Although they were very surprised, getting home safely at this moment was the most important thing. Those questions could only be temporarily left in their minds.
Due to numerous accidents along the way, the ten-plus kilometer journey took almost thirty minutes to reach Lin Jian’s residential area.
The security booth at the entrance to the underground parking lot of the community was empty, and the barrier had been broken.
Hearing the sound of the car, the zombies wandering on the road outside the community began to converge in a wobbly manner. The group quickly parked and turned off the car, and under Lin Jian’s lead, began to move into the community with their belongings.
“My home is in the middle building of the second row in the community,” Lin Jian whispered as he led the way.
The occupancy rate in the community was indeed not high, and the newly done landscaping saved them a lot of trouble to some extent.
The entrance to the residential building had an access control system. Fortunately, Lin Jian, with his old-fashioned habits, had the key hanging on his belt, just in time to swipe the card and enter.
But as soon as they got in, six of them turned a corner and were met by a shriveled, wrinkled zombie that lunged at them with its mouth open.
Even more horrifying, half of its face was gnawed to the point that the cheekbone was exposed, and it came so suddenly that Chen Kaijie let out a short scream.
Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but shiver, but was quickly pulled aside and protected by Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu acted decisively, swinging the dagger in her right hand, and the zombie’s head fell off and rolled to the side, a sight that made everyone’s heart pound with fear.
Lin Jian couldn’t bear to look. His tolerance was already much stronger than that of ordinary people, but the thought that this horribly disfigured zombie had once been a living person made him very uncomfortable.
“What about this corpse?” Zuo Tiantian still didn’t dare to look closely and asked softly.
After all, they might be staying here and would need to go in and out. If the body was left there, it would eventually rot, which would be unpleasant both visually and olfactorily.
“Let’s move it out first and find time to burn it collectively,” Lin Jian suggested, as there didn’t seem to be a better solution at the moment.
This kind of rough work fell to Chen Kaijie, who grabbed the clothes and dragged the body out.
Lin Jian’s apartment was on the seventh floor. Fortunately, it wasn’t too high up, so even if the elevator was broken, they could manage the stairs.
Everything went smoothly from the elevator to the door. From the windows, they could see about a dozen zombies wandering below in the street and community grounds.
It was clear that those who had been outside at the time had mostly fallen victim, further indicating that the zombie virus had multiple sources rather than a single origin.
“Everyone, take a break. I’ll go change my clothes first. I’m boiling some water, so if you’re thirsty, help yourselves,” Lin Jian said, unable to stand the stench and blood on his clothes any longer.
“Okay, we can manage ourselves. Thank you.”
He shook his head and walked into the master bedroom, closing the door behind him, looking rather tired.
“Captain Xiao, what about this doctor?” Su Jin was curious about Lin Jian. From her understanding, in an apocalypse, it wasn’t wise to bring along local residents who were mostly ordinary people and might misunderstand their bold actions as players, potentially thinking they were a group of villains.
“He’s a doctor and was in the ward where I was. I think he might know something about me. Moreover, as a local resident, he knows more about G City than we do. He might also have more information about the origin of the zombie virus. Although we have identities, we don’t have memories, so acting blindly would be very passive.”
Xiao Muyu had hesitated, especially since the situation was so urgent at the time, but when the doctor suddenly called her “Miss Xiao,” it caught her attention.
More importantly, he seemed like a good person and, as a doctor, could provide significant help. And indeed, he had.
“Understood. If he doesn’t have any ulterior motives, it’s certainly good to have him with us. But if we use the cards later, we might not be able to keep it from him,” Zuo Tiantian thought further ahead.
“Then let’s tell him we have supernatural abilities, like in novels,” Su Jin raised an eyebrow, making everyone laugh.
“Right, let’s all share our identities and any unusual information we have,” Xiao Muyu said.
They were already quite familiar with the current state of the world, but the goal of this mission wasn’t just survival; they also needed to uncover hidden tasks, so understanding each other’s information was crucial.
Xiao Muyu first explained her situation. As Shen Qingqiu listened, his frown deepened, his eyes fixed on Xiao Muyu’s abdomen. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Is your body okay? Is the wound healed? Internal bleeding, is it the spleen or the liver?”
The more Shen Qingqiu asked, the more alarmed he became, wanting to examine Xiao Muyu thoroughly to ensure she was alright.
Su Jin and the others also looked worried after hearing this.
Xiao Muyu sighed, “Don’t be so nervous, you’re scaring Su Jin and the others. I’m really fine. I’ve taken down seven or eight zombies along the way and even caught you jumping down from over three meters high. Does that sound like someone with problems? The doctor said I recovered very well.”
Hearing this, Shen Qingqiu finally calmed down, though he still looked concerned.
“But Captain Xiao, from what you said, that first infected patient, Tian Jia, is very suspicious. What was she trying to inject you with?”
“That’s very odd. A 20ml syringe is usually used for preparing or adding medication, not for direct treatment. It’s impossible for a nurse to make such a basic mistake.”
Xiao Muyu nodded. When she woke up and saw the syringe, she thought it was strange because it didn’t seem right.
There was definitely something wrong with what was in that syringe, and it might be crucial.
“Captain Xiao, do you mean the zombies in your ward mutated quickly, with speed, high attack power, and strong transmission, different from the later ones? It’s likely they had a different origin. Since the system placed the players in that ward, there must be a reason. It might require focused investigation,” Chen Kaijie pondered and then added, “My setting is a researcher in a research institute. When I became conscious, I was experimenting. During a chat, they said that some colleagues had fallen ill and taken sick leave.
Less than half an hour later, someone rushed in saying there was trouble. When I went out, I saw people in the research institute had turned into creatures that attacked anyone on sight. They were fast, and those with poor physical fitness couldn’t escape.”
“In my case, in the Yaxiang Shui Xie community, I still don’t know my exact identity. When the scenario started, I was at home. It was only after hearing screams outside that I realized something was wrong,” another added.
Many residents didn’t dare go out. I only sneaked out because I needed to meet up with you. By the way, those mutated zombies are also quite fast, faster than the ones I saw later,” Su Jin said.
Su Jin and her two companions had gathered on their way to the Xinhe Building. Like Xiao Muyu’s group, they had initially been in different locations.
When the virus broke out, Su Jin was working at a company, handling some materials.
Xiao Muyu listened to each person, then asked Chen Kaijie and Su Jin, “Do you know the names of the companies you were working for?”
Su Jin nodded, “It’s called Norovirus Biopharmaceuticals. I checked, and it’s a large company. They own an entire commercial building, very impressive.”
Chen Kaijie was surprised, “The biological research institute I was at is the largest in G City, specializing in basic virology research. It also appears to be of high standard.”
This immediately caught Xiao Muyu’s attention, and Shen Qingqiu frowned slightly, “I know the company Su Jin mentioned.”
“You know it, Vice-Captain?” Su Jin asked, surprised, then heard Shen Qingqiu say in a serious tone, “The luncheon I attended was hosted by Norovirus Biopharmaceuticals.”
“People’s Hospital ward, Yaxiang Shui Xie community, Norovirus Biopharmaceuticals, G City Biological Research Institute. What do you think after hearing this?” Xiao Muyu asked, her voice low and her eyes deep with thought.
“It’s like every stage of the virus spread is connected seamlessly,” Shen Qingqiu said coldly.
“This is becoming more and more eerie. Could it be a man-made disaster?” Zuo Tiantian muttered.
“Ding!” The system’s voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. Everyone immediately perked up, listening intently.
“Congratulations to Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Su Jin, Zuo Tiantian, and Chen Kaijie for unlocking Task 3 of Replica 005: Investigate the source of the zombie virus and determine the cause of the apocalypse.”
“Reward: 5 team points!”
“Is it going to broadcast this to everyone again? It feels like it’s setting us up as targets, making other teams pay attention to us,” Chen Kaijie said with a frown, suspecting the system’s intentions.
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes flickered with a cold glint, “In any case, don’t hesitate to assume the worst about others. No matter what the system intends, if anyone dares to target us, I’ll kill anyone who gets in our way. The system said not to harm NPCs, but it didn’t say anything about not touching other players.”
She finished with a cold smile, exuding an aura of cold elegance mixed with a hint of bloodlust, looking rather cruel.
This side of Shen Qingqiu was rarely seen. Su Jin and the others had never seen her like this, so they couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious, feeling a bit uncertain.
Of course, they weren’t naïve. Players backstabbing each other in replicas was not unheard of, but they were somewhat intimidated by Shen Qingqiu’s formidable presence.
The atmosphere suddenly became solemn, with only Xiao Muyu remaining unfazed. She glanced at Shen Qingqiu, a bit helpless but then chuckled softly.
Although she had gotten used to Shen Qingqiu’s affection and gentleness, she hadn’t forgotten that Shen Qingqiu was a tough character.
True to her words, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t hesitate to deal with anyone who crossed her.
Shen Qingqiu had a soft heart, kind to those she cared for, and would protect them at all costs. But she was also ruthless, showing little sympathy for unnecessary people.
“Did I scare you?” Shen Qingqiu asked, noticing the change in atmosphere. She crossed her legs and leaned back lazily, her eyes still sharp.
Su Jin quickly shook her head, and Zuo Tiantian and Chen Kaijie followed suit even more vigorously.
“We were just awed by your strength, Vice-Captain. That’s the way it should be! Everyone wants to survive, so why should we tolerate them? If they dare have any ill intentions, they can’t blame us for not showing mercy,” Chen Kaijie said firmly, his expression growing serious.
In this world, it’s survival of the fittest. While he upheld his conscience, he couldn’t tolerate others scheming against him.
“Alright, let’s relax and discuss the important matters,” Xiao Muyu said, tapping Shen Qingqiu’s knee.
Shen Qingqiu, who had been exuding a menacing aura like a queen, immediately sat up straight and said calmly, “Continue.”
Su Jin couldn’t help but smile.
“The current conditions for clearing this replica are as follows: First, keep breathing and never stop. It doesn’t demand this explicitly, but it implies it,” Xiao Muyu suddenly joked, making everyone laugh.
Shen Qingqiu laughed heartily, leaning on Xiao Muyu’s shoulder. Xiao Muyu glanced at her disdainfully but said nothing.
“The second condition is essential for survival in the apocalypse: food and water. We need a pass, and each costs 250 points. So, we need a total of 1250 points. This will be a significant obstacle.
The third condition is to uncover the truth. This has no time limit and could take ten days or half a month, making the first condition increasingly challenging. We need to be mentally prepared.”
In past replicas, finding the truth required courage and brains, but this one was special, requiring physical strength and combat ability.
Staying at home wouldn’t uncover the truth; they had to go out and couldn’t hide in a safe house until the end.
Xiao Muyu explained everything clearly, revealing that the system had already calculated to keep them on edge.
Just then, Lin Jian came out, and the group stopped talking. He looked at them and suggested, “Do you want to wash up?”
Everyone looked at themselves, and Xiao Muyu sniffed, prompting Shen Qingqiu to say, “Thanks, we need to.” They had wisely taken some clothes from the mall, sharing a set with Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian. Shen Qingqiu let Xiao Muyu shower first.
Lin Jian then arranged the sleeping arrangements.
There were six of them: two men and four women. Lin Jian’s home had three rooms, just enough for two people per room.
Due to Lin Jian’s presence, their conversation became less convenient, so they showered and changed clothes first.
Using the excuse of needing rest, they went to their rooms. Shen Qingqiu smiled mischievously and whispered, “You refuse to share a bed with me outside, but in the replica, you have no choice but to sleep with me.”
Xiao Muyu glanced at her and said, “I can sleep with Tiantian.”
Shen Qingqiu’s expression stiffened, and she narrowed her eyes, saying softly, “Are you trying to make Tiantian uncomfortable?”
Xiao Muyu’s eyes shifted, avoiding Shen Qingqiu’s gaze, a faint smile flashing across her lips.
Shen Qingqiu snorted, “You’re going to cause problems with this attitude.”
Xiao Muyu just looked at her without speaking. Shen Qingqiu, thinking of something, leaned in closer and said, “By the way, Muyu, when your stopwatch pauses, why can’t Su Jin and the others move, but only you and I can?”
Her expression seemed puzzled, seeking an answer, but she was actually showing off, clearly proud of being special.
“I don’t know.” Xiao Muyu replied curtly.
The author’s note: Xiao Xiao: I can sleep with Tiantian.
Zuo Tiantian: No, you can’t!
Xiao Xiao: …
Xiao Shen: I think you don’t want Tiantian to be well.
Zuo Tiantian: Shivering, couples’ flirting affects innocent bystanders.
Xiao Shen: My wife doesn’t know why, do you?
Lately, there have been fewer comments. Where did you all go? Boohoo.
