At that moment, the robotic adjutant's angelic voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Heavy Factory construction complete~"
The Heavy Factory was finally completed—the StarCraft Troops now had armored units! He immediately ordered: "Produce two Hellions at once!"
The robotic adjutant responded: "Affirmative, Commander!"
Bai Wen watched the massive Heavy Factory spring to life, clenching his fists tightly. When it came to killing Zombies, Marine Corpsmen couldn't compare to these units that spewed scorching flames—capable of incinerating entire swathes at once without fear of them reviving!
Next up was the Thor, a ferocious Rocket Turret capable of large-scale saturation bombing. Its Typhoon Missiles could engage both ground and air targets. While its firepower and range couldn't match the Siege Tank, it excelled in rate of fire and maneuverability!
Bai Wen suddenly asked the SCV: "Since you can manufacture the Medic Healing Module for me, can you produce Medics too?"
"Of course. Medics are essential for Marine Corpsmen's early-stage survival, but research in the Tech Lab is required," the SCV replied.
"Good. Once the DNA Analysis is complete, we'll research the doctor sister!"
Exhausted, Bai Wen leaned back in the command chair and drifted off to sleep.
...
S City Prison, the same conference hall. Eagle Lord stared at the severely weakened Diao Da, his face dark as a pot's bottom. Compared to Long Er's previous failure, Eagle Lord was far angrier this time.
His cold gaze fixed on Diao Da as he demanded sharply, "Don't tell me you also encountered that terrifying Zombie, resulting in total annihilation with only you making it back alive!"
Diao Da's face was deathly pale. He desperately wanted to reveal everything he'd experienced but didn't dare—that person had warned they'd send someone to assist him. If there were spies here, he wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun.
Suppressing his lingering fear, he answered gravely, "Yes, Eagle Lord. I encountered that horrifying Zombie too! It's all because of Second Brother's faulty intel—that Zombie was clearly Level Six or higher, impossibly strong. I... all the brothers I brought with me died. If not for Third Sister and Lao Wu covering our retreat at the cost of their lives... I... I wouldn't have made it back either..."
Long Er, whose heart had been pounding wildly, froze upon hearing this. He wondered what exactly Diao Da had encountered to corroborate his own lie. Originally, he'd assumed that while those people were formidable, Diao Da commanded so many Ability Users that even if defeated, only a few would be lost. Who could've predicted total annihilation?!
This was excellent news for Long Er. Now Diao Da's forces were weaker than his, and he seemed severely injured internally—how could he possibly oppose Second Brother in the future?
Eagle Lord's expression darkened. He didn't believe Diao Da's story—the coincidence was too perfect. Last time, Long Er's squad encountered that Zombie and was wiped out. Now Diao Da meets the same Zombie with identical results. The only difference was Diao Da's claim that the Safe Zone had already been overrun by powerful Zombies, catching them unprepared and causing heavy losses.
Eagle Lord was furious. They had lost over three hundred men in succession. Although none of them were his close confidants, it still pained him!
He wanted to punish Diao Da and Long Er severely, but now was the time when capable men were needed most. Diao Da and Long Er were both highly skilled—he didn't want to lose two such excellent enforcers!
"Forget it. Considering your many contributions to the Safe Zone, I won't pursue this matter any further. Go rest, and when you have time, train the newcomers. We need combat-ready forces as soon as possible. Understood?" Eagle Lord sighed deeply, his tone softening considerably.
"Thank you, Eagle Lord!" Both Diao Da and Long Er left the meeting hall.
Long Er chuckled darkly. "Boss, what exactly happened? Even with such a strong team, you suffered a total wipeout?!"
Diao Da glared at Long Er angrily. "Second Brother, it's true we've been at odds for a long time, but neither of us has ever betrayed the Safe Zone's interests! This time, you've gone too far—you cost us so many men at once!"
Long Er sneered in response. "Spare me the moralizing. In times like these, whose interests matter? I only care about my own! When you had the upper hand before, did you ever give me a second glance? Well, just you wait—I'll make you pay for every humiliation I've suffered!"
With that, Long Er stormed off.
Diao Da clenched his fists tightly. He knew his days ahead wouldn't be easy—Long Er would find every opportunity to sabotage him. For now, the best course of action was to stay indoors, recover from his injuries, and bide his time. Once he regained his strength, he could deal with Long Er later.
Just then, a subordinate hurried over and whispered to Diao Da, "Boss, I just saw Ji Zhen return!"
"What?" Diao Da was stunned, thinking he must have misheard. He had clearly seen Ji Zhen die in the explosion—how could she…?
He immediately rushed back to the meeting hall. As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw Ji Zhen, covered in blood. He hurried inside but restrained himself from showing too much concern, calling out, "Third… Third Sister, you're alive?!"
Ji Zhen gave a pained smile, her voice weak. "I barely escaped with my life. Sorry to worry you, Big Brother."
Diao Da quickly replied, "Third Sister, if it weren't for you and Lao Wu protecting me, how could I have made it back? I should be thanking you!"
Eagle Lord watched Diao Da with an unreadable expression, his face betraying nothing. He waved a hand dismissively. "Enough talk for now. Go rest. Call the doctor to treat Third-in-Command's injuries. We'll discuss everything else once she's recovered."
Diao Da nodded, casting one last glance at Ji Zhen before turning to leave.
The moment he was gone, Eagle Lord's expression turned grim. He stared at the hall's entrance and asked coldly, "Ji Zhen, is what you said true? Did he really try to kill you?!"
Ji Zhen nodded weakly, her voice trembling. "There's no mistake. At the time, we were fighting the Zombies together. I was certain I could escape, but as I fled, someone pushed me from behind, making me lose my best chance to get away. Diao Da was the only one behind me—who else could it have been?!"
"But why would he want to kill you?" Eagle Lord still found it hard to believe. Diao Da was ruthless and brutal, but he was also fiercely loyal. Betraying a comrade wasn't something he would do.
"Eagle Lord, why can't you see it? All his trusted aides are dead this time, so he'll have no influence left in the Safe Zone. Since I'm your trusted subordinate, of course he wants to kill me—first to weaken your power, and second to make you consider the shortage of manpower and spare him from punishment!" Ji Zhen said.
Eagle Lord pondered, his tiger-like eyes swirling with killing intent. In anger, he slammed his palm on the armrest of his chair and roared, "I've long known none of my subordinates can be trusted, but I never thought they'd start scheming against me so soon! Looks like it's time to replace this batch of people!"
(End of Chapter)