HBWnovel Chapter 10 News Broadcasting
Chapter 10 News Broadcasting
Previously, when listening to the radio, he would turn the volume down to the lowest setting and put his ear right up to listen.
At that time, zombies were roaming outside the door, and the sound of groans and footsteps could be heard in the corridor at any time. Any extra sound could give away your location.
But it's different now.
He had cleared away all the zombies on the entire floor, and there were still 5 zombies under his control guarding the door, giving him a great sense of security.
Lu Chen turned the radio volume knob half a turn to the right.
Shen Qingci also walked over and sat down on the chair next to him. Her gaze fell on the radio, her eyes filled with curiosity.
This thing is indeed a rare item in this day and age. Most families no longer have radios; mobile phones and the internet have replaced everything.
"Good morning, listeners. This is Wanshun City Radio Station."
A deep male voice came from the radio, with a slight hissing sound from the air. The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear enough in the quiet room.
"It's time for our morning news roundup. First, an important announcement: Significant progress has been made in our country's research on the zombie virus, and we are expected to develop a drug that can curb the infection within a week."
Both Lu Chen and Shen Qingci were energized when they heard the first news.
The most terrifying thing about zombies is not their strength or their numbers, but the virus they carry.
If you are bitten or scratched, even with just a shallow wound, you will turn into a zombie within a minute.
This is why humans are so passive when facing zombies. Zombies can make countless mistakes, while humans can only make one.
If a drug could be developed to combat this virus, human survival capabilities would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced.
"According to estimates, after the third day of the apocalypse, the number of survivors in our city has dropped to less than 10% of the total population," the radio voice continued. "Especially in the city center, the survivor rate is below 5%. We urge all citizens to stay at home, not to go out, and to await rescue."
Although he had suspected it beforehand, Lu Chen's hand clenched involuntarily upon hearing the news.
In just three days, 90% of the population was gone.
The neighbors he used to nod to in the elevator, the elderly people walking their dogs downstairs, and the young parents taking their children for a walk, have mostly turned into zombies wandering the corridors.
Shen Qingci lowered her head and remained silent.
Before they could even calm down, a third message came through the radio.
"According to the frontline combat team's report, following last night's red moon, a new type of individual has evolved within the zombie horde. This type of zombie possesses a degree of intelligence, knows how to actively search for humans, and can command ordinary zombies to coordinate their actions."
"The official name for this is 'Elite Zombie'. All citizens are advised to keep doors and windows closed, draw curtains, and refrain from making any noise. If you spot an Elite Zombie approaching, immediately move to the most concealed indoor location."
Lu Chen's heart sank.
The radio broadcast was about the robust zombie he had seen that morning.
He judged at the time that this zombie was intelligent, knew how to search, and could command its kind. Now it seems that his judgment was completely correct.
And most importantly, the broadcast used the word "evolved".
This means that elite zombies are not isolated cases, nor are they a special mutation of a single zombie. They represent a new type of zombie, emerging gradually throughout the entire zombie population.
The difficulty of human survival is rising at a visible rate.
The sound from the radio continued.
"Details regarding today's rescue operation: Today, our city's rescue teams will increase from the original 10 to 15, and will be deployed to the following areas: Yunjin Road, Wutongli, Mingde Road, Chaoyang Avenue, Wanghai Road..."
Place names were announced one by one from the radio.
Lu Chen opened his phone's map and checked each location one by one. Yun Jin Road was in Dongcheng District, Wutong Lane was in Dongcheng District... all the locations mentioned were in Dongcheng District.
Neither the South District nor the North District has it.
As for the Xicheng District where they live, it's the furthest from the Dongcheng District, so there's no need to elaborate further.
"Based on the current rescue progress..." Shen Qingci's voice came from the side, "it's estimated that even another week, no rescue team may arrive here."
Her tone carried an undisguised sadness.
Lu Chen understood her feelings. As a support-type ability user with no combat capabilities, she naturally wanted to enter the shelter as soon as possible.
"That's not necessarily true!" Lu Chen said after thinking for a moment.
Shen Qingci looked up at him.
"Don't forget Project Dawn," Lu Chen said. "The mission description clearly states that the more survivors we rescue, the greater the chance of being prioritized for official assistance."
"As long as we rescue enough survivors, even those from the North District, they will definitely come here first."
This is a very real economic problem.
A rescue team can only cover a limited area in a day. They need to search building by building and room by room. It's exhausting and inefficient, and they might only rescue a few dozen people a day.
But if someone gathers all the survivors together beforehand, the situation is completely different.
The rescue team doesn't need to search the building or engage in firefights with zombies on every floor. They only need to drive to the designated location, pick up the people, and then return, making them many times more efficient.
Moreover, the more survivors a place has, the more important it is.
This is the most basic logic of resource allocation: the priority of rescue is completely different for 100 people trapped in Xicheng District versus 1000 people trapped in Xicheng District.
After hearing this, Shen Qingci nodded silently.
Lu Chen's words made sense, and this was her only hope at the moment. She would follow Lu Chen, organize the survivors, and use numbers to gain priority.
On the radio, the news broadcast moved to the next segment.
"The following is a detailed explanation of the 'Dawn Project.' The Dawn Project is a special recruitment policy formulated by our country for individuals with supernatural abilities, aimed at…"
The broadcast began to introduce Project Dawn, a policy designed for those with superpowers, but also relevant to ordinary survivors.
After all, the more people with superpowers are mobilized to participate in the rescue, the greater the chances of ordinary people surviving.
The broadcast briefly introduced the mission mechanism, military merit exchange, and military rank promotion, which was basically the same as what Lu Chen had seen on the official website.
The broadcast lasted for a full half hour.
Midway through, Lu Chen went to the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator for some snacks: a few pieces of chocolate, a bag of chicken wings, and two cans of cola.
He placed these items on the coffee table and listened to the radio while replenishing his energy.
Shen Qingci didn't stand on ceremony. She picked up a piece of chocolate, unwrapped it, and ate it. Judging from the speed at which she ate, she probably hadn't eaten properly in the past two days.
When the news broadcast ended, Lu Chen felt he had rested enough.
The superpower I used to control five zombies has mostly returned after this period of recovery.
His ability recovered faster than he expected, possibly because he hadn't been using it continuously, or perhaps because he had a good foundation in his ability.
Of course, news broadcasts don't end after just one broadcast.
It will be played on a loop from morning to night to ensure that everyone who turns on the radio can hear it.
However, Lu Chen didn't need to listen to the repeated content again.
He reached out and turned off the radio, then pulled out the antenna and put it back in.
Lu Chen stood up, stretched his neck and shoulders, and then looked at Shen Qingci.
"Let's go! It's time to get started."