Chapter Twenty-Four: A Promising Beginning

"Hello, this is Thomas, Captain of the Second Company, Special Forces Battalion. Please connect me to the battalion commander!" The Special Forces Battalion held a unique position, unlike ordinary units. Every soldier was of the highest caliber. At the Northern Command, this battalion reported directly to the commander-in-chief. Their ranks might not have been high, but their status was exceptional.

After a moment, a deep voice came through the line, "Thomas? What is it?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Thomas felt a little more at ease. He paused, then chose his words carefully, "We’ve received a distress signal. Former presidential candidate, Senator Allen, is trapped on the rooftop of the Imperial Tower downtown. I request the military district’s support for airborne equipment, so we can coordinate a rescue!"

"Senator Allen? Are you sure?" The battalion commander sounded doubtful, but Thomas, ever sensitive, picked up on something—he didn’t seem surprised. A chill ran through him. He decided to press further, "Absolutely certain. Requesting support, we’re ready to cooperate at any time!"

"Calm down, Thomas. I understand the situation. But the current conditions are complex. Airborne support is almost impossible at the moment. Stand by where you are. Without direct orders from above, you are not to initiate any rescue mission. Understood?"

"Why? The chaos in the military has been settled. Most of our equipment is operational. Apart from nuclear weapons and large missiles that require codes, all basic aircraft can be—"

"Thomas!" The voice on the other end cut him off sharply. "You’re a soldier. A soldier’s duty is to obey! Must I explain every order to you?"

"But—" Thomas tried to argue, but was interrupted again, "No buts. Follow your orders. Stand by!"

Bang! The call ended abruptly, leaving Thomas staring blankly at the receiver. After a long while, he slumped to the ground, too drained even to go out and explain things to his men. How could he possibly explain what the higher-ups meant?

Were they really being told to let a key political figure die? If he still couldn’t guess the upper echelon’s intentions, he would have lived in vain. Their own families’ fates were still unknown, yet many were still following orders, guns in hand. For what? For the selfish ambitions of those in power? No, they fought for their country and for the honor medals on their chests!

He had suspected something from the beginning. The military, though unable to use large missiles, still possessed enough armored equipment and fighting strength to reclaim the city. Yet all the military districts acted oddly: they ordered their troops to seize oil fields, gold mines, all sorts of energy resources, fortifying their camps and agricultural capabilities, even opening up wasteland. But progress in reclaiming the city was agonizingly slow.

The reason, of course, was "uncertain intelligence"—they couldn’t risk their precious fighting force, and must protect civilians as much as possible. But in his view, the sooner they took back the city, the sooner they could protect survivors!

A soldier’s destiny was to obey, but only when that meant loyalty to the nation. If it was just for the selfish interests of the powerful, why should they risk their lives? Why use their weapons for the sake of others, instead of rescuing their own families, all while standing by in useless inaction?

How could he explain this to his brothers outside? He couldn’t even convince himself, let alone them.

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"Captain!" The men outside waited anxiously. After a long while, Thomas finally emerged, and every gaze fell on him—including Guo Lang and Alice. But seeing Thomas’s dazed, crestfallen look, Guo Lang relaxed his hand from his pocket, quietly pleased.

"Captain… what did they say up top?" The one to ask was the only female soldier in their company, her features striking and valiant. Amongst all the expectant faces, she was the first to speak up.

"I told them Senator Allen was waiting for our rescue, but they ordered us to stand by."

Boom! The crowd erupted.

"What the hell is this?"

"Screw standing by!"

While everyone was cursing, Thomas suddenly noticed the sniper, David, quietly putting away his rifle and heading to the back. Thomas frowned, "Where are you going, David?"

The sniper paused, his voice cold, "I’m going home. I have a seven-year-old sister."

"Calm down. We all have families. If you walk off alone, what about discipline?"

"He’s not alone!" The female soldier also stepped over to the sniper’s side, her face icy. "I’m leaving too!" After she spoke, others silently joined them, forming a group. The situation spiraled out of control, and Thomas turned a dark glare on the one he thought was to blame—Guo Lang.

Guo Lang spread his hands innocently. "I didn’t mean to…"

"You… Are you all planning to betray your country?" Thomas was almost desperate.

"We’re not betraying our country, Captain!" James spoke, face stricken. "When the nation needed us, we didn’t hesitate for a second. We forced ourselves to forget about our families, grabbed our guns, and rushed to the front. But now, the orders aren’t from the nation. I’m not obliged to sacrifice my family for those people. Captain, come with us. I know you’re worried about your son too!"

At those words, Thomas froze. His hand slipped into his pocket, feeling for his pocket watch. Inside was a photo of himself, his wife, and their six-year-old child. To say he wasn’t worried would be a lie.

"Captain!" The female soldier looked at him expectantly, hoping he would join them in saving their families. Perhaps their loved ones were already gone, turned into monsters, but there was always a sliver of hope. Even confirming their deaths was more meaningful than waiting here for nothing.

After a long silence, Thomas slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with resolve. "Alright. Tell the men to pack their gear, food, and water. Get ready to move out. We’ll act together—if our families are still alive, we’ll have a better chance of saving them. We’ll rescue according to distance, and help any civilians we encounter along the way. Tell the men—we won’t leave a single one behind!"

"Yessir!" Everyone straightened up, snapping a crisp salute.

"Um… excuse me for interrupting," Guo Lang chimed in at the wrong moment. "If you’re going to rescue your families, we can cooperate!"

"Outsider, what do you have to offer us?" Thomas’s demeanor turned icy, showing little goodwill.

Guo Lang scratched his nose. "No need to be so hostile. I just wanted you to see those higher-ups for what they are. Why take it out on me?"

Guo Lang looked helpless, but Thomas remained unmoved, staring coldly at him. "But your motives aren’t simple. What do you really want?"

"No need to be so suspicious…" Guo Lang chuckled. "It’s just mutual benefit. You’ll need supplies to rescue your families, won’t you? Without a rear base, how will you resupply? You have a lot of people here, and if you rescue more civilians, you’ll need even more supplies. Plus, with more noncombatants, safety becomes an issue. Have you considered all this?"

"So, outsider, what do you suggest?" Thomas asked, still wary.

"My goal was to set up a biotech base for the Federation. I’ve already picked a location—an island. If you help me establish a base there, I can take in the civilians you rescue."

"Set up a base?" Thomas sounded skeptical.

Guo Lang nodded earnestly. "As soon as the base is up, I can provide logistics support—food, water, even weapons!"

"Interesting. And just how are you going to provide these? Pull them out of thin air?"

Guo Lang smiled. "That’s a state secret for now, but I really can provide support. I can even deliver the first batch right away. I have a safehouse at a certain villa, stocked with food and water. There’s a big supermarket there, and I’ve cleared out most of the zombies in that area!"

"You cleared out the zombies?" Thomas was doubtful. He’d seen the fighting prowess of those creatures—his own men were elite, special forces, and even with top equipment, casualties had been two for every one zombie taken down. Reclaiming just this small pharmaceutical plant had cost them half their force. And yet this scrawny young Asian claimed to have cleared zombies by himself?

Guo Lang shrugged, smiling. "I even have a child with me. I’m not lying. If you come with me, it won’t take long—leave in the morning and we’ll get there by noon."

Hearing mention of a child, the group’s expressions softened a little. But Thomas’s eyes narrowed as he looked around—he hadn’t seen the child anywhere.

"Here…" A soft voice sounded behind Thomas, sending a chill down his spine. He turned stiffly to see a little girl barely reaching his thigh, yet he felt a strange sense of danger. If she hadn’t been a child, he might have pulled the trigger.

"Captain…" The rest of the group, caught up in excitement, hadn’t noticed this detail. Only the female soldier seemed aware. She squinted at Alice, eyes sharp.

This family is odd, Thomas thought, signaling the female soldier not to act rashly. He then turned to Guo Lang and extended his right hand. "Let me formally introduce myself: Tiger Thomas, Free Soldier."

A fine beginning! Guo Lang smiled and extended his hand as well. "Guo Lang, from Huaxia."