Chapter 222 - 206: Qiao Yunliang’s Wisdom

Chapter 222: Chapter 206: Qiao Yunliang’s Wisdom

"Hello, hello, hello~ Can you hear me? Can you hear me?"

"Good. For those who can hear me, please pass our channel information to those who can’t. A single sentence from you might just save a few lives."

"This is... Wang, from the Huangyang Port cruise ship base in Yanhai City. Today, I’m bringing good news for all survivors in the Yanhai City Urban Area."

"Just yesterday, we worked with the military to clear the eastern section of Binhai Avenue. We’ve eliminated the zombies in the surrounding buildings. The entire road from two kilometers east of Bailu Fishing Port to the Huangyang Port cruise ship base is now safe!"

"From now on, we will dispatch patrol teams every morning at 8:00 AM to sweep the area for stray zombies and ensure this route remains secure."

"This route runs right along the coastline of the Yanhai City Urban Area. If you’re trapped nearby and have the means to travel, please head to Binhai Avenue as soon as possible. We’ve placed many bicycles along the avenue. As long as you can make it to Binhai Avenue, you can ride all the way to our cruise ship base!"

"You must not rely on luck! A massive zombie horde in the city would be terrifying! If you have the means to leave, you must leave. For those who don’t, in three days, it will rain in Yanhai City. The zombies’ tracking abilities will be significantly reduced, making it your best chance to set out. This will be the last rain of the year. You must seize this opportunity!"

"Let me tell you about the current situation at our cruise ship base. We have a total of 1,295 people. Our defenses are solid, and we have ample firepower, enough to face a small-scale zombie horde head-on. The cruise ship is also ready to depart at any moment. We have sufficient food, water, and medicine."

"In short, as long as you can make it to the cruise ship base, everything will be alright!"

"One last reminder: it doesn’t matter what you did or who you were before. Once you arrive at the cruise ship base, the Dragon... the Dragon Country’s military is here. Follow the rules, don’t get any funny ideas. The most important thing is to stay alive."

"I hope everything goes smoothly for all of you..."

Wang Dingbei broadcast this message on the same night they joined forces. Although he was no longer in a leadership position, he was determined to continue the work he had started.

For over a month, his voice had been a companion to countless survivors in Yanhai City.

After leaving the radio room, Wang Dingbei wrapped his leather jacket tighter around himself. He patrolled the third deck, confirming that the stairs had all been raised. After sweeping the surrounding waters with a high-powered flashlight, he returned to his room to rest.

Tonight’s broadcast sparked a firestorm among the survivors of Yanhai City.

A rainy day. Binhai Avenue. The cruise ship base.

Should they go?

This was the last rainy day. Yu Dong had told him that, because after this... it would start to snow.

The weather in early December was getting colder and colder.

...

「Day 64 of the apocalypse. 6:00 AM. The sky was just beginning to lighten.」

Just as Qiao Yunliang and his men were getting out of bed, they heard unified shouts coming from below the ship.

"HYAH!"

"HAH!"

"HYAH!"

"HAH!"

Qiao Yunliang stood on the balcony and looked down toward A Port. A sturdy old man was leading the combat and logistics teams in spear practice.

Block, parry, thrust.

There were three movements in total, and they practiced with impressive vigor and spirit.

"Li, doesn’t this look like the bayonet drills from our army training?" Qiao Yunliang asked his aide.

"Yes, Commander. Military bayonet techniques are practical battlefield skills for close-quarters combat, derived from spear arts. But what they’re practicing is a bit different from ours. Theirs... seems more like ancient cold weapon techniques."

"Hmm... you’re right. Our daily bayonet training is mainly to build courage and conviction, not really for fighting on the battlefield with bayonets. But in the apocalypse... especially with ammunition being so scarce, cold weapon combat is more suitable."

As he said this, Qiao Yunliang put on his military uniform.

"Let’s go. It’s time for our morning drills."

Since the apocalypse began, Qiao Yunliang had rarely made his men do high-intensity training early in the morning. A low-intensity cardio drill to wake themselves up was usually enough.

Although his soldiers had never gone hungry, their protein intake was extremely limited. Meat, eggs, and dairy were long gone, and they mostly supplemented with beans.

Finding a few cans of food was considered a good source of quality protein, but it was never enough to go around for so many people. They were lucky just to maintain their current physical condition, let alone improve it.

That was why the soldiers had been so thrilled with the cruise ship’s dinner of two meat and two vegetable dishes the night before. They hadn’t eaten so well in a very long time.

In contrast, Yu Dong’s combat team underwent high-intensity training every morning. Besides practicing their forms, they also had dedicated muscle-building workouts. Over the past two months, the members of the combat team had bulked up considerably.

The cruise ship had enough protein to support their exertion.

Ever since the incident with the zombie turning inside the cruise ship, Yu Dong had included the logistics team in the training regimen as well.

If something really happened, the logistics team could at least put up a fight and not be a burden to the combat team.

The military, for the time being, did not follow Yu Dong’s group’s routine. Instead, they maintained their usual pace with a low-intensity warm-up drill.

When he got down to the port, Qiao Yunliang noticed that Yu Dong was also among the trainees. His every move was precise and powerful; he was clearly strong.

Second only to the old man instructing them.

Qiao Yunliang nodded slightly, not wanting to disturb Yu Dong’s training, and focused on his own warm-up.

Breakfast.

Fried bread, savory tofu pudding, tea-leaf eggs, and cold seaweed salad.

It was a standard northern-style meal, packed with carbs, fats, and protein.

Before the cruise ship set off, the cold storage had been stocked with many fresh eggs. They had been eating them for two months, and they were about to expire, so they needed to be finished soon.

The military’s arrival was perfectly timed. They could help finish them all off.

In the future, if they wanted to eat eggs, they would have to rely on the salted duck eggs and salted chicken eggs they found in supermarkets.

For the soldiers who had just finished training, such a hot and hearty breakfast was pure bliss.

Before the apocalypse, this was just an ordinary breakfast, but now, it was the best kind of ’fancy meal’.

The soldiers didn’t say anything, but they could all feel the cruise ship’s warm welcome.

After the group had earnestly eaten every last bite, leaving not a single drop in the 370 bowls, they voluntarily stacked their dishes on the table closest to the kitchen.

Then, they were led outside to assemble with their squads.

The combat and logistics teams chatted as they ate, eventually leaving with some unwanted food still in their bowls.

"Li, take 100 men and return to our Zongshan Civilian Base. Bring half of our supplies over and leave the other half for the people there. Transfer all the cooks over, set up a warehouse on the cruise ship, and we’ll cook for ourselves from now on."

Hearing this, Yu Dong stopped Qiao Yunliang.

"There’s no need to go to all that trouble, Commander Qiao. We have plenty of food here, enough to supply your soldiers."

"How could we do that! How can soldiers just take food from civilians for free? That’s against regulations! We’re already very grateful for the two meals we’ve mooched off you. We’ll be staying for a while, so we certainly can’t add to your burden. Your supplies didn’t just appear out of thin air. Don’t worry, our own supplies can sustain our consumption."

"But our kitchen team and cooking methods are very well-established. The food they make is delicious!"

"It’s enough for my men to be fed and clothed; we’re not looking for luxuries. Besides, our cooks aren’t bad either, haha~ This is settled. Yu Dong, I know you genuinely want to help us, but we have to consider the feelings of the civilians on the cruise ship. We are soldiers, not army thugs."

"Hmm... alright. Since you’ve already decided, I won’t try to persuade you further. But if you need our help, just ask. Whether before the apocalypse or after, the people and the people’s army will always be on the same side."

Yu Dong hadn’t expected Qiao Yunliang to actually refuse to eat the cruise ship’s food. He had basically assumed the army’s arrival meant an increase of 370 people for the cruise ship base to feed. Lin Mo had even started expanding the kitchen staff.

"Alright!"

Qiao Yunliang looked at Yu Dong with considerable admiration. ’It’s not easy for a college student to have this kind of awareness,’ he thought.

"By the way, I need to tell you something in advance. Our stay on the cruise ship is also temporary. Because of the issue with mutated zombies infecting regular ones, we must get to the military sub-district to retrieve ammunition as quickly as possible. We don’t have time to establish our own new base, so we’re borrowing your space for now. After we get the ammunition, we will find a location to build our new base and withdraw from the cruise ship. We will not interfere with the stable organizational structure you have here. This point... I hope you can convey it to everyone on your team. It’s very important for our cooperation."

Yesterday, after talking with Yu Dong, Lin Mo, and Officer Wang, Qiao Yunliang had also met with the six team leaders on the ship. Later that night, he had a private conversation with his niece, Qiao Ping, that lasted late into the night. He now had a general understanding of the cruise ship’s current situation.

He said all of this in front of Yu Dong and the members of the combat and logistics teams.

Zhao Youcai stared at Qiao Yunliang with wide eyes. The hurdle he couldn’t get over in his mind was instantly gone!

’Ah, that’s a relief!’

’He gets it!’

’That’s a commander for you. What a broad perspective!’

Huang Zhiqiang, on the other hand, asked, "Um... Commander Qiao, will Sister Qiao be leaving with you then?"

"I talked to her yesterday. She’ll stay on the cruise ship. The weather is getting colder... At least there’s heating on the ship, so she and the baby will be more comfortable. I’ll have to trouble you comrades to help take care of my niece."

"Don’t worry, don’t worry! With me... with us around, Sister Qiao will be perfectly fine!"

Huang Zhiqiang said hurriedly, slapping his chest.

Lately, he had been trying to get the famous star Lin Zhixue to notice him, but she kept giving him the cold shoulder, which left Huang Zhiqiang feeling quite frustrated.

In contrast, Qiao Ping was always helping him brainstorm ideas and arrange opportunities. Although none of it had worked, Huang Zhiqiang was still grateful. He felt that if he had the chance in the future, he should help take care of Sister Qiao and her soon-to-be-born child as a way of repaying her kindness.

Of course, he definitely wouldn’t do what Dongzi said and try to be a "step-in" dad for her.

’Definitely not!’

When Yu Dong heard Qiao Yunliang’s words, which were clearly a public statement of his intentions, he felt a warmth spread through his heart.

’How could you not like a leader like this?’

Although he had rejected Zhao Youcai’s more extreme ideas, he had actually been a little afraid that he would lose his authority and be sidelined by Qiao Yunliang and Lin Mo.

Now, Qiao Yunliang had publicly guaranteed he wouldn’t interfere with the ship’s management structure and was only staying temporarily, which put his mind at ease.

After hearing all this, Yu Dong was genuinely moved. He had a feeling... a feeling that he hadn’t been wrong to trust this man.

’Qiao is trustworthy.’

"Commander Qiao, I won’t say any more. For the time being, let’s work together to take the armory!"

The time until the arrival of the massive zombie horde from his previous life was drawing ever closer.

After so many butterfly effects, Yu Dong didn’t know if the zombie horde from his past life would still come, or when it would arrive. He also didn’t know if his "Silent Buffer Zone" theory would allow them to escape the crisis.

But if they really couldn’t avoid it... at least this time, they would have a fighting chance!

The army that had been wiped out along with the zombie horde in his previous life had been saved by him, intact, and they had successfully joined forces.

All sorts of fortifications and retreat routes were already prepared. All that was missing was to restock their ammunition and weapons from the armory!

This life, he would turn the tables!