Delivering the News

At the back of the conference room sat a middle-aged man. He was the person in charge here, and his name was Ye Jian.

Watching his awakened subordinates act so spinelessly, he could not help feeling irritated. Only by hunting powerful Zombie Kings could they evolve further.

Yet they were slacking off, choosing a place with only one-star difficulty.

But that was fine too.

If this operation went smoothly, it would help boost morale, establish the company's reputation, and earn the survivors' trust.

Lin Dong was still holed up at home, drinking scarlet liquid from a goblet. He looked elegant and lived comfortably.

Outside the building, a Red-Eyed Crow circled through the air a few times before landing on a streetlamp by the roadside.

"Huh? A little black bird?"

Tank poked half his huge head out from an alley nearby and watched it in secret.

He had a strong sense of territoriality.

He had noticed this Crow long ago. It often lingered around the area, and with his childish temperament, he intended to catch it.

So Tank crept closer to the Crow, moving stealthily and cautiously.

He walked as lightly as a cat, inching forward without making the slightest sound.

Being overly cautious, he took a full five minutes just to move thirty meters.

Still, he was secretly delighted. The Crow did not seem to have noticed him and remained on the streetlamp, showing no intention of flying away.

At this moment,

Tank was already less than ten meters from the Crow. He slowly bent his knees, gathered all his strength, and sprang into the air.

"Got you now..."

Tank's jumping power was immense. He cracked the ground beneath his feet as he shot toward the Crow like a cannonball.

As the Crow drew nearer and nearer, he stretched out his huge hand, ready to seize it.

But at that crucial moment,

the Crow suddenly flapped its wings and flew straight upward, opening up some distance and narrowly evading Tank's hand.

"Can't catch me... can't catch me..."

The Crow's distinctive cry rang out from the air, smug and faintly mocking.

"Roar—"

Tank roared furiously, thoroughly enraged. He grabbed a manhole cover from the roadside, swung his arm in a full circle, and hurled it at the Crow.

But the Crow reacted swiftly, flying even higher.

"Can't hit me... can't hit me..."

"Roar roar roar! Little black bird, come down here if you've got the guts!"

Unable to reach it anymore, Tank could only roar at it.

The Crow ignored him completely. Instead, it flapped its wings and flew higher, gradually disappearing into the distance.

"Big idiot... big idiot..."

Tank howled in rage, beating his chest and stomping his feet, but there was nothing he could do.

The Crow flew directly up to the twentieth floor and landed on an alloy railing. Beyond the window was a spotless, tidy room—Lin Dong's residence.

"Hello, good person. Hello, good person..."

"Isn't this Crow Brother?"

Lin Dong glanced over. Of course he remembered the large Crow. If it had not helped him, he would have found it difficult to hunt the Mutant Rat King.

I have to give Crow Brother an extra drumstick...

Lin Dong was generous enough. After opening the window, he took several large chicken drumsticks from his storage space and tossed them outside.

The large Crow swallowed them one by one as if they were candy beans.

"Thank you, good person. Thank you, good person."

"You're welcome."

Leaning against the windowsill, Lin Dong continued chatting. "You're free today, coming over to visit me?"

"People and zombies are coming to attack you. A huge, huge group!"

The Crow spoke.

Apparently, it had spotted something while flying through the sky and had come to warn Lin Dong.

Lin Dong raised an eyebrow.

He was not particularly surprised by the news. After all, he had offended quite a few people recently. They had finally come looking for him.

Since they dared provoke him, he would let them know what cruelty meant.

He had just finished absorbing the two Crystal Cores from his last hunt and had been wondering where to replenish his supply. Yet... someone had delivered themselves right to his door.

But he could not let his guard down.

He had to prepare for battle.

Thus,

Lin Dong sent a signal to his subordinates, informing them that someone was about to invade their territory.

When Tank heard that someone was invading, how could he possibly tolerate that? He immediately flew into a rage.

He had already been furious because of the Crow.

Now, he was even more enraged.

"Roar—"

With his explosive roar, waves of howls echoed through the area.

Elite Zombie subordinates emerged one after another.

Zombies were normally inactive during the day, but now they were exceptionally agitated. Bloodlust filled their eyes, and they radiated savage ferocity and overwhelming killing intent.

They actually dared invade their boss's territory?

Were they looking to die?

The two thousand Elite Zombies made a mighty and terrifying display. At the front of the Zombie Tide stood Tank, Little Eight, and Doctor, three capable generals.

The zombies stood ready in formation, prepared to begin a bloody feast.

Little Eight let out a strange "heh heh heh" laugh. Hearing that someone was invading did not make her very angry; instead, she was incredibly excited, as if she found it amusing.

Her thirst for slaughter was even stronger than Tank's and the others'.

Meanwhile, Lin Dong stood atop the building.

The fierce wind tugged at his hair as his bright eyes gazed into the distance, giving him the air of standing atop the highest peak and looking down upon all mountains below.

On the distant horizon, several small black dots first appeared, rapidly approaching.

They were Tech Company's airborne reconnaissance drones.

On the streets below, a convoy of modified armored vehicles advanced. A massive bulldozer at the front cleared the way, sending both abandoned vehicles and scattered zombies flying.

This was Tech Company's King-Hunting Action Squad. It included ten awakened individuals, four of whom had condensed Crystal Cores.

There was also an armed force of five hundred people. They carried loaded weapons and wore black nano combat suits, with red Tek emblems on their chests. They looked extremely cool.

These nano combat suits were highly durable. They could withstand zombie clawing and biting, and even daggers could not pierce them, making them extremely effective.

In addition, Tech Company had brought two bioengineered weapons—the Pursuers.

Inside one vehicle sat four Crystal Core awakened individuals, three men and one woman. They were the absolute main force of this operation.

"This operation is a cushy assignment. We're pretty lucky to have landed it," one young man said smugly.

The young woman nodded.

"A One-Star Zombie Nest is perfect for training. This is my first time joining an operation like this."

"Hahaha, then you'd better watch carefully and learn properly."

The young man chimed in.

Lü Hao, the captain beside them, reminded her,

"Xiao Wen, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Never let your guard down. Every zombie is dangerous."

"Captain Lü, there are only two thousand zombies here. The Zombie King probably does not have any special abilities. It is likely just physically strong, otherwise it would not have such a small territory."

Xiao Wen spread her hands as she spoke.

The last tall man agreed.

"As long as we don't run into a Wraith Zombie, it'll be fine. Zombies that are simply physically powerful are among the easiest types to deal with."

"Oh..."

The young woman listened intently to the three discussing it. Since this was her first operation, she had only now realized that hunting zombies involved so many considerations.

It seemed she really should learn more from her seniors...