Chapter 271 - 242: The Last Bullet

Chapter 271: Chapter 242: The Last Bullet

"To us! For surviving to see the New Year!"

Yu Dong raised his glass, and everyone clinked theirs together. Shen Xinyi took a sip of her Coke, her arm looped through Yu Dong’s, a wide smile spreading across her face.

The brave get the prize. Though she felt a little guilty toward Liu Ye’ye, she had won.

Tonight, everyone was gathered, eating, drinking, and laughing as they waited for the New Year’s chimes.

"Wow! There are fireworks outside! They’re so pretty!"

Shen Xinyi pointed at the fireworks outside the window, her face radiant with happiness.

It doesn’t feel like New Year’s without fireworks!

"Damn, I didn’t know this was part of the celebration. Qiao really loves his traditions."

"No, those fireworks clearly aren’t from us. Look how far away they are. They must be coming from the city. Whoever’s setting those off has some serious balls..."

"Exactly! Aren’t they afraid of getting jumped by zombies? They have no sense of self-preservation!"

"Probably tired of living. Decided to go out with a bang."

Everyone agreed that whoever was setting off the fireworks had to be insane.

Just then, another firework shot up into the sky outside.

BANG!

Then, every few minutes, another firework would launch from the city.

Gradually, the group started to feel that something wasn’t right.

"Huh? Hey, look... Are those fireworks getting closer?"

"Wait, is someone setting them off while running?"

"What a psycho..."

At that, a knot of dread tightened in Yu Dong’s chest.

"This is bad! Someone’s leading a zombie horde!"

He shot to his feet, strode onto the balcony, and raised a pair of binoculars to look into the distance.

Amid the pitch darkness, the fireworks continued to erupt, drawing steadily closer to Binhai Avenue.

Their explosions shattered the silence of Yanhai City.

This also drew the attention of the people on the cruise ship. They all went out on deck, watching as the fireworks gradually drew nearer.

And right after, a cacophony of noise began to swell from the distance...

BEEP BEEP BEEP~

The cruise ship’s red alert klaxons blared.

"Battle stations! Battle stations! A horde is incoming!!!"

"All combat personnel to your designated tactical positions for horde engagement! All non-combatants, return to your rooms immediately! Lock the doors and windows, and do not come out!"

"Prepare to engage!!!"

Instantly, the ship was filled with the sound of pounding footsteps!

Fortunately, Qiao Yunliang had run drills for this exact scenario. Everyone moved to their assigned positions to prepare, preventing widespread panic.

At a time when everyone was celebrating, someone had used fireworks to lure a zombie horde!

Yu Dong didn’t even have to think to know who was behind this.

He ground out two words between clenched teeth.

"Cai Hong."

BANG!

Multiple high-powered searchlights at A Port flared to life!

Bathing A Port and the surrounding area in brilliant light.

Soldiers scrambled to their firing positions. Drone pilots took up spots with the best vantage points. The port defense team began to heat their ring of fire, and in the several anti-zombie trenches that had been dug, large piles of coal were slowly set ablaze.

Wang Dingbei led his security team on patrol inside the cruise ship.

"Everyone, get back to your rooms now! Don’t open your doors until this is over!"

BANG!

Outside, the fireworks continued to burst, their brilliant light illuminating the tide of zombies running below.

Swarms of black shadows scrambled up the walls; no building could stand in their way.

There were an incredible number of climbing zombies!

Yu Dong felt there were several times more of them... than in the horde he’d seen in his past life!

RUMBLE RUMBLE~

The horde surged down Binhai Avenue, heading straight for the cruise ship base.

Only when the horde drew near the cruise ship base could everyone see it clearly.

At the head of the horde was a giant, muscular zombie, even larger than the first one they had encountered!

He was over two meters tall, with a brawny body of stacked muscle. He was even clad in a suit of steel plate armor, making him look like a behemoth. He raised a bullhorn and bellowed:

"Yu Dong! You self-righteous bastard! Are you ready to face my wrath?!"

Qiao Yunliang’s command was the only reply:

"Drones! Take out that big zombie up front!"

Two drones immediately launched from the base and flew toward the large, muscular zombie. But by the time they arrived, Cai Hong had already disappeared into the horde.

Revealing several rows of massive, muscular zombies at the vanguard!

At least a hundred of them!

Each one was clad in makeshift steel plates, wearing steel helmets on their heads with only their two eyes showing.

The two suicide drones circled in the air for a moment before diving toward one of the fully armored muscular zombies.

BOOM!!!

Three of the muscular zombies at the front were caught in the blast and collapsed to the ground.

A moment later... through the smoke, all three of the muscular zombies staggered back to their feet.

Their steel armor had been blasted open, revealing the red, sinewy muscle underneath. Blood gushed from the wounds. All of them were injured, but... the wounds weren’t fatal.

A suicide drone with the explosive force of a howitzer shell hadn’t managed to kill a single one of the muscular zombies!

With the steel armor absorbing most of the damage, their bodies were able to withstand the rest of the impact.

"Shit! The zombies are wearing armor! This is too fucked up!"

Huang Zhiqiang was stunned. ’Have the zombies given up on evolving and started studying the Art of War instead?’

They’re even protecting their heads!

"It’s Cai Hong... He created all these muscular zombies... He’s so strong he can tear steel plates with his bare hands and just hang the pieces on them."

The crude steel plating gave these muscular zombies a terrifying level of defense.

"Keep bombing! Take those big bastards down!"

This time, ten suicide drones took off at once, diving at the front line of armored, muscular zombies. The blast knocked them over, but most of them clambered back to their feet. Only one—whose armor had already been breached—was hit in a vital area and stayed down.

But the horde was already closing in!

"Open fire!!!"

The best marksmen began to fire.

From the two artificial pillboxes with the best lines of sight, two soldiers with sniper grenade launchers took aim at the front-line zombies and fired.

BANG! BANG!