Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 409

"They are people, six people, armed..."

Alpha nodded, then added, "Their uniforms are black, they have gas masks, dark red eye patches, and no armbands."

"USS, not the military."

Victor knew these old friends very well, after all, she was one of the earliest androids to participate in the Raccoon City incident, so she could recognize their identities immediately.

Seeing this, Negev raised his weapon: "What do you mean?"

"Kill them without mercy; it's not normal for them to be here."

This scenic area is off-limits to other factions. If it were the military, they would give way, but if it were Umbrella, there would be no need for them. Even if they knew where their people were in trouble, they wouldn't dare to act rashly. After all, they, like the girls, came from unclean backgrounds, and their presence here indicated something was wrong. Therefore, a life-or-death struggle was perfectly normal.

As the enemy drew closer, the girls hid in the darkness until they were within range of the enemy's firepower...

"Fire!"

Alpha gave the order in a low voice, and less than a second later, there were several short "whoosh" sounds. The performance of the silencers belonging to their era made it impossible for the people and monsters in the hospital to notice that some people had died in this narrow forest.

After confirming that the heat source had spread and that all six people had collapsed, the girls immediately went forward to confirm their deaths and identified them.

"Confirmed as USS, equipment is uniform, terminal contains mission information, destroy all files in the target area, and avoid conflict with Target Zero..."

MDR recounted the results beside the body, and everyone couldn't help but wonder what this Target Zero was.

Destroying evidence was expected, since Umbrella had nothing else to do here.

"I'll go report the situation. You all continue to keep watch," MDR whispered, then went to the side and began contacting Luo Fan and An Jie. The others remained vigilant in place, while disposing of the body in the nearby bushes...

"Commander, we have located the USS inside the hospital, shot and killed him, and confirmed that his objective was to destroy incriminating evidence against Umbrella located within the hospital."

Ange's voice sounded somewhat surprised: "You've already clashed with Umbrella?"

"Yes, we encountered the USS on our only route and ambushed them. The conflict took place within the scenic area."

On the other side, Luo Fan nodded and then said, "Umbrella can't effectively respond to our attacks. We'll open fire if necessary, but you need to make sure the evidence has been destroyed first."

“Understood, we are continuing the mission, but…” MDR thought for a moment, then said the contents of the terminal: “We just found an instruction on the USS crew’s terminal to ‘avoid conflict with Target Zero.’ Commander, do you have any leads?”

Target Zero?

Lofan had no recollection of this term. When had Umbrella ever had any plans related to this?

"I don't know. Maybe it's their own arrangement behind the scenes. Let's get our work done first."

Luo Fan had no choice but to give up, as there was indeed a lack of clues.

Anjie then added, "Our progress is relatively slow at the moment, and we have discovered a military team within the hospital grounds. Please also be careful on your end. There is no need to rush the results. Ensure secrecy and safety."

"Received, call ended."

......

When MDR turned around, the bodies had all been disposed of, so what's next...?

Then you'll enter those tents...

645 Helian PART.1

McPherson Downtown Deliman Neighbourhood

Glenigh 5

2022.8.09

Day 1 of the operation

......

"Fifteen kilometers, I hope this trip wasn't a waste of time."

Inside the building, Helian and her team members were resting, making a final check of their location before arriving at their destination.

“It should be right, it’s this area,” AR15 put down his binoculars and said in a deep voice, “I’ve seen normal people dressed in tattered clothes several times in the nearby buildings and streets, they should be survivors from the area.”

“Their clothes can hardly be described as tattered,” the TAC50, equipped with a Maple Leaf drone and superior vision, countered. “While tattered clothes are unavoidable, they do ensure a degree of uniformity. Their hats and belts are tied with black and red stripes, like tokens of identification.”

AR15 did notice this, but she didn't believe that the mob in the quarantine zone could form such a large group; a mere strap proved nothing.

"In any case, we'd better be careful; we might end up on someone else's turf."

Helian reiterated that they should maintain a distance from any non-military or USS units they encountered along the way and avoid excessive contact with them. However, this did not mean that the other party had not noticed them. After all, in the sewers, those who catch rats are not necessarily smarter than the rats themselves, let alone these survivors who had been struggling in the quarantine zone for months.

Their mission location was the furthest from the other teams, fifteen kilometers away, making it very difficult for the other teams to provide support. Therefore, Lovan emphasized that their operation needed to be discreet. If an accident occurred, with Angelia busy with the operation and Lovan waiting for a reply, no one could provide them with timely and effective support, and they would have to rely on themselves.

However, the firepower we have on hand is probably more than enough...

"Gentlemen, have you found the route?"

Helian glanced to the side and saw that the three ship girls' carrier-based aircraft had returned to their ship equipment, indicating that the mission had been successfully completed.

"Of course, we found a route with the fewest enemies and the most complex obstacles."

Shoukaku twirled the flute in her hand, a serene smile on her face; the mission seemed to have put her under no pressure whatsoever.

The company immediately added, "If safety is a priority, now might be the best time to depart."

"If you don't want those monsters to wander back into the streets."

Seeing that his teammates had already explained the situation clearly, Kaga could only give this reply.

If now is the best time, then Helian has no reason to delay. She immediately stood up and ordered, "Alright, everyone, let's set off immediately. We're not far from our destination."

The girls were just waiting for those words; now that they'd rested, it was time to get back to their tasks.

"TAC50, continue to stand by on the nearby buildings to ensure we can observe our target location. Hunter, prepare for terrain reconnaissance. Three ship girls, find concealed locations nearby and stand by. The rest of you, follow me and continue forward."

"receive."

"clear."

"It'll be ready soon."

The sniper and the ship girls acting as the fire support team separated again. The hunter went into solo mode, while the rest of the members continued their mission to the target location, the point where conflict was about to break out.

......

"Well... I see it, it's really huge."

"Companies, what do you see?"

Herrian and her group were temporarily blocked by the roadblocks, so they could only wait for the results of the Enterprise's reconnaissance. The intelligence that the Enterprise obtained through its carrier-based aircraft was also quite shocking.

“A base, or even a settlement, where they built their own kingdom in these ruins.”

The company was rarely astonished by what it had seen in this world. It was unimaginable that people could build such a massive safe zone in such a dilapidated city, spanning approximately three kilometers in diameter, with a considerable population, and yet someone could manage it so well, without even needing to enforce blackout regulations... Wait a minute...

"You're saying they haven't implemented blackout regulations? But we can't see any light here."

Helian was puzzled. She looked up again to check the buildings behind the barricades, but just like before, she couldn't see any lights.

“There are no lights on the outside, but there are light sources in the inner area,” the company said slowly, examining the photo in its hand. “They are still using electric lights. They have restored some electricity and a few oil lamps. In any case, they seem to have the confidence to face the military without fear.”

Keeping the lights on undoubtedly means revealing their location, and in the quarantine zone, being exposed usually means death. Everyone here would rather dig a hole and bury themselves if they are discovered. Yet they dare to keep the lights running. Aren't they afraid of the military, or even Umbrella's underhanded tactics?

Or is it that they are so sure that neither of these two entities will harm them, which is why they dare to act so recklessly?

After careful consideration, Helian asked again, "So, have you found the location of that pass? Does it match the target location?"

“…We found it,” the company said hesitantly. The photos were not very clear, and she was not sure. “But it seems to be different from what we understand about the pass. The place now looks more like a fortress, with signs of human repair.”

Just then, the hunter returned to the squad with a black Sangvis Ferri terminal: "It's confirmed. This is the target location. There are no major discrepancies with the information provided by the commander, and the overall structure is not much different from before the outbreak."

...If that's the case, then the situation is even stranger.

Seeing Helian deep in thought, M16 slowly spoke: "Perhaps it is what you think."

"Yes, they didn't leave the border immediately afterward. Instead, they returned here, cleared out and rebuilt, establishing a settlement centered around the border."

This doesn't make sense. Logically speaking, what ordinary person would dare to return here after such a serious military firing incident? If we're talking about terrain, the pass is indeed a good place to defend against zombies, but that's about it. If we want to expand around it, then it's unnecessary.

The situation became increasingly complex, and everyone had a premonition that the events of the time might differ from Anderson's and Chris's accounts. Anderson's limited perspective and subjective assumptions had restricted his judgment, while Chris, not being a party involved, likely received inaccurate information...

The actual situation is far more complex than imagined...

646 Lovan PART.1

Safe house two hours ago

Lovan Room

......

The situation here is not as the girls, heartbroken by their unrequited love, imagined. There is no last bit of tenderness before the battle. On the contrary, Luo Fan's condition is not much better than the other two sides. Based on the information he has so far, there are too many doubts. Luo Fan has to think about the connections and clues in order to find a way to break the deadlock.

"I still tend to believe that Anderson lied or misjudged the actual situation. The military didn't fire without reason; they must have considered the public opinion factors involved. If they did, they had to be ruthless. If there was even one network signal transmitting normally in the quarantine zone, or one survivor who managed to get out, they would face enormous public pressure. But clearly, the military's attitude towards the survivors remains relaxed."

Regarding the topic of the truth of the matter, 45 shared his opinion, and everyone else joined in, quietly waiting for the discussion to continue.

AR18 also chimed in: "Indeed, the rescue operation is still ongoing. While it may not be highly efficient, at least the outward appearances are being handled according to regulations, indicating that the military still considers public opinion a top priority. Or perhaps they are unable to silence people and are therefore trying to reverse public opinion in this way."

"But we can't explain why Chris answered that the military was forced to retaliate. We can't be sure if Chris was involved, but I tend to think he wasn't. After all, these kinds of stability maintenance operations aren't under the BSAA's jurisdiction, so Chris probably didn't have the authority to participate. But the information he received was that civilians fired first, perhaps someone tried to break through the checkpoint, and the military had to retaliate. So the question is..."

Did the military units in charge of this operation receive different orders than the other squads, thus carrying out a mission unknown to anyone except the order giver—the checkpoint riot?

“If this speculation is true,” Lovan’s face darkened, and Eleanor quickly leaned over to comfort him, but his expression remained unchanged: “then within a month at most, there will be a headline in the news that someone in the Ministry of Defense will be pushed out to take the blame and accused of dereliction of duty for issuing the order to open fire, in order to appease public sentiment and international opinion.”

"So, what happened inside the quarantine zone afterward is unlikely to be known to the outside world..."

416 gritted his teeth, squeezing the can in his hand until it was severely deformed.

So, while it's a conspiracy theory lacking evidence, a careful examination of its internal logic reveals a plausible explanation. The military might have had some shady objective within the quarantine zone, and public opinion and survivors were their biggest obstacles. Therefore, they used the riot as a pretext to divert attention from the real issues, making people believe the military mishandled the biosecurity incident, even attacking civilians. Then, they introduced a scapegoat, accusing him of issuing excessive orders that led to the riot. Finally, they conducted an improper public trial, showing the public the transparent outcome of the proceedings. They then interviewed other soldiers and officers, like Chris, who were unaware of the incident, to verify the orders, fabricating and then digging up the scapegoat's biography to give people reason to believe he was indeed an unruly officer...

Thus, the public has no evidence and little reason to suspect any other misconduct within the military, and there is no authoritative channel to relay what happened inside the quarantine zone. Consequently, the military's actions can no longer be investigated...

"Commander, please forgive me for doubting your thinking, but I believe that if you were to enter politics, you would definitely be a shrewd schemer."

Although it sounded a bit strange, the metrologist saw it as her unvarnished praise.

The builder couldn't help but laugh, "How can you praise someone like that? The commander's face is almost black with anger."

However, Luo Fan did not think there was anything wrong with this statement. This was indeed his guess. Although there was a lack of evidence at present, it was logically sound. As a decision-maker, he had to consider the possibility.

Although so far, they have not detected any dangerous actions by the military...

“That’s quite possible,” 45 nodded and replied, “The Lyon you know hasn’t given a clear answer yet. I don’t know if he’s told his boss everything. I have my doubts about whether he’s a trustworthy partner.”

Not only 45, but Luo Fan also had the same idea. It had been almost two months and Leon still couldn't give a clear answer. If it were anyone else, Luo Fan would definitely terminate the cooperation immediately, but this was Leon after all, the protagonist. Perhaps he could get a different result from him. Therefore, Luo Fan still chose to bet some chips on it.

But this sunk cost is a bit too much...

After thinking it over, Luo Fan spoke again, his face darkening further: "Tell Dandelion to pay close attention to the news lately. If there's any news that the Ministry of Defense is pushing someone out to clarify something, inform me immediately and forward it to me."

“I’ll contact her later,” 45 replied.

The topic was temporarily put aside, and everyone relaxed a little in their respective places, finally escaping the tense atmosphere.

"Commander, perhaps you need to rest for a while; you're under too much pressure."

Sirius leaned forward slightly, reaching out to touch Luo Fan's brow, but then withdrew his hand.

From the beginning, Luo Fan had been frowning, which inevitably worried the ship girls. Of the five ship girls following Luo Fan, apart from Eugen, the other four didn't have any in-depth understanding or thought about this kind of tactic. They were only concerned about Luo Fan's condition, and Luo Fan didn't look very good right now.

“Although I don’t want to agree with this little maid, she’s right, Commander,” Eugen said, unusually refraining from joking with Lovan. “You might need to rest for a while, close your eyes, think about the oath-taking process, and think about the happy things.”

"...I'll try my best."

Luo Fan wasn't particularly sleepy, but since the girls had all said so, she felt embarrassed to refuse. She slowly closed her eyes to try and relieve her mental stress.

Deep down, Luo Fan could feel the warmth of the girls' arms and hearts. He knew very well that they couldn't share his worries in terms of thinking, but they could still comfort him in his predicament in this way.

That's enough; it's more relaxing than a good night's sleep...

647 Anjie PART.7

Forty minutes after entering the hospital

"Targets have come into view. Eight people, belonging to the military, are approaching the hospital entrance. Requesting instructions."

Barrett adjusted the scope, confirmed the other party's clothing, and then reported to Ange at the hospital.

Anjie's attitude was also very tough: "Kill them, force them back, but don't expose yourself, and be careful to change positions."

They didn't want anyone else to cause trouble at this time, whether it was the military or the USS, anyone who came would be a problem, especially since there were already other people in the hospital.

If the military hasn't yet been able to identify its enemy, then it might be better to use this hypothetical enemy to persuade them to retreat...

"receive......"