Chapter 152 - 144: Only I Can Command This Operation

Chapter 152: Chapter 144: Only I Can Command This Operation

Yu Dong sized up the old man’s physique. While not tall, only around 175cm, he was certainly quite sturdy.

His movements were light and agile.

Yu Dong recalled the decisiveness and force the old man had used when grabbing the person earlier...

"Sir, may I ask your name?"

"Yu Chengfei."

"Hiss~ We share a surname."

"Oh? My ’Yu’ is the one that means ’at.’ Is yours the same, young man?"

"Er... mine means ’surplus.’ In any case, sir, how old are you? And what do you do for a living? You don’t seem like an ordinary person..."

"Me? I just turned sixty this year. I’m a retired teacher. I like to practice with weapons and do some kung fu in my spare time."

"No wonder you’re in such good shape. But for killing zombies... we need to use spears. Do you know how to use one?"

"You’re right, long weapons are a must. Spears... I know a little."

Seeing that the old man, Yu Chengfei, was so enthusiastic and had some real skill, Yu Dong didn’t hesitate and got him a set of gear as well.

Seeing the old man take the initiative, a few more people from the remaining sixty also stepped forward to help.

"I’m a waitress on the ship. Hey handsome, we met in a bar before the apocalypse... I can’t fight, but I can guide you."

"I’m a loader. I’ve got brute strength. Don’t know how to use a spear... but give me an axe, and I’ll go with you guys."

"I’m a retired soldier. I know how to use a crossbow... but it might not be very effective in close-quarters combat inside the narrow cabins. Do you have an Explosive-Proof Shield? I can help cover your flanks."

These three seemed like good people. Yu Dong was especially impressed by the waitress in the black silk stockings... To be willing to volunteer as a guide under such dangerous circumstances.

Her private life might be a bit messy, but she could definitely handle pressure.

She stood out, especially among the many terrified women.

Speaking of women... Yu Dong had just scanned the crowd and thought he saw a familiar face.

But there was no time to deal with that now. He’d think about it after they cleared out the zombies and secured the cruise ship.

Sun Shan, who had reluctantly put on the combat suit, walked over. "Brother Dong, look, so many people are willing to go kill zombies with you. How about... I sit this one out?"

"No."

’Trying to slack off again?’

’Not a chance!’

’The only way to deal with this kind of slacker is to bury him in major tasks! Fill every second of his time!’

After the team was assembled, the total came to sixteen people: Wang Dingbei and his five police and fire personnel, Sun Shan and four other skilled workers, plus old Mr. Yu Chengfei and the three volunteers, and Yu Dong himself.

"Teacher Zhou, you sit this one out. Go and release Jiang Cheng and the other two. Tell them what just happened."

"Okay, I will."

The three people they had knocked unconscious back at Shangri-La should be waking up by now.

In this life, Yu Dong wouldn’t let Zhou participate in front-line combat against the zombies.

Because Zhou’s physical condition... was truly average. At forty-three, he rarely worked out. His strength, reflexes, and stamina couldn’t compare to the younger people. Even old Mr. Yu Chengfei was several levels more robust than him...

Before, there had been no choice. Yu Dong could only force Zhou to train and fight zombies alongside him.

But this time was different. He had plenty of capable fighters!

There were six police officers and firefighters in total, every one of them skilled. Even the female officer was a capable fighter.

Not to mention the many skilled civilians, like old Mr. Yu Chengfei, the laborer, and the retired soldier... With a little training, each of them would be worth several Zhous.

Zhou’s talent lay mainly in chemistry. In the past, he had always been limited by a lack of raw materials and couldn’t fully utilize his abilities. But this time... it was different.

Zhou himself had overseen the procurement of chemicals before the apocalypse.

He not only had Yu Dong prepare large quantities of gasoline, diesel, polystyrene, white sugar, and some industrial raw materials for him, but he also used his lab’s special credentials to purchase a batch of truly high-purity chemicals.

Zhou said he had emptied out several of his school’s labs when he came...

He was an outlaw in his own right.

Yu Dong never would have expected that in the end, the key Zhou gave him would be the most useful of all.

A string of numbers was all it took for him to believe Yu Dong had returned from the future.

In this life, Zhou would return to the position where he truly belonged.

At that moment, everyone’s phone buzzed with a text message.

[Nationwide Emergency Alert!!!]

[A highly contagious S-Virus is now breaking out on a massive scale across the country...]

That single message shattered any lingering hope in everyone’s hearts.

After reading it, Wang Dingbei and his team also had a general idea of what was happening.

"Everyone, come on, look at me. I have a few things to say..."

"You all saw the text message. This proves... that this incident wasn’t caused by Yu Dong and his lab. They simply observed it in advance and reported it, but it didn’t attract the attention of the higher-ups."

"This isn’t just happening here in Yanhai. It’s a disaster spreading across the country, and even the world. It’s not easy to have survived this far."

"Right now, nobody should be thinking ’what if I was at home,’ ’what if this never happened,’ ’what if...’ There are no ’what ifs’! We are all here right now, so we need to figure out how to survive together."

"I’m a police officer, and it’s my responsibility to lead you to safety. After we clear the cruise ship, I will try to contact the military and my superiors. We’ll see what their plan is then. For now, we should just stay put here at the port and remain calm."

"Finally, I hope everyone can cherish the safe environment Yu Dong and his people have created for us. Focus on surviving. Don’t spread stupid rumors, and don’t even think about taking advantage of the chaos to do bad things. Otherwise... I won’t be lenient. I hope you understand that this gun isn’t just for show."

Hearing Officer Wang speak these harsh words while holding a gun, the survivors, contrary to what one might expect, felt much more at ease.

For good people, this kind of intimidation is comforting, not offensive.

If anyone did feel offended...

At this point, everyone still had great trust in Officer Wang due to his official status.

After he finished speaking, Wang Dingbei stood next to Yu Dong and extended his hand.

"Yu Dong, that’s enough. You’ve done very well... From here on, leave it to me. I’ll arrange the assault mission."

In that short time, Wang Dingbei had gradually adapted to the current situation.

And he was now attempting to establish a preliminary sense of order and restore safety.

But this declaration and his approach made Yu Dong very uncomfortable.

"Officer Wang, you’ve never killed a zombie. You don’t know their attack patterns, senses, or weaknesses. You also don’t know the cruise ship’s interior layout. To rashly arrange an assault mission... You don’t have that capability yet."

"I have to be the one to command this operation. Officer Wang, I hope you will cooperate with me to complete this final task."

Yu Dong looked directly into Wang Dingbei’s eyes, and Wang Dingbei stared back.

The others glanced back and forth, sensing sparks flying in that moment. These two... weren’t entirely on the same side, were they?

Some felt Yu Dong was being arrogant in front of a police officer, while others thought that since the apocalypse began, everyone had been following his commands, and his decisions had proven to be incredibly prescient.

The scene remained frozen for several seconds... before Wang Dingbei broke into a hearty laugh.

"You have a point. I really should learn from you first. You take command. I trust you."

Yu Dong nodded.

"Alright. Everyone, get into formation and follow me onto the cruise ship. My people are already on board waiting for us."

At that moment, many thoughts flashed through Wang Dingbei’s mind.

’How does he know his people haven’t turned into zombies?’

’Is there really a lab? Have they mastered some method to become immune to the virus? But why haven’t they released it?’

’Yu Dong has a lot of secrets... and what he’s trying to accomplish is no simple matter.’

As for the claim of being a Reincarnator, an old detective like Wang Dingbei could never believe it... He had solved many seemingly bizarre cases, some of which could have even been classified as supernatural.

In the end, they were all solved step by step, and the truth was revealed.

He felt that behind Yu Dong’s mysterious facade, there had to be some great secret that could be unearthed...

But for now, Yu Dong was at least on the side of the good guys, so there was no need to press him too hard.

Yu Dong organized the formation and led them to the base of the cruise ship.

He took out his walkie-talkie.

"Youcai, lower the ship’s boarding ramps."

"Roger."

Three electric boarding escalators slowly extended from the ship and touched down on the ground.

The group of fifteen people went up the escalators and entered the ship’s cabin.