The next day.
Born walked out of the meeting room. Emerson, with dark circles under his eyes, had a small mountain of cigarette butts at his feet.
"How did it go?"
"Is that how you talk to a colonel?" Born teased.
Emerson laughed heartily and threw an arm around Born's neck.
"You finally gave in, huh?"
"There's nothing to be stubborn about. We're dealing with Star Labs. As for the Commander's mission, we'll do it as we go. Taking on the rank of colonel is just temporary."
Upon hearing this, Emerson immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"Major Emerson, reporting to Colonel!"
Both Born and Emerson laughed, then resumed their casual demeanor, arms around each other's shoulders, smoking as they left the meeting room.
Time passed.
January 31st.
At six in the morning, the winter sun had not yet risen.
Born and his team were already prepared.
Lane sighed and said, "Born, I hope you can forgive me."
Born was puzzled, "Forgive you for what?"
"Nothing." Lane suddenly smiled.
For this operation, Lane initially planned to stay behind at the exhibition hall, but her mental network was crucial, as was her skill, mental shock.
So Born refused Lane's suggestion.
Currently, Lane's ability level was 31, allowing her to create a mental network for a group chat of 15 people, covering a range of 1500 meters.
Lane was indispensable.
Born checked his points, with 4352 remaining.
Behind him, a squad of fifty maids exuded an air of restraint, all in eye-catching fishnet black stockings.
Investing points in the squad members had significantly boosted their combat effectiveness.
Although not everyone had abilities, each of them had physical stats of 35 or above, making them incredibly formidable.
Born knew this mission was crucial.
He saved his points to exchange for crossbow bolts and ammunition.
The combat vehicle led the way, followed by two tanks.
This was a benefit of his colonel rank; the Commander had sent two tanks to assist in this operation.
The combat vehicle cleared the path, and any appearance of zombie cats or dogs was met with tank bombardment.
On the side, a swift shadow flashed by—Born's big cat.
With such a luxurious lineup, Born didn't believe anything could go wrong with this mission.
Since they were taking action, it was with full force.
The zombies on the road couldn't pose an obstacle. The path had already been cleared, leading directly to Star Labs.
Before long, the sky began to lighten.
Cars started arriving; Edwin and Stanley's people had arrived.
Lane stayed in the combat vehicle, using her mental network to connect the high-ranking members of all three factions.
"Born, this ability is really impressive. I have someone under my command who awakened a mental ability, but it hasn't been very useful so far. Your subordinate's ability level must be high, right?" Stanley said, still maintaining his usual demeanor. Even in a mental conversation, it seemed as though Stanley was smiling.
Mental abilities indeed had limited use at first.
They could only connect a few people, with a small range.
But as the ability level increased, its usefulness became apparent. In future operations, mental abilities would undoubtedly be indispensable.
Born smiled but didn't respond to Stanley's comment.
Suddenly, Edwin spoke up, "Star Labs has five zones, from A to E. The surface buildings are only Zone E. Star Labs has extensive underground facilities."
"While I don't have the exact map, I can tell you that my Edwin Group funded the construction. There are two entry points: one at the rear of the lab and one through the elevator shaft inside the lab."
Stanley pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's enter from the rear of the lab. The elevator shaft might be too dangerous."
Born, however, smiled and said, "You take the rear entrance; I'll go through the elevator shaft. We'll attack from both sides. The mental network has a sufficient range for us to provide support if needed."
With the main force already at the entrance of Star Labs, there was no delay.
Born immediately led his team towards the upper building of Star Labs.
Meanwhile, Stanley and Edwin's people circled around to the rear.
The maid squad led the charge, with Emerson's people assisting on the flanks to help break through.
Given Emerson's military background, his team was more experienced in breaching operations, providing support and ensuring safety.
The main door was blown open.
But they weren't greeted by Star Labs personnel; instead, they faced a horde of zombies marked with a "D" classification.
These zombies were bizarre, some with three heads and six arms.
"Damn it, why are there zombies inside Star Labs?"
"Born, be careful over there."
Edwin's team also reported in.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded, causing the zombies to go berserk and charge at the maid squad.
Star Labs' classification was very clear.
These D-class zombies were stronger than regular zombies, and killing them would yield more points.
However, they were not as tough as C-class zombies, making them manageable.
Soon, Born and his team entered the building.
The interior resembled a school laboratory building, with clearly labeled rooms.
The only thing missing was people.
There were just a large number of bizarre zombies.
Born's team was still on the first floor, but zombies were streaming down from the upper floors.
Many of these zombies wore white lab coats, indicating they were once Star Labs staff.
Many of the zombies wore white lab coats, suggesting they were once Star Labs staff.
Mia and her team led the way without incident.
Born reached the elevator, prying the doors open.
The elevator shaft was dark and deep, confirming Edwin's mention of underground facilities.
There was dim lighting inside the shaft, and it seemed eerily quiet.
Mia and Laura exchanged glances, grabbed the cable, and jumped into the elevator shaft.
About ten maids followed closely.
"The lower area is secure, but there's an elevator blocking the way. We're working on cutting it open," Mia's voice echoed in Born's mind.
"The elevator is secure. We're on the -2 floor, the elevator is suspended, preparing to open the doors," Mia reported again.
Born looked around. Most of the zombies had been dealt with.
He nodded to Curtis.
For this mission, Emerson's team was led by Curtis.
Curtis and his team secured new nylon ropes and, after signaling a few hand gestures, led the charge down the shaft.
"Mia, prepare to open the door. Be cautious."
"Boss, there are zombies."
"Curtis, support!"
The communication in Born's mind was rapid.
Born grabbed Lane and jumped into the shaft, using his electric abilities to illuminate the way for everyone.
Previously, the dim lighting had obscured his vision.
Now he could see that there were some unknown sticky substances in the shaft.
Upon reaching the bottom, he saw the suspended elevator had been cut open, with a large enough gap for three people to pass through at once.
Below, the sounds of battle could be heard.
Just as Born was about to descend, he heard shouts from above.