Chapter 16: Grow!

"From today on, you will undergo our training until you are ready to join us on missions." When Guo Zijiang slowly regained consciousness, these were the last words Zhao Qiang left behind before departing. He found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment—it looked just like a prison, and indeed, it was a prison.

The significance of the Jianglu Machinery Plant far exceeded anyone's imagination. Beyond its known weapons production lines, there existed a magnificent and hidden underground bunker—an air-raid shelter—whose strategic value far surpassed that of the prison itself.

After reinforcing the outer perimeter of the Jianglu Machinery Plant, the strike team had been dedicated to mapping the vast extent of this shelter. Over the past 48 hours, the team, equipped with flamethrowers, had ultimately abandoned the idea of exploring the entire complex in a single go.

In the late 1960s, under slogans like "Dig deep tunnels, store grain everywhere," our predecessors had used their blood and sweat to forge this impregnable underground fortress. It was unimaginable how such a monumental structure could have been completed under the conditions of that era, without heavy machinery, relying entirely on human labor to carry and haul every stone and beam.

The areas already scouted by the team were sufficient to house tens of thousands of people. With its labyrinthine network of tunnels, the team had nearly lost their way in this subterranean maze. Warehouses, hospitals, and residential quarters—the entire shelter was like an underground city, having spent years in silent slumber until the moment people arrived to reveal the heroic feat of their forebears to the youth of today.

"We should consider relocating here!" During the briefing, Zhao Qiang shared his decision with everyone. The environment at the Jianglu Machinery Plant was essentially the prison site, but expanded several times over with an added underground city. In normal times, everyone could live freely on the surface, where vast tracts of land could even be developed for agriculture; yet, should danger arise, they could calmly retreat into the subterranean city.

"Have you considered the issue of the sand worms?" Meng Longwei was also very satisfied with the environment, but after the terrifying incident in the subway tunnels, he felt compelled to re-examine the plan. If they weren't careful, a single sand worm could turn this underground sanctuary into a tomb of reinforced concrete.

"We have already considered that," Zhao Qiang replied. "Over the past 48 hours, we have detected no anomalies within the shelter. Furthermore, we can establish monitoring stations to keep watch on the surrounding underground environment. We will have sufficient time for early warning and evacuation long before any sand worm approaches."

"Deng Sen, what do you think?" Zhao Qiang looked toward Deng Sen. In a sense, the Jianglu Machinery Plant was Deng Sen's territory. Since his change in role, Deng Sen had become somewhat reticent. The base had not treated him or his brothers poorly; instead, they had moved past previous grievances to clean up the mess he left behind and even invited him to the meeting—a gesture that left him feeling both grateful and somewhat awkward.

Deng Sen wondered how the base would react if he said "no," but the sense of justice and magnanimity displayed by the leadership left him with no hesitation. "Me? I have no objections," he blurted out. He had never imagined he would attend a meeting of the base's management, let alone be consulted after the Jianglu Machinery Plant had become a ghost town. Thinking of the air-raid shelter, he realized that if only he had noticed it sooner, the losses might not have been so devastating.

Watching Deng Lei, who stood beside him, nod in silent relief, Zhao Qiang knew the final potential obstacle had vanished. He clapped his hands gently and said, "It is settled then. Old Meng, you are responsible for conveying this news and organizing everyone for the move. Brother Wei, the Tiger Squad is under your command from now on; you are responsible for the security throughout the relocation process."

Zhao Qiang assigned tasks methodically, and everything felt perfectly natural. No one felt the slightest resentment toward him for taking charge. Meng Longwei and Wei Tao were even pleased; previously, Zhao Qiang had always been evasive, avoiding everything except his mandatory daily tasks, which had been a source of headache for both of them for quite some time.

...

Two hours earlier.

"Brother, may you rest in peace." In a corner of the prison, Zhao Qiang stood before a makeshift tombstone, his head bowed in solemnity. In his hand, he held a bunch of nameless yellow wildflowers, and on the ground in front of the grave, three cigarettes, burned down to the filters, were laid out neatly.

"Have you been here long?" Wei Tao's voice sounded from behind him. This was the resting place of their fallen comrades. Beneath the new marker, A-Wei, who had passed away just days ago, lay in silent slumber.

Zhao Qiang did not move. Wei Tao lit three cigarettes and placed them gently before A-Wei's marker. "If it were me, I would have done the same."

Zhao Qiang understood what Wei Tao meant. In that situation, the only thing that could be done was to help a brother end his suffering, preventing a comrade as close as family from turning into a mindless zombie. It was a pact the team had made long ago: it was better to die at the hands of a brother than to become a zombie, allowing them to depart with human dignity.

An agreement is one thing, but carrying it out is quite another. To kill his closest comrade with his own hands—Zhao Qiang had used every ounce of his strength just to pull a trigger that required only the slightest pressure. Whenever things grew quiet, Zhao Qiang would come here alone to keep A-Wei company in silence.

"If I hadn't underestimated the enemy, none of this would have happened," Zhao Qiang said quietly, still motionless.

"I would rather choose to leave this world as a human being than become a mindless, wandering corpse after death, with my soul never finding peace," Wei Tao's tone remained cold. "If you truly feel remorse, then you should think about those who are still alive. Think about what you must do to ensure they live better lives, so they never have to live under the shadow of death."

"Those who are still alive?"

"That's right. Everyone alive in this base! Your wife, your comrades, everyone here. We still live under the threat of zombies. We need you; we need you to pull yourself together. If A-Wei's spirit is watching, he wouldn't want to see you like this! Grow up, Zhao Qiang. Stop running away."

After a long silence, Zhao Qiang finally raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on the horizon. Wei Tao was right; if he gave up now, A-Wei's death would be meaningless. As long as a single zombie remained in this world, the battle would not end. He had to fight for the people still living by his side!

"Thank you, Wei Tao. Please help me gather everyone for a meeting. I have an announcement to make. I'll be there shortly!"