Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 980 - 423 Searching for Oil (Part 2)_2

Chapter 980: Chapter 423 Searching for Oil (Part 2)_2

Lin Wu got behind the wheel of the tanker truck and drove it close to the first aviation fuel tanker truck. Xiaoji got off the truck and connected the batteries of the two tankers with a cable, allowing the tanker truck to charge the aviation fuel tanker. After charging for a while, Xiaoji started up the first aviation fuel tanker. This vehicle’s instrumentation and controls were somewhat different from a regular tanker, and it took some time, but ultimately Xiaoji regretfully informed everyone that the first aviation fuel tanker was empty.

As the team continued to kill zombies, Xiaoji studied the operation of the aviation fuel tanker’s fuel pump.

Although all three aviation fuel tankers were empty, the squad had all the necessary conditions for fuel extraction. The only regret was that securing the area used up too many bullets.

The helicopter hoisted the small fuel tank to the specified location, and the fuel pump of the tanker connected to the underground kerosene storage tank, continuously extracting kerosene. First, they filled the tanker truck, then connected it to the small fuel tank to fill it up, and finally refueled the helicopter. After finishing the work, Xiaoji removed the vehicle battery from the fuel tanker to use a fully charged battery next time for refueling.

The 5,000-liter small fuel tank, along with its own weight, reached a total of three and a half tons, which was not very promising. The maximum payload of the helicopter was 11 tons, with an empty weight of 5 tons. Adding in fuel, missiles, and the small fuel tank, the calculated weight was close to 11 tons. The combined weight of Little Knife, Xiao Wu, Xiaoji, Lin Wu, Maya, and a little girl with their equipment was nearly one ton.

Maya temporarily left everyone behind and piloted the helicopter back to the base. The squad members secured the valve of the underground aviation kerosene and rode a regular tanker to a small building where they waited on the rooftop.

About two hours later, the helicopter arrived, and everyone squeezed onto the plane and returned to the base. During the flight, Xiaoji contacted Baldy on the phone, while Lin Wu reached out to Stone. Stone drove a tractor to Veteran Base to pick up Baldy, three others, and a batch of equipment.

At seven o’clock in the evening, a post-dinner tea meeting was convened at the railway bridge base. There were five participants from Veteran Base, all of them from the first group of Veteran Base members. Apart from Baldy, Xiaoji, and the little girl, there was also a male and a female, who were Xiao Zhuan, the mechanical expert, and Sharpshooter, respectively. Naturally, the meeting discussed the ammunition cache on the second basement level of the Veteran’s Club in central city.

Baldy drew a diagram: "The target is Building A, three floors above ground, two below. The first step of the mission is to lure the enemy. We brought five Bluetooth speakers. The placement must be close to the ground level but out of the zombies’ reach. The specific locations are on the third floor outdoor of Building B, at the top of a 15-meter-tall statue... The method is to be carried out by helicopter rappelling, which is quite dangerous and requires high proficiency from the pilot. Xiaoji will assist Maya throughout as co-pilot."

Baldy: "Step two: Land on Building C, which is 30 meters away from target Building A."

Snow Egg asked: "Why not land directly on the roof of Building A?"

Baldy answered: "The rooftop of the Veteran’s Club does not have any barriers, suggesting that there might be a large number of zombies there. If we land directly, we might get trapped in the helicopter. The club covers a large area, and our goal is to secure a position first. Building C has a slanted roof and won’t have any zombies."

Baldy added: "First we clear out zombies from Building A while on Building C, then use a grappling hook gun to shoot across to Building A, and the assault team will zip line over."

Baldy: "Everyone will use carbines, random firing is allowed on the rooftop, while the stairs from the third floor to the first should be cleared with low-noise pistols. The most critical part is the first floor; we can only use pistols there, and we must coordinate with the Bluetooth speakers to prevent attracting a large number of outdoor zombies indoors."

Baldy switched to a new piece of paper: "This is the duty roster I’ve drawn up; let me know if it looks suitable to you."

Shana asked: "Am I in charge of controlling the speakers on the rooftop?"

Baldy nodded: "Correct, the speakers drain a lot of power. The five Bluetooth speakers are using regular batteries, optimistically they can last 25 minutes, but the shortest operating duration we’ve tested is only 20 minutes. They have a limited remote control range, and you’ll need to move around the rooftop when switching the speakers."

Baldy: "There are quite a few obstacles on the rooftop; it was built as an anti-terrorism assault course for new members. There are walls, wooden doors, windows, and so on; the helicopter can only land on the east side."

Little Knife asked: "What’s the purpose of Snow Egg and me as the rooftop team?"

Baldy explained: "You are to secure the safe passage, protecting people and resources. Your task is very important; if there are any hidden zombies, Shana and the transport personnel could be attacked. Here is a roll of glow-in-the-dark tape; you need to lay out a safe route from the entry to the helicopter’s pathway."

Snow Egg asked, "Are we going to operate at night?"

The bald man nodded, "During the day, zombies have far vision and are sensitive to moving objects. We are equipped with night vision devices, which can give us a considerable advantage in night battles."

Maya said, "Leave two people on the first floor to ensure a smooth passage. Why not clear out all the zombies on the first floor?"

The bald man replied, "The speakers only work for a limited time, and our ammunition is limited as well. It’s not a big deal from the third floor to the first, take control of the stairs, block the fire doors, and that’s it. The first floor doesn’t have fire doors, and we need to secure a 70-meter-long safe passage to the stairs leading to the basement. In my plan, the first round is to shoot with all pistols at once, clear the zombies near the passage under the cover of the speakers, then leave two to patrol, using pistols equipped with silencers to ensure the safety of the passage."

Maya said, "I think Lin Wu can join the assault team."

The bald man replied, "You might be misunderstanding. After our discussion, we think the pressure is the highest on the first floor. Compared to pistols, we are better at using rifles. Therefore, keeping Lin Wu on the first floor is the best choice. In addition to Lin Wu, we need your suggestions for someone else on the first floor. Requirements: proficiency with pistols, stable shooting, concentrated attention, and good at adapting to circumstances."

Lin Meng volunteered out of habit: "Me."

The bald man looked at Maya, and Maya evaluated her team’s resources, with only Xiao Wu and Lin Meng left. Xiao Wu is a policeman who has received professional pistol shooting training. Lin Meng has undergone intensive practical pistol training in winter.

Lin Wu said, "Since it’s dangerous, let Lin Meng do it. I would feel sad for several minutes if Xiao Wu died."

The bald man and others didn’t understand, but Maya made the decision: "Alright, Lin Meng then."

The participants in this battle were ten people from the Railway Bridge Base: Lin Meng, Lin Wu, Maya, Little Knife, and Snow Egg, all from the Shadow Team. From the Veteran Base: Little Girl, Sharpshooter, the bald man, Xiaoji, and Xiao Zhuan. The operation time is tomorrow night at eight o’clock.

After the combat meeting ended, Shana took the people from Veteran Base to rest in the guest carriage, where she held a private conversation with the bald man outside the carriage for almost two hours before they said goodnight to each other.

...

The next day, everyone was busy. The combat personnel were conducting simulated combat in the warehouse at the end of the handcart track. The non-combat personnel were responsible for logistics support, and in addition to food, they also turned washed zombie clothes into strips of cloth to enhance the combat personnel’s defensive capacity.

As the team leader, the bald man supervised and provided guidance on everyone’s understanding of their positions.

First, he expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the rooftop team, thinking that Little Knife and Snow Egg were not coordinating well, too separate, although having the idea to risk themselves to protect each other, they lacked the consciousness of mutual protection.

"Don’t worry about what Little Knife sees or what she’s shooting at. Consider that the sound of Little Knife’s gun might attract hidden zombies. If you keep your focus in front, who is responsible for covering the rear? Trust in Little Knife, and likewise, Little Knife, you should also trust Snow Egg. But this doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. When facing an adverse situation, decisively and immediately call on your partner to join the fight."

"In the clearing work, one should be the lead and the other the support, with support taking up the role of being on guard and providing assistance; don’t open any cabinets, that’s the lead’s job, restrain your curiosity."

Regarding the two-person combination on the first floor, the bald man had mixed comments.

"Lin Wu, that kick was very good, instantly opening up the field of vision and shooting range," the bald man criticized, "Lin Meng, after being knocked down, you should defend the front immediately, don’t stand up, and definitely don’t spend a long time looking back at your teammate. You have to believe in one thing: if he kicked you, he definitely had a reason to do so."