Chapter 23

"How is he doing?"

In the medical room of the forward base, General Soros looked grim and asked in a heavy voice.

"The situation is not good. Colonel Hoover has lost too much blood, and his right arm has been severed at the elbow. Although we have provided emergency treatment, disability is inevitable. Most importantly, the colonel has suffered a significant blow, and his emotions are very unstable. I just gave him a sedative. If you have any questions, I suggest you wait a few days before asking..."

The doctor began, his gaze shifting to the disheartened Hawk Eye standing outside the medical room. "I also suggest that Captain undergo a psychological evaluation. It will help with his emotional state."

General Soros's expression darkened as he looked at Hawk Eye. "Captain, have you lost your confidence?"

Hawk Eye remained silent, his head lowered, his eyes bloodshot, as if he could still see the gruesome scene after Li Mu's sudden attack nearly wiped them out.

"Captain, answer me!"

General Soros's tone suddenly became sharp. "Have you lost your confidence? Have you been defeated by a reptile, a damned bastard?"

"He is the king!" Hawk Eye suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with anger and sorrow, looking at General Soros. "Damn it, he is the king! But no one told us that! So Eagle died, Black Eagle died, Gray Eagle died, and even the leader almost died at his hands. If it weren't for..."

Hawk Eye's voice choked up, and he couldn't continue, as if he could still see Gray Eagle's resolute self-sacrifice, allowing them to escape.

"This was an accident."

General Soros's tone softened. "That zombie was an exception. We underestimated its evolution, but we have paid the price. It was all worth it. Next time, Captain, tell me, can you capture it next time?"

Hawk Eye didn't answer, his eyes filled with bloodshot anger.

"Answer me, Captain! Can you capture it next time?" General Soros raised his voice.

"No, I will kill it! I swear, I will definitely kill it! For Black Eagle, for Eagle, for Gray Eagle, for the leader, for the honor of the Falcon Squad, next time, I will definitely kill it with my own hands!"

Hawk Eye's eyes were bloodshot as he roared in anger.

"Very well." General Soros nodded and patted Hawk Eye's shoulder. "Maintain your fighting spirit. You will need it to defeat that zombie in the next battle."

"Come, if you don't need a drink to calm down, follow me. Dr. Manhattan needs your combat assessment."

General Soros strode out, his voice cold. "For the next victory, Captain, we need you."

Hawk Eye said nothing more, saluted the still unconscious Colonel Hoover, and followed General Soros to the base's laboratory.

"We have analyzed the data from the powered armor, but some details are not clear. You did not bring back the powered armor that was destroyed by No. 4000, which was a mistake."

The laboratory was already bustling with activity. Data flickered on various projections, and everyone was analyzing, summarizing, and focusing on the central projection.

"That's because the people who were killed on the battlefield were not you!"

In the past, Hawk Eye would never have contradicted Dr. Manhattan, who was almost the second-in-command of the base. But now, to hell with science, to hell with discipline. Just thinking about the dead Eagles, Hawk Eye couldn't control his anger.

"Captain, control your anger. I need your rational analysis. This is crucial for whether you can defeat No. 4000 next time. At least, don't let No. 4000 toy with you like this time, nearly wiping you out."

Dr. Manhattan sneered, calm and composed under Hawk Eye's angry gaze, pointing to the data in the central projection and speaking confidently.

"We have analyzed all the data from the powered armor, including all the data you sent back during your previous encounters with No. 4000. I have to tell you a harsh reality."

"You thought the failure was due to underestimating No. 4000's evolution into a king. But the data tells us that from the beginning, you were deceived by No. 4000 and fell into its trap."

Dr. Manhattan's words were shocking, making Hawk Eye instantly angry.

"Damn it. Are you saying that our tactical errors led to our failure? Hell, if it weren't for your miscalculations, not predicting that it would evolve into a king, how could we have failed like this!"

Dr. Manhattan ignored Hawk Eye and continued his analysis. "Data doesn't lie. Look here. See that? There's a clear turning back action. This means it discovered you much earlier than you thought, at least before No. 4000 fought the mutated M2."

"Then, you should understand. Even though No. 4000 could easily control the mutated M2, it didn't use its king abilities. Why?"

Hawk Eye's gaze froze.

He knew what this meant. It was a simple fact: what you see is not the enemy's full strength. This was a point repeatedly emphasized during their training.

Now, they had been thoroughly outsmarted by the enemy in actual combat.

"No. 4000 displayed surprising intelligence, hiding its true capabilities, waiting for you to attack, and then wiping you out. You should feel lucky that your teammate's bravery allowed the two of you to return alive."

"From the beginning, you were destined to fail because you were too arrogant."

"This is impossible. You're trying to shift the blame. It's just a zombie!"

Hawk Eye was still struggling. He had seen Li Mu turn back that moment but had subconsciously ignored it.

If the opponent were not Li Mu, not a zombie, but another human special forces team, Hawk Eye would not have made such a mistake. He would have known they were discovered and adjusted the plan immediately, following the special training requirements to treat everything seen as one level higher.

But because Li Mu was a zombie, both Hawk Eye and Colonel Hoover subconsciously ignored this point, assuming that a zombie's stupid brain would not lie.

But the facts proved that their oversight was the reason for their惨败而归.

"Captain, I understand how you feel. It's not easy to accept. Really, to believe that a zombie, which should only have the reactive responses of a trilobite, actually possesses intelligence comparable to that of a human elite, even if it's just an anomaly. But this is a disgrace, not just for you, but for me and all of humanity."

Dr. Manhattan sighed. "The evolution of zombies has already outpaced us by a century. If humans lose in intelligence, perhaps we won't even wait for the prophecy of China Luo to be proven; humanity will already be destroyed."

Dr. Manhattan turned to General Soros. "General, I don't know if this is just an anomaly or a trend in the future evolution of zombies, but No. 4000 is undoubtedly dangerous."

"A zombie with the mental control of a king and physical evolution comparable to M3, and with clear human-like intelligence, if the prophecy of China Luo is proven, it might be the one to destroy all hope in Australia."

"So, General, my suggestion is to bring No. 4000 back at all costs, or kill it!"

Dr. Manhattan's final words were resolute, making General Soros's pupils constrict, his gaze heavy as he slowly nodded. "Dr. Manhattan, if this is your final analysis, then as you wish, I will immediately dispatch a more elite squad, more warriors, and do whatever it takes to bring back No. 4000, or its body."

"No! It's mine!"

A cold roar, Colonel Hoover's face pale, blood still seeping from his severed arm, suddenly pushed open the laboratory door, his eyes filled with bloodshot hatred, repeating each word: "It's mine. I will definitely kill it!"

General Soros was taken aback, frowning before he could speak, but Dr. Manhattan nodded. "Very well. Colonel, your determination pleases me. Just right, I have a new idea. Perhaps you would be willing to participate, if you really want to kill it with your own hands?"

"Moreover, I need time to modify your powered armor to resist No. 4000's mental control. Well, Colonel, are you willing to join? Even if it means losing a lot..."

"I have already lost everything!"

Colonel Hoover coldly interrupted Dr. Manhattan. "As long as I can kill it, I don't care what else I might lose!"