"Haha, of course. To know your enemy is to win a hundred battles. To deal with these rats, you must understand their characteristics. First it's the light, then understanding their sounds."
"Let's go! Even though we have plenty of flashlights, we can't waste them!"
Liu Yuning pulled us back from our shock. Holding large flashlights, we advanced cautiously, maintaining a distance from the rats. To be precise, they dared not approach as long as we moved. They could only hover around us. Although this situation was quite frightening, knowing they wouldn't dare come closer made us fearless, regardless of their numbers.
However, just as we continued to move forward, we suddenly heard a series of screams from not too far away. The rats seemed to have gone mad, breaching the plaza we had just passed and smashing all the shop windows. Then, a large wave of rats surged down from upstairs, knocking over several pedestrians nearby in the process. Those individuals were instantly surrounded by rats and torn apart. Hearing their screams, He Xin couldn't bear to watch and squeezed my waist, "They were so pitiful!"
"Don't be sad. In times like these, no one can save them!"
"I understand. I'm not the He Xin I used to be. When we were in the tourist area, I remember crying over such things. But now, I've come to understand some truths. Unavoidable sacrifices mean we must stay strong. Even if we can't save everyone, thinking of the bigger picture is what matters."
"Exactly! Stop looking, and let's keep moving! We can't afford to delay!"
We moved forward amidst the screams of those people. It wasn't that we didn't want to save them, but in that situation, by the time we reached them, only bones would likely remain. We had a more important mission to attend to. Besides reuniting with the others, we also had to investigate the iron tower. Thus, we traversed countless roads and shops, witnessing the deaths of countless people along the way. However, this time we managed to save some, as we still had time, and with enough flashlights, we could hold them off for a while.
Along the way, some people also held flashlights to protect themselves. It's worth noting that all those we saved had flashlights. Later, these people became smarter and would turn on their flashlights as soon as night fell, allowing them to temporarily evade the danger.
After a 30-minute journey, we finally reached the iron tower. However, we couldn't see Xiao Yuande and the others here anymore. I discovered numerous footprints beneath the tower, very dense, suggesting they had lingered in the vicinity. If I wasn't mistaken, everyone was near Xiao Yuande.
There were still countless rats nearby, seemingly crawling around the iron tower. Observing the undulating mass of rats, Liu Yuning said, "I've noticed an even greater number of rats here. Could it be that they really came from this area?"
"This place is quite far from the former cement factory. Perhaps Captain Guo's initial intention wasn't that location at all. I don't know what he meant. After we return, I'll inform Captain Guo of Gaogang City and deliver this bad news."
"Alas, his brother died like this. He must be heartbroken."
"Guo Zhengxiong wanted me to tell his brother that he didn't flinch at the final moment and sacrificed his life for the cause of criminal investigation."
"Officer Zhengxiong was a fine policeman. Captain Guo will surely be proud of him!"
As we spoke, I inadvertently noticed something flickering at the very top of the tall tower. The tower was entirely constructed of metal pipes, with several iron platforms haphazardly arranged on it, some with spikes. There was a signal transmitter at the top, surrounded by rotating metal plates. A large iron net was spread around, and a steel needle at the head was rotating everywhere.
At that moment, a thought struck me: could this be used to send a signal, allowing people outside to find this place?
In fact, after we arrived here, we had lost contact with the provincial authorities. This area must have been interfered with by some means. Before that, there were also fake police officers guarding the perimeter, preventing anyone from entering. If I wasn't mistaken, this place was deliberately sealed off for some kind of illegal research. Now, the rat plague is worsening day by day. In some time, they will surely cross the Rhyztoes.
But I didn't move then. This iron tower was as tall as a 30-story building, meaning 90 meters.
For a normal person, climbing it would be impossible.
But at this moment, for some unknown reason, the countless rats suddenly went mad, piling up in heaps. At first, we didn't understand what they were doing, but later, when we saw them pushing the corpses of their companions towards us, we understood. They were using the bodies of their own kind to block the light from our flashlights!
"This is bad! If this continues, they'll reach us!" Liu Yuning exclaimed in fear.
"I didn't expect rats to think of this. It seems we can only use that method!"
"What are you going to do?"
At that moment, not only Liu Yuning, but even the intelligent He Xin couldn't comprehend. I, however, suddenly made an astonishing move, leaping onto the iron tower with utter disregard for my life. Grabbing a crossbar, I shouted, "Hold on! There's probably no time to find the rest of the group now. I need to reach the top of the tower and send a signal to the outside world, so the provincial authorities and other provinces can send experts to deal with this rat plague!"
"But that's a 90-meter-tall iron tower! Father, how can you climb it!"
"I have to climb it even if I can't. You guys hold on, and don't you die on me!"
Leaving those words, I paid them no further attention. Although the rats were constantly approaching, I couldn't care less now. I had already climbed several meters, crossing who knows how many iron bars and stepping on how many platforms. Then I continued to maneuver. Despite the obstacles above and the astonishing height, I could think of nothing else. I just leaped, climbed, and ascended with all my might. Recalling the two astonishing heights I had climbed before, this was the most terrifying. With the experience from before, I felt I was no longer as stiff, and my movements were much faster.
Seeing me climb so recklessly, the people below didn't dare to slack off, constantly shining their flashlights around. But the rats seemed unfazed, using more of their dead bodies to shield themselves and pushing them forward as obstacles, advancing towards Liu Yuning and He Xin in the center. It seemed the two would soon be devoured by the rats. I couldn't delay any further and had to accelerate my climb!