"No, I just want to go back to my fellow comrades... They just called me a few days ago about the harsh conditions they are facing. I can''t just turn a blind eye to it."

After Yiming finished explaining his reasoning, Xiaoyun stood in silence as he had nothing to argue back with.

Yezi decided to make one last-ditch effort to convince Yiming to stay.

"Yiming, I hope you know that even if you go back to them, there''s nothing you can do to improve their situation.

Besides, have you forgotten the main reason you left in the first place? It''s a suicide mission to go back. Not to mention your body and your age, you are past your prime already," Yezi pointed out.

"I know, but I''d rather die on the battlefield with them than leave them behind like this. It''s my duty as a soldier," Yiming stood firm in his stance.

After hearing Yiming''s argument, Xiaoyun accepted the fact that Yiming was going to leave.

"Fine, you can leave. But you have to take at least one hundred soldiers with you and all the resources you need. Don''t say you don''t need it...

Take it as a kind gesture from a friend. I''m going back to the office now." Xiaoyun immediately turned around and left, leaving no time for Yiming to argue.

"Why didn''t you communicate with me first?" Yezi looked a little upset with Yiming, who had just announced the news out of nowhere.

"You wouldn''t understand, the country and the military raised me to be who I am. I can''t betray them out of my own conscience," Yiming paused for a second, then added.

"It''s only a matter of time before Xiaoyun''s army comes into conflict with the military. I know Xiaoyun is actively avoiding it for my sake, but at some point, it''s simply unavoidable.

I just don''t want him to be forced to make a difficult decision when soldiers start questioning if I''m loyal to him or the military..."

Yiming let out a sigh of relief as the two watched Xiaoyun walking further and further away from the training field.

---

When Xiaoyun arrived back in the office, everyone had already left for lunch break.

As Xiaoyun sat down on Yuqi''s seat, he noticed a folder on the desk.

"July report..." Xiaoyun mumbled as he flipped over the front cover.

The first page was a detailed chart of the different budget spending. With the military taking almost sixty percent of the total budget and everything else combined being the other forty percent.

Flipping to next page afterward, it showed the list of stockpile in the warehouse, with a small food deficit and running a little low in raw material that are needed to sustain the rapid growth of the town.

"Maybe I should go visit the warehouse soon." Xiaoyun flipped over to the next page.

The second page was inventory of the rifles, with majority of the rifles in service and in the warehouse being now being AKM rather than the original M16. Despite the soldiers rating the M16 higher than the AKM on average.

As Xiaoyun read to the bottom of the page, there''s a footnote citing the reason for phased out M16 was due to the lack of replacement parts, and zombies getting tougher skins due to unknown reason.

"It''s a long story, but in essence nobody wanted to do it so I got pushed to be the mayor. Right now I think we have... twenty-thousand five hundred thirty-four people."

Xiaoyun replied as he took out a data from the drawer and read it out loud.

"Damn... I never knew you''ll make it out that big... Speaking of the town, where is it located?" Mingxu curiously asked.

"It''s right at the dorm, and keep walking down the road for like twenty minute straight. At the intersection that led the city exit down the highway, you can just turn right and go to the Luoping community." Xiaoyun replied.

"Luoping community! Isn''t that where the rich people live?"

"Yeah, but now it''s just a base outside the city. So do you want to join us? I can offer you a position in the government with the capability you have." Xiaoyun thought back to Mingxu''s social skills back in college.

"Not right now, we got stuck near the Northwest of the city with two thousand people."

"Stuck? What do you mean by that? Do you guys need any help?"

"We''re about to leave the city outskirt and travel to the countryside for refugee, but overnight almost the entire building is surrounded by zombies. So we are stuck in this here for now." Mingxu sounded desperate for help as he responded back.

"I promised them that I''ll bring them to safety but... I fucked up." Mingxu''s tone''s got lower and lower.

"Don''t worry, I''ll send a rescue team right now. Just hold on for a few hour." Xiaoyun statement gave hope to Mingxu.

"You sure? The zombie crowds even have several mutants that our bullet can''t even shoot through." Mingxu hesitated.

"You mean mutant tanks? Those zombies you need explosive to kill them. Just tell me the address and I can send the soldiers to your location right now." Xiaoyun asked again.

"It''s at Ri Chu development zone, it''s near the newly developed city district if you seen it in the news." Mingxu sounded much more hopeful as he replied back to Xiaoyun.

"Okay, get ready to evacuate in a few hour." Xiaoyun hung up and called Yezi.

"Hello? What''s wrong Xiaoyun?" Yezi sounded a little confused why Xiaoyun called him when they just met a hour earlier.

"There''s an emergency, can you call up four platoon to the training field right now? I''ll be there in ten minute." Xiaoyun urgently demanded.

"Okay, I''ll order them." Yezi didn''t ask any further and hung up the phone. as

"I should stay for in the town for now. I have to make sure nothing goes wrong during this crucial transition... I''ll just let Jixi and Gantian go." Xiaoyun though in his mind as he walked out of the office.

---

After walking for ten minute, Xiaoyun arrived at the training field.

The four platoon soldiers were all standing on the field, with Yiming and Yezi, as well as Jixi and Gantian standing next to each other.

"What''s the emergency?" Yezi asked as Xiaoyun got to the backstage.