Rotting Land: Survive-Chapter 450 - 446: Suicide Mission (Part 4)

Back at the base, the members of the first squad all wore gloomy expressions. Lei Tong, Xu Renjie, and Hua Biao, who were seated on the shovel, had turned into blood-soaked figures due to the fierce battle.

Everyone understood their feelings, so after meeting them, they sensibly refrained from asking questions and simply prepared water and clothes for their cleaning.

In the bathroom, Xu Renjie dejectedly removed his dirty clothes, wiping the sweat off his body with a blank expression.

Warm droplets of water gently slid along the muscular contours he had developed through years of rigorous training, his body covered in scars accumulated over the years.

Suddenly, while washing, Xu Renjie stopped his actions and threw a punch against the tiled wall.

Damn it!! Xiao Luo, I, Xu Renjie, have let you down!!

The negative emotions he had been suppressing now surged forth like a torrent, overwhelming him in the quiet.

A moment of annoyance, regret, guilt, and various agitated feelings swirled in Xu Renjie’s mind.

He badly wanted to scream; the sense of powerlessness from knowing his comrades were in distress while he did nothing was truly unbearable for Xu Renjie.

He didn’t know how he managed to finish washing, change his clothes, and walk out of the bathroom.

He only knew that at this moment, he felt no different from the walking dead outside.

The living room was deathly silent; the men, whether seated or standing, all wore extremely serious expressions.

No one spoke; everyone kept their gaze firmly fixed on Xu Renjie, waiting for him to explain the actual situation inside the gymnasium.

But the dark-complexioned, hardened man, overwhelmed by guilt and reality, had no interest in speaking at that moment; he just sat there quietly, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

After a moment, Old Zhao cleared his throat. Although he knew that asking questions at this critical juncture was somewhat inappropriate, the circumstances compelled the team to understand the specific status within the gymnasium.

So... shifting his gaze slightly, Zhao Yunhai turned his eyes to the three soldiers who accompanied Xu Renjie, intending to use them as a breakthrough to probe into the questions at the bottom of his heart.

"Uh~ Xiao Xin! Could you elaborate on your experiences today with us?"

Getting straight to the point, since he decided to ask, Zhao Yunhai didn’t intend to beat around the bush.

And after hearing Old Zhao’s question, the expressions of the three soldiers noticeably darkened.

"The gymnasium has completely fallen!"

The slightly pale words painted a grim picture in the minds of the survivors.

As members of a team who had struggled in the apocalypse for almost four months, they could easily envision the current state of the gymnasium.

Ruined, rivers of blood, bones everywhere, a scene of utter devastation.

However, after hearing Li Xiaoxin’s detailed and detailed description, the survivors realized that the situation was far worse than they had imagined.

"Given the situation..." Old Zhao paused with a frown. He seemed somewhat hesitant, but after a brief consideration, he continued with determination: "Given the situation, I don’t think it’s necessary to continue searching the gymnasium."

"No" The word almost pressed against Old Zhao’s remarks, as Xu Renjie, who had been silent, suddenly lifted his head, and his previously dazed eyes suddenly sharpened: "No way! Before finding Luo Yi and the other two, I must go to the gymnasium!!"

One cannot doubt Xu Renjie’s determination; it was evident from his resolute gaze.

In response, Old Zhao felt helpless. He understood the persistence of soldiers and knew what their comrades meant to them.

If it were him, if his brothers and family, those who could take a bullet and have their backs entrusted, were in trouble, he would undoubtedly rush to their aid without hesitation.

This is the basic quality and responsibility of a person, of a man.

Looking at the increasingly tense atmosphere, Tang Xiaoquan rubbed his temples in frustration.

He really wished he were a few years older so he could speak without hesitation.

But now, even though his mind was full of ideas, the age gap made it hard to express them.

Undoubtedly, given the current situation, not to mention whether Luo Yi and the others were still alive, even with their limited manpower and weapons, there was simply no way to rescue them.

Previously, Tang Xiaoquan agreed to Xu Renjie’s request to enter the gymnasium and devised a detailed plan for two reasons: partly due to the influence of others, and partly to let him see the place himself and abandon any thoughts of rescue.

Unfortunately, Tang Xiaoquan clearly underestimated the will of soldiers; the harsh reality not only failed to deter them but further fueled their concern for their comrades.

But if they continued to waste manpower and resources on this matter, the final outcome would likely be all for nothing.

Quickly drumming his fingers on his knee, Tang Xiaoquan knew he couldn’t persuade Xu Renjie to give up the rescue if he spoke.

So he had to come up with a compromise, at least to prevent the latter from venturing into the gymnasium again.

Because through Li Xiaoxin’s words, it was very clear that the gymnasium was extremely dangerous. Even though relying on the shovel allowed them to escape, the escape process was extremely thrilling.

Bluntly speaking, if anything had gone slightly wrong, being ambushed by zombies wasn’t an impossible outcome.

And once something happened to Xu Renjie, the gymnasium would undoubtedly become the end of their team.

Tang Xiaoquan could almost imagine how the remaining soldiers would storm the gymnasium in a frenzy.

And by that time, the vicious cycle would be unstoppable, and Yuhuan Gymnasium would become a black hole, swallowing up their companions one by one.

Thinking of this, a chill ran up Tang Xiaoquan’s spine. He dared not hesitate and quickly spoke up: "Uh~ Captain Xu, allow me to say something! First, we all understand your desire to rescue the soldiers. Secondly, I personally also support your rescue action."

The moment these words were spoken, Old Zhao and the others immediately looked at each other with surprise, unable to understand why the young man supported Xu Renjie’s actions at such a juncture.

Undoubtedly, even a fool could see that attempting to enter the gym to rescue people was an absurd idea. Not to mention rescuing anyone, even not losing their own lives inside would be a blessing from Amitabha Buddha.

"I say, Xiao Tang, have you thought carefully about what you’re talking about?" Lin Junfu couldn’t hold back. Not just him, Hu Xiaodong also quickly voiced his doubts: "Yeah! Xiao Tang, the situation inside the gym is already clear. To undertake a rescue now is like..."

"Suicidal." Although Hu Xiaodong swallowed the words, his meaning was unmistakably clear.

In response, Tang Xiaoquan nodded indifferently. He had anticipated the reactions his words would provoke.

However, he knew very well what he was doing because trying to persuade someone as principled as Xu Renjie using conventional methods was clearly not feasible.

So he planned to take a different approach, adopting an indirect strategy, though he wasn’t sure if it would work. But other than this, he couldn’t think of a better way. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)