Chapter 49 Search and Rescue Begins

The convoy arrived on the outskirts of Pingzhou City at noon on the fifth day.

Ahead, the city's silhouette appeared on the horizon. Skyscrapers stood like silent giants, many with shattered glass curtain walls, their exteriors covered in stains and vines. A heavier, more pungent smell of decay filled the air.

The convoy stopped at an abandoned logistics park a few kilometers from the city entrance. The commander issued instructions via radio:

"Attention all personnel, we have arrived at the outskirts of Pingzhou City. We will now conduct final pre-battle deployment and rest. Squad leaders, please come forward to collect your specific mission area maps and target lists. The engineering team, please check the condition of all vehicles. The medical team, please prepare to receive a large number of wounded. We will enter the city in batches in three hours, as planned."

Vehicles shut down one after another. People got out to stretch their stiff bodies, their faces showing no joy at reaching their destination, only solemnity and vigilance. Pingzhou City lay there like a wounded beast, exuding an aura of danger.

Ruan Ning's team also got out of the car. Zhou Min immediately activated her senses, her expression even more serious than on the way: "The energy reactions in the city... are very dense and chaotic, with many powerful individual signals."

Lin Yan examined the blade of the battle axe and cursed, "This godforsaken place gives me the creeps just looking at it."

Ruan Ning saw Lei Bao and his core team members gathered together, pointing at the map, seemingly discussing their action plan.

She calmly withdrew her gaze and unfolded the map she had been given. Her team's mission was to clear out Sector D7 and search for any potential survivors and supplies.

Three hours of rest was a precious time. Everyone silently checked their equipment and distributed ammunition, while the superhumans adjusted their condition and swallowed their last rations.

Ruan Ning leaned against the wheel, closed her eyes to rest, but her mental energy quietly extended towards the city.

She could "hear" the low hum of countless unconscious roars from the zombies, and she could "feel" the unsettling, powerful fluctuations emanating from certain buildings.

The convoy split up, and Ruan Ning's team reunited with a 30-person military squad before heading towards District D7.

Three military trucks led the way, followed closely by Ruan Ning's modified off-road vehicle, their engine sounds jarringly loud in the deathly quiet city streets. Abandoned vehicles piled up on both sides of the street, broken glass and debris covered the road, and the walls were covered with dried bloodstains and bullet holes.

On the lead military truck, a stern-faced officer with the rank of captain on his shoulder insignia gave a brief order over the loudspeaker: "D7 Sector Objective: Clear four residential areas, search for survivors, and mark resource points. Maintain formation and advance under alternating cover. Ruan Ning Squad, you are responsible for flank reconnaissance and responding to any sudden supernatural threats."

"Received." Ruan Ning calmly replied via the modified car radio.

Upon entering Zone D7, the first residential community is "Lijingyuan".

The convoy slowly drove into the gate of the "Lijingyuan" residential complex. The rusty railings were smashed open by the military trucks. The green belts inside the complex grew wildly, blocking out the sun, and several highly decomposed corpses hung from the branches, filling the air with a strong stench.

"Team One, Team Two, spread out to the left and right and clear the corridors! Team Three, take the high ground! Ruan Ning's team, follow us to establish a temporary command post!" The captain jumped off the truck and quickly assigned tasks.

The soldiers moved swiftly, spreading out in tactical formations, their guns pointed warily at every window and corner.

Ruan Ning parked the car in the open space of the garden in the center of the community, and got out with Zhou Min and Lin Yan, forming a triangular formation back to back.

“We sensed faint life responses in Units 3 and 5, but they were very weak… At the same time, at least thirty zombie signals are rapidly approaching! They’re coming out of the underground parking garage!” Zhou Min suddenly said urgently, her expression changing slightly.

Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a dark mass of corpses surged out of the underground parking garage exit! They roared and rushed towards the soldiers who were forming ranks like a flood!

"Fire!" the captain roared.

"Rat-a-tat-tat—" The rifles spat fire, and the zombies in the front row fell like wheat being harvested. But there were too many zombies, and mixed in were a few defensive mutants with petrified skin, from which bullets flew!

"Lin Yan, that Stoneskin on the left flank! Zhou Min, disrupt it!" Ruan Ning spoke rapidly, her hands already raised.

Lin Yan roared, her muscles bulging, and wielding her alloy battle axe, she charged like a whirlwind towards the stone-skinned zombie advancing through a hail of bullets on her left. Zhou Min concentrated her mind, unleashing an invisible mental shockwave aimed directly at the stone-skinned zombie's head. Although it didn't kill it outright, it abruptly halted its movements!

Now!

Ruan Ning's eyes narrowed, and instead of using a wide-range attack, she compressed her supernatural power to an extreme degree—

A highly condensed, almost invisible, ultra-high-pressure water jet shot out like a sniper bullet, emitting an extremely subtle yet piercing shriek, and pierced the stone-skinned zombie's eye socket with perfect accuracy!

"Pfft!"

The water jet pierced through its brain! The massive body of the stone-skinned zombie froze abruptly, then crashed to the ground.

Ruan Ning continued moving, his right hand waving repeatedly, and several water blades, thin as cicada wings yet incredibly sharp, silently swept past, severing the heads of several ordinary zombies that were lunging at the soldiers from the side.

Her attacks were efficient and precise, perfectly filling the gaps in the soldiers' firepower.

With the army's firepower and the special abilities of Ruan Ning's team, the horde of zombies was quickly wiped out. The soldiers looked at Ruan Ning and his companions with less scrutiny and more approval.

"Clear the apartment building! Quickly!" the captain ordered, and the soldiers rushed toward the apartment door that Zhou Min had previously indicated.

Ruan Ning's team did not follow into the narrow stairwell; their mission was to maintain perimeter security and deal with powerful mutants. Lin Yan guarded the stairwell entrance, dealing with any stray zombies that wandered out. Zhou Min continuously monitored the building, reporting on the situation inside and any potential threats.

About half an hour later, the soldiers helped five emaciated survivors, who were almost unable to walk, out of the stairwell. Their eyes were vacant, and they reeked of a foul odor.

“Only these few remain… The others have either turned into monsters or are already…” The sergeant leading the team shook his head, his tone heavy.

After placing the survivors in the cargo compartments of military trucks, the team immediately moved on to the next neighborhood without stopping.