Chen Kaijie’s sudden intrusion clearly startled Xiao Muyu. She shrank back, staring intently at Chen Kaijie with a frown.
After Chen Kaijie finished speaking rapidly, he noticed Xiao Muyu’s reaction. Swallowing the rest of his words, he looked disappointed and distressed, murmuring, “I forgot, Captain Xiao…”
“Don’t panic. First, let’s find out what’s happening. Remind everyone to stay alert. With Muyu in this condition, we won’t take any offensive action. We’ll just remain on high alert. If any of those zombies come in, we’ll take them down one by one,” Shen Qingqiu instructed calmly.
Chen Kaijie, not unfamiliar with emergencies, snapped back to attention at Shen Qingqiu’s words. He nodded quickly and left.
Shen Qingqiu looked at Xiao Muyu with a sense of melancholy. “With you here, they feel grounded. Normally, you’re the one arranging everything for us. Whenever something happens, they instinctively look to you, like children who haven’t been weaned.”
Though Xiao Muyu seemed not to have heard Chen Kaijie’s words, she had tilted her head slightly since he entered, as if listening for something. Shen Qingqiu thought her ears might practically stand up.
Not disturbing her, Shen Qingqiu glanced out through the side window. The direction of the gunfire revealed a wave of zombies approaching. This was the first large-scale zombie horde since Shen Qingqiu used the “Love Display Leads to Quick Death” card.
Clearly, this was no coincidence but an organized, purposeful attack. The zombies howled, their cries echoing like a pack of hunting wolves on the prairie. This massive horde would be hard to withstand, no matter how strong the firepower. Shen Qingqiu’s expression grew serious; they couldn’t confront this head-on. However, a crazy thought flashed through her mind: if they couldn’t find the vaccine and the remaining time wasn’t enough to accumulate the required points for a pass, she would have to make a big move here.
Xiao Muyu continued listening intently, frowning. Shen Qingqiu glanced at her and whispered, “As long as you’re safe, we don’t need to worry. Stay here obediently; I’ll just take a look outside.”
As she was about to leave, Xiao Muyu suddenly turned her head and shouted at Shen Qingqiu. Her eyes glared at Shen Qingqiu, clearly not wanting her to leave, filled with urgency and anger.
Shen Qingqiu paused, considering something, then tentatively said, “I’ll just go out and check the situation. I won’t fight, and I won’t confront those zombies.”
Xiao Muyu seemed to understand, and Shen Qingqiu correctly guessed her thoughts. Xiao Muyu quietly calmed down, sulking on the small bed Shen Qingqiu had set up for her, ignoring her.
Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile, gently coaxing her, “I’ll be back soon.”
Xiao Muyu remained still, but as soon as Shen Qingqiu left, she stood up and leaned against the window, her red eyes narrowing. The scene before her sharpened like a focused lens, clearly revealing the distant situation through the gaps in the buildings.
The zombies advanced like worker ants, relentless. The ones below moved slowly, with stiff expressions and strange movements, constantly pushing forward.
However, on both sides, another group of zombies crawled on all fours over buildings, cars, and trees, moving quickly and leaping in a blink of an eye.
As the horde grew, some zombies diverged from the crowded route, spreading out into the surrounding streets, weaving through the factories and buildings. Some headed towards their location.
Xiao Muyu’s red eyes darkened, coldly staring out the window.
“Deputy Captain, a group of zombies is coming, about a dozen, including three mutant zombies. They’re fast and seem to have caught our scent.”
Chen Kaijie, holding binoculars, saw three mutant zombies prowling the street outside the factory. One, like a dog, sniffed the ground, clearly following a scent.
When it looked up, its shriveled flesh clung to its skeletal face, its cloudy eyes fixed on Chen Kaijie’s direction. With a low growl, it charged forward like a leopard.
Terrified, Chen Kaijie pulled back the binoculars, swallowing nervously. “They’ve found us.”
At that moment, the room with the chained female zombie erupted with violent rattling. A sharp noise pierced from within, hurting everyone’s ears. Chen Kaijie and the others couldn’t help but cover their ears.
Shen Qingqiu’s expression changed. “This is bad. She’s signaling the other zombies!”
As she finished speaking, the glass on the west side of the second floor shattered, and a gray-brown figure climbed in like a gecko, breaking the glass and rushing inside.
It landed with the glass, standing on all fours. Its head twisted at a grotesque angle, looking up at Shen Qingqiu and the others, drooling on the floor. It leaped high, almost reaching the ceiling, and lunged at them.
Shen Qingqiu pushed Chen Kaijie and the others aside, narrowly slicing the zombie with her dagger. But the short blade only injured its claw, barely affecting it.
Shen Qingqiu, skilled in close combat, found it difficult to use her strength effectively against a mutant zombie with her short dagger, especially without getting hurt herself.
These creatures, unless hit in a vital spot, felt no fatigue or pain, making them hard to handle.
The real danger was the other zombies closing in. Shen Qingqiu could dodge them, but Chen Kaijie and Su Jin would be in grave danger.
Shen Qingqiu’s face grew grim. Without Xiao Muyu here, the only card she could effectively use was Xiao Er, the ghost doll.
But that doll was too eerie, its abilities strange. Now, it wouldn’t be very strong, making it almost useless.
“Xiao Zuo, Su Jin, Chen Kaijie, protect yourselves. Xiao Zuo, use your red thread and wall at the right moment. And don’t forget the freehand circle technique; it can save your life.”
Shen Qingqiu held off the mutant zombie, preventing it from approaching Su Jin and the others. But the second mutant zombie climbed up the stairs, scaling the vertical walls like a spider, waiting for the right moment to attack Shen Qingqiu from above.
Zuo Tiantian quickly threw up a wall to block it temporarily. Shen Qingqiu shrugged off her coat, wrapping it around the other zombie’s claw when it pounced, then swiftly stabbed its neck, severing its head.
The other zombie snarled and lunged at Zuo Tiantian and the others, who backed away in fear, right towards where Xiao Muyu was.
As the zombie prepared to pounce, Chen Kaijie felt a sudden force push him over, falling in a daze. Terrified, he thought a third zombie had attacked him.
But then he heard a low growl filled with cold menace. Turning around, he saw Xiao Muyu, having freed herself, pushing him and Zuo Tiantian aside. Her red eyes glared at the zombie, growling threateningly.
Strangely, the once-aggressive zombie hesitated, crouching in place. As Xiao Muyu advanced with another growl, it retreated several steps.
Finally, it hesitated, turning and smashing through a window to the first floor.
Xiao Muyu slowly walked over, looking down. She growled again, and the approaching zombies retreated, scattering back to their original positions.
The room’s tension was palpable. Chen Kaijie, Zuo Tiantian, and Su Jin dared not move, fearing to provoke Xiao Muyu’s attention.
They kept signaling to Shen Qingqiu with their eyes, their expressions a mix of fear, curiosity, and a hint of excitement. Just now, Xiao Muyu had driven away those zombies.
“Vice Captain, how did Captain Xiao get out?” Chen Kaijie mouthed to Shen Qingqiu while pointing at Xiao Muyu’s hands and feet.
Xiao Muyu was still looking outside. Shen Qingqiu looked at her and tentatively called out, “Muyu.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Muyu blinked and was suddenly in front of Shen Qingqiu with terrifying speed. Zuo Tiantian couldn’t help but scream.
It was the first time Shen Qingqiu realized her reactions weren’t fast enough when facing Xiao Muyu. Of course, she hadn’t anticipated such a situation.
Xiao Muyu was merciless, pushing Shen Qingqiu and pinning her against the wall.
“Captain Xiao, no!” Su Jin was also terrified and hurriedly got up to rush over.
Shen Qingqiu’s heart was racing, but she remained calm, reaching out to stop Su Jin. “I’m fine.”
Xiao Muyu clearly wasn’t going to bite her, but her movements were rough, pulling Shen Qingqiu’s arm and sniffing her all over. Shen Qingqiu was like a doll being manipulated, finally understanding what Xiao Muyu was doing.
“I’m fine, I’m not hurt,” she said carefully, looking at Xiao Muyu and glancing at her hands. “How did you untie yourself?”
Xiao Muyu snorted disdainfully, showing her hands. After confirming Shen Qingqiu wasn’t hurt, she clapped her hands, tossed Shen Qingqiu aside, and leisurely walked back to her room.
When she reached the door, she glanced at Su, Zuo, and Chen, who were staring at her, bared her teeth, and scared them into shrinking back before proudly striding in.
Su Jin pointed inside and whispered, “Captain Xiao is very clear-headed, but she’s a bit adorably arrogant.”
Shen Qingqiu chuckled and hushed her, “Don’t let her hear you, or she’ll scare you to death.”
After saying this, Shen Qingqiu signaled Chen Kaijie to check on the situation again and walked into the room herself, finding Xiao Muyu locked up again, intently wrapping her hands in cloth.
Shen Qingqiu’s heart softened. She sat down next to Xiao Muyu. “This isn’t comfortable. If you can control yourself, you don’t need to bind your hands. It’s uncomfortable.”
Xiao Muyu shook her head and licked her teeth. She was struggling a bit and actually wanted to bite Shen Qingqiu, whereas the others outside didn’t interest her much.
Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu sighed, not insisting any further, and took the cloth strips to bind Xiao Muyu’s hands.
“How did you untie yourself?” Shen Qingqiu asked, still curious and surprised by Xiao Muyu’s earlier actions.
Xiao Muyu didn’t speak, just pointed to her head. She had zombie traits, but she was still a person. A person with a brain couldn’t be restrained by the way Shen Qingqiu, who couldn’t bear to be harsh, had tied her.
After binding her hands, Shen Qingqiu touched Xiao Muyu’s wound. “Can I take a look?”
Xiao Muyu nodded, removing the blood-soaked bandage. In just half a day, the wound, which had a chunk of flesh cut out, had already scabbed over, with the edges closing up. This healing ability was indeed remarkable.
For a moment, Shen Qingqiu didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy. She patted Xiao Muyu’s head. “You must hold on. You will get better.”
The situation wasn’t good. With Xiao Muyu being ill, Shen Qingqiu had other matters to handle, so she couldn’t stay with her all the time.
“Captain Xiao is now a very special case. The virus has modified her body but hasn’t eroded her mind. It seems to be a positive development. She hasn’t shown any bloodthirsty behavior and doesn’t want to eat us.”
Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “She’s not trying to eat us; she’s restraining herself. She refuses to eat our food. I just tried giving her a well-done steak, but she wouldn’t eat it. She only likes it medium-rare.”
“The longer we wait, the worse it gets. The zombies are attacking the city, and the Norovirus Pharmaceutical facility can hold out until tomorrow at most. I can only wait until tomorrow.
“Right now, Muyu is still human. I’m not sure what will happen if we delay. But as soon as we clear the level, we can leave immediately. After we leave the instance, all injuries will reset. In other words, as long as the virus doesn’t kill her, she’ll be fine once we get out.”
Su Jin understood what Shen Qingqiu meant. She looked at her points and said hesitantly, “But we still need a pass, which costs 250 points. How many zombies do we need to kill?”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes darkened. “Tomorrow, we must go all out. We have to clear a path. Even if it’s 500 zombies, or a thousand, I’ll kill them all.”
At night, Xiao Muyu was still in good condition. Lin Jian was working tirelessly on experiments. His initial analysis confirmed his hypothesis: Xiao Muyu’s body was reacting to the virus. The virus was replicating rapidly, but many cells were still alive.
However, it was too early to see any significant antibodies, so he had to wait.
Except for Xiao Muyu, no one else slept that night. Shen Qingqiu watched over Xiao Muyu while keeping an eye on the situation outside.
Hundreds of zombies gathered outside the North Suburb base. The Norovirus Pharmaceutical facility, which should have been hiding, was brightly lit all night with gunfire echoing.
The shouts of people and the roars of zombies turned the dead city into a scene from hell.
But Xiao Muyu slept deeply, so deeply that Shen Qingqiu couldn’t wake her. This only increased Shen Qingqiu’s anxiety, as it wasn’t a good sign.
Lin Jian drew blood twice more, showing the virus was rapidly consuming Xiao Muyu’s cells. This was a bad result, making Shen Qingqiu feel like her heart was on fire.
The broadcast had announced twice. Now, besides Xiao Muyu, there were five people left. Lin Shuang’s team was completely wiped out, Jiang Wei had two people left, and Qi Hongyue had three.
Out of the four teams, only ten of the original twenty-one members remained, a 50% death rate.
“Are you ready?” Shen Qingqiu looked at the base in the distance, which looked like an ancient city under siege, her eyes cold with a hint of madness.
Norovirus Biopharmaceuticals is no longer a group, and those government officials who have disappeared are probably there as well. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such substantial firepower to support them.
Xiao Muyu was still asleep, so Shen Qingqiu couldn’t take her along and had to find a safe place to hide her. She couldn’t even trust Lin Jian completely.
Before departing, she handed Lin Jian a vial of blood, telling him to take good care of himself. The four of them then prepared to leave with Xiao Muyu.
Lin Jian watched them through his goggles, his expression one of helplessness and pain. He felt there was hope, but the wisdom and strength of one person were truly limited.
As they were about to leave, Lin Jian stood up, his voice hoarse, and said, “I’m too slow on my own. Let me take these to Norovirus Biopharmaceuticals, okay?”
Shen Qingqiu, carrying Xiao Muyu on her back, stopped when she heard this.
Lin Jian’s hair was disheveled, his face haggard. He had been working day and night for the past few days, his eyes bloodshot, and his beard unshaven, making him look like a homeless man with no sense of image or charisma.
“I can’t send you inside. At most, I can help you break through the wave of zombies. Whether you can survive and get in, no one can guarantee. But if you stay here, there’s still hope,” Shen Qingqiu said solemnly.
Lin Jian smiled, a mixture of bitterness and open-mindedness. “In a world like this, clinging to life is worse than dying. Although they have no conscience and are ruthless, people want to live. If there is a way, they will fight desperately for their own sake. At that time, maybe the innocent can truly find a glimmer of hope. Miss Shen, don’t you agree?”
Shen Qingqiu nodded, “Chen Kaijie, take him with you. We’ll loop around and get him in from the back.”
This is a game, but some emotions and touches are not just within the game.
Author’s note: Xiao Xiao is not only interested in Captain Shen, but also emotionally interested. Tomorrow, the big battle begins.
