Chapter 1055 Pingxiang

After the video conference ended, the tense atmosphere in the conference room didn't dissipate immediately. Wei Jingfang leaned back in his chair, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table, his gaze fixed on Chief of Staff Dong Ping, who had been silently recording.

"Chief of Staff." Wei Jingfang's voice broke the silence, his composure too calm to be believed having just been through a high-pressure negotiation. "How are the various units' maneuvers? I need the latest position reports."

Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dong Ping immediately stood up and walked to the extra-large military map of the Northwest region hanging on one side of the conference room.

The map is rich in detail, with contour lines, rivers, road and rail networks, towns, and vague administrative boundaries all clearly visible.

He picked up a red conductor's pencil and expertly marked several key points.

"Report to the Commander!" Dong Ping's voice was clear and professional, with a soldier's unique competence. His finger pointed precisely at the corresponding position on the map:

"According to the last encrypted communication sent back by the frontline command half an hour ago:

"In Gansu Province, the 3rd Border Defense Regiment, temporarily reinforced with an armored company, has arrived at the designated assembly area—an unnamed river valley approximately 15 kilometers northwest of Heishankou. They are currently constructing temporary fortifications and shelters."

"The unit's motorized advance went smoothly and there was no contact with any external forces."

"In Ning Province, all members of the lightly armed and highly mobile 7th Border Defense Regiment have arrived at their designated location on time—located west of Fengnu Gorge. The terrain in this area is complex, making it ideal for concealment, but the logistics supply lines are long. Transport companies have been dispatched to increase forward delivery efforts."

Dong Ping paused briefly and marked the map again with a blue pencil:

"In addition, reserve and support units drawn from various bases and garrisons, including two divisional artillery battalions (one towed 122mm howitzer battalion and one 122mm multiple rocket launcher battalion), as well as additional logistics support convoys, have also departed in batches according to the plan and are expected to arrive at support positions in the next 48 hours."

After saying this, the theater chief of staff, Dong Ping, raised his head, turned his gaze back to Wei Jingfang, and made a summary:

"Overall, the troop movements were all within the planned timeframe and were well concealed. They haven't been detected by the New Province yet!"

"All troops maintain radio silence, reporting only through periodic, short, encrypted transmissions. With your order, two fully equipped border defense regiments can effectively deter the key oil fields in the new province from three directions within 2 hours."

Wei Jingfang listened attentively, his sharp eyes scanning every arrow and symbol on the huge military map on the wall, as if he was examining a chess game that was about to unfold.

After listening to Dong Ping's report, he pondered for a moment and slowly said:

"Order all units to continue to remain in covert standby as planned and raise the alert level. Without my direct order, no one is allowed to cross the Line of Actual Control to avoid any possible accidental firing."

"Yes! Commander!" Dong Ping responded in a deep voice.

Wei Jingfang nodded slightly, his gaze once again directed towards the vast area rich in "black gold". His eyes were deep, and he couldn't help but mutter in his heart: "Old Qin, please don't force me..."

As a traditional Zhou military cadre, Wei Jingfang was, to be fair, unwilling to go that far...

But the situation is pressing. When faced with a matter of life and death, even if he doesn't do it, someone will push him or even do it for him...

...

Pingxiang City, Xiguang Province

The air along the suburban railway line is filled with rust, decay, and some indescribable fishy-sweet smell.

Aliang hunched his back, like a mouse accustomed to digging for food in the ruins, and concentrated on using a sharpened steel bar to pry laboriously between the rusty railroad sleepers, trying to get a piece of metal part that looked relatively intact.

His backpack was already stuffed with some odds and ends: a few pieces of wire that might still be of some use, a deflated but good-quality aluminum kettle, and half a pack of compressed biscuits that were damp and clumpy but might still be resolvable. This was a big discovery he made yesterday in the corner of an abandoned outpost.

After the end of the world, this once busy railway became dead, like the skeleton of a giant python lying silently between the weeds and ruins.

For survivors like Aliang, this is a dangerous scavenging ground, with occasional wandering zombies or even more terrifying mutant beasts. But compared to densely populated urban areas or the more desolate suburbs, this is the only relatively safe and comfortable zone he can find.

Sudden--

Ok?

Aliang's movement of searching with his head down suddenly stopped, and he almost held his breath. The next second, he lay on the ground like a dirty stray dog, with his ears pressed tightly against the cold and rough railway tracks.

Dong Dong... Dong Dong...

He seemed to hear an extremely faint but continuous vibration being transmitted through the rails!

? ?

"Is it an illusion? Or is it tinnitus caused by long-term hunger? Or are there mutant creatures attacking the track?"

Feeling the extremely subtle vibrations from the rails, Aliang was a little confused.

But soon, as the vibration not only did not disappear, but became clearer and stronger, Aliang's heart, which had been silent for a long time, seemed to resonate with it and began to beat faster.

Knock, knock ...

The vibration on the rails was not a chaotic shaking, but a rhythmic, dull thud, as if some huge monster was approaching here from a very far distance along the veins of the rails, hammering forward step by step!

"How is this possible..." Aliang muttered to himself, his face full of disbelief and a long-buried, almost forgotten fear.

How long had this railway been dead? Time seemed to have lost its meaning in the apocalypse, but he was certain that since that disaster, nothing had ever made this railway track emit such a powerful sound!

He rolled and crawled behind a pile of discarded prefabricated concrete slabs, his heart pounding so wildly that it almost burst his chest.

He stared at the north direction where the railway extended, his eyes wide open!

The sound grew louder and louder! It had already transformed from being transmitted through the rails into a clear roar in the air! Even the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly!

Finally, at the end of the northern bend, a huge steel structure, spewing thick black smoke, appeared in his sight like a giant beast rushing out from the ancient times, breaking through the diffuse gray fog!

The front of the military train was unusually thick and ferocious, as if it had been welded with heavy armor. What was even more frightening was that on the top of the front of the train, a thick and long gun barrel pointed straight forward, emitting a cold and hard glow in the dim light!

'Train! Train!'

'It's a train! ! ! !'

At this moment, Ah Liang looked at the train that was rapidly approaching from far away, covered with mottled but obviously newly painted military green camouflage, and tears almost instantly streamed down his face! ! !

But this is just the beginning...