our wills have all been written. To die on the battlefield for the country and the people is the greatest honor!"

Su Xun was silent for a moment, then sighed and shook his head, saying, "It's good to be prepared, but it's not time to talk about dying in battle yet."

His gaze swept across each soldier's face: "I know what's on your minds. You've all seen the letter that was sent out of the danger zone. The targets this time might include members of Vault 18. But remember, your primary task is to verify the credibility of this intelligence. Don't be blindly optimistic."

“Many of you are from Haizhou. To be honest, I didn’t originally plan to have you participate in this mission.”

Su Xun looked at the soldiers and said, "You may even encounter people you used to know inside, and witness the tragic state of your hometown. This is undoubtedly cruel to you."

"I have only one requirement for you: follow orders, don't be reckless, go in alive, and come out alive."

"If you encounter any problems inside, the captain will make the first decision. The communication equipment you are provided with can also help you contact the rear at any time."

At this point, Su Xun turned his gaze to the captain at the head of the group.

"As the team leader, you bear a heavy responsibility. No matter what happens, stay rational, calm, and vigilant. This is why the organization specifically appointed you as the team leader. Do you understand?"

The captain's expression was serious as he said in a deep voice, "Understood, Commander-in-Chief."

Su Xun nodded, though he was still somewhat worried. He glanced at the time; it was almost time to depart. He took one last look at the faces of the soldiers before him, as if trying to memorize their features.

"Once you reach the front line in Baita Town, there will be people to drink a farewell toast with you, so I won't treat you to this meal. I'll wait for you to come back for a victory celebration."

"Finally, I will repeat it to you one last time."

"We guarantee the mission will be completed, but please, come back alive!" "Your lives are now the nation's most precious treasure!"

"The whole team departs, the whole team returns—this is not a blessing, this is an order." Su Xun gazed at the soldiers before him: "Can you do it?"

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!!"

Although there were only twelve people, they unleashed an earth-shattering aura at this moment.

"Okay, let's go!"

"Yes!!"

The soldiers filed onto the train, and soon the train started moving, slowly pulling away from the station under Su Xun's watchful gaze.

He stood silently in place until the train completely disappeared into the night.

Being in the rear command post, he actually had to send many people to the front line every day. Some of them he would see again in the future, while others would appear on the list of the dead in the blink of an eye.

Taking a deep breath, Su Xun turned and called to Liu Zhen.

"Let's go, let's arrange the counter-offensive battle plan."

Back at the command post, the lights were still on.

"The technology for cognitive anchoring has been mastered. We have been preparing related materials and accessories recently. We will start production immediately and can produce enough equipment to meet the basic needs of the front line within three days."

"From now on, we can transfer supplies to the front lines to prepare for the counter-offensive."

"Our first counter-offensive aims to open escape routes for the few shelters still holding out in the danger zone and move them to safety. In addition, if the intelligence from the soldiers who came out of Haizhou is true, we will also take the opportunity to provide sufficient support to this group of survivors who have been gathered together."

Su Xun held a red pencil and scribbled on a map in front of him. After a long while, he stared at the map and pondered, "If this intelligence is true, and these survivors are also rescued, then..."

"Commander Qin has been thinking about those big firecrackers, they might actually come in handy."

As he said this, those around him looked at his expression and found it a bit strange. Even if the information still needed to be confirmed, the current news was not bad. However, Su Xun's brows were furrowed, as if he was overly worried.

"Commander-in-Chief, this..." Liu Zhen broke the silence and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"I just feel like everything is going a little too smoothly."

Su Xun unconsciously stroked the cup beside him, lost in thought.

Was it successful?
The people in the command post looked at each other in bewilderment.

Su Xun shook his head at their questions.

Since he arrived at the Hailing Command Center, the zombie king's reactions have been perfectly normal, as if it had given up after Su Xun destroyed the part of Taimon that was parasitizing Chi Xiaoyun.

This might be out of fear and caution, but it could also be a scheme by the other party that they are unaware of.

Although the war is fierce, there has not been much change in reality. It seems that as long as things proceed in this step by step, a few nuclear missiles will be dropped on the occupied areas and everything will be solved again.

The Zombie King is a top-tier individual qualified to touch the ninth-tier realm. Is it really that easy to deal with?

Su Xun tried to recall, but couldn't find the answer. His past life's experience was useless now. After all, this was a confrontation between two sides based on the current situation. The other side was not an inanimate object; it would adapt to changes in the environment.

"Anyway..."

"Let's make the first move. At least if we keep fighting like this, we can greatly weaken the opponent's strength."

"As for what backup plans it might have, we'll just deal with them as they come."

(End of this chapter)