Chapter 58: Replenish

When the cannonball exploded in the air, illuminating the surrounding area, Wang Huining was already stricken with fear.

This was, in fact, a flare!

If it were before the end of the world, a flare might not have signified much, but the current circumstances were vastly different.

While most survivors focused on acquiring guns, the individuals here were manufacturing flares. What did this signify?

It meant that the opposing faction possessed superior firepower, technology, and more. They were leagues ahead of other survivor bases.

Wang Huining, despite being a superpower, recognized the futility of facing such a formidable collective force resembling an army.

Guided by the flares, a distant black figure rapidly advanced towards him.

A military dog—terrifying barks accompanying its approach. Fear gripping him, Wang Huining wasted no time and fled on his motorcycle.

With a resounding bang, a cannonball exploded not far away.

"Here again!"

Though the shell's accuracy was lacking, a piece of shrapnel hit the engine, billowing black smoke. The motorcycle's ability to continue running seemed doubtful.

"No, at this rate, those dogs will catch up."

Navigating the rough terrain, the motorcycle rattled through the wilderness. A village loomed ahead, and distant zombie growls permeated the air.

Caught between zombies ahead and pursuing dogs behind, the situation would have been manageable with a functional motorcycle. But now, it was desperate.

Wang Huining faced a crucial decision: retreat or dash towards the zombies.

"Give it your best; zombies are slow runners after all. If you rush through, you can survive. Going back guarantees being bitten to death by the dogs."

Gritting his teeth, he drove into the village, where thousands of zombies roamed. They began appearing on the road.

As expected, the dogs ceased their pursuit.

Puffing smoke, the motorcycle finally sputtered to a halt halfway to the village.

Wang Huining, not daring to stop, abandoned the motorcycle and sprinted forward.

With keen senses, he evaded zombies emerging from the darkness. Yet, their sheer numbers overwhelmed him.

A child zombie, lurking in a ditch, obstructed his path. As he passed by, the zombie leaped, delivering a claw to Wang Huining.

Unable to dodge, his left hand suffered a scratch.

Suddenly, black blood appeared.

"It's over!"

A chill ran through Wang Huining. Caught by a zombie, his fate seemed sealed—death or zombification. Neither was an appealing outcome.

Running, however, might accelerate blood circulation, offering a chance at survival.

"Damn it! Those people in Chengguan Town were all harmed by you. I will definitely come back to take revenge!"

Wang Huining, ruthless in his determination, produced a knife and forcefully severed half of his arm.

The intense pain elicited uncontrollable howls. Grabbing the severed hand, he tossed it back, drawing several zombies away. Hastily wrapping his arm with clothes, he struggled to escape the village.

Blood loss blurred his consciousness. Unsure if his method would prevent zombification, he persisted. After leaving the village, he applied some medicine from his pocket.

After an unknown distance, he finally collapsed into a gutter.

When Bald Man neared the village, Ye Fan instructed the military dog to cease pursuit.

Beyond the radar monitoring range and infested with zombies, the man's survival prospects were bleak.

Ye Fan, while acknowledging the strength of these superpowers, didn't find them exceptionally formidable. Even the injured one succumbed swiftly to the onslaught of his four military dogs.

Though he initially intended to capture the man alive, the severe injuries proved fatal.

As for the dozen or so individuals accompanying the man, a single shot dispatched them, leaving no survivors.

While they weren't taken alive, Ye Fan identified their origin through the police prison van.

Most prison vans hailed from the prison side, and these individuals likely originated from the Daqingshan Prison Base.

Ye Fan, sensing destiny's hand, considered it quite fateful to encounter a base from Daqingshan. His previous encounters with Xu Haoran and others in Coal City and Chengguan Town emphasized the intertwining of their paths.

He resolved to consult Gao Dongliang for detailed information about this base. Gao Dongliang, engrossed in studying broadcasting, might have valuable insights.

Upon returning to the police station, Ye Fan witnessed his triumphant troops led by temporary platoon commanders Shen Ruihui and Tan Qiaoge.

Shen Ruihui, spotting Ye Fan, rushed over, saluting: "Sir! The mission has been completed. Here are the collected materials!"

Nearly seven thousand zombies had been obliterated by his team, showcasing Ye Fan's strengthened command.

Accepting the bag from Shen Ruihui, he felt its weight—approximately six or seven kilograms.

"Well done! Order the troops to rest, and I'll provide extra food tonight!"

Ye Fan summoned cooking squad leader Huang Jian, handing over 200 kilograms of mutated animal meat.

"If we stew this tonight, each soldier will have two kilograms of meat!"

"Understood! But sir, our cooking team may be a little short on manpower, so the meal will start a little later."

"It's okay, I'll make it up for you in a moment."

Ye Fan, turning to the director's office, opened the bag.

Transformed and obtained 8,700 gold!

Adding this to what he held before, he now possessed 12,500 gold.

"As expected, large-scale operations yield money faster. If we break into Lingshui County and establish a gold shop in the central district, my team will grow like a snowball."

With this money, Ye Fan couldn't afford to keep it idle. His first choice was to create three engineers to accelerate the base vehicle's research and development. Four engineers would expedite the process, completing the base vehicle in half a month.

After choosing three engineers and spending 3,000 gold, he opted to supplement some of the company's units.

With two rocket launchers, a sniper, and three engineers already produced, spending another 3,200 gold left Ye Fan with 5,100 gold.

Ye Fan decided to bolster the cooking squad and medical team, each with four soldiers, reaching the size of a squad. Spending 1,200 gold, he still had 3,900 gold.

Deciding to produce an assault armored vehicle for 3,500 gold, Ye Fan took Nana's advice.

"Sir, the assault armored vehicle is a special vehicle. During production, you can choose to equip it with a dedicated driver and heavy machine gunner. If equipped, an additional 500 gold will be required. Do you want to add it?"

"Let's add it, include a driver and a heavy machine gunner."

"Confirmation completed, cost 4,000 gold, sir, please wait patiently."

With 1,100 gold left, Ye Fan counted his troops. With 101 units, there were still twelve units short of the company's full strength. Even if all the troops were mobilized, the 1,100 gold wouldn't suffice.

Ye Fan, not wanting to mobilize the troops, decided to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow, with refreshed bullets, he would go out to push zombies and advance to the level of battalion commander.