Novel Full Chapter 144: Executive Override
Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Executive Override
A heavy silence fell over the room, the weight of the decision pressing down on everyone present.
“Prepare a bombing operation.” Director Han ordered.
Before anyone could respond, a soft hum filled the room, and a thin beam of light appeared in the center of the meeting room.
Moments later, a hologram flickered into existence. The figure of an older man appeared, wearing a formal military coat decorated with medals. His face, however, was blurred through the projection.
Everyone in the room immediately stood. “Executive Director Zhao.” they said in unison.
The hologram’s gaze swept across the room. “What is happening here?”
Director Han stepped forward, voice steady. “Sir, we were discussing the situation in Ironpoint City.”
He summarized the information they gathered, the evolving infected, and the possible existence of an intelligent leader controlling them.
Zhao listened quietly, his holographic figure unmoving. As Han spoke of the new mutations, Zhao’s blurred eyes seemed to sharpen. “Interesting…” he murmured.
General Jang spoke up firmly. “Sir, we recommend bombing the city before the situation escalates further.”
Zhao’s head tilted slightly. Then, slowly, he shook it. “No.”
A ripple of surprise passed through the room. Several people exchanged quick, uncertain glances.
“We will not bomb the city,” Zhao repeated, his voice calm but final.
General Jang frowned. “Sir, the threat…”
“I heard the report,” Zhao interrupted evenly, his eyes glowing faintly in the hologram. “This new mutation… is far too valuable.”
A heavy silence fell.
“We will send our own special agents into the city,” Zhao continued. “They will investigate and neutralize the situation.”
He fixed his gaze on Director Han. “That is the decision.”
The hologram flickered. “Meeting dismissed.” Then it vanished, leaving only the faint hum of the projector.
The room remained silent for several seconds, no one moved or spoke. It was as if the man’s words had become law, absolute and unquestionable.
Annie stood among the guards pressed against the wall, her brow furrowed and hands slowly clenching at her sides. She had heard everything.
Sending agents into that city was madness. The infected there were already beyond control. Threats like that didn’t need investigation, they needed eradication before they grew even worse.
But even as part of the elite units, Annie had no authority here. Only the Council and their commanders made decisions.
After the meeting ended, she turned to her squad captain. “Sir… what are they planning?” she asked quietly.
The captain shot her a stern glance. “You’re not in a position to question the Council’s orders.”
“But sir,” Annie said, frustration creeping into her tone, “that city is a death trap. And it’s so close to our safe zone, why would we keep something that dangerous near us?”
“Calm yourself,” her captain said, glancing toward General Jang, who lingered near the table.
The general remained silent for a long moment, then exhaled slowly. “Prepare a Special Unit squad on standby.”
The captain frowned, uncertainty flashing across his face. “Commander… that would go against the Council’s orders.”
Commander Jang’s gaze didn’t waver. “I will take responsibility.”
The captain hesitated, then slowly nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He turned back to Annie. “Contact Jaxon and his group. Tell them to leave the city immediately.”
Annie blinked. For a moment, she remembered Jaxon’s calm, composed face during their last encounter, the man she had trained with and expected to join their ranks, but didn’t.
Still, this was an order. She drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “…Understood.”
…
On the other hand, Jaxon and his group were still being relentlessly chased by the grasshopper-like infected as the Hilux sped away at full throttle.
Bullets shot behind them as all four fired in turns, trying to keep the creatures at bay.
“These things…” Natasha muttered, lying low in the truck bed as she steadied her DMR along the edge. “They’re like the ones we saw back in our city… the ones that chased us when we escaped.”
She fired again. CRACK. One of the infected dropped mid-leap.
“They’ve evolved,” Jaxon said calmly, his eyes locked on the pursuing horde. “These ones are faster… and stronger.”
With all four of them firing, the infected struggled to close the distance. One after another fell, their momentum breaking as the gap between them and the Hilux slowly widened.
The city behind them grew farther. Then something strange happened.
The hundreds of infected chasing them suddenly slowed. One by one, they came to a stop. They stood there for a brief moment, twitching and staring… as if they had reached an invisible line.
Then, almost at the same time, they turned around and rushed back toward the city.
Natasha lowered her rifle slightly, frowning. “They just… stopped?”
She glanced back, eyes narrowing. “That thing you mentioned inside the city… it’s controlling them, isn’t it?”
“Most likely,” Jaxon answered, his eyes still fixed on the retreating horde. Silence settled inside the moving vehicle, tension still hanging in the air.
Then Jaxon spoke again. “Mom… turn the car around.”
“What?” The three girls spoke at the same time, stunned and unable to understand what they just heard.
“We’re not going back inside the city,” Jaxon said. “We’re just going to thin their numbers while they’re out here. It seems they won’t or can’t go far from the city. We keep our distance and we take what we can.”
Cindy and Isabel exchanged uneasy looks. “That’s… too risky,” Isabel said, voice tight with worry.
But Natasha, aware of the stat gains from every kill, and Na-rin, who had an inkling of what he was aiming for, didn’t flinch. They understood his plan and neither opposed it, knowing it would make them stronger.
“It’ll be fine,” Jaxon said calmly. “Keep at least a hundred meters behind them. We can take them.”
Isabel hesitated, biting her lip, then slowly nodded, trusting his judgment.
“Are you sure about this?” Natasha asked, not questioning him, just making sure they were all on the same page.
“I’ve thought it through,” Jaxon replied evenly. “Since they won’t chase all the way, the risk is lower. Let’s do it.”
With a deep breath, Isabel turned the Hilux back toward the retreating infected. The car roared forward. For the first time since the apocalypse began, she realized she was chasing after monsters instead of running from them. It felt absurd, and yet they were doing it.