Chapter 27 – Water Plant

When I arrived, I saw the protagonist and the rest of the gang were already there. Kohta had the AR-10 I gave him in his hands and a backpack on his back, while Rei and Takashi were wearing their school uniforms.

Kohta was the only one who was dressed in proper attire, a military camo jacket, and a tactical vest.

"Oh, senior! You're here." The fatty greeted me with a big smile on his face. "I'm glad you came. We need all the help we can get."

"Hey." I greeted back. "You guys are early."

"Of course." He said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We have to be ready for anything, you know."

"Right." I replied.

I looked at the other members of the group and nodded.

We chatted for a bit between boys and Saya also joined when she had an opinion. Meanwhile Rei only looked at us, especially at Takashi, silently. She was still wary of me and didn't want to talk.

'Man, this is awkward.' I thought. 'To think she still holds a grudge about what happened in the cafeteria... How childish.'

Fortunately, Miss Shizuka was social enough to talk to the girl. I would count on her to break the ice with Rei.

A few minutes later, Don Takagi Souichirou arrived. He was dressed in a suit and had a sword in his hand. Behind him was Yuriko and Saeko. The former dressed in a red dress with a gun holster while Saeko had a similar attire to me, with a gun holster and a sword on her hips.

Her black suit and dress shirt really accentuated her figure.

"Alright, let's go." Don Takagi Souichiro said, looking at us. "I will explain the plan on the way. However, all of you will serve as a reserve force and bodyguard. You won't have to fight if it can be helped."

He explained further as we walked. We would go to the water treatment plant and secure the place. If everything went well, we would stay there for a while to secure the place.

However, if it wasn't safe, we would leave immediately.

We followed him to the parking lot. There were a few vehicles there, including a humvee and a jeep, and a group of men waiting for us. They were all dressed in black suits, each holding a sword or gun in their hands.

'This is a pretty big operation.' I thought, 'Maybe this is a good idea. With so many people, it would be easy to secure the place.'

If we managed to secure the place, we would have a new base and water supply.

"Let's go." Don Takagi Souichirou said as we entered the cars.

And when I jumped into the humvee, it appeared.

[Make your choice!]

1. Help the operation earnestly. (Reward: 10 Shop Points + 1 Strength)

2. Help the operation with a bit of restraint. (Reward: 20 Shop Points + 1 Agility)

3. Help the operation half-heartedly. (Reward: 50 Shop Points + 1 Dexterity + 1 Stamina)

4. Just screw the plan and have fun with Takagi Yuriko in the mansion. (Reward: 200 Shop Points + 1 Agility + 1 Stamina)

I looked at the system, trying to figure out what the correct choice was. I didn't know if helping the operation with all I got was a good idea, but not helping at all was definitely not.

So the first and fourth choice was out of the question.

As for the other two choices...

'I don't know how much I should half-heartedly participate.' I thought, 'However, having Souichiro's trust would be beneficial for me.'

Not many people have influence and resources that rivaled him right now. I could use his connections to get whatever I want. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to help them a little bit.

Maybe if I met up with my father and mother overseas, I could ask for their help to get a safe passage. But now, I am in Tokonatsu City, Japan.

Without being in a group, survival would be hard even for me. I needed supplies, weapons, and a safe place to hide from zombies.

I looked at Saeko. She was staring outside the window, a look of worry on her face. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She turned to me and smiled, her expression softening.

Last night, she told me that she would always be by my side.

So my choice is...

"Let's do our best today, Saeko." I said, "We're going to secure a new home for everyone."

"Right." She replied, nodding her head.

Afterward, I looked at the system and chose the second option.

I would do my best to help the operation. I needed that agility point.

***

We arrived at the water treatment plant after an hour. It was a huge building surrounded by a forest and a fence located on the outskirts of the city, near the mountain.

Our journey wasn't a smooth one. Some zombies appeared in the scouted road we used, but we managed to avoid them by driving away.

Apparently, Don Takagi had sent an advance party to check the road and clear it of zombies. However, they lost contact just this morning, which was why there were unreported zombies appearing.

"They are already dead, no?" Kohta who rode the humvee with us asked, "I mean, radio communication is a must in this situation."

"Kohta, what are you-"

"I am sure they are dead."

Before Saya finished, I replied with a cold tone, cutting her off.

Thinking about how dangerous zombies were, the chance of the advance party to be alive was miniscule. Especially since the radio wasn't answered.

We were facing a disaster, so we couldn't sugar coat everything. If we did that, we would die.

"..." Kohta gulped and didn't reply, he probably realized how dangerous our situation was now.

Afterward, we arrived at the factory and gathered outside the fence. Don Takagi called me and Saeko to join the discussion.

"Listen up, this is our plan." He said, "Our priority is to look for survivors in the water treatment plant. Most likely, the advance party has already entered and met an unfortunate accident inside. They might have turned into zombies, so be careful. However, if there are survivors, saving them is a priority."

He then looked at Saeko and me, then at the rest of the gang.

"The Busujima siblings and Takashi's group will stay outside. We can't risk more lives than necessary."

"Yes, sir." I replied, nodding.

After a short discussion, I relayed the plan to Miss Shizuka and the others. Some looked relieved, including Rei, Saya, and Miss Shizuka, while the boys looked excited.

"Hahaha, a defensive mission, huh?! Don't worry, senior! Your back is safe with me!" Kohta said, grinning widely as he held the AR-10 I gave him in his arms.

I looked at Takashi. He was quiet, looking at the water treatment plant building with a serious expression on his face.

'He's probably thinking about the best course of action. Maybe.'

Anyway, the operation would start in 5 minutes.

And hell let loose as the factory gate was opened.

***

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