Chapter 151 Effortless

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"Assault..." At Xie Han’s command, the massive command vehicle of the field base roared to life. Amidst swirling dust, it charged into the valley. The bullets fired nearby barely even counted as harassment; the command vehicle didn’t bother to respond. Leading five armored vehicles, it howled forward along the road toward the main settlement in the valley.

The terrified valley inhabitants scattered in all directions. Their weapons had been confiscated two years ago. Even those secretly hoarding light arms knew that looking at the command vehicle's heavy armor, any move against it would only draw attention. At present, this enormous command vehicle was merely advancing, showing no intent to attack the civilians. No one was foolish enough to provoke such an iron beast.

As the command and armored vehicles disappeared into the narrow valley, the five Humvee Kings and forty trucks behind them remained motionless, blocking the entire entrance to prevent anyone from fleeing in the chaos. On the other hand, trucks and Humvees lacked bulletproof defenses, and Xie Han did not want casualties, so he refrained from sending them in immediately.

When Qin Biao ordered no trade with this New City caravan, he felt an uneasy agitation, as if needing release. He expected that once he rejected the caravan, they would know he was prepared and retreat obediently. Acting on this, he merely gathered his personal guards to protect the harem garden where he was, then selected four women from hundreds of beauties for an intimate gathering in the garden’s swimming pool.

Just as Qin Biao reached a climax, the sudden sound of explosions made him shudder involuntarily. He immediately dropped his weapon and sprang up. "Who the hell’s causing trouble?" Furious and disoriented, he climbed off the woman, shouting naked. But in the next moment, his expression changed. He grabbed a nearby towel, wrapped his lower body, and rushed outside.

The valley did have several small cannons, ones Qin Biao had used before, but their detonations were no match for the two consecutive booming explosions he just heard. Judging by the direction, Qin Biao knew without guessing that something had gone wrong at the valley's gate. "Could it be that this New City caravan has truly begun a siege?" Qin Biao was utterly confused. If he realized that all this chaos was caused solely by his refusal, would he be furious enough to spit blood?

The valley’s armed forces numbered only 5,200, of which 200 were Qin Biao’s personally trained guards. Apart from 120 stationed at the valley gate to defend against zombies, the rest were stationed at early blockades along some valley roads. The real garrison within the main valley settlement was about 2,800 soldiers.

Though backward, Qin Biao’s valley had a relatively complete alarm system using different whistle tones to indicate severity. The sharpest whistle usually signaled a zombie siege, one of the most severe situations. Upon hearing the piercing alarm from the entrance, the valley plunged into chaos. Ordinary civilians ran to their small homes, slammed doors shut, while the armed forces hurried from houses to gather at the only dirt square in the settlement.

Previously, zombies would slowly form groups, taking one to three hours to mount a direct attack, so there were warnings with time to prepare. But this time was different — the most urgent whistle sounded suddenly, leaving no time for preparation. In the panic, some didn’t even bring their guns when assembling.

Standing on the dirt square, Qin Biao was exasperated watching his disheveled, half-dressed subordinates rush in. He could hardly believe these were the soldiers he had personally trained. Such a chaotic assembly, with some even losing their weapons, looked nothing like soldiers. The scene was a complete mess.

Qin Biao was ruthless; under normal circumstances, dozens would be executed for such disgrace. But today was different. He could only suppress his fury and patiently wait for the disorderly troops to form ranks.

Perhaps sensing Qin Biao’s grim expression, once lined up, no one dared to breathe loudly, fearful of drawing his wrath without understanding the situation.

Qin Biao intended to rally his men, but before he could speak, the rumbling engine of the field base command vehicle suddenly sounded at the entrance to the settlement. The massive armored front of the vehicle gleamed menacingly in the sunlight.

"Damn it..." Qin Biao gave up scolding. "What kind of idiots are these people? Not even five minutes to hold them off?" He viciously kicked his adjutant and barked, "The enemy is here. What are you waiting for? Hold them!" Under his command, several heavy machine guns were set up and unleashed a barrage at the command vehicle. Yet the rattling bullets rang hollow, despairing those who hoped the machine guns would be effective.

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"A bunch of morons!" Xie Han could only scoff. The command vehicle’s armor could even withstand two consecutive hits from heavy artillery. How could mere bullets damage it? "Prepare the machine guns." Only by hurting them could they feel true fear and lose their will to resist.

The terrifying metal storm unleashed by the field base command vehicle quickly shattered the morale of those gathered on the dirt square. Firing 6,000 bullets per minute, six machine guns combined could discharge 24,000 rounds in a minute. This dreadful hail of bullets left the square littered with corpses within half a minute. Fewer than a few hundred remained standing.

Such a swift and brutal massacre unleashed a level of bloodshed that shocked everyone’s limits. Even Xie Han, watching the machine gun sweep the square like a hellish storm, was unsettled. The square was soaked red with blood, bodies torn into pieces, guts and brains splattered everywhere.

Xie Han closed his eyes with a pang. Killing humans felt far heavier than slaughtering zombies; the guilt weighed on him like a suffocating burden. Thousands had fallen after his single order. These were not zombies, but living people.

"Cease fire! Let them surrender!" The rotating barrels of the heavy machine guns slowly came to a halt. Those on the square had faced death and rebirth in mere moments. Even after the guns stopped roaring, they had not yet recovered.

At Xie Han’s signal, a soldier climbed onto the vehicle roof, holding a megaphone, shouting loudly, "Count from one to ten. Those who do not surrender will be killed. Counting starts now: one..."

Awakened by the threat, many threw down their guns, fearing the metal storm’s return. They were not regular soldiers, just civilians turned fighters. The half-minute attack had shattered their will completely. A nearly impenetrable steel monster like this was beyond the valley’s ability to resist.

Unsurprisingly, this brief but fierce machine gun sweep killed most of the valley’s armed forces and extinguished any hope of resistance in survivors. They covered their heads and trembled as they left the hellish square, lining up along the entrance road.

At Xie Han’s command, Zhao Bai’an and fifteen men jumped off the command vehicle, took high ground, set up laser sniper rifles, and began scanning for threats. Once everything was arranged, Xie Han jumped down, grabbed a terrified surrendering soldier, and asked, "Where’s your commander?"

"The... the commander ran toward the harem garden with his personal guards," the soldier stammered. Xie Han lifted him with one hand. "Show me the way." Trembling, the soldier pointed to the road on the right side of the settlement.

Xie Han boarded the command vehicle and ordered the convoy behind to enter and organize the reception of the villagers. The command vehicle sped toward the small road. Activating its hover function, nothing could block its advance. After crossing a small hill, a cluster of countryside villas appeared, nestled in a large pine forest. Xie Han understood the meaning of “garden,” but could not fathom why it was called the "Harem Garden."

Neither the armor nor firepower of the command vehicle had been within Qin Biao’s expectations. This latest model base command vehicle was far beyond what ordinary citizens knew. Qin Biao had thought rocket launchers could reduce it to scrap, yet five hits barely scratched its paint.

After fleeing to the Harem Garden, Qin Biao wanted to organize a counterattack with his elite guards but, recalling the metal storm, collapsed like a deflated balloon. Murmuring, "Heaven intends to destroy my valley," he sat listlessly in his bedroom until the roar of the command vehicle woke him. Calmly, he said, "Fine. The valley was only waiting to die anyway. Since a strong base has appeared, it’s a good place for the valley’s people. No more living in constant fear or using women to relieve stress."

To Xie Han’s surprise, a burly man emerged from the Harem Garden, fearlessly shouting at the command vehicle, "Who is the New City caravan commander? I, Qin Biao, want to know who defeated me!"

Qin Biao believed he had done no evil beyond being branded as a lecherous villain. Even if he died, he did not fear hell.

Many powerful bases existed in this post-apocalyptic world, a fact Qin Biao knew, but he could not understand how such a strong New City had suddenly appeared around Wangtian City. Perhaps only the Wangtian base could match them.

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Seeing the burly man’s boldness, Xie Han regarded him with some respect. "This is a real man, yet how did you manage to run the valley into such a state?" Shaking his head, Xie Han activated his thermal scanner to check for ambushes nearby. Finding none, he opened the command vehicle’s armored door and had the burly man brought aboard.

Inside, the sci-fi decorated command vehicle contrasted starkly with Qin Biao’s ramshackle valley, which seemed built from scrap. When Qin Biao saw the young man seated in the command chair—barely in his twenties—he was stunned, then laughed. "Does New City have no one else? Sending such a green kid?"

He was met with a large rifle butt smashing into his back. Even the strong Qin Biao nearly fell. "Remember your place. You’re just a captive of New City. What right do you have to mock our commander?"

Xie Han smiled at the disheveled Qin Biao. "Indeed, New City lacks people, but unfortunately, even a green kid like me, with a single command vehicle and a few armored cars, defeated your thirty-thousand strong valley."

When Qin Biao’s face turned dark red, Xie Han chuckled again. "Want to know why you lost? The main reason is equipment. Many of your weapons are homemade. How could they damage armor this thick?"

Qin Biao did not object. Xie Han continued, "Your men are too incompetent. The command vehicle was already in sight, yet they didn’t take cover or dodge, becoming easy machine gun targets. The strong prey eat the weak—this world is simple. Your valley could have been a strong base if developed properly, but wasted years are a pity."

"Survival of the fittest," Qin Biao said bluntly. "What do you plan to do with the thirty thousand people?"

Xie Han smiled. "In the apocalypse, the most valuable resource is human lives. Your valley’s people will be integrated into New City as citizens. As for you... it’s funny. We really wanted to trade peacefully, but whether you were unlucky or we were, this is the outcome."

"You’re the victor. Say what you want. Though you’ve taken over the valley, without my presence, your few people could hardly control the masses. You’re right—people are the greatest resource. If they rebel, casualties are inevitable. How about a deal? If you agree, you’ll keep nearly thirty-five thousand people."

Qin Biao struck at Xie Han’s weak spot. The caravan’s small force could never control over thirty thousand people.

"What are your terms? If they’re not too harsh, I’ll agree."

"Simple. Keep ten percent of the gold in the entire Harem Garden for me, and assign ownership of my one hundred wives there to me. Then I can persuade the people, and I myself will live as a commoner, never rebelling."

Xie Han was stunned, then burst out laughing. "You have one hundred wives?" He eyed the burly man’s strong frame, thinking even the most formidable gigolo would bow to him. This condition was hardly a condition; in the apocalypse, there were no marriage laws. If you wished, a hundred or even ten thousand wives wouldn’t be questioned. After laughing, Xie Han said, "As long as you can support your hundred wives, I accept your terms."

Indeed, though backward and isolated, Qin Biao’s influence was significant. Where control was lost, his presence calmed the people, who began to accept New City’s rule, returning quietly to their homes to prepare for departure on foot toward the New City base.

For Xie Han, this trade was a failure, but from another perspective, the gains surpassed ten trades combined. He never imagined such a backward base existed around Wangtian City, and that it had survived unclaimed for years. Truly, New City was fortunate.

(Today my head really hurts, but I gritted my teeth through the rain and finished. It took six and a half hours to write this chapter. Everyone should know how miserable it is to sit at the computer with a headache, nausea, and vomiting urges. I almost gave up on updating, but I persevered. I updated, so please vote for me. Now I’m going to sleep…)