Chapter 1233 Chongqing Military Region Headquarters
The Bureau of Supervision's off-road vehicle, escorted by two Mengshi 3 armored assault vehicles at the front and rear, drove through the streets of Beibei, where order was beginning to emerge but was still somewhat chaotic, and headed northwest of the city.
The closer we got to our destination, the wider and smoother the streets became, and the denser the military signs and fortifications along the way became.
About twenty minutes later, the convoy arrived at the core of the Yucheng Military Region—the former Yuhua University, now the headquarters of the Yucheng Military Region.
From a distance, the towering walls, dense barbed wire, and intermittently placed guard towers completely isolate this area from the outside world, making it resemble a steel fortress standing in the middle of the city.
The main gate was exceptionally wide, large enough to allow heavy equipment to pass through, but now only the side gate for vehicles was left open.
The gatehouse was imposing, with a huge plaque hanging above it in gold lettering on a red background that read "Chongqing Military Region of the Central Plains Theater Command," which looked particularly solemn under the gloomy sky.
The convoy began to slow down fifty meters from the gate, where the first temporary checkpoint was set up at the intersection ahead.
Several guards wearing helmets, all-terrain camouflage uniforms, and carrying assault rifles signaled for the car to stop.
Jia Daiquan had already rolled down the car window and handed over his identification as the director of the supervisory bureau, as well as a temporary pass document stamped with an emergency seal.
A stern-faced lieutenant carefully checked the identification and documents, then his sharp gaze lingered for a moment on Xiong Yuting inside the car through the window—the girl was still curiously fiddling with the amulet, seemingly oblivious to the tight security outside.
The lieutenant's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, clearly noticing the girl's unusual behavior, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply saluted Jia Daiquan and whispered a few words into his earpiece.
A moment later, he waved to signal passage, but added, "Director Jia, your car may enter, but escort vehicles should park in the designated parking lot on the outskirts."
"Understood." Jia Daiquan nodded.
Upon receiving the order, the four Mengshi 3 armored vehicles he brought immediately turned around and drove towards an open-air parking lot marked with white lines on the side of the gate, where many military vehicles were already parked.
The off-road vehicle drove alone through the heavy electric gate and officially entered the interior of the Chongqing Military Region headquarters.
The scene before us is a far cry from the university campus that was full of humanistic spirit before the apocalypse.
The straight and wide main road has been repaved, hard and flat. On both sides of the road, the buildings that were originally covered with ivy and full of the sense of time still stand, but their temperament has been completely different.
All the windows have been reinforced or modified, and various antennas, radars, and anti-aircraft machine gun positions have been installed on the roof.
The ivy on the outer walls remained thick, seemingly serving as the best camouflage for these steel fortresses, concealing their strength while adding an indescribable, heavy sense of oppression.
Beneath the greenery lies the ever-solidifying edge of the war machine.
There were almost no loiterers on campus. Squads of fully armed patrol soldiers marched past in perfect unison, their guns gleaming and their eyes sharp.
The Lynx all-terrain vehicle, painted with digital camouflage, moved nimbly between buildings, while the soldiers on board vigilantly observed their surroundings.
Further away, on a sports field where red and green meet, several Type 99A main battle tanks and Type 04 infantry fighting vehicles, covered in camouflage nets, are parked quietly, like resting steel behemoths, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.
The air was filled with a faint smell of diesel fuel, a metallic odor, and a tense atmosphere befitting a high-security zone.
Every so often, you can see fixed sentry posts equipped with sandbag fortifications and light machine guns, with sentries standing as straight as statues.
The occasional, concise and powerful commands emanating from the loudspeaker added to the somber atmosphere.
Jia Daiquan's car slowly drove along the indicated route towards the core building complex deep within the campus.
Finally, he stopped in front of a particularly solemn four-story building that had a distinct Suzhou style while also incorporating traditional Zhou Dynasty architectural elements.
This is the headquarters building of the Chongqing Military Region!
The building presents a heavy gray-white tone, with strong lines and a magnificent presence.
In front of the gate are wide steps, with majestic stone lions standing on both sides. On the roof, in addition to the necessary communication equipment, a huge battle flag of the Central Plains Theater Command and a slightly smaller military flag of the Chongqing Military Region flutter in the wind.
At the building entrance, the number of sentries and the level of vigilance were significantly higher than in other places. They were not only well-equipped, but their eyes were also sharp as knives, as if they could see through all disguises.
Even Jia Daiquan, an "insider" with the title of bureau chief, immediately felt several scrutinizing gazes upon him as he got out of the car.
Jia Daiquan pushed open the car door, stood beside the car, and took a deep breath of the cold and solemn air inside the military region, trying to completely calm his somewhat chaotic mind.
Soon, he walked around to the back door of the car and looked at Xiong Yuting, who was still fiddling with the amulet and whose purple eyes kept glancing at the majestic building.
He bent down, trying to make his expression appear gentle and harmless, even though he knew it probably wouldn't help.
He first pointed to himself, then to the building, and then to the crucial photograph the other person was holding, speaking in as clear and slow a voice as possible:
"Young lady, listen to me. I'll go inside." He pointed to the building.
"I'll help you find him." He pointed to the person in the photo, then to the girl: "You, stay here and wait for me. Be good, don't move, understand?"
Fearing she wouldn't understand, Jia Daiquan even awkwardly gestured—he put his hands together beside his face, making a "quiet" gesture like he was sleeping, and then hugged himself with his arms, indicating "stay still".
After finishing this set of sign language that he himself found somewhat comical, he looked at the girl with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Xiong Yuting's attention finally shifted completely from the amulet and her surroundings to Jia Daiquan.
Her purple eyes were fixed on him, then fell on the photo in her hand, as if trying to understand the meaning of his words and actions.
"Looking for...him?" she suddenly asked, her voice extremely dry and hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time, her tone strangely stiff, but she did repeat the key words from Jia Daiquan's words.
At the same time, a bright, almost scorching light of expectation suddenly burst forth from the blank emptiness in her eyes!
The light was so intense that it seemed to bring a touch of life to her otherwise icy face.
She stopped fiddling with the amulet and instead placed her hands obediently on her knees. Although her posture remained straight and stiff, the dangerous aura that could erupt at any moment seemed to have temporarily subsided, making her look like a child waiting for an adult to fulfill a promise.
Seeing this, Jia Daiquan felt somewhat relieved and secretly rejoiced that this method of communication seemed to have worked.
“Yes, wait for me, be good.” He emphasized again, then gently closed the car door.
However, as soon as he turned around, before he could even straighten his collar, which was slightly damp with cold sweat, he saw a familiar figure walking briskly down the steps of the building's lobby, heading straight for him.
