Apocalypse: I can control zombies

Chapter 101 Verifying Identity

After explaining his situation, Zhao Lei stood up straight and said solemnly, "I have a radio at home and listen to the broadcasts every day. I also know about the Xiangyang Community outpost. I hope to join you and contribute to the country and the people."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen naturally welcomed it with open arms.

An active-duty professional soldier, especially one from a reconnaissance battalion, can single-handedly clear out an entire floor of zombies. Such combat prowess and mental fortitude are far beyond what ordinary survivors can match.

However, he cautiously spoke over the walkie-talkie: "Comrade Zhao Lei, our team needs a veteran like you. But before that, I need to confirm your identity before discussing the arrangements. I hope you can understand."

"Of course I understand. I wonder how you plan to confirm this?" Zhao Lei asked, without any hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

"Wait a moment." Lu Chen, who was in the fourth apartment building, put down the walkie-talkie, then took out his satellite phone from his waist and dialed Zhang Zhenhua's number directly.

The call was connected quickly. Zhang Zhenhua was also somewhat surprised after listening to Lu Chen's brief explanation.

He immediately said, "Identification is very simple. Just take a front-facing photo of him with a satellite phone, and the system will automatically perform facial recognition comparison. The recognition result will be available in real time."

Soon, Shen Qingci's satellite phone vibrated.

She took out her phone and answered the call. The person on the other end was a technician who explained the operation to her in a concise and clear manner.

Open the identity verification module in the military app, take a front-facing photo of the target, and the system will automatically compare it with the database.

Following instructions, Shen Qingci raised her phone, pointed it at Zhao Lei, and uploaded the photo.

A few seconds later, a green confirmation box popped up on the screen: Zhao Lei, Sergeant First Class, Reconnaissance Battalion, 5th Brigade, Southern Theater Command Army, Status: Active Duty.

After confirming her identity, the staff on the other end told her that Zhang Zhenhua wanted to speak with Zhao Lei.

Shen Qingci readily agreed and immediately handed over the phone.

Zhang Zhenhua asked Zhao Lei a few simple questions over the phone: what year he was a soldier, what the name of the reconnaissance battalion commander was, and what his score was in the last target practice.

Zhao Lei answered each question one by one, speaking slowly but accurately.

After listening, Zhang Zhenhua immediately issued an order through Shen Qingci's phone: "Zhao Lei, from now on you will take orders from Captain Lu Chen. He is now your direct superior. The Xiangyang Community outpost was established by Lu Chen, and he has full authority over all matters."

"Understood." Zhao Lei stood at attention in front of his phone and gave a short and firm reply.

Although he had served in the military for much longer than Lu Chen, Lu Chen's rank was a significant advantage, and he had also witnessed the strength of this team firsthand.

Those strong zombies that he couldn't handle were now tied up like dumplings and dragged at the back of the group.

The call ended quickly. Lu Chen, on behalf of the base, welcomed them to their new location via walkie-talkie.

"You're safe now. The zombies in the fire escape have been cleared. Let's all go down to the pavilion and rest for a bit!" Shen Qingci said.

She pointed down to the gazebo downstairs, where dozens of rescued survivors were already gathered and waiting.

"I'd like to contribute more. Can I join you now to rescue the other survivors?" Zhao Lei said.

"Okay, then you can come along. The rest of you can go down first." Shen Qingci nodded.

Zhao Lei turned around and gave a few simple instructions to the people behind him, telling them to take the elderly and children and follow the guide to the pavilion.

Those people clearly listened to Zhao Lei and immediately started packing their things. Then he stayed behind alone and joined Shen Qingci's group.

But soon he realized that his presence seemed superfluous.

Because he had personally witnessed how those fully armed, burly men at the front of the line dealt with the zombies.

An ordinary zombie rushed out from around the corner of the corridor. The burly man with the double-edged axe didn't even turn his head. He swung the axe down with a backhand, and the zombie's head exploded like a watermelon.

Another zombie darted out from the half-open door, and the one with the machete swept it horizontally, severing the zombie in two at the waist.

The entire process was seamless and efficient, like cutting products on an assembly line.

With this level of combat power, there's absolutely no need for him to intervene.

At first, he was naturally shocked and puzzled. He stared at those burly men for a long time, feeling that something was amiss.

Their strength was astonishing—ordinary people would start to feel sore after swinging such heavy cold weapons a dozen times, but these people chopped down more than twenty zombies in one go without even panting.

However, their attack techniques were quite crude, or rather, they had no techniques at all; they relied entirely on brute force to chop, smash, and sweep.

He had no fighting skills, no tactical positioning, and no techniques whatsoever.

As he watched, he noticed more details. Their gait was too stiff; the rhythm of each step was perfectly synchronized, as if controlled by the same metronome, and their breathing was exactly the same.

They had been standing in the sun for so long, yet not a drop of sweat had broken out on them. Their fully enclosed combat helmets covered their faces, but through the gaps between the neck guards and shoulder pads, he could see a small patch of grayish-blue skin.

He glanced again at the strong zombies bound by nylon ropes and dragging behind the group—the same grayish-blue skin.

Skin, the same muscle contours, the same silent and stiff gait.

He compared the two sets of images side by side for less than a second, and a bold guess took shape in his mind.

These "soldiers" who are cutting down zombies like chopping vegetables are themselves zombies.

After having this idea, looking at the team again, many things became clear.

Why was a superhuman able to build a base from scratch on the fifth day of the apocalypse? Why was the military willing to give him the rank of captain and provide him with material support?

The ability to control zombies, and even so many at the same time, is truly illogical in a post-apocalyptic world.

One person is an army; this is not a metaphor, but a true story.

Since there was no need to fight, Zhao Lei followed the example of the other field personnel and started knocking on doors and helping the survivors move their luggage with the others.

He carried an elderly woman with mobility issues out of her room, supporting her back with one hand and carrying her luggage with the other, taking each step steadily down the stairs.

Lu Chen, who was possessing the elite zombie, witnessed this scene. The zombie's performance was even better than he had imagined.

You know, elite soldiers usually have their own pride, especially those from elite units like reconnaissance battalions. Lu Chen thought that the other side might not completely obey his orders.

But Zhao Lei's attitude remained upright from beginning to end—Zhang Zhenhua said to listen to Lu Chen, so he listened to Lu Chen. When he found that he was not useful in the battle, he did not show off. Instead, he found a new position and started doing the most basic tasks, such as knocking on doors and carrying luggage.

Of course, we still need to observe how things unfold.

Lu Chen wasn't worried about the other party's loyalty to the country; rather, he hoped to cultivate his own trusted confidants.