Chapter 116: General Song Ze

Chapter 116: General Song Ze

Settling back into the military vehicle, Xia Zheng was thoroughly disappointed in the Council of Governance. The inquiry session had revealed their sordid intent: to shift the blame for the Special Operations Unit’s casualties onto him—Benson Wood—as the scapegoat.

“Does the military share the same view as the Council?” Xia Zheng asked, clinging to a final thread of hope.

Mary shook her head, but before she could speak, An interjected, “Impossible. Our military values efficiency and results above all. Those old men only hold things back.”

“An!” Mary cautioned, causing An to lower her head, feeling somewhat chastened.

After some thought, Xia Zheng turned to Mary. “Could you arrange for me to meet your superior? At this point, the military seems the only entity I can trust. There’s no hope relying on those old men.”

“Actually, before we came, our general said that if you get along well with the Council, he wouldn’t meet you. But if things are otherwise, he’d be quite interested to see you,” Mary said, her eyes shining with admiration when speaking of this general she had never met. An’s gaze mirrored the same sentiment. He must be a charismatic man.

Curious, Xia Zheng asked, “May I ask who your general is?”

“Lieutenant General Song Ze, the current highest commander of the Evernight City military. It was due to his steadfast insistence that the military imposed a blockade on the satellite cities, stopping the spread of the infected. Otherwise, Evernight City would be in grave danger now,” Mary said with reverence.

“Song Ze?” Xia Zheng felt a stir within him and pressed on, “May I ask who General Song Ze’s father is?”

“General Song Xinghui,” An answered without hesitation. Xia Zheng thought to himself, of course—the general was the son of the elder who had shown him much kindness in reality. Could it be that this general also perished in the Evernight City incident?

He dared not speculate recklessly but had a lingering premonition.

The military’s headquarters in Evernight City was located on the opposite end of the Council, east and west divided, symbolizing the separation of military and political powers. This structure mirrored that of Azure City and reflected the Federation’s ideology and culture. The Federation’s core values were technology and freedom, with the military and government serving as two powerful pillars to uphold these principles.

An hour later, after passing through multiple checkpoints, they finally entered the Evernight City military base. Mary and An submitted their request, and soon a handsome young senior officer arrived—a major—to formally escort Xia Zheng to meet General Song.

Following the young major deep into the camp, they halted before a two-story building. After a rigorous inspection by General Song’s personal guards, Xia Zheng was allowed entry.

The first-floor hall resembled a command center, bustling with dozens of intelligence officers, staff, and communications personnel. Some sorted frontline military intelligence, others relayed orders to various units, while some advised on current situations. Messengers scurried up and down ceaselessly.

On the second floor, the atmosphere grew quiet and sparse. Only a few female medics and quartermasters, along with two sentry guards, were present.

The major led Xia Zheng to a lounge and motioned for him to wait before knocking and entering to report.

In a short while, the officer returned, signaling for Xia Zheng to enter alone, while he stood guard outside, heightening security.

Inside, the furnishings were plain and simple, unremarkable pieces. On the walls hung large maps of the Federation’s territory and the Evernight City region.

A middle-aged man over six feet tall sat smoking, staring thoughtfully at the Evernight City map. Xia Zheng’s arrival did not seem to disturb his concentration.

“Sit!” The man commanded, exuding an unmistakable aura of authority. Xia Zheng complied, sensing that General Song Ze’s presence was far more imposing than that of his father, who was more affable. Perhaps Xia Zheng simply lacked deeper acquaintance, but this general’s pressure was palpable.

The smoke was thick, and as a non-smoker, Xia Zheng lightly coughed. Immediately, the man extinguished his cigarette, tossing it into the ashtray.

“I hear you caused quite a stir with the Council?” the man said, turning to take a seat beside him.

Xia Zheng shook his head. “I did not. Only a few chairmen and council members seem to have upset stomachs.”

“Heh… interesting.” The man smiled, a hint of admiration in his gaze. It was rare to see someone rattle the Council so thoroughly—exposing their embarrassment without leaving a trace to exploit. Even he sometimes had to yield to their seniority and reputation.

Xia Zheng pondered, then said, “General Song, the Council has its ways, but Evernight City cannot wait. The intelligence and evidence I’ve submitted are genuine, not fabricated.”

“Hmm… the military does believe this evidence. After all, we are on the front line and have encountered those… what you call the living dead… even the bloodline creatures…” Song Ze murmured.

Xia Zheng fixed him with a stare. “But I heard the military dissected corpses and found no such things. What’s the truth?”

“Heh… young one, quite impatient. This cannot be made public, or Evernight City would have descended into chaos long ago.” Song Ze habitually reached for a cigarette, but seeing Xia Zheng’s reluctance to smoke, he set it down again.

Xia Zheng sighed and continued, “General, if the worst comes to pass in Evernight City, what plans does the military have?”

“Hm?” Song Ze looked at him quizzically. “What do you consider the worst outcome?”

“Evernight City falls to the bloodline creatures, over twenty million souls enslaved, forever severed from the Federation…” Xia Zheng painted the grim future plainly.

“Impossible!” Song Ze rose immediately, then said, “It seems Mr. Wood doesn’t place much trust in our military.”

“That’s not it. The concern is that, so far, the Council, the military, even you, General, still underestimate the bloodline threat. That’s what worries me most. My team and I faced those living dead, the mutated living dead, and the bloodline creatures ourselves. Their power is overwhelming—even elite gene warriors struggle to contend. Once an ordinary soldier is bitten, infection spreads rapidly. There is no effective treatment. We helplessly watch our comrades transform. When that day comes, General, how will you reconcile yourself?” Xia Zheng stood, earnestly pleading his case.

Song Ze’s eyes gleamed sharply as he studied Xia Zheng, trying to discern his true intent. After a moment, he asked, “Are you really worried things will spiral out of control?”

“You, as a general, should know better than I do. If my suspicions are correct, the frontline troops may already be infected,” Xia Zheng said, his expression darkening. Their Special Operations Unit was stronger than average soldiers, not to mention gene warriors like Dilott, Carol, and Mario—the fact even they couldn’t escape infection was telling.

Song Ze finally lit a cigarette, filling the room with choking smoke. Xia Zheng summoned his mental power to conjure a gust of wind, driving the smoke out the window.

“Now I see why you’re the sole survivor. Your strength surpasses even those gene warriors. That move you just displayed—I’ve only seen similar abilities among noble families, who cultivate mental powers despite not being gene warriors. Wood, who exactly are you? I’ve investigated your records and background, and none indicate such capabilities,” Song Ze said, his presence swelling with an overwhelming intensity, locking eyes with Xia Zheng as if facing a primordial beast eyeing him as prey.