"Rumble..."
Thunder rolled in the clouds, and silver snakes danced across the sky.
The heavy rain had begun.
Raindrops the size of small pebbles struck the ground, washing away dust and grime.
There was no one left on the rooftop of the residential complex; Lin Yuan had already instructed everyone to go inside and prepare.
Thirteen people squeezed into the room, but the excitement in their hearts could not be diminished by the cramped space.
"Are the combat team members done with their equipment? The heavy rain has started now. The sound of rain and thunder will affect the zombies' hearing. We need to take down all the zombies in the open area of the complex in one go.
Once we've dealt with these zombies, we can enter the underground parking lot from the main entrance. There's a tool room there with a generator and some other tools that can help us modify our vehicles."
Lin Yuan tied the cleaver to his leg and asked.
"All prepared!" the combat team members, including Zhao Anjing, replied.
"Okay, then I'll assign tasks. Due to the thunderstorm, we won't be using walkie-talkies this time. We'll operate in groups of three. Me, Zhao Meng Nan, and Zhao An Jing will be one team. Wu Tian, Wang Zhi Hai, and Zhu Ming Jun will be another. Mu Qing Tian, you will occupy the central villa later. Wherever there's no one, take your precision rifle and find a sniping position. Wu Meng Yao will be your spotter."
Mu Qing Tian nodded and replied seriously, "Understood, Captain."
Lin Yuan looked at Wu Meng Yao, who quickly picked up her beloved crossbow and patted her chest, looking as if the family could rely on her. "I'll protect Sister Qing Tian!"
Seeing that others had no questions, Lin Yuan turned to Lin Qing Yan and the others. "Sister Lin, the household matters are entrusted to you. Stay vigilant."
Lin Yuan gave a thumbs-up.
Sun Hai Ping had only just joined. Although Lin Yuan had saved his life, it wasn't appropriate to be overly familiar with him at this moment. Lin Qing Yan and the other veteran members were trustworthy.
"Let's go!"
With the command, all the combat team members went out and headed for the central park of the complex.
After everyone had left, Lin Qing Yan and the others lost their initial composure, their eyes filled with worry.
This time, it was eight people against over seventy zombies, and only six of them would be engaging in close combat. It was impossible not to worry.
Lin Qing Yan, being the elder sister, suppressed her worry, rubbed Sun Qin's head, and said, "Don't worry, you know the captain's strength, don't you? Besides, they have guns this time, so it'll be fine."
Sun Qin nodded. In his eyes, his father was a great hero, and Lin Yuan, who could pick up his father and carry him around, was an even greater, super-great hero.
Downstairs, Lin Yuan and the others had already reached the entrance.
"Later, we'll first clear the zombies near Mu Qing Tian's sniping position so she can focus on providing us with supporting fire."
Turning to look at Mu Qing Tian, Lin Yuan was still a bit worried. "Qing Tian, with this heavy rain, how's your accuracy?"
Mu Qing Tian hesitated for a moment, then looked at the heavy rain outside the door before confidently nodding. "Don't worry, Captain, this rain isn't heavy enough to make me miss."
After all, she was ranked ninth in the national sniper competition.
Yes, the national one.
"That's good. Everyone, check your gear again, details like clothes and shoelaces. We only have 15 bullets in our guns. Fire them quickly and then engage in close combat. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Then, Lin Yuan led the way, and the eight of them moved out in a combat formation, with Wu Meng Yao protected in the center.
The rain outside was indeed heavy, almost making the sky and water merge into one line, but Lin Yuan and the others were wearing helmets, and their clothes had some waterproofing, so it didn't significantly affect their actions.
The clearing of the villa went smoothly, without encountering a single zombie. Perhaps these newly built luxury villas had not yet been handed over, so they were empty.
"Can you do it?" Lin Yuan looked at the angle from the window, which perfectly overlooked the central park and the nearby pond.
"Yes, I can start shooting now," Mu Qing Tian said, also looking at the angle and nodding.
"Okay, remember what I said, once you spot a mutant that's abnormal, even more so than the fungal monsters, don't conserve your bullets, hit it with everything you've got!"
Lin Yuan had given Mu Qing Tian a full 60 rounds of ammunition, which was more than enough for a sniper.
Mu Qing Tian had already set up her rifle. There was scaffolding in this empty house, likely left by construction workers, which was perfect for resting the rifle, avoiding the danger of being by the window in the thunderstorm.
"Meng Yao, you can do it. We're going down now," Wu Tian said, looking back at his sister from the doorway.
"Don't worry, Sister. I'll take care of Sister Qing Tian. And Brother Lin Yuan, I'll leave him to you," Wu Meng Yao said, winking slyly.
Wu Tian almost clenched his fist to hit her. This girl was asking for trouble again!
"Thump, thump, thump..." The sound of Martin boots splashing through the accumulated water gradually approached the pre-set intercept line.
The corpses outside had already been thrown into the flower beds to be used as fertilizer.
Opening the barricade, the group heard nothing but the sound of splashing water under their feet and the rain in their ears.
There was no sound of zombies at all.
The corridor was built around this small lake, with the exit being the entrance. The bougainvillea growing on it swayed violently in the downpour.
Entering the corridor, it was like stepping into another world compared to outside. The sound of the rain became much quieter, and the roars of zombies reached their ears.
"Prepare for combat!" Lin Yuan immediately signaled.
The six people instantly split into two teams, advancing in a triangular defensive formation, alternating cover.
"Bang."
The moment Lin Yuan and the others spotted zombies, there was a sudden explosion on the stone pillar ahead, sending fragments flying.
Mu Qing Tian had made her move, but the first shot was just for calibration and slightly off.
The sound alerted a few zombies, who turned to look in their direction. The intense rain confused their senses.
"Fire!"
Lin Yuan gave the order to attack.
The zombies were clustered together; there was no better time to strike.
"Song! Song song," gunshots rang out continuously. Lin Yuan and the others would move forward a short distance after firing two shots. They were set to single-shot mode; rapid fire would deplete the 15 bullets in just a second.
Zombies fell one after another. The commotion finally drew the attention of most of the zombies, who began to surge towards them.
The zombies didn't care why their companions were inexplicably disappearing; after all, seventy against six, they had the advantage!
Seeing the sudden increase in the number of zombies, Lin Yuan and the others didn't even flinch.
They tried their best to put every bullet into the zombies' heads.
For them, whose strength had increased, the recoil of the 95-1 was almost nonexistent. As long as the crosshairs were moved to the vicinity of the head, at this distance of less than 50 meters, the hit rate was considerable.
Fifteen bullets were not many in single-shot mode, nor were they few, but they were quickly expended.
As the saying goes, as long as your finger moves fast enough, you can make a semi-automatic feel like a full-automatic.
Only about 20 zombies remained. Lin Yuan and the others stopped counting. They took off their shields, wooden spears filled with iron spikes, and axes from their backs, slinging their guns behind them.
"One by one!" Lin Yuan signaled, and the formation changed again. The strongest person in each three-man group took the front, wielding an axe and a shield, while the other two, armed with upgraded wooden spears, stood at the sides and slightly behind, covering each other and providing support.
The zombies, seeing that the movement in front had stopped, thought their companions had succeeded and rushed forward to get a share.
Those who charged fast enough ran headfirst into Lin Yuan's or Wu Meng Yao's shields, being forcefully stopped.
The one who collided with Lin Yuan was pushed back several steps.
Zhao Anjing seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and precisely pierced the zombie's head with the iron spike of her spear.
The same happened on the other side, though Wu Tian added an axe blow.
"Retreat!"
Having struck, Lin Yuan commanded the retreat while observing the situation. Close combat with zombies required fighting and retreating, waiting for an opportunity.
Dealing with zombies that only grazed the skin, resulting in nothing more severe than broken limbs, could not be done with the same all-out charge as on ancient battlefields; it required calmness.
Thus, Lin Yuan and the others fought and retreated, making the zombies spin around.
For the zombies to be able to lunge, they had to slow down. If they didn't slow down, they would collide with the shields and be finished off with a spear. Some tried to flank them, but the shields were flanked by spears, so flanking attempts were equally futile. There were also groups of two or three zombies. This was where the shield-bearer's role came into play. The spear-wielder might lack the strength, but they could hold back the zombies' advance for a while. Once the shield-bearer dealt with one of them, it would become a situation of many against few again.
The zombies were disoriented by Lin Yuan's combat rhythm and could only be dealt with one by one.
By the end, the section of the corridor where Lin Yuan and the others were fighting was covered with zombie corpses. They had retreated almost to the entrance while fighting and falling back.
Looking at the scene, Lin Yuan felt no great sense of excitement. The zombies now only charged in a chaotic manner, without any coordination.
If zombies that could command them appeared, just like in the novels.
Lin Yuan shuddered at the thought. If that happened, the survival of the remaining humans would become even more difficult.
Pushing aside his mask, Lin Yuan said to everyone, "Clean up the scene. Check if there are any survivors. If there are, finish them off with a stab. Use the spears to check, not your hands."
"Understood."
"Send two people with me to check the other side. You guys be careful, and make sure your handguns are ready to be drawn at any time."
On the other side, towards the villas, he didn't know how many Mu Qing Tian had eliminated.
Lin Yuan, accompanied by Zhao Meng Nan and Zhao An Jing, headed to the other side. Before entering, he went out, picked up a small flag, and waved it in the direction of the villas.
This was a signal that the combat was over and only vigilance was needed.
This step was necessary, otherwise, they might be mistaken for zombies and shot. In this heavy rain, it was hard to see clearly.
On the villa, Mu Qing Tian received the signal and moved her scope to other areas, looking for zombies to snipe.
Lin Yuan and the others walked the entire corridor. There were at least 18 zombies lying on the other side alone. Mu Qing Tian, the ninth-ranked sniper in the country, was indeed formidable.
The corpses were, as usual, thrown into the flower beds. The six people stood in the corridor to discuss their next move.
"Let's also take care of the zombies in the three buildings opposite. We still have bullets in our handguns, so it should be fine," Lin Yuan said. But then he thought of something and added, "Let's clear out the security room first. There are proper anti-riot forks, anti-riot shields, and some other weapons and equipment there. We can also store some of our heavy gear there."
Wu Tian and the others nodded in agreement. "Indeed, before the bio-hazard outbreak, they had replaced some equipment. Their anti-riot shields are comparable to those of the SWAT team."
There were definitely no guns, but good shields were available.
"Let's go, head to the security room."
"Brother Lin Yuan, how many zombies did I kill this time!" Zhao An Jing suddenly asked.
Lin Yuan finally remembered that she only had a handgun and hadn't contributed during the initial shooting. She had only participated in the close combat afterward.
He had forgotten to count how many were killed just now.
He laughed heartily and said, "Probably two or three. You took down the first zombie in close combat. Your shooting skills are indeed well learned!"
Lin Yuan gave a thumbs-up.
Zhao An Jing also made a "yes" gesture. Now she could join the combat team and get to use the 95-1!
"Hahaha, Captain, you don't even look at who taught... Ow! Zhao An Jing, how dare you hit your master!"
Zhao An Jing punched Zhu Ming Jun, who was laughing wildly, and then hid behind Lin Yuan, making a face.
"Hahaha, alright, alright, we'll settle this later when we get back. We still have a mission. Everyone, form up!"
At the order, everyone immediately became serious.
"Still in teams of three, proceed to the security room in a combat formation."
"Understood!"