BXBX NOVEL Chapter 162 Return to the Command Center
Chapter 162 Return to the Command Center
The team arrived at the Ayala North Exchange Tower 1 helipad smoothly as if nothing significant happened. That was probably the easiest deal they have closed ever since the outbreak.
The World\'s Resort Manila survivors camp gave them a bit of a headache because its leader and the goons that worked for him were a bunch of scumbags that did not deserve to walk on the earth.
"It\'s a good thing that they are very reasonable," Graves said as he walked side by side with Richard.
Richard nodded in agreement. "This time, we were negotiating with a former vice president of the Philippines. Her reputation precedes her – known for her integrity and a clean record, free from corruption. You can expect that thing to happen if she\'s the one on the negotiating table…but I\'m a bit concerned about the power structures…"
"Ah…now that you have spoken about it, I share your concerns. I\'m sure one or two councilors of that camp may not agree on us moving into their camp, which could spark a conflict. That is something we don\'t want to happen in a camp…because it\'s something that we have never dealt with before. Here in the Blackwatch Oriental Makati Camp, there is a clear chain of command with you at the top, Richard. That structure has been our backbone in maintaining order and efficiency," Graves added thoughtfully.
Richard\'s gaze wandered over the skyline, reflecting on Graves\' words. "True. Our current structure has worked well for us. Integrating with another camp, especially one with its own established leadership, will require careful navigation. Well…I consider it a challenge. So like I said before, why don\'t we deal with it when it starts to rear its ugly head?"
"I don\'t know…isn\'t it kind of reactive? We should be proactive," Graves said.
"We are just considering the possibility here, Graves, perhaps we might be overthinking it. Look, worst things happen especially when we assume too much," Richard said, his tone practical. "Let\'s focus on what we can control. We\'ll establish a good working relationship first, then observe and react accordingly."
Graves nodded, understanding Richard\'s approach, and seemingly impressed by his answers.
"Why?" Richard took note of his expression. "You have fallen in love with me Graves?"
"Yeah, I think I have fallen in love with you, sir," Graves jokingly replied, a smirk on his face.
Richard chuckled at the light-hearted banter. "Well, I\'m sure your girlfriend would beat you up to it…speaking of which, is she okay now?"
"Emily, huh?" Graves smacked his lips. "Ever since her little sister died, the family and she have been depressed. I did try my best to comfort her, but you know, when someone lost a family member, it\'s hard to just move on quickly."
Richard nodded sympathetically. "Yeah…and I still feel responsible for it. If only we knew where those mutated zombies are spawning. They just pop up out of nowhere. Could it be…"
Richard paused on his steps as a random thought crossed his mind. "Could it be that these mutated zombies are summoned by that "Master" like how I summon military personnel and hardware?"
"That is an interesting thought sir," Graves hummed thoughtfully. "How about we ask the person himself?"
"You mean to go after the man directly?" Richard looked at Graves, considering the idea.
"According to our prisoners that are still held in our containment room, the Master is in Korea. There\'s no way that master would be in North Korea because nothing interesting is happening there. He could be in the South. Oh…about the prisoner?"
"In two days…they\'ll try to extract the pill out of the two and hopefully turn them into our side like we did to Andrea," Richard said. "They are still knocked out thanks to the sedative we are injecting into them everyday. We can\'t have them rampaging."
"Yeah. Let\'s go inside, sir," Graves said, shifting his focus back to the immediate tasks at hand.
As they entered the command center, Richard shared the result of the negotiation with the staffers present inside.
"So, the New Clark City survivor camp and the Blackwatch Oriental Military Camp have reached an agreement wherein the Blackwatch and its civilians can relocate to the New Clark City. Of course, this won\'t happen on the same day, it would normally be in a week or two to start the relocation. After all, transportation is the issue here gentleman. Roads are congested and clogged thanks to the abandoned vehicles, the only suitable transportation would be from the air."
"But what if we blow up those abandoned vehicles and move them aside by…I don\'t know, ramming into them?" Sara proposed. "That seems efficient to me because not all our equipment can be moved via air, and we can\'t rely solely on helicopters for such a large-scale relocation."
"Yes, but you\'ll have to be wary of the zombies that are still lurking in every corner," Mark added. "Ground may be the efficient way of relocation but carries a huge risk, whereas in the air…it may take long but it\'s safe."
Richard nodded, acknowledging both points. "We\'ll have to weigh our options carefully. Perhaps a combination of both methods could work. We can clear essential routes on the ground for heavy and critical equipment while using air transport for personnel and lighter materials."
"That could work," Sara agreed, mulling over the logistics. "I\'ll start working on a detailed plan, considering both ground and air routes. I\'ll coordinate with the Chief of Staff of Logistics and Supplies."
"And as the second-in-command, I should convene a meeting with the Joint Chief of Staff and relay to you the important points of the meeting."
"Good," Richard said. "You can all return to your work, except you, Sara. I need to talk to you outside."
Sara was a bit surprised as to why Richard wanted to talk to her outside. She followed him out of the command center.
And when they were quite a distance away from the command center and in a place where there weren\'t usually people. Richard turned around, grabbed her by the shoulder, pushed to the wall, and kissed her on the lips.
This act shocked her but she didn\'t resist, instead, she welcomed it.
When Richard released his lips, he spoke. "You were good back there, made me proud."
"I thought we were going to discuss something serious."
"Nope, this is my intention. I forgot to ask you for a kiss before we left for New Clark City. You can consider it as me making up for that," Richard said with a slight smile.
"Ah…I see. So what are you planning on today?"
"Hmm…I\'m thinking of receiving my rewards from the system," Richard revealed.