Chapter 168: The Opportunity for Victory

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The only one who dares to talk to Li Wen like that is probably Gao Yuan, aside from Xinghe.

"Commander, it's not that I gave up, I just came back to get ready," he said. "Looking at the current situation, I have a very good chance of success."

Li Wen frowned and remained silent. He long contemplated and ultimately turned to look at Shi Lei, saying, "You're the commander, what do you say? Should we let Gao Yuan continue the mission? I have to remind you, don't hold back, just tell the truth."

Without any hesitation, Shi Lei replied, "Reporting to the commander, I think the mission can continue. Since Gao Yuan was able to go in and come out safely, that has already proven something."

Gao Yuan also hastily added, "Yes, Commander, since I went in and encountered a large number of zombies yet still came out safely, this means I can do it, why stop halfway?"

It's no wonder Li Wen is cautious; the problem needs to be considered from two aspects.

On one hand, a bridge that's extremely crucial for communication with aliens, or rather, an emotional bond, as well as humanity's mobile vaccine bank and genetic treasure.

On the other hand, a key material for controlled nuclear fusion.

Which side is more important?

If we really talk about importance, Gao Yuan is much more important than the nuclear material. Because if we can't get the nuclear material, we can still think of other methods. At worst, tactical nuclear weapons can pave the way and clear the area to retrieve the nuclear material.

But there is only one Gao Yuan; if he dies, nobody can predict the aftermath and the chain reactions that would follow.

However, with Gao Yuan's safety assured, the allure of retrieving the nuclear material as soon as possible is too great.

Li Wen finally nodded, and he said in a deep voice, "Alright, I trust your judgment. Whatever else you need, just ask for it."

"Yes!"

Gao Yuan was overjoyed, and he promptly said, "I need to make a shield, carry more energy bars, and require some devices that can emit sounds to draw the zombies away. Besides that, I don't need anything else."

The things Gao Yuan needed were actually quite simple, so the Supreme Command didn't need to make much preparation; they could satisfy his needs immediately.

The shield required a bit more thought. Should they use a ready-made explosion-proof shield or make a custom one?

After discussion and analyzing the scenarios Gao Yuan might encounter, the military experts decided to create a custom shield for him.

It needed to be sturdy while as lightweight as possible, and soon its design was determined.

Instead of a circular shape, it would be rectangular but shorter in length, so that when Gao Yuan lifted it, it could cover his upper body, with no need to consider protection for his legs.

Then the shield needed to be as triangular as possible, with the middle jutting forward significantly, because Gao Yuan's main use for the shield wasn't for protection, but to act as a means to push through obstructions. A flat shield could knock zombies flying, but it would take less effort to push them to the sides.

The shield was quickly made, with a steel frame covered in engineering plastic, resembling a piece of paper folded in half and then spread open at a certain angle.

It was actually quite simple, but as long as it worked, that was enough.

After several trials to ensure the shield met his requirements, Gao Yuan's primary reason for returning was accomplished.

What came next was even simpler: rest. Aside from having a full meal, getting a good night's sleep was also essential.

Well-rested, Gao Yuan couldn't possibly wait another two days before taking action. That very night, they returned to the site from where they had departed in the daytime.

There was no zombie activity around, some moonlight, but it was very dim, and spring is the season of the strongest winds.

A dark and windy night—an ideal time for killing.

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"Turn on the night vision."

Gao Yuan switched on the night vision goggles, glanced around, and then expressed his astonishment, "Wow, so clear, and it's even in color."

Aside from some color differences, the night vision device Gao Yuan was using appeared almost like daytime, very sharp and very bright.

"Test the thermal imaging mode."

Gao Yuan switched his helmet-mounted night vision to thermal imaging mode, and colors vanished from his eyepiece, but Shi Lei crouching opposite him appeared completely red.

"Red hot mode, thermal imaging normal."

Gao Yuan lifted the dual-mode helmet-mounted night vision goggles from in front of his eyes, and Shi Lei whispered, "What, is it uncomfortable to move around with it on?"

"Indeed, I'm not quite used to it."

"You must adapt as quickly as possible. Unless there are special circumstances, do not take off the night vision goggles again."

Gao Yuan placed the eyepiece back in front of his eyes and whispered back, "Alright then, I'm setting off."

Shi Lei spoke in a low voice, "No, stay where you are and move around until you get used to the night vision goggles before departing. That's an order."

Going against an expert wouldn't do; regardless of whether Gao Yuan felt it was necessary, since Shi Lei said so, he would certainly comply.

"Stand guard."

The others spread out to stand guard, while Gao Yuan alone, wearing the night vision goggles, paced back and forth within the circle they formed; he also occasionally ran and jumped.

At first, he could distinctly feel the helmet's presence and the weight of the night vision device, but after walking back and forth for a while, it seemed he no longer felt the existence of the night vision goggles.

Watching Gao Yuan move more and more freely, Shi Lei whispered, "How's it going? Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

"Not at all, not in the slightest."

"Very good, you can set off now. Be careful, and remember, it's better to abandon the mission than not return safely."

"Understood!"

This time, Gao Yuan drew his knife directly, then he raised the Shield diagonally in front of him, up to the height of his chin, and ran forward.

One advantage of night was not having to worry about being detected by zombies from a distance.

Gao Yuan took a different route into the city than he had during the day, running quickly but almost silently, thanks to his shoes and pants.

The shoes were sturdy, made specifically for him with Kevlar fibers, and the soles were of some new type of polymer, originally intended for airplane tires—very soft and highly elastic. But most importantly, they would not break under the force of Gao Yuan's vigorous steps.

He carried several tens of pounds of gear, but such weight was hardly noticeable to Gao Yuan.

The progress was smooth. Upon spotting zombies, Gao Yuan deliberately approached them, cautiously testing, but he was only detected when he got within thirty meters of the zombies.

Taking advantage of the fact that the zombies had not yet gathered in large numbers, Gao Yuan indulged in testing; after killing the first zombie, he found another to test with. Each time he was discovered, he killed the zombie silently, repeating this six times before Gao Yuan gathered some rough data.

The furthest he was detected from was forty-one meters, and the closest was seventeen meters—a significantly shorter distance compared to the daytime.

After completing the tests, Gao Yuan's confidence surged, feeling that tonight was the decisive opportunity.