Chapter 159: 300,000 Survivors

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: 300,000 Survivors

"How could we not be satisfied!" Luna Dawson waved her hand, changing the subject. "It’s just that we were wondering if we could go on a mission with the Endless Squad? Are there any recent jobs that require multiple squads to coordinate?"

"Oh?" Francis Grant’s eyes darkened slightly, accurately catching the main point. "Are you interested in Kyle Keith?"

"Bah!" Luna retorted without thinking. "My heart is completely on Colonel Grant’s side!"

Saying that, she grinned at Francis, baring her teeth. With a flick of her fingertips, she took out a thermos containing a tea-colored liquid from her spatial dimension and handed it over. "The one I’m really interested in is Susan Vaughn, whom he just recruited into the Endless Squad a couple of days ago. This is her Superpower Water. I suspect this stuff can affect people’s minds."

As her voice fell, Francis’s body stiffened slightly. He immediately took the thermos to examine it carefully.

The inside of the cup was smooth, and the liquid was an ordinary tea color. He brought it close to his nose and sniffed lightly, only catching a faint, pleasant sweet scent.

He furrowed his brows and looked up, asking, "How did you find out?"

"A while ago, she even tried to poach my people," Luna pursed her lips, her tone carrying a hint of disgust. "I’m highly sensitive to the scent of two-faced manipulators. Seeing her acting all clingy and overly attentive while coaxing my team members to drink this water, I grew suspicious."

Francis rubbed his fingertips against the thermos. Susan Vaughn? It seemed this woman was not simple.

He looked up at Luna. "Do you mind if I send this cup of water to the base’s research institute for analysis?"

"Of course not, but it’s best to do it as soon as possible," Luna said, storing the cup back into her spatial dimension. "I’m afraid the superpower inside will dissipate if left out for too long."

"Samuel, have Professor Cole send two people over to pick it up," Francis instructed immediately.

Samuel nodded in agreement. He raised his hand to touch the wristband on his wrist, tapping his fingertips on it a few times to complete the notification. Luna and the others stole a few curious glances.

Francis pinched the bridge of his nose. Thinking of the potential hidden dangers the Superpower Water might bring, he thought grimly, "From now on, we must be much more cautious when it comes to food and drinking water."

He looked up at Luna’s trio and said slowly, "In a few days, the army will set out for the neighboring Corbin City to transfer the survivors from the temporary safe zone there to the Kensington Base. There are around three hundred thousand people. The advance troops have already blown open the road leading to Kensington. The vegetation coverage in the apocalypse is too severe right now; it’s completely impassable without clearing."

Kevin Keane and Evan Olson exchanged a glance. Kevin spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny. "How much manpower is the government dispatching? Don’t make us serve as cannon fodder while you guys reap the benefits." It was a classic nitpicking tone, completely devoid of politeness.

Francis’s expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly, "It has been tentatively decided that the base will dispatch six thousand people to assist with the escort. The members include private squads, official military units, and personnel from the Special Abilities Operations Department.

"Since mutated flora and fauna are running rampant these days, the journey will be highly unpredictable. Among the escorts, eight hundred will be Superpower Users.

"This operation will be jointly led by Dylan DuPont, the deputy commander of the Special Operations Department, and me. The government will be responsible for the vehicles, food, and other supplies for the troops."

Everyone’s gaze fell upon Luna. She was resting her chin on her hand, her small mouth twisted to one side as if she were seriously calculating something.

She knew very well that they had interacted with both Dylan and Francis before, and their character was fairly reliable. However, escorting three hundred thousand survivors was by no means an easy task. Along the way, not only would they have to deal with attacks from mutated plants and animals, but they would also have to guard against the unpredictability of human nature. After all, the worst traits of humanity were infinitely magnified in the apocalypse, and there would always be difficult people trying to stir up trouble.

Francis had originally planned to find time over the next few days to meet with and mobilize the various High-level Superpower Users. He hadn’t expected Luna to come to him first. He secretly rejoiced; if he could pull the Sunset Squad in, the safety of this mission would undoubtedly increase significantly.

Luna pondered for a moment before looking up to ask, "What are the ranks of the Superpower Users participating in the mission?"

"Most are First Order, a small portion are Second Order, and currently there are tentatively six Third-tier Superpower Users decided on," Francis answered truthfully.

"What if there are too many people to transfer along the way, or if someone falls behind?" Luna continued to press, laying all her concerns out in the open.

"It’s best if they can keep up, but if they truly can’t, personal safety takes priority," Francis said with a solemn tone. "In the apocalypse, personnel are the foundation of the base. We will do our utmost to guarantee safety during the journey, but accidents are unpredictable. No one can promise to keep everyone perfectly safe. There will also be thirty thousand official troops from Corbin assisting with the transfer, so the number of guards on alert is barely enough."

"Our Sunset Squad can participate in this mission," Luna finally relented, then changed the subject. "But I have a few conditions that I hope Colonel Grant can agree to."

Francis’s eyes instantly lit up. The addition of the Sunset Squad was undoubtedly a massive boost. He quickly gestured, "Tell me. As long as they are reasonable, I’ll agree to all of them."

"First, I want Susan Vaughn to participate in this mission alongside us." Luna’s tone was firm, a barely noticeable glint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

She had gone to such great lengths to find an opportunity to cooperate with the government on a mission solely to eliminate Susan outside the base. Without Susan, their squad could collect Crystal Cores anywhere; there would be no need for them to wade into these muddy waters.

"Second, our squad will only be responsible for killing zombies and mutated flora and fauna. We won’t participate in any matters related to the survivors. Also, if anyone blind enough dares to provoke us, we have the right to strike back, right?" Luna added, her tone carrying a hint of feistiness. "Otherwise, when the time comes and some irrational survivors bother us every day, expecting us to handle trivial matters, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist going on a killing spree."

Francis’s mouth twitched slightly. He knew Luna’s family were by no means the type to indiscriminately slaughter the innocent. This request was not excessive, so he immediately nodded. "That’s fine."

"Furthermore, we will only coordinate with you and Dylan DuPont when the time comes; we won’t accept orders from anyone else," Luna continued. "Right now, the various factions in the base are deeply entrenched. There are tons of leaders, each with their own network of connections. If every Tom, Dick, and Harry tries to boss us around, we won’t do it."

"Finally, we don’t need the government to provide vehicles, food, or other supplies. Just give us the fuel. Along the way, any Crystal Cores our squad obtains from killing monsters will belong solely to us." After she finished speaking, she gave a sly smile.

Francis gently stroked the watch on his wrist, listening carefully to Luna’s conditions. He found it secretly amusing; this girl had anticipated every possible trouble in advance and had clearly paved her way out.

He didn’t hesitate in the slightest, agreeing readily, "No problem. I’ll communicate with the Endless Squad. After this mission is completed, the base will also distribute the corresponding Crystal Cores and points as rewards to every participating squad."

He looked at the group with smiling eyes, his mood visibly much better.

"Great!" Luna smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Francis then turned to look at Samuel. "Go fetch a communication wristband, and tell Mr. Wang downstairs to bring out two large barrels of fuel."

Samuel paused for a moment, then nodded and turned to leave the room. Within two minutes, he walked back in holding a silver-gray box.