Chapter 221: Push Out

【System notification: Outdoor temperature minus 502 degrees, protective shield energy remaining 58%, action team has gathered at the entrance of the safe zone.】

A notification sound came from Lin Chen's communicator; he raised his hand to look at the tactical watch on his wrist;

the time was exactly five o'clock in the morning. In the corridor of the headquarters building, the lights were pale,

Lin Guodong followed behind him, clutching the signed agreement tightly in his hand, his footsteps somewhat staggering.

Lin Xiaoxiao was left in the conference room, looked after by two female team members; before leaving, the child pulled his hem and cried until her eyes were red, but he didn't dare look back even once.

"Is everyone here?" Lin Chen asked Li Wei beside him.

"All here,

twenty elite team members, all equipped with anti-freeze gear and heavy weapons." Li Wei nodded,

handing over a black anti-freeze suit, "Put it on; it's minus 502 degrees outside, ordinary clothes won't hold up."

Lin Chen took the clothes and put them on, zipping the zipper up to his chin, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

He turned to look at Lin Guodong: "Is your windbreaker thick enough? If not, take another one."

Lin Guodong shook his head hurriedly: "It's enough, thank you, Team Leader Lin."

His voice was still trembling, not because of the cold, but because of fear.

He knew that this action wasn't as simple as just capturing Zhou Bao; Lin Chen definitely had other arrangements, and he was just a pawn that could be discarded at any time.

The three walked to the entrance of the safe zone, the heavy alloy door slowly opening,

and a bone-chilling cold wind instantly poured in, scraping against their faces like a knife.

On the open ground outside the door, twenty team members were lined up in a neat formation, each wearing the same anti-freeze suit as Lin Chen,

holding machine guns in their hands, their gazes firm. Beside the formation, three snow off-road vehicles were parked, the bodies of the vehicles covered with a thin layer of snow.

【System notification: Detected Zhao Hu's convoy approaching the entrance of the safe zone, distance five hundred meters, carrying Lin Hao in the vehicle, no other dangerous items.】

Lin Chen's footsteps paused, a subtle arc curling his lips: "It seems Zhao Hu is quite trustworthy."

Li Wei frowned: "Should we make preparations first? Just in case."

"No need; he wouldn't dare play tricks." Lin Chen waved his hand, "Let the team members clear a path, wait for them to come over."

Not long after, three off-road vehicles stopped slowly at the entrance of the safe zone. Zhao Hu got out of the first vehicle, rubbed his hands, and walked to Lin Chen, a stiff smile on his face: "Team Leader Lin, the person is brought; according to your requirements, alive."

He shouted at the vehicle behind him: "Bring the person down."

Two guards opened the back door of the vehicle and dragged Lin Hao out. Lin Hao's hands were tied behind his back,

a cloth strip stuffed in his mouth, wearing only a thin jacket, frozen until his whole body was purple,

his teeth chattering incessantly. He saw Lin Chen, his eyes instantly filled with fear, struggling desperately, a 'woo-woo' sound coming from his throat.

Zhao Hu stepped forward, tearing the cloth strip from Lin Hao's mouth: "Team Leader Lin, the person is given to you; the grain gap, is it written off?"

Lin Chen ignored him, his gaze falling on Lin Hao, and beckoned to Lin Guodong behind him: "Lin Guodong, come here."

Lin Guodong's heart skipped a beat, not knowing what Lin Chen wanted to do, but didn't dare disobey,

could only bite the bullet and walk over. The cold wind rolled with snowflakes, landing on his face, but he couldn't feel the slightest cold, his palms full of cold sweat.

"Do you recognize him?" Lin Chen pointed at Lin Hao and asked.

Lin Guodong looked at Lin Hao and nodded: "Recognize, he is Lin Hao, previously also a member of the Iron Hand Group."

"Very good." Lin Chen's voice was without a ripple, "Push him over, hand him to our people."

Lin Guodong was stunned; he didn't expect Lin Chen to let him do this.

He looked at Lin Hao, the other's eyes full of pleading, his mouth incessantly shouting: "Brother Guodong, save me! I don't want to die! Please save me!"

Zhao Hu urged from the side: "Lin Guodong, hurry up! Don't waste time!"

Lin Chen's gaze also turned cold: "What? Afraid? Or do you want to go with him?"

This sentence was like a knife stabbing into Lin Guodong's heart. He remembered Lin Xiaoxiao in the conference room, remembered Liu Mei waiting to be resurrected, and gritted his teeth, walking forward two steps.

Lin Hao saw him approaching, crying even harder: "Brother Guodong, I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have eavesdropped on Zhou Bao's words! I shouldn't have mixed with the Iron Hand Group! Please, for the sake of us having the same surname, let me go!"

Lin Guodong's heart felt blocked by something, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

He looked at Lin Hao's red, crying eyes, remembering his own encounters these days, suddenly feeling somewhat ridiculous. Everyone was struggling to survive in this apocalypse, yet they had to kill each other and scheme against each other.

But he had no choice.

Lin Guodong took a deep breath, reached out, and grabbed Lin Hao's arm. Lin Hao's body was very hot, probably having a fever, his skin feeling like an ice cube. He pushed with force, pushing Lin Hao toward the Starfire Group team members.

Lin Hao was caught off guard, stumbling forward two steps, falling into the snow. He turned back to look at Lin Guodong, his eyes full of despair and resentment, crying out: "Lin Guodong! You traitor! I won't let you go even as a ghost!"

Two Starfire Group team members immediately stepped forward, dragging Lin Hao up from the snow, re-tying his hands, and escorting him to the off-road vehicle on the side.

Lin Guodong watched Lin Hao being escorted away, his heart feeling empty, as if a piece had been dug out. He didn't dare look again, could only lower his head, looking at the snow under his feet.

Zhao Hu smiled satisfactorily: "Team Leader Lin, the person has already been handed to you, the grain matter..."

"The grain gap is written off." Lin Chen interrupted him, "But if your Iron Hand Group dares to harass surrounding survivors again, I will personally lead people to end your lair."

Zhao Hu nodded hurriedly: "Don't dare, don't dare, we will definitely abide by the rules in the future."

He didn't dare say anything more, fearing Lin Chen would renege, hurriedly turning to climb onto the off-road vehicle, shouting at the driver: "Drive!"

Three off-road vehicles soon disappeared into the vast snow.

Lin Chen watched Zhao Hu's convoy leave and said to Li Wei: "Lock Lin Hao in the headquarters' confinement room, send two people to watch him, don't let him die, he's still useful."

"Understood." Li Wei acknowledged, turning to arrange for team members to escort Lin Hao away.

Lin Chen turned to look at Lin Guodong, who was still lowering his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"What? Soft-hearted?" Lin Chen's voice was very cold.

Lin Guodong shook his head hurriedly: "No, Team Leader Lin, I just..."

"Just what?" Lin Chen walked forward a step, looking down at him, "Remember the agreement you signed, remember the things you promised me. Soft-hearted people don't live long."

Lin Guodong nodded forcefully: "I know, Team Leader Lin, I won't be soft-hearted."

【System notification: No abnormal movement in the direction of the abandoned warehouse in the west of the city, Zhou Bao's people should still be sleeping; suggest departing immediately to catch them off guard.】

Lin Chen glanced at the notification on the communicator, shouted at the team members: "Everyone get in the cars, target: abandoned warehouse in the west of the city, depart!"

The team members responded in unison, climbing onto the off-road vehicles one after another. Li Wei opened the door of the first vehicle and made a 'please' gesture to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen was just about to get in the car when he remembered something, turning to say to Lin Guodong: "You sit in the same car as me, remember the route; when we arrive at the warehouse, you lead the way in."

Lin Guodong lifted his head, a flash of fear in his eyes, but still bit the bullet and answered: "Yes, Team Leader Lin."

He followed Lin Chen into the off-road vehicle; the moment the door closed, it isolated the cold wind outside. He looked at the snow scenery flying past the window, only one thought in his heart—live, must live, for Xiaoxiao, for Liu Mei.

The off-road vehicle started slowly, driving toward the west of the city, the wheels crushing the snow, emitting a creaking sound. The sky was still gray, the cold wind rolling with snowflakes, seemingly showing no signs of stopping. 【System notification: Action team has departed, three kilometers away from the abandoned warehouse in the west of the city, expected to arrive in ten minutes.】

"The off-road vehicle slowly started and drove toward the direction of Chengxi. The tires crushed the accumulated snow, making a creaking sound. The sky remained gray, and the cold wind swirled with snowflakes, showing no signs of stopping. 【System Prompt: The strike team has departed; they are three kilometers away from the abandoned warehouse in Chengxi, with an estimated arrival time of ten minutes.】"