frightfiction Chapter 10 Meeting
Chapter 10 Meeting
The hospital's small auditorium was now packed with over 400 survivors and 100 soldiers and police officers, except for those on guard duty. The survivors whispered amongst themselves, unsure of what was happening, but sensing that something significant was about to occur. Zheng Yong stepped to the front: "Please be quiet, everyone. Faced with the increasingly tense situation, our senior staff has reached a conclusion through discussions. We must change our current chaotic management model. This is not only about better managing you survivors, but also about better planning for us soldiers and police officers. Furthermore, to ensure our survival, we are prepared to release some intelligence we possess. Please welcome Lieutenant Colonel Li Chenglong, former captain of the Xiaolong detachment of the Qianlong Special Forces Brigade at the East China Sea Base."
Li Chenglong stepped onto the stage: "First, let me state two rules. First, anyone who is absent from this meeting, except for military and police personnel on duty or those unable to attend due to injury or illness, is excluded from our team. Second, please keep the meeting quiet. Because of the zombie outbreak, we cannot speak too loudly. However, what I am about to say is very important, so please listen attentively. Okay, you have 15 minutes to inform those who are absent. After 15 minutes, the doors will be closed immediately. Anyone who is absent will be considered to have forfeited." After Li Chenglong finished speaking, he checked his watch and huddled together with Yun Lan, Zheng Yong, and Wang Yousheng.
The audience below the stage first engaged in a heated discussion, then some immediately ran out, apparently to fetch reinforcements. Zheng Yong said, "The satellite phone isn't working either. Could it be a problem with the communications satellite? This means we can't contact Jinghai Base." Li Chenglong said, "Given the current situation, it's incredibly difficult for us to reach Jinghai Base with such a small force. We have no transportation, insufficient security, and we have to cross over 300 kilometers, encountering countless zombies, zombie beasts, and other strange creatures along the way. We can only take it one step at a time and focus on strengthening ourselves first." Zheng Yong also chimed in, "I just discussed it with Deputy Captain Wang, and we've decided that Li..." "Captain, you should lead us. Not only are you exceptionally skilled, but you're also from a top-tier unit like Xiaolong. Leading us is absolutely no problem. I just met with most of the people in the Second Company, and they all agreed." Li Chenglong was about to wave his hand to refuse when Deputy Captain Wang Yousheng immediately added, "Brother Li, don't refuse. In this critical moment, we can only rely on you. Please don't refuse and lead us to survive." At this moment, Yun Lan also said, "That's right, Brother Long, just agree. Now that Xiaolong is gone, you should bring out an even stronger unit."
Li Chenglong didn't hesitate or pretend: "Since everyone thinks so highly of me, I'll do it. But my strength alone is limited, so please help me. Let's fight the zombies together." Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng immediately nodded in agreement. Li Chenglong pulled Yun Lan aside: "What did you call me just now?" Yun Lan smiled mischievously: "Brother Long, how about that? It's a good way to address you, isn't it? Calling me Brother Li is too cloying, calling me Captain is too formal, and Brother Li isn't good either." Li Chenglong immediately said: "You can't call me that, it makes me sound like some kind of leader." "Back then, when we were surrounded, you were shot for me. We all thought you were going to die. I told you then that if I could go back alive, I would marry no one but you. But later, when I was discharged from the hospital, I heard that you had died from your injuries. I couldn't find you anywhere, and even the registration information at the base was gone. Do you know how I've been these past year?" Yun Lan said, pinching Li Chenglong's arm. Li Chenglong then recalled what happened back then: "I really felt like I was going to sacrifice myself, that's why I said those things." But seeing Yunlan's slightly red and moist eyes, he immediately said, "Then let's work together to survive. Once we've defeated these monsters and society is stable, I'll marry you." Yunlan immediately smiled: "It's a promise! No going back on your word. Don't let too many girls be eyeing you and making you dizzy." Li Chenglong said seriously, "A man's word is his bond."
Just as Li Chenglong and his group were talking, the bell rang in the small auditorium. Li Chenglong glanced at his watch; the time was up. He ordered the guards to close the auditorium doors. Just then, they saw several people running towards them, panting. The guards initially wanted to wait a little longer. Li Chenglong said, "Close the doors immediately! If you can't even obey orders, then there's no point in talking about anything else." The guards, ignoring the shouts from outside, locked the doors. Li Chenglong walked to the stage: "Most of our team is here. We will provide protection for those outside, but there will be no preferential treatment. Okay, let's begin the meeting. Please be quiet." Seeing the doors close, the people in the hall realized Li Chenglong truly meant what he said, and they all fell silent.
Li Chenglong organized his thoughts: "I always believe in the saying, 'Heaven helps those who help themselves.' It is very dangerous for a person to completely entrust their life to others. Therefore, we will teach you about the zombie virus, zombies, and other related knowledge. You should remember this well, as it will be related to your life and death. First, let Officer Yunlan introduce you to the knowledge about the zombie virus, zombies, zombie beasts, and alien beasts."
Yun Lan walked to the podium, gave a spirited salute, her phoenix eyes bright and piercing, her unadorned face dignified and beautiful. Her 1.75-meter figure appeared even more slender in her combat uniform, and due to her awakened powers, she possessed an ethereal aura, eliciting screams from the audience. Some men even exclaimed, "My god, is a fairy descending from heaven?!" drawing laughter from the crowd. Yun Lan narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, releasing a small fireball that flew towards a whistling, lecherous fat man, who immediately screamed in fright. However, after Yun Lan's move, the hall immediately fell silent.
Yunlan began, “The earliest recorded discovery of the zombie virus was in Aozhou 62 days ago, and in our Xia Kingdom, the earliest recorded discovery was in Meng Province 30 days ago. Our preliminary research has shown that this virus can affect almost all living things, many of which are negative, though some are positive. For example, many superhumans mutated after being infected with the zombie virus, and some animals have also turned into terrifying beasts. However, most will become zombies and zombie beasts. The virus can spread through bodily fluids and water, but it can also be transmitted in high concentrations in the air. Therefore, we must be careful with water safety and take precautions against being injured by zombies. Based on the Command's documents, we have currently classified zombies, zombie beasts, alien beasts, and our human superhumans into 12 levels. Besides superhumans, zombies and zombie beasts will differ in eye color, appearance, and abilities depending on their level, but due to the limited research time, this data is not yet complete. There is currently not much research data on alien beasts.”
After Yunlan and the others digested the information for a little over a minute, she continued, "There's a chance that killing zombies will drop crystals. There are eight levels of crystals: white, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. Different levels of crystals have different uses, but the highest level we've seen so far is only green. Just be aware of this. Superhumans can level up by killing zombies, zombie beasts, and other strange beasts. It's a bit like the post-apocalyptic novels we read. Superhumans level up to improve their attributes and abilities, but zombies can also level up by killing humans. There's also a type of human with abilities higher than superhumans, called Awakened Ones. Awakened Ones are extremely rare. According to the information we have, there's probably only a one in ten thousand chance of an Awakened One appearing. Captain Li Chenglong, his sister, and I are Awakened Ones."
Upon hearing this, the hundreds of survivors began to murmur amongst themselves. "No wonder Captain Li and the others are so powerful, they're Awakened Ones! I'm so envious!" said a teenager. A girl with a flamboyant, tattooed hairstyle exclaimed, her eyes shining, "Captain Li is so strong and handsome! I want to marry you and have your babies!" A middle-aged man added, "I wish I could become a superhuman too, then I could protect myself." Many others agreed. Several middle school students shouted, "Sister Xue'er, Sister Yunlan, we're your fans! Please look this way, can we take a picture together later?"
The discussion lasted for five minutes. Yunlan couldn't wait any longer and added a mental energy to her voice: "Quiet, let me finish." Although the voice with the added mental energy wasn't loud, it seemed to resonate in everyone's minds, and the discussion in the hall immediately quieted down. Yunlan continued, "According to our data, ability users of the same level can resist zombies infected with the same level of virus. For example, if you are a level one ability user, you won't be infected if an ordinary zombie injures you, but you will be infected if a level two zombie injures you. Also, crystals can be used to make bullets for zombies and serum to resist zombie infection. However, we can't manufacture these things with our current conditions. As for the serum, we can make it. We've already asked Academician An Qingyuan, the director of the First People's Hospital and one of the leading authorities on infectious diseases in China, and several of his students to work on it. But this will take time. We'll let you know when the serum is ready." This statement caused a huge stir, and the discussion among the survivors became even more intense. The ability of ability users to be immune to the zombie virus, and the possibility of making a zombie virus serum, was undoubtedly a bombshell for both ability users and ordinary survivors.
Immediately, many people raised their hands to ask questions, but Yunlan said, "I can roughly guess what your questions are. I'll ask Captain Li Chenglong to answer them for you right away." After saying that, she went down and sat down with Li Xue. Li Chenglong walked to the front of the stage: "I know what you want to ask, but let me finish speaking first, and you'll probably understand. I just heard from Company Commander Zheng that our search team rescued more than 50 survivors at noon, so we now have nearly 500 survivors. Our soldiers, armed police, criminal police, and police officers combined only have a total of 100 people. Normally, 100 of us would be enough to protect 500 of you, but this is the apocalypse. We need people every day to send out survivor search teams, supply search teams, and build fortifications, etc. So we are currently very short of personnel. Therefore, if you have any requests to join these teams, you can come here to sign up when you leave. We welcome you and will do our best to protect you."
Li Chenglong paused and then said, "Secondly, to improve your self-defense capabilities, I will have Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo teach you various fighting techniques and movement methods. Anyone willing to learn can come to the parking lot in the back of the hospital at 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM every day. We have already cleared that area, which can accommodate two hundred people. The two instructors will be responsible for teaching everyone. Everyone is welcome to come and learn. Also, anyone with a skill such as car repair, nursing, bricklaying, or wall building can register with Officer Yun Qian later. From now on, we will implement a system of more work, more pay; less work, less pay; and no work will only provide a basic daily guarantee of food and other supplies. We will give points for everyone's work. Points can be exchanged for various rare supplies. When the serum becomes available, those with higher points will be able to receive it first. However, those under 10 years old and over 65 years old can be ignored. We will also provide special supplies to these special groups unless they help voluntarily."
Before the survivors could even begin to discuss, Li Chenglong immediately said, "Many people might question why we're doing this. Let me explain. According to our reconnaissance team's report, the road to our nearest base, Jinghai, is almost entirely teeming with zombies and many zombie beasts. For us, going there would be like lambs to the slaughter. So we'll definitely have to stay in the hospital for a while, but our supplies are limited. This is the only way during this special period, so please understand. Okay, everyone, please understand. Those who want to sign up can wait until we leave and meet with officers Yunqian and Wang Shuang. Now, everyone except those with superpowers can leave."
As soon as Li Chenglong finished speaking, he, Yun Lan, Li Xue, and Zheng Yong sat down at the table at the front of the auditorium to wait for the survivors to leave. Ten minutes later, only the eight soldiers and the ten superhuman survivors remained. Li Chenglong had them sit together and used his True Eye to scan them, discovering five Power Awakeners, four Speed Awakeners, two Fire Awakeners, four Wind Awakeners, and two each of Water and Earth Awakeners. Li Chenglong said to the ten superhuman survivors, "I want to gather the superhumans together to form a team, to provide them with specialized training and education, and to impart the knowledge of superhuman abilities to them. However, once you join our team, you cannot leave at will. If you cannot accept this, you can leave now."
The ten superhumans looked at each other, but none of them left. Li Chenglong smiled and said, "Since you trust me, I will train them. I don't expect you to be able to wreak havoc, but at least you'll be able to better protect yourselves." He then slowly shared the knowledge about superhumans that Long Ling had taught him. An hour later, Li Chenglong announced a temporary dismissal. After everyone had left, Yun Lan came over and took Li Chenglong's arm, asking, "How were those superhumans?" Seeing Yun Lan with her brother's arm, Li Xue also went over and took Li Chenglong's other arm, pouting at Yun Lan. Yun Lan giggled and went over to tickle Li Xue, and the two immediately began to playfully tease each other. Li Chenglong felt a little awkward facing Zheng Yong, but then he thought of something: "Company Commander Zheng, could you gather all the soldiers and police together for a short meeting? It's evening now, the zombies shouldn't be so active. Let's have a quick meeting, I have something important to say." Zheng Yong nodded: "Don't call me Company Commander Zheng anymore. I'm five years older than you. If you don't mind, just call me Old Zheng. I'll arrange it personally right away. We'll meet in the conference room on the fourth floor in five minutes. That conference room should be big enough for 100 people." Li Chenglong said: "Okay, Old Zheng, that's the arrangement." Zheng Yong then quickly walked out with his adjutant.
Li Chenglong looked at Yunlan and Li Xue, who were still playing around, walked over and slapped them twice on their buttocks, then pulled them towards the conference room.