Chapter 60: The Recapture of East Dam (2)

The burly man was exhausted, gasping for breath as he sat down on the ground. Sun Xiaoshan glanced at him. “The fatal point for zombies is their heads. Don’t waste your strength.” With that, he hoisted the steel pipe and turned to leave the machinery factory, passing through the gate just as he used to rush between classes at university, heading toward the next destination.

The burly man hurried to catch up. “Comrade from the army, my name is Liu Mang, from Cangzhou in Hebei. I’ve trained a bit. Let me work with you.”

He smacked his lips. “You dared to charge into a horde of zombies alone. You’re the real deal!”

Sun Xiaoshan didn’t object. As they walked, he said, “No noise while we work.”

Liu Mang paused. “No wonder the zombies keep chasing me. I’ve never been so popular since I was a kid—usually it’s people crying and looking for my father after I fight them…”

Arriving at the next machinery factory, they saw a swarm of zombies in the courtyard. Standing side by side, they gathered their strength, preparing to act. Liu Mang instinctively wanted to shout to boost his morale, but Sun Xiaoshan sternly commanded, “No sound!”

“Damn, interrupted my breathing, feels awful…”

Over the next few days, more than thirty thousand survivors were rescued within the established defensive zone, many of whom had fled here from elsewhere. The area was densely populated but vast, and people had plenty of tools at hand for self-defense—whether hammers or rebar, anything could be used to fight back.

Those accustomed to physical labor were already strong and soon overcame their fear. Though food supplies were scarce, it was springtime, surrounded by fields where wild vegetables could be dug up and animals caught for sustenance. Not to mention, animals had generally grown larger—catching one could feed two people; life, though tough, was manageable.

Zombie clusters remained a serious threat, often gathering in and around villages. The layout of village buildings, though chaotic, was simpler than in the city, with fewer vehicles blocking the way. Zombies roamed in packs, drawn by noise.

According to the original tactics, trenches should be dug, fires set, and zombies encircled and eliminated under such circumstances.

Looking at the map dotted with countless villages, it was clear that if every village and gathering place adopted this method, even Li Fengyi’s entire team would not be enough to dig all the pits required.

He wisely abandoned this conventional approach.

After simulations with the staff, Li Fengyi issued orders to guide zombie hordes toward the area between the Old River Bay and the Wenyu River. The Old River Bay was the former channel of the Wenyu River, left behind after the river was rerouted.

Four bridges connected Old River Bay with the Dongba area. The reconnaissance battalion was deployed again—they aimed to lure all the zombie groups into this area, then block or destroy the bridges to trap them. The river, which now hosted oversized and aggressive freshwater fish, became a natural prison. Zombies, deprived of their aquatic instincts, faced fish that enjoyed feasting on zombie flesh. However, these fish also preyed on humans; according to survivors, several people were dragged into the water while fishing early in the famine, after which no one dared approach the riverside.

The current priority was to reclaim all mechanical equipment and find ways to operate it. With numerous rivers in the area, they hoped to build hydroelectric generators. The wind here wasn’t strong or persistent, so wind turbines weren’t considered.

Several factories had their own small generators. Though their output was limited and fuel consumption high, in the apocalypse, there was no authority to hike fuel prices. Despite many gas stations being raided by survivors escaping by car, the remaining reserves in hidden corners were enough to last for some time.

All the generators they found combined had a total capacity of 800 kilowatts. One factory specialized in generator assembly and had several fully assembled units stored in its warehouse. Typically, a small factory’s peak output was around 30 kilowatts—more than enough. Sun Xiaoshan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This was good news. According to survivors, the nearest power plant to Dongba was in Yanjiao, far away, and Base No. 2 couldn’t yet clear and defend such a large area.

Li Fengyi saw an opportunity. Standing beside the generators, he watched Sun Xiaoshan directing the installation of power lines. “Sixth brother, accidents are normal. You’re the most skilled person I know when it comes to mechanical and electrical equipment. If you can’t fix it, others will only make things worse.”

He considered his words, then added, “Mom’s still waiting for us at home.”

“… Xiaoshan’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. “Because of my mistake, so many people died. I should have thought of this.”

“We saved more people… Sixth brother, society is an entire industrial system, completely paralyzed now. What we must do is rebuild the whole thing,” Li Fengyi proposed a scenario. “If you’d anticipated this, we definitely should have searched for the power plant first.”

“Right,” replied Sun Xiaoshan.

“And once we find the power plant, can we start producing weapons?” Li Fengyi had a knack for arguing both sides. “But we still need a machinery factory, right? The power plant may not have so much equipment, but machinery factories almost always have their own generators.”

Li Fengyi suddenly regretted not thinking of this sooner. He shouldn’t have brought up the power issue days ago, which had led to so many complications. “If we’d searched for the power plant first, then the machinery factory, even more people would have died. Now, at least we can make weapons and then reclaim the power plant.”

Often, the more talented the technician, the more anxious they are about unforeseen problems in their area of expertise, and their hearts are more fragile at such times. Li Fengyi quietly felt remorse—it was lucky he’d raised the issue himself. If someone else had brought it up, who knows how it would have ended. The lesson was clear: one must always consider supporting measures before taking action. Luck won’t always be this favorable.

After this conversation, Sun Xiaoshan returned to normal. He sifted through the personnel files from Base No. 2 provided by the organization department, piecing together a team capable of running a small machinery factory. He rewired connections, carefully calculated the load, then drafted a materials list for the industrial team, who, alongside basic laborers organized by the civil affairs department, began gathering supplies.

He was preparing to forge the combat blades he had long planned. In practice, the steel pipe fighters would be phased out. The blades were divided into two types: the Mo Dao and the large Kukri machete. Historical records show that only the strong could wield the Mo Dao, but now, in the apocalypse, ordinary people met that criterion. The Kukri was a close-combat weapon, meant for every hand, while the Mo Dao would be distributed in squads.