After Zhou You departed, Shao Qi's demeanor shifted to one of stern authority. He issued a series of commands and then set out in an armored vehicle with several companions.

He intended to personally meet with the group of unidentified individuals.

“Boss, why did you send Zhou away? If he finds out, he'll be furious with you,” Qin Lifen remarked as he drove.

Miao Miao mounted a laser gun to the window, firing at the mutated beasts on either side. He added, “Why utilize us over a master like Zhou? Do you fear he might be endangered?”

The team chuckled, suggesting that even if they were in peril, Zhou You might not be.

“Someone needs to stay at the base to oversee things, and I don't trust anyone else,” Shao Qi clarified. It wasn't that he feared for Zhou You's safety; he was entrusting the base's security to him.

Human lives always take precedence over the mission.

“I wonder how the evacuation of the citizens is going,” Miao Miao mused with concern.

Zhou You reached the evacuation point by car. Order had been restored there. Mutated bird corpses littered the ground. Although currently unattended, many passersby sneaked glances at them, expressions of fear evident.

He located Zhuo Hao, who was assisting the city defense team in maintaining order as some tried to cut the line.

“Brother Zhou,” Zhuo Hao greeted with a hint of relief.

Zhou You nodded, “Your leader sent me to check. How much longer?”

An enthusiastic local government official replied, “Mr. Zhou, we need about half an hour more before everyone boards the planes.”

Checking his watch, Zhou You thought that half an hour was manageable, trusting that the perimeter would hold.

“Alright, hurry up. I'll scout around,” Zhou You said as he drove through the city, where some residents were still rushing to the airport.

The Life Base covered vast ground. Some people lived far away. There were fewer skyscrapers, replaced by low buildings. Real greenery was substituted with artificial trees and plants, making the landscape less monotonous.

Along the road, Zhou You encountered two mutated birds: one was a horned owl, strolling confidently on the street.

The other, of an indeterminate species, exhibited extreme aggression. It lifted a car with a single claw and hurled it at a building. Luckily, no one was nearby. After a few loud cries, it moved on, seeking its next target for destruction.

Zhou You spent some time dealing with it before racing back. The half-hour had elapsed, and the airport evacuation was nearly complete.

Large transport planes required more time for takeoff. Zhou You stayed vigilant until the two planes ascended successfully. He then joined Zhuo Hao and the city defense team members, who had stayed behind, at the city gates.

"With no more worries at our backs, it's time we give those beasts a proper fight!" All were warriors at heart, and with the mutants forcing them from their homes, anger was prevalent.

Zhuo Hao remarked with indifference, “Bases can be rebuilt, but lives once lost, are gone forever. The citizens have evacuated. Next, it's your turn to retreat with us.”

"We're not fighting anymore?" someone asked in surprise.

Zhuo Hao suppressed an exasperated roll of his eyes, “Tens of thousands of mutants. Think you can take them all down? And at what cost?”

Zhou You shared this sentiment, "The swarm might leave once they've overrun an empty base. There's no point in fighting to the death. Staying alive is what matters.”

At the city gates, the mutants' assault intensified. The defenses retreated slightly, primarily due to lacking firepower. Additionally, the mid to high-level mutants were tough to kill due to their strong defenses.

Knowing that Shao Qi had left didn't affect Zhou You much. He wasn't a soldier and held no rank, but those present trusted his leadership, staunchly defending the line.

"Let's leave a group to hold them off, while the rest can retreat in phases," Zhou You told Qin Xun.

“But the Marshal hasn’t returned yet.”

"He has his mission. Our actions won't conflict. Once you withdraw, we can better support him.”

The argument was sound. With a glance at the base that had been his home for a decade, Qin Xun decisively ordered a section of the soldiers to leave.

With the transport planes gone, most could only escape by car. Using small aircraft was too risky, as they didn't have the firepower to handle the mutant birds.

The warplanes were reserved for the final evacuation group, ensuring their safety alongside the central army.

Chapter 221: The Search

The once thriving base was now deserted, transforming it into a ghost town.

The walls had been battered to rubble by the mutants. The last batch of soldiers, unable to evacuate in time, continued their desperate fight.

Even though there were no more civilians to protect, this base was their home. If overrun by the mutants, it would inevitably turn to ruins.

"Get to the plane, now!" Zhou You shouted, hurling several incendiary grenades. They created a wall of flames within the city walls, temporarily halting the mutant advance.

The remaining soldiers dashed towards the warplanes. Amidst roaring engines, the aircraft began ascending.

Although many mutant birds had been dealt with, a considerable number still circled above. Seeing the planes approach, they screeched and dove towards them.

Zhou You wasn't the best pilot, so he rode in Situ Han's plane. He said to Situ Han, "We'll cover the rear."

Situ Han raised no objections, controlling the jet to make several rotations mid-air before adjusting course and heading towards the back of the formation.

"What's he up to?" someone wondered aloud, unsure of his intentions.

However, they quickly received a transmission from his aircraft, urging them to fall back to Dawn City.

While they recognized Zhou You as a martial arts expert, they were also aware that martial artists had no advantage in the sky, especially when compared to a pilot. The group was hesitant to depart before him.

Zhou You's voice came through the pilots' headphones, "You go ahead. Don't slow me down. The sooner you leave, the quicker we can get to safety."