novelden Chapter 81 is out!
Chapter 81 is out!
After experiencing the changes in his body, he began to put on his combat uniform.
The dark gray combat uniform fabric is much stiffer than ordinary clothing, with thickened abrasion-resistant layers at the knees and elbows, and tapered cuffs and trouser legs.
The tactical vest was worn over the body, with a ceramic bulletproof plate inserted in the front and back. It was not light, but it fit the body well.
After putting on his combat helmet, he adjusted the tightness of the chin strap, leaving the monocular night vision goggles unmounted, and clipped the communicator to the shoulder strap of his tactical vest.
Wearing a military combat uniform, his demeanor changed somewhat, becoming more like that of a soldier.
He then took an automatic rifle from the weapon case. The rifle body was matte black, and the metal receiver gleamed with a cold, dark light in the morning light.
No man dislikes firearms. He had never handled a real gun before; he learned all his techniques from instructional videos on a military app.
Last night before going to bed, he took the time to watch the instructional video from beginning to end, watching each step repeatedly, from checking the gun to loading, aiming and firing.
He then deftly pulled back the bolt to check the chamber, following the steps in the video, to confirm that there were no bullets left.
I pulled out the magazine and glanced at it; 30 rounds were neatly packed. I put the magazine back in and checked the safety… the safety was in the safe position.
After confirming that everything was in order, he slung the gun over his shoulder, pushed open the door, and went out.
In the corridor, all the survivors were working hard.
Some people carried electrical wires in and out of the power distribution room, some carried stacks of clean sheets to distribute to each floor, and some were wielding hoes to shovel soil from the flower beds in the square. Everyone's movements were swift and focused.
Lu Chen also noticed a detail... these people were smiling while they were working.
Some people hummed off-key tunes while shoveling dirt, while others greeted each other with smiles when they met in the corridor. The entire Building 3 was filled with a vitality that had never been seen since the apocalypse.
Lu Chen was a little curious, so he focused his mental energy on his ears and listened carefully to the sounds around him.
He quickly caught the conversation of the group, who were talking about things like "Xiangyang Community in Xicheng District" and "Hope".
He listened carefully for a few more minutes and finally understood what they were talking about. It turned out that the official broadcast had highlighted the situation in their Xiangyang Community in today's news.
They are described as the only official stronghold in Xicheng District, and likened to the hope of Xicheng District.
These survivors listened to the broadcast praising their own place, and a sense of pride welled up from the bottom of their hearts, which was reflected on their faces as unstoppable smiles and an even greater drive than usual.
Lu Chen felt the effect was quite good, and he was already planning something else... Once the community was almost finished, should he hold an awards ceremony to publicly reward the people who worked the hardest?
The development of spiritual and cultural values is also very important; we can discuss this with Gao Yuan later.
He walked down the stairs and soon arrived at the lobby on the first floor, where Shen Qingci and the 10 members of the field team were already waiting.
Ning Tieshan and Zhao Yongqiang were wearing full combat uniforms, their tactical vests adjusted to fit perfectly, and their automatic rifles slung over their shoulders.
Wei Dong sat in the corner, adjusting the reconnaissance drone he had just acquired. The screen on the control handle was lit up, and the rotor arms were already deployed.
Cheng Qihang and the other new members were also dressed in protective gear, with knee and elbow pads in place, and the squad communicator clipped to their shoulders. Although they were not armed, each of them had a dagger tucked into their waistband.
Lu Chen looked around, nodded, and ordered them to set off.
As before, zombies must be left to guard when going out.
But unlike before, today's distance outside far exceeds the 600-meter control range. Under these circumstances, these zombies will lose control and stand still, dumbfounded.
So there was no point in leaving them any longer; he only left two large, strong zombies to guard the entrance of Building 3.
As for why he had to keep two... in case of an emergency in the neighborhood, he wouldn't need to run back from Cuizhu Garden. He could simply retreat to the entrance of Cuizhu Garden and reconnect to the two zombies remotely from a distance of 600 meters.
This is much faster than running all the way back from Cuizhu Garden.
Two large, strong zombies guarded the neighborhood, while the remaining 26 zombies all set off with the group.
The elite zombie led the way, carrying a 1.4-meter-long heavy saber on its shoulder. Its face was completely covered by a fully enclosed combat helmet, leaving only a pair of dark yellow eyes visible behind the goggles.
Eight Iron Pillar-class warriors followed behind it, six wielding armor-piercing hammers and two wielding double-edged axes, arranged in two columns.
Seventeen large, strong men followed at the very back, each carrying a machete, their steps neat but heavy.
The 12-person field team was protected in the middle by the horde of zombies, forming a huge team of 38 people along with 26 zombies.
The large group marched through the community square, pushed open the iron gate, and everyone, including Lu Chen, was leaving the community for the first time since the apocalypse.
The asphalt road was littered with broken glass and scraps of paper that had drifted down from somewhere. Several abandoned cars were parked haphazardly on the side of the road, their windows shattered and their bodies splattered with dried, blackened blood.
Lu Chen was the first to step out of the door and onto the street outside the residential area.
The horde of zombies filed out from behind them, with 26 fully armed zombies forming two lines on either side of the street, protecting the 12 members of the field team in the middle.
Ning Tieshan and Zhao Yongqiang walked at the very back of the column, holding automatic rifles in their hands, their movements still somewhat stiff.
Ning Tieshan slung the sling over his shoulder, his right hand loosely gripping the pistol grip, his thumb unconsciously rubbing against the safety repeatedly. Zhao Yongqiang was even more nervous, his finger never daring to place itself inside the trigger guard, fearing an accidental discharge.
Lu Chen turned around and glanced at them, then waved and said, "Old Ning, Old Zhao, come here, let's talk as we walk."
Ning Tieshan and Zhao Yongqiang quickly came over. Lu Chen took his automatic rifle off his shoulder, gripped it with one hand, and kept the muzzle pointed at the ground.
"There were firearms instruction videos on the military app last night. I watched them several times, and I'll give you a brief overview on the way. You don't need to memorize too much; just remember the most key points."
He pointed to the safety lever on the left side of the gun.
"This is the safety switch. Switching it up to 'safe' puts you in safe mode, where you can't pull the trigger. Switching it down to 'semi' puts you in semi-automatic mode, where you fire one shot per pull. Never switch it to the bottom 'burst' switch—that's a three-round burst, and beginners can't control it."
"When I'm walking, I keep the safety on, and only unscrew it when I'm sure I'm about to fire. After firing, I immediately unscrew it again. If this thing goes off accidentally, it's no joke."
Ning Tieshan looked down at the safety lever on his gun, touched it lightly with his finger to confirm it was in the safe position. Zhao Yongqiang also checked it.
"Change the magazine. The magazine catch is behind the grip; you can remove it with a press of your thumb." Lu Chen removed his magazine and showed it to the two of them, then slapped it back on with a snap.
He then pointed to the iron sights on the top of the gun.
"Aim! Align the three points—sight sight, crosshair, and target. Align the sight and crosshair, and align the top of the crosshair with the spot you want to hit."
He slung the gun back over his shoulder, looked at the two men, and softened his tone.
"I'm not asking you to be a great shot today. This is my first time handling a gun myself, so we're all pretty much evenly matched. Don't panic when you fire, aim slowly, and you'll get the hang of it after a few shots."
Ning Tieshan nodded, and Zhao Yongqiang took a deep breath, his grip on the gun becoming steadyer.