Despite her prior suspicions, Shen Qingqiu was still furious when she learned that Noro Biopharma was trying to capture Xiao Muyu.
Considering the secretive mission of their team and the system’s malicious targeting of Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu could almost predict that if Xiao Muyu were captured, the outcome would be far worse than just providing serum.
Therefore, it wasn’t just about preventing them from capturing that zombie; she also had to protect Xiao Muyu.
Just as Shen Qingqiu was thinking this, the system chimed again, giving new instructions.
“Xiao Muyu’s team: Side mission – protect target 2/2 completed, reward: 10 points. Note: failure to protect any target will result in a 50% point deduction.”
This made Xiao Muyu frown in surprise. After a moment, she said, “I initially thought 1/2 was because the mission wasn’t completed, or due to the disappearance of that zombie baby. But it turns out the targets to protect were me and her from the beginning, and we didn’t realize Noro Biopharma was targeting both of us.”
Zuo Tiantian’s eyes widened. “This system is truly wicked.”
Suppressing her anger, Shen Qingqiu coldly sneered at the confused man. “Do you really believe there is a cure? Those monsters who mutate within minutes after being bitten, who have no pain, no consciousness, no heartbeat, no breathing, and whose bodies don’t bleed—do you think antibodies can return them to their original state?
Those whose hearts were gouged out, heads half-severed, and internal organs hollowed out—how can they return to their original state?”
With each sentence, the man’s face grew paler. In the end, he couldn’t bear to look at Shen Qingqiu and shouted, “Professor Sun is the most knowledgeable about this virus and is an authority in the field. At the base, he saved someone who had been bitten. He wouldn’t lie to us.”
“Do you know about rabies vaccines? Do they work on those who are already symptomatic? For humans, nerve damage is generally irreversible. How can damage from a virus that attacks the brain be reversed?”
As Shen Qingqiu spoke, she felt a discomfort in her body. Turning to look at Xiao Muyu, her face changed. She raised her hand and knocked the man unconscious with a karate chop.
“Xiao Zuo, Lin Jian, quickly bandage their wounds. Don’t let them die.” She then knocked out the remaining seven men and hurried to Xiao Muyu’s side. “Muyu, where do you feel unwell?”
Xiao Muyu was about to shake her head when a wave of dizziness hit her, causing her to collapse backward.
Shen Qingqiu’s face turned white. She caught Xiao Muyu and lifted her in her arms.
“Captain Xiao, what happened? Why did she suddenly pass out?”
Zuo Tiantian, who was helping Lin Jian bandage the men, felt a pang of fear and rushed over to check on Xiao Muyu.
As soon as she spoke, she understood what had happened. Shen Qingqiu had told her to bandage the wounds not out of kindness but because the system’s rule prohibited harming NPCs.
Justified self-defense without fatality incurs no penalty, but in this case, the NPCs only threatened Lin Jian and didn’t notice Xiao Muyu. However, Xiao Muyu shot and injured them, resulting in backlash.
Lin Jian was anxious. Though several injured men lay on the ground, they weren’t as important as Xiao Muyu. He wanted to check on her.
Zuo Tiantian quickly stopped him. “Dr. Lin, she’s just exhausted. You should attend to the others. I have a first aid kit; don’t let anyone die.”
Shen Qingqiu placed Xiao Muyu on the sofa, unbuttoned her shirt, and looked at her with concern and regret.
Xiao Muyu’s face was pale, and Shen Qingqiu touched her cold hand, feeling an intense worry.
“Muyu, Muyu, wake up. Don’t scare me.”
She touched Xiao Muyu’s face and rubbed her hands. From outside, Lin Jian shouted, “There’s hot water on the table and glucose in the living room cabinet. Give her some to drink first…”
Zuo Tiantian quickly fetched a 250ml bag of glucose solution and handed it to Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu anxiously tore open the bag and carefully fed Xiao Muyu a few sips.
“It’s my fault for losing my head and forgetting about this. I should have taken action,” Shen Qingqiu said, biting her lip until it turned white, her brows furrowed deeply.
While Shen Qingqiu was feeling remorseful, Xiao Muyu weakly opened her eyes and softly said, “Silly, what difference would it make if you took action? Do you think the system favors you and wouldn’t punish you?”
Shen Qingqiu leaned in, finally showing a hint of joy. “You’re awake! Where do you feel uncomfortable?”
Xiao Muyu closed her eyes and tried to shake her head, but the dizziness persisted, making her feel weak, as if from blood loss.
Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu quickly handed her the glucose. “Here, drink some more.”
“It’s too sweet,” Xiao Muyu disliked sweet things and found the glucose solution cloyingly sweet.
Shen Qingqiu quickly took the water Zuo Tiantian had poured and gave it to her. “Then have some water to wash it down.”
Seeing Xiao Muyu still in discomfort, Shen Qingqiu frowned and complained softly, “My body is stronger than yours. If it were me, I wouldn’t feel this bad.”
Though Xiao Muyu’s face was still pale, she seemed slightly better, whether due to the glucose or the bandaged wounds outside. She couldn’t help but glance at Shen Qingqiu.
“Good thing it’s me. If it were you, you’d have killed them all, and I’d feel worse than just dizzy. Besides, you forget the system doesn’t like you. If it were you, you might not just feel dizzy—you’d probably have stomach pains too.”
The first part of her sentence was a roundabout way of flirting with Shen Qingqiu, but the latter part reminded her of the time Shen Qingqiu was punished by the system after a mission and had hidden it by claiming stomach pain. This left Shen Qingqiu feeling both happy and guilty.
Seeing Shen Qingqiu’s evasive eyes, Xiao Muyu didn’t say much more. She didn’t want Shen Qingqiu to always worry about her, so she said seriously, “You have your limits, and I have mine. You’re fine, that’s better than anything. If I can’t walk, you can carry me. But if you’re injured, I can’t carry you.”
This finally appeased Shen Qingqiu, who lowered her head and muttered, “I’m not that heavy, how could you not carry me?”
Seeing her aggrieved look, Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but laugh. Despite her pale face, her smile appeared even more gentle and affectionate.
When Xiao Muyu was serious, she seemed even more unapproachable than Shen Qingqiu. However, her delicate features and soft lines embodied the elegance and gentleness of an Eastern beauty. Once she smiled, that distance melted away, like ripples spreading through spring water.
Shen Qingqiu looked up and was immediately captivated by the rippling spring water in Xiao Muyu’s eyes, unable to look away until Lin Jian dragged someone in, hitting the cabinet and startling Shen Qingqiu back to reality.
Zuo Tiantian, sensing the odd atmosphere, quietly moved aside to pack things.
Shen Qingqiu stood up as if nothing had happened and instructed, “You sit and rest. I’ll pack things up. We’re leaving here soon.”
Lin Jian dragged a few people in. The leading man woke up halfway but only had time to see a pair of straight legs before being kicked unconscious again.
“Lin Jian, there’s something I need your help with. It’s not safe for you to stay here, so come with us. I’ll explain everything later.”
Lin Jian was full of questions, but he trusted Shen Qingqiu. They had saved him twice already; there was no reason for them to harm him. In this apocalypse, finding people who wouldn’t harm you was extremely difficult.
The three of them gathered their belongings while Xiao Muyu was ordered to rest. When there wasn’t much left to carry, Shen Qingqiu quickly walked over to Xiao Muyu, crouched down, and with a swift motion, had her on her back.
Xiao Muyu struggled, “It’s not that serious. I can walk on my own.”
Shen Qingqiu secured her with both hands and said, “You came over as soon as I pulled you. Clearly, you have no strength. I can carry you, and it’ll be faster this way.”
With that, she carried Xiao Muyu out the door. Xiao Muyu lay on Shen Qingqiu’s back, still feeling weak but not to the point of being unable to walk. Shen Qingqiu’s shoulders and back were not broad, and the jostling as they descended the stairs made her feel every step. Despite the sweat from going up and down the stairs, the faint scent of Shen Qingqiu’s sweat, mixed with her unique fragrance, was not unpleasant and reminded her of sunlight.
Thankfully, no new mutations occurred along the way. Lin Jian drove the previously left vehicle with Zuo Tiantian, following Shen Qingqiu’s car to meet up with Chen Kaijie.
After driving around several times to ensure no one was following, Shen Qingqiu led Lin Jian to a factory where the mutated zombies were locked up.
Before getting close, Xiao Muyu activated the “Loving Family” card, and Chen Kaijie quickly responded, his words filled with excitement and concern.
Although they were not together, they were a team, so both public and private broadcasts could be heard by both of them. They were thrilled that Xiao Muyu and her group had found clues but also worried that the broadcast might expose their activities at the research facility.
If Xiao Muyu and her group didn’t return soon, Chen Kaijie would have risked going to find them.
“We’re fine, everything is good. Anything unusual on your end?”
Xiao Muyu was also anxious. The baby zombie had always been her worry, so she had instructed Chen Kaijie and the others to keep the doors locked and stay away from it.
Zombies couldn’t communicate, and she couldn’t ask where the baby had been placed.
“The zombie is still very restless, only calm for a few hours a day. Fortunately, its mouth is gagged. No one else has appeared around here, so everything is good.”
“That’s good. Come to the north gate to help us carry some things. We’re back,” Shen Qingqiu said, and Chen Kaijie and Su Jin quickly agreed, soon emerging to help.
This time, Xiao Muyu got out of the car first, warily glancing at Shen Qingqiu. “I can walk on my own.”
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh, looking indulgent, “Alright, walk on your own.”
Finally back at their base, everyone could finally rest. Xiao Muyu briefly explained the situation at the research facility to Su Jin and Chen Kaijie, while Lin Jian, although confused, grasped a few key points.
The apocalypse zombie virus was not a natural disaster but a man-made one, with the culprits being Sun Qinian and the higher-ups of Nuoro Biopharmaceuticals.
Xiao Muyu had developed antibodies after being infected with the virus, so those people had gone to great lengths to find out her whereabouts by interrogating her family.
“Is everything you said true?” Lin Jian felt his world turned upside down. How could there be such heartless people? They knew the consequences of the virus leak yet chose to cover it up.
From the first patient admitted to the second hospital to the outbreak, there were five days. They said nothing, watching helplessly as medical staff became the first victims, and millions of citizens fell into hell.
“It’s absolutely true. The zombie inside is one of the first experimental subjects from the research facility,” Chen Kaijie said, taking out a small tag. “I found this on the zombie.”
“I asked for your help because Muyu’s body is special. Her blood serum might suppress the zombie virus.
We want to develop an antibody, but those people are heartless, and I won’t let them touch Muyu. None of us are professionals, but you’re a doctor and know more than us, so we want your help.”
Lin Jian was stunned but quickly became serious. After a long moment of contemplation, he raised his head and said seriously, “I’m honored by your trust. Developing an antiviral serum is our only hope. I’ll do my best, but I need the proper equipment and reagents.” As the youngest associate professor-level surgeon at the Central Hospital, Lin Jian’s research skills were as good as his surgical skills.
Shen Qingqiu nodded, “Tell us what you need, and we’ll do our best to get it.”
The six of them quickly formed a plan. To ensure their safety, Shen Qingqiu led Chen Kaijie and the others to quietly gather the needed supplies from several hospitals and university labs in G City.
They also collected solar panels and batteries, setting up a generator and lighting system in the factory.
Xiao Muyu’s ingenuity left the others in awe. What she had only read about in books became a reality in her hands.
Even after G City lost all water and power, they still had electricity, and drawing the curtains for light felt like a rare luxury.
For the next few days, Lin Jian was almost entirely in the lab they set up for him. He drew blood from Xiao Muyu and extracted cerebrospinal fluid from the zombie, analyzing the effects of Xiao Muyu’s serum on the zombie virus.
Xiao Muyu and the others didn’t disturb him. They sat together, discussing current problems.
They didn’t have much food left. Despite their frugality, there was little to be found outside now. Even water was becoming an issue. Since the apocalypse began, it hadn’t rained, and even if it did, they couldn’t trust it to be unpolluted.
They had already cleared the room they took Sun Xi to, moving all the food, water, and the refrigerator. They even scavenged the entire building.
Luckily, they acted quickly. Nuoro Biopharmaceuticals raided the place the night after they moved everything and found nothing.
“We won’t discuss food and water for now. Another critical issue is our points are not enough.”
With Xiao Muyu having a pass, they still needed four more, which meant 1,000 points.
Currently, they had 90 team points. Shen Qingqiu had the most individual points at 200.5, Xiao Muyu had 121.2, Chen Kaijie 112.5, Zuo Tiantian 101, and Su Jin 110.6.
This was from meticulously completing tasks and clearing buildings of zombies.
“Only three days left. With the system’s setup, finding the plot and avoiding capture leaves no time to hunt many zombies. Each zombie is 0.5 points, and using cards only gives 0.2. It’s nearly impossible.”
Shen Qingqiu’s face darkened. They needed at least 270 more points to get three more passes.
“We have to take risks and hope the vaccine succeeds to earn extra team points,” Shen Qingqiu said, knowing they couldn’t wait.
However, Lin Jian just told them that Xiao Muyu’s blood showed no antibodies.
Her cells indeed differed from theirs, with a lower infection risk, but her serum couldn’t protect others’ cells from the virus.
“We can’t be wrong. Muyu’s cells partially resist infection. That’s undeniable. But why no antibodies?” Shen Qingqiu muttered, then had a dreadful thought but shook her head.
“Because there’s no pathogen stimulation,” Xiao Muyu said calmly, giving the answer.
“No way!” Shen Qingqiu reacted strongly, “You’re not completely safe; you still risk infection. I won’t let you take that risk.”
