Apocalypse Rebirth: 3000 million won at the beginning

Chapter 2043 The Mutant Wall-Climbing Zombie at the Bottom of the Bridge (5200 words)
Wushi Military Base.

It's 4:30 in the evening.

Wang Cheng and Gao Zhongtian led the guards from the transfer station out to welcome the arrival of the Third Transport Brigade.

"Brother Wang, are you familiar with these two captains of the Third Transportation Brigade?" Gao Zhongtian scratched his arm, which was covered in mosquito bites.

Wang Cheng looked nostalgic; he had joined the camphor tree base much earlier than Guo Peng and the Imperial Concubine.

However, unlike Guo Peng and the others, he initially worked for Ding Jiu in the construction team.

However, due to personal reasons, he later left the construction brigade and joined the militia department.

From a seasoned construction worker who was entirely in the internal affairs field, suddenly being transferred to the Civil Armed Forces Department meant starting all over again.

Although he held a high rank, being a first-level personnel, it took him a long time to be promoted to the position of captain of the militia brigade.

Now he is stationed at the Wushi transit station as the person in charge.

Those who previously served as transit points are often given more important roles and assigned more crucial tasks later on.

This applies to Li Qi and Song Qi in the past, as well as Xiao Hu and Zuo Ruxue.

Looking at the clouds on the horizon, Wang Cheng replied:
"It's alright, we know each other."

Gao Zhongtian scratched his arm, the more he scratched, the itchier it got. There were just too many mosquitoes lately, and his whole body was covered in welts after being bitten.

Snapped!
He slapped himself in the face, and then reached out and slapped a mosquito lying in his palm.

"There are so many mosquitoes lately, I can't sleep well at night."

Wang Cheng looked at the weeds on the mountain and said:

"Go cut some mugwort tomorrow. That stuff can repel mosquitoes. Mugwort is the main ingredient in mosquito coils."

Gao Zhongtian paused, his hand gripping Wang Cheng's arm, and looked at Wang Cheng in surprise.

"Brother Wang, you knew all this!"

Just then, a tremor came from afar.

"They're here! Get ready!" Wang Cheng shouted to the guards around him.

"Yes!"

Under the watchful eyes of Wang Cheng and the others, an armored vehicle drove out from behind the mountain.

The drone flew right above them and then suddenly flew back into the convoy.

The long convoy arrived outside the gate of the Wushi military base.

The Wushi military base today is also different from what it used to be.

The former military base in Wushi was designed for secrecy, so there was no construction outside the main gate.

They would even lower the tarpaulin covering the door after each closing.

However, given the frequent and significant movement of the transport convoys, attempting to conceal the presence of the Wushi military base would be tantamount to self-deception.

Furthermore, the camphor tree's influence is already strong enough that it doesn't need any cover.

Therefore, the Wushi military base was also renovated.

The ground outside the military base gate has been renovated, making it flat, wide, and free of weeds, large enough to park thousands of cars.

Above the gate of the military base, there are two tall watchtowers, all made of concrete, quite sturdy, 15 meters high, which can see far into the distance.

In addition, two walls were built around the military base, along the edges of the surrounding mountains and forests.

The wall is not yet completed; it is currently less than 100 meters long.

The wall is about two meters high and about one meter wide.

The first car in line stopped, and the cars behind it parked one after another in the open space outside.

Guo Peng got out of the car.

"Royal City, it's been a long time."

Wang Cheng pointed to the electric trucks behind him and exclaimed in admiration:

"Not bad, it seems you had a smooth journey. Is this car easy to drive?"

When Guo Peng was at the base, he also tested these electric trucks and laughed:

"It's easy to drive, and you don't need to refuel."

"But the armored vehicle we were in was able to refuel once along the way."

Wang Cheng hesitated for a moment and said:
"There is enough fuel in the transfer station, but there are only twenty charging stations with limited power, so it may not be able to charge all the electric vehicles."

Guo Peng smiled and said:

"That's alright. I asked around when we were almost here, and these electric trucks all have at least 75% battery left. They have enough power to get to the oil city."

Wang Cheng nodded upon hearing this:
"That's good. Let the convoy come in first."

Guo Peng waved to the back, and the vehicles followed the instructions of the transit station guards, entering the military base one by one.

Upon entering the military base, the temperature suddenly dropped by seven or eight degrees.

Although it was already four or five in the afternoon, the outside temperature was still 43 degrees Celsius.

It felt much cooler after I came in.

Guo Peng and Wang Cheng walked into the military base, with electric trucks passing by one after another.

"Wangcheng, there is a serious water shortage outside. I used a drone to check today and I didn't find a single lake along the way. Some of the rivers I passed by were also dried up."

How is your water supply guaranteed here?

Guo Peng wasn't very familiar with the Wushi military base.

Wang Cheng explained:
“We have drilled down to an underground river dozens of meters below the surface, and the water source is very abundant. We are less than 30 kilometers away from the Yangtze River. As long as the Yangtze River dries up, our groundwater will not dry up.”

Guo Peng raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Show me around the military base, will you?"

"Let's go," Wang Cheng said with a smile.

Half past five in the evening.

squeak squeak~
The military base gates were completely closed, and the sunlight streaming in from outside suddenly disappeared.

Along with this came the automatically turning on incandescent lights in the corridor.

Deep inside the military base, in what used to be the weapons depot, countless zombies were running generators to produce electricity.

Next door is the greenhouse that Li Qi and her team built earlier.

They even kept more than a dozen pigs in a separate compartment next door.

These are piglets that Wang Cheng entrusted Xiao Hu to bring along from the camphor tree base.

Although they do have meat to eat, it is all processed meat and not fresh.

With little to do at the military base, Wang Cheng gradually started raising pigs there.

Pigs are omnivores, eating both meat and plants, such as tender leaves, berries, acorns, mushrooms, and even tree bark. Wild boars, unable to find food in winter, will even gnaw on tubers underground, truly a voracious eater who "digs three feet into the ground."

They're easy to raise.

When Guo Peng saw the pig farm, he was completely impressed.

"You have greenhouses here where you can eat fresh vegetables, basketball courts, pool tables, ping-pong tables, a small library, computers for playing games, and shower rooms and bath rooms."
Damn, there are even pig farms.

You're living the life of gods!

Wang Cheng smiled wryly:
"But it's so oppressive living here, it's all dark and gloomy."

Guo Peng rolled his eyes. "I know that headquarters isn't requiring you to stay in the base all the time. How can you do all that construction work outside if you don't go out?"

“The lighting in this place is terrible,” Wang Cheng said abruptly.

Guo Peng didn't want to say anything more; he was devastated by this transit point.

He had assumed the transit station would be very basic, but he was surprised to find that the basic living conditions were so good.

into the night.

Space is limited in the military base, so apart from the captain, the team members all sleep huddled together.

The snoring was deafening.

inside the room.

Zhao Xin couldn't sleep at all today. One of his team members, who was sleeping in his shop, was snoring like a drill, making his head hurt.

I patted the group member's face twice, and he woke up.

He fell asleep again five seconds later, and then the sound of the electric drill started again.

Helpless, Zhao Xin packed his bedding and clothes and went back to sleep in the electric truck.

I must say, sleeping in the car is much more comfortable than sleeping in that 16-person dorm room.

Deep night.

Guo Peng held a short meeting with the Imperial Concubine to review the day's driving experience.

Overall, things went very smoothly.

The weather was hot and dry, and zombies rarely came out, so we didn't encounter many zombies along the way.

In addition, the quality of this batch of electric vehicles was very good; not a single vehicle had a tire blowout along the way.

The next day.

They set off early in the morning.

Half an hour after leaving the Wushi military base, they arrived at the bridgehead of the cross-river bridge.

The Imperial Concubine reminded Guo Peng via walkie-talkie:
"Guo Peng, this is the most dangerous part of the transport route. There are many zombies in the Yangtze River and its waters. We need to be prepared."

"Okay, I understand." After replying, Guo Peng immediately ordered the drone to fly over the Yangtze River to investigate the situation on the river surface.

The sun was scorching, and no zombies were floating on the river.

"Escort Team 1, cross the bridge to the other side and prepare to block the zombies emerging from the river."

"Received." Upon receiving the order, Niu Shoufu immediately led an armored vehicle and an infantry transport vehicle to the bridge.

Five minutes later, they reached the other side of the bridge.

"Escort teams 2, 3, and 4, ensure the safety of the convoy; team 5, bring up the rear!"

"set off!"

Soon, the convoy headed towards the cross-river bridge.

The electric trucks made no engine noise, but there were too many of them, and they were rolling over the bridge surface, which was covered with various debris. The tires made a loud noise as they rolled over the debris.

The once calm river surface suddenly became restless.

Wuwuwu——

A drone flies three meters above the river.

The drone footage of the zombies was very clear.

In his anxiety, Guo Peng quickly shouted, "Full speed ahead!"

"Wait!" the Imperial Concubine quickly stopped her, immediately revising the order:

"Maintain your current speed of fifty kilometers per hour!"

Guo Peng looked puzzled. Why?
However, the Imperial Concubine had more transportation experience than him. In order to ensure that his subordinates were clear about what to do, he also modified his orders: "Listen to Captain Imperial Concubine, maintain the current speed."

The bridge vibrated as nearly a hundred electric trucks drove across it.

hoo hoo hoo!
On both banks of the Yangtze River, zombies in the river swam towards the shore.

Moreover, once ashore, they move extremely fast.

Because these zombies are still wet, their limbs are relatively flexible, but if they are exposed to the sun for more than ten minutes, their speed will drop significantly.

But the convoy is currently crossing a bridge.

Before the last electric truck could even get onto the bridge, zombies had already arrived at the bridgeside.

The distance is thirty meters.

Gongsun Jing, who had been waiting by the bridge for a long time, immediately led five groups to intercept the zombies.

Da da da da da da!

Gongsun Jing led more than twenty team members and fired at the zombies surging from both sides.

The zombies were blocked at the bridge and could not get close to the convoy.

As time went on, the number of zombies surging up didn't decrease; instead, it increased.

The sound of gunfire even attracted the zombies in the buildings behind it.

Gongsun Jing glanced back and saw that only a few electric trucks remained.

She called out to the people around her:

"Get in the car, prepare to leave!"

The group fired shots to stop the enemy as they ran towards the car.

Gongsun Jing was the last to get on the bus, and the vehicle started moving as soon as she boarded.

The machine gunner on top of the armored vehicle continued to operate the machine gun, attacking the zombies chasing after them.

Boom boom boom——

The armored vehicle accelerated and caught up with the last few electric trucks.

As the zombies receded into the distance, Gongsun Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

This is much more exciting than in the North.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a zombie suddenly rushed across the bridge.

He leaned against the car window, screaming through the railing and glass.

"Oh no, it's a mutated wall-climbing zombie!" Gongsun Jing exclaimed in alarm upon seeing this.

She quickly shouted to the machine gunner above, "Old Dai, watch out for zombies climbing the wall!"

The machine gun compartment on top of this armored vehicle is open, not fully enclosed.

Upon hearing Gongsun Jing's words, Lao Dai quickly took the pistol from his waist.

Where are the zombies?

Just then, a wall-climbing zombie attacked him from behind and bit his arm.

The mutated wall-climbing zombie's teeth were extremely sharp, piercing through his combat suit.

Ah!
In pain, he mustered all his strength and swung it violently.

They flung the mutated, wall-climbing zombie in front of the car.

The zombie bit his arm, tearing off pieces of his combat suit and a chunk of flesh from his arm!
The mutated wall-climbing zombie hasn't gotten up yet.

Clang, clang!

The armored vehicle's tires ran over the head of the mutated, wall-climbing zombie.

Bang!

The mutated wall-climbing zombie's head was crushed into a pulp.

"Ouch~~ That hurts, hoohoo~"

Old Dai's face was deathly pale, tinged with black, and he moved with incredible speed, leaving one black stripe after another on his face.

This is a mutated wall-climbing zombie; once bitten, it infects people at an absurdly fast rate.

It's about to mutate.

This is a mutated wall-climbing zombie; it transforms into a zombie extremely quickly.

He slid down into the armored vehicle, trembling.

Gongsun Jing and the others immediately helped him up.

"Oh no, he's been bitten and is about to mutate."

"Quickly, inject him with the antidote for zombies!"

The team members inside the vehicle moved swiftly, quickly opening their backpacks and taking out the zombie antidote.

At that moment, Old Dai's hair all fell out, and his eyes turned completely red.

It was on the verge of mutation.

"Hurry up!!!" Gongsun Jing shouted, while ordering the others to restrain Lao Dai.

Roar!
Old Dai has mutated into a zombie!

But he was pinned to the floor.

The next second, the needle was inserted into Lao Dai's neck.

A few seconds later, Lao Dai closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Gongsun Jing looked at the machine gun firing port above and said, "Dong Ming, go and close the cover."

"Yes."

"No one else was bitten by Lao Dai, right?" Gongsun Jing looked at everyone.

"No." Everyone shook their heads.

"You two keep an eye on Lao Dai," Gongsun Jing said.

"Yes."

After explaining everything, Gongsun Jing took a deep breath, picked up the walkie-talkie, and reported the matter to the Imperial Concubine and Guo Peng at the front.

Previously, when he was with Guo Peng in the Northern Territory, not to mention mutated wall-climbing zombies, even ordinary zombies couldn't get close to them.

Staying inside the walls every day, all zombies are kept out by the walls.

This unexpected situation made her realize just how dangerous the transport team was.

Without the zombie cure, Old Dai would surely die.

If I hadn't had someone hold Lao Dai down, the people inside the armored vehicle might have been in danger after Lao Dai turned into a zombie and came down.

Moreover, they were driving on the bridge; if the driver were bitten, the vehicle would lose control and overturn into the water.

Even a god couldn't save them.

If you fall into the river, don't even think about abandoning the car and swimming out. Once you get out of the car, the zombies in the water will eat you to pieces.

But if you stay inside the car, you'll only drown.

Gongsun Jing was terrified by the potential consequences after just a moment's thought.

Upon learning of this, Guo Peng and the Imperial Concubine immediately took it seriously.

After inquiring with Gongsun Jing and learning that the matter had been properly handled, he felt somewhat relieved.

Soon, they passed through this most dangerous section of the road.

After leaving the bridge, they didn't stop.

After they had completely left the city of Wushi and continued driving for nearly half an hour until they reached a sparsely populated area, the Imperial Concubine finally allowed everyone to rest for five minutes.

They also took the opportunity to inspect Gongsun Jing and her group's car.

Old Dai woke up at this time as well.

All the hair has fallen out, and the wound has been bandaged.

That mutated wall-climbing zombie was too ruthless; it bit off a piece of flesh.

"Captains, I'm fine now," Old Dai said to Consort Gui and Guo Peng.

The Imperial Concubine nodded. "Get some rest."

Guo Peng's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He nodded to Lao Dai and then left with the Imperial Concubine.

Back in the armored vehicle, the two sat together.

"This is footage captured by the drone just now." The Imperial Concubine handed a tablet to Guo Peng:

"The mutated wall-climbing zombie is extremely fast. This particular mutated wall-climbing zombie was at the bottom of the bridge and suddenly climbed up. By the time the drone spotted it, it was too late!"

"Based on this incident, we must be vigilant in the future. When using drones for reconnaissance, we should also check the bottom of bridges, as there is a high possibility that mutated wall-climbing zombies may be hanging upside down like bats."

Guo Peng looked puzzled:
"I don't understand, shouldn't mutated wall-climbing zombies be more common in the Northwest? How come they're here in Wushi too?"

The Imperial Concubine said calmly:

"The zombies can move."

Guo Peng: "."

"Moreover, this is the Yangtze River, where there are many different kinds of zombies. I didn't encounter any wall-climbing zombies when I ran this route before, but I encountered mutated wall-climbing zombies twice when I ran the route to the northwest or the northern border," the Imperial Concubine explained.

Guo Peng remarked with emotion:
"Damn it, running a transport business is really dangerous!"

The imperial concubine glanced at him, her expression calm and unchanging.

"Things are much better now. Back when we were running away, there was no antidote for zombies. If you got bitten, you could only wait to die!"

Guo Peng was shocked upon hearing this, and looked at the Imperial Concubine with a hint of admiration.

The imperial concubine remained calm, saying, "It's nothing serious, you'll get used to it."

"That's just how it is in the transportation business; danger is always present."

"When we travel the Northwest route later, we'll encounter even more problems there."

After saying that, she walked to the radio station, turned to Guo Peng, and said:

"I'll report this to my superiors and also tell the other two transport teams to be careful and remember to check the bottom of the bridges when they drive this route in the future."

"Wait a minute," Guo Peng quickly asked.
"Why did you say to maintain the current speed when I told the convoy to go full speed ahead?"

The imperial concubine flicked her hair and replied:
“Bridges are not as sturdy as ordinary roads. Driving too fast can easily cause problems. The car may bounce violently, causing great damage to the bridge. Moreover, there is so much debris on that bridge. Driving that fast can easily cause a vehicle to overturn!”
This isn't an ordinary road surface; it's a car overturning on a bridge. If it had plunged into the river, would the people inside have survived?

Guo Peng listened carefully and nodded, saying:

"understood."

After a moment, he continued:
"You have experience in transportation, so if anything goes wrong in the future, please remember to remind me."

The imperial concubine smiled slightly. "Alright."

He thought to himself: Guo Peng isn't a stubborn guy, as long as he listens.

(End of this chapter)