Chapter 118 - 95: G627

Chapter 118: Chapter 95: G627

The next day, after finishing his morning workout, Xu Mo drove straight to the small courtyard house he was renting.

Pushing open the slightly worn gate, he surveyed the courtyard and nodded in approval. The yard, which had seemed a bit messy yesterday, had now been given a simple cleaning. The weeds were pulled, and while the ground was still dirt, it was much flatter. Most importantly, the roof of the detached kitchenette had been replaced with new, neatly arranged tiles of a slightly darker color. The dilapidated, leaky look was gone.

’Good efficiency,’ Xu Mo praised inwardly. It seemed his Contribution Points hadn’t been spent in vain; the repair team the agent found had indeed finished the job by last night.

He was scheduled to carry out his first Hunter mission tomorrow, so today was a rare day of leisure. Xu Mo didn’t waste any time. He first went to a nearby market and used his Contribution Points to buy some necessary living supplies.

After putting away his purchases, Xu Mo drove his SUV into the small courtyard and parked it. Then, he began moving all of his supplies, as well as the "door," into the west-side bedroom. From now on, this would be his exclusive supply warehouse and his most important secret hideout.

The main reason Xu Mo had chosen to rent this house with a courtyard was to find a safe, permanent place for the "door." Keeping it in his vehicle was convenient for mobility, but it wasn’t secure enough and could easily be damaged or discovered by accident.

After setting up the "door," Xu Mo glanced at the invisible countdown timer above the frame—it was still firmly stuck at [00:00:00]. He took a deep breath, gripped the handle, and gently pushed it open.

Behind the door was the same familiar environment and neatly stacked supplies. It was as if time didn’t pass on the other side.

Confirming that everything was normal and that his ability to open the door hadn’t been affected by the change in location, Xu Mo closed it, feeling relieved.

In the afternoon, a light, drizzling rain began to fall again. Xu Mo didn’t mind. In fact, he felt his mind grow calmer amidst the sound of the rain.

However, the rain showed no sign of stopping, continuing its soft, steady drizzle until the next morning. Looking at the gray sky and the endless strands of rain outside his window, Xu Mo frowned slightly. A rainy day for his first mission—the slippery environment and limited visibility would undoubtedly increase the difficulty and risk of the operation.

He put on his combat suit and military boots and checked his equipment. This time, Xu Mo didn’t bring the AWM. He only equipped himself with an AK-47 assault rifle, a TT-33 pistol, a Mountain-Cutting Saber, and the corresponding ammunition. In his tactical backpack, besides basic survival supplies, he had also quietly packed two offensive grenades for emergencies.

Arriving at the assembly plaza outside the west gate, he found no fewer than two hundred Scavengers already gathered. The crowd was clearly divided. Some clustered in groups of three or five, talking in low voices—obviously established squads. Others, like Xu Mo, stood alone in the rain, silent. Most of them were solo operators like him or temporary fill-ins.

Xu Mo found the registration point with a sign that read "Cooperative Cleanup - Red Star Industrial Zone" and presented his Identity Card to check in. A military clerk in a raincoat verified his information on a tablet device, then handed him an orange armband printed with "G6" and a disposable poncho.

"G6 area. Put on the armband. Get on the bus marked G6 in a bit. Here’s a poncho, decide for yourself if you want to wear it." The staff member spoke quickly, having clearly repeated this countless times.

Xu Mo said thanks and took the items. He was slightly surprised as he looked at the thin but well-sealed disposable poncho in his hand. He hadn’t expected a Jiang City mission to provide such basic benefits. Although it wasn’t worth much, the detail showed the organizers’ thoughtfulness.

Xu Mo noticed that many of the surrounding Scavengers simply stuffed the ponchos into their backpacks after receiving them instead of putting them on right away. He didn’t know if it was because they thought the rain wasn’t heavy enough to bother, or if they planned to save them to sell or use later. After a moment’s thought, Xu Mo also folded the poncho and put it in his backpack. His combat suit already had some water-resistant properties, so he didn’t need it for now.

Around 8:10, the low, dense roar of engines echoed from the distance. Soon, a massive convoy emerged from the rain-swept curtain, slowly pulling into the assembly plaza.

The convoy’s composition was impressive. Leading the way were over twenty main battle tanks painted in camouflage, their cannons held high. Following them were dozens of armored personnel carriers and wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, with soldiers manning the machine gun posts on their roofs. Further back was a long line of canvas-covered military trucks and more than twenty buses.

The trucks were filled with soldiers. They wore uniform raincoats and held standard-issue rifles, their expressions solemn and their gazes sharp. They sat silently in the vehicles, exuding a focused intensity.

Looking at the well-equipped, highly disciplined regular army, and then at the motley, undisciplined group of Scavengers with their varied gear and expressions, Xu Mo gained a very direct understanding of the difference between a "professional army" and a "ragtag army." It wasn’t just a gap in equipment; it was a complete domination in terms of organization, discipline, and spirit.

"All personnel who have accepted the cooperative cleanup mission, board the vehicles according to your armband numbers. Immediately." A military officer with a megaphone issued the order, his voice booming.

A stir went through the crowd as people began to search for their assigned vehicles. Xu Mo quickly found the bus marked with "G6." The driver was a soldier with an expressionless face. He boarded in turn with the other Scavengers who had G6 armbands.

The seats on the bus were reasonably spacious. Xu Mo had just found a window seat when a man in his thirties with an old hunting rifle slung over his back leaned over. He stared at Xu Mo’s AK-47 with a burning gaze, his voice filled with envy.

"Brother, that’s a nice piece of hardware! Standard issue? That stuff isn’t easy to get."

Xu Mo glanced at him and gave a brief, faint nod. "Yeah."

Seeing that Xu Mo didn’t seem interested in talking, the man gave an awkward laugh and didn’t bother him further, though his eyes still occasionally darted toward the polished, well-maintained assault rifle. Among ordinary Scavengers, owning a reliable, standard-issue rifle was indeed a symbol of strength and wealth.

The convoy slowly started up in the light rain and then accelerated, advancing along the cleared main road toward the Red Star Industrial Zone. Because it was a Jiang City convoy, the road was clear, and they were obviously very familiar with the route, so they moved quickly.

Xu Mo gazed out through the rain-streaked window. On both sides of the road lay a wilderness soaked by the rain. The silhouettes of abandoned villages and towns occasionally appeared and disappeared in the mist, all of it deathly still. The convoy was like an iron dragon, pushing forward steadfastly across the desolate land.

Around noon, the convoy didn’t stop. Instead, logistics personnel moved along the convoy, distributing food—two compressed bread rolls and a bottle of drinking water for each person. Xu Mo took his and ate in silence. The taste was very bland, but it provided energy.

After finishing his food, Xu Mo closed his eyes and feigned sleep, while his ears remained alert to his surroundings. About twenty minutes later, he heard someone next to him say in a low voice, "Look, that’s Fourth Forward Base up ahead."

Hearing this, Xu Mo opened his eyes and looked. Through the curtain of rain, a forward base similar in layout to the Sixth Forward Base appeared ahead, complete with walls, pillboxes, and watchtowers—a heavily fortified position. However, the convoy didn’t enter the base, instead driving past its perimeter and continuing deeper into the industrial zone.

Xu Mo also noticed a number of assorted civilian vehicles—mostly pickups and SUVs—trailing the convoy’s flanks and rear. The people inside were also mostly dressed as Scavengers. It seemed these were survivors who had taken on missions in the same or a nearby direction, choosing to follow the official convoy to take advantage of its powerful armed escort for a safe journey.

By evening, the sky had grown darker, but the rain showed no sign of letting up. The G6 bus Xu Mo was on, along with several other buses with different letter codes and some of the trailing civilian vehicles, split off from the main convoy at a fork in the road and turned onto a secondary highway.

Xu Mo’s spirits lifted; he knew they were nearing their destination. He looked around and saw that seven or eight other vehicles had also made the turn. They were likely all personnel assigned to this sector.

The bus rumbled along the slippery, muddy road for another twenty-plus minutes before a massive complex of factory buildings appeared ahead. Factories of varying heights, warehouses, and office buildings stood clustered together. Many windows were broken, and the walls were covered with stains and climbing vines, looking particularly dilapidated and grim in the rain. This was the outer area of the Red Star Industrial Zone.

The vehicles stopped in a relatively open, paved area that seemed to have once been a parking lot. Everyone disembarked in an orderly fashion.

After getting off the bus, Xu Mo saw that a squad of about twenty soldiers was already waiting. They had set up a few simple rain shelters and established a temporary perimeter.

A second lieutenant stood under one of the shelters, watching the hundred or so Scavengers who were gradually gathering. He raised a megaphone, his voice carrying clearly across the area.

"Attention, everyone! I am the field commander for this cleanup operation in the G sector periphery, Wang Lei."

"First, we will distribute rations for tonight and tomorrow morning." Soldiers began handing out several packs of compressed biscuits and energy bars to each person.

"Second, each of you will receive a walkie-talkie, tuned to a designated encrypted channel. This is your only means of communication with each other and with our command post. Be sure to take good care of it. They must be returned after the mission. If one is damaged, you will be required to pay for it."

Xu Mo received his rations and a palm-sized military walkie-talkie.

Second Lieutenant Wang Lei continued to issue the mission briefing. "Your mission period is two days and one night, starting at 0600 tomorrow and ending at 1800 the day after."

"Your task is to patrol your assigned sub-zones, find any wandering zombies within the area, and eliminate them. The method of elimination is up to you. You can engage them yourselves, call for support from nearby friendly units, or report to us via walkie-talkie. We will dispatch a quick-reaction team to handle it, depending on the situation!"

"Important reminder: Zombie kills you make yourself will count toward an extra reward after confirmation. If you call for support or we handle it, there will be no extra reward."

"Finally, and most importantly, discipline: Operate strictly within your assigned zones. Do not enter another person’s zone without authorization, and you are absolutely forbidden from venturing deeper into the un-demarcated inner industrial zone! Your armband numbers correspond to specific factory numbers. Stick to your assigned area. I repeat, do not wander off, or you will be responsible for the consequences!"

"Now, we will begin assigning specific sub-zones. When your number is called, come forward to receive a detailed map of your area."

As a soldier called out the numbers, the Scavengers went up one by one. Established squads were usually assigned several adjacent factory areas, while solo operators were randomly assigned.

"G627, Xu Mo."

Xu Mo stepped forward and took a simple, laminated map. A red circle on it marked an area named "Red Star Fifth Precision Machinery Factory." It included three connected factory buildings, a small office building, and a materials yard. This was his mission zone for the next two days—G627.

Xu Mo glanced at the map, then looked up at the silent factory complex shrouded in rain. To his left and right, other solo operators or two-person teams were also receiving maps for adjacent areas.

After a simple nod to each other by way of greeting and an unspoken agreement to provide backup via walkie-talkie if needed, the Scavengers dispersed toward their respective mission zones.

Xu Mo tightened the straps on his gear, took a deep breath of the damp air tinged with the smell of rain and rust, and strode toward the factory named "Red Star Fifth Precision Machinery."

The tall, rusted iron gate was half-open, like the mouth of a great beast waiting for an explorer to enter.