Chapter 34: Zealous Believers

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Let us turn the clock back twenty minutes.

The patrol squad from the fuel depot ran into Lin Xue and her companions on the road. After losing two men to their attackers, the rest fled in terror, tumbling over themselves as they scrambled back to the base.

At that very moment, Ye Rongsheng and Zhang Haojie were in a secret chamber, haggling fiercely over the division of a recently acquired cache of weapons. It had taken some effort, but just as they reached an agreement and stepped out, news arrived that a military force was on its way to suppress them.

Both men turned ashen on the spot. Even in this apocalyptic world, where their basest instincts ran wild without restraint, the mere thought of the military’s power still inspired fear in their souls, a lingering dread from the days when the nation was strong and its armies mighty.

Given what they had been up to, their guilty consciences only amplified their terror.

“Damn it! Did you hear that right? Why would there be soldiers coming at a time like this?” Zhang Haojie, frantic, seized one of the men and shouted in his face.

The man was still shaking with fright. “Boss, it’s the truth! If you don’t believe me, just ask around! Even the dog was shot dead!”

Zhang Haojie shoved him aside, muttering, “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. Things have just started looking up for us! I don’t believe it!”

Ye Rongsheng, older and far more seasoned, steadied himself and spoke in a calm voice: “Boss Zhang, now’s not the time to lose our heads. Even if it is the army, so what?”

“We still have a chance! Take your men and set up a watch, guard our positions, but don’t open fire yet. There’s always room to negotiate. We’re the Church, aren’t we? We do good deeds, feed the people, keep them safe. We have nothing to fear!”

The more Ye Rongsheng spoke, the more fervor shone in his eyes, his voice rising with conviction.

A sudden realization dawned on Zhang Haojie as he listened. Of course—they had protected over a thousand people, given them food.

He slapped his forehead. “The Church Leader is right as always. I’ll take the men and get the defenses ready.”

He gathered several dozen subordinates, each armed, and they rushed to the walls and watchtowers.

Ye Rongsheng turned away, a sly smile flickering on his lips. He hurried deeper into the compound, shouting as he went: “God loves all people! This is the last sanctuary left on earth. Everyone, rise up! Your peaceful lives are about to be shattered by demons—be brave and stand together!”

“Defend your sanctuary! Protect your temple!”

Some of the more fanatical believers wore looks of indignant fury and rushed out, some grabbing crude weapons and following Zhang Haojie to the defensive positions.

The entire base erupted into chaos, people dashing about, shouting strange slogans and scripture.

Once he saw that most of the believers had been roused, Ye Rongsheng smiled in satisfaction, slipped away to his own room, dug out a small pouch of crystal cores, and carefully concealed it in a hidden pocket sewn into his trousers.

He quickly shed his priestly robes, donned tattered peasant clothing, trimmed his hair haphazardly and tousled it into a wild nest, then smeared his face with dust and ash. In less than two minutes, the once-arrogant Church Leader had transformed into an ordinary elderly farmer. Ye Rongsheng nodded approvingly at his reflection, then slipped out, blending into the crowd like a drop of water into the sea.

This upheaval at the base did not escape the watchful eyes of Wang Ji, who immediately issued the order to launch the attack ahead of schedule.

At the same time, he concealed his position and moved swiftly toward the infantry platoon waiting on the front line close to the base.

“Deputy Platoon Leader Yan, be ready. There’s trouble inside the base—we’ll attack earlier than planned.”

Yan Song’s face grew serious at the words. He saluted, then turned to give swift orders to his squads.

Through his binoculars, Wang Ji located Li Chengming, who had evidently already received word of the early assault and was glancing tensely in his direction.

When Wang Ji saw Yan Song’s men advancing, he promptly signaled an attack to Li Chengming.

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After returning the gesture, Li Chengming turned to direct his subordinates. Ten seconds later, the attack began.

He personally took up position, setting his sniper rifle on its bipod and using the scope to lock onto a man atop a watchtower.

Through the sight, he could see two men on the tower, apparently alarmed by some news, whispering anxiously to each other. So absorbed were they in their conversation that they neglected their watch, oblivious even as the infantry platoon advanced to within a hundred meters below.

3…2…1.

Li Chengming squeezed the trigger. The powerful recoil made his upper body twitch, but as he peered through the scope, he saw his target’s head explode, the man tumbling from the watchtower to the ground below.

At the same moment, his subordinates each dispatched their own targets with precision. Two watchtowers were instantly cleared.

“Attack!” The gunfire was the signal. Yan Song led three squads in a direct assault, using the abandoned cars littering both sides of the road as cover as they closed in fast.

On the wall, Zhang Haojie was stunned by the sudden gunfire. He hadn’t expected the military to attack without hesitation. Below, fully armed soldiers were advancing rapidly toward the main gate.

His eyes gleamed with ferocity; desperation had awakened his most savage instincts.

“Fire! Kill them all!”

“There’s only so many of them—I don’t believe we can’t hold them off!” Zhang Haojie manned the heavy machine gun and fired in Yan Song’s direction. Fortunately, his marksmanship was abysmal, and untrained in the use of such a weapon, he failed to hit any targets.

“Take cover! Advance and fire!” Yan Song, pinned down by the heavy fire, ducked behind a car, calling out orders as bullets ricocheted past, directing his men to evade and press forward.

The outlaws on the walls and in the towers, well aware of their own misdeeds since the apocalypse, fought with reckless abandon, knowing the military would show them no mercy. They exposed themselves without fear, shooting wildly down at the figures below.

With the advantage of higher ground, they briefly held the upper hand.

Casualties appeared among the infantry. Yan Song and his men managed to close to within fifty meters, but, fearing for his troops’ safety, he dared not risk a further reckless charge.

When the first seriously wounded soldier was carried past Wang Ji, he shot a dark look at Zhang Haojie’s machine gun nest.

“Relay to Zhang Chengming: keep the enemy heavy machine gun suppressed. And tell Yan Song to stop holding back—take the gate in five minutes. That’s an order!”

“Yes, Company Commander!”

A local boss standing behind Wang Ji, seeing the assault stall, spoke up anxiously, “Commander Wang, should we send our men in to help? We promise not to slow you down.”

Wang Ji smiled with quiet confidence. “No need. Just watch. The real show is about to begin.”

Behind them, Cui Dazhou heard the rattle of gunfire from inside the base, and with a grim look, ordered his men to secure the road.

Meanwhile, Lin Xue let out a derisive laugh, glanced at her watch, lazily summoned a few followers, and blocked the road with their vehicle, waiting to ambush any would-be escapees.

“Damn it!” Yan Song cursed after receiving Wang Ji’s latest order.

“Machine gunners, suppress them—cover fire!”

“San Gouzi, blow up their watchtower!” Yan Song shot a fierce look at the tower, where defenders were still firing gleefully behind the parapet.

The machine gunners, undaunted by danger, leaned out from their cover, unleashing their pent-up frustration and fury.

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With three squads, three machine guns raked the defenders on the walls, cutting down several of the outlaws and forcing the rest back under cover.

San Gouzi seized the opportunity, dashed to the side, hefted a rocket launcher, and aimed at the watchtower.

With a scream, the rocket streaked toward the tower. The men inside cried out in terror, but had no time to flee before the explosion tore them apart.

The thunderous blast and pressure wave made Zhang Haojie on the wall jump in fright. His blood ran cold; driven by a sudden premonition, he abandoned the machine gun and ducked down.

Behind him, a subordinate’s chest erupted in a bloody spray the size of a bowl, and he collapsed in disbelief.

Li Chengming, surprised by Zhang Haojie’s reaction, stared through his scope, but seeing the machine gun silenced and his mission accomplished, he smiled and continued picking off enemies on the wall.

With their heavy weapon lost and mounting casualties, the outlaws’ morale plummeted. They no longer dared show themselves, firing blindly over the parapets as they cowered behind cover.

“San Gouzi, keep going! Blow the gate open!”

Seeing the enemy crumble under the fierce assault, Yan Song’s eyes lit up. He ordered one squad to flank and cover, ready to storm in as soon as the gate fell.

San Gouzi, crouched steadily behind a car, now faced little threat from the wall. He reloaded the rocket launcher, aimed at the gate, and fired.

With a deafening roar and a burst of flame and smoke, the gate was blasted apart.

On the wall, Zhang Haojie watched in terror as his men scattered in panic, some fanatical believers brandishing crude weapons and shouting as they tried to charge out.

“It’s over! We’re finished!” Zhang Haojie howled in despair as he fled, swept along by the panicked crowd.

At the northern gate, Ye Rongsheng had already slipped out with the fleeing masses. He glanced back with a sneer, hugged his loot tighter, and hurried north.

Yan Song saw the gate wide open and shouted, “Charge!”

He led the way, raising his rifle and starting the assault. With the defenses broken and the defenders in disarray, now was the perfect moment to seize ground and disarm the enemy.

The standard-bearer raised the flag, following Yan Song and signaling the attack. Over twenty soldiers streamed after them, some already wounded, but their eyes were fixed on the flag fluttering ahead. There was no fear or hesitation, only a sense of duty.

Wang Ji saw Yan Song succeed, smiled lightly, and said, “Let’s go—it’s our turn to help.” He gathered two guards and over thirty members from the local factions, and hurried to join the fight.

“Hold your ground! Fall back, I said fall back! Do you hear me?” Yan Song, bursting in, found the situation nothing like he’d imagined.

A mob of wild-eyed fanatics wielding crude weapons hurled themselves at the soldiers with reckless abandon. Caught off guard, Yan Song nearly lost his rifle.

Two soldiers nearby quickly pulled him back, but were themselves dragged down by the crazed believers. In an instant, more people piled on, the scene descending into chaos.

Faced with these fearless, unarmed zealots and their frenzied expressions, the soldiers recoiled, unwilling to open fire, and could only rush in to rescue their own.

Yan Song saw several soldiers pinned to the ground, surrounded by snarling faces and deafening shouts. He drew his pistol and shot one man, but more charged at him without fear. Yan Song’s expression turned bewildered as he looked at them, uncertain whether to pull the trigger again.