Chapter 144: The Art of War of the Zombies in Qinglong County, Qinhuangdao (Part 2)

Although the enemy of one's enemy is a friend, and lending a hand to the mutant beasts seemed appropriate, Li Qiang did not issue the order to fire after observing the terrain where a highway was flanked by mountain ranges.

The terrain was far too narrow, making it impossible to leverage firepower superiority or establish a defense in depth. A highway several dozen meters wide, flanked by mountains on both sides—it would be ideal if the zombie horde could be lured out.

Based on these conditions, Li Qiang ordered a contingency plan to be drawn up, and the staff headquarters hummed with relentless activity.

First, barbed wire was densely laid across the S251 Highway leading to Qinhuangdao, extending all the way to the junction with the S261 Provincial Highway at Shuangshanzi Town, where it split into two paths and continued outward into the mountains.

Layers upon layers of convoluted barbed wire were deployed, leaving twisting corridors for the retreating soldiers. Afterward, an operation to draw out the zombies was initiated outside the county town of Qinglong. The results proved startling: only a tiny fraction of zombies charged forth. Once they fought over and devoured the nearby flesh and blood, they scurried right back into the mountains.

"Damn it!" Li Qiang cursed. "Who is treating whom like a monkey?"

He surveyed the surroundings. Surely they couldn't just launch a mountain assault like this, could they?

Given the complex terrain and heavy equipment, neither their speed nor their stamina could match that of the zombies. After a moment of deliberation, he gave the order: "Send a company to take that mountain peak!"

A company acknowledged the command and stepped out. The main force provided firepower support from the highway, and the troops quickly surged up the peak. Rolls of barbed wire were continuously hauled up behind them, rapidly enclosing the summit. The command post soon received a report confirming that the peak had been secured, while the zombie horde retreated to the back of the mountain.

"Send another company to that peak," Li Qiang stubbornly resolved. He was determined to occupy these mountain ridges one by one to see where the zombie horde could run. If they chose not to fight, it would正好 (happen to) rescue the survivors; if they chose to engage, they would get a taste of barbed wire and long-range firepower.

From 9:00 AM when the troops arrived until 5:00 PM, all the hills surrounding Qinglong County town had been fully encircled, and the survivors successfully rescued. Li Qiang established his command post inside the former county government compound of the county town.

According to standard operating procedures, the survivors would be evacuated rearward to Zhucaoying Town. Li Qiang intended to gather supplies through the logistics department and, if combat with the zombies still could not be initiated by then, to order a withdrawal. The war between humanity and zombies could not possibly be fought and won overnight; it was a protracted process. The key lay in accumulating human personnel and corresponding resources as reserves for long-range operations.

A detachment was dispatched to escort the retreating survivors along the S251 Highway toward Zhucaoying Town.

In less than half an hour, intense gunfire erupted from the direction of the retreat.

Radio reports flashed frantically from various posts: "Report! A horde of zombies suddenly rushed out from a mountain ravine and attacked our company!" This was the report from the escort unit. Their voices remained calm and devoid of panic. Interspersed with the gunfire were crisp, consecutive shots—not continuous automatic fire, not three-round bursts, but precision single shots.

"Report! Our observation post has detected a massive number of zombies pouring out from a ravine, blocking the S251 leading out of the mountains!"

"Report! Our observation post has spotted a vast number of zombies beginning to press along the S251 toward Qinglong County town. Their numbers are immense, and the escort unit has already started covering the evacuation of the survivors!"

"Report! The zombie horde is launching a fierce assault on the mountain peak guarded by our company. Their numbers are overwhelming, requesting reinforcements!"
...

The staff officers nervously marked warning data on the electronic map, quickly forming an encircling net compressing inward toward Qinglong County town. The mountain roads flanking the S251 Provincial Highway were rugged, and without reinforcements, the soldiers holding the chain of hills on both sides of the highway were ordered to retreat toward the county town.

The artillery division inside the county town had already opened fire in the direction of the advancing zombie horde. At this juncture, caring about road damage was out of the question; safely withdrawing personnel was the primary objective.

Zhucaoying Town was located at a straight-line distance of several dozen kilometers from the county town, well within the range of heavy artillery. The heavy artillery base there also opened fire under unified coordination. Soon, however, the artillery division reduced its rate of fire. Surrounded by millions of zombies within the county town and with logistical supply lines completely severed, the conservation of ammunition had to be considered.

"Report, Chief! The 4th Company, 347th Regiment, 116th Division, 39th Group Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, reporting for duty!" A captain of the infantry, clad in field tactical body armor, carrying a Type 81 rifle and a large machete strapped to his back, reported in a booming voice.

"You're the unit that escorted the civilians?" Li Qiang scrutinized him closely. "Attacked by a zombie horde, yet you relied on single-shot fire, held your ground, covered the rear during the retreat, and suffered zero casualties. Not bad marksmanship."

"Chief," a 39军 (39th Group Army) staff officer interjected, "they belong to the 4th Sharpshooter Company. That honorary title was conferred by the higher command."

"Tell me your thoughts," Li Qiang said. He desperately needed to understand the perspective of frontline soldiers fighting zombies. Ever since the battle of Tangshan, he had rarely gone directly to the frontlines himself, bogged down as he was by a mountain of administrative affairs. To stay informed, he frequently listened to firsthand reports from direct participants.

"Our company has 67 veteran soldiers left," the company commander said in a slightly lowered tone. "The replacement recruits are still in training... I am Gao Feimeng, formerly the leader of the 3rd Platoon, now commander of the 4th Company."

He raised his voice and continued, "We established a dual-layered defense line, aimed for the heads, took them down one shot at a time, and fought our way back just like that."

"Oh?" Li Qiang expressed genuine admiration. "One shot per kill? Fine marksmanship. No wonder when I heard your radio reports, it was all single-shot firing without a hint of panic. Tell me, would you be interested in promoting your marksmanship techniques across the entire army?"

Li Qiang had served in the military for a long time. He knew that beneath various standard training manuals, armies often possessed numerous hidden, proprietary techniques. Soldiers who mastered these methods generally shot more accurately, scaled cliffs faster, and held distinct advantages in swimming, reconnaissance, and stealth.

Much like martial arts secret manuals, these techniques were rarely imparted freely. They were survival trump cards and the very guarantee of getting ahead in the military. Only when two people clicked, or when someone was about to retire and wanted to prevent the skill from dying out, would they teach a disciple or two.

Back when he served as a tank commander, his exceptional command ability stemmed from a model tank commander who, getting along very well with him right before retirement, had privately passed on several practical tips.

As a result, even though everyone used the same training manual, his scores always surpassed everyone else's. On the day of the apocalypse, amidst universal panic, his tank deployed the fastest, driving several kilometers away before the following tanks even caught up—all thanks to those hidden tricks.

He planned to take the opportunity to discuss with Li Fengyi how these secret manuals could be popularized. Finding Li Fengyi whenever trouble arose was his most straightforward train of thought.

"Yes, Chief!" Gao Feimeng answered with resounding force. Yet Li Qiang knew this was merely the standard response; in reality, standard instruction would still be conducted according to the official manual. Not wishing to put Captain Gao on the spot, he simply ordered the 4th Sharpshooter Company to be stationed at the military headquarters, tasked with defensive security.

Ordinarily, orderlies and guards were chosen for their height, robust physiques, imposing presence, and situational awareness. But when true warfare struck, missions requiring genuine martial prowess were invariably entrusted to battle-hardened soldiers with real combat skills.