Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Professor Tang Guohua listened quietly, his heart churning with emotion. Looking at the old general before him, whose temples were gray but whose eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's, all the rumors he had heard before about the military "preserving its strength" and "refusing to help those in distress" vanished completely in the face of these honest and tragic words.

He suddenly understood that it was not a retreat, but a deeper, more painful, and more courageous sense of responsibility and sacrifice.

They are not giving up, but betting their own future and that of the entire existing fighting group on the possibility of the continuation of a more distant and elusive civilization.

As he was about to leave, Professor Tang Guohua seemed to suddenly remember something. He hurriedly opened his old briefcase, which he had used for many years, and carefully searched through the compartments. Finally, he took out a neatly folded A4 sheet of paper, on which the title came into view.

"Speculations on the Classification of Supernatural Abilities, Zombie Evolution, and Human Countermeasures"

He handed the paper to Commander Peng with both hands, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Commander Peng, this... please accept it."

"These are some things I recorded and organized during the time I was... confined to my freedom. They combine limited observations, mainly some regular guesses about the phenomenon of 'superpowers,' a rough idea of ​​energy level classification, and some characteristics and strategies for fighting zombies, especially those individuals that have undergone obvious mutations... It's very superficial, and much of it is just hypothesis, but... but perhaps... perhaps it can serve as a little reference for our comrades who are still fighting to the death with these monsters outside. Even if it can only save one person, it's worth it."

The information he provided at this point was clearly more detailed than what he had told Chang Chengye.

Commander Peng solemnly accepted the seemingly light piece of paper with both hands.

Just a few seconds later, a burning light suddenly flashed in the old general's eyes!

What is recorded on this piece of paper may be insignificant in a laboratory during peacetime, but at this moment—in the darkest hour when humanity knows almost nothing about its own mutations and the evolution of its enemies—it is like the first lantern lit in an endless fog.

It is a directional understanding that countless soldiers may not have been able to obtain with their blood and lives! Its value cannot be measured by any material means.

He didn't say "thank you" or offer any polite compliments.

Any language seems pale and powerless in the face of the weight carried by this thin sheet of paper.

He simply snapped his legs together, straightened his spine—which, though no longer young, remained as straight as a javelin—raised his right arm, and brought his five fingers together.

With the most standard, solemn, and respectful military salute, I silently paid my highest respect to the scholar before me, who was simply dressed, tired but with clear and firm eyes.

Professor Tang Guohua nodded emphatically, his unwavering gaze conveying a thousand unspoken words.

He took his daughter Tang Xiaoran's hand, and without looking back, followed Chief of Staff Chen Jianhua toward the sealed alloy door at the end of the corridor that marked the way to the "Spark Base".

Silence returned to the office.

Commander Peng stood alone, carefully smoothing the A4 paper on the table, staring at each word as if trying to etch it into his mind.

After a long while, the solemnity on his face was gradually replaced by a resolute determination, as if he had already decided to burn his bridges.

"Xiao Song!" he called out in a deep voice.

Song Jiangtao, who had been waiting outside the door, pushed it open and entered, standing at attention: "Commander!"

Commander Peng handed over the paper, his movements steady, his voice low, yet every word struck like a thunderclap: "Immediately organize the most reliable technical team to send out this entire document using all available communication equipment—cell phones, radios, even broadcast arrays—employing a rolling, repetitive, multi-band coverage method. Target area..."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Not just any known friendly unit or shelter, but every area across the country that might still be able to receive a signal! We must ensure that every group of survivors still holding on in the ruins, every ordinary person still struggling in despair, has the potential to hear and see this!"

"Let them know that monsters are not invincible, that their power is traceable, and that humanity has not yet reached the point where we can only offer our necks to be slaughtered! A single spark can start a prairie fire!"

Song Jiangtao took the paper with both hands, feeling that the thin paper was as heavy as a thousand pounds, and his palms were even slightly hot.

At a time when many forces are busy fighting amongst themselves or protecting themselves, this old general chose not to lock this "key" that might open the door to life in the safest vault, but instead threw it with all his might to all those groping in the dark.

"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Song Jiangtao straightened his chest, shouted with all his might, turned around and went out to carry out the order.

Under the lamplight, Commander Peng's shadow was elongated as he stood alone at the table.

At this moment, his deep eyes seemed to reflect a faint but tenacious flame.

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The news of Tianshui Garden Shelter successfully withstanding the giant zombie horde and Lin Chen sweeping through the enemy like a war god was accompanied by that shocking video clip.

It spread at an astonishing speed through Guangzhou's communication networks and through word of mouth among survivors, like a dazzling bonfire igniting on a desolate ice field.

At first, many survivors hiding deep in the ruins, who had suffered deception and betrayal, simply did not believe it.

They scoffed, believing it was just another elaborate hoax, an AI-generated propaganda film designed to lure them away from their relatively safe havens to their deaths.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Liar! Dead liar!"

However, harsh reality quickly shattered their doubts:

—The devastating news came that a small survivor camp in the neighboring block, known for its fortifications and calling itself an "Iron Fortress," had been breached overnight, with less than one in ten survivors remaining;

—Among the horde of zombies roaming downstairs from my own apartment, there began to be terrifying individuals with cloudy, grayish-white eyes, noticeably swift movements, and who were difficult to deal with with ordinary weapons;

—From the distant or nearby stairwells, what came was no longer a muffled roar, but the chilling sounds of some wild beast gnawing at bones and tearing at metal doors, accompanied by the short, piercing screams of survivors before their death…

The instinct for survival and the stark contrast have forced more and more people to re-examine the video and rethink the meaning behind the name "Tianshui Garden".

Once the idea of ​​"the only way to survive" takes root, it will grow wildly.

Although Lin Chen's basic combat strength was originally insufficient to directly confront such a large-scale zombie horde.

However, the massive amount of standard shipping containers he had stockpiled in his almost limitless storage space played an astonishingly strategic role in dealing with the ordinary zombie hordes that were still dominated by sheer numbers and had limited individual strength at the current stage.

He used these massive steel blocks as the most primitive battering rams and roadblocks, repeatedly thwarting the momentum of the zombie horde in the simplest, most brutal, yet most effective way.

After clearing out a wave of zombies and briefly retrieving the containers, before they can even catch their breath, a new crisis arises—due to the publicity effect of the video.

Not only the survivors who were originally fleeing towards Tin Shui Wai Garden, but also many people who were originally fleeing in other directions or hiding further away to watch, began to flock to this legendary "land of hope" at all costs, bringing their families with them.

The massive flow of people acted as an even sweeter lure, attracting a larger and more numerous group of zombies to gather here.

Lin Chen had to act like a firefighter, launching attack after attack, repeating the process of "summoning containers to build a wall of barriers - focusing on eliminating high-level threats - guiding survivors into the city".

Fighting has become almost a constant, intermittent occurrence.

The number of survivors in the shelter also snowballed, expanding at an unprecedented rate.