Orders were given one after another. Old Xu was indeed a company officer, handling the emergency situation with composure and without the slightest tension.
The survivors put down their bowls and chopsticks immediately after hearing Old Xu’s instructions.
Wei Yang called Zhao Lina and others to take the unfinished dumplings back into the house.
In this festive atmosphere, everyone formed teams according to their usual training mode and found their assigned squads at designated positions.
The night was calm, and the bright moon was in the sky.
No one expected such a drama to unfold on this festive New Year’s Eve.
Old Xu, along with Shen Lian and Lei Tong, quickly ran toward the entrance of the village.
To be honest, Old Xu was really not feeling assured.
First: The incoming people’s information was unknown, making the uncertain battle unsettling.
Second: It was midnight, and with the perimeter wall still incomplete, if the enemy forcefully broke through, it would be hard to defend.
Third, and most importantly: the timing was odd. Why come at the very start of the new year, a critical moment of bidding farewell to the old?
One must know that the team members had had quite a bit to drink earlier; Old Xu himself drank quite a few half-cups of white liquor.
As for Old Lin and the others, they were even slightly tipsy.
Considering these unfavorable conditions, how could Xu Renjie not worry about the possible unfavorable outcomes of a confrontation?
Fortunately, Shen Lian, Lei Tong, and the Sharp Blade Company’s brothers hadn’t drunk much, making them Old Xu’s most reliable force at hand.
This was precisely why, when assigning tasks, he kept several of them by his side and deployed them to the crucial position at the village entrance.
They sprinted along, the midnight of the New Year remaining bitterly cold, and in thanks to this freezing wind, the dizziness from Old Xu’s hangover slightly cleared.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Old Xu, Lei Tong, and Shen Lian each found spots to hide.
After getting into position, Old Xu pulled out his hand-held radio and started confirming with the rear teams one by one.
"Old Zhao, how’s the situation at home?"
"Everyone’s inside!"
"Old Lin, how are your arrangements?"
"Little Hu and I have each stationed people at different points!"
"Great! How’s the surveillance going, Little Zhong, Little Guo, camera heads?"
"All set, nothing unusual so far!"
"Good! Each unit stays alert. Communicate promptly if there’s anything!"
After explaining everything, Old Xu put down the hand-held radio, took a long breath, and now all that was left was to wait for Hua Biao’s reconnaissance results.
Time passed second by second, and the waiting in this chilly wind was grueling.
What annoyed the survivors more than the hard-to-endure waiting was the interruption of a fine celebration by these unwelcome intruders.
Wenquan Xin and others, reeking of alcohol, stayed indoors feeling particularly depressed.
"Damn it! What’s the big idea of running around during the New Year!? They don’t celebrate, nor let others. If there’s a fight later, we’ll destroy them."
"Alright! Keep quiet and stay alert!" Old Zhao glared at Wenquan Xin.
The situation was different now; earlier, Wenquan Xin’s drunken antics were ignored, but now a battle could start at any moment, so Old Zhao had no time to indulge the youngsters.
Leaning against the wall, Old Xu gripped the hand-held radio, waiting tensely.
From his position, he could clearly hear the sound of engines outside.
Sure enough, within less than three minutes of waiting, the long-silent hand-held radio crackled to life.
"Old Xu! Old Xu! This is Hua Biao. Do you read?"
"Copy, Hua Biao! What’s the situation outside?" Old Xu went straight to the point.
"Two vehicles! A Dongfeng Warrior and a jeep. The Warrior vehicle is mounted with a heavy machine gun! Repeat, the Warrior vehicle is mounted with a heavy machine gun! Over!"
The report from Hua Biao was relayed throughout the village.
Though they hadn’t seen a heavy machine gun before, everyone’s hearts tightened.
Especially the military-bred Sharp Blade Company members, who listened with grave expressions.
Lei Tong leaned closer to Xu Renjie, "Captain..."
Nodding, Old Xu understood what Lei Tong wanted to say without waiting for him to continue.
What a trouble! Not to mention anything else, just the presence of that heavy machine gun denoted a considerable enemy force.
"Captain! What should we do next? Should we lure the enemy away from the base?"
The voice of Hua Biao questioning came again through the radio.
Old Xu held the radio for a while without answering.
How could he answer?
This issue was fundamentally an impossible choice.
No doubt, having Hua Biao and Duan Chengwu harass the incoming unknowns, leading the enemy forces away from the base, might be the best way to secure everyone at the base right now.
Otherwise, confronting them head-on, that heavy machine gun alone could trouble the squad greatly.
Old Xu was not worried about his brothers under him, to be honest. If he wanted, the whole Sharp Blade Company could deal with the opponents.
But those gun barrels lack eyes; once the fight starts, Old Xu cannot ensure everyone’s safety.
However, if Hua Biao and Duan Chengwu outside were to engage in attracting actions without preparations, it would be sending them straight into a fiery pit.
No vehicles, no automatic weapons, just relying on a 92 hand gun, night darkness, and grass camouflage, their chance of escaping from the chasing enemy vehicles was slim.
On one side, the base members; on the other, the outside comrades.
All these lives were now in Old Xu’s hands. He knew Hua Biao and Duan Chengwu weren’t afraid of death but these warriors had lived through many hardships since the start of the apocalypse to survive today; how could he let them sacrifice for the "great path" in his heart?
Just as Old Xu was caught in a dilemma, Old Lin’s voice came through the radio, "Old Xu, based on the vehicle configurations, I have a feeling they might be military personnel too, right?"
The thoughtless guess left Xu Renjie stunned. He gasped.
Isn’t it? With the situation still unclear, what am I even worrying about?
This moment is absolutely not the time to panic! Old Xu took two deep breaths, exhaling heavily.
With those breaths, his mind gradually cleared.
That’s right! Lin Junfu’s analysis was spot on! Judging from the enemy vehicle setups, clearly, it wasn’t something ordinary people could acquire.
However, in this post-apocalyptic world, Old Xu didn’t dare to be overconfident.
After all, post-apocalypse, all military bases had suffered significant hits.
Even he faced numerous hardships during his mission; many comrades had died or were injured.
Hence, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of ordinary survivors acquiring abandoned military equipment.
But regardless, Old Lin’s reminder gave Old Xu a clear direction.
That is, until it’s clear what the enemy’s intentions are, taking hasty action is unwise.
No choice, given the opposing force’s presence, Old Xu believed victory chances in a fight were slim.
Even if he could lead the Sharp Blade Company warriors to take down the enemy, the likely outcome would be mutual destruction.
Moreover, once the battle began, not only personnel but the base structures would also face destruction.
Old Xu did not want to find himself in a dire situation of relocating the whole family at the start of the New Year.