Chapter 119 - 96: Explosion

Chapter 119: Chapter 96: Explosion

The entrance to the Red Star Fifth Precision Machinery Factory opened into a modest concrete courtyard. Directly ahead stood three factory buildings side-by-side. Their roofs were of a common steel frame construction, covered with dark tiles or sheet metal, much of which was now rusted or damaged.

Most of the factory windows were missing their glass, staring like hollow eyes at the intruder, Xu Mo. To the left of the courtyard was a three-story office building, and to the right was a material yard piled with scrap metal and miscellaneous junk.

Xu Mo didn’t know much about fields like machining or manufacturing. Still, he decided to spend some time thoroughly scouting his assigned mission area to ensure there were no hidden threats.

The interior of the first factory was taller and more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The air was thick with the mixed smell of rust, machine oil, and dust. Rows of massive, variously shaped machines stood like slumbering iron beasts.

They were covered in all sorts of marks and rust, but their overall structures seemed more or less intact. Xu Mo saw some machines with huge circular turntables, others with long mechanical arms and complex guide rails. There were still others whose purpose he couldn’t fathom at all, their cold lines exuding the raw power of the industrial age.

The second factory was similar, though the types of machinery seemed different. Some had massive stamping presses, while others were long conveyor belt systems.

The last factory building was piled with semi-finished parts and raw materials, all in a more advanced state of corrosion.

Although he didn’t understand the specifics, Xu Mo could vaguely grasp the value these relatively well-preserved machines represented. They could produce parts, process materials—they were the foundation for rebuilding an industrial system. From repairing vehicles and making tools to producing weapons and ammunition or constructing defensive facilities, none of it would likely be possible without this equipment.

’No wonder Jiang City keeps organizing forces to clear out and reclaim this industrial zone,’ it dawned on Xu Mo. ’If I were one of Jiang City’s leaders, I would never allow such a vast and valuable industrial infrastructure to be occupied and destroyed by zombies and mutated creatures. Reclaiming this place is like holding the key to restoring production capacity. It’s crucial for the shelter’s long-term development.’

Xu Mo carefully inspected every corner of the three factory buildings, even climbing up the steel frames for a quick look around.

Fortunately, he found no trace of zombies in the entire G627 area. It seemed the previous cleanup operations had been effective, or perhaps any wandering zombies just hadn’t happened to come this way.

As Xu Mo continued his patrol, the sky darkened. The rain lessened slightly, turning into a fine drizzle. With no power in the factory complex, the surroundings were pitch-black and dead silent, save for the sound of raindrops tapping on the roofs and the ground, which gave Xu Mo a slightly eerie feeling.

Xu Mo chose an office on the second floor of the office building as his temporary resting spot. It was relatively clean, with a heavy, solid wood desk, a leather swivel chair, and mostly intact windows. He pushed the desk against the door as a simple barricade, then took a sleeping bag and some high-energy food from his backpack for a simple dinner.

The mission didn’t officially start until tomorrow. Tonight was a rare moment of peace. ℴℴ𝘮

The night passed without incident.

The next day, before the sun had risen, the walkie-talkie he’d set aside crackled with static, followed by a clear male voice:

"Attention all personnel in G-series sectors, attention all personnel in G-series sectors. It is now time for supply replenishment. Please proceed to the designated location at the entrance of your respective sectors to collect your basic rations for the next two days. I repeat..."

Xu Mo’s eyes snapped open, devoid of any sleepiness. He packed his gear and walked out of the office building.

The sky was still dark and the rain was still falling, though it had softened to a misty drizzle. When he reached the factory gate, Xu Mo saw a green, waterproof supply crate placed under the eaves of the guardhouse. Opening it, he found a few vacuum-sealed packs of compressed biscuits and two bottles of water—just enough for two days. Taste and nutrition were out of the question; this was purely for survival.

’Saves me the trouble of preparing my own food, I guess,’ Xu Mo grumbled to himself as he stuffed the rations into his backpack.

After collecting the supplies, Xu Mo didn’t start his patrol right away. Instead, he found a relatively open corner that offered some shelter from the rain and began his indispensable morning exercises.

Even though it was an overcast, rainy day, and the ’qi’ between heaven and earth seemed less active than on a sunny day, his persistent cultivation had long since become instinct. A specific breathing rhythm guided his blood and energy, tempering his skin and membranes strand by strand. Though the progress was slow, it was a steady accumulation toward the Iron Bone Realm.

By the time his morning exercises were over, the sky had brightened considerably, though it remained overcast. Xu Mo took a deep breath of the cool, damp air and began his first official day of patrol in the G627 area.

He walked at a steady pace along the factory’s perimeter walls and internal roads, his sharp gaze sweeping over every corner that could conceal a threat. His AK-47 was slung across his chest, his finger hovering over the trigger guard, ready for combat at a moment’s notice.

As he walked, a slightly absurd thought suddenly popped into Xu Mo’s head:

’This feeling... isn’t it a bit like the old security guards back in my old neighborhood? Patrolling on a fixed schedule every day, making sure the area is safe.’

’Tsk, to think that my first "official job" in the apocalypse would be basically the same as a security guard.’

He found it rather amusing himself. Shaking his head, he continued to carry out his "security guard" duties.

Time slowly trickled by in this monotonous yet vigilant patrol.

A little after eight in the morning, as Xu Mo was on patrol—"BOOM!!!!!"

A massive explosion, deep and thunderous yet incredibly piercing, suddenly erupted from the direction of the industrial zone’s core.

The sound was so loud that Xu Mo felt the ground beneath his feet distinctly tremble, and the remaining shards of glass in the factory windows were sent humming.

The explosion wasn’t a single event. It was immediately followed by a series of relatively smaller, but still clear, blasts.

Xu Mo stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the direction of the explosions. That was the deeper part of the industrial zone, far beyond the scope of his peripheral cleanup mission.

He glanced at his watch: 8:15 AM.

’Looks like Jiang City’s cleanup force has started to take on the tough nuts in the industrial zone’s core,’ Xu Mo realized. Such a violent explosion likely meant the use of heavy firepower like artillery or even an airstrike.

He tilted his head up, trying to spot the smoke from the explosion in the gray sky, but he couldn’t see anything besides the lead-gray clouds, perhaps due to the distance or the weather.

The walkie-talkie remained silent. Command had not issued any explanation or instructions regarding the event.

Clearly, the battle in the core zone had nothing to do with peripheral "security guards" like them. Their mission was simply to clean up any scattered zombies that might be stirred up by the explosions and flee, ensuring the safety of the outer areas and creating a relatively stable rear for the main force tackling the central problem.

The distant explosions continued for a while before gradually becoming more sporadic, though they didn’t stop completely. It was as if the battle in the core zone had reached a stalemate or a mop-up phase.

Xu Mo averted his gaze and resumed his patrol.

’It’s getting heated in there, but it’s all quiet on my end. Fine by me, I’m happy to have the peace,’ Xu Mo thought, but he raised his alertness to its highest level. No one knew if the fighting in the core zone might drive something unexpected into the seemingly calm peripheral areas.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Less than half an hour later, another series of continuous, violent explosions erupted from the core of the industrial zone. This time, the din was even greater, as if countless heavy cannons were roaring in unison.

Xu Mo’s brow furrowed tighter. He stopped and cocked his ear, listening to the commotion in the distance.

’The problem in the core zone seems much trickier than I imagined,’ Xu Mo mused. For Jiang City to be pouring in heavy firepower without regard for cost clearly meant they were facing unusually fierce resistance, and perhaps had even encountered an unexpectedly powerful enemy.

Just as Xu Mo was focusing on the sounds—

"WHIRRR—!!!"

A deep, oppressive, and massive engine roar pierced through the rain and the distant cannon fire, coming from high above. The sound was familiar to Xu Mo, extremely similar to the bomber engines he had heard back in Cyan Pine Ridge Town, only this time it seemed more concentrated, suggesting a larger number of aircraft.

He immediately looked up at the gray sky, trying to spot the airborne killers. However, the thick, lead-gray clouds were like a giant curtain, completely obscuring his vision. He could only hear the heart-pounding roar as it circled and drew closer above the cloud cover.

"WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH—!"

A series of sharp, piercing whistles suddenly split the air—the sound of aerial bombs leaving their bays and friction-heating as they accelerated toward the ground.

Xu Mo’s heart involuntarily clenched along with the sound. Although he was in the relatively safe periphery, he could still feel the immense pressure from above.

The next moment—

"RUMBLE—!!!"

The earth shook violently. Even from a considerable distance, Xu Mo felt the ground jump beneath his feet, as if the entire industrial zone was trembling from the blast.

Xu Mo whipped his head toward the core zone, and this time, he saw it. Through the pervasive mist and smoke, a massive cloud of fire and dust churned violently, soaring into the sky. It rose with incredible speed, like a grotesque plant nurtured by rain and explosions, instantly shooting hundreds of meters into the air and staining that patch of sky a dark, grimy red.

The sight was enough to inspire fear, even from such a great distance.

After this devastating bombing, the explosions in the core zone, far from stopping, grew even more intense and frenzied.

Xu Mo stood rooted to the spot, staring at the slowly spreading cloud of death, the continuous roar filling his ears. He couldn’t imagine what kind of hellscape the core zone had become.

"What kind of thing could withstand such intense firepower?" Xu Mo couldn’t help but mutter to himself, his mind filled with shock and doubt.

Was it a zombie horde of unimaginable size? A giant mutant with astonishing defenses that conventional weapons couldn’t harm? Or... something even stranger, something beyond comprehension?

Jiang City was clearly determined to reclaim the Red Star Industrial Zone, committing far more forces than usual. This, in turn, was proof that the threat lurking in the core was also extraordinary.

The current tranquility of his own G627 area formed a stark contrast with the hellish battlefield in the core. But Xu Mo knew this peace was temporary, built upon the bloody sacrifice of Jiang City’s combat troops. There was no guarantee that the flames of war in the core wouldn’t, by some accident, spill over into this seemingly safe periphery.

Perhaps this "security guard’s" job of his wouldn’t stay so quiet for much longer.