Eli glanced at Allen, pretended to think for a moment, then slowly spoke up:


    "Based on our current situation, I have some speculations."


    He paused slightly, scanning the room to see that everyone was paying attention to him.


    Eli tried to appear hesitant, speaking slowly, "In less than an hour, the entire New York has completely fallen—zombies are practically everywhere. So, even if this isn''t a global crisis, even if New York is the origin of this disaster, there''s no way a virus spreading at this speed could be confined to just one country or region."


    He glanced at Allen as if seeking his opinion.


    Allen didn''t respond directly, only signaling him to continue with his eyes.


    Eli continued his analysis, "If the virus truly started spreading from New York, it would be nearly impossible for other places to avoid large-scale infection. Even with strict quarantine measures in place, it wouldn''t be enough to completely stop it."


    His tone became darker as he spoke. "These zombies are strong. Handguns are useless, and even automatic rifles might not be effective. It would take much more powerful firepower to destroy them."


    He took a deep breath before continuing, "If the disaster has already spread globally, I want to know if nations around the world can still mobilize resources, manufacture and equip weapons. Especially heavy weapons. That''s a huge question."


    Eli scanned the group, and everyone frowned in thought.


    "In this situation, it''s extremely difficult for any country to maintain social order. Factories and supply chains would collapse quickly. Even ammunition would become a scarce resource, let alone tanks, planes, or missiles. And fighting zombies requires precisely those heavy weapons."


    Ethan furrowed his brows, an uneasy look in his eyes. "If a global disaster breaks out, I don’t think any country could maintain order."


    Eli''s tone carried a hint of worry: "These are just my speculations. Maybe the situation isn''t as bad as I think."


    Allen thought for a moment before raising another question.


    "Why do our phones have no signal at all? It’s been less than an hour since the disaster began. How could the communication network collapse so quickly?"


    Eli pretended to deliberate, pausing for a few seconds before replying, "The most reasonable explanation is... the base stations have gone down."


    He pressed his lips together before continuing, "The mobile networks we rely on mainly use signal base stations to transmit data. If the disaster caused widespread power outages or physical damage to the base stations, the communication network could fail rapidly."


    Allen gave a slight nod; the thought had crossed his mind as well.


    Noticing Allen''s reaction, Eli continued, "However... for all the base stations in New York to fail at the same time, that’s not very likely. New York’s base stations were designed with a high level of redundancy. Even if one area’s stations malfunction, other base stations should still cover the signal. It’s hard to imagine every single base station going offline."


    Allen’s expression grew more serious; Eli''s points echoed his own concerns.


    "So, you’re saying this might not be as simple as the base stations being destroyed?"


    Eli nodded lightly, a trace of uncertainty in his tone.


    “Indeed, aside from the possibility of the base stations being destroyed, another explanation could be network overload. After all, when a disaster strikes, everyone would likely try to make calls for help or reach out to loved ones, which could easily overload the network. But even so, it doesn’t quite explain why we’ve completely lost the signal. Network overload usually means weaker signals or difficulty connecting, not a total blackout like this.”Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    From the doorway, Ethan spoke coldly, "So, is there another explanation?"


    A flicker of complex emotion crossed Eli’s face as he replied, "Another possibility... is that the communications were deliberately cut off."


    His voice was low as he elaborated, "When the disaster struck, certain forces might have intentionally shut down the city’s communication network. For instance, they could have taken control of the base station management system and severed the connections directly. Or they could be using some kind of electronic jamming to block all communication in New York."


    Listening to Eli’s words, Allen’s gaze grew even deeper, and deep down, he found himself inclined toward the same conclusion.


    Ethan tried to keep his emotions in check as he muttered, "From the virus outbreak to the communications blackout... every step has been so precise and clean. If this isn’t orchestrated, who’s going to believe it?"


    Eli slowly shook his head. "This is just speculation. Without evidence, it’s too early to draw any conclusions. But I have to say, a total communication shutdown like this doesn’t feel like a mere accident."


    Landon’s gaze darted around nervously, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness. “What… what do we do next?”


    His question brought a brief silence to the room.


    Allen and Ethan both turned their eyes to Eli, as if waiting for his suggestion.


    Eli looked at the group and began speaking slowly, “I think we have two options right now.”


    After a brief pause, he continued, “The first is to stay here and wait for the military to rescue us. If the government is still capable of organizing rescue operations, they might clear out safe zones in the coming days. But the risk is we don’t know when they’ll arrive, or whether the situation in New York will worsen in the meantime.”


    Alan spoke decisively, "We can rule out that option. We have no idea when the military will arrive, or even if they can get things under control—the risk is just too high."


    Ethan nodded in agreement, his tone stern. "Besides, things are getting more dangerous here. We can''t bet our lives waiting for rescue; we have to find our own way to survive."


    Eli nodded; he had no intention of waiting for the military to rescue them. He continued,


    "The second option is to take the initiative and evacuate. I think the shortest route is through the city''s sewers.


    Head west through the sewers, enter the Lincoln Tunnel, and cross it to reach Weehawken.


    This way, we can at least avoid the zombies on the surface and reduce direct confrontation."


    He paused, pressing his lips together before adding, "But... we don''t have a map of the sewers, so we might get lost. And there''s one more thing: if humans can mutate into zombies, what about the creatures in the sewers?"


    Landon’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly realized the gravity of the issue.


    Ethan and Alan, however, appeared relatively composed—it was clear they had already considered this possibility.


    “For example, rats,” Alan continued, his tone steady but grim. “What if the rats in the sewers have also mutated? There are at least millions of rats in New York''s sewer system. How many of them might have turned? Therefore, taking the sewer route doesn’t guarantee safety.”


    Ethan turned to Alan, his expression thoughtful. “How much do you know about the sewer system?”


    Alan spoke with a serious expression, "I don''t know much—just the general layout of the sewers, but not the details. Finding a detailed map now is obviously unrealistic—we''ll have to figure it out as we go."


    Ethan crossed his arms, a hint of frustration flickering across his face. “If that’s the case, we’ll just have to do our best to navigate it.”


    Eli listened quietly, feigning concern. “What happens if we encounter mutated creatures down there? If we get trapped, it might be even more dangerous than staying on the surface.”


    Alan nodded in agreement and said, “Your concern is valid. Judging by how quickly ordinary people mutate into zombies, I’d find it hard to believe there aren’t any mutated creatures in the sewers.”


    Alan''s tone shifted, becoming heavy yet resolute. "But we have no choice now. The risk on the surface is greater, and if we delay any longer, the sewers might become even more dangerous. So, while it''s still relatively safe, we need to make our way through the sewers and leave New York as quickly as possible."


    Eli sighed in resignation, nodding to show his acceptance. Yet, he couldn’t help but cast a glance toward Landon.


    Landon''s expression was laced with fear, making him appear exceptionally fragile and helpless.


    However, Eli’s instincts told him that Landon might be more valuable than Alan or Ethan.


    Though the thought felt somewhat absurd, Eli trusted his instincts—they were his greatest reliance.


    Alan scanned the group before speaking in a low tone, “Before we move out, we need to find some proper weapons. With just this scrap metal in hand, facing mutated creatures would be far too dangerous. Eli, Ethan, you’re coming with me. Landon, stay here. Don’t move. Wait for us to return.”


    Landon’s expression shifted subtly, a mix of emotions crossing his face.


    Though reluctant, he nodded, accepting the arrangement.