Chapter 432: Support from All Directions
At 3 a.m., the third-level alarm blared over Taoyang. At that moment, Zhuang Wan and the others were in the cafeteria, blowing up balloons for the boss’s upcoming birthday in two days. Since they were too busy during the day, they could only work on it at night.
Although everyone tried to keep the mood light, they all felt the heavy weight in their hearts. They were well aware that more and more zombies were gathering around Taoyang and Dongyang. So far, no attack had begun—partly because of the man-eating grass Wu Zhen had developed, which held the zombies back, and partly because the mutant zombies seemed to be waiting for the right moment.
And now, as the alarm sounded, that moment had arrived—the first wave of attacks was about to begin.
Xiao Yu was so startled by the alarm that he inhaled the air from the balloon, choking and rolling his eyes.
Qian Rongrong shook him. “Snap out of it! Boss Su is definitely going to speak soon.”
Sure enough, Su Tao’s calm and steady voice soon echoed across Taoyang, bringing a sense of reassurance:
“Please remain calm and don’t panic. The alarm has been triggered because mutant zombies are attacking Taoyang’s protective shield. This may happen repeatedly over the next few days, but I promise you—no matter how many mutant zombies surround us, not an inch of our land will fall to them. Every one of us here will be safe until this is over!”
At these words, some tenants who had woken up simply turned over, turned off their lights, and went back to sleep.
If Boss Su said there was nothing to worry about, then there was nothing to worry about.
Some bold ones even ran to the high-walled electric grid at Taoyang’s border and shouted at the zombies outside:
“Come on, you beasts! If you’ve got guts, break in!”
The sounds of the zombies pounding against the shield grew louder.
Others were just curious—after all, they had never seen human-like mutant zombies before. But since it was the middle of the night and they couldn’t see clearly, they lost interest and returned to their rooms, planning to check it out during the day. Rumors said some mutant zombies looked like grotesque monsters with tentacles, making the whole situation feel like a trip to a wildlife park.
Su Tao shared the same attitude as everyone else—there was nothing to worry about.
In fact, she was a little excited. The more zombies that came, the better. Once enough gathered, she could release a large-scale “Absolute Control” and capture them all in one go.
Besides, Shen Wencheng’s lab still needed more zombie samples. The current supply of the newly developed serum was only enough to cover half of the southern region. They needed many more zombies to expand production.
Now, the mutant zombies were gathering on their own, saving Su Tao the trouble of hunting them down herself. This also gave Shi Gui and the two kids a break.
At this moment, Su Tao even felt grateful—it was rare for enemies to be so cooperative.
Her only headache was the automated alarm system. Every time the zombies attacked the shield, the alarm blared as if the entire city was about to fall.
Fortunately, Taoyang’s residents trusted her enough to stay calm.
But things weren’t as easy over in Dongyang, where the alarm caused panic and made management much harder for the local leaders.
To make matters worse, the alarm also frightened other bases—especially Changjing. In the middle of the night, their senior officials held an emergency meeting, discussing how to send reinforcements and weapons to Taoyang.
They doubted whether Taoyang’s shield could withstand the full force of dozens—or even hundreds—of mutant zombies. After all, just one mutant zombie could destroy a small base with 20,000 residents.
Reports showed that over 60 mutant zombies had already gathered around Taoyang, and the number was rapidly increasing.
In their panic, the Changjing leaders acted as if humanity was on the verge of extinction.
So, after calming down Taoyang’s residents, Su Tao had to reassure Changjing’s leadership. She repeatedly promised that Taoyang would not fall. Only after hearing her guarantees did they reluctantly relax.
Just as she hung up on Changjing, her phone rang again—this time, it was Zhuo Ercheng from Xindu.
His usual casual tone was gone, replaced by solemn determination:
“Boss Su, Xindu is ready to send a 30,000-strong army to support you, along with 6,000 weapons, 5,000 crystal cores, and—”
Su Tao interrupted, “I appreciate the offer, but we don’t need it right now.”
Suddenly, Ling Tianji grabbed the phone and insisted, “Boss Su, don’t be stubborn! Xindu will live and die with Taoyang!”
Su Tao raised an eyebrow. Had Zhuo Ercheng brainwashed him?
After much effort to decline Xindu’s support, she received yet another call—this time from Mayor Ren of Wutai Base.
He even proposed a shocking self-sacrifice plan: Wutai would lure away some of the mutant zombies to ease the pressure on Taoyang.
With a heavy sigh, Mayor Ren said, “Boss Su, I admit that Wutai once viewed Taoyang as a resource hub to exploit. But despite knowing our intentions, you still welcomed our researchers and shared the vital identification serum. I feel ashamed.”
Su Tao was touched.
She had always known about Wutai’s earlier greed and their attempts to intimidate her during the alliance summit. But since they never caused actual harm to Taoyang, she didn’t hold a grudge.
“Boss Su, Taoyang is facing an enormous threat—we won’t sit by and do nothing. We’re willing to draw away part of the mutant zombies and buy you some breathing room. Please, hold on!”
Similar offers of help flooded in, including from Yun Cang, who was struggling themselves.
Even Ma Dapao’s network of convoy leaders, mercenary groups, and small settlements wanted to pitch in however they could.
The most unexpected call came from Shou’an Base. In their usual gruff manner, they awkwardly offered to lend Taoyang 50 heavy tanks—claiming that Taoyang “shouldn’t act so proud” and ought to accept the gift.
Su Tao’s eyes grew misty with emotion, though she kept her voice light:
“Keep the tanks for yourselves. Do you have enough identification serum? If not, I’ll send some over.”
Standing beside her, Shi Zijin almost burst out laughing.
As he looked out the window, the first rays of dawn painted the sky in brilliant hues—a breathtaking sight that filled him with hope.
