Eh? You want to try the humanoid girl's iron fist too?

"Captain Willie Hudson said that due to the chaos caused by the greenback smallpox virus, the power system and communication lines in many parts of the city have been damaged, and it will take some time to repair them. However, the work is expected to be completed within two days," the soldier on duty reported, closing the file.

"Is it that serious?" Billis asked.

"Yes, the radiation has severely interfered with our communication range; low-power telephones and handhelds that used to work are now unusable."

In an instant, Billis was seized by a natural emotion: he wanted to rush up to the mayor of New York City, grab him by the tie, and bring him here so he could see for himself what was really going on.

But he quickly regained his composure.

This is not something he can do; being controlled by anger will only make things worse and will not help solve the current problem.

“Report any new developments immediately, I’m waiting,” he told the soldier on duty.

After everyone had left, Billis walked over and slammed the door open, saying to the soldier on duty not far away, "Where's the room I asked you to clean?"

The soldier on duty waved the thick folder in his hand and called out to Billis with considerable impatience, "Sir, it's already being packed up!"

A dozen minutes later, the soldier who had been on duty earlier came running back. "Please come with me. Your room has been arranged."

Raphael nodded and followed him up the stairs.

……

"Why haven't they contacted us yet?"

Cecilia walked around the house, from the east bedroom to the kitchen, and then circled the living room twice, much to Tony's annoyance as he sat on the terrace observing the survivor army's defensive line.

Right downstairs, ELID infected individuals were scattered and hiding in the shadows of the city. Judging from the scale of their behavior, they must hate sunlight.

Tony thought this was very similar to the setup in third-rate zombie and vampire movies, where characters either die in the light or are greatly weakened when exposed to light.

However, there were also quite a few individuals wandering around in the sunlight. Among the ELID infected people staggering along this street, 4% appeared unaffected by sunlight, according to visual statistics.

"Can you just shut up?" Tony glared fiercely at Cecilia.

Cecilia returned the same fierce look. Both of them were stubborn and inflexible. The endless setbacks and choices they had faced recently had left them distraught, and they had long been itching for a fight.

"You two, be quiet..."

Alki sat up from the sofa; he had been feeling particularly unwell, both mentally and physically, lately.

Through Raphael's continuous and forceful explanations of scientific and technological advancements and the dangers of collapse fluid, he has come to realize just how reckless his actions that day truly were.

A momentary indulgence in food can cause irreparable damage.

He glanced at Cecilia and Doug; these two were clearly much more self-disciplined than him, and after taking the anti-radiation medication as prescribed, they were still full of energy.

Tony didn't seem to be weak. The anti-radiation medication seemed to have corrected his condition, and with the oral medication, he may have gotten rid of the effects of the ELID infection.

The booming sound of cannons suddenly rang out, and then slowly subsided.

Every day, the survivor army would detonate a sufficient amount of explosives far from the defense zone, using the sound to lure mobile ELID infected individuals there.

This approach has some effect, but it's not very effective.

About half a kilometer from the defensive line, Alki saw many swaying figures stop, turn around, and continue walking in the direction they had chosen. Their steps were slow, but very determined.

He patted Tony on the shoulder and plopped down next to him.

The screen set up next to the sniper rifle displayed the image captured by the scope. He watched it for a while, then closed his eyes, feeling as if the world was a dream, and felt himself becoming drowsy again.

In fact, he would lose consciousness from time to time, only to wake up again later. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, trying to break his will.

Is this what is called internal irradiation?

"?" Alki cheered himself up and joked.

"Why am I okay?" Tony asked back.

"I don't know, maybe you've really adapted. Congratulations."

The congratulations sounded somewhat sarcastic, but Tony said nothing. He was also worried; the fact that the medication's effects weren't as severe didn't mean he was out of trouble.

"No, it might not be that good." He adjusted his posture and continued to observe. Sometimes, improved physical sensations are not necessarily a good thing, but rather an increase in mental endurance.

Just like how you gradually adapt to a bad environment over a long period of time and become unaware of anything unusual.

Besides, there's Murphy's Law, which states that if something can go wrong, it will, no matter how small the chance. Being busy and optimistic is a big no-no.

Raphael has previously stated that the United Nations Office for the Management of Monuments and Sites has not yet identified any true adaptors to the widespread collapse radiation.

Although such people are bound to appear, he never believed that such "good fortune" would fall into his lap. Besides, he had a wife and children, and if he became a person dependent on collapse radiation, his life would be over.

If he becomes that kind of person, his hope of leaving New York will be gone. If the news leaks out, it might attract a large number of people who want to arrest him, and the end result would be him being sent to the autopsy table.

He refused such a cruel fate.

If that really happens, Tony promises he'll dispose of his body properly. Becoming a lab animal or a lab corpse is worse than death.

So if things start to spiral out of control, he'll make sure he saves the last bullet for himself, while Raphael will handle his affairs afterward.

He privately discussed with Raphael that if they completed the retrieval mission, and he was one of those unlucky guys who were one in a million, then they would have no choice but to ask this mysterious girl who seemed to have a very different status for help.

Hopefully, when the time comes, she will make a choice that aligns with her credentials and her previous decision to send away Miss April Kehler, which is consistent with her character.

It will probably come true, right?

Volume 1: The World Before the Great War: Chapter 80 Verification

Raphael did not give a clear and definite answer regarding the agreement; she always had to weigh the options.

The value of a person like this is almost immeasurable, whether he is alive or dead.

She dared not speak completely, for she was not a god who could do as she pleased, but rather one of the ordinary people walking among mortals. The internet is filled with a great deal of false and outdated information, but those superficial public information…

Those weapons and satellites flying outside the atmosphere are terrifying.

For example, given the corresponding coordinates and inertial navigation system, all you need to do is press the launch button, and even if you are thousands of miles away, a missile will always land on your head.

If we're going to be closer, we could send two thousand pounds of bombs by bomber; everything would be reduced to ashes, right?

If the distance is closer, a well-organized army can call in 203mm, 155mm, or even lower 105mm howitzer shells that will immediately fly over your head.

If the distance is reduced further, there are also various weapons that individual soldiers can operate and carry.

In general, there's always a weapon that suits you.

The U.S. military happens to be one of the world's most powerful coercive agencies, and an individual's will is far more insignificant than an ant's sense of powerlessness when facing such a powerful group.

So, she's not a god either.

Raphael intends to keep her promise unless things get really bad. If things get out of control, that's beyond her control.

Raphael lay on his single bed, retrieving the most suitable building in the vicinity from the database. However, the database did not contain information on the communication cables issued to the Rangers.

However, its performance is certainly not bad.

The claim that rebuilding would take time was merely an excuse used by Lieutenant Colonel Billis to substantiate her statement. If all went smoothly, the survivor army's reconnaissance team had already reached the address she had given.

Right now, they're probably searching the house for traces of her life. Photos, uniforms, study books and tools, especially things that only naval officers are issued...

Raphael and the Hundred-Eyed Giants squad had already prepared these things, just waiting for them to take the bait.

……

"Check the corner!"

"Hold that place!"

"Check the second floor!"

The sounds of folding crowbars and telescopic hammers came through the bugging device. Doug also heard the sound of wood cracking and low, angry curses that challenged the human lexicon.

Doug smiled at Cecilia, Tony, and Alki, and whispered, "The survivor army took the bait... They really did come to check, just as Raphael planned."

"Won't it give us away?"

"Probably not, we've been preparing for a long time."

“Found it, the Naval Academy ring…” Newman Lawrence held up the enormous Naval Academy ring and quipped, “How should I put it, why does every officer who comes out of the academy have this?”

"Identification documents for qualified candidates?" a soldier asked.

"Why isn't it at the Sergeant's Academy?!"

"Are you an idiot? Oh, that... it's actually a qualification training school. It's already pretty good if they can give you a skills qualification stamp."

"After all, he's an official."

"My application for the officer training corps had already been approved, what bad luck."

"Hahaha, you think you can become a high-ranking official? No, wait, if you become a second lieutenant, we won't salute you."

Another burst of noisy laughter followed, accompanied by the sound of something being rummaged through.

Several minutes later, the room fell silent, and the heavy footsteps faded into the distance.

Doug took off his headphones and gave a thumbs-up to the team watching over him; the identity forgery was basically complete.

Cecilia returned the OK sign, her eyes scanning the survivor army through her scope. A group of men in camouflage were stealthily making their way down the building's stairwell, scanning the area with their gun barrels.

These men wore heavy helmets and their weapons were gleaming; they were clearly not bandits or fools who would find camouflage uniforms in large hardware stores to impersonate soldiers.

Because they are the army itself, no matter what they are called now, the aura they exude in every move is completely different.

In comparison, their special agent team was much less effective.

“John, watch out! ELID infected!” someone shouted.

The team that was about to come out retreated again. The infected outside had their eyes on them and were banging their heads, which were covered in silicon metal, against the front door of the apartment building.

Something in the corridor made a piercing sound, followed by another crashing noise.

"Damn! That's absolutely disgusting!"

"Then let's not waste any more time here! Quickly blow this place up and get out of here!"

Cecilia noticed that their retreat was in trouble, so she asked, "Should we go down and help?"

“No need,” Doug said after a moment’s thought. “During the identity verification process, we absolutely cannot let them realize that the room is being watched, or all our efforts will be wasted.”

……

On the other side, Angelo Morton looked around, hid in the bushes, and raised his shotgun, aiming it at the back door of the apartment.

Before long, the door suddenly flew out.

He thought to himself, "Finally, I've got my prey."