On the Verge of Eruption

The shockwave from the explosion, carrying various debris, soared through the air for a distance before gradually beginning to fall to the ground.

The power of this explosion was immense; the ground visibly trembled. It was safe to assume the snipers on the rooftop wouldn't survive.

In just a few breaths, the sounds of gunfire and explosions banished the fatigue of a sleepless night. All that met the eye were panicked civilians fleeing.

Unlike these civilians, who had no idea what was happening and were terrified and disoriented, Lu Bai remained unfazed, his tone barely changing.

"It seems they were trying to deal with the snipers, but how did they manage it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, another violent roar erupted. This time, the explosion occurred at the administrative building where the command center was located.

Looking up in the direction of the sound, through the billowing smoke, a figure could still be vaguely seen twisting and turning, using equipment similar to grappling hooks to try and descend to the ground.

Seeing this, Lu Bai's mouth twitched.

Vertical Maneuvering Equipment?

This was really the Survey Corps, wasn't it.

"They've made their move. Causing such a huge commotion just to eliminate the snipers at the vantage point… what a grand gesture," Zhuo Li said, squatting on top of a tent, full of emotion.

Xiao Xueyin frowned slightly, thinking as he spoke, "Aren't they afraid someone will snatch the prize after they've done the work?"

And indeed, that was the case.

The sudden explosion caught many Deathmatch Participants off guard, but they quickly reacted.

If they wanted to seize the "node," now was the perfect opportunity.

The situation changed drastically. In an instant, over a dozen figures burst from the crowd, swiftly crossing the orange-yellow cordon. Among them, a plump-figured auntie could even be seen.

The calm of the latter half of the night was more of a tacit, eerie balance achieved by the Deathmatch Participants, none wanting to gain an advantage over the others. Now, that balance had been broken first by the Survey Corps.

The Hoodie Man looked at Xiao Xueyin, then at Lu Bai. "Are we going in?"

"Don't rush. Let's watch a bit longer."

Xiao Xueyin still couldn't figure it out. "The Survey Corps prepared so thoroughly, was it just to pave the way for others?"

One point worth noting is that the defensive strength inside the building was not strong.

After all, the entire military base had only managed to preserve a force of just over five hundred men.

With zombies appearing in various areas of the settlement, the rapid response force and two companies of soldiers had been deployed elsewhere.

The remaining two hundred-plus men had to divide their forces to guard the passages in some settlement areas, as well as ensure the safety of the administrative building and the Research Center.

Not long ago, Zhou Zongming had also taken a team from the building to investigate.

Currently, it would be a good estimate if the Research Center building could muster a platoon of soldiers inside.

This meant that even without any more Deathmatch Participants rushing in, the first wave of over ten Deathmatch Participants would be enough to tear through the Research Center.

"Are we still waiting? What if the one who snatches the 'node' is a coward and just runs off? We might not be able to catch up then."

Liu Yue's words weren't unreasonable, but judging by her excited expression, it was hard to say she wasn't just eager to join the fray.

"There's no need to worry about that."

Lu Bai stroked his chin. "The 'node' won't be snatched that easily."

Hearing this, Xiao Xueyin glanced at him subtly.

At the same time, intense gunfire erupted from inside the Research Center building. Stray bullets even pierced the glass and landed outside the cordon.

One unlucky individual was directly hit by a bullet, letting out a scream.

The surrounding civilians, who were already fleeing in chaos, were startled. Although they still didn't know where to run, they knew it was best to get away from the Research Center.

The advantage of being able to check the system panel at any time was that by comparing the current number of Deathmatch Participants, one could roughly gauge the situation inside the Research Center.

Despite the dense gunfire within the building, the number of Deathmatch Participants had only decreased by two during this period.

It was possible that these were casualties inflicted by Zhou Zongming's group on the Survey Corps.

Most Deathmatch Participants were likely aware of this.

It was based on this understanding that more and more people couldn't hold back and followed the footsteps of the pioneers, rushing into the building.

As time passed, the gunfire inside the Research Center could be clearly felt to be gradually weakening. The resistance within was dwindling.

Liu Yue idly ground a small stone under her foot, impatiently wanting to stomp her foot. "Are we just going to watch?"

"We really can't rush. Look, the other teams haven't shown themselves yet."

Xiao Xueyin patiently reassured her. "If nothing unexpected happens, the Research Center should be surrounded by Deathmatch Participants right now."

Snatching the prize after someone else has done the work isn't that easy.

Even if they managed to grab the 'node,' they'd still have to be able to keep it.

The current situation was perhaps even what some people wanted.

If they were confident in themselves, letting others go in and bring out the 'node' was a more controllable risk.

Simply put, no one understood what the Survey Corps was thinking. Those who thought more deeply would worry if there was a trap involved. Since someone was already going in to test the waters, they might as well continue to observe.

A few minutes passed, and the gunfire inside the Research Center became sporadic, with only occasional bursts of automatic fire heard.

This didn't sound like the gunfire of defending soldiers, but more like someone picking up a weapon and attacking the competitors.

With the orange-yellow caution tape as the boundary, unlike the fierce battle within the Research Center, an unusual calm had fallen outside the cordon.

He could sense people hiding in many of the surrounding tents, clearly all waiting for the moment the "node" was brought out of the Research Center.

"The 'node's' position hasn't changed yet," the Hoodie Man reminded them.

Zhuo Li, crouching on top of a tent, reported information without pause: "I see the Ten Blades Team, at our ten o'clock, oh, and at one o'clock, the gray school uniforms have appeared too.

The most Deathmatch Participants are ambushing on the east side of the building. Just what I can see now, there are twenty or thirty of them. Could it be they all think the 'node' will come out from that direction? Or should we stop waiting in front of the main gate?"

Zing~

Lu Bai drew his Eight-Sided Han Sword and said with a chuckle, "Relax, no need to be so tense all the time. I'll go catch a Survey Corps member and ask them."

Judging by the sounds, not only had the defending forces inside the Research Center been annihilated, but the gunfight on the other side had also reached its conclusion.

With over twenty Deathmatch Participants ambushing a small squad of soldiers with preparation and surprise on their side, there wouldn't be much suspense. It was already quite good that they could hold out for so long.

"That's fine too."

Since the "node" hadn't moved, Xiao Xueyin didn't stop Lu Bai from acting alone. He merely pointed to the walkie-talkie in his hand and added, "Be careful, and keep the communication line open at all times."