Thousands of people rested for about half an hour, lazily chatting and drinking water, ready to get up to eat their late lunch. Who knew that the damn bell would ring again. If it was before the apocalypse, even the most hardworking stevedores would be angered by the endless work and would either protest or go on strike. But after the apocalypse, these people did not think of any complaints. They helped each other stand up, dragged their aching thighs, bent their waists, and staggered towards the dock, like a group of wounded soldiers retreating from the battlefield.
More than 20 flat-bottomed boats dragged long waves, stirring up waves, and reached the periphery of the dock area. This time, the boats did not wait in the river to be rotated, but docked one by one. The densely packed boats were all lined up together, and the edges were connected to each other, all the way to the center of the river.
As soon as the innermost ship had settled down, a loud shout came from it, and then the whole ship came to life, a series of short, forceful commands, a series of vigorous replies, and then two squads of soldiers in paratrooper training uniforms with rifles on their backs and helmets of the same color as their training uniforms stepped down from the ship.
This time, the workers on the dock did not cheer. They quietly stood on both sides, leaving the space in the middle, and watched the seemingly endless troops pass through the camp towards the convoy outside. One hundred, two hundred, five hundred and six hundred, in the end, they could not even count the number of soldiers that came down.
They did not cheer because they did not know the origin of these soldiers. Although there were many soldiers in the base, most of them knew their uniforms and weapons, and they did not know the officers leading them. It was the most difficult time for the frontline, and they did not know whether these troops were reinforcements from the surrounding satellite bases, or allies from unknown forces.
These soldiers were also very curious about the dock. Many of them looked at the hundreds of heavy machine guns and ammunition boxes in a daze, and some of them looked at the rocket launchers and anti-aircraft cannons and gritted their teeth.
After nearly 2,000 soldiers came ashore, the workers on the dock finally had their lunch. It was already midnight, and people were eating dinner. Looking at the soldiers boarding hundreds of transport vehicles, they could not help but feel a little more confident in blocking the millions of zombies.
"Reporting, Minister Jin is here, he is outside..."
Outside the command vehicle came the report of the soldier. Zhao Jun opened the door, poked his head out and shouted:
"Old Jin, long time no see. Come on up. What good stuff did you bring me this time?"
Ishihara was simulating the latest situation of the battlefield in Hubei on the electronic map in the command vehicle. When he heard Zhao Jun's blatant request for a bribe, he couldn't help but shake his head. He turned around and sat in his seat, picking up a pack of cigarettes.
Jin Xing climbed into the command vehicle with a big smile on his face and placed all kinds of exquisite packaging boxes on the table in the command vehicle. He bowed to Zhao Jun and Shi Yuanye and said, "It's rare for Minister Shi and Minister Zhao to visit me, so I've prepared some local specialties for you. Nothing much, just some deer antlers and tiger penises, eighty year old wild ginseng, forty year old Pu 'er tea, and some fifty or sixty year old clay wine. These things aren't worth much, so I hope you'll like them …"
"Aiya, how can I do that? What did you say?"
Zhao Jun only stared at the things on the table and didn't pay much attention to what Jin Xing said. He had just said a polite word, but then he suddenly realized something. He pointed at the things on the table and stared at Jin Xing innocently. At the same time, he replayed what Jin Xing had said in his mind. It seemed that the cheapest things were at least 100K before the doomsday?
"All right, all right, don't make a fuss. All the materials in Ordos City are coordinated by this kid. There's no such thing as the home of the rich. This kid has a lot of money. Just consider it a bonus for us. Besides, these can only be regarded as substandard goods. He must have hidden the real good things well, waiting for Zhang Xiaoqiang to come back and show his filial piety …"
Shi Yuanye was not surprised. They had conquered a lot of cities, and there were a lot of good things, but not as many as in Ordos. After all, they were a group of people who got rich overnight. They bought whatever they had and locked it in a thermostatic safe, making it all easy for them.
Zhao Jun's face was slightly red. He used to be just an ordinary low-level officer with little knowledge. He had been fighting with Zhang Xiaoqiang all the time, so he had no chance to see good things. Now he seemed to be petty.
Jin Xing's wrinkled old face nodded at the two, took out two pure silver square boxes from his arms, and put them in front of the two.
"This is the real good thing, the best Cuban cigar. It used to be a limited supply and can't be bought on the market. Only people with real status can enjoy it. I found it in a mansion in Ordos City and put it together with the delivery letter from the auction. I left a few boxes for Zhang Xiaoqiang, and I dare not enjoy the remaining three boxes alone …"
Shi Yuanye was much more generous than Zhao Jun. He took it without hesitation and put it in his hand. Zhao Jun also took his cigar, put it in his cabinet, and then let Jin Xing sit down.
"Minister Jin, you have made a great contribution this time. The people you sent to the ammunition factory last time were greatly appreciated by Chen Guandong. Our ammunition output has increased by three times, and we also have some ideas about making our own cartridges. As long as the machinery is processed, we can mass-produce cartridges …"
Zhao Jun kept praising the so-called professionals that Jin Xing brought back last time. In fact, there were only a few of them who had really worked in the workshop, but they had seen more and knew more. They were better than those country bumpkins who had never seen anything. With a little guidance from them, the output was greatly increased, and at the same time, the waste of raw materials was reduced.
"Let's talk about these things later. Let's talk about the problem of the Northern Army now. Minister Jin, how is their handling of the New Era going?
Also, you brought back 50,000 people last time, and we have almost settled them down. How many more do you plan to give us next time? "
Shi Yuanye was still concerned about the big picture. Everything was going according to the previous plan. Based on Shi Yuanye's conservative personality, they did not expand their business too much. They focused on stabilizing the existing foundation, and restoring production was the first task. Of the 5,000 technicians they brought back last time, aside from the 2,000 who did nothing, they still got more than half of the professionals. These professionals played a big role, and greatly alleviated the problem of manpower shortage. After tasting the sweetness, they thought of getting the talents from the hundreds of thousands of survivors in the Northern Army first, and then talking about other things.
"The New Era is no longer a problem. They are preparing to make their move tonight, and by that time, my guard camp might be needed as well. As for the survivors, I think, when they are done with the New Era, it will be our turn to exchange bullets for them …"
Jin Xing was not sure, but 300,000 bullets was not a small number. At least the military would not be in as much of a hurry as before. These days, he had tested them a few times, and it seemed that the Northern Army only had their eyes on the New Era, and were not in a hurry for his bullets.
"If that's the case, Zhao Jun and I will stay for another day. Tomorrow, you have to get confirmation. Also … they don't need to use your guard camp. They are testing you. Perhaps, they have the idea of both sides suffering. You have to be careful."
Shi Yuanye was a careful thinker, and he immediately thought of the Northern Army's possible plan. They would use the two armies controlled by the New Era to attack Jin Xing's guard camp, and when the guard camp was about to collapse, they would suddenly attack from the back. This way, not only would they exhaust the New Era, but they would also prove their strength. They would also have a chance to gain Jin Xing's favor, and then they would have the capital to bargain with.
"Ah?
Oh, why didn't I think of that?
This is bad. We only have 450,000 bullets in total, and we haven't replenished the 300,000 we traded. The daily clean-up training used up another 30,000, and we only have 120,000 bullets left. You have to lend me some … "
Jin Xing panicked. On average, each soldier had 240 bullets, which was about the same amount of ammunition. He had thought that they were in the Northern Army's territory, and there were tens of thousands of soldiers behind them, so the Northern Army would definitely not let anything happen to him. Who would have thought that the Northern Army would use the wolves to attack the tigers?
Zhao Jun could not help but say, "It's not a big deal.
"It's not a big deal. There's a main force behind us. When the time comes, I'll personally lead the main force and let them see how powerful we are. Let me tell you, I brought 20 IFVs this time. Tsk tsk, those guys will have a good time."
Shi Yuanye wanted to stop him immediately. Zhao Jun was responsible for the overall tactical arrangements. How could he lead troops into battle?
If something happened, wouldn't the arrangements that Zhang Xiaoqiang had made before he left be a mess?
But when he saw the excitement in Zhao Jun's eyes, he stopped himself. During this period of time, Ishihara's plan to stabilize first and then develop later really made Zhao Jun feel suffocated.
"Bring Captain Crescent Moon. She is training the team nearby. I heard that she has a Domain team that can block all Esper abilities. When the time comes, we can't leave the protection of the Domain team …"
Shi Yuanye did not object, and suggested that Zhao Jun bring the Domain team. Zhao Jun wanted to refuse, but seeing the determination in Shi Yuanye's eyes, he could not help but think of the many times Shi Yuanye had persuaded him. He owed Shi Yuanye many favors, so in the end, he nodded and agreed …
"Will there be any problems with this?
They won't suspect anything, right? "
Zhao Zhigang whispered to He Zilong. Even though the moon was full in the sky, the ground was still not very clear at night. Most of the roads were hidden in the dark, and no one dared to light torches. The troops of a few thousand moved forward in the dark, and from time to time, someone would miss a step and fall to the ground.
Zhao Zhigang and He Zilong both wore night vision goggles as they moved forward. The troops beside them were the most elite troops under their command. Even in the dark, they did not make a sound. Only the sound of equipment clashing broke the silence of the night and echoed in the middle of the troops.
"There's no problem, but how are we going to tell Yuan Heping?
We have always advanced and retreated together. If we leave him behind this time, I'm afraid he will not be happy. "
He Zilong was even more conflicted about Yuan Heping's attitude. Zhao Zhigang did not see it this way. He pursed his lips and looked at the silent soldiers beside him. He whispered to He Zilong, "The two troops that New Era is studying are both our teams. What's the point of dragging Yuan Heping into this?
Didn't we already compensate him last time?
He gets half of the 300,000 bullets, and the two of us will split the remaining half equally. Also, if we do it ourselves, it will be called cleaning up the family. If we let an outsider do it, how will the people below look at us? "
He Zilong clearly did not agree with this. Coincidentally, they had already reached the ambush area. The troops entered the position under the guidance of the basic officers. The two of them did not speak. When they were ready, two messengers came over from the front.
"What?
The two of them are not willing to come personally? "
Under the silver moonlight, the two messengers had stiff expressions. They were not polite to Zhao Zhigang and He Zilong. Seeing the two of them, He Zilong was also a little angry. It was Zhao Zhigang who pulled He Zilong back and said, "This is a crucial moment. They are still in the front preparing. Let them come personally after the battle is over …"
Feeling Zhao Zhigang's grip on his arm, He Zilong nodded cooperatively and did not speak anymore. He let Zhao Zhigang be responsible for communicating with the two messengers.
"It is now 23: 27. There are 33 minutes left. At 24: 00, they will attack on time. We will launch the second wave of attack after that. Tell your regiment commander that this time, I have put in a lot of effort. I have given them all 150,000 bullets. They are Blades. This time, as long as we clean up the Guard Camp over there, half of the weapons we get will belong to them. There will also be food supplies. Give them at least 20% of it. Don't screw up …"
As Zhao Zhigang explained, he connected all the dots. Zhao Zhigang gave all the bullets they got to the two regiments controlled by New Era. Using the weapons of the Blood Wolf Camp and the supplies hoarded by Venus as bait, the two regiments would take the initiative to attack. When New Era and the Blood Wolf Camp fought, New Era would reap the benefits.
"Hmph, they are now wealthier than my direct troops. We have to tighten our belts and give them ammunition. They have to show some results. Otherwise, even if we manage to defeat them, they won't have the face to take so many trophies. The other officers are still waiting to see them make a fool of themselves. Tell them to behave themselves."
He Zilong could not help but add a few more words. He cooperated with Zhao Zhigang to mobilize the enthusiasm of the other side. As long as both sides fought seriously, they would be able to maximize their benefits.
"Please rest assured, Chief. Our commander has given us instructions. This time, we have two regiments with 3,000 people. We will definitely succeed in this night attack. There is no need for backup. We can guarantee that the battle will end within 20 minutes …"
The messenger's reply was interesting. Although Zhao Zhigang and He Zilong were both division commanders, they did not seem to respect them much. In their eyes, Zhao Zhigang and He Zilong were elected by their respective commanding officers. They were not real division commanders. Therefore, most of the soldiers listened to the orders of their direct commanding officers. They were not very willing to pay attention to the higher-ups. This was also the current situation of the Northern Army. To put it bluntly, they were in a state of disunity. This was also why Yuan Heping could use his own strength to restrain the entire Northern Army here. Whoever had more soldiers would have a louder voice.