Chapter 79: Making a Plan

Shao Ming retraced his steps back to the train, thankful that there was no commotion in the woods this time. He preferred it when the woods were quiet and still.

As Shao Ming emerged from the trees, the others near the train let out a collective sigh of relief.

"How's the situation?" Feng Yusheng asked.

"Not good," Shao Ming shook his head. "The zombies have all returned. The staging area is crawling with them."

He paused before adding, "I also spotted a mutant in the woods. It was running really fast and looked like it had excellent stamina."

"You had the walkie-talkie," Lambert pointed to the device on Shao Ming's tactical vest. "Next time, you could tell us sooner."

Shao Ming slapped his forehead. "Ah, sorry about that."

He had been so focused on checking the staging area that he hadn't thought to warn the others about the mutant.

"So, what should we do?" Feng Yusheng asked. "Do we have to go through the staging area?"

Lambert nodded and looked at Shao Ming.

"We need to have a quick meeting," Shao Ming said, walking toward the driver's cabin.

He quickly briefed Asgi on the situation, and a look of anxiety appeared on Asgi's face.

Asgi shook his head. "With the ammo we have right now, we don't have enough to sustain 30 seconds of fire from the anti-aircraft gun."

"And we took apart the fire control system and the secondary ammo feed. We'll have to reload manually," he continued.

Lambert raised his hand. "Why did we take it apart in the first place?"

"Because it wouldn't fit on the train otherwise," Shao Ming shot him a glance. "You don't remember? You were the one who did it."

Lambert asked again, "So, can we restart the air raid siren and lure them away again... like last time?"

"No way," Asgi immediately dismissed Lambert's idea. "That was an emergency diesel generator. How many times do you think we can use it to power the whole city's air raid system?"

"What about the off-road vehicle?" Feng Yusheng asked. "Couldn't it attract quite a few zombies?"

"Probably not," Yamada Ryo spoke up. "The west side of the staging area is the ocean, and the east and north sides are urban areas. The south side is where we are."

Shao Ming realized that after listening to Yamada Ryo's broken English for two days, he could understand most of it now.

"So, is there only one option left?" Shao Ming asked.

Everyone fell silent. That one option, of course, was to force their way through.

"Well, it's not entirely impossible," Lambert spoke first, breaking the silence. "Last time, Shao Ming and I broke the hydraulic control system for the tracks, so we should be able to switch the rails quickly this time."

"Use the train to crush them?" Feng Yusheng asked.

"That would be too slow," Shao Ming replied. "We need to complete the switch before the sound of the train and gunfire attracts zombies from the city."

"It's the sound of the cannons," Asgi spoke up. "Help me out of the vehicle. I need to check what kind of shells you've brought back."

The group helped Asgi out of the vehicle, and he limped toward the anti-aircraft gun at the front of the train.

They helped him onto the flatbed, and Asgi chuckled, "I never thought I'd be enjoying the treatment of an 80-year-old at just 40."

Forty? Shao Ming glanced at Asgi's body and face. They said Europeans aged quickly, but Asgi looked barely over 30.

The double-barrel anti-aircraft gun still had plenty of shells in the two ammo boxes on either side of the barrels. Asgi estimated there were around 100 rounds in total.

He glanced at the two other ammo boxes nearby. For a 35mm anti-aircraft gun, each box typically contained around 50 rounds.

"No more ammo?" Asgi asked.

"The off-road vehicle could barely drag this thing back here," Shao Ming said, looking up at him from beneath the flatbed. "And we still need to carry other supplies."

"You could make another trip, kid," Asgi replied. "But it should be enough."

Asgi took a seat in the main gunner's position and peered into the ammo box.

"Mixed shells..." Asgi murmured. "I'm not sure how effective these will be against flesh. Most of the shells aren't designed for dealing with living bodies."

"Isn't that better?" Shao Ming asked.

"Not really," Asgi explained. "From what I know, these high-caliber shells could just pass right through a person without exploding. The proximity fuse might not even work."

He continued, "Also, there's another problem. These anti-aircraft guns require a special loader, right?"

"I swear to you," Shao Ming quickly said, "I definitely didn't see any loader."

"You just might not recognize it, kid," Asgi said, "but that's how it is. I'm not entirely sure myself. Each field of expertise has its own tricks, and that's even more true in the military."

"Wait, wait," Lambert suddenly asked. "Do you actually know how to operate this gun?"

Asgi turned the gun's turret, demonstrating with action instead of words.

"I've had some training," he said.

"Alright, so we're going to force our way through," Shao Ming said to the group. "First, we'll move the train to the outskirts of the staging area. Then, Asgi and Feng Yusheng will use the anti-aircraft gun to clear the zombies from the tracks."

"Me?" Feng Yusheng pointed at herself in surprise.

Shao Ming continued, "Yamada Ryo and Lambert will drive the off-road vehicle. Lambert will get off and switch the tracks."

"Good, good plan," Lambert quickly agreed. But then he put on a serious face and asked, "And what about you?"

"I'll drive the off-road vehicle and clear the zombies ahead of the train," Shao Ming replied. "The anti-aircraft gun can't fire directly at the tracks we need to pass through."

"Hmm..." Asgi scratched his chin. "Sounds feasible, but barely."

"I'll need to go up the hill again," Lambert said. "The map doesn't show us which tracks we'll need."

"I'll go with you," Shao Ming said. "I'll also take the opportunity to scout the terrain inside the area."

"Come on, missy," Asgi said as he placed his injured leg onto the seat. "Your husband gave us the mission."

Feng Yusheng immediately blushed from her neck up. "He's not my husband…"

"Right, right," Shao Ming quickly clarified. "Don't misunderstand…"

"What about the dog?" Yamada Ryo asked.

"Ah, you and I can go," Lambert said to Yamada Ryo, stepping closer to him. "I'll teach you how to drive the train so we can keep it moving while we switch the tracks."

"Gordon!" Feng Yusheng suddenly shouted. "I told you not to pee in my garden!"

Gordon's ears drooped, and he sheepishly jumped off the flatbed.

"Alright then, let's start preparing," Shao Ming said.