Dangerous Mission

On the evening of July 7, Daryl's Squad returned victorious. Using a surprise attack, they took out the leader of the wandering Raiders in an instant, quickly secured the scene, and brought back five Survivors and three prisoners.

Unsurprisingly, all those Survivors chose to join Umbrella Corporation and accept its protection.

Leon gained a D-grade brewer and four logistics personnel.

That evening, during dinner, Leon gathered his strongest Warriors—Merle, Daryl, Glenn, Aji, T-Dog, and Shane—six of them, to share a meal in his reception room. Also at the table was Professor Amrin.

He had originally planned to include Rick, or that man he had nearly forgotten and later sent people to search for, Black Saint Morgan.

But since the former had yet to recover from his injuries and the latter had chosen not to join the Security Department and wasn't familiar with the group, he decided against it.

"I called everyone here because there's a very important mission that needs all of you to complete together."

Leon raised a glass of red wine, gave a slight toast to the group, then tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp. Amy, sitting beside him, dutifully picked up a napkin and wiped the stain from his lips.

He pointed to Professor Amrin, seated in the first spot on his right, and introduced him to the group:

"This is a university professor from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor Amrin."

"He provided me with some crucial intel. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, there's an Emergency Shelter System. Professor Amrin suspects that a sizable number of Survivors may still be alive there."

"Nearly two months have passed. They can't hold out much longer inside."

"Among those Survivors are likely top students and professors from the institute."

"Our production, daily life, technological recovery, and virus research all need these elites with rich expertise to move forward faster."

"If we can rescue this group of Survivors, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost to our cause."

"We need them."

"The destination this time is the University District in Atlanta. It's surrounded by Zombies, roads are blocked, and vehicles can't get through. We'll need to travel about five kilometers on foot to reach it."

"This mission is extremely dangerous. Too many people would only get in the way. I only need elite Warriors like all of you."

Professor Amrin was visibly moved. For the sake of humanity's survival and for his former colleagues and students, he was willing to take the risk. He had urged Leon many times about this operation, and today it was finally on the agenda.

Old Merle looked indifferent, probably caring little about the fate of those students and professors.

Daryl remained silent, his eyes fixed on the knife in his hand, lost in thought.

Glenn's face showed both a sense of duty and fear of the dangerous mission.

T-Dog and Aji looked a bit confused. As two black men with limited education, they likely didn't grasp the weight of Leon's words.

Shane, seated at the far end, wore a grim expression, his emotions shifting in a complex way.

Taking in everyone's reactions, Leon cleared his throat and continued:

"Of course, I won't force anyone to take part in such a dangerous mission. Everyone can choose whether to accept or not."

"But how this mission goes will significantly affect how I evaluate each of you."

"Those who can't brave danger for the sake of humanity don't deserve to be part of Umbrella Corporation's management."

As soon as Leon finished, Old Merle quickly chimed in, sycophantically:

"Boss, rest assured. No matter how dangerous it is up ahead, Old Merle here will be the first to carve a path for you."

After saying that, the old thug looked a bit embarrassed and added:

"But since it's a dangerous mission, Boss, could you maybe give us a little extra bonus? I've been treating my guys to drinks and meals lately, and my Contribution Points are almost gone."

Being shaken down by his top enforcer, Leon didn't mind at all. He chuckled lightly and said to the group:

"Alright. Once this mission is complete, each of you will get a reward of 5,000 Contribution Points."

He looked at Old Merle, a hint of approval in his smile, and said:

"Merle, you'll also get a crate of fine wine as a personal bonus."

The old thug played along with a hearty laugh and called out to Leon:

"Thanks, Boss. You're a generous boss."

With someone taking the lead, the others began to voice their agreement.

Daryl patted his brother on the shoulder and said firmly to Leon:

"Boss, I'll go with you."

Glenn glanced around, took a light breath, and said:

"Boss, I've delivered pizza to the Georgia Institute of Technology before. How about I scout ahead first, confirm the route, and then we head out together?"

Leon didn't answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to Aji and T-Dog.

The two black men exchanged a look and said loudly:

"Boss, we'll go with you."

Leon smiled and nodded at them, then finally looked at Shane, whose expression was complicated.

This man was a self-interested type, not weak in combat, but since joining the Security Department half a month ago, he had been somewhat passive, seemingly not getting along well with the others.

Shane looked up at Leon, seemed to think of Lori again, grimaced, and lowered his head:

"Boss, I'll go too."

Seeing that everyone had voiced their stance, Leon smiled, raised another glass of red wine, and offered a slight toast to the group, saying:

"This is a dangerous mission, but also a glorious one. Our purpose is to save the lives of others, so everyone here is a warrior worthy of admiration."

"Then, warriors, enjoy this bountiful dinner."

He downed the wine in one gulp, smashed the glass on the ground, and shouted loudly:

"To courage!"

The others followed suit, raising their glasses, drinking them dry, and smashing them on the ground, echoing in unison:

"To courage!" ×8

July 8th, Atlanta.

A convoy of over a dozen modified vehicles entered the city along Interstate Highway 85 and stopped at a small park on the outskirts of Atlanta's University District.

As the passengers disembarked one after another, the small park gathered an armed force of about forty people.

Though the weapon models varied, each person received a brand-new automatic rifle and three fully loaded magazines.

The convoy included military trucks, heavy jeeps, and heavy pickup trucks, all modified by the base's vehicle mechanics. Not only were many parts covered with bulletproof steel plates, but the front ends were reinforced with alloy ramming spikes capable of withstanding stronger impacts.

These were vehicles truly suited for survival in the apocalypse, designed after discussion and research by the Engineering Department. They were not only durable and better protected but also, in open terrain, no less lethal to Zombies than heavy firepower.

Moreover, four heavy rotary machine guns stripped from armed helicopters were welded onto the military trucks. These heavy weapons were true battlefield killers; once they opened fire, any flesh-and-blood obstacle in their path would be reduced to debris.

For this mission, Leon had nearly emptied half his reserves, all to ensure his people's safety.

In this apocalyptic era, what he valued most wasn't the supplies he could continue to scavenge, but these loyal, irreplaceable subordinates.

Under the arrangement of each squad leader, a defensive position tailored against Zombies gradually took shape over a dozen minutes.

Leon stood at the edge of the position, followed by seven fully armed warriors ready to brave the million-strong horde with him. He patted Rick on the shoulder and said solemnly:

"I'm leaving this position to you, Rick."

"Hold it, and be ready to support our returning team at any time."

Rick, with bandages wrapped around him and a hint of pallor on his face, pressed down on Leon's hand resting on his shoulder and said with some shame:

"You saved my life, Leon. I should have gone with you."

"Alas!"

"Rest assured, I'll protect this place with my life and await your orders at any moment."