stonecrandall Chapter 104 Entry
Chapter 104 Entry
Chapter 104 Entry
The infantry fighting vehicle once again drove away from the magnificent steel fortress of Jiangcheng Shelter, heading towards the Red Star Industrial Zone along the repeatedly trampled road. Inside the vehicle, the fortress garrison personnel, including Xu Mo, remained silent, with only the roar of the engine and the clanging of the tracks over the road echoing in their ears.
At first, Xu Mo didn't feel anything different from yesterday. But after the convoy passed the No. 4 forward base, an unusual atmosphere began to permeate the air.
Through the firing port, Xu Mo keenly noticed that in the assembly area on the outskirts of Base Four, there were far more buses than usual. Large numbers of survivors were gathered there, boarding the buses in an orderly yet somewhat hurried manner under the command of officers. Most of these survivors were equipped with standard-issue rifles, their faces a mixture of tension, confusion, and a hint of eagerness.
What alarmed Xu Mo even more was that the armored vehicles they were riding in didn't speed past as usual, but instead slowly came to a stop in front of the convoy. As the armored vehicles came to a stop, the buses full of survivors also started their engines, eventually forming a mixed convoy led by the armored vehicles and followed by a long line of buses, heading deeper into the Red Star Industrial Zone.
"Reinforcements?" Xu Mo was puzzled. If they were going to move all the equipment from the Red Star Industrial Zone, why would they need to reinforce troops at this time?
Moreover, those survivors were not well-trained combatants, but rather armed personnel who had been urgently conscripted or mobilized.
As the convoy continued its journey, the closer it got to the core area of the Red Star Industrial Zone, the stronger Xu Mo's sense of unease became.
Through the car window, he saw that the previously relatively quiet outer areas on both sides of the road were now filled with large numbers of survivor squads. They were patrolling and searching among the ruins and dilapidated factory buildings in denser formations, and the gunfire was more frequent and scattered than when he left.
This scene, combined with the convoy of reinforcements he had seen earlier, gave Xu Mo an extremely bad feeling.
The source of the zombies in the Red Star Industrial Zone was clearly concentrated in the eerie ruins heavily guarded in the core area. Now, the increased zombie activity in the outer areas could only mean one thing—the core defensive positions were under immense pressure, and there might even be a breach, allowing some zombies to infiltrate. "Has the defense line encountered an unexpected situation?" Xu Mo's expression turned serious. He thought of the severely damaged superhuman squad; perhaps it was a chain reaction caused by their mission failure.
After the convoy arrived at the outskirts of the industrial zone, the bus convoy broke away from the main formation and headed to different assembly points, clearly to fill or strengthen the outer patrol and clearing defenses, while Xu Mo's infantry fighting vehicle drove straight to the temporary base in the core area.
Stepping onto this scorched earth once more, the smell of gunpowder and decay seemed even stronger in the air. Xu Mo first temporarily placed his heavy equipment backpack on the infantry fighting vehicle and then quickly walked towards the rest area.
The rest area was still packed with people, filled with snoring, coughing, and whispers. Xu Mo's gaze swept quickly across the room, and soon spotted Feng Dayong's familiar figure in a corner, fast asleep wrapped in a blanket.
Seeing that Feng Dayong was safe and sound, Xu Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. On this battlefield where every day was uncertain, seeing a familiar figure still alive was always a comforting thing.
Having confirmed Feng Dayong's safety, Xu Mo turned and headed towards the fortress construction area. In just over thirty hours, the construction progress here was astonishing. What had been merely a deep pit and foundation now housed a cylindrical building approximately seven meters tall, exhibiting a distinct inverted cone shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. However, it was not yet complete.
The rough, solid, gray-black reinforced concrete shells, devoid of any fancy decorations, stand silently, exuding a reassuring sense of weight and undeniable defensive power.
Xu Mo was carefully observing these fortresses that would become their "home" for the next two months when he suddenly sensed a gaze upon him. He turned around abruptly and saw Feng Dayong, who had woken up at some point, standing at the entrance of the rest area, looking at him with a complex expression.
Xu Mo waved in greeting, and Feng Dayong strode over, his face still showing signs of sleepiness, but his eyes were wide awake. He leaned closer to Xu Mo, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of lingering fear, "Brother Xu, you're finally back. Yesterday, while you were away, something terrible happened up front; the defensive positions almost collapsed."
"Oh?" Xu Mo's gaze sharpened, signaling him to continue.
Feng Dayong looked around and lowered his voice even further: "Starting yesterday afternoon, I don't know what happened, but the ruins were like a floodgate had been opened, with countless zombies pouring out in a torrent, more than ever before. There were also quite a few of those incredibly fast and agile zombies inside, and the firepower on the position almost couldn't hold up. Fortunately, the landmines that the drones had laid earlier played a big role, blowing up quite a few, otherwise we might have really been overwhelmed by them."
He took a breath, a hint of unease on his face: "When we withdrew this morning, we heard that not only our side, but several other positions were also breached last night, with some zombies breaking through the defenses and escaping to the outer perimeter. I reckon that those zombies we encountered on the outer perimeter earlier might have leaked out from inside even earlier."
Xu Mo listened quietly; Feng Dayong's words confirmed his observations and guesses along the way. The pressure on the core defense line was indeed increasing rapidly, and breaches had even appeared. The official emergency reinforcement of troops and accelerated construction of fortifications were clearly in response to this deteriorating situation.
"The situation seems more serious than we imagined," Xu Mo said in a deep voice.
"Who says otherwise!" Feng Dayong sighed. "Brother Xu, be very careful when you go to that fortress. That place is right at the very front."
"I will." Xu Mo nodded. "Brother Feng, please take care of yourself here."
After exchanging a few more words, Xu Mo, seeing that it was almost time, apologized to Feng Dayong and turned to head to the designated location to participate in the training for the fortress garrison personnel.
The training was held in a relatively intact factory building. When Xu Mo arrived, there were already more than forty people inside. He glanced around and found that most of them were solemn-looking soldiers with upright postures. Only eight or nine survivors like himself were scattered among the crowd. Each of them had a sharp and capable aura and keen eyes, and were obviously carefully selected experts.
After waiting for about ten minutes, a middle-aged officer with the rank of major and a sharp, capable demeanor strode in. He stood before the makeshift podium, his gaze sweeping across the room like lightning, and introduced himself in a booming voice: "My name is Chu Wei, and I am the direct person in charge of this 'Forward Observation Post' project. Welcome everyone, and thank you for choosing to undertake this arduous and important mission."
After a brief opening, Major Chu got straight to the point. He first took out the roster and called roll to confirm everyone was present. Then, he began to announce each person's assignment.
Major Chu read out the name, "Xu Mo."
"Here!" Xu Mo stood up and answered.
"Assigned to area C-7, fort number 07. Approximately 30 meters behind the original C-07 position."
"Yes!" Xu Mo understood; it was indeed the area he had previously defended. His familiarity with the terrain was a slight advantage.
With assignments completed, the training officially began. Major Chu first clarified their core responsibilities: observation and recording.
"Your primary task is not to kill the enemy, but to observe and record the frequency, number, type, and activity patterns of zombies. Any abnormal phenomena, such as unusual sounds or halos, must be recorded in detail."
"Any abnormalities must be reported at least once a day via radio." A detailed observation record must be submitted no later than every two days. Communication equipment must be kept operational, and batteries must be charged alternately to ensure constant contact.
His tone turned unusually serious: "If any fortress fails to transmit any signal or respond to headquarters' calls for three consecutive days, that is, six days in a row, then command will determine that the fortress has fallen. The corresponding mission rewards will naturally also..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
Next, he introduced the mission cycle and supply arrangements.
"The initial deployment period is tentatively set for two months. After two months, rotation can be carried out depending on the situation. Each rotation will be accompanied by a standard supply of provisions via helicopter or armored transport. In case of special circumstances, emergency supplies can also be requested, but sufficient reasons are required."
"After the two-month term expires, if a rotation is needed, personnel are usually brought back by helicopter rappelling or short-distance landing, and new garrison personnel are added at the same time."
After saying this, Major Chu emphasized, "Please rest assured, the fortress we built adopts the highest standard of defensive design. The main structure is high-strength reinforced concrete, with an average thickness of 1.5 meters. The top and key parts are even thicker, which can withstand the bombardment of heavy artillery and the impact of conventional bombs. Safety is absolutely guaranteed."
Major Chu Wei paused, then added a detail: "Furthermore, for security reasons, there will be no regular gate at the bottom of the fortress. Instead, there will only be a single entrance blocked with trapezoidal bricks, allowing only one person to pass at a time. This exit is strictly prohibited except in special circumstances, and leaving the fortress without authorization is strictly forbidden."
Hearing this, Xu Mo's heart skipped a beat. That last sentence sounded more like a reminder than a demand. But thinking about it, it made sense; who would go out surrounded by zombies?
Finally, the staff handed out a form to everyone, asking them to fill in their needs for additional supplies and suggestions for the facilities inside the fortress. Xu Mo glanced at the form and mainly filled in his requirements for AWM sniper rifle ammunition, 7.62mm rifle rounds, 12-gauge shotgun shells, and some high-explosive grenades. He did not make any special requests regarding the fortress facilities.
The first day of training concluded in a serious atmosphere. The second day featured specialized training on the use of wireless equipment, including how to operate and debug communication radios, as well as procedures for encrypted communication.
The next few days consisted of some basic training, which Xu Mo found quite interesting.
After the training, it was time to wait for the fortress to be completed and the equipment to be installed and debugged.
Taking advantage of this free time, Xu Mo made a special trip to his assigned area, C-07. In the distance, a peculiar building came into view. It stood alone on a cleared open space behind the position, its somber concrete color almost blending into the leaden sky, exuding a silent and resolute aura.
As Xu Mo drew closer, the building's form became increasingly clear and its uniqueness became more apparent. Its base had a relatively small diameter, estimated at seven or eight meters, but its overall outline did not rise vertically. Instead, it expanded outwards and tilted upwards in a powerful arc, forming a distinctly inverted trapezoidal structure, resembling the heavy altar of some ancient civilization. This design, which defied conventional architectural intuition, was clearly intended to maximize its stability, effectively deflecting and dispersing impacts from the front.
At the top of this robust and imposing inverted trapezoidal main body is a huge circular platform that cantilevered outwards, with a diameter significantly exceeding that of the main body base and an area of sixty or seventy square meters.
The fortress was estimated to be over twenty-five meters tall, far exceeding the framework of most of the remaining factory buildings around it. This height made it stand out starkly against the ruins. Xu Mo immediately realized that this was no arbitrary height. Considering the previous massive floods and the threat of aquatic mutants, building the fortress to such a height clearly indicated that Jiangcheng had learned from its mistakes and was preparing for potential future extreme hydrological disasters, ensuring that the observation post would remain functional even during floods, providing a panoramic view of the battlefield.
"A fortress wearing a big hat." Xu Mo looked up at the pragmatic building, deeply moved. The designer abandoned all unnecessary embellishments, investing all the budget and time into "solidity" and "function." The astonishing stability brought by the inverted trapezoidal structure, the visibility and flood protection provided by the 25-meter height, and the firepower advantage given by the wide platform on top—all of this was for one purpose: to take root in this deadly land for a long time.
Xu Mo stretched out his hand, his palm pressed against the cold, rough concrete wall that even bore the marks of the pouring formwork.
A heavy, grounded feeling came from my palm, as if I could feel the unwavering power contained within this massive body, enough to withstand any impact.
For the next two months, this silent concrete tower will be his hard shell against all external dangers, as well as his absolutely private space for focused cultivation, allowing him to peer into the eerie ruins that have devoured countless lives, like a periscope.
The waiting time wasn't long; a few days later, Xu Mo received a notification that he could move into Fortress C-07.
In fact, Xu Mo had been observing these past few days and had a good idea of what was going on, because the equipment in the core area had begun to be moved out in an orderly manner.
With his equipment, Xu Mo arrived at Fortress C-07, where the staff were already waiting.
Upon Xu Mo's arrival, the staff verified his identity and, after confirming it was correct, gestured to him to the massive, trapezoidal concrete block embedded from the inside out at the bottom, which was the entrance to the fortress.
Inside the entrance, a sturdy rope ladder is fixed in place, extending upwards into the interior. Next to it, a hand-cranked hydraulic jacking device is installed, clearly used to connect the trapezoidal bricks and seal the entrance from the inside.
"I'll take you upstairs to familiarize you with the internal structure and equipment, and then we'll proceed with the final sealing," the staff member said.
Xu Mo nodded, then followed the staff, one in front and one behind, climbing the rope ladder into the interior of the fortress.
Just as Xu Mo had seen, the space here was about sixty square meters, and it was rationally divided into an observation area, a warehouse, a living area, and an equipment room.
The observation area occupied the largest area, with multiple carefully designed observation ports equipped with bulletproof metal shields distributed along the circular walls. In the corner were a communication radio and the laptop computer, which was presented to Xu Mo as a "future investment." The staff explained that it was for use after network access was established, and he could also use it for leisure in his spare time.
The warehouse is located next to the observation area, and some basic supplies have already been piled up on the shelves: sealed food, drinking water, medicine, tools, and weapon and ammunition boxes, including some AWM sniper rounds and shotgun shells that Xu Mo applied for.
The living area includes a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.
The equipment room houses a low-noise diesel generator and stored fuel. Surprisingly, it also features a wall-mounted air conditioner, clearly designed to cope with extreme weather and ensure the equipment operates at a suitable temperature.
Small holes were cleverly designed into the walls of all the rooms for ventilation and to aid in observation, ensuring airflow without sacrificing defensive strength.
"The basic living facilities are complete, and we are self-sufficient in water and electricity. As long as we have enough fuel and food, we can stay here for a long time without any problems," the staff member explained.
After the tour, the two descended the rope ladder back to the bottom entrance. A staff member gestured to Xu Mo, "Now, please operate from the inside to seal off the entrance."
Xu Mo understood, grabbed the cold hand-cranked hydraulic lever, and began to turn it forcefully. With a slight "buzzing" sound from the hydraulic device, powerful force was transmitted through the push rod to the heavy trapezoidal brick, pushing it to move smoothly and firmly along the slide rail. Finally, with a soft "click," it was perfectly embedded in the outer wall, flush with the outer concrete surface, almost invisible from the outside, and firmly locked in place from the inside.
"Blocking complete," Xu Mo called out.
"Received! Good luck!" came a muffled reply from outside.
At this moment, this fortress, numbered C-07, truly became a completely enclosed, independent world belonging only to Xu Mo.
He climbed back up the rope ladder to the main living area at the top, then folded it up and secured the bottom passageway with a heavy metal cover with a sealing ring.
Having done all this, Xu Mo walked to an observation slit and looked out. He saw that the once bustling temporary base below was now in motion. Squads of combatants and survivors were orderly boarding the buses and transport trucks they had come in on. Armored vehicles and tanks roared and began moving towards the rear road. The dismantling of tents and the removal of remaining supplies were all done efficiently and without disorder, clearly indicating that the evacuation plan had been meticulously prepared long ago.
The once bustling front lines, filled with the sounds of gunfire and the clamor of voices, are being rapidly "cleared" at a visible pace. The noise recedes like the tide, leaving behind a deathly silence and a few concrete bunkers, like C-07, standing alone on the edge of the ruins.
Xu Mo stood inside the fortress, silently observing everything through the cold firing ports. He had become one of the last guardians of this land that was gradually being "abandoned."
His career in the fortress has officially begun.
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