Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 158 The collective can make decisions for you
A few minutes ago, in Hailing County, at a gathering place for survivors.

Zhao Xuan didn't know how she got here. The wound on her forehead was still numb and throbbing. After a simple registration, the group's worries about a thorough search and interrogation did not materialize. The soldiers simply asked a few questions and then hurriedly left.

It's clear that after taking in so many survivors, the manpower here is severely insufficient.

This is a fairly favorable situation for the operation that Zhao Xuan and others are about to undertake.

There were six of them in total. They had only exchanged a few words when another female soldier came over and went straight to Zhao Xuan.

The crowd frowned, looking at the two of them with some wariness. The female soldier seemed a little puzzled, but didn't say much to them. Instead, she handed a package to Zhao Xuan.

"Here you go, sister. These are daily necessities. Try to use them sparingly. The division distributes them regularly, but you can apply for extra supplies if there are special circumstances."

"Ah... okay, thank you..."

“I see your clothes look dirty. The clothes prepared for you are still being distributed. I have a new set. Why don’t you wear mine for now? Our sizes should be similar.”

"No, it's not necessary, I can wait..."

"Hey, don't be so polite. Once you're at the Corps, you're at home. Just treat us like family."

The female soldier grabbed her hand; although she was younger than her, her hands were covered in calluses and scars.

“I have an older sister who is about the same age as you, but unfortunately she didn’t survive the Great Cataclysm… Never mind, let’s not talk about that. Come on, I’ll take you to change your clothes.”

Zhao Xuan looked helplessly at her teammates behind her, her eyes filled with panic, but she only received their indifferent and questioning gazes.

The female soldier pulled her into an empty tent, but instead of immediately looking for clothes, she turned around and asked seriously, "Sister, those guys around you aren't looking at you right away. Tell me, did they do anything to you...?"

"Ah, no, no!"

"Really not?" The female soldier looked slightly suspicious. She looked Zhao Xuan up and down. The weather in Haizhou in August was still very hot. Zhao Xuan hadn't changed her clothes for a long time. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts that reached her knees.

Besides her forehead, she also had obvious marks on her knees and arms. Female soldiers had seen many similar cases recently, and most of them had experienced coercion and abuse, so her judgment was rarely wrong.

"No matter what happens to you, you can speak up. It's okay, the group can stand up for you."

The female soldier confided in her, but no matter how she asked, Zhao Xuan denied everything and even tried to leave.

This made the female soldier's eyes look strange: "Then you guys are pretty... never mind, whatever you like."

Even after saying all that, seeing that Zhao Xuan remained unmoved and her eyes darted away, the female soldier sighed, "I'm sorry, I was overthinking it."

She could sense that there might be something wrong behind this, but the people involved didn't seem to care, so what could she do?

"Oh, it's nothing, thank you..."

In the end, the female soldier took out a set of clothes and handed them to her.

“You do look a lot like my sister,” she said softly, looking at Zhao Xuan. “Live well and take good care of yourself.”

Zhao Xuan did not respond to those words. She silently took the clothes and changed. As the two went out, they suddenly heard a series of deep rumbling sounds coming from a great distance. The people in the gathering place looked up in surprise and saw several flashes of light on the eastern horizon, which were still dazzling even in broad daylight.

"That is?"

The female soldier smiled and said, "Nuclear weapon! The front line dropped a nuclear bomb into the zombie horde. That zombie king might be blown to bits this time!"

"The war is finally coming to an end..."

The female soldier looked relieved, but Zhao Xuan just nodded and lowered her eyes without saying a word.

The female soldier was no longer curious about Zhao Xuan's condition. These days, people in all sorts of mental states exist. She waved to Zhao Xuan and said, "Then I won't see you back. Goodbye. I wonder what your plans are. I suggest you stay at the distribution point a little longer. The canteen specially made dumplings for you tonight." Zhao Xuan forced a smile and said, "Thank you, I understand."

After saying goodbye, Zhao Xuan walked back, but her teammates weren't waiting for her. She looked around and finally found them at the parking lot.

"Have you already informed them?"

This was the first question they asked Zhao Xuan.

"I didn't!" Zhao Xuan exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I didn't say anything!"

She shouted that first, then realized she was being too loud and whispered, "If I tell them, will I be able to come back? Then it will be those soldiers who come!"

"I know you wouldn't dare. Let's go, get in the car."

"Get in the car? Where are we going?"

Someone said, "We applied for a spot as a non-governmental organization to facilitate our upcoming activities. Now we need to find a place to see what our next steps should be."

"Why bother talking to her? Just leave."

Someone pushed Zhao Xuan from behind, shoving her directly into the car and slamming the door shut without waiting for her screams.

"Let's go!"

The vehicle started and drove out of the gathering place. Zhao Xuan, who was huddled in the back corner, looked out the window and suddenly her pupils contracted.

A remarkably silent procession approached from the opposite direction, brushing past them. The soldiers formed a long line, carrying stretchers, each stretcher bearing bodies covered in white sheets.

Zhao Xuan saw the soldier who had lifted the vehicle for them, but she didn't see the medic who had bandaged her wounds next to him.

Looking at that person's sorrowful expression, the outcome seemed self-evident.

"laugh--"

Someone in the car chuckled.

"That bag of crystals worked quite well, so many people died."

"You're asking for it, shut your mouth tight." Someone hissed in a low voice, "Who knows what those superhumans are capable of? They might have overheard us!"

No one spoke in the car anymore. The group wandered around and found an office building in the county town, intending to use it as their base.

The entire Hailing County has been cleared several times, and high walls have been built along the edges, making it seem like the county is being transformed into a permanent settlement. At this point, the county is no longer dangerous, with only a few zombies remaining in some rooms.

Outside the military base, the management was still somewhat chaotic, and everything was in a state of unchecked growth. However, this was irrelevant to this squad. They did not compete with others for territory or supplies. After arriving at the empty office building, they went straight to the top floor.

“There are a total of nine cognitive anchors in Hailing County, distributed in a nine-square grid. Our goal is to capture at least one of them.”

“They won’t guess that we’re targeting this thing. The anchor points aren’t well-defended… In their eyes, these things can be replaced even if they break.”

"We still have enough crystals on hand. It won't be difficult for us to create chaos in the county town by relying on mutated zombies."

Watching the group of people discussing their plans, Zhao Xuan remained silent for a long time, gripping and releasing the bag of sanitary products in her hand repeatedly. Finally, she took a deep breath and mustered the courage to speak.

"I think maybe we could... not do this..."

The discussion suddenly stopped, and everyone turned their attention to her. Zhao Xuan took two steps back, but straightened her back.

(End of this chapter)