Chapter 1097 Airport Completion

The sun was about to set, and the sky was covered with magnificent orange-red sunset glow, giving everything on earth a warm but not dazzling golden edge.

Under this rosy glow, an area that was originally flat farmland on the edge of the Gucheng Lake gathering place has now changed dramatically. A rough but imposing field airport is almost completed.

The runway is not made of smooth cement or asphalt, but a soil foundation that has been repeatedly compacted by a roller and is paved with prefabricated steel plates. There are no fancy indicator lights on either side of the runway, only simple solar ground lights and fluorescent signposts inserted into the ground. The control tower is a three-story square box assembled from steel frames and explosion-proof plates, with antennas and searchlights installed on top. It is not beautiful at all.

The runway is long enough to meet the take-off and landing needs of large transport aircraft. Marking lines have been drawn on the wide apron. Fuel storage areas, temporary ammunition storage areas, fire-fighting facilities areas, etc. are all available. Although it is simple and there are no supplies placed there, it is laid out strictly in accordance with military standards.

At the edge of the airport, the city defense troops, armed with live ammunition, under the training of the squad leader of the Spark Commando (the teaching aids are the Type 21 combat boots issued by the Zhongzhou War Zone), changed their lazy habits and stood guard around like steel sculptures. The cold muzzles of their guns formed a strange contrast with the warm glow of the sunset.

At this time, at the edge of the airport, the senior executives of the Gucheng Lake gathering place, led by Zhao Tielin and Director Hu, were looking forward to it.

They looked at the temporary road at the end of the runway leading to the outside world, where the dust had not yet completely settled, with mixed feelings.

Although I have witnessed too many miracles in the past half month, every time I see the core strength of the Zhongzhou War Zone displayed, I still feel an indescribable sense of separation - as if the existence of another highly developed civilization has been forcibly embedded in this dilapidated and desperate doomsday scene.

Suddenly, there was a slight and rhythmic vibration from the ground.

"Here it comes!" Zhao Tielin's eyes narrowed and he said in a low voice.

In the distance, dust rose up, like a long, ochre-colored dragon, sweeping along the road.

buzzing-

The deep and powerful roar of the engine reached everyone's ears before the convoy itself. The sound was deep and steady, with a unique cold texture of metal, which was completely different from the noise of broken cars commonly seen in the end times.

Soon, the vanguard of the convoy came into view.

Leading the way was a Mengshi 3 armored command vehicle covered with the same digital jungle camouflage, but larger in size and with antennas standing out like a hedgehog.

It was like a leading giant beast, breaking through the smoke and dust, galloping forward with unstoppable momentum. The dust raised by its wheels almost swallowed it up, adding a bit of the fierce atmosphere of the battlefield.

Following closely behind were two Mengshi assault vehicles of the same model, with the weapon stations on their roofs pointing vigilantly to the flanks.

"Squeak-"

Accompanied by a sharp but clean brake sound, the convoy stopped steadily about ten meters away from the gathering place of the senior executives.

The raised dust slowly dissipated, covering the car body in a hazy khaki color, making its weathered and tough appearance more apparent.

The door of the command vehicle was pushed open, and a figure jumped out first.

It was Du Yuming.

Unlike usual, Du Yuming was not wearing the "Dragon Spine-I" exoskeleton at this moment, but simply wore a comfortable starry sky camouflage training uniform.

Under the pulled-down brim of his training cap, not much expression could be seen on his stern face, but the pair of eyes that glanced over were filled with a fierce iron-blooded fierceness.

Almost at the same time he landed, four soldiers quickly jumped out from the other two assault vehicles.

They were covered in exoskeletons, holding QBZ-191 assault rifles, and moved as swiftly as cheetahs, dispersing silently and occupying several key guard positions. Their cold masks scanned the surroundings to ensure absolute safety.

The most eye-catching thing was Du Wu who got out of the back door of the command vehicle!

Wrapped in a heavy dragon-spine exoskeleton, his nearly two-meter-tall burly body was like a moving iron tower.

The heavy armor made it seem as if everyone could feel a subtle vibration from the ground beneath their feet when he landed.

The crystal energy cabin behind him was glowing faintly, and the iconic extended version of the Tang horizontal sword was still lying in the magnetic scabbard, and the red tactical rope on the handle swayed slightly in the wind.

He walked silently to a position one step behind Du Yuming and stood there with his arms folded. His gaze under the helmet seemed to carry substantial pressure, making Director Hu and others dare not look directly at him.

No matter how many times they watched this scene, "local" senior officials such as Zhao Tielin and Director Hu felt a strong cognitive disconnect.

Du Yuming's calmness and composure, the soldiers' sci-fi-inspired equipment and tactical prowess, and especially Du Wu's massive body that completely surpassed the limits of human physical strength and the oppressive feeling he brought...

All of this is far from the image of even the elite troops before the apocalypse in their memory, and is even more incompatible with this apocalyptic environment with scarce resources and regressing civilization.

This is not an "army" in their understanding at all. It is more like an expeditionary force from the future or some highly developed alien world.

The strength of the Zhongzhou War Zone, and even the "science fiction" color it reveals, seems to repeatedly wash away their inherent worldview every time they come into close contact with it.

"Chief!" Zhao Tielin was the first to react. He immediately straightened his chest and saluted. His voice was loud and full of sincere awe. Director Hu and others also quickly followed suit and bowed to greet him with extremely respectful attitudes.

Du Yuming nodded slightly, his gaze passing them and casting towards the runway that shone with a metallic sheen in the sunset. He asked calmly, "How are the airport preparations going?"

Zhao Tielin immediately stepped forward, straightened his back, and reported in a resonant voice, "Reporting to the commander! The main construction of the airport is complete! We are currently conducting final lighting adjustments and clearing foreign objects from the runway."

"All finishing work must be completed by 12:00 tonight at the latest to ensure that take-off and landing standards are met!"

His tone was filled with irrepressible excitement and pride. After half a month of almost sleepless work, he finally saw the results.

Hearing this, Du Yuming glanced across the runway and apron, nodded slightly, and said calmly but with a hint of affirmation: "Well, thank you for your hard work. I have seen the mobilization and organizational capabilities of the gathering place in the past two weeks."

A simple "thank you for your hard work" brought a warm feeling to the hearts of Zhao Tielin, Director Hu and others, making them feel that all the fatigue was worth it.

However, Du Yuming's next words made their emotions, which had just calmed down, rise to their throats again:

"We can't slack off in our preparations." Du Yuming's tone turned serious. "The first batch of transport planes from the war zone will arrive on time by tomorrow noon at the latest."