Chapter 89: Ambushed

Chapter 89 Ambush

Gu Jinsheng tried calling Du Ruanlan back, but the phone was out of range.

Gu Jinsheng's expression turned grave, and He Tao also looked uneasy. He said, "Du Ruanlan's phone must have been destroyed by a superpower, which is why it can't connect. From what I briefly saw earlier, Du Ruanlan seemed to be inside the base."

That made it even more terrifying.

He Tao continued, "I think I faintly heard 'Psychic Zombie King.' Could it be that the Psychic Zombie King infiltrated Luoshi Base, which is why Du Ruanlan was fighting so desperately?"

Ji An nodded. "Even if the Psychic Zombie King hasn't infiltrated Luoshi Base, its top-tier zombies must have, or it might have used Mind Control on superpowered individuals."

He Tao shuddered violently. "That's horrifying!"

Ji An said to Gu Jinsheng, "We need to intensify our base's training for superpowered individuals to resist mental intrusion. Ordinary people can also start training, though their mental resistance is naturally weaker than superpowered individuals, so it’ll take longer. For now, we should minimize ordinary people leaving the base—or even ban it outright for a while."

For some reason, after receiving Du Ruanlan’s distress call, Ji An had a growing suspicion that this wasn’t a coincidence—it might just be the beginning.

"I’ll issue the directive when we return. Ordinary people will be temporarily barred from leaving, and superpowered individuals should also minimize outings—or only those who’ve completed mental resistance training can go out." Gu Jinsheng shared Ji An’s concerns, sensing that events were developing beyond their predictions, brewing an even greater storm.

He Tao asked, "Commander-in-Chief Gu, should Haishi Base also be notified?"

Gu Jinsheng replied, "It seems today’s press conference will have to wait. You’re still Haishi Base’s Commander-in-Chief—issue the notice under your authority. As for food supplies, don’t worry. I’ll arrange for an emergency batch of nutrient packs to be allocated to Haishi Base first."

He Tao immediately said, "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief Gu. I’ll first release a statement announcing Haishi Base’s merger with Jingshi Base under my authority. The press conference can wait until after we return from Luoshi Base."

Gu Jinsheng fell silent. It seemed He Tao was determined to cement Haishi Base’s merger with Jingshi Base no matter what. Just how afraid was he that Gu Jinsheng might go back on his word?

He Tao had his own considerations. Currently, China’s major bases included Jingshi Base, Luoshi Base, T Base, Nan Base, and Bei Base.

Jingshi Base had leapfrogged Luoshi Base overnight with the spatial storage tech and nutrient packs, securing the top spot. Now, with the healing pods, its position was even more secure.

And now, even Luoshi Base, ranked second, was seeking Jingshi Base’s aid—whether Luoshi Base would survive was uncertain. This only strengthened He Tao’s resolve to join Jingshi Base. He had to secure this quickly, or else, after returning from Luoshi Base, there might be too many bases wanting to join, leaving Haishi Base out in the cold.

Gu Jinsheng and He Tao issued their notices simultaneously. Of course, Jingshi Base only required Gu Jinsheng’s signature. He Tao, as Haishi Base’s Commander-in-Chief, first released the merger announcement, jointly signed by himself, three Deputy Commanders, and Gu Jinsheng—all in electronic format—officially confirming Haishi Base’s integration into Jingshi Base.

Next was Gu Jinsheng’s notice as Commander-in-Chief, banning outings and announcing the distribution of nutrient packs.

The two notices were released within ten minutes of each other. Before Haishi Base’s residents could process their sudden change in affiliation, they saw Gu Jinsheng’s ban on outings, triggering widespread debate.

"If we can’t leave, how do we complete missions? No missions means no way to earn!" one superpowered individual grumbled.

"The notice says Jingshi Base will allocate a batch of nutrient packs for sale at internal prices—just a few credits for standard ones, and about a dozen for Level 1."

"But we still need credits to buy them! If we can’t leave the base to earn, how do we get the money?"

"The prices are already low—cheaper than a family meal."

"Still, we need to earn money first. How can we if we’re stuck inside?"

"The notice says it’s temporary."

"Who knows how long ‘temporary’ is? If we’re banned from leaving, they should at least provide more aid. Free nutrient packs would be fair—not everyone has savings. Some live hand to mouth. How will they eat if they can’t earn?"

"But I think this policy is already fair. Before, we only saw nutrient packs on TV or heard about them—never had a chance to try them. With our base’s poverty, we could never afford them. Now we can finally have them—I’m satisfied."

"Speaking of which, why did our base suddenly join Jingshi Base so suddenly?"

"Joining the Jing City Base is fantastic. They have Spatial Storage Devices and nutrient solutions, and now they even have the 'miracle cure' treatment pods. By joining them now, we'll effectively gain access to those advanced technologies. How great is that?"

"And I heard the benefits at Jing City Base are amazing. Even in these apocalyptic times, they still maintain an orphanage. Their nutrient solutions are much cheaper than other bases, and if their internal factories are hiring, they provide breakfast. The factory policies are top-notch, just like pre-apocalypse—overtime comes with extra pay, and they even have weekends off."

Many people were eagerly anticipating and welcoming the merger with Jing City Base, though a handful of naysayers remained.

After issuing the notice, Gu Jinsheng didn't waste time worrying about the reactions from the two bases. He immediately returned to the command center, debriefed Zhou Qin and his team, and began mustering the strike force.

He Tao said, "Commander-in-Chief, let me come along. Don't judge by my freshly healed leg—it was only broken for less than half a year. Before that, I was one of the strongest superpowered operatives in our Hai City Base."

Gu Jinsheng nodded. "Agreed."

He knew He Tao’s combat prowess well. Despite Hai City Base’s poverty and lack of resources, its proximity to the ocean meant constant attacks from mutated sea creatures and zombie hordes. The base was fighting nonstop, and as its Commander-in-Chief, He Tao was a formidable fighter.

Ji An added, "Gu Jinsheng, I’ll go too. Luo City Base is likely facing the Psychic Zombie King. My expertise could prove useful."

"Good," Gu Jinsheng agreed. "Bring some healing superpowerers as well. They could save lives in battle."

Remembering the treatment pod in the lab, Ji An said, "You organize the team first. I’ll go back to the lab and bring the treatment pod."

"Alright." Ji An hurried to the lab, stored the pod in his Spatial Storage Device, grabbed some pre-mixed medicinal solutions, and rushed back to the command center.

By then, Gu Jinsheng had already assembled the team. Ji An arrived just as they were about to depart.

"Researcher Ji!" Bi Xue waved at him. "I knew you’d come, so I requested to join."

Bi Xue was a spacetype superpowered. Though Spatial Storage Devices had diminished the demand for her abilities, her Spatial Blade and Spatial Slash were highly effective. Gu Jinsheng had likely considered this when approving her request.

"Let’s go. We’re heading to the airport now," Gu Jinsheng said. He had brought a hundred superpowered operatives, with Kong Zhongcheng as the Deputy Commander.

On their way to the airport, Ji An noticed through the energy-barrier protected corridor that many zombies were lurking outside Jing City Base—unusual behavior, as zombies typically avoided the energy barriers after witnessing others disintegrate upon contact.

Ji An observed, "These zombies are acting strangely. Inform Zhou Qin and Wan Xueying to stay vigilant. If possible, even high-level superpowered individuals shouldn’t leave the base while you’re away. They should focus on mental defense training."

Gu Jinsheng nodded. "I was thinking the same."

Ji An glanced outside and saw zombies hovering dangerously close to the barrier, gawking blindly—their poor vision and the barrier’s distortion made their attempts pointless.

Fortunately, in this apocalypse-era world, major bases had their own airports, allowing direct flights to Luo City Base without layovers.

Once aboard the plane, they headed straight for Luo City Base. Gu Jinsheng made multiple attempts to contact Du Ruanlan during the flight, but there was no signal. Attempts to reach Owen and other Deputy Commanders also failed, indicating radio silence.

Ji An frowned. "Either someone or something must've destroyed Luo City Base’s signal tower from within."

"If that’s the case, the situation there might be even worse than we imagined," He Tao said darkly.

In the cockpit, the Captain suddenly pointed ahead. "Is that a plane at three o’clock?"

The co-pilot peered. "More than one, it seems. Did Luo City Base call for backup from other bases too?" He checked the radar. "Strange, the radar isn’t picking them up. Is it malfunctioning?"

The Captain’s face paled. "No—those aren’t civilian aircraft! They’re fighter jets! Stealth fighters—on an intercept course!"

Stealth fighters were invented in the 1980s. By coating the aircraft with a highly efficient radar-absorbent coating, they became untrackable and un-lockable by radar.

The aircraft's shape was no longer designed in the conventional streamlined form but instead took on unconventional shapes like diamonds, cones, or helmets. The connection between the fuselage and tail was curved, eliminating the traditional tail fin to minimize strong radar echoes.

Additionally, stealth aircraft positioned the heat-emitting jet engine exhaust ports on the top of the plane and sucked in cold air to cool the high-temperature exhaust before release. This drastically reduced or even eliminated detectable heat signatures, so infrared detectors can’t pick up the heat, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the aircraft's location.

Stealth fighters aren’t *actually* invisible—they can still be seen by the naked eye—but they evade radar detection.

However, given that the term "stealth fighter" combines both "stealth" and "fighter," its primary purpose is clear: combat. Now, appearing near a passenger aircraft, its motives are *crystal clear*.

If not for the seatbelt restraining the first officer, he might have jumped up in shock.

"What's going on? We just left the airspace of the Capital Base—how could we encounter stealth fighters already?" the first officer exclaimed, his eyes filled with terror.

Drawing on decades of flight experience, the Captain jerked the controls, ascending the aircraft. "I fear these fighters are targeting us," he replied.

Indeed, the Captain's instincts proved accurate—a missile barreled straight at them. Had he not ascended, they’d be *smoke* by now.

The hostile jets gave no respite, immediately launching a second missile.

As the Captain maneuvered the plane through evasive twists and turns, wrenching the plane into a full barrel roll, Ji An and the others were still discussing the situation at Luo City Base, clueless they’d flown *right* into a trap just after departure.

Before they could react, the plane suddenly climbed, then spun violently. Ji An, Gu Jinsheng, and the others were flung like ragdolls. Only their seatbelts kept them from being flung out.

"What's happening?!" He Tao roared.

No answer was needed—missiles streaked past the windows in rapid succession.

"What is that?!" Bi Xue pointed in horror at the missiles trailing long tails outside.

"Missiles! Fighters!" Kong Zhongcheng shouted. "We're ambushed!"

"Why are there missiles?!" He Tao echoed in panic.

Almost simultaneously, the Captain's voice blared through the speakers: "Alerting Commander-in-Chief Gu, we are under attack by unidentified stealth fighters. All superpowered personnel, please remain seated with seatbelts fastened. Do not attempt to break windows or move recklessly—your lives are at risk. Await further instructions from Commander-in-Chief Gu."

"We may have walked into a trap," Gu Jinsheng said tight-lipped but calm.

"Who? Luo City Base?" He Tao demanded. "Did they lure us with a fake distress call just to ambush us with fighters?"

"Not Luo City Base," Ji An and Gu Jinsheng answered in unison.

"Then who else? Who could orchestrate this?" He Tao pressed.

The plane leveled out briefly, but the barrage of missiles continued, dodging missiles like hell.

"Kobashi Ichiro!"

"R Base!"

Ji An and Gu Jinsheng spoke simultaneously again, exchanging glances as they recalled Kobashi Ichiro's recent threats.

"The Commander-in-Chief of R Base? Why would he do this—for the nutritional supplements? The med-pod? Or both?" He Tao, unaware of the spy they caught last week, was baffled.

Bi Xue, who’d heard Ichiro’s threats firsthand, cursed angrily, "It must be him! That *backstabber’s* gunning for the spatial storage device, the nutritional supplements, and the med-pod—that's why he planned this ambush. But since when does Luo City Base *work* with them? Have they allied with R Base’s forces?"

Gu Jinsheng said, "No, I wish it were all just a coincidence."

Ji An's eyes were filled with concern. "If it's not a coincidence, then it's terrifying. Du Ruanlan would never betray China. If it's not a coincidence, then Nation R must be involved in the attack on Luo City Base!"

He Tao, Bi Xue, and the other superpowered individuals on the plane gasped in shock.

Compared to everything being a coincidence or Luo City Base betraying China, the most horrifying possibility was that R Base had ties to the Psychic Zombie King. None of them dared to dwell on the thought, goosebumps rising.

Gu Jinsheng leaned against the window and could now clearly see the stealth jets surrounding them—not just one, but at least a dozen.

With so many stealth jets pursuing an ordinary passenger plane that was defenseless, being hit was only a matter of time. In fact, it was a miracle that the Captain had managed to evade their attacks for this long.

Gu Jinsheng unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up, heading toward the cockpit. "I'm going to check the cockpit."

Ji An also rose to his feet. "I'll go with you. Maybe I can help."

The moment Ji An and Gu Jinsheng stood up, the plane suddenly banked hard to the right. The others, still seated and strapped in, only swayed with the movement, but Ji An and Gu Jinsheng were sent sprawling to the left.

Simultaneously, the two activated their superpowers—one strand wrapped around each other's waists, while another hooked onto the plane's seats, just barely keeping their balance.

Seeing this, the other superpowered individuals followed their lead, shooting their own abilities to wrap around Ji An and Gu Jinsheng's waists, helping them stay steady.

Thus, with dozens of strands of superpowers tangled around their waists, Ji An and Gu Jinsheng made their way unsteadily into the cockpit.

As soon as Ji An entered, he was hit by a powerful wind shear and decompression. If not for the hundred or so superpowers securing him, he would have been sucked right out the window.

The Captain and co-pilot were both leaning halfway out of their windows, each holding a signal pistol and firing signal flares into the sky.

Of course, signal flares were no match for missiles, nor could they collide with them. But the flares could interfere with the missiles' tracking, fooling them into targeting the flares instead, diverting their path and causing them to explode mid-air.

After hastily firing a few flares, the Captain quickly pulled himself back in to regain control.

"Commander-in-Chief Gu!" the Captain exclaimed upon noticing Gu Jinsheng. "If this continues, we'll be caught sooner or later. What should we do?"

"Tell everyone to grab their parachutes and prepare to evacuate at any moment!" Gu Jinsheng ordered, leaning through the co-pilot's window. With one hand, he used his superpower to anchor himself in case the others had to retract their abilities, preventing him from being sucked out. With the other hand, he released his power to disrupt the missiles from the stealth jets.

Meanwhile, Ji An closed the Captain's window and opened a small rear window instead, sticking his head out to interfere with the missiles as well.

Zhou Qin also approached, leaning over the small window where Ji An was to help disrupt the missiles.

The other superpowered individuals remained seated, unable to move. The plane was too small—opening two windows was already the limit. Any more, and the suction could rip out all the seats, let alone the people inside.

Not to mention, the subzero temperatures at this altitude were unbearable for the superpowered individuals.

Just then, the radio suddenly activated. "Commander Gu, an unknown signal is requesting communication. Should we connect?"

"Connect it," Gu Jinsheng replied.

Once the call went through, the person on the other end seemed to know Gu Jinsheng could hear them and immediately called out his name. "Commander-in-Chief Gu of Beijing Base, we meet again! Hahaha!!!"

The laughter, both familiar and unfamiliar, came through the radio heavily distorted, making it sound even more maniacal.

"Commander-in-Chief Kobashi Ichiro," Gu Jinsheng's voice remained calm and indifferent, showing none of the panic and desperation Kobashi Ichiro had hoped for. This displeased him.

"Do you like the gift I've prepared for you, Commander Gu?" Kobashi Ichiro gloated. "During our last call, you must have thought I was just bluffing, that I couldn't possibly touch you from thousands of miles away.

But what you didn't know, Commander Gu, is that even from thousands of miles away, if I want to, I can turn you into a helpless mutt at any moment—just like now!"

Gu Jinsheng held the radio receiver and asked, "How did you do it? How did you make those Psychic Zombies follow your orders and attack Luo City Base?"

Kobashi Ichiro laughed heartily, "I don't need them to obey me. I just need to release these high-tier psychic zombies near major bases, and they will naturally seek ways to obtain their 'delicacies.' Just like humans, when hungry, they instinctively search for food."

Gu Jinsheng's eyes turned cold. "Cloned zombies—these psychic zombies are all cloned variants you cultivated? Now you're randomly releasing them near various bases, exploiting their instinctual craving for human flesh to attack the bases?"

Kobashi Ichiro said with mock regret. "Gu Jinsheng, you're very clever. It's truly a pity you'll die like this!"

Gu Jinsheng tilted his head slightly, and an energy beam as thick as two grown men standing side-by-side shot from his hand, instantly striking the pursuing stealth fighter behind them, blowing off one of its wings.

The stealth fighter immediately lost balance, flipped midair, and plummeted rapidly.

Gu Jinsheng pulled back, his eyes gleaming with cold determination. "It's not over yet. You'd do well not to be so hasty."

Kobashi Ichiro sneered, "You can't seriously think, at this point, Commander-in-Chief Gu, that you can escape? Confidence is good, but don’t overestimate yourself. Your China has an old saying: 'A wise man submits to circumstances.' I advise you to hand over the spatial storage device, the core technology of nutritional supplements and treatment pods, and beg for mercy. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll spare you!"

At that moment, Ji An locked onto a stealth fighter approaching from the side and unleashed a superpower strike, hitting the fighter’s engine housing directly. The tank exploded on impact, blowing the stealth fighter to pieces.

Zhou Qin had been aiming for a while, releasing three superpower attacks in succession, but all missed the stealth fighter by inches.

This was normal—stealth fighters flew at extreme speeds, making them hard to target. In aerial combat, superpowers weren’t necessarily superior to missiles. After all, missiles had guided tracking systems, while superpowers relied solely on the wielder’s accuracy.

Zhou Qin cursed in frustration. He had lost to his boss before, and now to Ji An. But what could he do? One was a powerhouse, the other a damn prodigy!

Gu Jinsheng smirked at the sight of the burning fighter behind them. "China also has a saying: 'Don't bite off more than you can chew.' I’ll return that to you now."

It took Kobashi Ichiro a moment to process the insult. Enraged, he roared, "Gu Jinsheng, you won't surrender until you're dead! Earlier, I was just trying to scare you—I didn’t order them to go all out. But since you’re so ungrateful, don’t blame me for showing you what's what!"

His furious voice crackled through the radio. "All stealth fighters, initiate full assault now!"

Gu Jinsheng hung up the call and leaned out again, only for a missile to graze his scalp. Fortunately, the Captain reacted swiftly, banking hard to evade. Had it hit, everyone aboard would have perished instantly.

"Goddammit, missed again! Why can’t I hit a single one?" Zhou Qin failed yet another attack, releasing over a dozen superpower strikes without a single hit.

Meanwhile, Ji An coolly took out another fighter’s wing, sending it into a death spiral.

Zhou Qin howled, "Why do you and the boss make it look so easy—like shooting fish in a barrel—while I can’t land a single hit?"

Ji An corrected, "Not exactly like shooting fish in a barrel. Otherwise, these stealth fighters would’ve been wiped out already—"

A blackened missile streaked toward their plane. The Captain threw the plane into a barrel roll, while the co-pilot fired a flare to mislead it—but this time, it failed.

The missile, like it had a mind of its own, veered back after missing, relentlessly pursuing its target.

"Guided missile!" the Captain cursed. "This thing has a tracking system—it won’t stop until it hits its mark. But you think this can stump me? I used to fly fighters!"

He abruptly went into a power dive, the missile hot on their tail.

The plane plunged faster and lower until it skimmed a mountain peak. At the last second, the Captain pulled up sharply, rocketing skyward. The missile, unable to adjust, slammed into the mountain.

The explosion obliterated half the peak, sending debris flying in all directions. Their plane wasn’t spared—rocks shattered multiple windows, forcing the superpowered to patch the gaps with their abilities.

The instrument panel’s needles spun wildly—some components were damaged. But it was worth it: several pursuing stealth fighters were struck by debris, one sent spiraling out of control, two crashing outright, and others sustaining varying damage.

Though their plane was battered, it was still airborne. The Captain whooped in triumph. "Worth the risk!"

Gu Jinsheng praised, "Brilliant!"

But before his words faded, his pupils reflected a wall of incoming fire—a deadly meteor shower hurtling toward them.

For the first time, the usually composed Captain panicked. "Commander-in-Chief Gu, the missiles and superpowers are too dense—there’s no dodging them! What do we do now?"

The onslaught was inescapable. Even a single hit would turn this plane to scrap metal and everyone aboard.