Chapter 26: Liu Hongtao

Meanwhile, inside the base, everyone possessing a personal light-computer found their screens overtaken by this single line of text, regardless of what they were doing.

Soon, a few lights flickered on in the core area of the base, and the residential district erupted in immediate turmoil.

The squad leader finally panicked, issuing orders in a frantic, disorganized rush. A barrage of commands spilled from his lips. While Lu Li lacked experience in these matters, the instructions actually sounded quite reasonable, with arrangements made for every contingency.

There were twenty-five minutes left until the zombie tide arrived.

She planned to drive her RV further inside; even if the zombies breached the walls, she would have time to make a run for it.

Just as she reached for the vehicle, the squad leader grabbed her arm. She looked at him, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

The squad leader’s lips trembled with nerves as he blurted out, "You knew the tide was coming, so you must be powerful. You have to stay here and keep me company."

Lu Li: ? What kind of talk was that?

She shook her head. "I’m just an ordinary citizen. Why would I stay here and wait to die with you? Who even are you?"

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down the squad leader's forehead. He kept talking to stave off his anxiety.

"I said you're powerful, so you are. They said you're the owner of that lottery shop. What kind of lottery? Is it like the ones from the civilized era where you could win five million?"

The squad leader was around thirty-five, old enough to have enjoyed the comforts of the civilized era, though his memories were fading with the passage of time.

Lu Li’s arm was gripped so tightly she couldn't pull away, so she played along. "Yes, but not five million. You can win things like fruit and clothes."

"Really? If I survive this tide, I’m definitely going to try it," the squad leader’s eyes lit up.

His attention was clearly diverted, and he seemed less tense. Feeling bored, Lu Li wanted to grab a snack.

Just then, several beams of bright light shone over. Lu Li turned her head, squinting with an impatient frown.

The squad leader beside her whispered, "It’s the Base Commander and the others." He seemed visibly relieved.

Lu Li felt relieved too. Since the big shots were out, she wanted to return to her RV and find a quiet place to sleep.

"Stop!" A sharp voice rang out, carrying a sense of aggression, landing on her with every syllable.

Lu Li stopped and turned back. It was a middle-aged man, stern and imposing, with features somewhat similar to Liu Wenchun.

This was the Base Commander, Liu Hongtao.

He was followed by a group of people who appeared to be the base's management team.

She spread her hands and asked impatiently, "Something the matter?"

The squad leader nearby couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Where did this woman come from? She didn't even recognize the Base Commander?

Liu Hongtao frowned, his face growing even more severe as he projected the aura of a Level 3 ability user.

The overwhelming pressure surged toward Lu Li, but she remained unmoved, simply pulling her hands back and folding them across her chest.

"What are you doing? Your attack doesn't work on me," Lu Li said, looking puzzled, a hint of disdain flickering in her eyes.

Liu Hongtao was startled, and his invisible attack receded like a tide. He asked calmly, "May I ask, what is your name, young lady?"

His daughter had come to complain earlier, saying a woman in an RV at the gate was bullying her, but he had been too busy to deal with it.

Was this her? She looked harmless, just a clean, ordinary girl.

Name? What was that?

Was this something she had to make up herself?

Lu Li bluffed, "Lottery Maniac Lu Li."

After spouting nonsense, she added, "Big brother, the zombie tide is coming. Can you focus on the important stuff?"

Everyone was so fixated on her—it was truly ridiculous.

Liu Hongtao frowned. He hadn't heard of this moniker. Was she a newcomer?

When she mentioned the zombie tide, Liu Hongtao dismissed it. "Don't worry, young lady. We have experience dealing with zombie tides."

They happened quite often.

Lu Li felt reassured. As long as they had experience, she waved a hand. "Alright, I'm going then. Good luck."

Liu Hongtao watched her board the RV. Through the open door, he caught a glimpse of the interior.

Though simple, it was refined, with a cohesive style that felt naturally elegant.

It wasn't like his own RV, where the interior was a hodgepodge of salvaged parts that clashed in style.

As far as he knew, only those at the Central Base possessed the wealth to build an entirely new RV.

Could she be the daughter of one of them?

Liu Hongtao didn't dwell on it; the Central Base was too far away, beyond his reach.

There were twenty minutes left until the tide arrived.

Lu Li went into the RV. She had no intention of helping, and she didn't know how anyway.

She figured that not causing trouble was the best she could do, so she steered the RV further inside.

She drove into the residential area and parked behind a building to use as cover, roughly a thousand meters from the base gate.

Soon, she saw squads of soldiers arriving one after another on the open ground in front of the gate, standing tall with solemn expressions.

When fifteen minutes remained, the army, temporarily summoned from various patrol posts, had finished assembling.

Lu Li squinted as she counted, her eyes straining. There were about a thousand of them.

Was that enough to deal with so many zombies?

She didn't know much about the zombies or human abilities in this world, relying entirely on her system and what she had witnessed in the past few days.

Once the thousand-strong army was in position, Liu Hongtao led the mobilization meeting at the front.

Seemingly aware of the urgency, the meeting was brief, lasting only a few sentences.

Just as it ended, another hundred or so people wandered over, standing in a slouching, undisciplined mess.

Liu Hongtao barked, "Look at you, listless! Stand up straight!"

The group straightened up slightly, but they still looked like a motley crew of loafers.

Liu Hongtao said nothing more, though he frowned, clearly displeased.

These were the ability users supported by the base, treated well in times of peace, but expected to be on the front lines when danger struck.

With five minutes left, the ground began to vibrate slightly; the tremors were more pronounced toward the southeast.

Liu Hongtao issued several orders, and everyone began to perform their duties with calm efficiency.

The heavy artillery team began firing from the walls, while light artillery and archers stood ready to fill the gaps.

The ability users were tasked with handling high-level zombies. The entire process was so familiar that it seemed they had rehearsed it a thousand times.

Seeing their orderly arrangements, Lu Li finally felt at ease; she still hoped to continue her business in Hope Base.

Her light-computer had built-in software for tracking zombie movement, which was even more accurate than the Central Base's version.

Lu Li watched the dense clusters of red dots approaching the blue circle—there were so many it looked as if they would swallow the base whole.

She climbed up again to look out the window. With so few people, would they really be okay?

Ten, nine, eight... until the tide arrived.