Chapter 1074 Surprising News
On the other side, on the road leading to the bonded area, there are overgrown weeds and abandoned cars lying everywhere.
However, this does not pose a big obstacle to the 04A infantry fighting vehicle. Its tough tracks roll over gravel and debris, making a dull and regular roar, like a steady and determined steel behemoth, driving over the ruins of civilization.
Inside the tank's crew cabin, Li Wen found it difficult to calm down. Through the observation window, he looked at the dilapidated scene passing by quickly outside the window, then looked at the sophisticated instrument panel inside the car and the fully armed, silent and professional driver beside him. He felt as if he had suddenly emerged from a long nightmare into a beautiful fantasy that was too real.
When the outline of the relatively "regular" gate of the bonded area, which was constructed with containers, sandbags and barbed wire, appeared on the horizon, Li Wen's heart couldn't help but beat faster.
"We're almost there!" He couldn't help but say to the soldier beside him who was wearing a chemical protective suit.
The soldier glanced at him through his gas mask, nodded slightly, and simply reported through the vehicle's communication system: "Report, approaching the entrance of the target gathering place."
At the same time, the guards on the watchtower at the gate of the bonded area also discovered the uninvited guest.
At first, they just saw a moving black dot, accompanied by the low sound of an engine.
But as the distance got closer, the sharp-edged outline of the modern armor that was clearly not of this era, as well as the mottled but majestic and murderous digital camouflage on the vehicle body, made the guards on the watchtower instantly nervous to the extreme!
"Alert! A vehicle is approaching! It's... an armored vehicle! A model we've never seen before!" The guard shouted at the top of his lungs through the crude communication equipment, with an expression of incredible horror.
Woo——woo——!
The next second, a sharp and rapid alarm sounded in the gathering place!
Compared to the Wantong gathering place, the response here is obviously more organized.
The guards behind the wall quickly took up their posts according to drill. Several precious automatic rifles and more hunting rifles and pistols poked out of the firing holes and nervously aimed at the steel chariot that was getting closer and closer.
The atmosphere instantly reached a fever pitch! Everyone's heart was in their throat, not knowing whether this sudden, powerful armed force was a friend or foe.
The 04A infantry fighting vehicle slowly stopped about a hundred meters away from the gate, with its turret slightly tilted to one side, showing no direct hostility.
At this moment, the roof hatch of the co-pilot seat opened, and a figure leaned out with his upper body, holding a simple loudspeaker in his hand.
"Don't shoot! We are one of us! I am Li Wen! Li Wen from the Development Zone Management Committee! I'm back!" Li Wen shouted with all his might, his voice a little hoarse with excitement.
"Li Wen?"
"Li Wen from the Development Zone Management Committee?"
"How could he... come back in a car like this?!"
The guards behind the wall looked at each other in confusion. Some recognized Li Wen's face, but the unimaginable scene before them made them afraid to put down their guns.
Soon, the news was reported to the security captain of the gathering place who was organizing the defense.
The captain carefully raised the telescope and carefully confirmed that it was indeed Li Wen. He seemed to be the only one who leaned out of the car, and the tank did not make any further movements.
"Keep your guns down! Stay alert! Let him come over!" the captain ordered, but the shock in his heart did not diminish at all.
Afterwards, a small side door next to the main gate was carefully opened a crack, and after receiving a signal from the armored infantry squad leader, Li Wen quickly ran over.
As soon as he entered the door, he was immediately surrounded by several curious guards, who asked in a flurry of questions:
"Are you really from our gathering place?"
"He really is. I saw him in the administration building before, and I was wondering why I hadn't seen him in a long time!"
"Why did you come back in this car? What did you do?"
"Where did these troops come from?!"
...
Li Wen looked at the faces around him that were both nervous and full of curiosity and anticipation. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm, but he still couldn't hide his excitement:
"It's the army! It's our country's army! The railway troops from the Zhongzhou War Zone! They're coming! Ma Laosan's gathering place has been completely taken down by them!"
Just a few words, like dropping cold water into boiling oil, instantly caused an uproar among the guards!
"The army?! Really?"
"Zhongzhou War Zone? I've never heard of it..."
"Ma Lao San... is it over?! So soon?!"
Shock, ecstasy, disbelief... all sorts of emotions were intertwined on everyone's face. Long-term repression and struggle made this sudden good news seem so unreal.
"Hurry! Take me to see Vice Mayor Zhou! I have important military intelligence to report!" Li Wen said anxiously without having time to explain.
The captain of the guard also realized the seriousness of the situation at this moment, and immediately took Li Wen with him through the gathering place which seemed a little chaotic due to the alarm, and quickly walked towards the administrative building located in the central area, which was converted from a bonded warehouse office building.
Inside the administrative building, Zhou Weimin, former executive vice mayor of Pingxiang City, was listening to the commotion and alarms outside with a frown on his face.
He was about fifty years old, with his hair combed meticulously. Although he was wearing an old jacket that was washed to a pale color, he still maintained the calm demeanor unique to an official, but there was an unconcealable fatigue and worry between his brows.
"What's going on outside? Where did the armored vehicle come from?" He asked in a deep voice when he saw the security captain and Li Wen rushing in.
But when he saw Li Wen, a hint of surprise immediately flashed in his eyes: "Li Wen? Why are you back?"
"Mayor Zhou! Good news! Such great news!" Li Wen hurried forward excitedly, a little breathless from running so fast.
"The army! They're our country's regular army! The troops from the Zhongzhou War Zone Railway Command! They've already arrived in Pingxiang! Ma Laosan's Wantong gathering place was completely wiped out by them last night!"
"what?!"
Upon hearing the news, Zhou Weimin stood up suddenly from his chair. Because his movement was so big, he even knocked over an enamel teacup on the table, and he didn't even notice that the tea spilled all over the table.
His face was filled with extreme shock, his eyes were wide open, staring at Li Wen, as if to confirm whether he was talking nonsense.
"Zhongzhou...War Zone? Railway Corps?" Zhou Weimin's voice trembled slightly. The combination of these words contained too much information, completely exceeding all his expectations and imaginations during this period of time!
"It's not Chongyou's troops? It's the war zone?! Are you sure?!"
"It's absolutely true, Mayor!"
Li Wen nodded vigorously and quickly reported as clearly as possible everything he saw and heard, how he was rescued by the army, how he met the company commander Wang Xiaoyu, and what the other party had revealed about the fact that this unit came from the Zhongzhou war zone.
He focused on describing the army's devastating firepower, strict discipline, and sophisticated equipment.
At the end, he also directly stated the purpose of his return:
"Mayor, they sent me back this time to let me... to tell you something..."
"What do you want to convey?" Seeing Li Wen suddenly become hesitant, Mayor Zhou also realized something.
"The military leaders said they would take over completely..."
At this moment, a cadre came in breathlessly and reported:
"Mayor! We...we just received an unfamiliar radio signal. The other party claims to be from the Pingxiang Forward Command of the Zhongzhou War Zone and requests to speak directly with you!"
