Chapter 511 The Investigation Team's Decision
Steven popped the footage from the mechanical mouse onto the big screen for the investigation team to check out.
As soon as they saw it, everyone got real serious.
The mouse's view didn't show the full scale of the zombie horde, but it zipped through subway tunnels packed with sleeping zombies!
Even a rough guess would put the number at 100,000.
Lanny was too stunned to say anything tough.
A chill ran down everyone's spine. They weren't scared of the zombies themselves.
No matter how many there are, people can slowly wipe them out using different methods.
But these zombies hiding here meant someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes!
If Steven hadn't found them and tipped off the investigation team, they would've headed back to Blizzard City totally clueless!
By then, the zombies would crawl out of the subway with even more ferocity, wrecking the already weakened major forces and ruining the entire city!
And then, not only would the investigation team take the heat for the mission's failure, but their screw-up in spotting the problem would also lead to a massive zombie outbreak across the entire Silvercrest District!
Steven looked at the silent crowd, crossed his hands, and said slowly, "The first time I saw them, I was just as shocked. Their numbers are insane. Without your help, Starlight City can't handle them."
"So I'm asking you all to stick around and help us out one more time!" Steven looked sincerely at Otha and the others.
Under Otha's large sunglasses, his brows were deeply furrowed.
Facing such a sudden situation, he couldn't quickly come up with a plan.
He asked, "How many people know about this?"
Steven replied, "Just me and a strategist on my team. I haven't told other forces, and most of my team members don't know either."
Otha gave Steven a deep look. "Do you think someone is orchestrating all this behind the scenes?"
Steven smiled and shook his head. "I can't say for sure, but this is a big deal, and I can't make a decision. I can only ask you all to guide me on what to do."
He sighed deeply and slapped his thigh hard. "If even you can't tell me what to do, then I'll just have to take my people and bail from this cursed place."
"By the way, Blizzard City provides food and lodging, right?"
Otha ignored Steven's humor. "Besides these images, do you have any other info?"
Steven shook his head. "No, this time I really don't."
"You gotta understand, I'm not a pro investigator. Finding these was already a stroke of luck."
Otha was silent for a while, then slowly nodded. "I get it. We'll figure out a way to handle this. But when the time comes, you'll need to pitch in too."
Steven's expression was a bit hesitant.
He said sadly, "Our team is fine, but the combat power of other forces has been slashed by more than 80%. Can we really handle such a massive zombie horde?"
Otha replied, "This is your home, so of course, you have to pitch in."
Steven sighed. "Alright, I get it."
Otha stood up. "Then we'll be heading out now."
Steven said, "Won't you stay for a meal before you go? My place is pretty big, maybe you can rest here for a bit."
But Otha decisively turned down Steven's offer. "No need, we don't make a habit of resting in other people's homes."
The investigation team was super cautious and wouldn't easily trust others.
Steven's revelation about the zombie horde made Otha even more suspicious of him.
Who could say for sure that Steven wasn't the one controlling the zombies? After all, since the zombie crisis started, no one on their side had died.
Steven rubbed his nose. "Alright then, if you need my help with anything, just let me know!"
His eyes were sincere.
Otha just nodded and then left Steven's shelter with the others.
Steven walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and watched their car drive away.
After a long time, he let out a deep breath, his eyes showing some guilt. He had indeed hidden some information.
What he showed Otha and the others was only part of what the mechanical mouse had captured.
In fact, the number of zombies in the Amber District subway tunnels was even greater.
But Steven was worried that if the investigation team knew the true scale of the zombies, they would abandon the mission, which would mess up his plan.
"Don't blame me, I'm just trying to survive. In the apocalypse, everyone has to rely on their own abilities to make it!" he whipered to himself.
He knew that the investigation team couldn't back out of this now, so their safety was somewhat guaranteed.
Next, it would depend on how things played out.
If it went according to the script he had written, then he would come out on top.
In the snowmobile, the atmosphere among the investigation team was heavy.
They had finally dealt with the zombie tide and thought the zombie problem in Starlight City was almost resolved.
Even if it wasn't completely solved, the remaining zombies weren't a big deal.
But when they saw the footage, they realized they had been too naive.
They would face an even bigger mess.
Under Otha's black sunglasses, his expression was unclear.
Everyone knew his heart was the most conflicted right now.
There were only two choices—Go back and ask Silvercrest District for help, requesting headquarters to send more people to assist, or rely on themselves and the local forces of Starlight City to carry out another decapitation operation.
Otha was torn between these two plans.
Choosing the former was the safest, but it also meant admitting their lack of ability. Their status in the eyes of the Silvercrest District's higher-ups would take a hit.
Along with that, the points they earned from the mission would decrease, and points were their guarantee of survival for themselves and their families in Blizzard City.
But choosing the second option would involve some risk.
The team members were all waiting for Otha's command. After long-term combat together, they had great trust in Otha.
After thinking for a long time, Otha finally made a decision.
"The situation is unclear now, we can't just ask headquarters for help. The priority now is to investigate the situation there. If we can solve the problem ourselves, we must not trouble headquarters!"
The team members all nodded.
Yes, even if they were to ask for help, they needed to know the extent of the situation in Starlight City.
Only then could they reasonably ask for help, avoiding wasting manpower or failing the mission due to insufficient assistance.
Otha had made up his mind. "Let's go check out the place Steven mentioned first."
Theron heard this and asked seriously, "Should we have the local forces of Starlight City send people to go with us?"
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