Mission

Day 2, June 13.

Glenn and Aji completed their mission brilliantly. Though there were a few scares along the way, they successfully marked the positions and routes of 13 trucks within a 2-kilometer radius.

Leon called in Merle and Aji, tasking them with taking five combat squad members to carry out the truck theft mission.

Before they left, Leon specifically kept Merle and Aji behind and gave them detailed instructions:

"This truck theft mission isn't all that complicated. You can work in pairs, coordinate with each other, and use the Flesh Camouflage I taught you yesterday to slip into the trucks silently and drive them away."

"You can also use radios, players, car horns, and such to create noise and lure the zombies away from the trucks."

"There are seven of you total—plenty of hands, plenty of firepower. Even in the worst-case scenario, a direct assault wouldn't be a problem."

"So, I have only one requirement for this mission: every combat member is a valuable asset to the company. Even if the mission hits a snag or supplies get damaged, that's fine. But I don't want to hear that anyone has been lost. That would affect my assessment of you two, and your future promotions. Understood?"

"Got it, Boss. Understood."

"Don't worry, Boss. Old Merle will follow your orders to the letter."

Merle and Aji nodded in agreement, already mulling over how to proceed. Both had their own ambitions, hoping to climb higher in this apocalypse.

Power was like poison—no one could refuse it.

Leon nodded, thought for a few seconds, and added:

"For the truck keys and the finer points of stealing them, you can ask Jim or Alevin. They're professional auto mechanics and can answer your questions."

"As for guns, ammo, and other supplies, go see Miss Amy. She'll arrange everything for you."

"Go on. Start the mission after 8 o'clock. I'm looking forward to your performance."

After seeing off Merle, Aji, and the others, Leon was left with just himself, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl.

It seemed like a small group, but their combat power was actually stronger—especially with him, a human cheat code, in the mix.

In Leon's temporary office, the four of them gathered around a red square table. On it lay a hand-drawn map of Atlanta's southern suburbs.

They enjoyed the delicate pastries Miss Amy had brought up while listening to Leon explain the mission.

"Right now, the Umbrella Corporation base's most critical shortage is gasoline and diesel."

"Based on the intel Mr. Glenn provided, after discussing it in detail with him, I've locked onto this block."

Leon pointed to a narrow commercial strip near the city's edge on the hand-drawn map.

"Rongguang Avenue, numbers 107 to 168. It's over 150 meters long, 8 meters wide, with three intersections connecting to the Interstate Highway."

"All the buildings are three-story stone storefronts, with almost no alleys between them."

"According to Mr. Glenn's intel, this 150-meter commercial street was built to supply the White-Collar Apartment Complex half a kilometer away. It has a medium-sized Walmart Department Store, two competing gas stations, an International Chain Pharmacy, a Car Dealership, and about 50 other shops of various kinds."

"As long as we can block off both ends of the street to stop zombies from coming and going freely, this commercial street will become an Enclosed Space."

"Once we clear out the zombies inside, all the supplies here will be our spoils."

"Our vehicles can drive straight in from the Interstate Highway and haul them away with ease."

T-Dog scratched his head, looking troubled. "But Boss, how are we supposed to block off the street?"

Leon flashed a confident smile. "That's the key. With ordinary methods, it'd be hard to set up obstacles and seal off an 8-meter-wide street in a short time."

"But among the trucks we found, there are several heavy-duty ones that are 9, 10, even 11 meters long."

"If we modify the panels under the trucks, drive them into the commercial street, and park them sideways at the ends—tailgates pressed tight against the stone walls of the shops—we'll create a metal wall over 4 meters high."

"That's the fastest and most effective method."

After hearing Leon's plan, the others thought it over and couldn't help but admire their boss's ingenuity.

It wasn't that the plan was hard to imagine—it was just that conventional thinking and peacetime mindsets had limited their imagination.

"I've already handed the truck modifications over to Jim."

"Our morning task is to scout Rongguang Avenue Commercial Street in person—check the actual conditions and how many zombies are inside."

"Glenn, T-Dog, go find Amy and get two cars. We're leaving now."

Arriving at Rongguang Avenue Commercial Street, the situation was a bit worse than Leon had imagined. About three to four hundred zombies wandered the main street. Counting those inside the various shops and the Walmart mall, the total would likely exceed 500.

Even if the entire combat squad deployed, each person would have to take on over 50 zombies.

That wasn't realistic, and they didn't have enough ammo to waste.

Still, Leon showed no sign of worry. He already had a plan in mind.

Around 2 p.m., Aji arrived with a Logistics Department member, driving two heavy-duty trucks to meet Leon.

The cabins still reeked of a foul odor, and in inconspicuous spots, traces of reddish-black flesh could be seen. Leon guessed they'd used the Flesh Camouflage method.

"Aji, how did your mission go?"

Aji scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, Boss. To be safe, we moved very cautiously. Including these two trucks, we only managed to bring back six."

"However, we were all very careful about safety—no one got hurt."

Leon nodded in approval, quietly breathing a sigh of relief inside.

Every fighter now was precious to him; losing even one would pain him for a long time.

"That's good."

"Your mission isn't urgent—it's fine even if you finish it tomorrow."

"Here's the plan: you drive a small car back and keep helping Merle. Dodgela stays here—his truck-driving skills are the best among us."

"Remember, relay my words to Merle."

After Aji left, only four people remained by Leon's side.

Glenn, Daryl, T-Dog, Adoki.

Two SSR cards, one three-star card, and one two-star card.

He thought for a few seconds but ultimately decided against taking them. He wasn't about to risk a rare hero who hadn't been leveled up yet.

I'll handle this early dangerous mission myself—it doesn't matter if I get bitten anyway.

Leon climbed into the small car and said to his men:

"I'll carry out the bait mission. You all protect Adoki and help him seal off the block."

"Clear the remaining zombies from the road."

"If anything unexpected happens, prioritize your own safety and wait for me on the Interstate Highway."