Zombie Apocalypse: Reborn With A Farming Space Chapter 872: The Herders ( 5 )

"S-sir, are you truly handing this over to us?" the young woman stammered.

At her words, Cheng Rui arched his brows and countered, "What else would I do?"

After pausing uncertainly, the young woman advanced and grabbed a bottle of water along with a packet of biscuits.

She uncapped the bottle and took a sip. Noticing no one intervening, she tore open the biscuits and began munching.

Observing her devour the food, the rest mustered their bravery to claim the provisions. Having endured treatment like mere cattle for so long, they now acted like well-trained beasts.

Everyone claimed just one bottle of water and a single small pack of biscuits. The Phantom Team refrained from pushing them to grab more, merely observing quietly from the side.

Once Pei Yixie wrapped up handing out the clothes, she came back and reported, "Brother Sikai, these folks were kept here like livestock. Those guys served as their handlers."

"Any other details you uncovered?" Li Sikai inquired.

"Their minds were chaotic, but I pinpointed the mastermind's hideout. They're holed up in a factory zone several kilometers away," Pei Yixie confirmed with a nod.

"Time to move."

Prior to departing, Feng Yun produced injury medicines and instructed, "Get out and seek a secure spot to conceal yourselves."

As the survivors gazed at their retreating figures, tears streamed down their faces. They had braced for becoming meals for those fiends. Yet, providence hadn't forsaken them, dispatching these saviors in their hour of need.

Having consumed some biscuits to regain strength, the survivors aided the tormented women and exited the train station via a different tunnel. This path led straight to the 4th Colony.

Thirty minutes later, Li Sikai's group located the factory harboring the mastermind.

Viewed from afar, the factory appeared unremarkable. Apart from the barbed-wire-encased metal gate, no further defenses guarded against zombies or mutants.

Lacking Qin Luzi's abilities, they remained blind to the number of occupants or potential traps within.

Cheng Rui scanned the vicinity and remarked, "Brother Sikai, this zone seems free of zombies or mutants."

"Cheng Rui, what makes you so sure?" Pei Yixie questioned with curiosity.

In response to her query, he chuckled lightly and replied, "Haven't you realized? Other than the zombies confined in that structure and the mutant wolves we eliminated earlier, we've met zero zombies or mutants."

Realization dawned on Pei Yixie at his observation. Prior to joining the Phantom Team, she'd journeyed across countless spots, encountering zombies even in remote hamlets.

After brief contemplation, Li Sikai declared, "We're entering."

The team members agreed with nods and proceeded along a narrow path into the factory. They infiltrated stealthily, inspecting structures en route. The sprawling site spanned over 10 hectares.

Arriving at the warehouses, astonishment gripped them at the mountains of supplies stacked within. Forty-five warehouses stood there: thirty-nine packed solid, the others halfway filled.

This sight revealed the fate of the Second Colony's provisions. It explained why the mutants slaved eagerly for mere scraps— these villains had seized every last bit.

Even before Li Sikai issued commands, Feng Yun and Pei Yixie darted into the warehouses, swiftly claiming all the goods.

Nearly two hours passed before they cleared it all. Their spatial storages, far vaster than typical mutants', made the feat possible; otherwise, it would've been unattainable.

With the warehouses emptied, they headed to the office section. The factory boasted just one office structure and fifteen dorm buildings.

The office lay nearest the warehouses, so they prioritized it.

Midway through their approach, Pei Yixie remarked abruptly, "Brother Sikai, I've never faced anything like this before."

"Care to explain?" Li Sikai prompted.

Pei Yixie pondered briefly, then elaborated, "Doesn't it strike you as odd? Warehouses brimming with supplies, yet the mutants we faced earlier ignored this spot entirely."

"Moreover, no guards watched those warehouses. It's like they viewed the goods as worthless junk. Yet, Sister-in-law's offerings lit up their faces with greed and joy."

Her analysis left the group hushed. Moments later, Jian Ziqin ventured, "Do you mean these folks have mutated beyond eating regular sustenance?"

Nodding, Pei Yixie pressed on, "They could be breeding mutant beasts as cattle, using the train station captives as feed."

Li Sikai furrowed his brow, weighing the theory. "That would mean they maintain a dedicated site for rearing those mutant beasts."

Instantly, Feng Yun unfolded the Thirteen Colonies' map and pointed out, "Brother Sikai, within the Second Colony, the city-center-adjacent mountain serves as prime mutant beast ranching ground."

"It's close to the survivor-holding city spot, plus a vast forest covers the slope. The sole alternative is the western border ridge, but it's too distant from the train station."

Examining the map, Li Sikai decided, "We scour this factory thoroughly first. More intel before alerting the Captain."

In unison, the members nodded and chorused, "Understood."

Finding the office building deserted, they shifted to the dorms. They hadn't reached the gate when patrollers atop a close watchtower caught their eye.

A 3-meter wall encircled the dorm zone, topped with razor wire. Watchtowers rose every 100 meters, soaring 10 meters high. From distance, it evoked a grim prison fortress.

Ordinary folk faced near-impossible odds escaping such fortifications. To Li Sikai's squad, however, it posed a mere playground challenge.

With precise signals, he directed them; nods followed. They divided and infiltrated the dorms from multiple angles.