Chapter 63 Landslide

Chapter 63 Landslide

The search and rescue operation in Green Slope Area covered the entire Chunshu Province. They divided the province into eight regions with thirty-two routes, each route manned by a team of no more than twelve people. Nearby teams maintained constant communication, and if one team lost contact, they would immediately report to headquarters for an emergency response.

Cao Kun: "Thirty-two teams, less than four hundred people, searching the entire Chunshu Province?"

Ji Hou: "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Ji Hou made a gesture to wait, then pressed his earpiece and said, "Understood. Bring him over." He turned to Cao Kun and Shenchi, "The rescue teams depart at 1:10 PM. If you need anything, prepare it now."

Cao Kun: "I have one request. Bring that little monk who came with us."

Ji Hou smiled. "How convenient."

He stepped aside, revealing the little monk behind him, who clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha Buddha. This humble monk wishes to join you!"

At 1:00 PM, a group gathered in front of an armored vehicle. Along with Ji Hou, Cao Kun, Shenchi, and the little monk, there were three other companions in their twenties.

Everyone was dressed in camouflage uniforms, looking sharp and ready like a sword about to be unsheathed.

They introduced themselves briefly:

Ji Hou, Captain of HP-017, Level 2 Speed Ability User.

Lei Gang, Level 2 Strength Ability User, tall, nearly 1.9 meters.

Meng Qingqing, Level 2 Infrasound Ability User, with long hair tied back in a ponytail adorned with a bell.

The shortest member was named Du Guofei, not a man but a woman with a buzz cut, and a bold "X" shaved on the side of her head. Her ability was lightning-based, Level 2.

Finally, all eyes turned to the little monk.

The little monk said his name was Ming Jing, twenty-five years old, from Xiadu Province. He had been adopted by an old monk at Jiadisi Temple since childhood. The old monk passed away two years ago. He claimed he hadn't awakened any abilities but had always had a keen sixth sense.

"Get in the car!"

On Ji Hou's command, everyone climbed into the armored vehicle. Lei Gang drove, Du Guofei typed on a keyboard, while Meng Qingqing stared at Ming Jing curiously. "Monk, you say you're twenty-five, but you look only eighteen. How do you maintain your youth? Any secrets?"

"Qing Ge," Lei Gang turned around, "your face needs no maintenance; our Feifei Sister still has a chance."

Du Guofei lifted her eyes, and a bolt of lightning flashed through them. Lei Gang instantly twitched like an epileptic patient, causing Meng Qingqing to burst out laughing, and even Cao Kun chuckled. Laughter filled the vehicle.

Seeing the car about to crash into a building, Ji Hou sternly said, "Enough."

Du Guofei retracted her ability, but Lei Gang continued to twitch spasmodically. Meng Qingqing resumed pestering the little monk about skin care.

"Your skin is so smooth and delicate!" Meng Qingqing touched Ming Jing's hand.

Ming Jing pulled his hand back. "Amitabha Buddha, layman..."

Meng Qingqing interrupted him. "Just call me Qing Ge. Layman sounds awkward."

"Qing Ge," Ming Jing complied. "There are no secrets to skin care, but you can chant scriptures with me. It not only cultivates the mind but also..."

In the back seat, Shenchi listened to the chatter up front and asked Cao Kun, "Why did you want to bring him along?"

Cao Kun knew Shenchi meant Ming Jing. Recalling last night's events, he said, "I don't think he's as simple as he appears. He says his sixth sense is just accurate, but I think he's being modest."

The armored vehicle floated on the water, functioning well as an amphibious combat vehicle.

As they traveled, Shenchi saw many people heading west. In the distance, a large crowd stood before the collapsed Gaojiang Bridge, reinforcing and rebuilding it.

The conversation up front shifted from scriptures to skincare, then back to scriptures, eventually landing on the Mario Tsunami.

As they expected, due to rising temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere, the ice caps in Antarctica began melting, raising sea levels by 0.6 meters over the past month. The government urgently mobilized troops and ability users to evacuate coastal cities inland, building walls to buy time for relocation and flood defense construction.

Forty-four hours ago, the collapse of the Antarctic ice shelf triggered the Mario Tsunami, which hit three hours later, forming a fifty-meter-high "wall of water" that engulfed coastal cities and surged inland.

Meng Qingqing: "It's said the Mario Tsunami reached a height of 105 meters."

Ming Jing swallowed, clasped his hands, and recited a Buddhist prayer.

Silence fell over the vehicle.

Du Guofei looked up and said, "Captain, we still can't reach HP-016."

Ji Hou pondered for a moment and said, "Adjust our route. We'll go through Chunling City."

Du Guofei: "Yes, sir!"

Cao Kun asked, "Is communication restored now?"

"Yes, in the three months since the global zombie outbreak, we've paid a heavy price to repair internal networks. As of two days ago, 2,168 cities in our country have restored internal communications. Unfortunately, after the Mario Tsunami, 572 cities lost contact."

Ji Hou paused and added, "Thirty-six hours ago, we received news that a group of students was trapped in Chunling City. The originally assigned HP-016 rescue team lost contact twenty-four hours ago. We are now taking over."

"Can we evacuate the rescued people?" Shenchi asked.

Eager to contribute, Lei Gang answered, "Don't worry. If the numbers are too high, helicopters will be sent to evacuate them."

Meng Qingqing added, "Helicopters have wind ability users to ensure safe return to the safety zone."

The armored vehicle was equipped with a new life detection device capable of detecting life within a 300-meter radius. The more obstacles, the shorter the detection range, but the closer the target, the more accurate the detection. Once detected, the information would be relayed to the main system.

They were currently floating on water less than ten meters deep, theoretically able to detect any survivors underwater.

Around Green Slope Area, things were relatively clean due to the numerous operations, but as they approached Chunchuan City, zombies and corpses became more frequent.

Their equipment was fairly complete, and instead of using large-scale weapons, they practiced their shooting skills by climbing onto the roof or opening windows to target the zombies.

The best marksmen among them were Cao Kun and Ji Hou, while the worst was Shenchi. As for Ming Jing, he didn't touch a gun but instead sat in the center of the vehicle roof, reciting sutras and tapping a wooden fish amidst the gunfire.

On the day they set out, they didn't encounter a single survivor.

The next day, they arrived at Chunling City. Due to its complex terrain and significant elevation changes, they had to get into the water every time they traveled a certain distance on the road.

The coordinates provided by hp-016 for the batch of students were within a scenic area, where hundreds of zombies could be seen swimming through binoculars.

Du Guofei pulled up the map of the scenic area, and Ji Hou circled several places where people might be hiding.

"Later, we'll drive straight in. Lei Gang and Du Guofei, you two will handle this area and these two spots specifically. Cao Kun and Shenchi, you two take care of this part, focusing on these areas. Meng Qingqing and Ming Jing, you two will join me to cover the rest." There were only two portable detectors, which Ji Hou gave to the other two groups. He looked at Ming Jing, "Our group relies on you."

Ming Jing quickly clasped his hands together, "Amitabha, my abilities can't compare to machines!"

"Don't worry, I trust you, brother." Ji Hou patted him on the shoulder, "Remember, our mission is to rescue survivors. Don't engage in prolonged battles, and maintain constant communication!"

Team members: "Understood!"

They shouldered their backpacks from under the seats, steadied themselves, and with Lei Gang's roar, the armored vehicle shot forward, plowing through countless obstacles and zombies with its massive size and weight, while cannons and machine guns cleared the surrounding zombies.

Ji Hou: "Now!"

One team after another got off the vehicle and waded towards the critical areas. Shenchi and Cao Kun were responsible for the amusement park, which had only two suitable hiding spots. After checking, they quickly ran up the mountain.

There was a pair of twin mountains, naturally formed, over a thousand meters high, with several scenic caves along the peaks that could hide people.

However, since the students who had sent distress signals were still there, they first checked the control room and offices of the scenic area, but it was clear that those places were uninhabitable after the tsunami.

There were many zombies on the twin mountains, and the recent flood made the ground muddy, causing both of them to slip several times. But fortunately, they found the people.

"Captain, we've found them at target point three."

Cao Kun put away the detector and bypassed the pile of zombie corpses at the entrance, entering the cave. Inside, more than a dozen students wearing school uniforms and masks were cautiously watching them.

Cao Kun scanned the cave and noticed a tent in the corner, its flap closed, obscuring what was inside.

"Don't move!"

The students stopped Cao Kun from advancing further. A tall student with thick eyebrows stepped forward, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"We are the hp-017 rescue team from Lüpo Safety Zone. We received your distress signal 48 hours ago," Cao Kun showed his credentials, "We're here to save you."

The students burst into cheers.

Inside the tent lay a person, who opened their eyes as the tent was opened. Their eyes were red, looking at the people outside, where their loyal classmates and rescuers stood.

After the tsunami, he had contracted plague, and within just two days, his limbs had turned black, leaving him unable to walk.

The student with thick eyebrows put on his mask again, lifted the injured student onto his back, and said, "You go ahead; I'll carry him."

However, the mountain path was treacherous, and it was impossible for someone who had been starving for days to carry him.

Cao Kun took over the injured student, and soon Lei Gang and Ji Hou arrived. For Lei Gang, carrying a person was effortless.

As they descended, Lei Gang and Ming Jing simultaneously shouted:

"Something's wrong!"

"Quick, run!"

Their voices echoed one after the other, sending a chill down Ji Hou's spine. He ordered everyone to speed up, but the ground began to shake, and rocks started rolling down from the summit!

Shenchi raised his hand, holding a large ice shield above his palm, protecting the dozen or so students around him.

Du Guofei's lightning covered a wide area, striking dozens of zombies with each flick of her fingers.

Meng Qingqing held a submachine gun, firing rapidly. Honestly, Shenchi was quite curious about his ability, as he had never seen a sonic wave mutant in action before.

Ji Hou's speed and marksmanship made him the most relaxed among them.

Cao Kun occasionally threw fireballs at the heads of his teammates, either burning or deflecting the falling rocks with their impact.

But the worst situation wasn't just from the rocks on the mountain; there was also a landslide and an increasing number of zombies closing in from below!