Chapter 18: Ambush

Oh no! Zhao Qiang’s heart sank. The armored Tiger vehicle weighed a full 5.5 tons; at high speeds, not even anti-personnel landmine blasts could damage it, let alone anything else—save for a tank. In fact, even the driver of the armored bus hadn't clearly seen what had struck the Tiger and flipped it over.

The convoy had just finished delivering a batch of personnel and supplies to Jianglu and was on its way back to base. They were nearly home, ready to conclude the day’s mission, when disaster struck so close to safety. The convoy was currently deep within Changsha, surrounded by dense, towering buildings that severely restricted their line of sight. Heaven only knew which building hid the terrifying killer capable of flipping a Tiger, or the countless zombies waiting for this exact moment to tear their prey to shreds.

A massive roar echoed from the distance, reverberating through the cluster of buildings. It was the signal for a zombie assault! Having dealt with zombies countless times, Zhao Qiang knew that whenever a zombie horde launched a full-scale attack under the command of a "Mastermind," they emitted a sound like this—the same way human armies blew bugles to signal an all-out charge.

According to their usual protocol, the squad would retreat the moment they encountered such an assault. Fighting head-on to find the hidden commander was a time-consuming and arduous task. But this time, there was no room for hesitation. Five members of Team B were still inside that overturned Tiger, their fate unknown. If the squad retreated now, it would mean cutting off the last hope for their teammates' survival.

"Live or die together!" a roar erupted from the convoy. Having watched Awei leave them days ago without being able to do anything, the group was filled with guilt. Now, with five more comrades in danger, the squad would not abandon anyone this time, no matter what.

Countless zombies poured out from the buildings in every direction. The number of Crushers and zombie hounds was staggering. "Use the vehicles to form a defensive line and protect Team B!" Zhao Qiang shouted over the radio. The two remaining intact armored vehicles started up almost simultaneously, using their own hulls to establish a crude defensive perimeter around the overturned Tiger.

"Free fire! Free fire!" Cai Jiashu yelled, thrusting his gun through the firing port and pouring bullets into the approaching horde as if ammunition were free.

The roof hatch and the passenger-side door of the armored vehicle flew open simultaneously. Chen Ergou emerged, clutching a .50-caliber machine gun; he mounted, loaded, and fired in one fluid motion. Meanwhile, Zhao Qiang leapt out of the vehicle the moment the door opened.

"Cover me!" Zhao Qiang shouted. There were too many Crushers, and with only half their combat strength left, the squad couldn't hold out for long with just one .50-caliber machine gun. The urgent priority was to rescue Team B from the wreckage.

After a quick glance at the overturned Tiger, Zhao Qiang gasped. The bulletproof steel on the right side of the cabin had been pierced clean through. The massive, inward-curling jagged hole revealed the sheer force of the attack. The brother in the passenger seat was already dead; clearly, the weapon that pierced the armor had carried enough residual kinetic energy to blast away half of his body. The condition of the other team members wasn't much better; they all looked bloodied and lay motionless.

Fortunately, the Tiger’s design and armor were highly advanced. Despite the violent collision and rollover, the chassis structure had not significantly deformed, and Zhao Qiang was able to pry the jammed door open with a bit of effort.

"Old Cai, we have a problem," Zhao Qiang said. "Whatever that was, I believe the zombies have found a way to launch long-range attacks!" Inside the Tiger’s cabin, Zhao Qiang found the source of the catastrophe.

A giant, severed arm—seemingly belonging to a Crusher—was embedded deep into the rear door, its fist clenched tight. This detached limb had acted like a cannonball, nearly punching straight through the reinforced armor. Zhao Qiang believed this was the cause of the accident, yet he couldn't fathom how a Crusher could possess such a monstrous, self-mutilating long-range attack capability. Even the zombie rats they had encountered at Yuelu Mountain only spat out their constantly growing incisors.

With its grayish-blue skin, thick veins, and a diameter of nearly half a meter, the muscular arm looked like something from a nightmare. Zhao Qiang could only conceive of two possibilities: either a Crusher had torn off its own arm and another had thrown the severed limb like a projectile, or one Crusher had torn the arm off another, and then...

The battle raged on, and the squad was under unprecedented pressure. The Mastermind hidden in the shadows was determined to win, and it was unclear where it had gathered so many Crushers to control. Chen Ergou’s machine gun barrel was glowing red, yet the number of Crushers didn't seem to decrease.

"Old Cai, pass me my rifle!" Ergou tapped the roof. The .50-caliber had finally malfunctioned due to the overheated barrel. After tinkering with it, he shook his head and gave up—it was damn scorching! It was a miracle it hadn't blown up! Using the heat from the glowing barrel, Ergou lit a cigarette, picked up his Type 88 sniper rifle, and began firing with unwavering resolve.

"Old Zhao, hurry the hell up!" The ground at Cai Jiashu’s feet was already piled with hot, smoking brass casings. He skillfully ejected the empty magazine and swapped it for a new one. The wall of fire formed by their bullets only slightly delayed the horde; it didn't change the fact that they were getting closer.

"Damn it! Give me five more minutes!" Zhao Qiang supported a wounded comrade on his shoulder while his other hand wielded a blade, slashing with lightning speed. A zombie hound was cleaved in two mid-air, yelping once before falling silent. "Cai, stay focused! Don't let those zombies mess with me!"

"Why don't you give it a try?" In those few seconds, Cai Jiashu emptied another magazine, but there were simply too many zombies—it felt like they were endless. "How are things over there?"

"Hold on a little longer!" Zhao Qiang hacked down two zombies that had managed to break through the squad's fire net. All members of Team B had been transferred to the bus. Zhao Qiang slapped the side of the bus hard. The engine had been kept running for this very moment. Hearing the signal, the driver slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the bus lunged toward the base.