Zhou Rong leaned back, half his face disappearing into the shadows, with only a hint of mischievous light in the corner of his eye: “We entered the military district last October. Hasn’t headquarters sent anyone to investigate since winter?”
Tang Hao said stiffly: “No.”
“No?”
“…They’re all dead.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Zhou Rong slowly curved his mouth: “Then, you can consider me dead too. Dead people won’t tell you any secrets beyond your authority, Lieutenant Colonel.”
Tang Hao erupted: “You!”
Zhou Rong returned a sharp, provocative look.
The air in the small space became tense. Soldiers exchanged hidden glances, and Yan Hao discreetly moved closer to Zhou Rong.
In the center of attention, Zhou Rong had one hand on his knee and the other arm around Si Nan, casually meeting Tang Hao’s gaze.
After a long ten seconds, Tang Hao finally forced himself to unclench his fist and said softly: “I organized a suicide squad to enter B City.”
“But B City has become a complete hell. The southern zombie tide swept through every corner, with millions of zombies filling every high-rise, every sewer, and every underground shelter you can imagine. The virus continues to mutate, starting to infect animals. Zombie cats, dogs, and birds have occupied the entire city. Every team that dared to enter B City has been lost, let alone the tomb-like underground military district, which has become a complete black hole in human understanding.”
The article is relatively tight and focused on the plot, but there are a few minor details that can be streamlined for clarity. Below is the edited version:
“If you truly entered the B Military District, any information or item you saw or brought out would be extremely valuable. You would be immediately fully protected.”
“But if you’re just infected and trying to deceive us, Captain Zhou, I guarantee you won’t survive until the plane lands. I won’t bring any infected back to headquarters, not even those suspected of infection. Understood?”
The plane swayed left and right. After a long time, Zhou Rong said emotionlessly: “I told you we’re not infected.”
Tang Hao sneered, his mocking gaze scanning Zhou Rong’s numerous wounds, implying “who are you kidding?”
Zhou Rong said: “Don’t believe it, then.”
Suddenly, Tang Hao stood up and strode towards the cockpit, ordering the soldiers without looking back: “Watch those two from 118 carefully! Kill them immediately if there are any signs of infection!”
“Yes, sir!”
Zhou Rong perfectly timed a “Ha.”
That laugh further stimulated Tang Hao’s sensitive nerves. Without thinking, he angrily shouted: “Pull that Omega away from him! Isolate him immediately! Don’t let him infect others!”
Soldiers moved to pull Si Nan from Zhou Rong’s arms. But before they could touch him, their arm was suddenly gripped tightly, and their wrist made a terrible cracking sound.
The soldier couldn’t even cry out from the pain.
Looking up, they saw Zhou Rong’s hand, veins bulging like forged steel, in stark contrast to his smiling expression, which carried a somewhat casual attitude.
“Not cool, Lieutenant Colonel,” he said loudly, so everyone in the cabin could clearly hear his slightly mocking tone: “This is my wife. Why are you trying to take her away?”
Tang Hao: “…”
Tang Hao stood still, slightly trembling, his face a mix of red and blue as if painted, and after a long moment, he explosively roared: “Zhou Rong! I think you’re the one infected with rabies!
The helicopter pierced through the sea of clouds, cutting across the dark sea surface, diving towards an aircraft carrier illuminated by lights through layers of dense fog.
Before the aircraft had even stabilized, the cabin door was suddenly pulled open. Chun Cao’s military green short skirt fluttered in the wild wind as she sprinted forward: “Rong ge!!”
Zhou Rong emerged from the helicopter under tight surveillance, leaning down to kiss Si Nan’s cold, snow-white forehead, and personally placed him on the medical stretcher that had long been prepared. He then turned to embrace Chun Cao. Yan Hao also jumped out of the cabin, hugging the survivors Ding Shi and Guo Weixiang, their eyes turning red.
The deck was full of people, with medical and security personnel hurrying back and forth, and distant searchlights casting blinding bright light on the sea surface.
Suddenly, a scream came from nearby: “Ning… Doctor Ning!!”
Several researchers in white coats rushed over, eagerly grasping Ning Yu’s hand. Ning Yu was extremely weak, barely able to stand with support. The researchers quickly lifted him onto a stretcher and carried him away.
“The research institute has been looking for Doctor Ning for a long time, with several rescue attempts yielding no news. We thought he was dead,” said a middle-aged scholar with glasses, excitedly holding Tang Hao’s hand. “You found Doctor Ning? You’ve made a great contribution. We must immediately report your merits to our superiors!”
Tang Hao looked helpless and impatient: “It has nothing to do with me. I don’t even know who he is. You can ask that person surnamed Zhou…”
“The six special forces soldiers from the 118th Battalion brought me out of the laboratory and onto the helicopter’s landing platform,” Ning Yu’s weak voice drifted through the crowd, seemingly suddenly remembering something: “Oh, right. The Omega you just sent away and Captain Zhou from the 118th, both were important experimental subjects… Yes, help me file a report, make sure to wait for my personal arrangement, and don’t let anyone handle it arbitrarily.”
Tang Hao almost choked, while Zhou Rong couldn’t help but smile.
Zhou Rong turned around to see a white-haired, straight-backed elder with two stars of a general on his shoulders.
Zhou Rong’s expression became solemn as he stood at attention. Yan Hao, Chun Cao, and others who were discussing their situations also stopped and turned to salute: “General Zheng!”
No one expected the general to personally come to the deck. Even Tang Hao changed his expression and saluted. General Zheng’s sharp gaze swept over Zhou Rong, pausing for two seconds on the purple-black bite mark on his neck that had not yet fully faded. Zhou Rong was about to explain, but was stopped by a raised hand.
“On October 26, 2019, at 00:08 Beijing time, were you the Major Zhou Rong who led the last five special forces soldiers and one civilian volunteer into the B Military District Research Institute?”
Zhou Rong replied: “Yes.”
“‘Heaven has not favored humanity, we will complete our journey ourselves’ – were you the one who sent the last satellite communication to the South China Sea Headquarters before the military district was completely lost?”
“Yes.”
General Zheng nodded silently, his gaze sweeping over the dust-covered faces of Chun Cao, Yan Hao, Ding Shi, and Guo Weixiang. After a long pause, he said in a low voice: “You’re missing one team member.”
Zhou Rong patted the tactical bag on his right shoulder, calmly responding: “Lieutenant Zhang Yingjie is here. No one is missing.
The hurricane roared past with sea waves, and General Zheng slowly raised his hand to exchange a military salute with Zhou Rong.
“The 118th top-secret unit leader Major Qian and Commander Liu have been sacrificed. Eight squadrons have been successively destroyed. You are the last survivors. Captain Zhou, the 118th unit has been disbanded.”
Zhou Rong closed his eyes tightly. Behind him, only the wind’s mournful sound remained.
