Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 340

"Received. AK12 and the Rebellion Squad, stand by. All sniper dolls except Adeline, retreat to the base."

Even today, the cleanup work around the stronghold is still ongoing. Since they're idle, why not expand their range of activities a bit?

Helian has perfectly completed most of the command work so far, leading the girls to ensure the safety of the area, acquire resources, and blockade the area. Although there has been no significant progress, at least a significant breakthrough has been achieved based on the existing advantages.

However, there is still an issue that cannot be ignored: ammunition consumption. With Luo Fan not around, they cannot obtain a stable supply of ammunition. The ammunition they steal from gun shops and police stations is no longer enough to meet their usage speed. Not to mention the two sniper dolls in the team who use anti-materiel weapons; their ammunition is a luxury and cannot be obtained by simply knocking on a door.

Every shot fired reduces the supply. They didn't know the exact number of Tyrants they had deployed, but they did know that they had used a lot of ammunition to deal with these annoying monsters.

The rebellious squad at the forefront has spotted a Tyrant outside the community. But unlike before, when they would report it to their teammates to deal with it, now they choose to ignore it and retreat as long as they are not within a dangerous distance.

Physical attacks are not impossible to resolve, but they are too troublesome. It's simply not worth the manpower and resources to deal with a tyrant in bad weather.

"Same as always, retreat..."

AK12 waved his hand, signaling his teammates to move back and ignore the tyrant.

Given the scarcity of resources, we have no choice but to lower our requirements somewhat.

I've lost count of how many rainstorms there have been. Even though we're not near the coast, it's been like a quasi-stationary front passing through, with continuous thunderstorms, but the rainfall has exceeded the scope of a typical shower.

"AN94, contact AR team and tell them not to go out through the west gate. AK15, confirm the route is safe."

As with their usual modus operandi, without the RPK, they mostly used this procedure for reconnaissance.

Similar to the heavy snow in Raccoon City before, the severe weather had a negative impact on them, but it also effectively limited the mobility of those weak zombies. As long as the rainfall and wind were strong enough, and as time passed, the zombies' activity level decreased, and the rain became like a giant curtain, covering them tightly on the ground, making it difficult for them to move.

Objectively speaking, it's a good thing, but it's also somewhat disgusting. After all, many corpses become mushy and sticky after being washed by rain for a long time, and even transform into a kind of gelatinous substance, which is nauseating.

While AK15 was conducting reconnaissance, she suddenly felt a strange sensation at her feet, prompting her to instinctively lift her leg to get rid of it.

The violent movements puzzled the teammates. It was late at night, and even with the night vision module, they couldn't immediately spot the problem.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear what was gripping the AK15's foot.

"These monsters have become like this... and they're still alive?"

AN94 also unconsciously showed a troubled expression; the current situation was simply too...

"I don't know..." AK15's expression was cold, and despite his surprise, he didn't react much: "Perhaps only some instinctive reactions remain..."

The creature grabbing her leg wasn't just an ordinary zombie, but they were all similar, except...

"Should we call this thing a zombie, or something else?"

AK12 pointed the muzzle at the "mud" on the ground and said with disgust.

They might have been called zombies in the past, but now it's better to use a different name.

It can be roughly identified by its shape as humanoid, a zombie, but its skin has been washed away by rain and is gradually decaying, almost becoming liquid.

Logically, it should be physiologically dead and no longer capable of movement, but this puddle of mud still sensed the AK15's movement and instinctively grabbed her leg, though with negligible force.

Nevertheless, it is still something that can make people feel disgusted.

If this continues, who knows what form these zombies will eventually take, and whether they will still be able to move around as they are now...

478 Stagnation

"How much longer will it take? The situation here isn't exactly optimistic."

"...As fast as possible, well, I hope it can be even faster."

"...Okay, you go ahead with your work, remember to let me know if anything comes up."

……

……

We still have to wait. What happened over there that caused such a long delay?

Putting the weather aside, he had previously said that if flights remained suspended, he would travel to Colorado by train, but quite some time has passed and there is still no news of his departure.

There has been no progress for a long time, and if it drags on any longer, I'm afraid Umbrella will finish all the finishing touches.

Helian was extremely anxious. Although the ammunition stolen from places like the police station was enough for a while, it was still far inferior to the branded weapons they used. Now it seemed like they were being equipped with AR15s.

The ammunition was insufficient to meet the needs of so many people, and they couldn't possibly ransack all the weapon shops and police stations in the city. They could only rely on the existing ammunition to last for a while.

What's going on over there...?

……

There's a reason for that...

Luo Fan had barely stepped into his home, and before he could even change his clothes, he made another phone call.

"What? It's stalled again?!"

"...Add more money, open up the channels, and expand the sales network. We can't go on like this."

"...Let's think of another way, like speeding up the development process or improving promotional methods."

……

Ugh, damn it...

……

Chris came downstairs with a towel in her hand and bumped into a irritable Lovan. Just as she was about to ask him something, Carmen pulled her back from behind.

"...Should I call you Miss Angela or Carmen now?"

Chris's smile was devoid of any genuine joy, and even contained a hint of barely perceptible hostility.

Carmen, however, didn't take it to heart: "Whatever you like, Sergeant, oh no... perhaps I should call you 'Captain' now."

...Tsk.

Arguing about this issue will obviously not yield any results, so let's talk about the more troublesome situation at hand.

“He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood,” Chris gestured with her chin in the direction Lovan had left. “Aren’t you going to try and comfort him?”

"No need. This is something Mr. Luo must go through. Going against the current inevitably involves experiencing setbacks and difficulties."

It seemed that everything was going according to their expectations. Even with Lovan's current state, Carmen, as a member of the group, did not express any concern.

But as soon as she finished speaking, Carmen straightened her hair and headed in the direction Lofan had gone.

What exactly are they plotting?

Chris was increasingly confused. She had been here for two days, but apart from learning that they had a plan, she knew nothing else.

And unlike what she had received before arriving, they didn't seem to be asking her to do anything...

And there are so many people here, and they all seem to treat each other like family...

Is this what you'd expect from the Mafia? Such a strong sense of family…

……

As discussed on the phone, Lovan's situation is not much more optimistic than Helian's; in fact, it is much worse. Compared to the resource issues he needs to face within the quarantine zone, Lovan needs to deal with a series of problems, such as seizing market share, the Rothschild family's unwillingness to relinquish territory, and insufficient shareholder outreach.

It's unclear when it started, but their sales volume seems to have stagnated, remaining within this range. No matter how they try to find connections or improve quality, they can't surpass Umbrella in sales. It seems something is deliberately preventing them from crossing this line...

Even malicious competition could not achieve any further breakthroughs, so Lovan had a second idea: to buy a prime piece of land on Wall Street from the Rothschild family at a high price and pay 60% of the taxes. However, the Rothschild family remained unmoved by such a high price.

Luo Fan carefully considered all aspects, including bearing the taxes, retaining the other party's land ownership, covering maintenance costs, and giving the other party a 2.3% share. However, no matter what he did, the other party simply did not intend to agree.

Even though this transaction resulted in a loss for them alone, they disagreed, as if they thought the loss was too small.

Money is not a problem for them, but the other party has to be willing to accept it.

If this path cannot be opened, then Mrs. Grey's side will be unable to make any further progress, their plans will stagnate, and be indefinitely postponed...

Gentle methods weren't working, so it seemed he had to take a more extreme approach. The girls in the quarantine zone were waiting for him, and progress was needed here as well. He had to make a choice.

...Anyway, it's better than staying the same.

"Mr. Luo, what's wrong? Have you been having some troubles lately? Would you like to talk to your sister about it?"

Even in his distress, Luo Fan still recognized the captivating voice as that of Carmen, the double bass player in the orchestra.

"It's nothing, just some work-related troubles. You always have to face these kinds of problems when you're in business."

He adjusted his expression, smiled casually, and looked as if he had everything under control.

But that's not the case. Many situations have spiraled out of control, and he has to find a way to get them back.

“There’s no need to put too much pressure on yourself, Mr. Luo~” Carmen gently lay on Luo Fan’s body, like a gentle cat, trying to win her master’s favor with her charming manner.

"Would you like to hear your sister play a piece? Maybe it will cheer you up?"

"...Perhaps it's not the right time; I've been too busy lately."

Luo Fan wanted to refuse outright, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to be tough on his own people.

Carmen's playing skills were undoubtedly superb. Most of them were not only proficient in one instrument, but could play almost all the instruments in a symphony orchestra with ease, and every sound was heavenly.

But he was in no mood to listen; he wanted to resolve the immediate problem as soon as possible. If things dragged on like this, they would eventually have to pay the price.

"Hmm~ Okay, if you need anything, remember to come find me anytime. I'll do anything you want for Mr. Luo..."

Carmen seemed a little disappointed, but she didn't show it too much, after all, Luo Fan's current state was not incomprehensible.

“Everyone is a beautiful musical instrument. As long as they are played in the right way, they can create a beautiful solo. My sister is the same. If you want, perhaps I can play for you.”

……

479 Preparation

"To all the gang leaders belonging to the Thomson family in New York, please assemble tonight on the embankment beneath the eastern pier of the Brooklyn Bridge to prepare for the assassination of the Rothschild family and the leaders of the Quilling Group three days from now. May a few more children be added to the cradle of the Hudson River..."

"Sever all cooperation with the Rothschild family and the Quilling Group within one day. We will replace and surpass them in three days."

"Please prepare your firearms and ammunition, and detachable crash bars. New York may be about to witness its largest gang shootout since the 1990s..."

"The war is about to begin..."

……

During the same period, almost all the gang leaders of the Thomson family received mobilization messages from the "advisor" to carry out the assassination of the leaders of the two major families in three days.

They had anticipated this; the family's development had reached a bottleneck. If it weren't for the rejection of their sales channels and purchases in various locations, they might have been able to coexist peacefully for a while. However, for some reason, the two superiors didn't intend to talk to them properly, so they had no choice but to resort to some extreme measures.

"Please prepare the legions..."

The order was issued by the godfather himself and could not be disobeyed. It had the highest authority and was passed down through the ranks, eventually reaching the hands of the various "generals" and "soldiers".

The principle is very simple: those in higher positions will not personally issue orders to lower-level units. The purpose is to prevent the leaders from being imprisoned if a lower-level member is caught.

The Thomson family was very good at keeping secrets. Almost no one knew anything about their godfather, and sometimes they couldn't even confirm whether such a person existed in the family. They only knew that the gang leader or general would always give them instructions.

This is quite simple. The upper echelons of this family are all each other's confidants. Most of the time, they issue orders to the lower levels electronically or by impersonating a lower-level person to inform others. In any case, they will never show up in person unless there is a meeting required.

No one would have imagined that above the Godfather, there was an even higher being, and this was the key to determining how the family should operate.

Now, it is the "war mobilization" phase, which means that the Godfather will personally step forward to address the upcoming change of family power. In their plan, they will establish a powerful Mafia alliance to restrict the activities and work of the entire New York Mafia in a tough way and bring them completely under their control.

Although dangerous things often happen when there is an imbalance of power among the various factions, it is a necessary action at this stage. Only by placing oneself in a superior position can the rules be written in one's own favor.

……

"Tayarous, awaiting instructions. New orders from the commander are imminent."

In her top-floor office, Moriarty crossed her arms, her sly gaze sweeping across the city from time to time, looking down at the shadows cast by skyscrapers in the glittering New York skyline.

“Received,” came the girl’s voice through the earpiece, cold and distorted: “As you command.”

Now, this busy yet peaceful scene can be replayed before her eyes, but in three days, this peaceful scene will no longer exist. In its place will be a major reshuffling that will change the history of New York's underground black area, and they will hold all the trump cards in their hands.

“Teacher,” Gray pushed open the door, holding documents in his arms, and came to her side: “The preparation of the new product is almost complete, and Ain will become one of our spokespeople to carry out a new round of promotion and publicity.”

This surprised Morido somewhat.

"Really? He volunteered himself?"

"Yes."

“That’s strange,” Morido raised an eyebrow and gestured something on the French windows…

"I thought Carmen would be in charge of this publicity campaign. Isn't she always been a bit of a taciturn person?"

Gray pushed up his glasses and played a video on his phone.

Those were Ain and Carmen, the two they had been talking about, sitting in the company's break room, discussing something with each other.

Ain kept looking at the papers in his hand, putting them down from time to time, muttering something to himself, while Carmen sat in front of him, watching him with a smile.