Zombie Apocalypse: Creation

"Commander Yiming, are we really just halting the operation completely?"

As Zhen Ren questioned the decision in front of everyone, Yiming didn't seem to take offense to it as he signaled him to take a seat.

"What other choices do we have?"

"I... I don't know. But there has to be something that we can do other than sit here. We can't just turtle ourselves against this threat."

Yiming didn't answer back right away as he looked over to the Colonel on his right, who seemed to be a little zoned out.

"Li Qing, what has the scientist said back so far?"

"Nothing. We already got the samples for them... They said they will report back by the start of next week."

"There's your answer, Zhen Ren. We are going to wait until the scientists find a way to counteract it."

Yiming paused for a second, then continued.

"Yan Lin, you'll be tasked with maintaining the gains we had made in the city. Zhen Ren, you'll be going to Dongguan to swap with Li Miao."

"Yes, sir."

As the two of them walked out of the tent, one filled with disappointment while the other filled with excitement, Li Qing immediately raised her question.

"Commander, did we really need to switch their roles? Aren't there still two weeks before they rotate?"

"I don't want Zhen Ren to make any radical decision. Yan Lin is much more conservative. We just need to stabilize the front and that's it."

Hearing Yiming's answer, Li Qing couldn't help but feel a little defeated. It almost sounded as if they were just giving up.

At the same time, her rational mind knew it was the rational choice.

"Commander! Li Miao had sent an urgent message!"

As a radio operator rushed into the tent panting for breath, Yiming quickly guided him to take a seat before catching his breath.

"Calm down. What was the message?"

"T-The navy is here!"

---

As Yiming sat in the back of his car, his mind was all over the place, thinking about what the radio operator had released.

"How long before we get to Donggaun?" Yiming asked the driver as the road started to get more and more bumpy.

"Three minutes, sir."

Every second he sat in the car, the more nervous he became. He had no clue how to deal with the men from the Navy.

Quite frankly, he never thought they would make it back alive in the sea, especially when he heard from a sailor who escaped during the initial outbreak.

People on ships didn't avoid the virus at all. They were completely trapped, with nowhere to go, almost like a sitting duck boiled in hot water.

After what felt like forever, the car finally came to a stop as it arrived at Li Miao's temperatory base in Dongguan.

"Commander Yiming! You're finally here!"

As Li Miao ran up to greet him, they shook hands before shifting the topic back to the situation at hand.

"Where's the navy? How many people do they have?" Yiming asked.

"They only sent a representative on a speedboat. He's waiting in my office right now." Li Miao answered.

"Lead the way."

The two quickly walked past the heavily guarded entrance before arriving at a small office complex.

Inside, Li Miao led him up the stairs before stopping at the 2nd floor, entering a hallway, and going towards a room with two guards.

"You all may go now."

With the guards gone, Li Miao opened the door, revealing a middle-aged man in an oddly surprising uniform.

It was a Navy officer, but not the one he recognized.

The insignia and all of the symbols in his clothes indicated the man before him was someone across the strait.

"You're the commander in charge here?" The middle-aged man asked in a heavy accent, looking down at Yiming.

"Who are you? Where are you coming from?" Yiming questioned.

"I'm a rear admiral of the 2nd fleet. Now would you answer my question, mainlander?"

"Li Miao, you said this man came in a speedboat, right? No other boats anywhere in sight?"

The moment Li Miao nodded, Yiming pulled out his pistol before aiming it right at the navy officer.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's this for? You aren't going to kill a messenger, aren't you?"

"Why do I need to talk to someone who's a traitor to the country?"

Seeing Yiming click off the safety, the navy officer didn't seem to fear it, as he took it as a bluff.

"Is this how you all treat peace delegates? Killing them and keeping them silent?"

Yiming still didn't move his gun away, pointing it at his head as he put his finger on the trigger.

"Which peace delegate wears a navy uniform?"

This time, the navy officer was a little caught off guard, but he quickly recovered as he went back on the offensive.

"When did clothing matter? Besides, if you kill me here, you're only giving yourself trouble."

After a few seconds of silence, Yiming finally puts his pistol back down.

"What business do you want coming here? We don't welcome people like you here."

"My commander was just a little curious about what was happening across the straits. That's all."

"That's all?" Yiming questioned.

"That's all." The man answered.

"Li Miao, feed him to the zombies. He knows too many secrets to leave. And don't forget to kill him afterward."

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing Li Miao walking closer and closer, the navy officer quickly realized he had overestimated Yiming's patience.

"Wait, wait, wait, that's not the only reason I'm here for. I-I was sent here because we want to negotiate peace."

"You could have just said that at the start... Li Miao, let him go and wait outside."

"Yes, sir."

With Li Miao out of the room, Yiming finally sat down in the seat, sitting right across from the navy officer.

"Now, can you speak normally without that altitude of yours?"

"Could have just asked... Ahem, my admiral had been noticing a few aircraft carriers that had been going around the island.

They had been interfering with our fishing operation, so I was sent here to negotiate some sort of deal."

Hearing the explanation, Yiming quickly realized the actual navy he was thinking of earlier was still out there.

"Have you guys tried to talk to them at all?"

"They don't accept our radios at all... Wait, do they not talk to you guys either?"

"Here's some bad news for you. The navy hasn't talked to us... So whatever deal you're trying to reach, you're going to need to get on that aircraft carrier."

"Shit... You can't be serious. They haven't gone on shore and communicated with you guys at all?"

Seeing Yiming shaking his head, the navy officer started to look more and more nervous as if something was worrying him.

"What's wrong?

"I-I need to get back——"

"Whoa, who said you can leave? I'll only let you leave if you tell me what's so urgent right now."

After a few seconds of internal struggle, the navy officer finally confesses to his reasoning.

"The aircraft carrier is a zombie death trap! I-I need to tell them to stop before it's too late!"

---

As Yiming watched the navy officer run out of the streets, Li Miao had already raised his rifle, tracking its head along the road.

"No need."

Li Miao didn't question his order, putting his rifle back down as they watched him disappear into the distance.

"Commander, do you think zombie boats really exist?" Li Miao curiously asked, unable to believe what the navy officer had said earlier.

"It wouldn't surprise me... It kind of makes sense now I think about it. All those ships haven't contacted us, just floating along the currents."

The hallway fell into silence as it was more than obvious what the most likely outcome was for all the sailors out in the sea.

"Maybe some of them made it... How else would that Navy officer be a rear admiral?" Li Miao murmured.

"Maybe... Ahem, Li Miao, you should get ready. You're going to swap your task with Zhen Ren, he should be coming soon——"

Before Yiming could finish talking, a man with the rank of Colonel showed up right at the staircase.

"Commander, who was that crazy guy who just ran out of this building?" Zhen Ren curiously asked as he approached the two of them.

"Just a nobody... You two sort it out. I'm heading back to Shenzhen."

Yiming didn't elaborate any further as he headed downstairs, leaving the building as the two of them looked to each other.

"What did you do to get moved out of Shenzhen?" Li Miao curiously asked, patting him on the back as they walked into the office together.

"I was too rash against the general."

"Your short temper really just never changes... Whatever, I need to talk to my officers first. I'll be right back."

With Li Miao walking out of the room, Zhen Ren sat in the room all alone as his heart felt a little regretful.

"Dang it, why did I speak out? All that work is now for nothing. What am I so stupid?"