Ch. 51 - Off to Meishan Town
Morning at Huacui Residential Complex saw Chen Liu, Zhang Chong, and Yu Na breakfasting on biscuits and milk. This was a luxury amid scarcity. Our stockpile’s a small fortune, Chen Liu thought ironically, looking over the large pile of scavenged canned goods and biscuits. Compared to most survivors, their comfort was enviable.
After eating, they headed to the service centre. “Captain, did you advance?” Zhang Chong asked, sensing Chen Liu’s breakthrough. Smiling, Chen Liu nodded. “Nine-star.” “That’s great!” Zhang Chong exclaimed, feeling the team’s anchor solidify. Zhang Chong and Yu Na, now seven-star Awakened, had also grown, boosting the Jinghu Squad’s reputation. Seven missions in seven days, all completed efficiently, made them a standout in Huacui, with bets circulating on their villa district move. Chen Liu was motivated by the promise of spacious villas with bottled gas.
Outside, they met Li Biao’s struggling team, down to three after losing three members in a week. They were barely hanging on despite Li Biao’s new seven-star status. Most teams faced similar losses; zombies now rarely dipped below six-star, with seven-stars common and eight-stars frequent. Nine-stars weren’t myths anymore. Chen Liu recalled rumors of a western district Berserker with chills. Reserve fighters like Yu Dachao were increasingly sidelined, facing death or retirement. It was a brutal race against time. The apocalypse spared no one.
Military losses were heavy too. Corpse transport vehicles were a grim daily sight, and distant explosions signaled rocket launchers and tanks on the outskirts. The base’s survival was on a knife’s edge. Li Biao greeted hesitantly, “Brother Chen…” “Morning,” Chen Liu replied, polite but reserved. Zhang Chong whispered, “Li Biao’s looking for a stronger team to join. He paid me two seven-star crystals to pass that on.” Desperate move, Chen Liu thought, nodding without comment.
At the packed service centre, new survivors fueled an explosive population surge despite daily deaths. The command had shifted focus to the western district, aiming to clear it and the northern district within a month for a peaceful Liao City. Mission rewards jumped from ten six-star to five seven-star crystals—a fourfold increase.
“A big mission dropped!” the crowd buzzed. “Clearing Meishan Town’s New City Power Plant. Minimum 500 contribution points, 20 seven-star crystals.”
“Requires a three-star team and an eight-star Awakened,” someone noted, crushing an eager low-tier team’s hopes amid laughter. The base had its darker side, the underground red-light districts. They flourished and were ignored by the command. Chen Liu remembered Yu Na’s scolding when he and Zhang Chong considered indulging. “You men are filthy,” she’d snapped, shaming them into restraint. “Captain?” Zhang Chong asked, eyes questioning. “It’s time for a large-scale mission,” Chen Liu said, his nine-star confidence surging. The power plant’s no ordinary fight—perfect to test my limits.
thINKer: Nothing will stop humans from clubbing, not even Zombies. 😂
Yuyu: 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Challenge Goals
Challenge 1 - Reach 15 votes on NU
Reward - 3 bonus chapters
Current progress - 7 (+2) / 15