Chapter 43: Clearing the Hospital

Chapter 43: Clearing the Hospital

The next day was cloudy, with a dark sky occasionally sprinkling a few drops of rain.

The special operations team members who got up early for training were once again amazed by the abundant breakfast.

A whole basket of steamed, snow-white buns, each as big as a fist, with two types of fillings: soy sauce pork buns and pickled vegetable and minced pork buns. One bite revealed a hearty meat filling, and the dough, made from old dough, was fluffy and soft with a natural sweetness.

A large plate of pancakes filled with fresh green chives and meat, the corn pancakes fried to a crispy golden brown.

A steamer of baked sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and corn, a large basin of five-spice tea eggs, a big pot of hot seafood fish fillet porridge, and a pot of steaming soy milk with sugar on the side. There was also powdered milk on the table, so you could mix your own milk or instant coffee.

The team members felt like they were back in the pre-apocalypse military mess hall, devouring their food like hungry wolves, while curiously asking, "Where's the captain? And Doctor Zhou?"

Jiang Rongqian said, "The captain went running with Comet early in the morning. As for Doctor Zhou, he should be in the backyard planting vegetables. I saw the captain helping him make breakfast early this morning. We offered to help, but the captain and Doctor Zhou cooked so fast that we didn't get a chance to assist."

Dong Kexin sighed, "Captain's life is quite nice..."

Su Jiaoning, who had been stung by her words the day before and was feeling uncomfortable, said, "Is eating a few good buns really living the good life? Wouldn't it get boring to have this every day? The captain has great ambitions; it would definitely be tedious to live like this every day. Without the base, and without constant missions, we could still live comfortably like this on our own."

Dong Kexin chuckled, about to say something, when she saw Guan Yuanfeng returning with Comet from outside. He was wiping sweat with a towel, and everyone put down their buns.

"Captain."

"Captain, good morning."

"Captain, have you had breakfast?"

Guan Yuanfeng nodded slightly, "Good morning, I've eaten. You all eat first, and I'll arrange today's actions after you're done."

The team members perked up, "Yes!"

He took Comet upstairs, and Tang Anchen murmured, "I don't know why, but I feel like the captain isn't very happy today."

Zhang Qi said, "Isn't he always like this?"

Tang Anchen said, "This morning, when we were making buns with Doctor Zhou, he later took Comet to the backyard to water and pick vegetables. The captain and I, along with the vice captain, made buns, but he became serious and didn't say a word, which was quite scary."

Dong Kexin laughed, "Maybe your buns weren't as good as Doctor Zhou's?"

Tang Anchen looked at Jiang Rongqian, "Team Leader Jiang, doesn't it feel like the captain is much more amiable around Doctor Zhou?"

Jiang Rongqian said, "The captain is more serious in front of us, but that's necessary for leading the team. Doctor Zhou is a neighbor, not a member of our team. Since we've come from far away, it's only right to be extra nice to Doctor Zhou for making breakfast so early."

He reminded everyone, "Stay alert and helpful. If Doctor Zhou needs anything, pitch in."

The team members all laughed, "Don't worry, Team Leader Jiang, we understand."

After showering and changing clothes, Guan Yuanfeng waved for them to sit back down, "Since we've traveled this far, let's treat it as a mission. We can't go back empty-handed. So over the next few days, we'll collect supplies in Danlin City and bring back essential items that are easy to transport."

The team members immediately responded in unison, "Yes!"

Guan Yuanfeng spread a map of Danlin City on the dining table, and everyone gathered around.

Guan Yuanfeng pointed, "Seeds, energy, medicine, precision equipment."

"So our targets will be all the large supermarkets, agricultural stores, gas stations, and hospitals."

Guan Yuanfeng efficiently assigned tasks for combat, logistics, and vehicle transport, then said, "You have half an hour to prepare. If there are any issues, speak up now." The team members responded in unison, "Yes!"

Su Jiaoning raised her hand. "Going back to Central Base is too far. The helicopter can't carry much equipment. Restocking food and water, and bringing some necessary medicines should be enough. Is it really worth taking such a big risk and going to so many places?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "First, the team needs to build cohesion and train, so I can assess everyone's current level. Second, collecting supplies is always useful. Third, if you think it's too risky, you can choose not to participate and rest here instead."

Su Jiaoning said nothing for a moment, then spoke, somewhat dejectedly, "I'm not afraid of the risk, but the enemies now are zombies—different from what we've faced before. Most of our team are ordinary people. I'm just worried about unnecessary casualties."

Guan Yuanfeng replied, "As the saying goes, 'Fortune favors the bold.' Those who fear death die faster. You're not part of the squad anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’ll force you."

Su Jiaoning lowered her voice. "I have healing abilities. I need to follow the captain."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Since you've decided to participate, you must unconditionally obey orders."

Su Jiaoning nodded. "Yes."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Get changed and get ready." He then picked up a box from the side, placed it on the table, and opened it. "See if there's anything useful—weapons, ammo—that you might need."

Everyone hurried over to look. Although they were ordinary weapons and bullets, some were usable, and they all admired, "Captain, where’d you get these? It’s tough to find this stuff nowadays."

Guan Yuanfeng didn't answer, just let them choose. Su Jiaoning picked a pistol and asked, "What about Doctor Zhou? Isn’t he coming along? He can freeze water, which makes him a powerful asset in battle."

Guan Yuanfeng remained silent.

Zhou Yun entered through the back door carrying a bucket of vegetables. Hearing Su Jiaoning's question, he casually replied, "Go where?"

Guan Yuanfeng looked up at him, his cold and stern expression softening. "We're going to search for supplies in the city, train the team, and check out the hospital. Want to join us and see if we can salvage any useful gear?"

Zhou Yun said, "Really? That’s great, I’ll go too. Let’s start with the hospital I used to work at. I know it well. More hands make light work—we can haul back what we need. We have to keep some of the powders dry."

Guan Yuanfeng immediately said, "Great, get suited up. You’ll ride with me."

Zhou Yun nodded and headed upstairs, with Guan Yuanfeng immediately following him, and Comet trailing behind enthusiastically.

The team members watched as the trio headed upstairs. Dong Kexin said to Tang Anchen, "You're right; the captain treats Doctor Zhou very differently."

Jiang Rongqian barked, "Get ready quickly."

The team members headed back to their rooms. After preparing their backpacks and changing into their combat suits and boots, they came back down to see Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun wearing motorcycle protective gear. Even Comet had changed into a majestic leather armor outfit. Everyone marveled at the leather armor and asked, "What kind of leather is this? It looks very sturdy."

Zhou Yun said, "Mutated fish leather. We caught a lot of mutated fish, and if anyone likes it, you can pick some when we return tonight."

Dong Kexin quickly said, "I want one!"

Zhou Yun smiled and said, "There's enough for everyone. We caught a lot of mutated fish."

Tang Anchen looked at the bow on Guan Yuanfeng's back and said, "Captain Guan’s bow looks awesome."

Guan Yuanfeng efficiently assigned the vehicles, "Zhou Yun and I will take one car, Zhang Qi will drive the RV, and the rest of you will ride in the RV. Let's go."

At his command, everyone began climbing into the vehicles. Zhou Yun, however, packed the leftover breakfast—buns, chive pancakes, five-spice eggs, sweet potatoes, and corn—into an electrically heated thermos and handed it to Tang Anchen, saying, "Put this in the RV. Everyone can snack on it whenever they’re hungry. Just keep it plugged in to stay warm." He also handed Su Jiaoning a first aid kit, saying, "This is a first aid pack."

Tang Anchen, holding the heavy thermos, felt like he was about to set up a stall at the park entrance to sell five-spice tea eggs. He glanced at Guan Yuanfeng.

Usually, during their operations, they traveled light. Who would dare to bring such burdens on a mission?

But Guan Yuanfeng ignored it and got into the car without hesitation. His sharp eyes swept across the others, "Why aren't you getting in the car yet?"

Tang Anchen snapped out of his daze and hurriedly climbed into the RV with the thermos in hand. The special operations team members followed in succession. Dong Kexin, seeing Tang Anchen carefully placing the thermos down, laughed and said, "Awesome, no more MREs today. Doctor Zhou is so considerate!"

Su Jiaoning said, "Doctor Zhou hasn’t been on many missions and doesn’t know the captain’s style yet. In the past, if I brought an extra surgical pack, I'd get scolded. Who would help you carry it?"

Dong Kexin said with a smile, "Doctor Zhou isn't part of our team. He's just being kind-hearted. How could the captain possibly embarrass him? Haven't you noticed that in the past, the captain always let you and Xiao Tang sit in his car? Now it's Doctor Zhou and Comet."

Su Jiaoning, feeling a bit embarrassed, changed the subject and said, "Does Comet seem a lot fatter to you? Was it this big when it was still in the team? It's too bad Xiao Zhang isn't here. Comet would have been very excited to see him."

Tang Anchen said, "It seems to have mutated as well."

Su Jiaoning turned her head in shock. "What?"

Liao Jinsheng said, "It's probably true. This morning I saw it eating a lot. Doctor Zhou spoils it, feeding it chicken, eggs, and pumpkin first thing in the morning."

The team members were left speechless.

The off-road vehicle in front led them to a large commercial supermarket, where a group of zombies stood at the entrance.

The off-road vehicle sped into the supermarket's parking lot, knocking over a few zombies. Guan Yuanfeng got out of the car and pushed back the zombies with a hurricane, then raised his hand and blasted a group of zombies to death.

The special operations team members in the RV watched as Guan Yuanfeng released a dazzling lightning bolt with a mere raise of his hand.

The sudden burst of lightning snaked across the sky, followed by deafening thunderclaps that quickly struck the zombie horde. The entire parking lot was illuminated by the dazzling electric light, exuding a sense of apocalyptic destruction.

The acrid stench of burnt flesh hung in the air as the fallen zombies were still being scorched by purple-white lightning. The zombies that managed to escape had their feet frozen by ice. Comet, like a fierce beast, leaped down from the car, its fur seemingly flickering with fiery light. It took a deep breath and then opened its mouth wide, unleashing a roaring dragon of flames that engulfed the frozen zombie horde. The zombies were swiftly consumed by the raging fire and fell, shriveled into charcoal.

The special operations team members, who had hurriedly gotten off the car with guns ready to join the fight, were left speechless.

Tang Anchen, mouth agape, said, "Captain is amazing! Comet is incredible too!"

Liao Jinsheng said, "That ice was placed by Doctor Zhou, right? They really work well together..."

Dong Kexin muttered, "I thought the captain was bringing us out to build teamwork... But now it seems like we're just extra baggage..."

Guan Yuanfeng turned to look at them, his expression blank. "Our main goal is to collect empty suitcases, storage boxes, bags, and packaging materials. Also, take any non-perishable food, oil, wine, and other essentials from the food section. Understood?"

The team members quickly responded. Guan Yuanfeng then directed, "Zhang Qi and Su Jiaoning, you're responsible for digging out the crystal cores. Jiang Rongqian and Liao Jinsheng, you cover the rear and protect them. Dong Kexin, Wu Jun, and Tang Anchen, follow us in the attack."

Soon, the special operations team members realized they weren't really needed. Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun led the way with Comet, one freezing zombies and the other striking them with lightning. Comet handled the cleanup. If it weren't for the need to protect the goods inside, Comet would have unleashed even more fire. The team members only got a few chances to take out the remaining zombies with precise shots.

Liao Jinsheng, full of admiration, said, "I haven't had a fight this satisfying in a long time."

Dong Kexin scolded him, "Stop babbling and dig out the crystal cores quickly! We're falling behind and can't keep up with the captain!"

They cleared the entire three-story supermarket, including the basement, in under an hour. Toward the end, they didn't even have time to dig out the crystal cores and had to brutally chop off the heads of the zombies, placing them in a sack for the time being. Once they loaded all the empty suitcases, storage boxes, and other items onto the RV, they immediately set off for Danlin City Third Hospital.

The hospital had always been a place with the most zombies and a complicated layout. Moreover, there wasn't anything particularly essential there. So, despite frequently going on missions post-apocalypse, Guan Yuanfeng and Comet had never visited the hospital.

Zhou Yun, filled with mixed emotions as he gazed at the familiar hospital, still instructed Guan Yuanfeng, "The pharmacy on the first floor. Let's go there first."

Zhou Yun had once worked there, listening to patients' complaints, colleagues' gossip, and superiors' criticisms, experiencing the ups and downs of life. After surviving the long apocalypse and being reborn, returning to the hospital made him realize how insignificant his former work had been, barely stirring any emotions.

The hospital was filled with zombies eager to move, their exposed bones hanging with rotting flesh as they wandered the halls searching for any living prey.

Bloodstains marred the corridors and walls, alongside overturned instruments, shattered glass, scattered files, and spilled medications, all of which could instantly transport one back to the moment the apocalypse began, imagining the fear and panic of ordinary people when they first saw zombies.

For most of the team members, who were primarily ordinary civilians, this would have been an incredibly challenging task. In the Central Base, they participated in rescue missions and gathered supplies every day, living in terror. The zombies were hard to hit with bullets, and even if they hit their limbs, it couldn't stop their movements.

They moved as swiftly as wild animals and were as horrifying as the undead. But today, following Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun, with their nimble moves and seamless teamwork, they sliced through the zombie horde like a hot knife through butter, using lightning and ice to swiftly and precisely clear the hospital.

The zombies had never been this weak before; all they needed to do was harvest the crystal cores and collect supplies.

The shelves of the pharmacy on the first floor of the hospital were stocked with various medications. They gathered everything and packed it into the suitcases—antibiotics, painkillers, disinfectants, and some commonly used daily medications. Back at the Central Base, these were all rationed using points, and during supply runs, it was often a matter of life and death, so they couldn’t just casually pick up as much as they wanted like now.

Especially since the supplies near the Central Base had been scavenged countless times by psychics and survivors, and requesting a helicopter mission wasn’t easy. Energy was too scarce.

Even Su Jiaoning couldn’t help but remind them, "Wound treatment, anti-inflammatory, and pain relief medications are extremely precious. You can never have enough; take more."

Next to the pharmacy were the emergency room, operating rooms, and observation rooms in the emergency area. They gathered life support and emergency medical equipment, including ECG machines, defibrillators, and ventilators.

After that, they skipped the outpatient area since the RV was nearly full. They found two large trucks nearby in the hospital parking lot, refueled them, and started the engines. Next, they focused on the hospital’s lab and surgery building.

In the laboratory, they took high-performance microscopes, precision analyzers, ultrasound scanners, and other examination instruments. In the operating rooms, they grabbed surgical equipment, anesthesia devices, sterile facilities, laryngoscopes, tracheal intubation devices, ventilators, and some auxiliary anesthesia equipment like micro-injection pumps and anesthesia depth monitors—everything they could carry.

Leaving the surgery building, they headed to the inpatient building and collected ECG machines, infusion pumps, defibrillators, oxygen generators, and other ward equipment. They also took air disinfection machines, UV lamps, and medical fridges—devices useful beyond just medical purposes.

The hospital’s generators and transformers were also valuable.

As they carried the equipment, they discussed among themselves, "Is it always this smooth with a psychic leading the team? The efficiency is incredible."

Su Jiaoning said, "Not really. I’ve been on missions with fire psychics from the second team, but their combat effectiveness wasn’t as strong as the captain’s. Fire psychic powers are actually quite restrictive because of the risk of setting things on fire, so they’re only suitable for open-air scenarios. It’s inconvenient to use them indoors."

Su Jiaoning watched as Comet dashed out of the building, chased a few zombies to the open space in front of the building, and then spewed a mouthful of fire to burn them to a crisp.

He couldn’t help but say, "The fire psychics in our base don’t seem as strong as Comet... It even lures the zombies outside before killing them, and it’s so fast that the zombies can’t catch up. The psychics in the base are very protective of their lives; who would dare to use themselves as bait?"

Liao Jinsheng said, "I’ve seen other psychics in battle, and they often need to stop to absorb crystal cores. But Captain and Doctor Zhou didn’t stop once. I really hope we can stay with Captain when we return."

Su Jiaoning said, "That’ll be hard. They say they want to form a full psychic team, and every base is trying to organize one. But our team could serve as a support unit for the main team..."

Wu Jun affirmed, "Captain definitely won’t leave us behind."

Su Jiaoning fell silent.

After they had loaded most of the equipment, they saw Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun coming out of the building. They asked, "Have you carried everything?"

Tang Anchen said, "Almost! Is there anything else you want to take, Captain?"

Guan Yuanfeng turned to look at Zhou Yun, who thought for a moment and said, "Go to the pharmacy building. I need to collect some things from the pharmaceutical preparation department."

Su Jiaoning was surprised. "Self-made medications from different hospitals have a short shelf life, and the trip back to the Central Base is long. It doesn’t seem worth it." He glanced at the RV. "And it’s almost full."

But Guan Yuanfeng had already headed towards the pharmacy building with Comet, and the team members quickly followed.

This area was quieter, and there were fewer zombies, so they cleared it quickly. Zhou Yun selected plant extraction agents, pill-making machines, airflow ultra-micro pulverizers, fully automatic decoction packaging machines, tablet presses, filling machines, and other equipment. He also packed up well-preserved precious herbs and self-made medications.

Su Jiaoning, seeing those devices, asked Zhou Yun, "Doctor Zhou, do you plan to make your own medications?"

Zhou Yun nodded. "Yes."

Su Jiaoning said, "The Central Base already has these."

Zhou Yun didn’t respond, but Guan Yuanfeng directed the team to secure the equipment and then came over. "Let’s go back."

Zhou Yun said, "Let’s have lunch before we leave. The environment here is quite nice."

Everyone: "..."

This was the small garden in front of the inpatient building. The grass was lush and fragrant, and the flowers bloomed beautifully. A few tall banyan trees stood with their lush green leaves, and beneath them was a pavilion. The flowers around the pavilion had mostly died after the scorching summer and harsh winter, but some hardy tall weeds were thriving.

Ignoring the zombies, the environment here is indeed nice.

But... since the apocalypse, almost all of their missions have involved killing zombies. After seeing those disgusting zombies and fighting them to the death, who would want to eat at the mission site, grumbling!

However, Zhou Yun had already called out to Tang Anchen, "Go get the insulated bucket and bring another bucket over."

Once Tang Anchen had carried it over, Zhou Yun placed a bucket of clean water into the bucket. "Everyone, wash your hands," Zhou Yun instructed.

For a while, people sat around the table near the pavilion, on the benches, and on the steps, all chomping on corn and chewing on flatbread, feeling the gentle spring breeze, and discussing what else needed to be collected.

"We can get a lot of meds by hitting up three hospitals, especially the essential antibiotics and good meds. We can exchange them for a lot of points back at the base."

"We should check out the seed station. If we can find some grain seeds, they can also be exchanged for points thanks to Captain Guan’s warm climate."

"We should also check out the power plant, water plant, and the equipment at the power station."

"Batteries and chargers can be exchanged for points too, but the plane can't carry much."

"Yeah, sugar and booze are tough to haul too."

"Captain Guan and Doc Zhou are both psychics, so they are exempt from base taxes."

"So, can Comet be exempt from taxes too?"

"Comet eats a lot, it's hard to sustain, look how many dog food cans Doc Zhou has already opened..."

The team members were joking around when Guan Yuanfeng took a sip of water from his cup and just watched Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun was pouring dog food into Comet's bowl. The cans were taken from the supermarket earlier. He poured out twenty cans of dog food, but Comet sniffed and seemed disdainful. Zhou Yun patted his head, "We'll make lamb noodles for you when we get back, just make do with this for now, tonight we're slaughtering a lamb."

Comet rubbed against him, acting spoiled, before finally starting to eat.

The team members nearby got excited, "We're really slaughtering a lamb?!"

Zhou Yun looked up at them and smiled, "Yes, didn't I tell Tang Anchen yesterday? We've been raising it for a long time."

Su Jiaoning said, "Better to butcher them; we can’t take them live. It's best to freeze them and take them back."

Guan Yuanfeng suddenly stood up, "Hurry up, finish eating and head to the next location. Stop thinking about food all day and get to work."

Seeing Captain Guan’s icy glare, clearly pissed off, everyone fell silent and hurriedly sped up their actions. However, Comet suddenly had his hackles raised and let out a howl, jumping to the front of Zhou Yun, barking fiercely at a certain spot.

Guan Yuanfeng immediately stood up, grabbing his bow and arrow, pulling Zhou Yun behind him, and said in a low voice, "Alert! Get ready for action!"