After Qiao Jie spoke, the conference room fell into a brief silence.

Wu Lide lowered his head and placed his hands on his head, seemingly deep in thought.

The three of them looked at Wu Lide, whose face was growing increasingly gloomy.

Sun Fan spoke first: "Hmph! So what if they cooperate? Those monsters won't let them go just because they cooperate! When they're both exhausted and come at us, it'll be effortless for us to deal with their remaining troops."

Yan Zhengkang sighed, "Actually, the most important thing right now is you, Lide. As long as WD sends us supplies, we don't need to worry about anything."

Wu Lide remained silent for a long time before finally speaking after the two finished talking, "It's not too late for us to negotiate peace with them now."

Sun Fan, the most impulsive of them all, jumped to his feet. "Brother Lide! What are you talking about? Making peace with them? You're scared out of your wits by just a few people?"

Yan Zhengkang frowned, his sparse eyebrows furrowing, and asked, "Lide, we've worked so hard until now, and you're talking about seeking peace now? What's the difference between that and ceding territory and paying reparations? Don't let our plans fall apart at the last minute!"

Wang Qiao silently observed Wu Lide's expression, then suddenly said, "Elder Yan, Afan, don't blame Lide too much. In this situation, I would be scared too. Why don't we listen to his thoughts?"

Sun Fan immediately objected, retorting sarcastically, "What are you afraid of? What's there to be afraid of? Since we started this plan, there's no turning back! Brother Lide, it's not like what Sister Qiao said, you don't want to do it anymore?"

Wu Lide's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty as the others spoke. Finally, they gave him a chance to vent, and he immediately retorted sharply, "Nonsense! I'm not afraid, I'm just... I just feel that we still have a choice now. If we go any further, there will be no turning back."

Wang Qiao chimed in, "Lide's considerations are not without merit. If we concede now, it means we'll work with them to eliminate the remaining corpses. Of course, they might still demand that we stop the experiments. But if we wait for them to arrive, people could die in the ensuing fight."

Sun Fan immediately retorted, "What a woman's sentimentality! What's the point of living if we can't even make any money? Dead people? Haven't we seen enough dead people already? Rather than living a miserable life afterward, let's turn the world upside down!"

Yan Zhengkang listened to Sun Fan's words and nodded in agreement, which was rare for him. "What Xiao Fan said makes sense. I've lived to be this old and I don't care about anything. If you want me to live a life of misery, I might as well die."

Wang Qiao sighed softly and asked, "Lide, you are the boss of Plum Blossom City. You are the one who decides on the specifics of how things should be done."

Wu Lide was persuaded by the crowd, and a resolute look appeared in his eyes.

Yan Zhengkang and Sun Fan were right. They came to Paradise Island for the sake of the word "Paradise". If they really "ceded territory and paid reparations", his status would plummet, and he might even lose the hearts of the official residents of Plum Blossom Island.

Wu Lide would never allow his long-held position of absolute dominance on Paradise Island to be threatened in any way.

With the other three waiting in his eyes, he made his decision.

"Alright, Elder Yan, Afan, Sister Qiao, organize your people and prepare for battle."

Sun Fan smirked, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Great, Brother Lide! I knew I hadn't followed the wrong person!"

Yan Zhengkang nodded. "Don't worry, I'll cooperate fully."

Wang Qiao smiled slightly and said, "The four of us are one, of course I will support you."

Hearing what everyone said, Wu Lide felt somewhat relieved, as he had been feeling conflicted. He knew he had to get a response from the WD Investigation Bureau immediately.

Meanwhile, the team composed of all members from the "Spades," "Hearts," "Diamonds," and the Wuwang District had assembled. Like a sword drawn from its sheath, their sharpness was fully revealed, and they converged into an unstoppable torrent.

The wisdom of humankind capable of writing "The Art of War" is something that a mere corpse with lingering consciousness can never match.

The unpredictable tactics quickly led them to a breakthrough, carving a bloody path through the horde of zombies.

The City of Spades conducted intensive combat training for all its soldiers. Through countless life-or-death trials, the warriors' bodies and wills reached their peak. Amidst the horde of zombies, they were like a black storm, tearing open bloody fissures with overwhelming force. The City of Hearts mobilized its vast resources, investing heavily in the mass production of superior weapons. Longswords and sabers, sharp as mud, were deployed, their clanging sounds echoing through the rain, radiating killing intent. The City of Squares formulated targeted strategies and tactics based on battlefield reports, promptly collecting battlefield data for sand table simulations, analyzing and optimizing the results of each attack, ensuring the alliance maintained the initiative in the complex battle situation. The Boundless District single-handedly rallied all the wanderers on Paradise Island, sheltering all residents of the City of Plum Blossom who intended to rebel against the main city, and providing them with the latest intelligence from the City of Plum Blossom.

Under such powerful combined suppression, even the later improved new types of zombies could be eliminated in a short time.

The army marched toward Plum Blossom City with overwhelming momentum.

All the regional rulers accompanied the army, which boosted morale and inspired the troops.

The main city of Plum Blossom could no longer sit still. They lured the last group of primitive zombies in the city onto the army's inevitable route.

Although these primitive zombies were far less capable than the new zombies, their numbers were more than three times that of the new zombies.

Wu Lide stood on the 14th floor, hands clasped behind his back, fists clenched. "This is our last hope."

Wang Qiao comforted them, saying, "Although the primitive zombies aren't as powerful as the new zombies, there are more of them, which will at least buy us three more days. The WD Investigation Bureau hasn't given us a reply yet, so we still have hope."

Wu Lide sighed, "You don't have much dealings with WD, you don't understand them, and they haven't replied yet. I'm worried..."

Wang Qiao quickly replied, "We've worked so hard for them for so many years, and we'll continue to help them make money in the future. They won't abandon us."

Wu Lide looked at the woman in front of him, "Sister Qiao, if I die one day, you will be the 'Ace of Clubs'."

Wang Qiao's gaze remained firm, seemingly oblivious to Wu Lide's probing. "You're the one who contacted WD, you're the one who holds the customer base, you're the one who brought everyone together. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, and what right would I have to be 'Ace of Clubs'?"

Wu Lide breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion, "Yes, I was worried that if I really died, you would be wiped out by them without me."

Wang Qiao deliberately revealed a hint of worry in her beautiful eyes, but still comforted him, saying, "We can't give up until the very last moment. Plum Blossom City will stand with you through thick and thin."