Apocalypse Ground Ze Chapter 98: New Orders

Chapter 98: New Orders

Commander Li Wenqiang did not linger in the house.

Once the second sweep confirmed the same result as the first, there was nothing left to gain from extending the operation.

Every room had been cleared, every surface inspected, every structural inconsistency checked and rechecked. The hidden space had been identified, examined, and ruled out as a storage location.

Even an idiot would understand that there were no supplies, no survivors, and no indication that either had been present long enough to leave a trace.

"Pull out," he ordered and his men moved immediately.

Chen and Wang exited first, maintaining coverage as they stepped back onto the porch. Liu followed, sweeping the entry one final time before clearing the threshold, while Tan remained with Li until the last moment, ensuring no movement went unaccounted for before stepping outside and closing the door behind them.

The house returned to stillness and Li didn’t look back at the five people he could feel were still staring at him.

The perimeter remained intact. The bodies from the earlier engagement had not moved, and no new activity had formed along the tree line or surrounding structures. The yard was quiet again, as if the disruption had never occurred.

"Mount up," he sighed. He was not looking forward to going back and saying that the supplies had vanished into thin air.

The convoy reassembled without delay. Soldiers took their positions, weapons lowered but ready, spacing controlled as engines came back to life. No one spoke beyond necessary confirmations. The operation had shifted from active engagement to controlled withdrawal.

Commander Li stepped into the lead vehicle. "Return to base," he said before closing his eyes.

"Yes, sir."

The convoy moved and when they got back to the compound, the gates opened as expected. There was no deviation in protocol. No delay in response. Just the knowledge that he had failed his mission.

The trucks were directed into the loading bays and the soldiers were already moving to receive them. The survivors from the previous run had been processed, leaving the yard clearer than before.

Personnel continued their rotations, unaware—or at least unaffected—by the anomaly that had just occurred.

Li stepped out before the vehicle had fully settled. "Report to command," he said, already moving.

"Yes, sir."

Chen fell in behind him, matching his pace without needing further instruction. The path to the command structure was direct, cutting across the operational center of the compound where movement remained constant and controlled.

Nothing here reflected what had happened.

That was expected. Failure was something that was felt, not always visable.

Li stepped into the command building without breaking stride.

The air inside was cooler, filtered, carrying the faint hum of equipment and distant conversation. Officers moved through the space with purpose, heads down, focused on their respective tasks. No one stopped him. No one questioned his return.

They had been expecting him.

A man, not in a military uniform, stood waiting near the central table. Commander Li had never seen him before, but that wasn’t unusual. People, higher ups, were coming from all over the place to different compounds before deciding which one they would call their home.

The only thing that was bothering him with this man was that he acted like everyone should already know who he was without saying anything.

Li approached the man before coming to a stop at a respectful distance. "Commander Li Wenqiang," the man said, his tone measured, almost conversational. "I’ve read your report."

Li nodded his head. What could he say? He had no idea who this man was and had no idea how he got his hands on a confidential report. "Sir," he replied, playing it safe.

The man studied him for a moment, his gaze sharp but not aggressive, as though he were assessing a tool rather than a subordinate.

"That address you cleared," he continued, turning slightly toward the map laid out across the table and pointed to a house that had already been circled more than a few times. "Do you know who it belongs to?"

Li didn’t answer immediately, his brow furrowing in confusion. Why would it matter who the house belonged to? "No, sir," he said after a beat. "All I know is that there are four men and one woman living in it."

The man smiled faintly. "Good," he said like that was the answer he was hoping for. "Then we don’t have to waste time on... inconsequential people."

He reached out again, tapping the location once against the map. "That property is now under government authority," he purred, sending a bunch of alarm bells scream in Li’s head. "Effective immediately."

Li made sure to keep his face blank. If he had his way, he would never step foot in that house again. But the man in front of him was acting like... Li was supposed to know something that he didn’t.

Why was that house so special?

"Sir," he replied, making sure to keep his voice even, "the structure has already been cleared. There are no supplies remaining. There is nothing of value inside that house. It has already been searched twice without finding a single thing."

Well, unless you counted the men, the woman, and a bag of popcorn. But Li didn’t.

"Mm." The man didn’t look convinced. "Your report indicates an anomaly," he said. "Supplies accounted for at departure. Missing on arrival. No breach in transit."

"Yes, sir."

"And your follow-up sweep found nothing."

"Yes, sir."

The man nodded slowly, as if confirming something to himself rather than responding to Li.

"Then the conclusion is simple," he said. "The resources are still tied to that location."

Li held his gaze. "That conclusion is not supported by current evidence," he said evenly. He had already looked like a fool twice. He wasn’t going back to that location for supplies again.

Period.

End of story.

The man’s eyes shifted back to him and for a minutes, Li felt pressure from that gaze. But only for a minute.

Then the man smiled again. "Evidence," he repeated lightly. "Commander, we are well past the point where evidence dictates action. After all, the world is full of strange and unique things now. Isn’t it?"

Strange and unique things... only a man who had never had to face down a zombie would describe the world like it was a traveling circus.

The man stepped closer to the table, folding his hands behind his back.

"What we have is a high-value property, owned by a man who built his influence on resources and control," he continued and Li’s brow raised. "Whether those resources are visible or not is irrelevant. What matters is that they exist, and that they are not currently under our control."

Li didn’t respond and the man’s gaze sharpened slightly. "Even if the supplies themselves are gone," he added, "the asset remains." He paused for a second for dramatic appearance before he continued. "And that asset is now yours to secure."

Li understood the order.

He didn’t agree with it.

But he understood.

"You are to establish presence at that location," the man continued. "Full control. Restricted access. No civilian occupation."

"That location is currently occupied," Li reminded him.

"Yes," the man replied calmly. "It is." There was another pause and the smile that twisted the man’s face made Li break out in a cold sweat. There was nothing in this man’s eyes but cruelty and superiority. "Then remove them," the man finished after a moment.

The words were delivered without emphasis.

Without hesitation.

Like the outcome had already been decided.

But Li didn’t move. "They did not resist evacuation," he said. "They complied under escort."

"And yet, they’re back in a house with no supplies and no way to live... according to you," the man replied.

Li said nothing.

The man stepped back from the table, his attention shifting briefly toward the movement outside before returning to Li. "I am assigning you additional support," he said. "A secondary team will accompany you on your next deployment."

Li’s gaze sharpened slightly. "What unit?" he demanded. He wasn’t about to trust his back to any unknown personnel. Not when even the simplest of tasks could now result in death.

The man’s smile returned, thinner this time. "A specialized one," he said.

That was all the answer he was going to get.

"They will assist in securing the property," the man continued. "You will coordinate with them on-site."

"Yes, sir." Li didn’t ask further questions. He knew that there was no point.

"Your objective is simple," the man continued, now confident that he had gotten his way. "Take possession of the house. Whatever is there—visible or otherwise—is now under our authority."

Li nodded once. "Understood."

The man held his gaze for a moment longer, then gave a small, satisfied nod. "Good," he purred.

Li turned and quickly left the meeting room. Chen fell into step beside him as they exited the building. They didn’t speak immediately, and that was all that the others needed to know that something had gone sideways... and fast.

Outside, the compound continued its steady operation, unchanged, unaffected, moving forward as though nothing had disrupted its structure.

Chen glanced toward him once. "Orders, sir?"

Li’s gaze moved toward the far edge of the compound, where the convoy vehicles waited.

"Prepare the unit," he said.

"Yes, sir."

Li didn’t slow down even as he let out a long sigh. "We’re apparently going back."