MM Racing Chapter 97 Explosion
Chapter 97 Explosion
Chapter 97 Explosion
The entrance to the Hongxing Fifth Precision Machinery Processing Plant is a small cement courtyard. Directly opposite are three factory buildings side by side. The roofs are common steel frame structures covered with dark tiles or sheet metal, many of which are rusted or damaged.
Most of the factory windows were missing their panes, like empty eyes silently watching Xu Mo, the intruder. To the left of the courtyard was a three-story office building, and to the right was a shovel piled with scrap metal and miscellaneous items.
Xu Mo wasn't very knowledgeable about mechanical processing and manufacturing. But he still decided to spend some time thoroughly exploring his assigned mission area to ensure there were no hidden threats.
The interior of the first factory building was even taller and wider than it appeared from the outside, and the air was thick with the smell of rust, machine oil, and dust. Rows of enormous, oddly shaped machines resembled sleeping steel behemoths.
They were covered in various marks and rust, but the overall structure seemed to be relatively intact. Xu Mo saw that some machines had huge circular turntables, some had long mechanical arms and complex guide rails, and some he couldn't understand the purpose of at all, but felt that the lines were cold and full of the power of the industrial age.
The situation was similar in the second factory building, except that the types of machines seemed to be different; some had huge stamping heads, while others were continuous conveyor belt systems.
The last factory building contained a lot of semi-finished parts and raw materials, which were more corroded.
Although he couldn't understand it, Xu Mo could vaguely sense the value represented by these relatively well-preserved machines. They could produce parts and process materials, forming the foundation for rebuilding the industrial system. From repairing vehicles and making tools to producing weapons and ammunition and building defense facilities, everything would likely depend on these things.
"No wonder Jiangcheng has repeatedly organized forces to clear and reclaim this industrial zone." Xu Mo understood. "If I were Jiangcheng's leader, I would never allow such a large area of valuable industrial infrastructure to be occupied and destroyed by zombies and mutated creatures. Reclaiming this place is like holding the key to restoring production capacity, which is crucial for the long-term development of the shelter."
Xu Mo carefully inspected every corner of the three factory buildings, and even climbed up the steel frame structure of the factory buildings to take a rough look.
Fortunately, no zombies were found in the entire G627 area. It seems the previous cleanup operation was effective, or perhaps the roaming zombies simply didn't visit this area.
As Xu Mo inspected the area, darkness fell, and the rain lessened slightly, turning into a light drizzle. There was no electricity in the factory area; the surroundings were pitch black and deathly silent, with only the sound of rain pounding on the roof and ground, giving Xu Mo a somewhat eerie feeling.
Xu Mo chose an office on the second floor of the office building as a temporary resting place. The office was relatively clean, with a heavy solid wood desk and a leather swivel chair, and the window was still intact. He pushed the desk behind the door as a simple obstacle, then took out a sleeping bag and some high-energy food from his backpack and had a simple dinner.
The mission officially begins tomorrow, so tonight is a rare moment of peace.
Silent all night.
The next day, before dawn, the walkie-talkie placed to the side crackled with static, followed by a clear male voice: "Attention all personnel in Area G! Attention all personnel in Area G! It's resupply time. Please proceed to the designated location at your respective area entrance to collect your basic rations for the next two days. Repeating—"
Xu Mo opened his eyes, showing no sign of sleepiness. He tidied his equipment and walked out of the office building.
The sky was still dark, and the rain was still falling, though it had turned into a light drizzle. Arriving at the factory gate, Xu Mo saw a green, waterproof supply box placed under the eaves of the guardhouse. Opening the box, he found several vacuum-packed packets of compressed dry rations and two bottles of water—just enough for two days. Don't expect much in terms of taste or nutrition; it was merely for survival.
"This saves me the trouble of preparing food myself," Xu Mo muttered to himself as he stuffed his rations into his backpack.
After receiving the supplies, Xu Mo did not immediately begin patrolling. Instead, he found a relatively open corner that offered some shelter from the rain and began his daily morning exercise.
Despite the rainy weather and the apparent lack of activity in the "qi" of the world, the persistent cultivation had become second nature. The specific breathing rhythm guided the qi and blood, refining the skin layer by layer. Although progress was slow, it was steadily accumulating towards the Iron Bone Realm.
By the time his morning exercise ended, the sky was already bright, though still overcast. Xu Mo took a deep breath of the cool, moist air and began his first official patrol in the G627 area.
He walked unhurriedly along the factory's perimeter wall and internal roads, his sharp eyes scanning every possible hiding spot. An AK-47 was slung across his chest, his fingers lightly resting on the protective ring, ready to engage in battle at any moment.
As Xu Mo walked, a somewhat absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind: "This feeling is a bit like the old man who used to guard the gate in our neighborhood. He patrols at fixed times every day to ensure the safety of the area."
"Tsk, I never expected that my first official job in this apocalypse would be similar in nature to that of a security guard."
He found it somewhat amusing, shook his head, and continued to perform his duties as a "security guard."
Time passed slowly in these monotonous and vigilant patrols.
Around 8 a.m., while Xu Mo was on patrol—"BOOM!!!!"
A deep, thunderous, yet incredibly penetrating explosion suddenly erupted from the heart of the industrial zone.
The sound was so loud that Xu Mo felt the ground beneath his feet visibly shake, and the remaining shards of glass in the factory windows vibrated and hummed.
The explosion didn't end there; immediately afterward, another, relatively faint but still clear, explosion was heard.
Xu Mo immediately stopped and turned his gaze towards the direction from which the explosion had come. That area was deep within the industrial zone, far beyond the scope of his peripheral cleanup mission.
I glanced at my watch; it was 8:15.
"It seems that Jiangcheng's cleanup forces have begun to target the toughest spots in the core of the industrial zone," Xu Mo thought to himself. Such a violent explosion likely involved heavy firepower such as artillery or even air strikes.
He looked up, trying to find the smoke from the explosion in the hazy sky, but perhaps because of the distance or the weather, he could see nothing but leaden clouds.
There was silence on the walkie-talkie; the command center did not provide any explanation or instructions.
Clearly, the fighting in the core area was irrelevant to these peripheral "security guards." Their task was merely to clear out any scattered zombies that might be alerted by the explosions, ensure the safety of the outer area, and create a relatively stable rear for the main force to deal with the core problems.
The distant explosions continued for a while, then gradually subsided, but did not completely stop, as if the battle in the core area had entered a stalemate or a phase of clearing out the remaining enemies.
Xu Mo withdrew his gaze and continued his patrol.
"It's a fierce battle inside, but everything's calm here. Good, I'm enjoying the peace and quiet," Xu Mo thought to himself, but his vigilance was at its highest. No one knew whether the battle in the core area would drive something unexpected to the seemingly peaceful outer areas.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Less than half an hour later, a series of violent explosions came from the core direction of the industrial zone again. This time the sound was even more powerful, as if countless heavy cannons were roaring in unison.
Xu Mo's brows furrowed even more. He stopped and listened intently to the sounds coming from afar.
"The problems in the core area seem to be much more troublesome than I imagined," Xu Mo thought to himself. Jiangcheng's willingness to invest so much heavy firepower at any cost has clearly resulted in exceptionally fierce resistance, and there may even be an unexpectedly powerful enemy at play.
Just as Xu Mo was listening intently, "Buzz—!!!"
A deep, oppressive roar of massive engines pierced through the rain and distant artillery fire, echoing from high above. Xu Mo recognized the sound; it was remarkably similar to the bomber engines he had heard in Qingsongling Town, only this time it seemed more intense and numerous.
He immediately looked up at the hazy sky, trying to find traces of these aerial killers. However, the thick, leaden clouds were like a giant curtain, completely obscuring his vision. He could only hear the chilling roar swirling and approaching above the clouds.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out; this was the sound of an aerial bomb violently rubbing against the air under the force of gravity after it detached from its bomb bay.
Xu Mo's heart involuntarily tightened along with the sound. Although he was in a relatively safe area on the outskirts, he could still feel the oppressive feeling coming from high above.
The next moment—
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The ground shook violently. Even from a considerable distance, Xu Mo felt the ground beneath his feet jolt violently, as if the entire industrial zone was trembling from the explosion.
Xu Mo suddenly looked towards the core area, and this time, he saw it. Amidst the swirling rain and smoke, a massive cloud of fire and dust surged and billowed into the sky with an overwhelming force. It rose incredibly fast, like a bizarre plant nourished by rain and explosions, instantly reaching hundreds of meters into the air, dyeing that area of the sky a dark red and filthy black.
Even from a great distance, this sight is enough to instill fear in one's heart.
Following this devastating bombing, the explosions in the core area did not stop; instead, they became more intense and violent.
Xu Mo stood there, staring at the slowly spreading cloud of death, with the continuous roar in his ears. He couldn't imagine what a hellish scene the core area must be like at this moment.
"What kind of thing could withstand such intense firepower?" Xu Mo murmured to himself, his heart filled with shock and doubt.
Is it an unimaginably large horde of zombies? Is it a giant mutant with incredible defense, ineffective against ordinary weapons? Or—something even more bizarre and incomprehensible?
Jiangcheng was clearly determined to retake the Hongxing Industrial Zone, investing far more resources than usual. This also demonstrated that the threat entrenched in the core area was equally formidable.
The tranquility of his own G627 area stood in stark contrast to the hellish battlefield in the core area. But Xu Mo knew this tranquility was only temporary, built upon the bloody battles fought by Jiangcheng's troops. No one could guarantee that the fighting in the core area wouldn't, due to some unforeseen event, spread to this seemingly safe periphery.
Perhaps his job as a "security guard" won't be so leisurely for long.