Zombie Apocalypse: Creation

”I can’t do this... I knew this was a bad idea from the start.” Wuli tried to get up, but Leyan suddenly got back up and held her onto the sofa.

”No leaving until honey is satisfied. Come on, don’t be shy. We already watch each other so many times.” Leyan whispered into Wuli’s ear.

”B-But it feels so awkward... I apologize for commenting in the past. Now, can you please let me go?” Wuli tried to wrestle Leyan’s grip away, but Leyan held on tight and refused to let go.

”You watched me do it on the wedding day. What do you think I should do?” Leyan smirked.

Just as everyone’s attention was on Wuli, Shuli could almost sneak out until someone pointed it out.

”Shuli, where do you think you are going?”

As Leyan pointed her out, everyone turned their attention to Shuli.

”I-I’m just going to get a sip of water.” Shuli’s attempt to lie was instantly seen through as her nervousness told Leyan everything.

Leyan looked over to Yuqi, and she immediately understood Leyan’s eye signal as she walked Shuli back to the sofa.

”Honey, what are you waiting for?” Leyan stared at Xiaoyun.

”I didn’t expect you to hold that grudge over this long...” Xiaoyun mumbled as Wuli and Shuli were back on top of each other.

---

The next day...

Wuli and Shuli were still asleep on the bed when Xiaoyun woke up.

”Last night was too crazy... I still need to go to work today.”

After refreshing himself in the bathroom and changing into his uniform, Xiaoyun went downstairs.

As expected, Leyan was already up making breakfast.

”Good morning, honey.” Leyan puts the bowl of noodles in front of him.

”Good morning, babe... how was the babies last night?” Xiaoyun asked as he started eating.

”Just the usual. Only cried once in the morning to use the bathroom and fell asleep after feeding them.”

After replying, Leyan returned to the kitchen to prepare the other’s breakfast.

After rushing the breakfast down, Xiaoyun got up from his seat.

”Leaving already?” Leyan curiously asked, as it was only eight in the morning.

”Need to do something. Tell Wuli that she doesn’t need to come to work today... Also, give this letter to Wuli.”

After handing a letter to Leyan, Xiaoyun left the house for the command center.

---

As he entered the command center, all the Majors and Yezi were already in the meeting.

”Where’s Wuli?” Yezi curiously asked.

”She’s on a break. Don’t worry about her. She will be assigned to stay behind to guard the town.” Xiaoyun explained.

”Okay... well, let’s get to today’s topic.”

Yezi walked over to his computer and connected to the projector.

”The training of the soldier is mostly complete now. As most of you know, yesterday was their last training day.”

Yezi puts the map on the projector as he pulls a ruler from the side.

”Regiment One will be assigned to take over this faction over here. Regiment Two will be here...”

After going through the detailed plan one by one, Yezi looked around the tables.

”Does anyone have a question about the workload assigned?”

One of the Majors raised their hands.

”Mr.Yezi, should we ask them to surrender first? Or do we attack them right away?” The Major curiously asked.

”You may act as the situation fit, but ideally, as little bloodshed as possible,” Yezi replied to the question.

Another Major raised his hand.

”Mr.Yezi, are we allowed to retreat if they have a backup?”

”Of course, retreat if need be. Don’t try to tough it out or be ashamed that you failed. Remember, the soldier’s lives are in your hands.” Yezi reminded the Majors.

”Any more questions?” Yezi asked one last time.

The room was silent.

”Very well, commander Xiaoyun will act as the central HQ and serve as a backup with the main army.”

After Yezi finished explaining, all the Majors and Xiaoyun stood up from their seats.

”I hope everyone remembers that failure is how we learn. There’s nothing wrong calling for backups.” Yezi stated it again.

”Godspeed everyone.” Yezi saluted the Majors as they left the command center to their perspective regiments.

”Hey, Yezi, if Wuli asks where I went, just tell her the truth.” Xiaoyun walked up to Yezi, and the two hugged each other.

”You didn’t tell her about this at all?” Yezi curiously asked as they separated.

”Yeah... I don’t want her to get hurt. Please make sure she doesn’t try to go.” Xiaoyun pleaded.

”I’ll try my best... You know she won’t be happy if she hears she’s assigned to a back-line duty.”

”I know, but I just can’t make myself do it,” Xiaoyun mumbled.

”No wonder why you make the go day right after your wedding... She’s going to be extra mad for this.”

”Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Xiaoyun waved goodbye as he left the command center.

---

When Xiaoyun left the town, the army he left with was fifteen regiments total, or fifteen thousand soldiers, as each regiment contained one thousand soldiers.

This meant leaving five regiments back on base, which included Wuli’s regiment.

”Where is everyone? And Xiaoyun?” Wuli asked as Yezi sat across the command center table.

”They already left. You’re assigned for defense and training duty.” Yezi replied.

”Damn him. Of course, he sneaks out after the wedding night. What an asshole... Whatever, I’m going.”

Just as Wuli turned around, Yezi immediately reminded her.

”Major Wuli, are you refusing the order to stay in the base?” Yezi’s voice suddenly got serious.

”No, sir.” Wuli turned back around as she saluted Yezi.

”I like to remind you that base defense is just as important as offense. There are still risks of zombies attacking the town.”

”Yes, sir.” Wuli looked down in defeat as she accepted her fate.

”Good, now keep training those new soldiers. I’ll go manage the wall defense.” Yezi left the command center as Wuli stood in place.

”Fuck, I want to go too.” Wuli almost slammed the table in frustration but held back her fist at the last second.

”There must be a way for me to go,” Wuli mumbled to herself as she looked towards her fist.

---

In a small abandoned town.

”Has the other nine regiments sent back any news yet?” Xiaoyun asked as he impatiently stared at the makeshift maps.

”No sir, they had reported that they are still on their way.” A radio operator replied.

”Okay, report back to me when they have arrived.”

As Xiaoyun stepped out of the room, he could see the clouds and buildings surrounding them.

All nine regiments were sent out to their missions as planned, each dealing with a small faction.

Unlike in the past, where they went to the countryside to ’ask’ people to move to their town, all nine of the regiment went to actual towns and city bases rather than countryside villages.

After ten minutes, the radio operator spoke up again.

”Sir, Regiment Three has arrived in their assigned town. Talks had already broken down, and assault is underway.”

”Okay, tell them we can send it immediately if they need backup.” Xiaoyun directed.

”Okay, sir.” The radio operator started sending the message.

”Sir, Regiment Eight has arrived in their assigned city base. They were able to convince the enemy to drop down their arms. They are currently traveling back towards us.”

”Good... Has Regiment One given any news yet?” Xiaoyun curiously asked as Regiment One was assigned to the biggest faction.

Most importantly, he had high hopes for Regiment One as Lingang led it and had all the mechanized units and artillery.

”They still have three minutes before getting——”

”Sir, Regiment Two has requested backup. They had been trapped inside a building by a surprise zombie attack.” The first radio operator interrupted.

”Send Regiment Ten and Eleven to help them.” Xiaoyun directed.

A soldier immediately ran out of the room with the message.

As Xiaoyun looked at the map, he was puzzled by Regiment Two’s trouble as the city base Regiment Two was assigned to deal with was more of a small city just outside Guangzhou.

”Sir, Regiment One had captured their base after one round of artillery fire.”

”Good, tell them to capture everyone and bring them here.” Xiaoyun directed.

As the radio operator sends the message, Xiaoyun draws a new line on the map.

The map now had a big line zone that ran across the base to the bottom of Guangzhou—with a small red outline hinting at an encirclement of Guangzhou with all the factions circled as the next place to attack.

”Sir, Regiment Seven found the base they went to was abandoned a few days ago.”

”Someone must have leaked some info... or it’s just a coincidence.” Xiaoyun didn’t think much of it as it was insignificant to the grand scheme of the plan.

”Tell them to come back and wait for further instruction.”

---

After one hour of back and forth directing backups and waiting for answers, all nine regiments eventually returned with their goal completed.

However, a problem that nobody accounted for was surfacing up as the regiments came back with their captives.