I have a city in another world

Chapter 7049 Coercion and Evacuation

Under the cover of night, cold steel and scorching flames intertwine to form a web, enveloping the outer city area of ​​the mountain town settlement.

The air was thick with the smells of gunpowder, blood, and the acrid burnt smell of burning buildings; every breath felt like being scalded by gritty sand.

Gunshots, explosions, monster roars, and the wails of the dying combine to create a symphony of destruction.

Not only did the enemy choose to hide, but the observers also noticed something unusual about the street above the towering, cold, and seemingly isolated city wall of the inner city.

Compared to the tense, bloody scenes in other areas, this area was noticeably quiet.

At the entrance to the street, there were piles of twisted and deformed flames and debris, the corpses of enemies who had tried to attack.

Behind the rooftop barrier, the occasional bursts of gunfire always managed to easily eliminate any enemies attempting to approach.

"Let's go see what's going on?"

As the commander gave the order, drones painted with the inner city's insignia rose silently like ghosts, conducting fixed-point observations from a high vantage point.

The ultra-high-definition camera pierced through the smoke and dust, locking onto several relatively intact buildings in the middle of the street, taking in the scene below.

A makeshift team of outlying residents managed to hold onto a small area thanks to their advantageous location and a remarkably accurate gunman.

The man, protected by the crowd, wielded a strangely shaped, extra-long rifle, exuding a cold and ruthless efficiency; every shot he fired brought his target down.

Whether it was a lurking mutated creature, an enemy infantryman attempting to advance, or even a low-flying reconnaissance drone, none could escape the fate of being destroyed.

Inside a fortified command post within the inner city wall's bunker, the commander stared grimly at the transmitted images.

He tapped his fingers on the cold metal tabletop, and after a moment, issued a cold command through the drone's loudspeaker.

The sound, amplified electronically and slightly distorted, pierced through the roar of gunfire and echoed clearly in the street where Tang Zhen and his men were hiding.

"Listen up, men! Your unit is hereby ordered to immediately proceed to area C-7 to reinforce and fill the gap in the defenses. Do not fail to do so!"

After the order was given, the people in the building below did not react at all; there was no response or sign of movement, as if the sound was just insignificant background noise.

The commander, his face grim, saw this scene through the live footage transmitted by the drone and was immediately enraged.

These scum from the outer city dare to disregard the direct orders from the inner city!

He grabbed the communicator, raised his voice eight octaves, and threatened, "Listen up, men! This is an order! Repeat, this is an order! If you refuse to obey, you will be treated as disobeying military orders in wartime, and you will be killed without exception!"

As if to amplify the weight of his words, at the same moment, a defensive machine gun turret on the inner city wall swiftly turned.

The thick, long gun barrel, gleaming with a dark blue metallic sheen, accompanied by the distinctive hum of mechanical transmission, precisely locked onto the building area where everyone was located.

The chilling, deathly gaze, even from hundreds of meters away, could send shivers down the spines of those behind cover.

No one doubted the power of that thing; once it fired and created a metal storm, it wouldn't be long before the buildings that had provided them with temporary shelter were razed to the ground.

All of them, along with everyone else, will be reduced to dust.

The people involved in the battle were filled with an uncontrollable rage. They gritted their teeth and their knuckles turned white from gripping their weapons so tightly.

Some people cursed under their breath, while others practically spitting fire in their eyes, yet they were utterly helpless.

The outer city was under the jurisdiction of the inner city both legally and in fact, and it seemed only natural for the residents of this place to accept the unified command of the authorities during wartime.

However, the enemy's orders were clearly to abandon this relatively safe fortress and head to C-7, a place whose very name suggested a meat grinder, to their deaths.

The lords of the inner city could hide behind the sturdy city walls and reap the benefits.

This blatant and shameless behavior was taken for granted by the inner city administrators, who even issued orders in a tone of charity and command.

Tang Zhen and his companions fought valiantly, having just repelled a wave of monster attacks. Their bodies were still covered in the monster's slime and their comrades' blood.

Before one can catch their breath, their own people raise guns from behind, threatening them with death. How can this not chill one's heart to the bone?
In the oppressive silence, everyone's gaze, including that of the survivors who had just been rescued by Tang Zhen and were still in shock, was simultaneously drawn to Tang Zhen, who stood in the shadows of the bunker.

His profile, illuminated by the flickering firelight outside the window, appeared unusually calm, even somewhat indifferent.

Those eyes were as deep as a pool, showing no sign of panic.

At this moment, his decision will determine the fate of everyone.

Tang Zhen's stunning performance had already earned him the heartfelt admiration of everyone. The reason why the authorities targeted them and forced them to go to the front line to intercept the enemy was probably inseparable from Tang Zhen's superhuman marksmanship.

They need a sharp enough knife to cut through the hardest bones; whether the knife will break is not a concern at all.

Tang Zhen remained silent, his gaze slowly sweeping over the faces around him, some filled with fear, some with anger, and some with anticipation.

Outside the window, the faint hum of the machine gun turret turning was like the whisper of death, reminding them that time was running out.

He spoke, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable calmness:

"The situation is very dangerous. The outer city probably can't be held. Sector C-7 is a death trap; going there means certain death. Staying here means either being devoured by monsters or being killed by our own people."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, "If you want to live, then come with me and leave this place."

After stating his judgment, Tang Zhen scanned the crowd again, awaiting their response.

The air seemed to freeze, and every second felt incredibly long.

"If you don't want to leave, I won't force you, but you'll have to bear all the consequences."

Upon hearing this, a look of struggle and hesitation flashed across everyone's faces.

Leaving the settlement and venturing into the perilous wilderness, the future remains uncertain.

But staying would almost certainly mean certain death.

Will they die immediately, or perhaps later, or even have a glimmer of hope?
The choice wasn't difficult. After a brief silence came a chaotic yet decisive response:

"Boss Tang, we'll go with you!"

"Damn it, I've had enough of this humiliation! You name it, I'll go anywhere!"

"Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get! We're risking our lives in the outer city, while those big shots are just watching the scenery from the city walls, and they're even forcing us to go and die. They really don't treat us like human beings!"

"Yes! Fighting them means certain death, but escaping offers a chance of survival! Boss Tang, we believe in you!" The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, expressing their willingness to follow Tang Zhen.

The instinct for survival and distrust of the inner city overwhelmed the fear of the wilderness at this moment.

At that moment, a cold warning voice came from the drone again, and the countdown began: "Ten, nine, eight..."

If the time comes and everyone remains in the same place, they will be subjected to a merciless attack from the inner city.

"Pack your things, travel as light as possible, and come with me!"

Tang Zhen gave a low shout and took the lead in action.

He ignored the drone buzzing overhead, counting down to its doom, and moved with the agility of a cheetah to the other side of the building to observe the situation outside.

No one dared to delay. They quickly gathered up their meager supplies, helped the wounded up, and followed behind Tang Zhen.

Like streams flowing into a main channel, they emerged one after another from the building bunkers, moving quickly and cautiously along the street leading to District C-7.

They moved as quickly as possible, using the broken walls and ruins as cover to avoid sniper shots that could come from any direction.

The commander on the city wall saw from subsequent footage transmitted by drones that the troop had finally begun to move.

"A bunch of idiots, always making pointless struggles."

The commander snorted coldly, a smug smile playing on his lips, and immediately turned his attention to the other areas that were still locked in a stalemate or were in retreat.
Using drones and communication channels, similar methods were employed to supervise and urge action, and to continuously deploy troops.

He attempted to arm more residents and drive all the scattered soldiers to the crumbling defenses outside the city.

They used their own flesh and blood to wear down the enemy's strength and buy time for the inner city.

Once the outer city defenses can be stabilized, even if it's just for a few more hours, the safety of the inner city will be better guaranteed, and the pressure on him will be greatly reduced.

Although he was well aware that this behavior would provoke complaints and anger from the residents, and might even trigger a mutiny, the high-ranking commander was completely unconcerned.

In his eyes, the people in the outer city were nothing more than a group of numbers to be consumed, a group of lowly people who could only survive by clinging to the settlement. Their thoughts and feelings were not worth caring about in the face of the overall situation.

As he was basking in the glory of his command, a subordinate hurriedly reported a message: "Sir, the command drone numbered D-77 has lost signal and is suspected of being shot down."

In the chaos of war, stray bullets flying everywhere is quite normal; it could be a friendly fire incident or a targeted attack by the enemy.

The commander frowned, but didn't pay much attention, simply waving his hand: "Send a backup drone over there to confirm whether that team has headed to the edge of Sector C-7."

However, when the new drone arrived in that airspace, the operator saw only empty streets and thick smoke from raging flames.

The team that was supposed to be driven to the front lines has vanished without a trace, as if it had evaporated into thin air.

"Target lost," the operator reported.

The commander spat: "Consider them lucky! Never mind, focus on the other areas!"

While this situation is unpleasant, it is within acceptable limits, especially given the chaotic circumstances.

The commander shifted his attention, putting the unruly squad out of his mind and continuing to focus on the defensive battle outside the city.

On a secluded street filled with thick smoke, Tang Zhen led a group of tense and hurried residents, moving in the opposite direction from the core battlefield of the outer city.

With a clear objective, they headed straight for the edge of the city, hoping to escape this hellish battlefield once and for all.

As the procession moved, the group grew like a snowball, frequently encountering panicked citizens from the city.

Most of these people hid in the cracks of the ruins, in half-collapsed basements, or simply shivered under a pile of garbage.

Seeing Tang Zhen's seemingly organized and armed team, they clung to it like a lifeline, emerging from their hiding places and pleading to join.

Please take us with you! We beg you!

"My child is still young, we can't stay here and wait to die!"

Not every street could withstand the enemy's attack as Tang Zhen had previously defended; many places had been completely destroyed, leaving only ruins and charred corpses.

The residents suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors were forced to flee in all directions, scattering like frightened rats in every corner of the city, desperately searching for a way to survive.

Although everyone knew that the safest place at the moment was undoubtedly the heavily guarded inner city surrounded by high walls, its gates were already tightly closed, refusing entry to any refugees from the outer city.

Furthermore, once you approach the inner city buffer zone, you will be met with relentless warning shots from the garrison.

The bullet hit near my feet, sending up a trail of sparks and dust.

Anyone who ignores the warnings and continues to advance will be shot dead on the spot by snipers or automated defense systems on the city walls.

Left with no other choice, these stragglers and refugees could only try to join other groups that seemed reliable, hoping to save their lives by relying on the protection of the community.

However, the situation is now extremely chaotic. The outer area is a mixed bag, and no one can guarantee whether those who actively request to join are enemies in disguise or thugs with ulterior motives.

Unless someone in the team knows them and can verify their identity, most teams will not allow strangers to join in this precarious environment, and may even open fire on them out of suspicion.

Tang Zhen's team had a clear direction: to move out of the city and leave this place of trouble.

The goal itself forms an invisible screening mechanism.

The enemy's objective was to enter the city to plunder and destroy, not to flee the city with a group. Therefore, the likelihood that those who voluntarily requested to join were enemy spies was greatly reduced.

As they moved forward, Tang Zhen always stayed at the front of the group, his divine sense covering the surrounding area like a flood.

His steps were sometimes swift, sometimes abruptly halting as he raised his hand to signal the column to stop advancing.

Whenever this happened, he would quickly issue a warning in a very low voice: "Two snipers on the rooftop to the left," or "Ten infected are lurking in the ruins of the crossroads ahead, and five of them are preparing to throw explosives."

With a few casual remarks, the threats along the way were swiftly eliminated.

Tang Zhen didn't fire his gun frequently, but each shot was accompanied by the fall of a figure in the distance or the explosion of the head of a monster about to launch an attack.

Even those small enemy aircraft that occasionally flew low overhead and attempted to strafe the ground personnel, as long as they showed any intention to attack, before they even had a chance to fire, Tang Zhen would casually raise his gun and shoot them in mid-air, turning them into burning fireballs that fell to the ground.

Such a precise, efficient, and almost predictable attack gradually transformed his followers from initial shock into a near-blind trust and ecstasy.

They became increasingly convinced that following Tang Zhen was the best decision they had made in their desperate situation. Whispers within the group were filled with awe and gratitude towards Tang Zhen.