Suddenly, a chilling scream echoed from behind. Long Gan slashed through a mountain of crates with a single strike, took a few steps, and propelled himself off a pillar onto the roof beam. He then swung his sword at the hairy creature.

The creature effortlessly caught Long Gan's blade. Despite Long Gan being exceptionally strong among his peers, this creature's strength was unmatched. Not only did it catch the blade, but it also flung Long Gan away with ease.

Landing behind his comrades, Long Gan took a swing at another creature. After a brief encounter, he realized he was no match for these beasts.

"Get out!" He shouted, holding back the creature to allow the others to escape. However, in mere seconds, the lagging few were slain by their sharp claws. Fortunately, they didn't relentlessly pursue, but rather squatted by the incinerator, looking intently. One even reached its hand inside, only to shriek in pain from the burn.

If the earlier zombie-like creatures had everyone on edge, these three even more bizarre beings had incited sheer terror. Their speed was unimaginable, and within that short confrontation, over a dozen people had been killed.

"Commander Long, should we retreat?" someone from the military district inquired.

Long Gan hesitated, "What if they get into the base? Ordinary civilians can't match these monsters. We have the numbers; we should at least try. Even if we can't kill them, we can at least drive them into the mountains."

Everyone nodded in agreement, considering their loved ones and friends were inside the base. With only three adversaries, victory wasn't entirely out of reach.

Seeing the consensus, Long Gan began assigning tasks. They'd deploy hunting tactics: some would distract, luring the creatures out, while others would ambush. Once ammunition ran out, another group would take over, ensuring to keep their distance.

The three monsters were indeed distracted and began to emerge. As the light brightened, everyone got a clear view of their grotesque appearances, instilling profound fear.

"Is this their experimental result? Have these people gone mad? Such unnatural beings should never exist!"

"Fire!" At Long Gan's command, a barrage of bullets rained upon the creatures. The firepower was more effective than Miao Miu and his companions' lasers. No matter how swift the monsters were, they couldn't dodge every bullet.

After several rounds of bombardment, the snow-covered ground was ripped apart, revealing a cratered surface. Enraged, the creatures began advancing. Long Gan quickly ordered, "Prepare the laser cannon!"

The laser cannon, a recent acquisition by the Jiangnan military district, boasted immense power. With only five units in the entire district, Cheng Ziang was fortunate to have one on hand, although he hadn't anticipated needing it.

A basketball-sized shell was launched, which upon landing, exploded into a bright blue sphere with a diameter of ten meters. Everything within vaporized in seconds. But when the glowing sphere dissipated, they saw their foes standing at a distance, their expressions betraying a hint of fear. Sadly, they had evaded the blast.

"Damn! Their speed is incredible!"

The trio of creatures had earlier been frightened by an underground grenade explosion. Instinctively, when they saw an object hurtling toward them, they darted away. A split second slower, and the laser would have incinerated them.

For many, it was their first glimpse of the laser cannon's might. Silent yet overwhelmingly powerful, they knew they could never escape its beam within a second.

"Should we continue firing?" the gunner asked nervously, reminding Long Gan, "The laser cannon only has enough energy for three more shots."

However, the three creatures stood far apart from each other. A single laser shot could only target one, and hitting them was not guaranteed.

Long Gan, aware of the cannon's expense, hesitated to use it recklessly. He gestured and said, "Hold off for now. Let's devise a way to lead them into that pit." He believed that if they could trap them in the crater from the earlier explosion, escaping would be much harder.

"I wonder if they still retain human intelligence. They'll surely see this trap," he mused.

Distraught, Long Gan gazed at the three monsters. Meanwhile, Zhou You had reached his destination by car. Surveying the surroundings, he noticed ruins suggesting a previous factory, with bare ground where not a blade of grass grew, which was rare in these times.

Miao Miao recognized the place and informed Zhou You, "This used to be a factory. A chemical spill occurred during a disaster, followed by a massive explosion due to an earthquake. The soil here is too contaminated for even evolved plants to grow."

"So, they constructed the temporary refuge here?" Zhou You hadn't detected any anomalies above ground, but assumed that if it was a refuge, it would be built underground.

Shao Qi approached with a smirk, "Shall we have a little contest to see who finds the entrance first?"

"A contest of what?" Zhou You inquired, intrigued.

Kicking away a brick near his foot, Shao Qi pondered before suggesting, "The loser becomes the winner's punching bag for a week."

Zhou You sized him up and chuckled, "I'm afraid I'd break you."

Lin Shuqing watched their interaction with amusement, analyzing their expressions and speculating about their relationship.

"Talk big after you find the entrance," Shao Qi quipped, probing a few suspicious areas with a metal rod. Zhou You whispered to Lin Shuqing, "Do you know where it is?"

Lin Shuqing spread his hands, "Honestly, I don’t. But I remember hearing a metallic clang when the door opened, and then we descended about two floors down the staircase."

"What happened before they opened the door?"

"It seemed like…" Lin Shuqing strained his memory, and just as he noticed Shao Qi trying to pry open a stone slab, he tugged at Zhou You, pointing in that direction, "I think they moved something heavy there."