Doomsday police, please show your god/demon ID card.

Inside the police canteen.

Several people sat around a table, picking at the food in their bowls.

"That granary to the north seems to be a tough nut to crack," Wang Hu said in a muffled voice after gulping down a mouthful of porridge.

"We have to grit our teeth even if it's tough." Tang Long put down his chopsticks, his voice calm. "Our food supplies won't last more than a few days! Even if we just mix our fists into thin porridge, it still won't be enough."

"If this continues, someone will definitely starve to death."

Wang Hu frowned deeply: "How about we gather all the fighters we can and just push them over there!"

"Dr. Su's abilities are sufficient to deal with mutants, let alone these ordinary people."

"When she first awakened, she could control me with a single thought! Now she's probably even stronger!"

"With your abilities added in, our chances of winning are quite good."

Tang Long paused for a moment, then did not answer.

If we fight head-on, we certainly have a chance of winning.

Although everyone on the other side was armed, their strength on paper seemed to be greater than ours.

However, they possess Su Yan's mental perception and suppression abilities, along with his newly acquired "Whip of Order," and a police team that is gradually being refined.

If they really go all out and fight, their chances of winning are not small.

Can...

He doesn't intend to do that unless absolutely necessary.

The base is currently developing rapidly, and stability is the top priority. Moreover, the "Queen" in the city center is always like a sword hanging over our heads.

At this point, choosing to go to war with another armed force would be extremely unwise.

Moreover...

Tang Long's gaze darkened slightly.

Judging from their behavior and equipment, that armed force from the grain depot was definitely not an ordinary group of survivors.

If we can figure out their background and even incorporate them, it will be a great help to the base.

"A direct confrontation is the last resort." Tang Long thought for a moment and said, "Until then, let's try to see if there are any other options."

Zhao Fan, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly spoke up.

"Team Leader Tang."

Tang Long looked at him.

"I have an idea." Zhao Fan put down the steamed bun in his hand: "Among the survivors recruited these past few days, quite a few came from the North District."

"North District?" Wang Hu was taken aback.

"Yes." Zhao Fan nodded. "And, there's also that old industrial park area you mentioned."

"I thought, why don't we ask around? Maybe someone knows information about the armed personnel at that grain depot."

Tang Long's eyes lit up.

That's definitely a good idea.

At the very least, it will allow us to learn about the other party's background.

"Okay." Tang Long immediately decided, "I'll leave this to you."

"Find someone who knows the details as soon as possible, the more detailed the better."

"Yes!" Zhao Fan accepted the order and hurriedly left.

……

The next day.

The roar of the engine shattered the morning tranquility.

One bus, truck, and transport vehicle after another drove into the Dongcheng District base.

The car doors opened, and a dense crowd poured out.

"Men, to the left! Women, to the right! Those with children, please go to the front to register!"

"Don't push! Line up!"

The officers were shouting hoarsely to maintain order.

The crowd jostled and made a ruckus.

The cries of children, the sobs of women, and the heavy breathing of men mingled together, creating a bustling scene everywhere.

"This scene..." Wang Hu stood beside Tang Long, staring blankly at the crowd before him. "I thought I would never see it again in this lifetime."

Tang Long nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd: "Have the headcount been tallied yet?"

"Just came out." Wang Hu withdrew his gaze and handed over a piece of paper. "A total of two thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight people."

Tang Long took the paper, his gaze lingering on the numbers: "Only this much?"

It's important to know that before the apocalypse, Dongyun City, while not a large city, still had a population of at least one million.

Although there should be some survivors who did not come to the East District base for various reasons, it is conservatively estimated that the number of survivors in the entire Dongyun City should not exceed 1.

The horror of the apocalypse is evident.

"There are indeed fewer than we expected." Wang Hu nodded and sighed, "But it's still not bad to have this many people."

"After all, the apocalypse has been over for so long."

At this time.

"Team Leader Tang!" Zhao Fan's voice came from the edge of the crowd. He ran over quickly, followed by a limping figure.

"We've found him." Zhao Fan turned to look at the man behind him and lowered his voice: "His name is Wu Zheng. He used to be a grain transporter at the grain depot."

Tang Long's gaze fell on the lame man.

The man was about forty years old, with gray and greasy hair. He wore an ill-fitting gray jacket and had a gleaming wooden cane tucked tightly under his arm. His eyes were timid, yet they also held a hint of eager fire.

Tang Long frowned slightly.

"Take him to my office."

……

Ten minutes later, in the director's office.

Wu Zheng sat down carefully in the chair, only daring to sit on one side.

"Mr. Wu, don't be nervous." Tang Long poured the other man a glass of water and then sat down opposite him.

"Thank you...thank you." Wu Zheng took the water and poured it out, expressing his gratitude.

"You're welcome." Tang Long nodded, then asked, "You said you used to be a grain transporter at the granary! So how did you end up here?"

"I...I...I escaped." Wu Zheng nodded, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of anger.

"They escaped?" Tang Long was slightly surprised.

"Yes...yes, sir." Wu Zheng nodded. "I worked there as a grain transporter for five years. I could find my way around the place with my eyes closed."

Tang Long nodded and continued to press for answers.

"So, do you know what the situation is like inside right now?"

Wu Zheng took a deep breath, as if recalling some kind of fear.

"There are probably more than 300 people locked up inside right now, all confined in the workers' shed area behind the silo, like livestock."

"Every day was just work, moving grain, and repairing walls."

"They ate moldy broken rice and drank raw water. Those who couldn't work or were sick were dragged out and fed to the zombies."

As he said this, he subconsciously touched his disabled left leg.

"I broke my leg while carrying grain. If I hadn't been familiar with the terrain and still been of some use to them, I would have been thrown out to feed the zombies."

"Them? Who are you talking about?" Tang Long continued to ask.

"It's...it's those people who've taken over the grain depot." Wu Zheng swallowed hard. "All I know is that they're not from our city!"

"Not from our city?" Tang Long frowned slightly.

"Hmm!" Wu Zheng nodded: "They said they were a government rescue team, but when we looked at their weapons and equipment, they didn't seem like ordinary bandits at all, so we opened the door."

"Who knows..." he sighed.

"In short, their leader is called Brother Xiong, but we don't know his real name. He has more than a hundred men under his command, and they are all armed."

"Since they arrived, they've occupied the front office building and are living the high life."

"We were treated like slaves, and were ordered to work every day."

More than a hundred people!

Tang Long tapped his fingers lightly on the table, which was basically consistent with the scale observed using the drone.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "What else do you know? Like something special? Something unusual?"

Wu Zheng's expression showed a slight hesitation.

He thought for a moment, then slowly said, "There's... there's something I've never understood, and I'm not entirely sure about."

"explain."

"After my leg was injured, I often couldn't sleep at night because of the pain." Wu Zheng nodded and continued, "About every three days, always around 2 a.m., a small team would escort a few survivors out through the old sewage pipes under the grain depot."

Tang Long frowned slightly.

"Sewage pipes?"

"Yes." Wu Zheng nodded: "That pipe leads straight outside, and the exit is near an abandoned chemical plant two kilometers away."

"And the next day?" Tang Long pressed. "Did they come back?"

Wu Zheng shook his head, his face pale.

"No, I've never been back."

"They always went out late at night and came back before dawn! Only the soldiers came back each time."

"By the way, when they come back, they all have an indelible smell of blood on them, and they look very happy, like... like they've struck it rich."

Tang Long narrowed his eyes.

night.

That's when zombies and mutants are most active, and normal people wouldn't choose to go out.

But these people go out every three days?

Moreover, it's a force from out of town!

There's an eerie feeling about it everywhere.

"Do you know how to get to that pipe?" Tang Long continued to ask.

Wu Zheng's body jolted, and he abruptly raised his head.

"I know!"

"I remember every fork in the road, every manhole cover!"

"I...I..." His voice trembled, and his eyes showed a hint of anger: "Can I help you? Lead the way."

"Are you sure? Aren't you afraid of dying?" Tang Long retorted.

"My wife... and my daughter, are still inside! Those people... they..." Wu Zheng gritted his teeth, his voice choked with sobs, yet filled with ruthlessness.

"I'd do anything to save them! Even die!"

Tang Long looked at Wu Zheng's gritted teeth, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Take him downstairs to rest, give him some hot food, and take good care of him," Tang Long instructed Zhao Fan.

"Yes." Zhao Fan stepped forward, helped Wu Zheng up, and led him out of the office.

Click~

The door was slowly closed.

Meanwhile, the door to the side lounge was opened.

Su Yan came out from inside, holding a glass of warm water in her hand. Her face was a little pale, as if she had just undergone some kind of high-intensity mental perception.

"How is it?" Tang Long turned to look at the other person and asked.

"I'm not lying."

Su Yan took a sip of water, her voice sounding tired: "His emotions fluctuated wildly; his anger, fear, and despair were all real."

"Especially when he talks about his wife and daughters, the longing he feels is genuine."

"However, his description of the number of armed personnel and their specific combat capabilities was overshadowed by intense fear and may be inaccurate."

Tang Long nodded.

He stood up and walked to the map of Dongyun City hanging on the wall.

He pressed his finger heavily on the location of the North City Grain Depot.

"Notify Wang Hu, Chen Ming, and Liu Qiang to assemble in the conference room in half an hour."

……

Thirty minutes later.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy.

A sketch of the grain depot and pipeline structure, hand-drawn by Chen Ming based on Wu Zheng's dictation, was laid out in the center of the table.

"They take people out every three nights at midnight, and they're still not back?" Luo Yongchao stared at the pipe exit sign. "What are they doing there? Do they even have to pick their time to feed the zombies?"

"I don't know, but I guess it's not a good thing," Chen Ming said calmly.

Liu Qiang frowned, staring at the sewage pipes on the map.

"The main problem now is whether we should go over there? According to Wu Zheng's description, the pipe is only 1.6 meters in diameter, and it is even narrower in some maintenance sections and bends."

"If you're ambushed or encounter a mutant inside, there's nowhere to hide."

"And the concentration of methane gas is a problem." Chen Ming pushed up his glasses. "We'll need to wear gas masks, which will affect our vision and movement."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Tang Long stood in the main seat, raised his hand, and tapped the table.

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

"We definitely have to go! No matter what they're up to, this is our chance." Tang Long picked up a red pen and drew a circle at the entrance of the sewage pipe on the map.

His gaze swept over the crowd: "Tonight, I'll personally lead the team!"

"Select five elite soldiers, take Wu Zheng with them, and go in through the sewage pipe."

"No!" Wang Hu jumped to his feet. "Captain Tang, you're the supreme commander! This is too dangerous! I'll go!"

"You're too big; you can't move around freely in the pipes."

Tang Long directly refuted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Moreover, only I have the ability to deal with unexpected situations in such narrow terrain."

He raised his hand, and a black vine flashed across his palm.

Everyone fell silent again.

Wang Hu opened his mouth, but then held it back.

Tang Long continued, "I will lie in ambush in the middle of the pipe."

"When they pass by with the slaves, rescue them, then change into their clothes and enter the granary from the opposite direction."

"Then..." He drew an X in the center of the grain depot.

"Control the central command, then behead them."

Then, he drew several circles on several high points around the grain depot.

"In addition, a second plan needs to be prepared."

Tang Long looked at Wang Hu and Luo Yongchao.

"If you don't receive my signal, or if gunshots are fired inside."

"Luo Yongchao, you take the sniper team, find a high vantage point, and be responsible for picking off the machine gunners on the watchtower."

"Yes!" Luo Yongchao stood at attention.

"Wang Hu, Lao Liu."

"arrive!"

"You two, each lead a assault team, carrying heavy firepower, and blow open the main gate."

"Charge in at all costs."

Tang Long's eyes sharpened like knives.

"Remember, once the fighting starts, create chaos as quickly as possible to draw fire and relieve internal pressure on me."

"Understood!" Wang Hu and Liu Qiang exchanged a glance and stood up.

Tang Long straightened up and scanned everyone with his eyes.

"This operation is not just about food."

"It's also to tell everyone in this apocalypse."

He grabbed the pistol on the table and cocked it with a click.

"In this city."

"Only we are order."

"action!"

……

Late at night, on the outskirts of the northern part of the city.

Abandoned chemical plant, at the drainage outlet.

Shh~ Shh~

The waist-high weeds swayed in the wind.

A nauseating stench wafted from the dark, round drainage hole.

Six figures appeared silently, like ghosts blending into the night.

Tang Long walked at the very front.

He was completely covered in a black combat suit and wore a gas mask.

Beside him were several carefully selected combat officers.

At the very back, Zhao Fan helped Wu Zheng up.

Tang Long stopped in front of the cave entrance, raised his hand, and his palm split open.

Several thin, black vines emerged, probing into the dark pipes like tentacles, and wandering along the muddy walls.

After a while.

The vines were pulled back.

Tang Long turned around and gave the tactical hand signal "Safe, follow up" to those behind him.

Then, he bent down and stepped into the pipe.