Chapter 73 Tactical Help

Words : 1050 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Tactical HelpThe special forces had been calling out for a long time, yet there was no response from the survivors in the supermarket, which they found quite strange. There was indeed a flicker of fire at the entrance of the supermarket, confirming the information they had received indicating signs of survivor activity here. But after all this time yelling, the people inside were acting just like criminals making a last-ditch stand, with not a single movement; no one answered, and no noise was made. If it weren’t for the continuing flicker of fire at the entrance, the special forces might have thought the people inside had already fled. "Boss, what do we do now?" a special forces member asked their team leader about the unresponsive supermarket in front of them. The team leader frowned as he looked at the supermarket. He too was at a loss. This supermarket was not a criminal stronghold but merely a refuge for a group of survivors. Even though they hadn’t responded, the team leader couldn’t just order the special forces to storm in like they were capturing criminals. But stalling like this was not a solution either. It’s not that they couldn’t afford to wait; they had previously dealt with criminal standoffs lasting over a dozen hours. For these professionally trained special forces, waiting in the armored vehicle for over a dozen hours was nothing. The key was that they were not here to catch criminals; the people inside were likely survivors who had been exposed to the outside world for two months and were in urgent need of help. After thinking for a long while, the team leader decided to lead a team inside. "Gangzi, Fengzi, and Gang Qiang, the three of you take your gear and come with me inside, the others stand guard," the team leader instructed three team members to accompany him. The police armored vehicle they arrived in had ten seats, excluding the driver and the command officer who could also include a sniper, an observer, and six assault team members. However, they didn’t bring a sniper today; there were only six special forces members, the team leader, and the driver. The four of them took their gear, ready to enter the supermarket. The assault team member named Gangzi held a riot shield in front of him in one hand, while the other hand held a service pistol on alert, carefully advancing in a crouch. The rear was guarded by Fengzi and Gang Qiang, both holding service assault rifles, covering him from front and back. The team leader followed behind Gangzi with a riot gun, responsible for command, support, and negotiation with any survivors. The group of four proceeded cautiously, as the team leader advised the three beside him, "Avoid conflict whenever possible, prioritize restraint, do not fire unless necessary." "Yes!" the three special forces members responded in unison, becoming more vigilant as they meticulously observed their surroundings, aiming to identify survivors and avoid accidental harm. Although their police equipment included non-lethal weapons like tear gas guns, which they carried, the team leader did not wish to risk his team members’ lives before confirming the survivors’ identities. Despite determining that the supermarket likely contained survivors, it didn’t completely rule out the possibility of danger inside. Survivors in a stress-driven state could be quite aggressive; tear gas guns, as non-lethal weapons, might not effectively stop them in such cases. For any potential dangers or ambushes, the two assault rifles should suffice to handle sudden situations in this environment. But when they entered the supermarket and saw several survivors holding makeshift sticks as weapons, cowering in the corners and looking at them in fear, the team leader realized his worries were for nothing. These survivors were indeed in a stress-driven state, but their physical condition no longer supported aggressive actions, nor did they appear capable of such. However, the team leader did not relax his vigilance and cautiously approached these survivors alongside the three special forces members. "Ah!" One survivor, perhaps startled, suddenly screamed and swung a steel pipe recklessly at Gangzi, who held the riot shield. Gangzi quickly blocked with his shield, while his service pistol aimed at the suddenly frantic survivor. He didn’t fire but retracted his arm holding the shield, took a step forward, and slammed into the survivor, knocking them to the ground. The remaining survivors were startled by the sudden turn of events, gripping their weapons and considering an attack. But a sudden gunshot momentarily froze them in their tracks. A freshly ejected, smoking bullet casing hit the ground, making a crisp sound. Seeing the situation under control, the team leader lowered his gun, which he had fired into the air, and holstered it. Fengzi and Gang Qiang quickly rushed forward, one helping Gangzi restrain the fallen survivor while the other pointed a gun at the group, shouting, "Drop your weapons!" Terrified by the gunshot and shouting, the survivors trembled uncontrollably, almost unconsciously dropping their sticks to the ground. Seeing the survivors disarmed, the team leader exhaled a long breath of relief. They finally resolved the situation "peacefully." ———————————————— The discovered survivors were taken to the city’s First People’s Hospital shelter. This was the only hospital still operational in the city, where most medical staff had been gathered; the rest were assigned as part of medical teams to other shelters to provide services. However, all medical resources from the city’s three hospitals were concentrated here before the disaster, making it the city’s only hospital afterward. The discovered survivors, having been outdoors for two months, were in poor condition and were sent to the hospital for examination and treatment. Only after they were physically and mentally recovered could relocation to other shelters be considered. The hospital doctors were accustomed to the survivors’ condition since this wasn’t the first group sent in over the past two months. Sedation, cleaning, disinfection, examination—the whole process revealed these survivors’ health conditions; besides a few special cases, most suffered malnutrition, and a few hearty meals and glucose drips were enough for recovery. As for what comes next...psychologists would provide guidance, and once they were stabilized, the police would question them before sending them to a shelter. Currently, manpower is tight as various shelters are under development.

Chapter 73 Tactical Help

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